Day 99 and Under the Sea

Today is almost over .. i fell asleep as I was about to edit the photo of this and then write the post. Fortunately, I am awake again and I still have about a half hour before the day is officially over.

I decided to paint this beautiful fish today because it reminded me that I was so fortunate to have snorkled or swam in the red sea. One day I went with my mother to snorkle in the water out in front of the hotel where we would stay sometimes when we'd go to the port about three hours away from our home in Africa. We were in a sort of bay and there was a kind of jetty with a lighthouse .. we decided to go and check out the water's along the jetty. When we got to the other side the water was deeper and the view was like a magical garden of fish and color and beauty that I could only imagine in my head but there it was right in front of my eyes. This painting reminds me of that scene. I always recall that moment as feeling as if I'd jumped into a treasure box. I'll never forget what I saw.

If you would love to own this beautiful fish please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com.  Thank you for your support during this experience. I can't believe that this will be the last time for me to write .. see you tomorrow in this project. :)

Day 97 and Jacques

Today is day 97 and while this isn't exactly Jacques it is painted in his memory. For a long time as we were growing up we always loved going to my grandma and grandpa's house. They were my mom's parents. We always had fun there and they were always loving on us. There was always good food and fun. There was also a little budgie named Jacques. And a gorgeous dog named Cookie. We loved both of them. If we were good my grandpa would let us go over to Jacques cage and open the door and put our finger out and he would hop right onto it. It was always fun to put him on our heads. He always seemed to like that and sometimes he would pull your hair. I think I remember he even would give kisses. He was never mean and always sweet. I don't know when he passed on and I don't know how old he was when he died but I always remember him being on my head and sitting on my finger. I'm glad to have thought of him and to paint this image of a bird just like him. It's good to finally get a painting done earlier than usual. Just three day's to go. :) If you would love to own this beautiful painting of this budgie, email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow.

Day 96 and Hedgehogs

Today is Day 96 and this is a Hedgehog. I think these are the cutest little creatures. When I lived in Africa I went to school at a military school. We were fortunate to be a part of a wonderful community of people. A group of American's living in Africa. I was eleven when we left so all of my experiences there were up to that age. I know I was at least ten when I would ride my bicycle to school and sometimes I would ride the bus. If I rode the bus sometimes I would walk to my best friends house. One day on my way home we went by another friends house. We went up to her house because when we walked by she was outside on her front porch. As we got closer we saw that she was sitting in front of a box and we went over and looked inside and this is what we saw. There were two or three in there. They were so cute they looked like miniature porcupines. We got to hold them and they were so sweet. We didn't hold them for very long before we put them back. I had forgotten about them until yesterday when I saw a photo of one somewhere.. This little guy reminded me of how adorable they were. Not sure they make good pets or not but they are cute.

If you would like to own this cute painting of a hedgehog email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Four day's left and so I'll be back tomorrow. :)

Day 95 and Frog faces

Well today is day 95 and there are now only 5 left to go. It's been amazing really. I really just find myself enjoying the painting and I spend a good bit of time on each of these paintings and even though I try to limit that I enjoy it so much that I put more and more into each one. Somehow the maps just seem to make a great background for the creatures that I have been painting on them. These guys have such personality with their big big eyes. and what appears to be a big smile. This is a tree frog but I've come across many toads in my life. One my dog got to messing with and I rescued it from her grip.. the toad just sort of sat there as if it were dead and then much later it was gone. I hoped that it was just resting and playing possom and that is what I hope and believe. And i've imagined it hopping away when the coast was clear enough to leave.

If you would love to own this cute frog face just email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. And have a great day. See you tomorrow!

Today is day 92 and the Baltimore Oriole

Today is day 92 !!!  Almost there and today my life feels a little more normal and I am painting again in the MORNING!!! yes I have discovered the time of painting joy yet again!!! I decided to paint this bird because everyone .. lots of people love the birds. I love nature and I love birds too. This is painting is on a map that I have sewn to an old photo folder the ones where they open and have a paper mat for a  photograph. This one probably had a family portrait in it at one time but more then likely was put into an album and my mom decided to keep the folder. The map is of Virginia and Maryland and Washington D.C. Two states that I lived in. Virginia was a little town near Haymarket where I went to school and the other in Maryland where I graduated from High School. SO the Orioles are Maryland's state bird. They have such beautiful orangish yellow feathers .. so lovely. This is a young bird. I like the background of the map and I loved living in both states. We were close enough to visit the wonderful museums in Washington D.C. I spent many trips going to all the art museums there when I lived in both states. Maryland is where I lived my art.. I entered my portfolio into scholastic art awards and got my portfolio picked for judging out of many that were entered. It was the first time that anyone entered portfolio's at our school and three students entered and all three of us were accepted for review. Two of us won something we were told. We would find out at the awards ceremony. One was for a full four year scholarship to an art college of our choice. I couldn't sleep for a week. Sadly I didn't win. I think it would have changed my life and the course that it took over the next 30 or so years. I do still wish I had won but I am who I am because of all that happened. When I paint .. i try to paint my heart and soul right there, no matter who or what I'm painting. I'm really very grateful to be painting every day for the last 92 days and there were some bumps in the road but I've kept true to my commitment. I am amazed when I see all the work there in front of me that I haven't sold yet. I have eight more paintings to do .. and I'm just going to have fun with it..

If you would like to own this painting today of a Baltimore Oriole bird face please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow .. !!!

Day 90 and 91 Abu and Coconut

Today is day 91 and yesterday I got home late after finishing pricing everything in my mom's house. I went and bought some groceries and came home completely spent. Even writing this here I had to think if it was last night that I actually went to the grocery store because at this moment it feels like it was days ago. That's really how my brain feels. Yesterday seemed to be more difficult with just hearing the ladies talk about my mom's things. It has been a great learning experience and I'm even getting paid to help ha ! But if I do this again for another sale I'm glad it won't be with my own family's stuff. So last night when I got home I managed to fix some dinner and sit down to do the daily portrait. I actually got started on this painting here and was so exhausted I fell asleep .. I had no chance of doing it in the morning because I was gone early .. So i made a decision to finish it up today and so I did paint each face on each day. I don't know where or why I decided to do this portrait but I'm guessing that it's because tomorrow I am talking to a friend and my life coach Theresa Pizzuto who is part owner of IOP and her own coaching business. I don't ever really talk about this but I have been working with her for a while now. I really don't want to explain it but feel free to contact her if you would like to know more about it. I guess the best thing I could say about her work is that she helps me be me .. and the best me I can be. This is a good thing. She lost her cat Abu who is the gray cat in this painting. It was a tragic sort of loss for her. I am doing some other artwork for her but I wanted to give this to her just because I'm grateful for all she's done for me. The other cat in the photo is Coconut and they did seem to love each other very much. Abu looks a lot like my own cat that died a long time ago .. 34 years ago. I miss that cat. So here's to Theresa and all her fabulous work as a coach and a diversity consultant doing good work to spread love and a listening ear to all who are in her life! I'll mail this off to you in the next day or so.
oh and this was painted on a piece of scrap wood from my dad's house. :)
See you tomorrow!

Day 88 and an Indigo Bunting

Today day eighty eight. Just twelve days to go to reach 100. I am really just so thrilled to be painting every day for this many days.. I LOVE doing this !!!

Today I am still in the process of clearing out my mom and dad's home. I got to spend the day with the Estate sale people learning how they set up an estate sale. It's really amazing to watch them transform a house full of items into something that looks inviting. I will be there again tomorrow. It's been really good to be a part of it. However I seem to be unable to be present when anything sells. I feel this stab in my heart. It makes no sense to me .. I have no attachment to the items that are there but none the less I feel nearly overwhelming heartache when someone wants to buy anything. Then I saw one of the people ask if there was anything good? or someone else put on a hat and say something about the hat ... it all became rather personal. Even though none of the stuff was mine it was my mom or dad's. I was curious to see what people liked. Each person had items that they liked to collect. It was interesting to see which items they felt were the most valuable. So I found it all informative at least. IT seems that estate sales is a growing business here. Several of the estate sale people are booked for months. So ... today I painted the Indigo Bunting because so many people loved the Red cardinal from yesterday. Atleast my eyes are not needing to be held open with toothpicks.

Ok if you would like to own this beautiful blue bird .. email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow. :)

Day 82 Shambell

Today is day 82 and I did start this earlier and came back to it this evening. It's been a week that feels a bit like a fog because I've been so tired emotionally and physically. Today felt more normal than usual haha. This is good.

Tonight I decided to write about Shambell. I may have talked about her before when I talked about riding horses when we lived in Africa. I learned to ride at the British Consulates. My mom used to take my brother and I when we first started going. We always went with a guide and we always got to run the horses sometime and if we weren't careful they would run back to the stables on their way back when they knew it was time to go home. I always rode Shambell. She was a beautiful black stallion. I loved this horse. I loved her. When we left Africa I was just eleven years old. By the last year or so my brother and I would walk to the stables by ourselves and ride with the guide .. it was fairly inexpensive so I was often asking my mom for money to go horseback riding. It was incredibly fun. I always wanted to brush the horse when we got back. I was always grateful to the horse for letting me ride her. This is painted on a childhood storybook that was oddly enough Black Beauty, it's what got me thinking about Shambell. This experience always had me wishing for a horse as I was growing up. Sadly, there was never again any horseback riding in that way ever again after coming stateside. Except for one time when my uncle who had horses on his cattle farm rode with me on a horse to see if any babies had been born one morning. I had told him that I was comfortable riding a horse. When he saw there was a new calf he decided to stay and watch him for a bit and asked me if I wanted to ride the horse back to the stables. I excitedly said sure! He was something of a joker and decided to put me in my place and hit the horses rump and yelled "Get!!" and of course the horse took off and ran like a race horse all the way back to the stable. I held on for dear life and had to duck to get past a door threshold going into the barn. I was lucky I didn't hurt myself .. my Uncle thought it was funny .. No matter what, I've always loved horses.

If you would like to own this horse painting email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This painting is 7.5 x 11.5. See you tomorrow!!!

Day 78 and the Shisa Dog

Day seventy eight and this is one of two ceramic dogs that I was given from my mother's home. They are terricotta ... not sure this is my favorite portrait but there is something about these dogs that is appealing. They are part of Okinawan mythology. They put pairs of these on the entrance or gates to their homes to ward off evil spirits. From reading some believe variations of this same thing. They give gender's to the dogs with mouth's open and mouth's closed. I liked where I read that the mouth open was female spreading goodness.  While other's say the female is the one with the mouth closed to keep in the goodness. I guess it is each to his own in how they interpret or were told were their previous loved ones beliefs regarding a Shisa dog. My mother had several of these around her house. I think she really just loved the looks on their faces and that they depicted the culture of a place she lived and loved. Yes my parents lived in Okinawa for a few years after their nest was empty. Yesterday was a long strenuous day and today I will be back at it again and then someone else will step in and sell the contents that is left. There is still so much left.. many items may not have sentimental connections it's just still letting go .. and then there are still the clothes that I am insisting on keeping. I have no idea where I will put them...so ........i'll sigh and go get my boots on and get busy dealing with all that will happen today .. if you happen to take a minute to read this .. send me a thought of strength and love and compassion for myself and my loved ones that are going through this process with me.. we are all impacted by this good bye to stuff and a house .. a beautiful house with a beautiful garden and beautiful plants and a fabulous view..

As for my portraits .. this one is definitely diffferent and I don't really care how realistic it does or doesn't look .. it's where I'm at today.. if you would like to own a shisa dog email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. see you tomorrow..

Day 77 and Good Grief

Day 77 and I titled this post good grief because I know that grieving is a process and when you can do it, it's good. But sometimes it just seems to hit you and kick you in the butt. Right now we're in the end stages of closing up the old house that my parents lived in for the last twenty five years or so...it's difficult. Now there is every nook and cranny that has to be cleared out in the house .. NOTHING can be left there and so the reality of it hits hard and all the stuff has to be sold or moved or thrown away .. etc. And there is this sense of anxiety .. should I keep this ? How do I feel about this?

I will be glad when this is over...

It's just difficult.

The face today is a pouty sort of face .. that is how I feel .. sad and pouty. It will get better .. I will survive this load of grief and sadness ...




Send me an email if you would like to own this portrait which is painting on rusted fabric and has stitching on it. Iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow.

Day 73 and My Molly Girl

 Day seventy three and I must like torture because I waited again even though I said i wouldn't. Hmmmm .. tomorrow my plan is to make it the first thing I do. I guess I am making commitments to other people instead of honoring my commitment to my self. I think it's been getting more difficult to find stories to tell which is probably good because now I can just be in the now in the present with what life is presenting to me on a daily basis. This is my Molly girl. She is nearly fourteen years old. I love her very very much. She is a brave girl. When I lived in the woods in SC I would sometimes let her outside on a long leash with her older sister Misty. I have often thought that doing this was somehow wrong given the event's that took place when she was outside. But if I had a fenced back yard the circumstances would have been the same. I would have left them out for a few minutes unattended because they would always love to be outside. I often realized that i was very in tune with my dogs. I knew the sounds of their yelps or cries just like a mother with babies. So . . I can assure you that I was both horrified and worried sick when my Molly brave girl, found a copperhead snake in my yard on two different occasions. The first one she got over quickly the second one. I'd only gone inside for a minute .. but isn't that always the way.. she is a hunter, a miniature dachshund and designed to root out and dig for things. That's what she did. The second time was nearly too much for her .. luckily she was bit on the top of her head with her skull protecting her head and the skin just barely covering this strike hit that spot and she was lucky a second time. Swelling and I think horrible pain. I have found it very hard to feel good about having left her unattended given her nature .. but most times she just dug in the ground hunting for moles or digging up roots and having a blast doing it. About six months after that last snake bite her hair started turning white .. bless her heart. I have often called her a cat with nine lives... she's also had a cutebra larvae in her neck after staying with friends in even deeper woods one summer. Just the same she is a sweet loving dog and has been a wonderfully faithful funny toddler like dog to me .. she will eat anything and gets into everything .. But I have learned to love big .. because of her. I love her immensely and I don't even want to think about not having her even though I know it will happen at some point. So .. her portrait is precious.. .. not sure I can part with this one either ..

But if you want this one write to me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com.. See you tomorrow .. EARLY !!!

Day 70 and just where I'm at today

Today is day seventy and everything is not always about the past. I am concurrently doing two projects at the moment. My daily painting of which now I am more than two thirds done and I am doing a two week project with Slow Fashion Style with Katrina Rodabaugh and we have a group for this class on facebook that is closed but she is talking about it on her blog. This is a huge amount of fun and I find that I want to chat with everyone only that's probably not possible. I feel like i'm immersed in like minded people, most are women. Then this morning in my usual touring of the web and bloggersphere I found this..by Amy Meissner. She warned people about her story so of course I was more intrigued but then I read the whole post and even watched the video at the end and that just tipped it over the edge for me. What an incredible video and such a smart woman that Amy is. To write so eloquently about a subject that we just don't really ever talk about is brave and fantastic really. One thing that she touched on that resonated with me regarding another project that I have talked about but that is more behind the scenes then I would like it too be and that is Josephine's work at Child in Uganda. She had mentioned that some of the girls will not go to school for the same reasons in Amy's post and also due to no female bathrooms and also not having the funds to go to school. I wish that I could snap my fingers and give her all that she needs for her work there and to help the children grow up and have an opportunity to live a long and happy life. And Amy's post made me realize how I missed out on my own daughter's coming imto womanhood and I hope she won't be embarrassed that I posted about this .. i really just wanted to publicly acknowledge that I missed out on a big big wonderful part of who she is .. a wonderfully beautiful and talented woman. And while this portrait isn't her it is like her in so many ways .. those big beautiful dark eyes and thick eyebrows only her hair is not dark but a beautiful curly auburn red. I wanted to also say that I love her my daughter so much and wish hope and happiness for her with all my heart .. there is a heart on this portrait. She is on my heart. The words love and mercy are written there on a calligraphy practice page by my own mother .. it is part of a bible verse she wrote .. I have your back my beautiful daughter even when I can't do all that you need.. I root for you.. I am hoping for you and .. i pray for you. I want to go to the ends of the earth for you. ..

Today's post is trying to be brave like Amy .. and speak truth from my heart. If you would like to have this portrait, please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. It is painted on a reclaimed file divider with a page of calligraphy text written on my my mother and some pattern tissues. I am using all these items that my mother saved for a long long time and instead of discarding everything I am using them as a canvas to paint portraits of people and animals and tell stories about Africa and everything else.  Thanks for stopping over and I'll see you tomorrow.

Day 69 and King

Today is day sixty nine I am nearly thirty days away from being done. Last night I popped over to the ladies stitching social that I go to from time to time and was talking to one of the young ladies that attends. I was the youngest and now she is the youngest. She showed me a photo of her dog, a white German Sheppard and instantly it provoked a memory for me. Lately after writing over sixty stories I sometimes am at a loss for a story.. maybe you can tell .. hopefully not. I am rememoring my life so I am going to try to tell this from the angle of something that blessed my life.. even if it wasn't all pleasant, it was impactful for sure. I also want to say that because I am now in contact with Josephine of ChildUK.org I am telling this story to the children there that are so brave and beautiful and have been through some great trials in their young lives. 

The dog .. I drew this dog whose name was King because I remember last night how big this dog was seeing my new friends photo of her dog. Even though he is a German Sheppard, he's huge. To a child he may feel something like a giant. When I lived in Africa there was a class full of children that were my age and a few of them became close friends to me. One girl was Jackie .. she was friendly and animated just like me and I can only remember having a lot of fun with her. I went to her house many times. Her dog's name was King and he was a giant to me and white .. I always tried not to be afraid of him when I went to her house. But I'm sure you can imagine that a dog is excited when someone new comes around. I never thought of him as a German Sheppard because he was white so this part is new information. The dog loved Jackie .. This story isnt really about King he is just the poke that helped me remember her. I think we got to be close friends when I was in the 4th grade. I didn't know that she was sick from something. I never knew what was wrong. I could never tell by looking at her that she was having problems. But one day she told me that she was going to have to go to the hospital in Germany to have surgery. We played chinese jump rope that day. We laughed and played like we always did. I was sure that I would be able to play with her again when she came home. A few days later I rode my bike to school and was the first one in class and my teacher was there. She didn't say hello really .. she seemed upset but I didn't know why. I think in fourth grade I was about nine or ten. Then suddenly she blurted out, Jackies full name and announced that she was dead. Just like that .. no careful letting me know .. no letting me in on this news in an easy way.. just matter of factly. I said .. Oh NO I just played with her she's fine. Then the teacher explained that she died on the operating table. I was in shock of course. All I could manage to do was tell every child that came into the room the same thing. I never cried .. I just could not believe that this happened. There was no funeral, there was no crying, there was no chance to process any of this grief .. So i cry now .. I cry for Jackie .. for the loss of my friend, for the strange way that I was given this sad news. I never got to tell Jackies family that I loved their daughter and that I loved the dog King and how much she loved her dog. I never got to say sorry for their loss. It's ok that I cry about this now because I can just have this and it's ok to have my feelings. But I can also be grateful that I had a friend that was like me that liked me and that I liked and that for some reason had to leave here sooner than I would have liked. I missed her a lot. I do still think of her but not in the same way. Today when a child dies schools bring in counselors and help the children. We didn't have that then. Maybe you don't have that for yourself .. its ok to cry. And then it's ok to get on with living. To live fully I think is to pay respect for those that left too soon. those are just my thoughts .. I am sure that I will see Jackie again and that is my own belief. I think this experience so young has made me more tender hearted towards the hurting and maybe caused me some fear in living. I am grateful that I am not too old to learn more about life and myself . I'm grateful that I can tell you about Jackie ..  I am going to practice living with less fear and with my joy, i want to have joy every day .. even when life makes me sad.. painting gives me joy. This daily practice of painting has changed my perspective .. i would highly recommend you try some daily practice that you love and see where it takes you. 

If you would love to have this beautiful dog portrait in your home just email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. I will be back tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!!! 

Day 68 and Toodles

Today is day 68 I didn't sleep well last night so I got a late start today and that darned tooth is hurting yet again .. I need to get it checked but that is the way of things.. i will put this off till I have to .. ha .. So this paper says lazy dog on it but I never thought of Toodles as a lazy dog. I met Toodles at my girlfriends house when I went to stay at her home. I don't think either of us ever expected that I would spend so much time with her but I did. It was a rough time in my life and Toodles was there when I was there. She was being cared for by my friend because the owner was out of town. I have to say that I was a very sad and hurting woman at that time. I slept a lot. There was one day that I was laying on the couch .. being lazy!!!! haha .. i was the lazy one.. and i was sad .. and Toodles came crawling up to me and laid right on my solar plexus. I really felt that he knew that I was hurting and he laid where he knew that my pain was... or where he knew that it would do the most good. I didnt' even know Toodles and most of the time he was pretty shy and didn't really get to close to me but as I lay there he comforted me beyond belief. I was truly honored that he would do this .. i felt very loved by this animal and I really really needed it at that time. I'm so grateful that Toodles did this for me that day .. I have and never will forget Toodles and what he did that day. I was going to say I didn't think this portrait was as good as some of the others but you know what it doesn't even matter cause Toodles looks how I remember him. Sweet beautiful soul he was.

So . if you would like to own Toodles just let me know by emailing me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. I'll be back tomorrow .. have a great day!!

Day 66 My Misty Girl

Today is day 66 and I definitely work better when it's the morning and I am NOT TIRED!!!.. So morning painting is going to stay as much as humanly possible. At night when I wait to do the painting when I am tired .. it's like torture haha.. so no more torture. Only morning painting no matter what .. ha.

This is a portrait of my dog Misty when she was a puppy. She was such a beautiful dog. And I have to say .. i cried while I painted this this morning. I loved this Misty girl so so much. She had my heart completely. She was so much my dog and she was so faithful. She passed away just nearly two years ago in March. I feel bad saying but I examine my heart and see that I loved her more then some humans I have loved. Her love and forgiving nature was so unconditional. I want to believe that I will see her again in my next life. She was so smart and when I gave her a plastic frog toy when she was just a puppy she never injured it.. she loved to play and I would throw it to her and she would always bring it back to me but she never chewed it up .. always played with it gingerly really .. so careful not to hurt it. She played that way with Molly .. Misty was a big girl when she grew up and so so smart. She always wanted to be right beside me and her favorite spot was outside on the porch. She would always opt to stay there if I offered her to come inside, I always felt like she enjoyed surveying her land and I couldn't blame her, where I lived was such a beautiful spot in the world. With beautiful trees and long view, beauty and nature all around. I miss it. I buried her under a tree on the edge of the yard. I miss that I can't be in that spot where she is now. I honestly cry so much when I think of her still. I don't know that I will ever get over losing her. I do feel that she was my most trusted and faithful confidant. I love my Misty girl.

I'm not sure I can part with this portrait but if you really want it please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. I also will do dog portraits on commission if you'd want one. Have a fabulous day and I'll see you tomorrow.

Day 65 and the Grasshopper.

Today is day 65. It's amazing that I am even here at twenty minutes till midnight posting this painting. I have been outside all day today. I have to say that the sun just has a way, it seems, to drain all my energy.And I'm not even so sure that I love the portrait .. but it is what it is. I have painted this because this kind grasshopper has been hanging out at my house for most of the summer. I find him at the oddest times an in the oddest places. I try to go out and photograph him only to have him run away or walk away haha. And I can't seem to get a clear photo of him.

Today I was at an antique show or revintage show and took my repurposed clothing and decided to add my faces to the mix. I met some really wonderful people and they told me their stories and their methods of creating art .. it was amazingly wonderful !!!I had several people tell me to keep painting or to keep sewing!! Several women said .. how much they loved what I created. I have to say that it is a boon to have these comments given to me. I feel as though I have been blessed with an abundance of support and words. It's great. but now I am tired. So .. thank you for stopping over and it will continue. If you would like to own this grasshopper email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This little grasshopper is about 5x7 and on a recycled file divider with a piece of calligraphy paper glued to it. see you tomorrow ..

Day 64 and Sow

This is day sixty four and this is a sow. I am exhausted and I put off painting till the evening to get ready for the event I am doing tomorrow. I'm so tired now that I am having a very difficult time trying to stay awake .. So my pig sow here is finished to the point that I could no longer keep going. It's been a long week and seems to just be getting longer. I want to sleep right now but I'm here posting this blog so that I can put up my day's face.

The story of the sow pig is one that my mother told many times. When she was a little girl she was visiting her grandmother on her farm. . I think she and her siblings were all dressed to go to church and since they were with their grandma they wanted to go outside to play and for some reason they found that the watering hole that was nearby was a good place to hang out. Their mom told them not to get dirty. Can't imagine that it would be easy near a pig pen. But anyway they were out standing on the trough and it was kind of like a pool for the animals but too high for them to get into.  It had a fairly substantial ledge on it. I don't know if you know what a sow looks like but they are big mommies of the pigs .. they are very big so that they can feed all those babies. They have minds of their own. They are huge really. There is good reason to be fearful of a huge momma pig that is almost the size of a small car and they make loud scary grunting sounds. My mother's brother thought of a neat idea as they all stood there on that ledge overlooking the water. He simply yelled out "sow's coming" and the girls all jumped into the water. They were scared to death of the sow. Their brother, my uncle Justin laughed and laughed and the girls quickly got out when they saw that there was no sow .. but they were clearly wet and about to be in big trouble. My aunts and my mother always retold the story with a great deal of affection and boisterous laughter. It's one I will never forget.

If you would like to own today's portrait... email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. It's $64. Painted on sewn papers and an enveolope. See you tomorrow .. i'm going to bed!!!!

Day 62 and the Blue Heron

Day 62 and it seems that life is just happening left and right here and so it's been a challenge to continue in the midst of all of it. I'm grateful always to those that stop and leave me a note. Encouragement is always a great thing when your tempted to stop .. i mean some days ... I knew that at some point there would be the days that I just didn't want to paint.. and there are some days when I just get to it and the process just seems to take over and I don't even think about what I'm doing .. i just get in the flow of things and it works out .. I like this one today of the blue heron. I tried to think of something that my mom would like .. because today is the day she was born. Yep .. she died six days before her 78th birthday and so today she would have been 79. I just don't still know where a year has gone. I don't know how it's possible. But it has and a lot has been going on this week ..

My mom loved the herons because at her home in Florida there was always a blue Heron sitting on the back deck overlooking the river. She loved the water and loved to sit and look at the river and the birds and sometimes a manatee or dolphin would come near the house. I guess I got some of my love of nature from her.

This is painted on some anniversary cards that she and my dad got for their 50th wedding anniversary. Sewn together and painted on with acrylic paint. If you would like to own this heron please send me an email to iwilldream4ever@aol.com. See you tomorrow.

Turtles

Today is day 61.. I'm still kind of tired but glad to have my art to keep me going and focused on something good and fullfilling.

I painted the turtle because it always reminds me that it is ok to slow down and take care of my self. To retreat into the shell for a just a time until the danger or whatever is lurking has passed. There was a post on my blog a few years ago .. I think called It's been a turtle week.. I had seen a series of turtles about three in a row. I like to think about the messages that nature can bring me. I love how the Native American Indians interpret the symbols of nature. I know for me when the turtles showed up in my life I realized how much I loved nature and it caused me to go outside and really look at the nature that was around me there where I lived. I loved doing that. I even saw a tiny turtle.. things I have never EVER seen there. This really gave me so much happiness. I enjoyed looking at them and letting them be themselves and just feeling so honored to be able to witness their magnificence. I know that I will always love nature.

If you would like to own this turtle painting. Email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Today's painting is $61. See you tomorrow.

Day 58 and Gremlins

Day fifty eight and if you follow me you may have wondered if I may have missed today's portrait .. I am actually so tired it's the first day that I was worried that I might not make it. I even made a pot of coffee to help me stay awake. Something I would never do.

I'll have to be more careful in the future. This little guy is my version of a jungle gremlin. I'll have to write this quickly cause I have already fallen asleep once while typing this . Lol .. i't seriously difficult.


I picked this little guy just because when I was a little girl and we would go to the base theater to watch a movie and my dad would walk up to the girl behind the window and say two adults and three gremlins. I always thought of myself as daddies little girl. I am not a little girl anymore. I am sure my dad loves me because I am his daughter, but I think that's all i know for sure. I always thought it was funny that he thought we were gremlins. What's a gremlin? Then a movie about them made them be something that people loved to watch. That's about all I can utter . .. just about falling asleep.

If you would like to own this beautiful eyed creature, email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. It's a file divider with a pattern and a small card glued to this surface. it's about 8 x 12 $58. thank you and good night .. see you tomorrow..