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 63 and Tiger

Today I decided to paint this tiger . I didnt' do the whole face just mostly the eyes. This was a bit challenging as I did it on a scrap of fabric from my mom's stash of samples that she had .. many of.

I have no objectivity at this point. I'm tired AND hungry .. this always causes me some consternation. So many emotional things going on in my life this past week. Losing my Godmother on Monday, The anniversary of my own mother's death on the 2nd and the anniversary of my mother's birthday yesterday. It's so much and tomorrow I will be attending my Godmother's funeral. So i'm having to really force these portraits the last few days. I think I prefer working on paper. Or at painting on cloth that has less texture. Tomorrow I will be trying to sell some work outside during a Saturday market nearby. Who knows if I will be ready for that and when I will get to posting an animal for that day. I guess I could paint it there... might be fun.

So thanks for the supportive words.. I appreciate them so much. If you would like to own this tiger please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This tiger is $63. See you tomorrow.

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 60 and an Angelic face

Well today is day 60 and I am exhausted but ok.

My dear sweet Godmother passed into the next life and adventure this morning. I was so honored to be there with some of her family. I was there to support her daughter, my Godsister. We talked till the wee hours and this morning there was an amazing ending to her incredible beautiful life. Her son had painted a landscape of the golden path of light that took her to heaven. She had seen this image somewhere and told her son how much she loved it. She had lost her husband many years ago but still managed to enjoy a long life. In the last few years she was looking forward to going home to see her dear departed sweetheart. Today one of the CNA's that was respositioning her came to tell us that we could go into the room and mentioned that they loved the painting and noticed something very incredible. The painting had a date on it of October 2006, however, it was painted onto the painting as 10/06. The CNA said .. "oh did you see that the painting has the date of today? 10/06 .. that's what today is. It was amazing. I was singing as she was on her way .. I'm so glad that I went . i am too tired to write about the racoon.

If you want to own this Racoon for $60. write to me at www.iwilldrea4ever@aol.com.

falling asleep............see you tomorrow

Something different and I'm with my Godmother

Today is day fifty nine and I am sitting in the Hospice of the Comforter with my Godmother as she makes her way to be with her Lord and her dear sweet husband and other family. I left to come here this morning. I drove for a little over an hour and I have stayed this late and didn't get this posted .. I did actually do this portrait before midnight and so it count's as that days even if it is taking me longer to post it. Today's face is done with a makeup pencil on the back of a checkbook. ..

This is just life happening. There will be more posts in the days ahead.

Today I will just say that I had the best Godmother in the world I think. When I lived in Africa she would send me letters and sunday school lessons. She taught sunday school for 30 years. She was and is an amazing woman. She always sent me cards for my birthday and for Christmas. When I was little and came home from Africa with my parents she would walk me down the isle and tell everyone that I was her Godchild and now I do the same .. I tell everyone that I know that she is my godmother. I have always been loved by her and I love her just the same .. I always will. I have told her to say hello to my mom when she gets there. .. So forgive me for the lack of a highly realistic face..

If you would love to own a tiny make up face email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. haha .. see you tomorrow hopefully ... for now I am having a slumber party with my godsister sitting with my godmother in the Hospice of the Comforter.