Putting it on canvas.

There some days when stuff happens and you just want to get it out and really not explain or talk about it. Ha .. i know with me that is often not the case. I talk ALOT! lol..

I told a friend that I felt like I had a hangover from emotions. So .. i just decided to paint. I wanted to try adding words that I could find in a large print book I had. After messing around with them for a while I decided on this message, determining that my intuited arrangement was just what it needed to be. The Day My Angels Shook All The Outrageous Silence. It fit for it's own reasons. I enjoy the colors that go with it. It means much to me.

I guess at some point I will decide to go back to the abstracts in number. This is 16 x 20 on stretched canvas. Very colorful. I like looking at it. Thanks for stopping over .. cheers.

I'm still around............

So it's been a while and I have continued to deviate from the abstract paintings. This is a bit abstract.

I enjoyed how this came together and it was after a bit of contemplation and frustration about what's next for me. I am repurposing found art here in the same way that I am attempting to repurpose my life. I make something beautiful or something that is visually satisfying to me from discarded items .. not trash necessarily, but from items that would probably not be put to any good use. Putting myself back together from the shards of what was or what could't be or what I wanted or wished or grieved or cried or wasn't. Going back to reclaim those things I need or never knew or thought I ever had. Seems apropos to write that the title of this piece is called "Finding Her".

It's difficult at times and now I'm even experiencing the physical manifestations of my fears or frustrations surrounding it. Sciatica .. aaaaaaaacccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk. Even the sound of that word sounds sinister and wrong or negative. Perhaps its the seat of all my worries, fears and frustrations. It's a big ball of pain. It can be a relentlessly torturous kind of pain that no position of laying, sitting, standing or walking seems to relieve. I am grateful for the times that can get into a position of no pain. I worry that I will have this as I grow much older and more feeble I'm not sure I could withstand the effort to continue. I feel like I'm in a race against time to be more fit so I won't have this later. I hope I'll be able to keep creating in spite of it. Maybe it will show up as it has in the past .... in my work.

Thanks for stopping over ....as always love to hear your comments even if you may have stopped looking. I haven't been as good lately in posting. I'm still here. Ciao

Stitching and Dyeing

 I have not posted in a while and I have not given up the abstracts I have just needed to do more stitching lately so I thought I'd give you an update on what I've been up too . This on the left is a tunic that I made. Originally this was a mans shirt that I had painted a face and a message to my son with bleach but then I thought the face looked too feminine and he may not wear it so I cut it up and made it into a tunic. I always like to mix things up a bit with other fabrics that I have altered with discharge or rust or eco-dyeing. I had stitched the entire garment except for one small area on one side because I wanted to wear it and ran out of time yesterday.

I have also included some of my rusted fabrics. I love doing them and I never know how the rusted water's will be absorbed into the fabrics. I love to alter fabrics so much that I don't limit my self to a particular type of fabric. I have so much fabric from my mom's sewing room that I wouldn't normally use. Somehow rusting it makes it way more appealing to use in my art and sewing.

I continue to have to work on getting out of my own way in this process of getting my work out there. I will keep plugging away at it and hope that sooner rather than later, I will figure things out.

Thanks for stopping over to see my work.!!! Love hearing your thoughts on my work ..

To the left is rusted light blue denim.. i love the design that was created here. Below is another one. Or it could be the back ....haha .. i can't remember.

 The gray fabrics below are soy mordanted cottons that were dyed with Australian Pine leaves. The last one is dyed in pomegranate that was only dyed in sun heated rain water and not cooked. I have it in a ceramic pot with a lid and it has fermented but still gives me a fairly light fast gray. I have dyed some fabrics in the same pot with no mordant and those started out gray and then I have laid it in the sun and it turned a wonderful golden brown. I will try to post more photo's of that. Thanks again for stopping over.!!

No. 32 Light Ascending

Wow I can hardly believe that it's been so long since I've posted. It sure hasn't meant that I haven't been painting because I am either painting, stitching, outside dyeing fabric or playing in rust buckets. Never a shortage of things to CREATE!!! Today this painting was just crying out from me somewhere and had to come out. There is always something about the connections of fields of color with these dots of light.. or just white. I find my self drawn to it. This incorporates my love of rust. There are seven different pieces of rusted fabric here and it harkens my love of stitching as well .. those white strokes... and it's about intimate connection. It makes me want to do more and more and more like this.. larger. Oh and see that lovely gray there .. that's natural dye stuff. I'm loving that gray. Going to do more of that too.. !!!

I'll just post an image of what I've been painting. I did a fun piece for a gallery that is doing a spring theme show. I called it Mother Earth in The Garden of My Heart. Red haired wild girl..

It was fun to paint the flowers and hair .. and to put a bluebird in the hair. There's even a dragonfly in it. So yeah .. maybe i'm all over the place .. but i'm having fun.

Let me know at iwilldream4ever@aol.com if you are interested in either of these paintings.

Thanks as always for your comments .. they mean a lot to me.

Abstract No. 31 A Little Light Goes a Long Way In The Shadows of my Heart

It's been over a week since I have last posted here and shown my work. I have been painting every day or nearly every day except the weekend of my birthday and this week following. I had several days of celebration which has been nearly unheard of in the past several years. Generally it's been just a day to get through. This year though it was a bit more fun and kept me busier then usual. When you stay home all the time there is a side effect to going out a lot. I don't want to leave again and I need time to recharge. There were several days since that I chose to stitch instead of paint and that has left me feeling a bit out of the grove so to speak. That along with personal angst leaves me flooded with a staleness that makes productivity less fluid. I want to do all the things that I do at the same time which is NOT possible so I feel torn, i'd rather feel joy. I'd rather not judge myself for loving to make many different kinds of art.

About this piece .. i painted so many strokes on this one and then thought it looked too contrived that I just painted over it. I only hesitated for a minute cause I did put hours of strokes. Was it wasted if I eventually got to this?  I painted over and over some more. This is where it ended up. There is a constant battle in my self to remake my mind and heart to love and joy and light when I at times battle hard emotions. So I paint over my heart till I find some stillness and peace. This feels like light moving over the chasm of darkness that is somewhere in the back ground of my life let alone this painting. The parts that I love the most are the tiny dots of white that start at the beginning of the golden dots of light connecting the fields of light. And the ones in the center of those same places. They seem to pop out .. they are important. A little light goes a long way in the shadows of my heart. I breath in deep and sigh releasing the harder things and being left with little dots of light. Little dots of light..... and I sigh again...

I hope to post more as I return to the groove .. painting every day is a great value. Experiments with light and color have been very much fun.

If you are interested in this painting please contact me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com.. is is about 12-14" x 16-18" I'll check for sure if you'd like to have it on your wall.

No. 30 _ It's about Love

I have called this "It's about Love" because I want to spend my time focusing on the things that I want in my life and how I want to feel about the world around me and the people in my life. I want to always hold love in my heart and I am thinking that this will be a better focus then all the other stuff that creeps into my head at times. So I painted this because I love still, painting faces and it overlaps something that was a more graphic painting so the whole image has a graphic feel to it. I wrote the message in the inner circle like in the recesses of my own heart and mind. In my Heart of hearts .. this is where I want to be. So just for now .. that's where I am .. it's about Love .. so I wish that for you who come here and for all that may pass my way.. to know love, to feel love, to be love, to have love, to be saturated with love forever and always. Always Love!!!

Have a love filled day and thanks for stopping over and for visiting. Not sure I'm done totally with this one just yet .. but I'll let you know. Ciao...

No. 29 Abstract _ Releasing Joy

Today is Abstract 29 and I decided to title this one Releasing Joy because I decided to just have a blast and release my inner child to just have fun and put it out there. That's just what I did. I'm going to do a bunch more that is like this I think .. it's just fun.

When I'm not at home painting for my blog, lately I've been going down to the gallery that I've been selling some of my work and painting along with some other artists that are there. I have had a blast doing this and then interacting with people that happen to come into the gallery. It's something I think I've needed. I'm doing a kind of abstract face on a large surface. I'm enjoying the evolution of that work. It's always funny to see the public's response to my work. Sometimes it makes me laugh. But i'm enjoying the whole thing. So I'm in gratitude. Happy to be painting every day!!!

This is a smaller painting about 10" x 10" and on primed canvas but not stretched. Please contact me if you are interested in this painting. Have a wonderful JOY filled day.. i'm planning too. Thanks for stopping over. :)

No. 28 Abstract

For the last two days I have been painting all day. I cut canvas from a large roll that I have and just started painting all of the pieces I had. This one was an experiment with laying down color and using an old plastic card to spread it around. I really enjoyed the results and the way that the paint went on. I'm enjoying the mixing of color's and usually my work has been just one color but now it just seems to be exploding from me.

I painted this alone in the yard out in the sunshine along with several other's that will be added to my blog as I work to finish them.

The size of this is about 17" x 20" on an unstretched canvas.  If you are interested in this painting please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!

Abstract # 27 Perceptions in My Head

Yesterday I reconnected with a good friend and we had good conversation and she is someone I have known for a long time. We talked about what has been going on in our lives and when you talk to someone that has similar views as your own you can share your thoughts about the world and life, your disappointments and hopes for life with out fear of judgement. I can hear her life and her ideas, her struggles and hopes without judgement. There aren't many people in my life where there is equal amounts of give and take in a conversation. Maybe as I go along I am better able to overcome my mis - perceptions of relationships, what I want, what I hope for, what feeds my heart and soul. I never know for sure what anyone else thinks in their heads and all I really know for sure is what I think in my head. That's a scary place sometimes .. inside my head haha. We talked about forgiveness and about letting go. I am grateful for this connection and for the mutual sharing that we have. I painted this painting while we were talking. This one makes me happy.

This painting is 7"x7" on a stretched gallery wrapped canvas. It is acrylic. Thanks for stopping over and if you are interested in this painting please contact me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Have a wonderful connection filled day!!!

Abstract No. 26 Framing Imagination

Abstract number 26. I have to say it was pretty fun that today while I was working on this abstract I got to a point where I just didn't like the way it was going and then I had the idea of adding the square box. Originally I was thinking of putting the white down so that I could easily put another solid color on top. But after painting the white I LOVED how it looks. I also love that you can see what lies beneath. Like a snapshot of my imagination. I was scared at first to put the box on top of it because it might have ruined what I'd already spent a good bit of time on. But it's just one more painting in all the paintings I plan to do .. and it was clearly a "what if" that I had to experience. It's good. It was the right decision.
The sadness has abated and I am grateful. And I am glad to be painting more regularly. If you are interested in this painting please contact me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Thank you for coming over and having a look .. have a wonderful rest of the day .. oh and change the clocks .. we're springing forward tonight. : ) ciao.

Abstract No. 25

No. 25. Green and blue .. sprinkled with loads of sadness today. Still hope in the midst of all that tries to fill my heart and mind with doubts and loneliness.

It's just one of those days. Thankfully, this too shall pass.

No more words.

This is also about 12" x 12" not exactly square. If you are interested in this piece email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com.

Thanks for stopping over. Ciao.

Abstract No. 24 More purple patches

Today this painting was a reminder of childhood scribbling and then filling in the shapes with color. I have always loved to play with colors and paint and drawing. I even recall taking some blocks that were probably dyed rather then painted and when I added water to them as if they were an ice cube they turned the water into this beautiful purple color. I thought this was fabulous, my mother had other ideas about it. I happily made several concoctions of these cups of colored water. Today I'd probably find some way to use the water to dye fabric. I like having the freedom to paint with wild abandon. It's kind of a combination of painting freely and then being more methodical. Light and darkness added for interest and contrast and just a little off balance. I tend to notice that I paint in a similar style when I am painting one after another and when there are days in between the color's change and the style changes. This is all an experiment and I am going to try to keep painting every day and sometimes I paint all day long. And in between I do manage to create some clothing. Maybe I'll share some of those too. I guess I could paint more paintings in one day and post them in one post. hmmmm no rules just working till my heart is content. Thanks for stopping over ..

This is painted on a piece of unstretched primed canvas. It is about 12" x 12" and it is not square but it could be stretched on stretcher bars and be squared. If you are interested in this piece contact me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Have a fabulously wonderful day!! Ciao!!

Abstract No. 23 Purple painted nine patch

It seems that I cannot get away from sewing. I'm not a quilter but I do like the nine patch and the quilts. I love and always will love the hand stitching on anything. I am totally addicted to that texture. And there is some connection to that visual reminder of the person that did the stitching. I am moved by it's presence. When I first went to spend time with my mom as she went through what would become the final stages of alzheimer's I thought that I could interest her in hand stitching. She didn't have the ability to cut a pattern and sew on the machine anymore so I hoped this would give her something to do. I brought my sewing bag, which I keep filled with a healthy supply of beautiful scrap fabrics and needles and a variety of colors of embroidery floss. I was really hoping she would love this. I gave her the idea and she was receptive and I let her look through my scraps and she settled on a blue green print that was just her style. I threaded a needle with some turquoise thread and handed it to her and she started to stitch. She only had the energy to do this for about ten minutes. Fortunately, there was some kind of an interruption and there was no conversation about the work she did. I quickly put it away and we went on to other things. I never wanted her to feel her stitching was anything but beautiful. Her stitching however, was the first real smack in the face I had with the reality of where she was and what she was capable of.  Just recently I ran across the piece that she'd stitched and I instantly was .........ohhhhhhh.........it was so lovely this piece of fabric with her hands having haphazardly stitched these long strings of blue green thread. I was surprised how much I loved this little scrap. My mother's last stitching. ever.

I guess grief comes in waves. I guess it comes in patches. Maybe the purple, blue green patches will soothe this sadness. I can paint sadness and I can paint comfort. I can paint whatever I want.

This purple piece is about 12" x 12" on cut primed canvas.  It is unstretched. It is acrylic. I cut it out of a roll of canvas that I have so it's not even perfectly square and only looks that way because I cropped out the background. It could be easily stretched on a small frame. If you are interested in this piece email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. More tomorrow. I am getting back to the regular schedule. No more in between days. Thanks for stopping over.

Sidetracked by Van Gogh in the middle of abstracts

Ok I know I am doing abstracts right now but I went to a used book store recently and found a book I needed and discovered a huge selection of art books for a very reasonable price. The book was on Impressionism. There were several plates of Van Gogh's work and I thought hmmmm wouldn't it be fun to copy one of these. I was really struck by his self portrait. I wondered if I could manage the little strokes on such a small surface. I wondered if it would make a difference if I painted with acrylic paint and not oil.

When I was in my last year of high school my mother found out about a man that taught oil painting to adults. The wife of a one of my dad's coworker's went to his sessions every Saturday. They were all day long. I had to go and be interviewed by the teacher to get into the class. He agreed I had the right reasons and skills to be in the class even at seventeen. I would get a ride to my dad's coworker's house and I would drive an hour with her to the class. I had to bring my lunch and I would be in the class all day. I was the youngest in the class. Everyone was working at various levels of painting and all of them were copying works of the masters. No one was painting an original painting. I didn't expect that and I for some reason found this shocking, it went against my grain and I was seventeen. I knew and had already formed opinions about what I thought good art was. I did know that the purpose was to learn how to mix color in oil so as not to muddy the canvas. The teacher felt that copying was a way to learn. I felt that I was committing a mortal sin by copying. I was a small, opinionated lonely fish in a big sea of happy women and men happily copying famous paintings in oil. I was grateful for the lunch breaks and the afternoons seemed to stretch out for what seemed twice the hours they were and I was always glad to leave. When I would paint I always felt like I had to wait for the teacher to come around to tell me what to do. He would work on my painting to show me how to mix and how to add highlights. I was copying still life's. Eventually I got the hang of it. I already knew how to shade and add highlights. Oils were always challenging because you were always painting with wet paint on top of wet paint. I stayed with the classes long enough to finish about one or two paintings. The ones that I have from that class are fabulous paintings. Sadly, I quit because I just didn't see the merit in it. I have no idea why I felt this way. I often find myself wishing I could go back to those classes. Thank goodness experience has a way of changing our minds. I have to say I was excited by the idea of copying Van Gogh's self portrait. As I added the strokes in swirls of color I couldn't help but think about what he may have been experiencing. I wanted to know what he was thinking to have him create these beautiful blue green swirls of light around his portrait. I imagined him dressing and sitting in front of a mirror to paint. I enjoyed thoroughly the whole painting. I enjoyed the challenge of recreating the strokes. I enjoyed mixing my own colors to match his colors. My version has a little more contrast. His had lighter colors to create the outlines of his face. Overall I am very very pleased with  this painting. It's really very small which makes me love it even more. I'm glad I loved doing it. I learned a LOT. I worked on this two day's. I'm going to keep this one. I am going to go back to the abstracts every day. I don't seem to be able to do once in a few days. I am all in or sidetracked by life .. makes me laugh.

Hope you enjoyed the painting though either way. Thanks for stopping over and have a fabulously joyfilled day. Ciao.

Abstract #22

Today is abstract 22 and I guess this one is using some design from a previous abstract that I did. This one is very colorful. There is something about color that I've really been having a blast experimenting with combinations of. I like the contrasts of colors that are complimentary. And it seems that I have a tendency to create very graphic forms. This isn't always the case but it seems to go that way. I still get the sense of sewing while I am painting these.

Yesterday I went to a watercolor show nearby and saw a great deal of beautiful work done by local artists. Lots of talent there in the space that held the show. Then they did a little contest where five artists sat at a table with watercolor paper held down with tape and also previously drawn on by the artist. There was also a photo of the image that was being used. Five different artists had this same scenario. (All images were different). At the count of three they started painting for 15 minutes in the style that suited them. When the fifteen minutes was up it was passed to the next artist and this continued until all the artists had painted on every painting. All the paintings were signed by all the artists and they were all raffled off. I was surprised by the all the buzz this created and everyone seemed to enjoy the excitement of watching the artists at work. There were so many people standing at the tables it was hard to see what they were doing. I mentioned to one of the volunteers that they should video the artists working and project it onto the big screen they had nearby .. she looked at me like I told something in a foreign language. I didn't stay to see the end result. It would have been an hour and a half later .. five artists spend their fifteen minutes on each one and then get back their original work and finish up with final details. Looked like everyone was having fun!

Today's painting is about 12"x 12" on wood panel painted with acrylic. Email me if you are interested in purchasing today's abstract. Thanks for stopping by .. : )

Abstract 21

This is a small piece on a wood panel about 10" x 10". Sometimes the color doesn't translate so well. I think the yellow got a little too blue but it is as bright as many of my other recent works. I like the contrast of the hard shapes and the curvilinear shapes. I guess I just enjoy contrasts of all kinds cause that seems to show up on my paintings.

Today it's cold out .. cold always sort of makes me feel more lonely. I also just seem to want to stay indoors and bake yummy things that I shouldn't eat and then eat them all gone. IT's good and not good at all the same. haha...

Anyway if you would love to have this painting hanging in your house please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Have a lovely blissfully creative day!!

Day 20 Abstract and this one I love too!!!!

Tuesday and this is the work that came out of me today. I find there are things that I can paint that makes me really happy. I am going to keep trying to do this.. it does get me excited and I am then compelled to do more and more and more. It's good.

It's better than worrying about what other people think.. which are really just my own gremlins that seem to creep into my head when I least expect it. I wrote a comment on one of my new blog follower's and someone I'm following now. She was having trouble with gremlins of self doubt. She was struggling with needing validation. I told her to give it to herself. I need to go do what I told her to do.. to give myself some affirmations. I always want some artists that I admire to like my work but they never say anything about it. So I make up reasons why they don't. I really think that they secretly get together and say .. remember we can't ever say anything about her work else she think she is good at what she does. As if I did feel good maybe the work would sour or turn to mud. So where does that come from? Who knows .. maybe being told by a boy that I was good at art but that I knew it really messed with my head. I always wonder if he was angry because he thought I THOUGHT I was good at art? This has always been a statement that pops into my head like a car wreck. I don't want to care about his words or what anyone else thinks of my work. I do like hearing compliments but I don't have to have them to keep going. And I'm not planning to quit painting any time soon. I have to paint I have to make art. I really just love the experiments of combining different colors and textures together. I feel good about the way that these experiments have really been interesting. I'm going to go jump around my house and sing and be silly .. and take my little Molly outside for walk.

If you would like to purchase this painting .. email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This is about 16 x 17. Acrylic on wood panel. Have a fabulous day!!!

Abstract 19 and I LOVE THIS ONE!!!!

I love how this one turned out. It's amazing to me how some work just comes together the way it does. I spent most of the day outside working on discharged fabrics. I also glue brown paper to this small canvas. I have used the marks that were on the brown paper .. they turned out to be crucial in the creation of this piece. It's fabulous!!!! Of course that is just me and my personal opinion. I love it!!! 

While I'm doing this I'm watching the 40th anniversary of SNL.. I love it .. it started when i was 15.. guess that's giving away my age .oh well .. I have laughed great deal in just 45 minutes!!!! 

This painting is about 12" x `12" and it's using the paper pieces of pattern that my mother made. I love using these pieces. I wish I had a hundred more. It's been a long starting lonely day and yet it's been very productive and ended with a fantastic bowl of chicken soup that is full of wonderful flavor with chicken, kale, onions, carrots, garlic, canniloni beans.. so tasty .. and a glass of white wine .. a wonderful end to what turned out to be a great day!!!! Life is good.

If you are interested in this great abstract... it's $119... email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. 

Have a fabulous .. rest of your day filled with laughter and joy ..............mine is.  ciao...  

Abstract 18 Letting Go

Letting go is a freeing kind of experience. The same as letting go of a string that holds a helium balloon. Letting go and watching the wind carry off the thing you were holding on to is pleasant and freeing. The red cross at the center and the strokes of white like wind or movement. The light radiating out. hatches .. dots .. strokes ..are beautiful. In some ways it is releasing light.  Love and light ..

This painting is about 12 x 14. Acrylic on wood panel.. If you would love to have this hanging in your house .. please email me at www.iwilldream4ever@aol. com

Thanks for stopping over .. and I always love to read your comments. :)

The Spiral of My Life Abstract #17

It's never for sure what I am going to be led to paint but that is the plan of what I'm doing. Maybe the painting will speak to me and tell me what's up. Kind of like interpreting a dream. I did some printmaking images back while I was newly separated from my spouse of many years and a man that came into the college saw several of my pieces hanging on the walls and he was a potential client when graphic design was my focus. I was showing him some of my work just to give him an idea of how my mind works. He was about to start a dating/matchmaking service. I will always remember that he looked at my art and said .. oh .. you have issues. I just laughed. I didn't do any work for him. I probably had too much "stuff/baggage" that may have influenced the design he wanted .. it still makes me laugh. Hopefully, my work today is a little less obvious. I'm still working out how to create emotionally charged work with out being literal. And does it even matter? I see lots of movement and again intensity. but this one I love to look at. Makes me feel like I'm going somewhere. I was listening to one of the grammy winning artists today that I heard talk about his acceptance speeches and just the fact that he won. He thanked the woman that broke his heart because it lead to a profoundly beautiful song and so many wonderfully good and happy things have happened because of that .. and it got him a grammy. He was happy. Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could have or see these things that happen in their lives and you could follow the difficult paths of life to beauty and joy and wonderful happiness. If we can just cope long enough.. if we can just get to that pivot point where life turns toward goodness and acceptance. It could be a spiral into life .. or on top of life .. into new spaces new experiences I don't want to miss any of it. I am holding out for the next adventure and I am going to paint my way into it.

Thanks for stopping over and having a peek at today's painting.. contact me if you are interested in owning it. Write to me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. This is about 15 x 15 acrylic on wood panel. Ciao.

Number 16 and the title is The Intensity of Shared Memories

This painting I decided to do what I mentioned in the previous post. I decided to just let the spirit move me and go with whatever comes out. I was considering the conversations I had with my son while I stayed with him. There were some exchanges that were difficult. We had some serious conversations. I do believe that as we change in life we can hear something we have heard many times and it will mean something different at some point. I don't think it's a for sure thing just a sometime thing. No matter what I remember and felt about things of long ago it will never change my sons memory and feelings about those same events. He was able to be aware of things he was holding on too and this was interesting to witness. I couldn't stop thinking about shared memories. People see and experience one event and have different results or feelings or outcomes. This is what I considered while painting. I am drawn to the contrast of color and how intense the lime green looks next to the red. The dots of color are strong and they feel more intense against a darker background. Opposing colors that look as intense as those shared memories. They scream to be noticed. The dots of different colors compete with each other. This painting feels loud with bright colors. I like looking at it but maybe it's like being in a room with loud noise, you can only take so much. Life has it's moments of intensity, that's the idea. Taking a walk down memory lane can be like an explosion of color. It certainly is a big pop of color which we can all use from time to time or tolerate or like or maybe in just the right places or once in a while. It certainly makes for a colorful life. It certainly made a colorful painting.

Thanks for coming over to read about my work. I think I like one of the comments in my last post that there are no 100 day's police that will come and cart me off to daily painting prison haha.. but it's a plan and if I give myself too much leeway I might put too much time in between. For now I'm going to relax a bit and do 100 paintings. This is number 16 and if you would be interested in owning this one please contact me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. The price is $116 and it is larger then most of the others. Roughly 16 x 18 on a wood panel. Thanks again .. have a great day.

Resuming 100 days of painting abstracts

I did the grow your blog post and attempted to add follower's to my blog. And then life happened and I had to take a break to drive to my old hometown. I was gone for more than a week and I got to spend some time with my grandchildren. The prospect of taking painting supplies and keeping myself trained on this current series was just not feasible so I gave myself permission to take a break. If you would still like to join my blog just leave me a note and I will include you in my give away which are one of the three illustrations at the top of my previous post. You don't have to follow me to be included in the giveaway but I'd sure love it if you did. So back to abstracts .. I have been bouncing around trying different things to create the work that I am doing in this series. I am still drawn to the reds and yellows so I may stay with that for a while. This painting is a rectangle about the size of 8 x 15. It is on a wood panel. I have decided to paint abstract about things that are happening in my life. I have been through some difficulties in life just as everyone else. Some are worse than others, I have to deal with how my decisions in life have affected my children. I'm am grateful for time which has a way of lessening the impact of hearing and realizing things about the people that I love the most. I'll also paint about this feeling of loss. I know it is loss .. not sure it will be evoked in the works but either way it will be the catalyst. Maybe it will move me into more joy. That is not my intent it is my way of giving the work a focus. It is after all, my experiment. Thanks for stopping over and as always .. I love to hear your thoughts about the work .. I will call this painting.. Cross My Heart. If you would like to own this painting please email me at iwilldream4ever@aol.com. Have a fantastic day!!!

Grow your own BLOG Party!!!

I have to say that I am so excited to be doing this party with Victoria. I first read her blog several years ago when I noticed that several of my online friends were going to her blog. Then last summer I started a painting project so that I could start creating more work and basically to get into the practice of painting daily. Also I had a lot of grief to process due to the recent death of my mother. That's what gave me the time to spend searching and reading blogs and when I discovered her generosity and kindness I was swept away with all that she does and her amazing supportive nature to people in the remotest locations of the world.

Ok I am Tammy, artist, designer, writer, blogger, friend, mother, grandmother, sister and daughter. :)

Why did I start blogging? I started blogging to give my self a platform for dealing with life ... a kind of visual and textural journal so to speak about what is happening in my life and some images of my work .. and some of my process. I started blogging in 2010 about three months after I was laid off from my job. I have had a few years where I only posted five times in the whole year. And last year I had the most. Doing 100 faces in 100 days means at least I had for sure 100 posts. I would love to have more of an exchange with people about the creative process and I always love sharing my work or talking about it. I don't know what the future will hold but I know that I will continue with blogging.

I am going to have a give away for anyone that would like to join in the fun there are no requirements for winning just leave me a comment that you want to be a part of the giveaway and on the date in Feb.15th I will put everyone that wants too on a slip of paper and pick one lucky winner from a hat and they will get their pick of one print from one of these three images that I have here. All were done digitally but you will receive a paper print approx 8x11.
Thanks for coming over and I'm excited to get this party started!!! Cheers!!!After reading some of the other blog posts about the party I decided to add some photos of some of my work instead of making you look back through all my posts to see them.. I will try to add photos of the work chronologically with what I have posted over the years to give you an idea of the varied interests that I have. Thanks for coming again .. and have a fabulous party!!!