Sleeping Beauty

spending the day at home from work watching my youngest sleep/heal from an operation on his eardrum. Poor boy has had about 6 operations over the years to try to repair the hole left by a tube put in as a baby. He is 19 years old now. All that time, he could never go swimming without getting horrible infections in his inner ear. My theory is that he was so busy growing, that, each time they did the surgery, his next growth spurt pulled it apart again. At long last, he seems to have slowed down, or maybe even stopped, topping out at 6'4".
The medication has been bothering him, and he has had a horrible headache and nausea for the last 24 hours or so. Working at trying to get him to eat and to drink lots of water to help.
While he is sound asleep on the couch, I have been cleaning up my painting area, (WAY TOO little of anything to call a studio--it is half a kitchen table I share with my husband who does model railroading) and making some real progress. hope to have space to start painting again soon...it just doesn't work well doing it on the couch with the dogs....

It's Technicolor,Baby!

http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com

Found a great art class online today. It is amazing what you find while surfing around. Just when you figure that you have seen it all and are getting ready to go to bed, something wonderful pops up!
I am trying to kick my painting up another notch while working full time and trying to live in the same house with two dogs, two adult sons, and a husband who works nights most of the time. I have taken one class online so far from Jane des Rosier which was wonderful, and I just found out today that there is another artist offering a great class on painting faces in Technicolor! I love Color!! I dont think I could do a monochromatic work if I wanted to! The class sounds perfect!! Nora is having a drawing for a free workshop registration if you talk about her classes on your blog.
So here I am, brazenly posting so that I can have a chance to win the randomly generated draw!
My luck at things like this is usually pretty lousy,but I hope that for once I might really win something!
My painting is improving quite a bit, I humbly submit, since my Gritty Jane lessons.You can see my before and after samples above....Fingers are tightly crossed and I thank you, Nora, for offering a chance to win something wonderful like this!!

My Bedroom Gallery

For years I have had a big empty wall in my bedroom. I dont know why I never hung anything, perhaps afraid of commitment! Anyway, I finally got up my nerve and started painting frames and putting stuff up.
I found some perfect frames with mats at a yard sale for my Gritty Jane angel cards, and I alternated them with some wonderful little folks from Sandy Mastrioni. I have an Angel painted by somebody whose name I cannot remember and I dont think is selling anymore. She is in oranges, and painted upon some lovely gritty sandy medium. After several years of attempting and failing, I finally won a beautiful Madonna and Child painted by Jane; my last on the wall is a print of an icon commissioned by the Indianapolis diocese of the Serbian Orthodox church. I embellished it in the traditional style in a non-traditional manner---collage of dozens of cut out colored gems and jewelry from magazines. The Orthodox believe in decorating their churches and their religious art in splendor that will remind worshipers of the glory and beauty of heaven. It is a very sensuous faith---appealing to the senses of sight (the beautiful icons, use of silver, gold, jewels, other rich artwork and fabrics), sense of smell (the incense used in the services swung from a brass or gold censer studded with little bells that ring with every swing), the sense of hearing( beautiful a Capella choirs,the bells from the censers and the deep voices of the chanting priests)and I am sure that they try to figure in the sense of touch there somehow, but cant think of it right now...Oh also the sense of taste in the communion wine, the salt-less bread of communion, and a special sweetened cooked wheat and walnut concoction that is served at memorial services to remind us of the sweetness of the memories of those gone, and the ultimate sweetness of heaven. Sorry...got a little carried away there, but I think that the Orthodox have a wonderful tradition that is unknown to much of the world.
I hope to be filling up with more art gradually, but I love this wall. I cannot look at it without smiling and admiring the art. Now, isn't that what Art is supposed to do for us??
oh, forgot another important part: a sketch that we had done for our 30th anniversary. It is a sketch in blue of Beauty and the Beast especially done for us at Disneyland, John's own description of our marriage (isn't he a gruff old sweetie?)

walking the dogs!!

John kidnapped me after work and took me to the dog beach at Huntington Beach last Sat night. It was light late, so we could see where we were going...a good thing at a dog beach.
Buddy has been before, but it was the first time for Sasha, our Basset. Her little legs were going like crazy in the sand. She liked walking in the wet sand where it was firm, until the waves caught her. Not only did her feet get wet, but her stomach was soaked too. Sasha likes seeing all the other dogs, but Buddy is very shy. If he saw his little sister talk to a stranger, he usually would walk over. One lady we were talking to was sitting on the grass with her dalmatians; Sasha wandered over and crawled into the lady's lap, wet sandy feet and all.
Very neat water fountain for dogs and for people...but couldn't get dogs to drink. I think they were too excited.javascript:void(0)
Hard to walk two dogs at the same time....but a lot of fun! My arms were sore from the dogs, and my legs sore from walking in the sand.
Be sure to note John's tan line at his ankles (he works in Parking at Disneyland and gets outside a lot!)

Finally got to put some paint to canvas....

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My daytime job is as a children's librarian; it is very creative type of position,and you are always doing displays and posters and other work related art, but dont have much oomph left when you get home to really get into it. Had a 4 day weekend for Independence Day, and did some painting. Her name is Rosette, and was fun to work on the spotty background. Thanks to Gritty Jane for the painting lessons online; they are really helping to learn the new medium.
One more that I did a few months ago; don't know what to call her except perhaps, the pointy saint. You can see the improvement, can't you? please say you do!!

One of my absolute favorite dollmakers!

DuBuhDu Designs is the wondrous craft-site of Christine Alvarez and her doll creations. It is always a treat to see her latest ladies; she did a doll that represented Air last year with tiny little dragonflys that was breathtaking!

Christine is having a giveaway of one of her latest collection of dolls! You can either select one of the dolls on display, or she will make one just for you!My name is going into the pot for the drawing, and you can put your name in too! Check out her site above and good luck! If you win, you have to let me hold the doll when you get it! http://dubuhdudesigns.typepad.com/