Out of shape

Today I went into the studio with every intention of creating a masterpiece. Armed with all my new skills and props I spent at least an hour trying to set up a still life. When I finally found one I liked I panicked since I'm out of practice from my holiday break. I decided to take one element of the still life and do some ten minute studies. I almost gave up in despair after the first two tries but I saw a glimmer of hope after the third and after the last one I felt a bit better. I think I'll exercise again tomorrow.

I'm Back!

6x6 oil on panel click here to bid

I can't believe it's only been 2 weeks since the workshop, it seems like months ago. I haven't painted since I returned although I was aching to go into my studio and lock the door and paint and just ignore all the holiday commotion. But then I read a post by fellow artist Raymond Logan, who takes time off from painting during the holidays, and doesn't feel a bit bad about it. Artists need vacations too, and since the holidays are the only time when all my almost grown up kids are together, I think I will make it a yearly tradition and shut the studio door until the festivities are over. Less stress that way. I spent the better part of today cleaning my studio and trying to make some semblence of organization. When I was about 90 percent done, I couldn't take it anymore, the unfinished rubber ducky painting was shouting at me to be finished. Here it is in all its glory, It was only half done at the workshop, and I knew it would be tough to pick up where I left off, but it's the one thing I wanted complete from my time there. The cup originally had a handle that I just couldn't figure out, so I just eliminated it all together. tee hee. When I set up this composition, I just loved the way it looked like the mama duck was coming in from the side to chastise her baby for his little antics....the photo is a bit washed out since I used my phone, it's a terrible habit I need to quickly break.....

Get found, kid!

One of my favorite authors of all time is Robert Fulghum who wrote All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. His books are a collection of stories and anecdotes written in a very comical and thoughtful way. One of the stories in his book was about watching the neighborhood kids play hide and seek, and he reflected on the one kid that hid too well. After awhile, the rest of the kids "seeking" grew tired, and stopped looking for him. They weren't having any fun.

At the workshop this week I had a small epiphany as I was standing at my easel (which is surprising since I was weak with laughter every other minute from some of the antics of the other artists)....I spent the first 40 something years of my life "hiding" from who I really was, putting on pretend faces not just in my personality but in my art as well. I painted things that were boring and safe, composed in a lackluster way. My personality was not coming through in the choices in my art, I was "hiding" too well....... I didn't understand until now why there wasn't any "seekers". When giving the lesson on creating a composition in class today, Carol emphasized that our art and composition should be something we are really excited about, or why bother? I realized that the particular items I set up were the safe ones, but what I really wanted to paint was the rubber ducky. So I did. While it certainly isn't my best painting I've ever done, I can say for certain it is the one I am most excited about. Get Found Kid!

Day 2 Carol Marine Workshop

For some reason my blog posts didn't post when I was at the workshop so here's one from day 2.

Even though it's only the second day of the workshop i feel like I've learned more in two days than in two years.....Carol uses a limited palette and I've been using only the same colors and I have found that her methods and palette make for much cleaner paintings and simpler decisions when painting.....after the 5th ten minute challenge today, I had my "ah ha" moment.....and finally saw what she was trying to teach us.....An added bonus is the great group of women and 2 men in our group, I've made some lifelong friends already...Lauri,Pamalonngabingbong, Trish the Dish, and Calamity Jane to name a few......

The above is from the 10 minute challenge she had us do....we did 5 in all of the same object and this one is my 5th and my best. I have to admit I was frustrated with the first 3 and didn't feel like I was making progress, but by the 4th and 5th time I was a believer.

Carol Marine Workshop!

My first daily painting January 1, 2011

nfs

Just arrived in Aurora, Illinois for the Carol Marine workshop I signed up for months ago! What a perfect conclusion to my first year of "Daily Painting". Last New Years Eve when my family did our annual "bucket list" of things to try to do over the course of the year, I decided I wanted to give glass fusing a break and give painting a whirl, and do it daily (as much as is humanly possible) Carol's blog and her and her husbands creation of the Daily Paintworks Challenges were pivitol in keeping me on task through the year, and the gift of this workshop from my ever-supportive fiance is priceless.....stay tuned in the coming year for lots of improvement in my art!!

Since I've been on the road and crazy busy the last few weeks not painting, It seems appropriate to post my first painting, painted on New Years this year.....I did not have proper materials or money to purchase them, but bought 3 canvases at walmart and acrylic paint with my last $10....not enough for brushes, so believe it or not, this is a "finger painting" For all of you that want to paint, trust me, everyone must start somewhere, and for me, it was to go back to my youth where I remembered painting for the first time ever in kindergarten with chocolate pudding! What fun!

Hmmm

Can't think of a crafty title for this post, I'm out of practice on blogging as of late.....I was sick for a week, then spent several weeks on a fundraiser (separate post necessary for that one), Thanksgiving, holiday shopping, etc etc.....so I've been completely off any kind of regimen for painting and it's making me anxious to say the least. I have found I am happiest when I am creating and when other things get in the way of that, I tend to get crabby. Hopefully I can re-focus and get back in the groove! I did manage to squeek out this little guy for my step-dad's 69th birthday. (sorry, poor pic from my phone and I sent it to him before taking a proper pic) He works for the Audobon society and this is one of the injured eagles that permanently resides there. I understand he hung it in his office :)

MIA and WIP

For those of you that thought I was missing in action, well I'm back! I haven't been painting as much as I'd like however, because I started working 2 days a week teaching art at the Autism Center of Findlay and Lima....It's very rewarding working with these kids, but a lot of time preparing art materials and such for the job. I've also been taking a jewelry casting class once a week and I tend to get a bit distracted playing with wax and such during the week when I should be painting. I have been working on a couple paintings though, and here is one that is almost done, just a few adjustments, (like putting in the fishing pole!) more to come later this week!

Boston Wharf and Learning to Simplify

6x6 oil on panel

This was a tough one, and I still need to do some work on it, but I need to learn to simplify a scene like this with lots of detail. I'm posting the reference photo as well as the painting, constructive criticism welcome.

Boston Harbor and 6 squared show

6x6 oil on panel

This is the first of a Boston Harbor series I am doing from my recent trip to New England. I have been debating entering the Higbee 6x6 show, but am not sure if my artwork is "good enough" for the show, and I also am not sure how to price for that show. The cost of framing and then the entry fee is more than my asking price for a painting, so not sure if it is worth it but am wondering from other artists who have entered this in the past if the exposure makes it worth the price and potential rejection? Let me know your thoughts!

Dude on the Beach

6x6 oil on panel Click to purchase $50
How it might looked framed: Pictured is a Randy Higbee frame from King of Frame

I painted this a couple days ago from a photo reference of my time on the boat this past summer. This guy had the right idea, up to his ankles in the water that felt like a spa on a 90 degree day.....I'm going to wish I saved all these summer pics in the middle of February but I can't help myself, I miss summer already!

A Day Late, or Two....

6x6 oil on panel To purchase click here $50

How it might looked framed, this is from the Randy Higbee collections, King of Frames

I have the kind of personality that I'm always a day late and a dollar short....I even drive my car far beyond when the low fuel warning light comes on, usually because I'm a dollar short, but sometimes, I just can't be bothered with stopping for gas, as my mind is on other things....one of these days I'm going to run out, like I did when my kids were little, in a snowstorm and we had to trudge to the gas station in a near blizzard....sigh....they never let me forget that.

Here's is Carol Marine's weekly challenge, Paint your Pumpkin. Of course I didn't get mine carved, so I used her photo reference. and I'm a day, actually 2 days late after Halloween....but I did however, get a photograph of my pumpkin with my studio kitty for a past challenge I need to catch up on, the Superstition Challenge. One would think that it would be easy to paint it the same time I painted the pumpkin challenge...but Nooo....not this sista, that would be thinking ahead! Lol, perhaps tomorrow, but I'm sure by then I'll be painting gas cans or something else :)

Cezanne I am not!

6x6 oil on panel $50 click here to buy

Once in awhile its fun to try a "master copy" a painting from one of the art masters. Cezanne is one of my favorite painters so I attempted one of his simplest still lives. A lot can be learned by doing these exercises, mostly that I have a lot to learn!

Whiteboard Art!

Something new! I'm working on a project for an upcoming show the the Whiteboard Art Expo, an exhibition that allows the artist to choose the charity they would like the proceeds to go to, as well as promoting local artists! Artists are provided with a whiteboard (16x20) and a black dry erase marker, with the option of using color if they purchase it themselves. I'm choosing the charity Findlay Emerging Artists because I would really like to benefit artists in my area since we live in a very rural community, and it's difficult for artists to get a start. Obviously this is just the beginning of this work, but it's HARD! I've had to erase quite a bit and start again, but hopefully I will have a masterpiece by the end!

Landscape Refresher

11x14 oil on panel $75 to purchase click here

Since I was gone for a week I needed to do a painting step by step from one of my art instruction books. I chose a landscape since I have lots of pics from my travels to New Hampshire to paint! The clouds gave me some fits, among other things, but since it was just an excercise to get back into the swing of it, I didn't stress too much. I think sometimes we artists, especially those whose livlihood depends on it, worry too much about the finished product of the work, rather than the process of painting. I've found that when I just paint everything as if It's just for practice, things turn out much better. It's one of the reasons I hate commissions because the stress of what I think the commissioner expects inhibits me from painting well and enjoying it.

Beach Girl finished!

11x14 oil on panel $100 click here to buy

I just got back from a week in New England visiting my folks, and came did the last touchups on this painting. I'm showing the before and after pics of how it looked when I left and what I noticed when I got back that needed tweaking. The biggest thing I noticed was the need to get her head to stand off from the landscape, so I muted down the landscape a bit, as well as the water, it just seemed to dark for the kind of day it was. I also added highlights to the water and changed the color of the sand castle a bit....It's not perfect, but time to set it aside and move on to other things.

Priceless

I have no finished paintings to post this week, but lots of good stories, and tomorrow I leave for New Hampshire to visit my folks and my home!!! I spent the past weekend enjoying our beautiful weather on the boat, fishing and enjoying family and sunshine, today and yesterday caring for my fiance who had his first colonoscopy experience, and meeting new people in the art world who are in need of art teachers for people with special needs and the elderly. When I saw the call for help I knew I needed to respond, even if it was for no pay at all. My oldest son is autistic and no one sees the need for understanding, structure, and creativity more than the mother of a child with special needs. How could I say no? I meet the first group of kids tomorrow, and I can hardly wait.

Then there was The Argument.

The big facebook disagreement.

I bit my tongue for as long as I could but no more.....Many artists may relate to this "discussion" on artists donating or giving to charity. Obviously, this is up to each one of us to give as we are able to whomever we choose, but this discussion went beyond just giving, it became downright heated about artists' self worth and value and cost and expense and on and on. I personally would give everything away if I could. This person would give nothing and sell at the highest possible cost. Obviously we are at opposite ends of a moral dilemma, so why did I engage? after much thought, I assessed and asked myself why am i a giver (besides the fact that I was raised to be that way by my mom) so here is my story.............

I have a reason why I never say no when someone asks me for a donation of my art. This is a good story, and actually involves one of our members (my local art group) although I'm not sure if she remembers me, because (shamefully) I never properly thanked her.... 6 years ago, during my first job as an art teacher out of college and a single mom with no extra money to spare, I took a job in Lorain Ohio for the Boys and Girls Club heading up their after school program. I've never seen such desperate need as I did in this program, most kids were hungry, ill clothed, and dismal home lives....I ran a program that served at least 100 kids after school. Right after I started, the regional club announced a fundraiser and wanted donations for their silent auction. I wanted to teach the kids self reliance and pride in creating something that benefitted them, as well as others....I wanted them to feel the sense of pride that comes from earning their way. (an aside note: I started working when I was 11, picking blueberries with my siblings on an orchard in Vermont in exchange for the rent my mom had to pay. 10 months out of the year we lived in an old barn designed as a small dorm for migrant workers....the 2 months during harvest we were on our own, one of those years we spent in a one room schoolhouse with no running water or facilities....this was in the early 80's by the way, not the 1800's.....but I knew what hard work meant, and my mom set the bar high by her example.) I had fixed it in my mind that fused glass pendants was the answer, having seen them at the local art shows earlier that year. Through happenstance I learned the name of an artist in Findlay that might be able to help me out. To this day, I can't believe what I asked of her, because in hindsight the request was huge, but I was new to glass art and at the time I didn't realize the value of what she gave. She offerred supplies, several hours of her time, (with all her children happily running around while we chatted) and would fire the finished pieces for me since I had no kiln and didn't know what I was doing....I took a lot and she recieved nothing. The project was a huge success, and the pieces sold for a total of over $2,000....plus the kids all got to keep one for themselves. Years later, at a show in Whitehouse (a town 2 hours from where I worked) I was selling my own fused glass and a customer (who was an english teacher) showed me a piece she was wearing and told me this incredible story about a boys and girls club director in Lorain who brought such pride to the wayward kids at this school where she taught, showing them how to make fused glass and selling it....at first I was just being the polite artist, smiling and nodding and listening to her story, but then nearly choked when I realized she was talking about ME. I was very humbled that day. However, it made me realize that I never thanked the one person who helped me get my start. Kelly Crosser Alge gave alot of materials and time when she helped me, and never knew the outcome of her gift....well there it is, not just in dollars, not just in the lives of those kids who would never know that kind of art, but now in the lives of those that I give to because of her example. I always tell people that I give to or donate to, that someone helped me get started once, when I needed a hand up, and if they ever find themselves in the position to give, that I don't need payback, but to pay it forward, So even though I said I was done talking about this topic, I feel like this story needed to be shared. Sometimes you just don't know the impact a small gesture can be, and that alone has no pricetag.

By the way, if you ever want to buy the most gorgeous fused glass around, check out the work of Kelly Crosser-Alge. I know this, because she was my teacher.

Girl on the Beach work in progress

I recently found out I have an 11 year old niece that I didn't know I had. She wants to know her family, and I'm doing my best to give her what she needs. Unfortunately, her father denies her existence, what a shame,she is a beautiful girl. This painting reminds me of her , I saw this little girl on the beach this summer. She was all alone, had just finished her "masterpiece" sandcastle and looked out into the water. I'm not sure what captured her attention, but something made her gasp.....I remember being that age, oh the wonders of life!

Hay Rolls

8x10 oil on streched canvas $65 click here to buy.

I love seeing fresh cut hay in the fields, and those rolls look like such fun! If I was a kid again I probably would be sitting atop one of them in the warm fall sun reading a book.

Studio almost done and catching up...

8x10 oil on canvas panel SOLD

Studio "After"

"Studio "Before"

I've been working on my studio for about 6 weeks now, trying to put away glass supplies and organize it for winter painting use...I made the back area (approx 12x12 space, a kind of gallery, to hang my finished drying works (see left side), and framed works (back and right wall.....) and the middle area (where I paint, (shown is just a few feet of it...) and the back (not shown) (approx 14x12 is supply and storage).....I put in a heater that works wonderfully, heats up the whole studio in less than an hour, and keeps it warm the rest of the day. Now that I have a proper work space for the fall and winter season, I've decided to try to catch up on the Daily Paintworks weekly challenges....I've been so behind on their challenges, and it makes me feel like I'm missing out! I learn a lot from each one, so I want to catch up before I start my own series.....Here is the Old Mill Challenge. Since it is fall I decided to change the foliage from the greenery in the provided pic from a spring/summer pic to fall colors....I have such a hard time with landscapes, and this took me all day, but I do learn more everytime, so I will keep at it.....

Yellow Chair in the Surf

6x6 oil on panel $50 click here to buy

6x6 oil on panel $50 click here to buy

This is a painting from a photo I took this summer at the beach. I don't why this light chair didn't get tossed away by the waves, but it looked like a lovely place to just sit and enjoy the day....The owner must not be far off, as she left her hat behind! The other painting from today was this seagull. There was hudreds on the beach that day, but when I went to take a picture, this one just stared at me like "I dare you!"

Here's how they might looked framed. These are Randy Higbee frames, he has an incredible selection of frames, including "floater" frames and you just pop in the painting, no expert framing necessary. His website is called King of Frames. I also use American Frame here in Ohio, I like that you can view the painting in any frame on their website before you buy, just copy the image to your computer and upload it on their site. Here is their website

Cookies and Milk

6x6 oil on panel $50 Click here to buy. My fiance wanted to know why I was photographing my cookies the other day....The last time I tried to paint cookies I turned my back for not even a minute and someone ate them before the painting was finished. This time I had a back up plan.

Doubly Difficult

6x12 gallery wrapped canvas $65 click here to purchase.

Not sure if doubly is a word? And I'm not sure why I chose to take two equally difficult subjects and put them together to paint, but I thought the white Dahlia looked cool in the coke bottle, so here it is! I had this strange sized canvas laying around and needed just the right composoition for it, and the tall Coke bottle served it well.

I was hoping to have my studio completed and post pics, but I've been sick all week, so the studio will have to wait. I have been listing some of my fused glass that I used to make on my Etsy site however, so I feel somewhat productive in "cleaning" out the clutter!

A Good Day

Sold

Today was a good day for a couple of reasons (sniff, tear, tissue please....) For one thing, I sold a painting that meant a lot to me personally for the memories, but not because it was good artistically. It was one of the first paintings I made when I started my daily paintings this year. The best thing about it was that it went to a patron that was drawn to it for the same resaons I was....a simple love for the subject, and a personal tie to it. Every spring, her husband and son tap the few maple trees they have on their property, and through a labor of love, spend a month boiling down the sap on the family stove for their annual "yield". This painting was special to me because it represents some of the best memories I have of my childhood in my home state of New Hampshire.....thank you Tracy (and Kim) for bringing back memories for me today!

The other reason today was a good day was that it was the end of a 30 day fundraising cause for a friend fighting for his life with colon cancer. As many of you know, my good artist friend Scott underwent drastic surgery in February, and subsequent chemotherapy that continues until the first of next year. A fellow artist, his dream is to work full time doing what he loves, but for now he works full time at a menial/labor job to pay the bills, and he struggles with the mounting medical expense that will consume the rest of his life. I wish I could give more tangibly, but I have nothing to give but my friendship as support. Several of his friends and I started a fundraiser to cover one month of his mortgage, and I was amazed by the generosity of his friends and mine during such dire times for our economy. Many chose to remain anonymous, and I would like to thank everyone that gave, but here is to those I cannot personally thank, please know that your gift was appreciated.

I was raised to pay attention to those in need around me, especially the elderly and the sick. I'm happy to give in any way I can, and as an artist, one way is through my art. Do not hesitate to ever ask me for a donation for your cause, because it would be my pleasure.

Hidden Pepper

I went out to take pictures of the rapidly fading flowers and gardens and I found this red ripe pepper hiding among the otherwise empty garden....I had to paint it, of course. I think I'll pick it and put it in a still life with lighter objects, this one just isn't working for me! However, If it works for you, it can be yours for the low low price of $30. 6x6 oil on panel, click here to purchase. The frame is a Randy Higbee frame and can be purchased separately by going to his website

Pears 4 Sale

I have a fascination with pears. Here are two paintings I painted back when I was in art school, and It's time to let them go. Both are 16x20 on stretched canvas and for sale in my Etsy shop. Click here to purchase. $125 each.

In my own backyard....

6x6 oil on panel $45 Click here to purchase

I subscribe to a lot of other artist's blogs and I'm always amazed at the gorgeous scenery that they have at their fingertips to paint....I keep thinking that I must travel to the West coast or the East coast so I could paint like them.....but on an artist's salary (well next to nothing) that's impossible, and it occured to me that there are beautiful scenes here in the midwest as well, and it's up to the artist to represent that. So here is a painting of a scene very close to my house. I'm going to try to paint the beautiful things in my own backyard, or very close to it! I am also submitting this to Daily Paintworks weekly challenge "Out my window" since I took the photo from my car window!

A Bit Rusty

6x6 oil on panel SOLD

I've had very sporadic painting time the past few weeks and I am determined to get back on track so I decided to do one of the weekly challenges that I haven't done yet. I tend to better on "assignments" then if I pick a subject that I want to do, go figure. So here it is, my entry in the Paint Your Pig challenge.

On the Easel and Sneak Peek

Well, I'm trying to wrap up a few unfinished paintings that I've been putting off....One of them is a beach scene from this summer, and the other is a dog commission that has been the bane of my existence this summer....sigh.....

Meantime, I've been working on my studio in the barn trying to winterize it, paint it, and make it suitable for painting in year round as well as showcase my completeted works.....I've attached a sneak peek of the back 1/3 of the studio, which is going to be a "mini" gallery of sorts.....I'm going to carpet the small area in the back, line the entire back and right walls with paneling for hanging finished works, and hang moulding/shelves on the left for finsihed/drying art.....the other 2/3 of the studio will be work space and hoarding/supply space....pics to come....I painted the left wall a blue to see if It would work but it tends to lend a blueish cast to everything....any thoughts on a color other than nuetral gray or white?????

"Bo"

8x10 oil on stretched canvas NFS

I painted "Bo" for my son's girlfriend. She wanted to give her dad something special for his birthday, and this was a dog he lost to cancer several years ago. What a sad story, he would take the dog to a clinic hours away every week for chemo treatments, that didn't end up working anyway. Initially she sent me a photo from her cell phone taken of a framed picture of Bo, glass glare and all! I laughed and told her no way could I do him justice without seeing the actual photo or at least a decent scan, so she brought me the photo and here he is! I hope her dad likes it.

The kids are finally all back at school, and I've been working really hard for the past few weeks on my studio that is in the barn. When I started painting, I started this past winter and used the sunporch...my studio in the barn is cold in the winter and also it was filled to the brim with glass fusing equipment and supplies....I tend to be a hoarder when it comes to art supplies so this summer I've slowly been going through my stuff and throwing and giving lots away.....I'm almost 90% there, and I will have a wonderful studio for year-round if I can find an efficient way to heat it! It's approximately 12 feet by 36 feet, insulated with a concrete floor, that will be partially carpeted when I'm finished. Suggestions appreciated if you have them. I tried an Eden pure heater last year, and it did not heat sufficiently.....

Will post pics soon, I've even made a small "gallery" area in the back of the studio to hang my finished pieces....I'm itching to get back to painting all day once this is complete.

SOS

Many of you that have followed my blog since it's inception know that I have a good friend struggling with cancer and the subsequent economic difficulties that go along with it. He is a fellow artist who works full time and in the evening hours does what he can in his garage "studio". I've visited him there in the winter....It's unheated, uninsulated, and separated from the other side of the garage with a plastic sheet. His dream is to open a Gallery/coffee shop/artist co-op but for now he just deals with making the house payment and surviving. I posted a widget on my blog for a fundraiser I started for him to help with a house payment. Donors can give directly or purchase a gift card and a portion will go to help him. If you feel so inclined to help, please do. The image above is an example of art he does while sitting at local shows with a signature....If you would like your signature and a design of your liking made into a work of art, please let me know.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year....

Ok, at the risk of offending some, (as I clearly did on Facebook earlier today) I can't tell you how excited I am that the kids are going back to school. I have 4 children, one with autism who graduated but is seeking out his first job, one that just started college, one in high school AND college (Mr. Smartypants) and one in Jr. High. I love them all dearly and enjoyed my time with them this summer. HOWEVER....anyone that tries to work at home knows how difficult it can be with all the interruptions. Sooo...as I said in my title "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the YEEAARRRRR....."

Ok, celebration done. The junior higher is still at home, but I did manage to finish a painting I started on my Staycation. When I was painting it on the boat I knew the values were all off, so today I took the photo of it and turned it black and white so I could just deal with value. I had no color reference, except for memory of the day, and it was very very difficult. However, I do feel that I stayed true to the values, and that is a big plus for me, I tend to make everything too dark and intense.....

Catch up!

To purchase this painting click here 14x18 gallery wrapped canvas $200

Doing catch up on listing paintings in my ETSY shop, and posting this painting that I finished, but forgot to blog about. I've always loved painting Irises, but I struggled with this one. I am happy the the way I was able to get some atmospheric perspective for the background flowers though! Progress, hooray!

Best Laid Plans Part 2

6x6 oil on panel $65 to puchase click here

6x6 oil on panel $65 to purchase click here

If you have ever read my other post titled "Best laid plans...." you'll know what I'm talking about and can skip the the next paragraph....if not, read on.....

I have a close friend/former co-worker in art who is fighting for his life right now. He is dealing with his second bout with colon cancer...the first time was when he was 20, now, he's 40 something....It's much more serious now, not just physically...he's happily married, has 2 children, one in college, one in high school. He lost his dream job 2 years ago, through no fault of his own, and struggled to find ANY job to cover the bills....Just months after finding a job, he was diagnosed AGAIN with cancer....He underwent massive surgery, and is now enduring chemotherapy and radiation treatments weekly....He and his wife work full time, yet the mounting bills and expenses are taking their toll....They live in a very old house that is in serious need of updating, but that is the least of their problems....This family does not even have air conditioning during the hottest summer on record in NW Ohio...yet they maintain a brave face and refuse help of any kind....I've taken it upon myself to try to elicit assistance for this family... I truly respect their desire for privacy and insistance to "go it alone" but I see they are suffering,...They are very close to losing the home they have lived in and raised their children in....


How can you help? I started a facebook page for his cause...Please add SOS (Support of Scott) to your FB account and post to your wall...I am planning future online and local fundraising events....Please help, he is one of the most generous people I know.



Oh, and I have been painting....sunflowers and colorful landscapes, nothing too serious, waiting for kids to go to school to actually concentrate.......

View from Aft

6x6 oil on panel $60 click here to purchase.

ok, even though I was in the Navy, I'm not sure if I'm using the proper terminology here...I know "fore" means forward part of a boat, and "aft" means after, so I suppose I am correct....this is the view from the back of our boat we have docked at Gem Beach Marina on Catawba Island in Ohio. This summer I've been a bit out of sorts with my painting because of distraction at home. I have 4 kids all home from school, and the in and out and interruption is very hard for someone who works at home. It hit me that I should take my own working staycation on the boat! It has a cabin with all the necessary living needs, air conditioning , refridgeratr, stove etc, and it just sits idly docked all week long. I'm thinking this week or next I'm going to pack my paints and escape for the week. If you are local, feel free to join me and paint, or just sit on the deck and enjoy the sound of seagulls and water.......