Sunday, November 27, 2011

Festival of Trees

Let's talk for a minute about how much white paint I used last night.  Just for a minute.

I always thought I was drawn to bright colors, and I am constantly saying how I love to see different colors get all swirly with each other.  So why is it that the paint I use most often is white?  Huh.  Last night I was painting the base for the tree Frame of Reference is donating to the Festival of Trees, a fundraising event for the Museum down the street I am chairing.  All donated items need to be at the Museum in the next two days, and I'm just getting started.  I've had ideas percolating in my head for weeks and, as I've already mentioned in a previous post, the tree looks fabulous in my head.  Now to see if the reality is as good as the fantasy.

Anyway, white paint.  Loads of it.  And yes, of course, like you even have to ask, I did get plenty of paint on my clothes.  Sigh.  I have already posted a picture of one of the ornaments I made.  Now here is the tree topper:


Stay tuned for the finished product.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and, although we should all be giving thanks for what we have every day of the year, this is the time when we actually say it out loud.  I am eternally grateful and thankful for my family and my friends, the people who support me even when I am at my most unsupportable.  I am thankful for all the little things, because some days that's all we get.  Most of all, I am thankful that I was rescued by the best poodle-face dog in the history of the universe.  She doesn't always make the best employee, but she is always the best companion.  I don't know what I did without her.


Thanksgiving Day is poodle's birthday.  Happy almost 2, baby girl.


Tonight we are making two pies, pumpkin and cranberry orange.  Maybe I will paint something new and fabulous.  Or maybe I will paint something old and fabulous, like this which I just varnished very early this morning:


See, I paint something I like and then keep on painting it, over and over and over.  And it makes me happy.  A purple tree for Thanksgiving.  What more do you need.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Just checking in.

So I made the switch from George Winston to Joe Pass.  And after less than one trip through, I went back to George.  He's not very peppy, but works quite well for background music.  Just thought you should know.

Also, this is the only pretty item that has come out of my studio/kitchen lately:


Sweet, eh?  And ridiculously easy.  Go right now to the store and buy a package of vanilla flavored almond bark, some cute sprinkles and two bags of pretzel rods.  Melt the almond bark and coat 2/3 of each pretzel - I used the back of a spoon.  Put on wax paper and sprinkle with cute sprinkles.  Eat.

I also made this, but it's not quite as pretty as the pretzels.  I named it Evergreen:



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Soundtrack

I get stuck in a rut when I listen to music -- I will play the same CD over and over and over.  I do not have a problem with this.  John Denver and I were pretty tight for most of the summer.  Lately I have been thoroughly, one hundred percent, absolutely LOVING a CD I bought at Borders when they were having their going-out-of-business sale.  I have been a fan of The New Pornographers for a few years, so when I saw a CD I don't already have, I bought it.  Very good investment of about three dollars.  It is called "Together."  I highly suggest you rush out immediately, or as soon as you finish reading this post, and buy it.  Fantastic music.

However.

Last night it was time to make a change.  I was working on ornaments for the tree Frame of Reference is donating to the Festival of Trees.  I felt this called for Christmas music so I dug out George Winston's "December" and listened two times through while I worked.  It might not be peppy enough, so tonight I may have to switch to Joe Pass.  But let it be known that we have entered the season of Christmas music.  Let it also be known that I love Taco Bell's Canon when it is played on piano, specifically by George Winston, but I'm still switching to jazz.

Here is a sneak peek of one of the ornaments.  You will have to wait to see the completed tree.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Hey Dad! Guess what!

Yep, I finished that piece you asked for a hundred years ago.  I'm not going to post pictures of it yet because I want you to see it in real life first.  I am packing it up today.  This one was a real struggle for me, and I'm not sure why.  I think it is the colors.  There is a lot of white.  Now I love it.  I am beyond fascinated by how swirly colors and texture and words all work together.  So if you don't like it, send it back and I will keep it!

I also painted two new trees, one of which I am going to keep.  And I'm going to turn it into cards.  The pre-press work is kinda expensive, especially considering the original painting is only 5" x 7".  But it will be worth it because I will have a very crisp digital image in a way higher resolution than I could ever need, so I can have it reproduced on anything, any time.  Maybe I will put it on a shirt....

Anyway, it is the first of the following two:



True confession time:  I painted these before I finished the piece for my dad.  Couldn't help myself.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Tree-O

First of all, I just added one of my favorite paintings to my Etsy store:


I hope nobody buys it.

Second, third, and fourthly, here is what distracted me the other night, when I should have been painting something else instead:







As I said in the last post, I am going to donate these to a fundraiser.  As a set.


Sometimes I surprise myself.  I love these little trees.  I am calling them Tree-O.  That would be short for "Trio of Trees.  Oh."  Now I shall paint one for Roxie, and one for me.  After I finish the piece for my dad.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Woof

One down, six to go.  I am making slow progress on "wording" the paintings I have started.  I listed this one on my Etsy store today - I think it is the only brand new piece on there (so brand new, in fact, I haven't finished varnishing it yet):


It is a little bluer than I intended but that's ok.  Some dogs like blue.

Instead of finishing up another one last night - like, for instance, the one I told my dad I was putting in the mail last week - I did a little tree piece.  It is just a little something something, but I really like how it turned out.  I think I will do two more, frame them with dark red moulding, and donate them to the fundraiser I am chairing.  It is a Festival of Trees and we are growing it from the ground up.  But that's a story for another day.  Like after it is all over, if it doesn't kill me first.  By then I will have pictures of the FANTASTICALLY FABULOUS three foot tall tree I am donating, which so far looks excellent in my head.  I am very creative, you see, really quite clever.  At least in my head.  Gotta work on execution.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

It has become abundantly clear.

Coming out of retirement was a grand gesture.  Not to toot my own horn, but I think it was a necessity.  But MAN.  It sure is time consuming.

That is all.
Or, rather, that is all I have time for today.