Sky Painting

Thought I'd share what I've done so far in my Mixed Media Landscapes online workshop. The assignment for Week 2 (last week) was to paint the skies on our canvases, which I just finished last night. I'm a little behind, but that's the beauty of an online workshop--you can work at your own pace and even delay an assignment if needed.



This week, our assignment is to paint the hills--that's those collaged and gessoed humps on the bottom two thirds of the canvases. I'm looking forward to it. We get to use some great colors and blend them to add depth to the hills. I'm pretty sure I'll have plenty of time to finish this one, so I'll be all caught up and ready for Assignment 4 on Monday.

And ready I'll be 'cause I'm having a ball!

Marilyn

Strawberry Shortcake

Funny, what images grab us. This little hat has been on our deck post, like this, for several months.

It started the day after Halloween. This sweet little Strawberry Shortcake (I think) hat was laying on the post that holds our mailbox and our next door neighbor's mailbox. I'm guessing that our neighbor must have laid it there after finding it someplace near their house. I remember thinking, "aww, some little trick or treater lost their hat last night" and I hoped that it would be found by its owner.

The hat continued to lay on the mailbox post for a couple of days, but, as will happen in early November, brisk north winds moved in and swooped it up and the little hat came to lay in our front yard. I was still hopeful that the lost would be found, so I took it back to the mailbox post and, instead of just laying it there, I placed it atop the post so that it looked like it was wearing le petit chapeau.

For weeks it stayed there and hope lessened that it would ever make it back home. But it was fun having it out there and we often talked about driving up to the house and there it would be, that welcoming beacon. It made us smile or giggle when we saw it. We even thought it would be a great addition to our directions when we invited people over for the holidays--just look for the mailbox post wearing a Strawberry Shortcake hat! And the red and green colors were perfectly festive!

However, with the holiday season, also came packages...and one day the postal carrier placed one between the mailbox and the post and off came the hat. OK, I thought, maybe this has played itself out and I brought the day's mail and the hat inside and, well, now what? I can't explain it, but I took that little hat out the back door and dressed the deck post.

Same hat, but new location and suddenly it brought new joy when we looked outside to the back yard. Sunny days, rainy days, windy, gloomy days--all gave it a different look. The best, though, were the snowy days. All of that white with just a dot of bright red and green--wish I'd thought to photograph it then. Sleet and hail, too, it's been through a lot. Except the blazing hot temperatures of summer. Will it still be on our post then? Hard to say.

Are we silly---crazy? Maybe. But, whatever form it takes, fun is...fun!

Marilyn

checklist...?

How often, especially around this time of the month, do I wonder "where did the month go and what did I do with it?" As a crafter, it is difficult for me to hold back such thoughts and question if I've done one single creative thing this month?!

I don't care to measure my days by the number of crafty items I've produced, but I do like to hope that I am being attentive to the creative side of life. My head is constantly spinning with ideas...so if I don't "do", will I lose those ideas or will they get tangled up with each other and turn into lousy ideas? Or worse yet, will I go crazy because the creative outlet door is closed? OK, a bit dramatic but just where did this month go and what did I do with it?

Immediately, I can tell you that our family celebrated two birthdays, #26 for both second-oldest-daughter and daughter-in-law. And, if I say so myself, we have the best birthday parties around, lol! Not because of anything we do, but because of who we are and how much we enjoy one another!

We also attended the wedding of a special young couple this month. We've known the bride since her middle school years and we adore her. Her new husband is delightful and we couldn't be happier for the two of them. The wedding was lovely and the reception was great fun. I didn't have to do a thing except enjoy the specialness of the evening!

You know, I'm already starting to feel like it's been a full and fruitful month--that's good!



As for creativity, how about other possibilities? Like baking...











Rick does all of the cooking at our house (yes, I am very lucky!) but every now and then I feel like baking something.










Or decorating...I framed and hung this poster of a Santa Fe Village--I love the colors!














Oh! I made a bracelet for the first time!

It was a kit that I purchased from French General--gotta love trying something new.








And I changed the look of my blog and I started my online workshop and I'm sewing a garment for a friend and I'm reading a novel!











I think I'm on a roll. But it's not a checklist. It's life and not all of it is tangible--in fact, the best parts aren't!

Well, alrighty, so much for my lament of April...there's a whole week left!

Marilyn

Tries to see the big picture...

My dear friend, Mithua, has tagged me again...

This one is fun and very interesting-- you come up with six words that sum up your life. The meme originated on bookbabie's blog, influenced by a book written by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser, Not Quite What I was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure. The book is a compilation based on the story that Ernest Hemingway once bet ten dollars that he could sum up his life in six words. He won that bet when he wrote, "For sale, baby shoes, never worn."

Okay, here's the rules:

1. Write your own six word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4. Tag five more blogs with links
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now here is where I get stuck...I haven't been blogging all that long and don't have a long list of blogs that I know well enough to tag...plus I've already seen the '6 word memoir' on several of the blogs I visit...SO I'm just going to offer it out there and if you haven’t been tagged but would like to participate, please feel free to copy and paste the above portions of this post and you can initiate your own string of the game.

My six words are:
"tries to see the big picture"
I believe the "small stuff" (as in "don't sweat the...") can get in the way of much more important or creative or productive or pleasant ways of thinking.
(Art: "The Treasure Within", by Mary Southard, CSJ, courtesy of Ministry of the Arts)


Thanks, Mithua! This was FUN!

Marilyn

Online Workshops

For the last six weeks I have been taking a mixed media collage class with Karyn Gartel at Altered Diva Online Workshops. I've had a ton of FUN! I've also learned a lot of great techniques that I hope to use in future projects.

Karyn is an excellent instructor and I was already beginning to miss her class before it was even over. Easy remedy, however...I signed up for a new class--Mixed Media Landscapes. It starts Monday, April 14th and I'm pretty sure I know how much fun it's going to be!

Here are the completed pieces that I did in the Mixed Media Collage class:





I hope to be sharing some landscapes with you in another 6 weeks!

Marilyn

"Love Squared" Revealed

Monica, on her blog "girl-gone-thread-wild", has revealed the COMPLETED Pink Artist Doll or "Love Squared" as she has been named!









And she is...










BEAUTIFUL!



Monica has posted tons of amazing photos. The ones I am showing here are but a few of the photos that her husband, Jeff, has taken and has so graciously allowed us, The Pink Artists, to share with you on our blogs. However, you really must go look at ALL of them, not only for the sheer beauty, but also for the emotional experience. There is an incredible amount of love, hope and dedication alive in this elegant creation!


By the way, I found my little square in one of the photos! It is located second from the bottom, on the right:

This has been, and continues to be, an unbelievable experience. I'm so thankful to be a part of it!

Marilyn