This morning....the sun was just breaking through the fog and steam from the pond....It looked like a watercolor painting....just beautiful soft light....with the blues and violets of the fog...and the intense spring greens peeking out. What a lovely way to start the day!


"Memorial Day" 7.5x5.5 Mixed Media
Enjoy this holiday weekend....the weather here in Michigan is superb!
We are going downtown Detroit to catch the Tiger game tonight....It'll be hoppin' down there with the Red Wings playing tonight too....Yeee Haw!


This is the first plein air painting I've done this year! (plein air is painting outside from life)
This is also the very first time this plant has bloomed....in other years the ground hog has devoured it before it could bloom.....I am grateful that it was left alone long enough this year!


"Flow" 15 x 11 mixed media
(sold)
I had some friends come over for dinner on Tuesday evening...("Flow" was purchased after dinner :))...Two of them are from Nova Scotia. We all had gotten to know each other quite well last weekend in Toronto, after attending what I call "the most fun wedding ever."

It was just a fantastic event! I was thinking about why it was just so darned fun, and I came to the conclusion that...yes...the weekend was planned and staged to perfection....and yes...the weather was glorious....and yes, the happy couple are two lovely people....but the element that made it so special was the guest list.

The guests that attended arrived with such a happy spirits and attitudes....genuinely thrilled to meet everyone and partake in the activities...I've never been to a wedding in which there was such spirited dancing! My husband commented that the last time we got him on a dance floor was in 1986! LOL It was just a very special weekend...it lifted everyone's spirits I think...and was a wonderful start to the couples' new life together. We are all still glowing.

Enjoy your day!



"Arcadia Bluffs" 8.5 x 8.5 watercolor sold

Funny of the day...

Golfer: "I think I am going to drown myself in the lake."
Caddie: "Do you think you can keep your head down that long?"



"Zack" watercolor about 11 x 14

This was the first pet portrait I ever did....Zack lives in Nova Scotia...along with his portrait.

What a darling subject....don't cha think?


"Sunflower Family" 22 x 22 Mixed media (watercolor and pencil)
sold
It's my baby's 21st birthday today.... Happy Birthday Bobby!
He's in California working on his music by night and "courier to the stars" by day. We are so proud of him!






"Who Ate All the Sour-balls" 14 x 11 watercolor

I have these glasses with feet...they just amuse the heck outta me!



Quote of the day:

"Spring is natures way of saying, "Let's Party!"

~Robin Williams




"Singing the Blues" acrylic, 6 x 6 on wood

I'm just playing around....I have 3 of these "gessobord" panels...they are 6 x 6 x 2 inches....You can just stand them on a table top, or hang them....now I need to paint her 2 mates so I can have a trio. :)



Tara's Tulips Watercolor and colored pencil 15 x 11


...a detail photo.

We hosted a wedding shower for a friend of ours over the weekend...Someone brought these beautiful tulips and left them at the house...I don't know who left them, and I assume they were for the bride to be, who forgot to take them with her with all the commotion. I decided to paint them because the leaves just seemed especially animated! :) Tara's Tulips was a fun and welcome break from the large acrylic of Turnberry I've been working on...Thanks for checking in!


Work in progress (wip) acrylic 24 x 40

Still plugging away at Don's painting...I wanted to have it done by the weekend...don't think it will be, unfortunately....I have to resolve the lower left side...adding texture within the already stated value range...(values are the lightness or darkness of a color...as if you are removing the color and looking at it in black and white)

Have a great weekend! The weather here is just glorious today....which is a big reason why this painting won't be done. :)



this is a work in progress (wip)...24 x 40 inches...acrylic.

My husband (Don) took a golfing trip to Scotland summer before last. He snapped some photos while playing and I'm painting from one of his pictures....always a huge challenge for me, not having been there to see for myself....It was one of those cloudy then sunny then rainy days....So I guess this is (or will be) about the weather, rather than the golf course. I have a devil of a time photographing acrylics. The sheen of them gives my camera fits....


I took this photo in May of 2005....I've never seen a rainbow quite like this....it eventually evolved into a double rainbow....this image is right from the camera...not photo shopped, other than making the file smaller for the web. Neato eh? :)

finders keepers hint...


If you are walking or running on Polly Ann trail....right near Indianwood Road...you just might be a "finder"....It was still there as of 8 am this morning! hehehehe

*edit....I've heard from the "finder" of #14! what fun! :)


This is an 8 x 10 plein air painting (painting outside on site) from last summer...sigh...haven't made it outside to paint yet this year....I've been doing yard work on the nice days we've had.

finders keepers hint....in Lake Orion....if you like to walk or run the Polly Ann trail...you just might find it! I'll know tomorrow if it's been picked up....I usually don't hear from the finders...but that's ok....I still get a kick out of doing this :) Happy hunting!


It's time for another "finders keepers" release! Be on the look-out all you potential finders!
Number 14 will be placed today somewhere in Oxford or Lake Orion Michigan...I'm going to give hints later today, as to where I've left it. hehehe

edit.... #14 was found! Here is the email I received:

"My friend and i were embarking on a journey across town. Today was a fairly cloudy day and we started to feel some rain. At this point we were half way to our destination so we thought we were about to get soaked. that was when i stumbled upon your rock with the four leaf clover on it. This was also ironic because i was wearing my lucky shirt with guess what (a four leaf clover) on it. but anyway the rain stopped!"

This is what makes the finders keepers project fun for me....I love getting the notes when they are found! Thanks for writing finder #14!



Has spring sprung??? Oh my gosh it's a gorgeous day here today!

I just finished this small (5x7) ink and wash house portrait for a friend of mine....she and her neighbors have been so supportive of me....it seems whenever any of the neighbors move....they have a going away party and commission me to do a small house portrait as a memento for them. It's usually a surprise...hope these friends don't look at my blog before their party! LOL

Enjoy this beautiful April day! I'm going to play in the yard.....


Celebrate April 1st by being foolish! Lord knows there is worrisome news everywhere we turn lately. It’s overwhelming. So my friends…. I’m looking for fun and joy….have a funny story? Share it! Be a fairy godmother for someone…Do an unasked for favor for somebody. (unasked for favors are a lot more fun to do than asked for favors..LOL)

So…. in keeping with my “just for the fun of it” theme today …I’m releasing another finders keepers somewhere in Oxford, Michigan today... (#15...I know I'm out of order......15 seemed a really good April fool's choice....#14 will be released later) …..Keep your eyes peeled! :)



"Bouquet" Acrylic Collage

Opening Day....yay! Unfortunately our Tigers lost in extra innings...It's such a nice warm day today, at least for Michigan....in the 50's ...after the winter we've had, it feels like a heat wave!



We got about 3 inches of fresh spring snow last night....

La DEEE da. and harrumph.

At least the sun is shining.

Go Michigan State Spartans!! (I love NCAA tournament basketball)