Poster Day

The portrait of Levi is on hold for the moment. On Thursday I spent the day with a good friend who moved to Texas a few years ago but was in NC to visit her family for the holidays. We had a great day, including lunch, and - our favorite - bookstore time! How nice to catch up with each others lives over a stack of books while sipping Pumpkin Spice Latte! Yum! Wish you didn't live so far away D!

Yesterday ended up being Poster Day. One of the guys in the hubby's band asked me to make two posters to go on the side of a car. His daughter is riding in a Christmas Parade, and every vehicle is to have a sign on each side listing the business sponsor and the rider's name. Each poster measures 22" x 28". Requirements were that the lettering be of a certain size and the poster is to have a Christmas theme, yet be fairly simple so that it's easily read. After mulling over a few ways to make this poster, I ended up with my old standby for large art (I used to paint wall murals)... good old acrylics.

Since this is a quickie... done on discount store poster paper and needed only for a few hours, I didn't bother sketching anything. I drew a horizon line separating snow from sky and just painted everything else in. Was lots of fun. I'm much more relaxed when I'm painting large... I don't sweat the details and just go with the flow.

Sure hope they have good weather for the parade!

Levi - WIP #3

Here's the latest on little Levi. I've spent a lot of time on the background - too much, actually, since it seems like the focus of the picture should get the most time and attention. I've read/heard quite a few artists who advocate getting the background in first. Well, that doesn't seem to be working too well for me! After trying both working methods, for me it's easier to get the main subject in then decide on how the background will best enhance the subject. What happened with this painting... I did mostly the steps first and they seem too powerful. Choice: either lighten them up or darken the spaces in between the steps to make them recede into the background. I decided to do both. Not sure if the background is still too dominant? Or do the darks serve to set Levi off?

Constructive criticism welcome (Feel free!! LOL!)

After Thanksgiving

It's sunny today, but not the kind of day to be outside. The wind is more of a strong March wind than a November wind. It blows in forceful gusts, rattling the outside of the house and pushing its way into cracks and crevices around doors and windows. Still, inside the house it's warm and cozy. And I still feel warm and cozy from the holiday. Thanksgiving was a feast, not just of food, but of family, friends and fun. How my heart swelled when my two grown sons walked in through the front door. It's such a joy to see them- their eyes sparkling health and love, tall and strong with youth's good looks. A few days before the holiday, I couldn't help but think of the parents who lost a son or daughter in the war. Their child will never again walk through the door at Thanksgiving. My heart goes out to them. I wish them solace and comfort. And I renewed once again my vow to live each day as fully as possible. To not let the little irritations and disappointments of life crowd out the full and beautiful blessings that still abound.

We celebrated Thanksgiving joyfully. In our small home we really didn't have enough space for all of the company we had. But it was okay. We made do. We had food, laughter and fun in plentiful supply. So thankful were we to be surrounded by those we love that we paid no attention to the little inconveniences - and it turned out to be one of the best Thanksgivings ever. I guess it's taken me this long to learn how to live, how to deeply appreciate and savor the things that really matter, how to be thankful.

Yes, it was a good Thanksgiving.

Levi - WIP #2

More work done on Levi (first WIP posted underneath second WIP).

Apparently I'm leaving the fun stuff (you know, the face and the fingers) for last.... gotta get those pencils warmed up before I tackle those! Constructive criticism welcome.

Oh........... Happy Thanksgiving!

English street scene

An art card that went to Darlene in Canada. 4 x 6 - watercolor and colored pencil on Arches Hot Press.

Photos are here!

Okay, got everything set up with this substitute camera. Here are the shots I took on Monday (post titled "Magical Minute) whilst out wandering around in the garden in early morning sub freezing weather! All pics are of our blueberry bushes (I love the first photo where you can actually see the frost on the leaves... which I decided to use for my heading), except for the last pic which is a Bradford Pear and was taken at sunset one evening. Isn't nature simply beautiful?

Levi - A Beginning

This WIP is a portrait (colored pencil on Stonehenge) of a friend's grandson. This friend advertised in a little local magazine I used to publish, and this photo was used in one of her ads for her shoe store (see his adorable little blue Crocs?). As soon as I saw the photo I wanted to paint it. I loved the natural pose, the light and shadow patterns on both Levi and the steps..... and who could resist those baby blues? He even has a scrape on his little knee... just like my boys used to many years ago.

I'm posting what I've done so far. I usually do the preliminary drawing in graphite but decided this time I'd try doing the drawing using a light umber CP. Not sure that I really have much preference either way. I've never had a problem getting CP to cover the graphite. I've gone over the drawing in most places using some variation of the final color. I've done a little work on his face and on the wooden steps behind him. The scan makes the steps look much darker and heavier than they actually are, but even so, I may have to tone them down. We'll see.

I've already changed the angle of his left cheek several times. The last time I did a portrait of a young child he seemed to look older in the portrait than in the photo. Wondering why, I pulled out my copy of "Drawing People" by Barbara Bradley (excellent book!!) and re-read the section on drawing children. The problem immediately jumped out at me: I hadn't given enough curve to his cheeks. Youngsters are chubby - and chubby is represented by rounded curves. I hadn't given enough curve to his cheek, and the slimmer cheekline made him look a couple of years older. So this time I'm trying to watch out for that and keep that cute chubby toddler look.

Magical minute

This morning, quite early, I purposed to capture the rich fall colors of the blueberry bushes in the glow of the early morning sun. The bushes are now bare of berries, but to me they're more beautiful in fall than any other time. The foliage has turned to deep, saturated reds, browns and burgundies, with just a few hints of green on the sheltered side of the bushes.

After coffee I opened the blinds and saw....... frost! Thick, glorious sparkling frost that lay like a shimmering veil across fields, trees and fading garden plants. It sparkled in the morning sun, making the blueberry bushes radiant. Not about to miss this moment, I grabbed a hoodie and my camera and headed outside. The air was cold, brisk, exhilarating. Everything sparkled. Almost as good as snow, I thought. I walked around the bushes to shoot from various angles, my shoes crunching in the frozen grass; then stood still to get some close up shots. That's when I heard it. In the quiet of the morning, I heard a soft drip. Then another. Then another. It was the sound of frost melting in the pale sunshine. By sheer chance I happened to be there at this time. I stood, unmoving, looking and listening. I was awake, I was aware. It was a fleeting moment - like so many of life's moments. Ordinary, yet special. A few more photos around the garden, and when I returned to the blueberry bushes the shimmering veil was gone. But I had seen it; I had heard it. One of those magical minutes in life.

** Will post photos later. Lost my digital camera few weeks ago, and a family member was kind enough to donate one to me, but am not set up to upload photos yet.

An Autumn Award!

How nice to receive this adorable "Autumn Friends Award" from Rosie at Corners of my Mind blog... thank you so much Rosie!

It's a sweet, easy little award... no lists to write or anything, so in the spirit of friendship, and as requested, I'll pass the award on to three fellow bloggers....

Jeanne at Jeanne Grant

Lin at View from the Oak

Rose at Rose's Art Lines

Enjoy!

A lovely rainy Friday!

I love a chilly rainy day! When I actually give voice to thoughts like that I usually get strange looks from folks who appear to be wondering if I've lost my marbles. Chalk it up to growing up in England.... rain doesn't bother me in the least. On a rainy day the house feels so cozy, and indoor activities like cooking, knitting, reading and movie watching are even more pleasurable.... especially when accompanied by hot chocolate or hot tea with honey.

After a busy week, today will be spent finishing my monthly newspaper article. I do have a new art card to post... this one went to Shelley in France. This 4x6 card depicts New England in the fall and is done in watercolor and colored pencil. It was lots of fun to do.... I LOVE New England and using those juicy fall colors was a great pleasure!

Have a great weekend!

"Knit Your Bit" ... A World War II Knitting Project

I've just started a World War II knitting project. Yes, you read that right!

Actually, it's for veterans of World War II (and you thought I was losing my marbles didn't you? Actually, sometimes I wonder myself....). I came across it last week and knew immediately I would participate.

It's a project sponsored by The National World War II Museum (http://www.nationalww2museum.org/calendar/knit-your-bit.html) and asks willing volunteers to knit scarves for WWII vets. We're rapidly losing our aging WWII vets, (some estimates place the loss at a 1,000 per day nationally) and many of the remaining vets are fighting serious health problems. The scarves are a gesture to remind the vets that someone out there still cares, still honors the huge sacrifice they made. If you'd like to knit along, visit the website (link above) for the scarf patterns. There are three you can choose from. The site is really interesting and features vintage pictures of young schoolkids knitting for victory along with slogans such as "The Navy needs men, but it also needs knitters!".

**P.S. Crochet patterns are also available for the scarves

In Honor of Fall....

I've redone my blog! This color scheme seems very "fallish" and cozy - sometimes a change is good!

It's been a busy couple of weeks. We've had sickness in the family and since I was blessed with good health I sort of ended up as caregiver. So, there's not been much productivity in the art department lately - or much blogging. But that's the way it is sometimes. Thankfully, everyone is either back in good health or looks to be well on the mend. You know there's nothing like a bout of severe illness to drastically rearrange schedules. Good health... what a blessing it is, and how guilty I am of often taking it for granted. I remember reading a prayer sometime back that went something like this: "Lord, thank you for all the blessings you've bestowed upon me. I ask you for one more thing: a grateful heart." A grateful heart... appropriate since Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

Speaking of Thanksgiving ... both of my boys are coming home for the holidays - yay!! - (they're 26 and 29, and both live about two hours away from me) and the youngest son is bringing his steady girlfriend. What a joy she is . . . beautiful, smart, funny and has a loving, generous heart. There's been talk of her "joining the family" and we'd be very happy to claim her!

'Course, lots of company means lots of cooking! Oh boy! An excuse to pull out my favorite recipes, don my antique apron I bought in an antique store (don't laugh..... you'd be surprised how fun and practical it is) and cook up a storm. Youngest son has requested sweet potato pie, his girlfriend has requested pecan pie and oldest son usually goes for sweet potato bread. I'll eat about anything sweet and the hubby loves fresh greens. A few years ago we started brining our turkey and it is so juicy and delicous that we haven't cooked a turkey since without having brined it. It's a little more trouble than just popping it into the oven . . . but well worth the effort. If you'd like to try it, here's the recipe. You'll need to plan ahead. The turkey must be thawed out before brining, it needs to brine for about 6-8 hours (I usually let it sit overnight) then it needs to sit in a refrigerator for at least 8 hours to "equalize".

How to brine a turkey:

• For a 12-14 lb turkey, make a brine by dissolving 2 cups table salt in 2 gallons of water.
• Rinse thawed turkey thoroughly - remove giblets, neck, etc and reserve for gravy. If the legs are tied or wired, remove the tie.
• Place turkey in brine and refrigerate; or if using a cooler, set cooler in cool place for 6-8 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine; discard brine; rinse turkey well under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels.
• Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting pan that has the slotted, removable top (using the slotted top allows the excess water to drip down and away from the turkey).
• Refrigerate, uncovered, for 8 to 24 hours (this allows residual moisture left in the skin to evaporate). Read the "Helpful Hints" below before you begin!


Helpful Hints:

• We use a cooler to brine the turkey - it stays cold this way and saves room in the
refrigerator. Wash cooler and rinse turkey. Place turkey in cooler.
• It’s easier to dissolve the salt if you boil it first. How I do it: place turkey in the cooler. Measure one cup salt into a small boiler with enough water to cover it well. Bring the salt to a boil. When the salt boils it won’t dissolve but will become very coarse and gritty. Once the salt feels gritty when stirred, pour the salt water mix into a gallon pitcher and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cool water and some ice cubes. Stir well until the salt has dissolved. Makes 1 gallon of brine. Pour this over the turkey and then make another gallon of brine (or as many as needed to cover the turkey - how much brine you need depends on how big your turkey is and the size of the cooler you use - try to use a cooler that’s not too much bigger than the turkey).
• Cook the turkey using a turkey roasting bag - (rub butter all over the turkey skin before
placing in the bag) - keeps the meat moist and since all the juice is captured in the bag you can use the juice for gravy, soup, etc.

Makes the most delicious turkey you've ever tasted!

Newspaper column for October 2008

The Life of a Band Wife: Two Tales from the Road

When you’re married to a band member and spend most weekends traveling you gain new experiences and meet a lot of people. Some gigs we play regularly and become well acquainted with the folks who attend, creating many fond memories. Of course, the band members get to know each other pretty well too; in fact, after several years of being on the road together the band has become more like an extended family than a business entity. We’ve celebrated the joyous occasions in each other lives, mourned the sad events, and shared many laughs over humorous incidents.

Of all the memories built up over the years, it is the sad ones and the humorous ones that seem to remain the clearest in our minds. The humorous memories are recounted often, accompanied by gales of laughter during the many hours spent on the road. Two of those memories I’d like to share with you.

The first one concerns Howard. Howard was a regular at one of our monthly dances and he was..... well..... a little different. I never asked any questions about Howard’s condition, I just knew that although he wasn’t like the rest of us, he had a beautiful soul and a joyful, childlike heart. There was no eloquence in his speech, nor grace in his movements, but he loved to dance and was genuinely delighted to receive a hug and an invitation to the dance floor. He liked all the dances, fast and slow, and it was during one of the fast dances that his now famous little mishap occurred. It was delightful mishap, as mishaps go, one of those amusing incidents that makes you smile every time you think of it. You see, Howard wore dentures (I’d guess he was in his middle sixties) and he had a habit, when dancing, of pushing his upper teeth out a little, wiggling them back and forth a few times, and then popping them back in place again. He’d do this several times during a dance - when you saw Howard dancing, you knew his teeth were dancing too. One night during a lively tune, Howard pushed his teeth out a little too far. To the surprise, consternation and amusement of his fellow dancers, all of a sudden one set of upper teeth became airborne, and upon landing, skittered across the floor in between several dancers. Howard took off in hot pursuit of his teeth, and upon reaching the errant chompers, scooped them up, gave them a quick wipe on his sleeve and, grinning, popped them back into their rightful gummy place. He shuffled back to his group of dancers, who, wide eyed and mouths agape with various expressions of surprise, delight and disbelief at the incident, moved aside to welcome him back to the group. Howard has now passed on, but I think of him often: his love of life, his childlike joy... and his wandering dentures.



Our second tale involves Danny Baker. Danny is our bass player and one of four vocalists in the band. He’s solid and dependable, not loud and showy. A big strapping guy, Danny does his share when it comes to unloading and setting up the heavy equipment required for the band. After the hard and tedious work of setting up is done, Danny and the other band members change into their "good clothes" just before the show starts.

One night, the band had not been playing long - it was still early in the first set - and everything was going as planned when I suddenly heard a loud, quick "WOO!" come from one of the mikes. Definitely not part of the song. Curious, I looked up just in time to see Danny jump a little and yell "OWW!". It was actually more of a pained yelp. What in the world was going on? Without warning, Danny suddenly leapt off the stage and made rapid tracks to the men’s room. The other band members watched in surprise and wonder as Danny disappeared into the crowd. They obviously had no more clue than I did as to what was going on. A few minutes later, Danny emerged and took his place on stage again. I looked at him closely. He appeared all right, if slightly uncomfortable. For the remainder of the set things went normally and there were no more outbursts from Danny. Trying to imagine possible causes for Danny’s unusual behavior, I could hardly wait to hear the explanation. On the first break I got the scoop: Danny’s wife, Brenda, had done the laundry that day and since it was nice weather she hung the clothes on the outside line to dry. When Danny picked up his folded pants to pack them for the trip, little did he know that he would not be alone inside his pants. There was a wasp inside them. When it came time to start the show, he’d put the pants on, blissfully unaware of the uncomfortable turn of events that was about to happen. The wasp couldn’t find his way out, and trapped, you know what happened next. When the first sting occurred, it elicited the first surprised "WOO!". The second sting was accompanied by an even louder "OWW!", then followed by Danny’s rapid exit to find out what the devil was going on. Reminded me of the song "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" where Harv thought he had a weed eater loose in his Fruit of the Looms.

In the band room we found out the cause of the commotion and alternated between helpless laughter and offering giggling consolation to poor Danny who found it considerably less funny than we did. To add insult to injury, we discovered that the cantankerous little wasp had zinged Danny one more time before he made it to the bathroom to shuck those troublesome britches. These days, Danny is back to his normal low key self; however, I think he does check his clothes before putting them on if they’ve been dried on the outside line.

* Danny Baker, good sport that he is, has read this article and given permission to divulge the painful details. Thank you, Danny!

** The story of Howard is true, however, the name has been changed.

A couple more art cards

Here's two more of my art cards (both done in colored pencil). The bottom card is of a castle in France - a country I'd really like to visit. I was actually scheduled to go to France as part of a student exchange when I lived in England but missed that trip. My French teacher, Monsieur Carre, had written to his former students in France and paired them up as pen pals with his students in England. The idea was that we would write to our pen pal in France using only French to improve our grasp of the language and they in turn would write to us in English. One summer, arrangements were made for us to spend six weeks with our pen pal's family in France. That was the summer my family moved to the US. Alas, we moved a couple of months before the scheduled trip to France. So, for the moment I'm being patient with promises to myself that "one day" I'll make that long awaited trip.

The top card (mushroom) doesn't really look like a Vacation Dream Card, but it is. It's a reminder of my childhood rambles around the English countryside where I grew up. I was always fascinated by the variety of mushrooms I saw. The fact that some of them were poisonous and forbidden to touch only made them more mysterious, mythical. Sometimes I half expected a tiny sprite-like figure to emerge from underneath their colorful little canopies. Too many childhood stories? Perhaps. But it was a pleasant indulgence nonetheless. Of all of the mushrooms, the puff balls and the red and white capped were my favorite fungi. I have no idea what the proper name is for the puff ball mushrooms, but we called them puff balls because if you stepped on one, it puffed out a thick cloud of brown smoke. We always avoided letting the brown smoke drift onto us... who knew whether it might have magical properties and what the consequences might be? The red and white capped mushrooms seemed far more innocent. They were so pretty that one could only imagine pleasant stories around such a colorful little forest dweller. Ah, the innocence of childhood. Though I wouldn't wish those days back again (I quite enjoy my life as it is for the most part) I would dearly love to walk the English countryside again, exploring the forest and enjoying the quiet beauty of nature.

Fall Apple Cake

Crunchy leaves and Fall's delicious chilly mornings got you in a baking fever? Me too! Here's a family favorite you might like to try. This cake is better if you plan ahead so that it can sit for a day or two before cutting. The sitting time allows the flavors to blend and deepen to produce quite a memorable flavor. If you don't have a particularly sweet tooth you might want to omit the finishing glaze (I gleefully drizzle it over the cake all the while wondering how long the cake will sit before I dive into it). Enjoy!

Fall Apple Cake

2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk (I use whole buttermilk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
1-1/2 cups apples, peeled and finely cubed (I use 2 Granny Smith apples)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- Cream sugar and oil.

- Slowly add eggs, blending after each addition.

- Combine flour and next 7 ingredients.

- Add flour mixture to egg and oil mixture. Add apples and pecans and stir well.

- Bake in greased and floured 10-inch tube pan for approximately 40 minutes (depending on your oven and your pan) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost - but not completely - clean. I like to take the cake out when just a tiny bit of cake sticks to the toothpick... keeps it from overbaking and becoming dry.

- While cake is still warm and in the pan, punch holes in the top of the cake (if you have them, use one of those little wooden grill skewers so the holes go all the way down to the bottom) and pour some of the warm glaze over it. Then turn cake out onto a plate and pour the rest of the glaze over the cake. Cover and let sit for a day or two - if you can!

Glaze:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 stick margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring sugar, milk and margarine to a medium to high boil - boil for three minutes while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Let cool a little and spoon onto cake when the glaze is just nice and warm.

Monthly Newspaper Column

* I'm posting my monthly newspaper column on my blog again as I did last month. This month I owe a special Thank You to Rosie at Corners of My Mind blog who graciously allowed me to make reference to, and use part of the information from her delightful post of Thursday, September 18, 2008: "A Walk at Baslow". Thank you Rosie!!

The Traveling Front Porch

This morning, after a welcome dose of invigorating coffee, I went with a new friend for a leisurely walk in Derbyshire, England. It was cool and misty, so with jackets on we set off down the path to Chatsworth Park, crossing a picturesque little stone bridge under which flowed the gray waters of the Derwent River. We walked alongside neat rows of thatched cottages, passed through the revolving “kissing” gate, and walked down worn paths that to this day retain some of their original cobblestones. At this time of year in England, cool autumnal breezes bid summer goodbye and the trees are resplendent in burgundies, reds and golds. We continued walking until we could see the roofline of stately Chatsworth House, visible just beyond the tree line. Chatsworth is a beautiful English country house often used in period movies such as “Pride and Prejudice”, in which it became Pemberley, home of the dashing “Mr. Darcy”.

After this pleasant morning stroll, I hopped over to New Mexico to see Jo’s latest pastel painting; stopped by Oxford, NC, to see Lin’s newest watercolor masterpiece, checked in with Jeanne in California (who has a husband, four dogs and would rather do colored pencil art than housework. Hmm..... not a bad idea!) and enjoyed a brief visit to the Blue Ridge mountains where Ann’s fresh pastels and soft colored pencil art brings back warm memories of wonderful vacations.

Do I have access to a Lear jet? Ha! Not likely. Nor do I have a Star Trek style transporter to instantly beam me from place to place. What I do have is a computer and a blog list. Blogs where friends, family, neighbors and strangers (who sometimes turn out to be friends you haven’t met yet) can drop in (almost instantly) to talk and share their lives. If you’re not familiar with blogs and blogging, here’s a quick primer:

“Blog” is a contraction of the term “web log” and is variously defined as:

- an online personal diary

- a news outlet

- your memo to the world

- a journal that is available on the web

A blog is basically a website that’s updated regularly. The newest information shows up at the top of the page so you read the most recent post first and as you scroll down the page you read the older posts. A “post” is an entry on the blog. A blog usually includes text, photos, and links to other blogs and websites. A blog can be themed around a particular subject (such as a hobby, an occupation, a sport, politics, news, etc) or just simply be a casual collection of a person’s thoughts and observations. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging”, and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.” Bloggers usually have a “Blog List” - a list in the sidebar on their own blog that has links to other blogs they like to read - you can click on the links to go to those blogs. One of the nicest features of blogs is the “Comments” feature. When you visit a blog there’s a place where you can leave comments to the blogger (“I like your art work”, “Where did you find that lovely poem?” “How did you get that particular effect in your painting?” etc) and usually the blogger will respond to you. Then you can respond back to them. If there’s an area of mutual interest you might end up getting to know this person and a neat thing happens....you make a new friend .... and most of the the time you’ve never met them!

Earlier this year I participated in a Virtual Sketch Date. A lady named Rose, from Texas, was the originator of this project and it’s basically a group of artists - some professional, some amateur - who select one photograph each month and everyone draws/paints that image. It’s amazing to see the widely different interpretations of the same image by different artists. Everyone completes their sketch and on the appointed date they upload it to their blog. It’s lots of fun visiting from blog to blog to see the results. At that time I was new to blogs and blogging, so I didn’t have a blog... and, honestly, didn’t think I wanted one. Sure, it was fun, interesting and even educational, but I just didn’t have time for a blog. Rose encouraged me to start my own blog, pointing out their advantages, especially if you’re an artist: most art bloggers are very generous about sharing their tips and techniques, some even post art demos so you can see art being made step by step; you get feedback on your own art; you get inspiration - visiting art blogs is like going to an art gallery! - and you also get encouragement as you read of other’s art struggles that often parallel your own. I’ve been reading blogs for almost a year now and had my own blog since May 2008. Most of the blogs I subscribe to are art blogs, but there are a few non-art blogs on my list that are interesting, informative and a delight to visit .... like Rosie’s blog. Rosie lives in Stoke on Trent, in England, and it was her post about her early morning walk in Derbyshire that I enjoyed so much and described to you at the beginning of this article. Her interesting narrative and accompanying photos almost make you feel like you’re there too... sort of like taking a walk with a friend.

For years now I’ve thought it a sad thing that the time honored tradition of sitting on the front porch with family, friends, neighbors or “new folks” has pretty much died out. I see new homes being built and most of them have a generous front porch with inviting rocking chairs and colorful plants. But the comfy rockers are usually empty.... neighbors and friends are nowhere to be seen.

Before I left Rosie’s blog, I left a comment thanking her for sharing her morning walk. As I clicked to go to the next blog, I realized that the tradition of visiting and sharing on the front porch has not completely died out after all. In part, at least, it’s just taken a different form... we now visit through blogs. Of course a blog doesn’t take the place of in-person visiting, however, it does have its own particular advantages, one being that it’s a neat way to make new friends from all over the world- friends that you’d probably never have met otherwise.

So, make yourself a cup of coffee, find a blog or two that you like and start reading.... there’s a comfy chair on front porch waiting for you!

Irish Cottage card

Another art card... this one went to Mary in Ohio (and I actually remembered to sign this one... aren't you proud? :-)

Ireland is close to the top of my "Places I Most Want to Visit" list. I'd love to set up in a field near one of these old thatched roof cottages and paint on location. One day!

More art cards...and a delightful poem!

So far I've received confirmation of receipt on 4 out of 6 Vacation Dream cards that I've mailed. Sure hope the two that are AWOL at the moment are not lost in the mail! Here's two more of my art cards: the log cabin in the snow went to Kitty in the Netherlands and the hot air balloon went to Joan in New York. Both cards were such fun to paint. The log cabin is watercolor and gouache, the hot air balloon is watercolor. I see now that I forgot to sign both of these cards after I finished painting them... oops!

While we're here, I'd also like to share a little poem with you. Someone emailed it to me and I really liked it; so, for your enjoyment, here it is...........

The Law the Lawyers Know About

The law the lawyers know about

Is property and land;

But why the leaves are on the trees,

And why the wind disturbs the seas,

Why honey is the food of bees,

Why horses have such tender knees,

Why winters come and rivers freeze,

Why Faith is more than what one sees,

And Hope survives the worst disease,

And Charity is more than these,

They do not understand.

Hilary Douglas Clark Peplar, English, 1878-1951

First Art Card...

Woo Hoo! My art cards are beginning to arrive at their destinations so I can finally begin posting them. This card is the first art card I've ever done. It's 4"x6", colored pencil and was done from a reference photo I took on a vacation to Ocracoke Island summer before last. On that vacation I kayaked for the first time -- and loved it! What a great feeling of freedom to paddle out over the lapping waves while the gulls circled overhead in the warm spring sunshine. We paddled out of Silver Lake just around the corner to Springer's Point - a secluded little point with a maritime forest. The beach, like Ocracoke's other beaches, is part of the National Seashore and is completely unspoilt - and quietly beautiful.

This card was sent to a gentleman named Joe who lives in Florida. There are 25 people taking part in this art exchange and they live in various states in the US and several different countries: Australia, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, India, Thailand and France.

This is the first posting..... more to come!

P.S. The photo you see of me on the blog (in the red kayak) was taken on this trip.

A caboose from Jeanne!

I'm back! Actually, I haven't been anywhere. Been busy creating art ... all of which was for the Vacation Dreams project, so after the cards arrive at their new home I can then post them here on my blog and you can see what I've been up to. I mailed off 6 cards to recipients as far away as Canada and the Netherlands, plus various states here in the US. This is such a fun project! I've loved the small size (4" x 6") that enables you to complete them fairly quickly which means you can try out all different kinds of subjects and techniques. I'll be working on another card today - a street scene - which is something different for me. This card is being done in watercolor.

I'm also posting here the latest card I've received from the project sponsor herself, Jeanne Grant. Jeanne found out I love cabooses and this week I was thrilled to get a beautiful card from her of an old fashioned red caboose! Thanks, Jeanne... it's one of my favorites!

The hubby's band is playing this weekend, so it will be busy for us. Hope your weekend is relaxing and fun!