Friday, January 28, 2011

VISION BOARD AND SNOW!!!!!


We were told to make a vision board in my class Big Dreams Small Wonders that Louise Gale is teaching. This was so much fun.  It really makes you think about what you want.  I really believe in the Law of Attraction. What you think about is what you will get. So "Think about what you want, not what you  don't want"

That is my New Year Mantra!

"THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT NOT WHAT YOU DON'T WANT"

And in other news!!!!!!! TaDAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
It Snowed
Finally!!!We got about 10 inches!!! I know you people in Boston want to kill me but I was going to tell Steve that we had to move up north if it did not snow soon. I need my snow!
He would not have liked that too much.
This is the back yard. My Dad's apartment is on the top. (That is not the garage on fire those are Christmas lights)

Just Beautiful!!! It was just glowing!

See you Sunday!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Circle Journal - Splendor in the Grass



New Circle Journal - This is for Bev - She requested favorite poems. I chose Splendor In The Grass.  I love this poem. For me I feel he is discussing the loss of our youth.  This is just part of it. It is the part that is most well known for the line that Natalie Wood had to recite in the Movie. "Splendor in the Grass" It came from Wordsworth's  "Imitations of Immortality" from Recollections of Early Childhood.
Here it is in its Entirety
(Those of you who do not care for poetry may want to skip to the end and watch the movie clip. Its a long one!)


William Wordsworth. 1770–1850



 Ode Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood


THERE was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream. 
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe'er I may,
By night or day,
The things which I have seen I now can see no more.
The rainbow comes and goes, 
And lovely is the rose;
The moon doth with delight
Look round her when the heavens are bare;
Waters on a starry night
Are beautiful and fair; 
The sunshine is a glorious birth;
But yet I know, where'er I go,
That there hath pass'd away a glory from the earth.
Now, while the birds thus sing a joyous song,
And while the young lambs bound 
As to the tabor's sound,
To me alone there came a thought of grief:
A timely utterance gave that thought relief,
And I again am strong:
The cataracts blow their trumpets from the steep; 
No more shall grief of mine the season wrong;
I hear the echoes through the mountains throng,
The winds come to me from the fields of sleep,
And all the earth is gay;
Land and sea 
Give themselves up to jollity,
And with the heart of May
Doth every beast keep holiday;—
Thou Child of Joy,
Shout round me, let me hear thy shouts, thou happy
Shepherd-boy!
Ye blessèd creatures, I have heard the call
Ye to each other make; I see
The heavens laugh with you in your jubilee;
My heart is at your festival,
My head hath its coronal,
The fullness of your bliss, I feel—I feel it all.
O evil day! if I were sullen
While Earth herself is adorning,
This sweet May-morning, 
And the children are culling
On every side,
In a thousand valleys far and wide,
Fresh flowers; while the sun shines warm,
And the babe leaps up on his mother's arm:— 
I hear, I hear, with joy I hear!
—But there's a tree, of many, one,
A single field which I have look'd upon,
Both of them speak of something that is gone:
The pansy at my feet
Doth the same tale repeat:
Whither is fled the visionary gleam?
Where is it now, the glory and the dream?
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star, 
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come 
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Shades of the prison-house begin to close
Upon the growing Boy,
But he beholds the light, and whence it flows, 
He sees it in his joy;
The Youth, who daily farther from the east
Must travel, still is Nature's priest,
And by the vision splendid
Is on his way attended; 
At length the Man perceives it die away,
And fade into the light of common day.
Earth fills her lap with pleasures of her own;
Yearnings she hath in her own natural kind,
And, even with something of a mother's mind, 
And no unworthy aim,
The homely nurse doth all she can
To make her foster-child, her Inmate Man,
Forget the glories he hath known,
And that imperial palace whence he came. 
Behold the Child among his new-born blisses,
A six years' darling of a pigmy size!
See, where 'mid work of his own hand he lies,
Fretted by sallies of his mother's kisses,
With light upon him from his father's eyes!
See, at his feet, some little plan or chart,
Some fragment from his dream of human life,
Shaped by himself with newly-learnèd art;
A wedding or a festival,
A mourning or a funeral; 
And this hath now his heart,
And unto this he frames his song:
Then will he fit his tongue
To dialogues of business, love, or strife;
But it will not be long 
Ere this be thrown aside,
And with new joy and pride
The little actor cons another part;
Filling from time to time his 'humorous stage'
With all the Persons, down to palsied Age, 
That Life brings with her in her equipage;
As if his whole vocation
Were endless imitation.
Thou, whose exterior semblance doth belie
Thy soul's immensity; 
Thou best philosopher, who yet dost keep
Thy heritage, thou eye among the blind,
That, deaf and silent, read'st the eternal deep,
Haunted for ever by the eternal mind,—
Mighty prophet! Seer blest!
On whom those truths do rest,
Which we are toiling all our lives to find,
In darkness lost, the darkness of the grave;
Thou, over whom thy Immortality
Broods like the Day, a master o'er a slave, 
A presence which is not to be put by;
To whom the grave
Is but a lonely bed without the sense or sight
Of day or the warm light,
A place of thought where we in waiting lie; 
Thou little Child, yet glorious in the might
Of heaven-born freedom on thy being's height,
Why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke
The years to bring the inevitable yoke,
Thus blindly with thy blessedness at strife? 
Full soon thy soul shall have her earthly freight,
And custom lie upon thee with a weight,
Heavy as frost, and deep almost as life!
O joy! that in our embers
Is something that doth live, 
That nature yet remembers
What was so fugitive!
The thought of our past years in me doth breed
Perpetual benediction: not indeed
For that which is most worthy to be blest— 140
Delight and liberty, the simple creed
Of childhood, whether busy or at rest,
With new-fledged hope still fluttering in his breast:—
Not for these I raise
The song of thanks and praise; But for those obstinate questionings
Of sense and outward things,
Fallings from us, vanishings;
Blank misgivings of a Creature
Moving about in worlds not realized, 
High instincts before which our mortal Nature
Did tremble like a guilty thing surprised:
But for those first affections,
Those shadowy recollections,
Which, be they what they may,
re yet the fountain-light of all our day,
Are yet a master-light of all our seeing;
Uphold us, cherish, and have power to make
Our noisy years seem moments in the being
Of the eternal Silence: truths that wake, 
To perish never:
Which neither listlessness, nor mad endeavour,
Nor Man nor Boy,
Nor all that is at enmity with joy,
Can utterly abolish or destroy! Hence in a season of calm weather
Though inland far we be,
Our souls have sight of that immortal sea
Which brought us hither,
Can in a moment travel thither, 
And see the children sport upon the shore,
And hear the mighty waters rolling evermore.
Then sing, ye birds, sing, sing a joyous song!
And let the young lambs bound
As to the tabor's sound! 
We in thought will join your throng,
Ye that pipe and ye that play,
Ye that through your hearts to-day
Feel the gladness of the May!
What though the radiance which was once so bright 
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind; 
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death, 190
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
And O ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills, and Groves,
Forebode not any severing of our loves!
Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;
I only have relinquish'd one delight 195
To live beneath your more habitual sway.
I love the brooks which down their channels fret,
Even more than when I tripp'd lightly as they;
The innocent brightness of a new-born Day
Is lovely yet; 
The clouds that gather round the setting sun
Do take a sober colouring from an eye
That hath kept watch o'er man's mortality;
Another race hath been, and other palms are won.
Thanks to the human heart by which we live, 205
nks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears,
o me the meanest flower that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.


Saturday, January 22, 2011

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN


I am on a journey of self discovery. Who am I . What am I meant to do . What do I really want to do??? What do I love!

I love Art!

I have found out so many things about myself. Just by listening. Instead of walking around on auto pilot.

Thinking that I could not make a living doing what I love the most. But I can do what I want.

It may be a long journey but I say………

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN



What journey do you want to take? Just take it. Take the journey! See what happens. You just may find out you can live the way you truly want to !

Take the journey!



Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Sketches and Blog Award.


 Hi Everyone it is time for Sunday Sketches.
Come and join us!!!

I am always working on the faces.

Blog Awards. Thank you for nominating me for a blog award Anne and NellyThank you so much I am honored!!!!
But there is a but. I can't pick my favorite blogs. I love them all for different reasons. That is why I waited so long to put this post up. I just can't do it.  I don't want anyone to feel that I liked someone else's blog better then the other. I love them all. It has been such a great community for me to be connected to so many different people that I would have never met if it were not for the internet. 


I love all my Bloggie Friends and you all get a STYLISH BLOG award from me!!!



7 things about me that you may not know.

1. I love to stay up until 3 in the morning and sleep to 11. The night is when I do my best work.  Although I am trying to change this habit because I do work a 9 to 5 job.  And my husband is definitely a morning person.  

2. I love books! I have books everywhere. The side of my bed is piled with books.
I am not a sloppy person but I have this pile of books that I read before I go to bed. I love books. Look proof!
I know I will clean that up today!!!!!

3. I am a seeker. I love self help books. When I was in my 20's I had major panic disorder. I went to a therapist for 3 years. I read almost every self help book out there. I can say that I have not had any panic attacks since I was 30 years old. (And that is pretty long since I am 50ish.  Anyone who suffers from this problem you need to know that there is help out there and that it does go away. But you have to do some major work on yourself.  It is all about the self talk in your head. The "What Ifs"
(Wow that is a big one, Enough of that!!!!)

4. I love to laugh!!!! From the time I can remember I have always had this ability to make people laugh. I think I started doing it when I was a kid with my parents. There were 3 of us and I was the youngest. So it was my way of standing out.  It is funny now when I am at work and we are in a meeting I will say something and people will just start laughing and then I have to say to them Noooooo I am serious this time. No kidding around.  I have to put my serious face on!

5. I am a sucker for a Chick Flicks.  My husband always says to me "Its a Chick Flick" Yeah I am a chick so I love chick flicks. What's wrong with that??? Actually I watched "The Way We Were" Last night. Love it . I can recite most of the movie!

6. I have always wanted to be an actress. When I was 15 I was Snow White in our High School play. It was televised on our local TV station at the time.  I was a bit of a hippy Snow White version though. I remember what I had on. It was a red and white  Maxie dress. I loved that dress! I remember the guy that was Prince Charming. I kept telling him he could not kiss me and during the dress rehearsals he didn't. But when we filmed it he laid a big fat juicy kiss on me.  Yukkkkk I was horrified.

7. I love music. Every part of my life I can relate to and remember the music that I was playing at the time. I love to find new and unique music. Music that set my soul on fire. I too like Nelly wish life was a musical. (She was raised by me that's why) And everyone would break into song. I remember one of my girlfriends telling someone that you have never seen the "Sound of Music" unless you have seen it with the Lippincott Girls. We sing every song. Life is good with music!!!


Thursday, January 13, 2011

JACOB'S HUG

JACOB'S HUG

I had to post this picture and say a few words about hugs! Lets say I come from a very touchy feely kind of family. WE HUG. We can't help ourselves.

Well anyway, the teenager in the middle being hugged is my grandson Jacob. Argh!!! He is typical teenager, brewdy, moody, don't touch me kind of kid right now. On New Years Eve we had our annual party and of coarse Jacob(moody teenager) is outside all night with his friend skateboarding on the front sidewalk. He came in and I don't know what happened but we decided to grab him (because we knew he doesn't like to be hugged) when my sister Heidi snapped this picture of us squeezing him. Well what she captured is priceless. It proves he likes hugs but he can't admit it. Look at that grin on his face.
All I want to say to parents out there is never stop hugging your teenagers. Even if they don't want to. They need it at that terrible hormonal time. They don't know if they want to be a kid or a grown up. They are stuck in the middle. It is a way to keep them connected.  When so many kids are on the wrong path make sure that they know you are waiting for them on the other side of that path. Always stay involved in your kids lives. You will know when to let go.

( OH NO I am a typical Grandmother pinching  Sammy's cheek. What's with that????What have I become????)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Circle Journal




If you have been following my blog you know I am in a Circle Journal with some friends I met at Artfest. 10 of us each made a theme for our journals. Mine was Song Lyrics. I can't wait to get my back. You bet ya it will be on my blog. I think there are only 2 left to do.Yeah!I have so enjoyed seeing every ones journals as they come around. This theme is "Life's Lessons"
I love this little simple quote from Hans Christian Anderson.
What more can you ask for??  Sunshine, Freedom and a Little Flower.
  

I LOVE MIXED MEDIA!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sunday Sketches an Random Things

 I started making this sketch the other night and it was funny I am taking a workshop with Louise Gale Big Dreams Small Wonders and I was working ahead and in the workbook it said to draw a tree and write affirmations on the leaves and ground. Isn't that funny how things work. Now I have my tree and I just have to put my affirmations on there and it goes well with Sunday Sketches.
 
I also wanted to let you know we finally got snowwwwww. Yippee!!!!!! I am so excited. I am one of those crazy people that loves snow!!! I told my Steve that we were going to have to move up north if it doesn't start to snow. (He wasn't going for that)   I need my snow.  And news is we may get a footer on Tuesday and Wed. Ahhhh I love it!  I figure if it all the leaves and flowers are gone we need to have some prettiness(is that a word) on the ground. Beautiful white snow.
                                  Not much but enough to make me smile.



This is my spot in the bed. When ever I get out of bed this is where she goes.

This is Lulu. She is scalped. My poor baby. If you remember prior posts. When she came home from the groomers she looked at me like she was saying " I have been violated" She was so pathetic.
I think she is cold the other night I was sleeping and I was thinking that Steve was getting snugly and I got up to go to the bathroom and I saw Lulu squeezing in the middle of Steve and I. Poor Baby. I think she needs a coat but Steve says "Oh no way am I walking the dog with a coat on" Men......


This is a painting I started in my Flora Bowley workshop. I am still working on it. I have been trying to complete it . Not finished yet.

I have been off from my job past week. I always take the week after the New Year off because I like to just get organized and get some things done. Well I did not get much done because I was under the weather. All week I was fighting some kind of bug.  But I managed to work on this painting. Steve bought me my new large bed scanner for Christmas and I still did not get to set it up. But that is OK I figure I am going to get rid of all the bugs and viruses early this year so now I can concentrate.


If you have time go over to my daughter Nelly's blog. I am so proud of her. She just wrote her first poem. I always told her she was meant to be writer.

Well I guess this is enough for now. See you in a day or two.






Thursday, January 6, 2011

PERSISTENCE


I decided that my word for the year would be persistence. I thought about it for awhile. I knew with the coming of the year I wanted to make a theme instead of a resolution. So persistence seems to be very fitting for me. I need to be persistent working towards my dream. Most people fail because they give up to easily. They stop as soon as things get rough and are just about to happen. Not me! I will be persistent. And with my persistence I will succeed. I will be diligent in making my art. With the work will come reward. As in anything you can’t give up. So if you are thinking about it. Don’t do it. Don’t ever give up. Keep going after your dreams. And with that your dreams will eventually come true. Believe it!


Persistence
History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. 
 They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.
-B.C.Forbes-




Tuesday, January 4, 2011

FAMILY PORTRAIT - Just let it go...

Progression of  a Family Portrait


I started  this painting around a year ago maybe less. I wanted a painting that I could hang over my bed that showed Me and Nelly with  my sisters with there children. It is when we where young and beautiful of coarse!

This will always be a special painting for me because it was made with all my love for them. My family and there kids (And their husbands) are the most special people in the world to me. I feel so bad for people that don't have that family bond. We are not perfect like I said before. We have our arguments. We have a history and we know what buttons to push. But we have learned to let the small stuff go. It is not worth not seeing and talking to each other.  If you have a loved one that you have not seen for awhile because of some dumb fight or stupid thing call them up, forgive them or ask
for their forgiveness and then hold on to them tightly. Make peace.



I painted over a huge painting that I had that I didn't like anymore
Didn't like the faces so I stuccoed over them and started all over
Did the background a bit and started the faces again
More work on the background and faces
Was not sure what I wanted to do with the frame around it. Wrote some words.


I decided that I would rip paper and make a patchwork kind of frame. I smucked it up then with ink and paint

Close up of the patchwork and ribbon

This is the finished painting! I refined everything.

Heidi and her boys Joshua and Kellen
Me and Nelly

Jamie and her kids Isaac and Keely


JUST LET IT GO
Just love them that's all
It's as simple as that...

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sunday Sketchs and other stuff!!!


Just some doodles I did before going to bed.

Hello everyone!!! I hope everyone had a great holiday, full of fun, happiness and joy.   And I hope the people that had sad holidays will find some way to turn that sadness into happiness again.  I love the holidays but sometimes they are bittersweet.  You remember the people that are no longer with us. The holidays always makes me reflect on the years past.  We always reminisce about the good and not so good.
I wanted to show you I won my first giveaway!!!!!!!! Yippee Yeah!!!


This is from the blog of Fair Rosamund

She also sent me this sweet little ACEO Card

Isn't it adorable!!

Also I wanted to show you my ornaments that I got from the swap. I was waiting for the last one to show you.  I did not receive until the day before Christmas eve so I did not get to post them.


Paula Jennings


Tammy Novak


They are so pretty.



I also won a spot in Stephanie Lee's  journal class Shifting Ground .
I can not tell you how much gratitude I have for this girl. She is so generous.
Yeeeeeeeee!!!! I am sooo excited.....
What a way to start off my New Year!!!!


I just want to say start out your New Year right. Do something that you haven't done before. Go on an adventure, write a book, make a Masterpiece! Or if you need a long rest, take it this year!!! Do something for youuuuuu!!!!!! Something that makes you feel good about yourself!!! Sky's the limit!!!
I am so excited about this year!!! I just know its going to be a good one!!!!

MAKE IT A GOOD ONE!!!!