Stretch!

 

In the long winter months, I don’t paint out much.  When I do, it’s usually in the car..getting paint on all the knobs, steering wheel and myself.  This year, we have been sticking close to home.  So, I decided to take an intermediate oil class to get me going, learn some new techniques, cyber meet some new friends, get ready for a plein air summer!!

One of our assignments was to do a “broken color” type painting.  Each of us worked on the same photo and it was amazing how many variations we all had.  I was pretty frustrated as this is not how I’m used to working.  I wiped out my first attempt, because I instinctively wanted to blend, blend, blend.  After investigating exactly what was broken color, I did this attempt.  Even though it’s not museum material, I really had a lot of fun exploring this method of painting!  It was actually a bit freeing, but take my colors right off my palette and dab!  The the eye do the blending! 

The point of this blog post is to FLY…STRETCH….DISCOVER….PUSH your art and yourself!  Try something new…a technique, and medium, a style…make it your own!  You will never know unless you try!! 

A Tricked Out Tool Box…

 

It’s been one month today that we lost our Mother.  She was a special woman of many, many talents.  One of her talents was she was the go-to person to fix things around the house.  She could be hard, and move rocks for landscaping, as well as fashion conscience by making her prom dress (by hand) or knitting Barbie clothes for me and my sisters. 

She spent her working hours usually at factories, of which she had the interest.  Her last job was at GE Medical Systems as an inspector of Xray tubes.  The new things, MRI’s and CT scans were just starting to be used.  She gave me her tool box, probably because I didn’t have one.  I never used it, as it was a little rusty, and I wanted to use it for something special.  I saw some videos on Tim Holtz items and his fabulous alcohol inks, so I thought I would try it out. 

First thing I did was try and get rid of some of the rust.  My dear husband showed me that with a little gun oil, you can diminish the rust.  I scrubbed the toolbox, inside and out with a rag and the gun oil and got it so all the rust turned a brown color.  I let it set for a couple of weeks so I could gather some other materials together from Joann’s. 

I used the alcohol ink in various colors, a dark purple, a dark blue, a red and the gold mixtivie.  Along with those colors, I applied them with the Tim Holtz ink applicator and some alcohol blending solution.  I also bought the little gears which are on the sides of the box and the Tim Holtz vintage type writer keys.  I decorated the box with little gems and die cuts, distressed and then decoupaged on all the areas.  I chose the die cuts (from K & Company’s Que Sera Sera package) that meant something in her life.  To the celtic knots in the front, to the roses, birds, and butterflies.  I also got some nice tin roses that I put to surround her name label.  Please feel free to visit my Flickr site at:   http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancypatterson/?saved=1    to see more pictures as well as close ups on all sides. 

I am keeping all my colored pencil tools now inside.  I rarely travel with my colored pencils, as my methods are very slow and detailed.  But, if I wanted to, I could take this tool box out.  It weighs less than 5lbs.  In it I have my battery operated eraser, blending pencils and markers, some Prismacolor Art Stix, erasing tools, ruler, and brush.   I hope I honored her memory and her personality by embellishing this tool box. 

Goodbye Mother—My best friend

 

I lost my Mom this week.  She was 85, to be 86 on Feb 10th.  She got a 2nd bout of pneumonia a couple of weeks ago, and was all ready to go home this past Wednesday, and she must have suffered an pulmonary embolism, and died in her sleep, just 2 hours after I talked to her for the last time.  Here is a painting I did of her when she was probably only 3 or 4 years old.  I gave it to her on Mother’s Day in 2005.  I got my artistic touch from her as she loved art and did a little bit of it. 

She was a busy Mom through her life, so she didn’t get to fully see where her creativity would take her, but she always encouraged me.  She was my cheerleader, the person I would tell everything to, practically on a daily basis.  I am not ready to let her go, but I must.  I will be giving her eulogy this Tuesday evening as I try to say goodbye to her.   I still remember her kiss on my cheek last fall when I was down to visit her for my birthday.  I took a colored pencil class and I went over to her house to show her my drawings.  I shared some of my colored pencils with her and encouraged her to draw again.  Her COPD and emphysema though, took too much out of her, and she never did.   So Tuesday, I go down to Milwaukee to pick up all the art work that I made for her that graced her walls and bring them back home.  They will forever remind me of her love—she had one painting up on her wall since I did it back when I was 21!  (I’m 57 now). 

Thank you Mother for everything you ever gave to me…your strength, your vision, your love.  I love you. 

To everyone:  Enjoy the loved ones in your life, every single day.  You never know what tomorrow will bring.  After moving away from my mother 12 years ago, I got into the habit of telling her that I loved her every single time I talked to her.  Last Tuesday night, when I was talking to her, rejoicing that she was going home the next day, I ended our call, just like I always did, telling her that I loved her, she returned the same…and we hung up.  She passed away less than 2 hours later.  I was so glad that I began that little tradition…of telling people that I loved them.  You never know. 

Thank you to anyone that reads this…please go and hug your mother or your daughter or any loved one.  They are here.  Peace,

Nancy

Give Thanks

 

 

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to think about the things that have happened over the year.  More importantly, it is a wonderful time to evaluate the quality of your life and the people around you.  This year I may not have gotten out and painted as much as I would have liked, but I have discovered  new medium for me that I am enjoying immensely(colored pencils), discovered that I can play piano and was given a keyboard last Xmas by my sweetie and an antique GRAND piano by a dear friend.  I am now a grandmother to three wonderful children—by welcoming in my little angel, Keyonna  to our family.  I look forward to Christmas more and more each year because of them.  We didn’t may not have gone on a big vacation, but we are still in fairly good health and enjoyed the little time we got to travel.

What the future holds for us, we do not know, but all we can do is enjoy the days we have, our little moments that make our lives, the present—which is today. 

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!   

We’re Having a Heat Wave!!!

 

Summers are so short, you need to enjoy each and every evening.  It’s just hard with humidity as high as 80%!  I tend to stay in the air conditioning!  But I do miss painting outside.  I haven’t done much this summer due to weather condiitons…but I have sketched.  Seeing sunsets like this makes me want to take out my pastels!  I think I may do that this weekend! 

This is one of my favorite scenes, the sunset over Freda Lake.  The bare branch on the left tree, close to the bottom is where the eagle sits and fishes.  He is there every day and it’s always amazing to see him! 

I hope the current hot wave does not keep you in too long—and everyone can get out and paint! 

Proud Parents

 

 

We love to attract birds to our yard.  We spend hundreds of dollars each year to entice birds and other creatures to our yard.  It’s always amazing to see what comes around.  The general manager of our Ranch calls our yard “The Disney Yard”, where chipmunks come right up to you and pigeons are flying overhead. 

Here, proud parents of a bunch of baby blue birds (still in the house) are guarding over their children.  They are constantly on the watch for yummy worms or insects to feed their young.  They are also on the watch and fiercely protect their nest. 

Every year we are treated to see the blue birds come and raise their family.  One year we were able to see the baby birds fledge.  It was awesome to say the least. 

My Little Love

 

Went with Bob to the dr. yesterday and swung in to see The Grands.  Here is little Keyonna sporting her new sweater that Grandma made for her.  Naturally she didn’t wake up the whole time I was holding her.  Her mother called me 15 minutes after I left to let me know that she had woke up! 

The boys played outside where we could see them.  We were originally going to meet them at the mall, but Bob couldn’t get out of the van, as I purchased an AWESEOME Pfaff sewing machine table at GoodWill for $15!!!  Bob was trapped!  But we had fun watching the boys ride their bikes and playing with their toys. 

It was a good day!