Gratitude # 30

Wow!

Who knew this challenge would release the illustrator in me?

I am now hereby officially committing to get one of these out every day in 2013.

If I fail to post on any given day make it I will catch up- promise ( I am only human)!

 I am grateful for so much more every day- it is true- abundance creates abundance.

I think love is all there is...

All of the almost 300 artists are AWESOME!

I could spend my life looking at all the great paintings but never have time to paint.

You guys all rock.

Thank you to Leslie and "Artists Helping Artists"

this really was the spark I needed!

( I might be brave enough to try to call in the radio show- at 12:00 today)

                                          In the spirit of February I send love to all of you!

#29 Gratidue

Correct footwear can make all the difference

Wow. I cannot believe it's day 29! I have an idea for tomorrows 30th post- the last of the 30 in 30 challenge hosted by Leslie Saeta!

This has been great- I have loved all the comments and emails so much- you all really do inspire me. All the encouraging wishes for friends and family-and connecting with new wonderful artists all over the globe

 is just grand. 

I am seriously thinking of going 365. I wonder if I can actually pull that off?

Gratitude # 28

I love chickens. My grandfather had them in his old homestead in Norwell, one of my all time favorite things was to find the warm fresh eggs in their nesting boxes. My grandmother made the BEST scrambled eggs. What a perfect package they come in!
Another joy is watching chickens run. They are hysterical!
I also do enjoy eating chicken. It is pretty much a staple around here. I try to buy free range when I can.
I think I will make a point of it from now on. All chickens should be free!

Gratitude #27

One of the gifts I recieved this Christmas were three bath bombs from a new company called Lush.

The bombs are amazing- they are all natural and hand made. you drop em in the tub and they sputter and spin and create dazzling colorful rivers in the water-they do that for at least 5 minutes- and a little surprise might pop out- a note- or a flower!

The water feels silky and delicious.

Ahhhh, Calgon, take me away!

Gratitude # 26

Patterns are everywhere- I love them!

I was recently gifted a bunch of 1930's fabric scraps and quilt squares- it inspired me.

These are snowflakes captured by Willian Bentley.

Wow

here are a few patterns found around the house and yard...

                        this is the marsh- love the triangles the ice makes.

Gratitude # 25

I entered the annual Winter Juried Show in Duxbury last week. I have mixed feelings about entering juried shows - a rejection can send one into a torrent of self doubt and questioning... yet an acceptance is equally thrilling and validating.
Actually it is just some strangers opinions about your work, and it really is no more than their particular tastes and whether the other jurors agree. Anyway, all of my work was rejected. I felt a little bit down, but truly not that much- and so I am grateful that I have the courage to put mysef in the arena, and take the rejection in stride. It didn't hurt that a few other amazing artist friends of mine were also rejected.

I don't have fear about walking at night in the woods either, but I don't because there might be coyotes and my DOG is scared of them.

hee hee

Gratitude #24

I've borrowed many an egg or cup of sugar from my neighbors. There have been many  comings and goings of dear neighbors in the 21 years we've lived on our street. Neighbors are special kinds of friends.

Gratitude #23

need I say more?

Gratitude #22

Birds.
Love em.
I do not feed them in the summer (sorry birds but the seed isn't cheap and there are bugs to eat!)
Watching them gives me such joy. It feels like a privilege to have them dine at my feeder. Red is my favorite color so cardinals thrill me! Thanks photoshop for allowing me to bring out the red I could not capture.. could do more but I have to work today.
BTW-Check out  "painting by Patricia" to see her amazing birds- she is doing the 30 day challenge too!

My sister cat watches cat tv on her iMac

It is a riot. I'm glad those birds are safe!

Gratitude #21

afternoon naps

I forgot to add the word on the bottom of this one ( maybe later?) 

This is from the picture the other day of my daughters bed- (ok she's 24 and lives in Manhattan now

but  still think of it as her room ( it is of course!))

I think naps are the best - and we should all be allowed to take them. When I am sleepy at  work I always think of George from Seinfeld sleeping under his desk- and why not?

A good 20 minute power nap can make the rest of the afternoon productive and energized. Maybe I need to start a movement. They do it in Europe- why not here?'

Gratitude #20

We love our power- I hope they can make a go of this source of power- the wind. The turbine near me on the edge of the marsh in Scituate has been very controversial and is jeopardizing the health of a family nearby, and is creating noise and light strobe effects  that is seriously altering peoples lives. I feel for them .
I like the tower but this is a case of too big in the wrong place. Hopefully they can make it work for everyone ...

               What a weekend! Winnie's shirt and the fab guacamole made watching the game festive- 
we wished for better results but being non-attached means not having an outcome be the source of your happiness.....

"Enjoy everything that happens in your life, but never make your happiness or success dependent on an attachment to any person, place or thing."

                  

Wayne Dyer

American author and motivational speaker

               I had to gesso these canvases black so I tried on being Robert  Motherwell...

This linen canvas below was given to me by Jan Shwartz in Duxbury- I love the surface and there was a sun on the canvas already with pencil.

 These 4  6"x6" mixed media collaged cupcakes below are headed to the James Library's Chocolate Auction Feb. 8

And here is an ink sketch cartoon and oil portrait of my dear stepdad Rollin Bailey ( passed in '07) ( on the linen ) day 2.

Been super busy!

Yay winter- keeps me in. Snow is coming!

Gratitude #19

I was in Marshalls the other day and a pair perfect of shoes jumped off the rack at me- they were on clearance and I love them! They are sensible and comfortable and I will wear them all the time.

No, these are not them- these are shoes my NYC daughter found recently at DSW.

Sadly I can't wear this type of shoe- ever- my feet won't allow.

I love 'em though- especially the red interior!

Oh- what would we do without shoes!

Gratitude #18

I have been married to my husband for 25 years. I plan to stay married for at least 25 more!

In other news--I entered 4 pieces in the Winter Juried Show at the Duxbuy Art Association.

I doubt this will get in , but I loved doing it.

30"x30" acrylic.

I changed the one huge tree into three trees. might be some symbolism here...

Gratitude #17

Flowers Rule.

The first one to bloom on the planet was...?

The vase I had these spider mums in is a mirrored surface- couldn't acheive that in watercolor for some reason so I mosaiced a mirror shard on.    

                                     (Take care in photographing mirrors if you do ebay LOL)

I love the reflection in this picture but art is fuzzy...

Gratitude #16

The other day it was really balmy out- Winnie and I took a walk to the river at dusk and lay on the dock looking up at the sky. The silvery crescent moon was peeking in and out of the clouds and I could hear two owls across the creek whooing to each other. Magic.

Gratitude #15

                                              Right up there with air, food and water.....

                                              We got a little snow today- love love love!

     Winnie loves the snow too!

                                    My daughter's bed...makes me want to curl up with a book...
                                   but I must go to my job today ( and be filled with gratitude :) )

                                                     

Gratitude #14

This challenge that Leslie Saeta put up is great- not only am I getting a little painting done each day I am seeing lots of others work .
So inspiring!
My little grateful series is helping me navigate through January, a challenging month.

All we have is time.

RIght?

Gratitude #13

 I love my job- both being a painter and art teacher, and my job as Education Coordinator at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury. I whine somedays that I have to leave my studio and go to work, but I think if I had all day every day in my studio I'd get lazy. This weekend I did embroidery with lots of kids. It was truly joyful to see kids learn this old lost art . Here are a few of them  (with Carol O'Malia's paintings in the background)

gratitude #12

Animals are essential. We are animals too, but we are way to into ourselves sometimes.

My dog helps me to be present and not judge.

(No my dog is not a purple aardvark.)

Gratitude #11

I love this planet. 

Not that I've lived anywhere else,

but this one is very special. It must be pretty cool to see it from space.

Gratitude # 10

We have plenty of this here. In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.
Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.
Researching this has prompted me to donate today to our local food pantry. Stores make this easy by providing bins.

Gratitude #9

                         I am happy to report that I am a healthy gal.  My dog helps get me out.

Gratitude # 8

                                                                    Trees are good.

Gratitude #7

Stars are amazing- and seeing a shooting star is thrilling. The hugeness of it all. How can we get all hung up on our own stuff in the face of such wonder? And yet, we do. My youngest is returning to school in South Carolina today, break is over. Sigh. She needs to follow her star. That too I am grateful for.

Gratitude #6

              I am blessed with family. Yes, even my dog ( who looks strangely rabbit-like) is family.
                                                    Some of my family live near, others far.
                         All these paintings are the same size- about the size of a deck of cards.

Gratitude #5

I am a true homebody- I love being able to stay in my house and studio all day. Usually I am the first one up in the morning and painting in the kitchen is lovely- it's so quiet and cozy. We still live in our first house  we bought 21 years ago. It's not huge but its plenty big enough now that the kids are mostly not here. Thank you Mary Engelbreit for this- I am a big fan and she inspired me here!

Gratitude #4

How do you paint something you cant see?
Paint what's around it.
Air is another big one.

This challenge is a great one- I'm seeing the others and their breakthroughs and "aha" moments.
One in particular that got me was Liz Wiltzens painting of a pay phone  (WOW) and what she said about painting.
" So my intention to use the 30 in 30 challenge as an attempt to paint more loosely took a hard left today. I had a big 'aha' moment (yay!) The whole pursuit of painting looser seems a little misguided now. It's not about painting loose, or tight, or any other way. What matters is to paint as much like me as I possibly can. (Okay that only took 50 years)."

Gratitude Painting #3

Here is another essential to life. Some people do not have access to clean water. It is  easy  to take our endless supply for granted. Funny how as kids we just drank out of the tap, or a bubbler, now we have our bottled water. I guess we are more hydrated now, but seems like a lot of plastic..

Gratitude Painting #2

Snow
I love snow.

We were scheduled to receive some on Friday night last week- but being near the coast we usually get  get a  lot of rain. (I always feel ripped off but have to remember the joy of beach walking in the summer)  I was dying for it to change over. It finally did and the next morning when I looked outside the grey landscape had been magically transformed- we got enough snow to cover every branch  (yet no need to shovel!) and it stayed cold so it lasted.