quick trip to St. George

Once again I was privileged to accompany a friend to southern Utah for an art teachers conference.

It is refreshing to spend time with other like-minded people, those interested in visual arts. I love seeing their perspective of teaching children and inspiring young minds.

It is a kick in the pants too, the different ideas and art styles, are a much needed lift to my own work.

In one of the classes taught by Maurice Wiberg, the teachers were able to do some small quick oil paintings, I completed two.

The first one is of a northern Utah farm scene, 5.75x10 inches. The second is a red rock formation from southern Utah, 5.75x8 inches. Both are in oil. The first one took about forty-five minutes and the smaller one was done in about fifteen minutes.

Normally I don't work that fast, most of my work is done in colored pencil which is a very slow medium, it was really fun to loosen up and work quickly.

Funny how both paintings worked out, we left the north in snow and went to the warm south and came back to a great deal more snow than we left, from one end of the state to the other and literally two very different climates, from coats to shirt sleeves and snowy pines to cactus and palms.

one of these things are not like the other....

Can you tell the difference? The egg yolk on the left is a store-bought egg, the one on the right, is one from my own hens. As spring and summer rolls around the egg yolk will become even darker and richer, an intense deep orange. They make incredible lemon pies and pound cakes and noodles and challah, everything is better, and simple scrambled eggs are fabulous.

And here is darling Burgess, preparing to poop on a painting.

I wish everyone could have seen how naughty he was the other day.

I was embroidering on linen and he was trying to take the threads, he became incensed when I told him no, it was so funny. The feathers rise on his head and he starts squawking and stabbing with that beak of his. It always makes us laugh when he gets soooo mad at things.

He thinks he is a much bigger bird than he really is, and does not hesitate to tell his people off.

are you serious?

Really? seriously? Write a list? I will probably have a heart attack if I do.

Somebody mentioned to me I should probably write a list of things I need to finish and work on them one by one.

You have got to be kidding.

I have dozens of paintings in various states, probably two dozen knitting projects, at least, and more than that in quilting projects. I love to start new stuff. Eventually I get them finished. It often takes a while though.

So I will show you three pieces close to being finished and I am going to try really hard to complete the dang things in the next month.

Write a list....., good grief, it would be overwhelming so really see what I had to finish.

feb. 14

So sad.
My wonderful laptop is, hopefully, being repaired.
I had a great valentines day drawing for you but since I am using someone else's computer I have now way of downloading it for you.
I am in a state of mourning.

Sigh.

illustration

Finished this one not too long ago for a children's magazine....

Superbowl Sunday

Don't give a rat's ass.

Sorry.

Blues and Greens

When my son was in Brazil, one of the lovely Brazilian women would cook for him and his companion. She often spoke of her desire for American food especially maple syrup, so I sent her some, a big box of all kinds of syrup,mixes and fun stuff.

Recently I got a box in the mail from her, and inside were these wonderful hand embellished towels. Her embroidery work is exquisite, skillfully done, I just love them. What a dear thing to do! all the way from Brazil!

The male Call ducks are in fine form right now. Their names are Ed , Edd and Eddy and Edward.

I started to do a little painting of Burgess but this little brown bird appeared instead.

And this......Oh My...I am so in love with this yarn! the color combo (my fav), the silkiness and the way it puddles and pools...LOOOVE!

You will never believe what kind of fiber it is. Sugar cane. Yup sugar cane. weird right?

And no it does not taste sweet, and yes I know for sure, I tasted it.