Monday, March 30, 2009

I have a little something different this week for you.
I've posted a slideshow so that you could see how
my paintings start and progress.
My dear friend Edna received this painting for her
birthday. Little did she know that her husband
had commissioned this piece especially for her months
ago. What a wonderful sweet husband! Such a nice
and thoughtful way to show how much he cares for his
dear wife. MMMMmmmm, wonder if he could give
lessons in "wife appreciation"? Happy birthday Edna,
you're a lucky lady!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Hope is one of the three virtues-faith, hope and charity which are spiritual gifts of God.
Greek mythology personifies Hope as Elpis, which is usually depicted as a young woman carrying flowers.
Emily Dickenson wrote in a poem that "Hope" is the thing with feathers--that perches in the soul.
I believe if we do not have hope in our hearts, that we have nothing. What is anything without hope? Giving up or refusing to have hope is a state of mind that I refuse to have. Here's hoping you have a beautiful spring!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

I painted this for a fellow teacher, Jennifer. She just gave birth to this beautiful baby boy. Jaxon is now 5 weeks old. This is my very first baby portrait and I painted it from a photo that was taken minutes after he was born. After meeting Jaxon, I know that only God can capture a baby's sweetness, I tried!
"Precious one, so small, so sweet
Dancing in on angel feet
Straight from Heaven's brightest star
What a miracle you are!" -anonymous

Monday, March 9, 2009

I used to not be an animal person, but having children changes everything. My oldest son had a beautiful black cat name "Tick-tock", she died last fall. She had been with him since kindergarten and had given him many precious hours of love. She taught him responsibility and how to love God's creatures. She used to be an indoor cat before she peed on my purse, but don't worry, she could take care of herself and we still let her in from time to time. She loved to nestle in the old afghan on the front porch where she ruled with a queenly attitude!
This past weekend, my sister-in-law had to part with her precious poodles! She gave them to a very kind man and I'm sure his family will take great care of them.
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms."

Monday, March 2, 2009

I enjoy painting the reflections found on glassy surfaces, and I do enjoy an occasional glass of wine.
"Wine to me is passion. It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of civilization and the art of living." ~ Robert Mondavi, Autobiography, "Harvests of Joy"