GOURDS - FINISHED AT LAST?

Here is the gourd painting - after several more hours of "fiddling" - finished I think.
I've tried to put these in proper order so you can see the progression.

The beginning - miskit poured, then yellows.

The second pour.

Then more miskit applied and more pours. The miskit removed and beginning to pull out the gourds.

Almost done!And finally - finished at last??????

AND THE HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY WINNER IS . . .

As promised - on Christmas Day the names of everyone who left a comment on my blog were jumbled up and one was picked to receive the Holiday Giveaway.
The lucky winner is . . . . . CHRIS BECK!
So, Chris, please contact me with your home address so I can send it to you.
Oh, I didn't mention what it is, did I? Well - it will be a surprise until Chris receives it!
I really appreciate everyone who takes time to stop by and comment.
Thanks to you all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Going to my daughter's tonight for dinner and exchange a few small gifts. Will probably take our dog, Stray, since her dog, Charlie, and Stray get along well. Then a quiet (and boring) Christmas Day, just the two of us. But don't feel sorry for us old fogies - I've done my "time" in years past! And besides - I "get" to have New Year's Day dinner!

Hope you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

RECONNECTING

This past month I've been fortunate to reconnect with a couple of old friends. I consider this a wonderful Christmas present!
Through the wonders of the internet I contacted someone from my past who in turn contacted me - we chatted last weekend as though we had just seen each other the day before, rather than almost 20 years ago! Here's hoping we can keep in touch for many years to come.
Then I received a Christmas card from another old friend and I intend to get in touch with her just after the New Year.
If there is someone you have lost touch with and "wonder whatever happened to . . . " try to find them and reconnect - give yourself your own special Christmas present!

OCULAR MIGRAINE

Periodically I get something called an ocular migraine – had one today. I know it’s coming when my vision blurs right in the center. The first time this happened to me I was freaked out, didn’t know if I was going blind or having a stroke. A call to my ophthalmologist calmed me down. Now, I can’t say I’m used to having them, but at least they don’t freak me out (as much!).
As I said, it begins with a blur in the center of my vision. This turns into something like a cross between a prism and a kaleidoscope - jagged edges. This image gradually widens and spirals outward – so after a few minutes I can read – but with this image blurred and gradually moving away at the outer edges of my sight. (Think of looking at a TV screen or a book page with a kaleidoscope superimposed over it, moving outward).
I now know that the whole process takes about a half hour to dissipate. Since I will see this image whether my eyes are open or closed, depending on how busy I am, I either: sit quietly with my eyes closed and let the process go – just watching the pretty images spread slowly and enjoy the show; or wait a few minutes until it has moved far enough that I can read, etc.
I usually don’t have any problems afterward although on occasion I get a slight, dull headache for a little while.
And now I have “floaters” in my left eye. Very annoying.
Just thought I’d share.
(Between the vertigo, floaters and migraines, guess there’s a doctor visit in my future).

GOURDS 3

After more "fiddling", I feel like it's done, but what do you think?
Maybe crop the bottom a bit, just below the white one?
I think I'll let it sit a while and study it.
All comments and suggestions welcome.

GOURDS 2

I then miskited the areas I wanted to keep light and then poured hooker green and thalo blue, followed by more miskiting.
Some more random pours to either add darks or to emphasize some of the colors.
Then all of the miskit was removed.
I should add that this painting is on Fabriano Artistico 140 and was not taped down - I let it drape and fall to make the colors move.

Then the painting sat a few days since I was way too busy to get back to it.
However, I left it on the piano and glanced at it as I went by, so it was in my mind in a peripheral way – seeing it and making assessments, but not really cognizant of doing that. (I sometimes think that’s how I go through life now – just randomly seeing and doing things but not totally cognizant! I’m blaming my age on the fact that I have the attention span of a gnat!)

GOURDS

This painting began with a photo from a local farm house. Every fall they have pumpkins, gourds, squash and Indian corn galore spread across the front yard and porch. This year they had wagons and boxes and wooden crates full! I guess it was an especially bountiful year due to the excellent rain and growing season we had here in southern Indiana.
They have a list of prices and a box for money sitting on the porch – it’s on the honor system – and I’m sure they wouldn’t do it if people didn’t pay. I just love these unexpected surprises of country life that still crop up now and then!
I don’t go by this place very often any more, but fortunately I had my camera with me that day (I do try to remember to take it with me whenever I take a drive). The day I stopped it was overcast, but that didn’t stop me from taking a lot of photos. It was mid-fall and leaves were down but there were still plenty on the trees, so I also managed to get some beautiful fall foliage photos.
Anyway – these gourds were in a wooden crate and maple leaves had fallen randomly throughout. In this painting I’m attempting to capture the beauty of this quintessential fall scene.
I began by pouring miskit and let that dry. I then poured Daniel Smith quin. gold and quin. burnt orange and (I think) some vermillion hue, and let that dry.

SUNFLOWERS - AGAIN!

Once again I’ve done a sunflower, this one for a class project. It’s the same flower as before, even the colors used are the same, but the effect is quite different.

I think I like this one better than the first; I think it shows a bit more maturity in the style, and the colors aren’t so “in your face”.

The technique was exactly the same as before:
Miskit was poured
Paint was poured, yellows first, in two or three pours
The miskit was removed and more paint poured
Then the drawing was transferred to the paper and adjustments were made for the leaves and stem
I then separated the petals with a bit of Daniel Smith vermillion hue and some yellow (forget what I used!)
I then laid in some darks in the center and began to firm up the leaves and stem
Negative painting around the leaves, stem and some petals finished the painting

At least, I think it’s finished – all suggestions and critiques are welcome!

Sunflower, Fabriano Artistico 140

PAINTING GIVEAWAY!

In the spirit of the season - here is another painting giveaway!

The rules are the same as before:
1 - You must leave a comment on my blog – don’t worry – I have the comment moderation active so if you don’t want the world to see it, just me, that’s fine; just mention that in the comment and I won’t post it.

2 - Each comment you leave will equal 1 chance to win – (so vote early and vote often – ha, ha). I will pick a winner on (wait for it - December 25 - big surprise!) by putting slips with your name in a “hat” and drawing the winner (i.e. if you leave 5 comments on my blog between now and then, there will be 5 slips with your name that could be potential winners!)

Good luck!

MIGRAINES

A couple of days ago Rhonda mentioned having another migraine - she seems to get those a lot, and I certainly can sympathize since I used to get them horribly. It seems to be the Type A personality, I think, which I USED to be! - took on too much and wouldn't accept help; always pushing myself and wanting perfection.
However, I'm now about a Type Z! I really try not to let stuff bother me and have become quite the procrastinator - a total 180 degree switch from my early years! Now I periodically get vertigo - had that over the weekend, but it didn't las too long, thank God - or occular migraines.
This getting old stuff is for the birds!
As far as the migraines - my best (or worst) migraine story happened just before my wedding. This one was so bad I insisted that my fiance (now husband) get out his gun and shoot me; instead he took me to the emergency room (and now I know that sometimes he regrets that decision!)
Anyway - there I was just wanting someone to put me out of my misery, but instead I had the nurse from Hell assigned to me. No matter how many times I told her how bad I felt and that I needed something for the pain and nausea, she ignored me - until I finally puked all over her, from the top of her shirt to the bottom of her nurse-y shoes. THEN she FINALLY gave me a shot of something (for all I know at that point she was trying to euthanize me!) but I didn't care since then I was no longer in pain.

IT RUNS!

Here’s another old Chevy – a “woody”.
For those of you “young-uns” now scratching your heads about that term, let me explain. A “woody” was a station wagon with wood (REAL wood!) on the sides. (You may be familiar with some of the new PT Cruisers that have the fake wood trim on their sides, which is a nod to the old “woodies”).
If you happened to be traveling and saw one of these cars, it was mandatory that you punch your traveling companion in the arm and scream “Woody” at the same time. Have no idea who thought up that one, but it must have been a boy!
Anyway, I saw this one on another trip to North Carolina and just had to take a photo.
And this painting will conclude my car series of paintings - hope you enjoyed them!