HANSEN CENTER, BATESVILLE, IN

Once again I taught a 2-hour class at the Hansen Center in Batesville, IN.

It seems that every time I go to teach one of these classes there is some sort of weather related event. Once it was chance of tornadoes, once severe thunderstorms, this time it was extreme wind. And COLD – the temperature dropped several degrees in 2-1/2 hours! I drove there with my hands firmly on the wheel fighting wind, and drove home with my heater cranked up and my seat heater on!

These “classes” are part of the hospital’s outreach program for cancer patients, survivors and their families. The group size will vary, and this time we had a small group. A friend and former student who goes to the Hansen Center for treatments was supposed to be there, and I was looking forward to seeing her. However, she had chemo the day before and was not feeling well that night, and that may have been the case for some of the others who had expressed interest.

Since both my grandfather and mother died of colon cancer, I know how that can affect the families, and it makes me feel good if I am able to help these people forget their problems, if only for an evening. This time the group was only two mothers and their daughters, and Kari, who runs the program, but we had a nice time.

The subject was a white gardenia in watercolor, and they all did a nice job!

SO THIS IS SPRING ? ? ?

Ahh yes - spring in the Midwest!

Here's a little poem for your enjoyment.

Spring hasn't sprung,

The flowers ain't riz - - -

Why the heck the

SNOW STILL IS?????

P.S.  I don't think I'll be winning any Pulitzer prizes any time soon! 

TEA WITH BEE ZEE

Here is another recently completed watercolor. This is also for a good friend, and was painted “secretly” for her.

The tea cup was part of her mother’s set and the gold spoon is part of my “good” flatware. My friend loves purple, so a piece of beautiful purple fabric makes up the background.

I took a photo of the teacup while at her house last summer and then superimposed it onto the fabric.

This one was fun to paint – interweaving our individual items into the story of the painting made me think of how our lives interweave – and there is just enough detail in the background to make me very happy (but not too crazy!)

Full sheet, Arches 300#, watercolor

LEGENDS

Thanks to those of you who are sticking around to see when my next post will be coming. (So much for my resolution to post twice a week!)  At long last – here it is – hope you enjoy it!

Here is a recently completed watercolor based on a photo taken at a good friend’s house. She has little collections dotted throughout her house – which is always so warm and inviting, just like her and her husband. (She didn’t even know that I had moved her things around to take the photo, so she was surprised when I showed it to her).

Painting the seat caning was sooooo much fun! Had a little trouble with the sand dollars – almost got them too dark, but I managed to get the colors almost dead on for the pottery, though!

The painting title derives from the “Legend of the Sand Dollar”.

This one is watercolor on a half sheet, Arches 300#