STUDIO

While still not finished in my daughter's room - got a LONG WAY to go still - I have made a start in my son's room.

As you can see - even after he moved out there was still HIS STUFF in there!  I'm pretty proud of myself that I un-wired an entire Pioneer sound system, keeping the right wires with each component.  It's now sitting in 2 boxes waiting for my daughter to decide if she wants it, or it's off to the Goodwill.

Another room taped - including the desk area which I did later!  As you can see, the dog got into the act too!

For you dog people, you know that you cannot disappear from a room for any length of time without him locating you!  And of course, he will manage to lay down exactly in the center of all of the activity - just where you don't want him to be!

Well - now it's time to paint this room and begin moving my arts and crafts and sewing supplies in here.

Again, a long process, but hopefully worth it in the end.  Stay tuned!

STUDIO

Here are some of the drawers with their containers filled.

My plan is to move things slowly and carefully - so thought goes into "what goes where" and items make sense together.  

None of this will be quick or easy, so I'm taking my time and doing a little at a time.  Eventually all of my art supplies will be in this room, including some work tables - in addition to the huge desk area.

Here is a drawer for drawing and ink supplies.

This is my watercolor drawer.

Here are all of my acrylic supplies on the shelves - the stuff on top is . . . .  "stuff"!
Hope I'm not already beginning to make a mess!  Not sure where these
will finally end up, but they are in the room and stored out of the way for now.

STUDIO

All this "stuff" has to go somewhere!!!  Gotta divide these drawers up into areas somehow.

I've been saving boxes for ages - and now they are finally coming in handy.  As you can see below, by folding the flaps down inside the boxes they make solid spaces for my art supplies.  So - joke is on all of you "doubters" who kept making fun of me for piling up boxes and boxes and . . . . . . .

STUDIO

Next this room was painted white, and some shelves my son didn't want were also painted white in case I want to use them as floor storage or on the wall.

Then it was time to begin bringing in "stuff" from other parts of the house.   Lots of stuff . . . .

As I walked down the hall I noticed the box on the floor facing the door and started laughing . . . .

In case you couldn't see it above - here it is enlarged!!!
Well, I'm not really enjoying the process, but hopefully it's a good omen for how I will feel about the room when it is finished!

STUDIO

As you may have noticed, there has been no blogging by me lately.  Here's why . . .

I've been painting - just the wrong kind of painting!  As in walls and ceilings (yuk).  But I've finally decided the time has come to convert the kids' rooms into studio space.

My first priority was cleaning everything out of the rooms, my daughter's first.  You might note the shoe hanger to the right in the photos.  Yep - even after 8 years there were still shoes in it!!!   I've decided to hang onto it since it might come in handy as an art materials holder - I can hang it inside or outside of the closet, so for now it's "in reserve".

This is a walk in closet which had low shelves on both sides which I removed so I could store my chairs and tables, boxes and paintings.  

Storage for my folding tables on the back wall, folding chairs on right side, odds and ends that will
apparently  never leave my house . . . . and the shoe hanger on the right.

On the left is more storage on shelves and my paintings on the floor.  Yes, that's my
daughter's graduation gown - some things you just can't part with, I guess!

My son's room has a wall of closet doors and that closet proved to be a "walk through" - plenty of room to store my shipping boxes.  Not much else in there - YET!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!

Looking forward to a productive new year and hope the same for all of you!

I've spent the last month or so painting - but the wrong kind!  Walls and shelves, not Fine Art!  Still have a long way to go on that project.

I took a little time to review 2015 and thought I would share with you a recap of my artistic accomplishments (below).  It was a good year for me.

This year I'll continue to enter some shows and hope to get into a few.  My classes continue and there will be a few small workshops throughout the year.  (You can go to my Workshops Page above to see a list of those).

2015 Update

• Georgia Watercolor Society National Juried Exhibit – Flight of the Bumblebee
• Ohio Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibit – Central Time
• Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 35^th Annual International Juried Exhibition – Fun With Marbles
• Hoosier Salon Annual Juried – (two accepted); Luscious won Outstanding Watermedia Award
• Watercolor Society of Indiana Annual Juried Show – Dragon Tea - was selected to highlight the exhibit
• KWS 38^th Annual National Juried Aqueous Show – Peekaboo Bear
• The Artist’s Magazine 31st All Media Competition, July/August 2015 issue – “Japanese Tea”  won the Watercolor Division
• The Artist’s Magazine Over 60 Competition – Finalist – “Ying Yang Mums”  listed in March 2015 issue
• AcrylicWorks 2:  Radical Breakthroughs (book) – “Poured Yupo Peony”
• Acrylic Artist Magazine, Summer edition – “Poured Yupo Peony” was also selected to be in this magazine

H A P P Y   N E W   Y E A R!

My daughter and I were on the way to visit a friend, and we had lunch in Osgood, Indiana on the way.

On the edge of the parking lot of the restaurant were these metal sculptures.  They look to have been created using scrap materials, and I got a kick out of them.  There must be a story behind them!

Can you see the 2 spiders?

Here's a guy on a horse - view one and . . . 

. . . view two, more from the side.  Makes me think of  Don Quixote!

There is also this guy - looks like a military man!

VISIT FROM A BLOGGER FRIEND

Me (on the left) and Ginny Stiles.  Her husband, Greg, took our photo - and since he likes trains,
Ginny suggested we pose in front of my train painting.

Ginny Stiles and her husband, Greg, stopped by on their way from Wisconsin to Florida.

Ginny and I met through our blogs, and met in person a few years ago when they were also passing through the area, but this was the first time they came to our house.

My husband "treated" them to a ride in the Gator to view the property and animals.  Then Ginny and I bonded over a cup of coffee while Greg and Mike investigated more of the property!  Unfortunately, Mike and I had to be off around 1 p.m. that day, or we would likely have spent more time together.  Ginny is enjoyable to be with, she is so full of energy and so involved in her art!

I know they planned to stay in Cincinnati overnight, and believe they toured the Cincinnati Art Museum before they headed down South. Hopefully they will return some day when we can spend more time together.

I've met so many great people through art and blogging!

WATERCOLOR SOCIETY OF INDIANA SHOW

My painting at the entrance to the show.

I had missed the opening of this show, and even though I had received the show catalog, I was anxious to see it in person.

After we left Carmel we drove to the Indianapolis Museum of Art and had lunch in their cafeteria.  If you are in the area I highly recommend the "Monet Salad"!  We sat in the area overlooking the outside fountain - it was a beautiful blue sky day.

Once we were "fed and watered" we strolled over to the show.  I had heard my painting was hung in a good spot, and I have to agree!

There were several people coming and going while we looked around at the paintings, which made me happy.

If you go to the Museum, the gallery is on the first floor opposite the gift shop so you cannot miss it!

CARMEL GALLERY - HOOSIER SALON

On Thursday a friend and I drove up to Indy to see both the show at the Hoosier Salon Carmel Gallery and the Watercolor Society of Indiana show at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

I got a few more photos of the Carmel show which I'm putting up here - they are a little better since I could take more time and the room was (sadly) empty.

Each artist had one painting featured in the front window of the gallery.  No matter where I stood, there was glare or shadow - but it was better than the night of the opening when I wasn't able to get any outside photo.

Each artist had one painting featured in the front window.

The Carmel Gallery from the outside looking in.

I took photos again of the walls - in order from the front of the room to the back, then back to front on the other side.  They are a little better than the previous photos so you can get a better look at some of the paintings.

Then it was on to the WSI show at the IMA. . . . .