Monday, May 20, 2019

the week ahead

Looking out at the morning rays...
welcome to this week's happy homemaker post.

The image above is from a recent trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens. I'll do a post later this week with some really fun pictures taken there.

The weather in Aurora Colorado this week
cold. wet.
It's been extreme for a couple weeks now. It ramped up last week to nearly 90 F for days, and we had to put on the AC. Then in one afternoon, the temps fell to the high 30's and the rains started. It's not that dry here in the high Desert, at least in Aurora.
It's been cloudy and rainy for a couple days, and will be til at least Wednesday.
Snow predicted tonight. Again.

Looking out from my perch

I see less dust, we got out the swiffer wand, and the refills for some other swiffer product to wedge onto it, and dusted the blinds, and surfaces. There's a lot of dust here. I dusted the ceiling fan blades from winter accumulations. The tops of toilet lids! I mopped the floors yesterday, and we cleaned the carpet in the family room, where Milo plopped down after walking through the piles of new bird poo all over the sidewalks. Then we cleaned Milo and he looks like a show poodle!
I also see my new art supplies for painting and drawing spread out in front of me. I found leaving them out allows me to create much more often.

sad empty pots... waiting for flowers

To Do
always a lot to do...
Finish brushing out that long poodle leg hair and shape with a scissor
paint daily
watch the new series on being creative by Jan Blencowe
(finished "sketchbook revival now)
write posts on the gardens, on my recent quilt finish, and the Thursday "I Like" post
laundry, always
plant the vegetables as soon as frost is over
I called Womans Day magazine to correct the two subscriptions (somehow I ordered one by mail, and one on a special offer so I was getting two a month! )
work in the studio on the painted birds piece
enjoy the Jacquie Lawson country garden "advent" calendar my friend Linda sent for my birthday
(it's daily info, and activities involving birds and flowers, virtually planting pretties, playing games)

Watching
we finished Murdoch Mysteries (canada) and found the best series, a new BBC one, called Queens of Mystery. It's so quirky and intriguing about a young woman raised by her three mystery writing aunts after her mother disappears. She's now grown and a police officer. So fun! But it's current and there are only 3 two hour cases in 6 shows at the moment.
I'm in mourning as my guy didn't win American Idol... but as soon as he makes an album I'll buy it
Survivor is over and again my guy didn't win, but the Amazing Race is back, yea!
Southern Charm out of Charleston is back, and I'll enjoy the accents again, y'all.

We were watching Time Team (which aired for about 15 seasons in England) but found out Acorn didn't show them in order, just scattered a selection from the seasons. We switched to watch the first 3 seasons on Prime, but then what?

I'm still watching all the videos by Brenne Brown on youtube. She's entertainingly brilliant. (thanks to my friend Cindy for recommending her) She reminds us that being strong is not pushing other people around, or armoring up (pretending not to have feelings) but being authentic and vulnerable, and living this obstacle course of life bravely.

antique books at a store in Georgetown

Reading
those woman's day magazines! lol. And I read the dollmaker's book I checked out, and started the fascinating book "Woman who write are dangerous" I had no idea. Since people began to write, women have been trying to write too. Often having to take men's names so they can be published.
As if women weren't real people! Who started that? men.... gotta hold onto your power somehow I suppose. What a waste... subjugating groups of any kind.

I'm finishing up Shelved under murder... the librarian series my husband is also reading
When I sat on the back porch, I was reading map of heaven and am almost finished

eating
people chow... nothing spectacular now that the birthday cake is gone
hopefully drinking more fluids, now that my clue to drink (I'm not thirsty) is to drink a glass of water after I go to the bathroom. I fainted from dehydration. DH read that our sense of thirst diminishes as we age. Yet another fun thing about aging.

trying the new to me tombow pens

making
now here's where I am busy. I have a new excitement about painting and drawing. Self expression and seeing color on the paper, and watching it move around and blend with others.
So rewarding.
I'm taking another class online, just started it, and the teacher has reminded us the importance of creativity in life. Not so much for products to sell, but for the spirit. She and Brenne Brown are both saying the same thing... "show up"

which leads me to a lesson learned
Make your art, put yourself into it, then share it. I knew this, I even tall groups the same thing when I speak to them. But I heard it said a new way this weekend.
It's about the making and sharing.
There will be critics in life. Especially these days of social media, people for some reason feel entitled to tell others what they don't like.
My new pet peeve.
Criticizing people openly for not being you. What ever happened to "if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything"? I mean, why should you tell people what you don't like about them, when it's their choice to be how they are? What happened to acceptance? You don't have to act like them or make their kind of art, or read what they read... watch what they watch... just accept and enjoy the differences. Then do your thing. Nothing to prove, nothing to defend, just do your thing.
As long as you're not trying to overpower another group and hold them back, since we're all in this together and all deserve respect and all have something to contribute.
Know what I mean?
So Brenne said, don't armor up and say you don't care what other people say... we are hardwired to fit into groups. Just don't let critics have so much power over you. Hear them, then put them in their place, as having one person's opinion, and make your art, live your life, make your decisions bravely.

This goes hand in hand with self esteem. People with true strength are able to be authentic, without being defensive or making others agree with them. It's a good goal and skill to develop.

anyway... so... this week, I paint, and sort the studio supplies, sew. Cook. walk. think. laugh. write. share with those who will see me, hear me, value me.

inspiration from my friends...

from Shannon and Monika

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Orange chandelier

12 more chandelier blocks, this time using orange scraps. Orange makes me very happy. I love the orange scent, and orange blossom is such a lovely scent. I remember riding along with my father through orange groves as he estimated the yield. When the trees were in blossom it was an unforgettable aroma, that a young girl never forgot.

so my design wall was pretty this week. I've done about 12 blocks in each color so far. I have no idea how they will go together, but I know orange will spark the whole quilt.
Orange is made with the energy of red, and the joy of yellow.

I found this online
Orange promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared, such as compassion, passion, and warmth. Orange will help a person recover from disappointments, a wounded heart, or a blow to one's pride. The meaning of the color orange is stimulating, vibrant, and flamboyant.
There are many shades of orange, one of the prettiest to me is coral.

https://www.pantone.com/color-intelligence/color-of-the-year/color-of-the-year-2019

The block was designed by Stitch therapy.

linking to
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
oh Scrap Sundays

Friday, May 17, 2019

paint party Friday Spring Faces

I've been having the best time painting on paper again, with the Sketchbook Revival course (by Karen Abend) and learned it's important for me to keep my supplies out in view, right by the computer.

I went back through before the videos would be cut off, and painted a little portrait of each teacher with their page in my sketchbook. I took notes on their techniques, tried the exercises, and now can remember what they looked like.

This teacher was working in acrylics, which I've not done on paper (fabric paint is acrylic) and I didn't follow her technique but while I watched, I painted little flowers from memory.

Very "4-year old" versions, but I got to mix watercolor paints and see them blend on the paper, which was very fun.

Apparently I like to watch paint dry, lol

I also went to my art quilt group this week, and the nice women were very complimentary about my paintings, especially the little houses by Tamara LaPorte.

One person came over yesterday to try it with me, and I was reminded that teaching what you know helps teach yourself at the same time.

Not only was I lucky enough to have a playmate for the afternoon, but in sharing my knowledge, it firmed up in my mind and hands, just how to do something. A good teacher makes sure the student feels confident and safe to try something new. When she asked how to correct an aspect of her drawing, I was careful to make suggestions, letting her know it was her work.

We learn as we do.
Do you agree? I think watching is good, but doing teaches me more.
For instance, a slight angle change on a face's nose, or space between eyes makes an enormous difference in a gesture or attitude. I love how these four came out!!
The blond at the top left, was done, then, uh oh, I went back and thought to add a little to her eyes, and got too heavy a line.
What can you do but keep going then? I darkened the lines over both eyes, and voila! she had cats eye liner on, and she had a smirk, and she had attitude! She might be my favorite now!

I'm often insecure in hairdos too, but I just boldly squiggled the top right woman and love! her hair.

It's intriguing to me what makes a person look male or female... so I did the bottom one as a man, and I think he looks like a man. The stray mark on the chin while sketching became a dimple, not that I started out with that.
It's the doing that teaches.
When I first tried to paint faces on paper, my teacher-friend started with face shape, dividing it into quadrants with straight lines, lots of rules. I hated it and they all came out weird. This teacher started with three straight dashes, two for eyes, one lower and in the middle as the tip of a nose.
She led me to the fun of drawing a face.
She also went on to collage and drip paint, and alter the image into a mixed media version that looked too busy and frightening to me. But...

The thing about learning is, we can take what we need from a teacher, and after learning a skill we can tweak it for ourselves to make our own art.

Learn, then make.
One morning I was listening to another talk by Brenne Brown,
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-JXOnFOXQk)
this time on how to overcome criticism as a creative person. I loved it and began painting as she talked. After all my supplies were right there...

I just used colors in order, from my little travel paint kit by KOI. smearing them according to how I felt. Brenne said, as creative people we are vulnerable to the critiques. She cautioned against saying "I don't care what people think" as we all know we're hard wired to fit into social networks, and we do care at some level.
The trick is to invite the critic, either real or inside us, in and have them sit in a side row, and to make our art anyway. Even if the inner critic says this is stupid, or like a 4 year old, or no one will like it, or worse, not respect us, sit them in a row so you mentally have control over them, but make your art anyway.
Then share it.
Making and sharing art that comes from our core, can make us feel vulnerable but that very
vulnerability is what makes us special.
Linking to
all seasons

Pink Saturday!
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, May 16, 2019

I Like Thursday #141

Welcome to this week's list of likes! There is always something to like during the week, right?

We went to a little mountain town called Georgetown last weekend. We hoped to go to Santa Fe for my birthday but it was raining so we decided to postpone that trip. Georgetown was a center for a lot of mining towns, holding entertainment, courthouses, hotels, etc. It still has many original buildings so we walked around and absorbed the history. I enjoyed an antique shop where I saw something called a square baby grand piano... never heard of that. The lovely ladies in the first image, and lots of architectural details

lovely doors

concrete sidewalks

unusual fences

pretty outbuildings

inviting porches, look at the carved balustrade

fancy solarium's for mid 1800's mining town

It snowed while we were there... oy vey!
I liked this saying carved on a ceramic cup

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much" by Helen Keller

and that Milo picked it out
I loved that a jewelry store owner told me that every day she wakes up and asks God to help her to do good things for people, that she be able to say or do something to make someone's life better.
That's a really nice balance to people who are only out for their own good.

all this and a flamingo sighting...

Milo had a good time meeting people... this woman said he looked like he needed a good ear scratch

Milo here... I like attention. I like new smells, and going with Mama and Daddy for a rideinnacar.

I like having my ears rubbed by nearly any person who feels right, and she did. I got a little worried when Mama went off by herself in the clothes shop. First of all I don't get the whole "clothes wearing thing" anyway but Mama went off and forgot that I can tell her what to buy or not. I told her when she found her way back to us, not to leave us like that again.

Then I told her to buy some candy for us. She said she would have liked to see me pretending to smoke that pink bubblegum cigar but the store was closed.

LeeAnna here... I like walking around a historic area and imagining how it looked when first built.

This week my friend Shannon sent me a proof copy of another SAQA show she is in, and that was awesome surprise. Also in the surprise category was a birthday gift from my friend Linda in MD. She got me a Jacquie Lawson Garden activity game like the ones at Christmas. Only now I can start my flowers online as well as play games. Perfect thoughtful gifts! I got a lovely card painted by Monika too.

I loved Survivor this season, although my guy didn't win I love watching.
We went to the Denver Botanical Gardens on my birthday and that will have it's own post as it was a full day of beauty.

I loved finishing up my sketchbook revival class, and am re watching some videos. I learned so much and drew so many pretty images, I recommend doing it next year if Karen Abend does it again. I liked this method of painting faces so much I went back and painted each teacher's face on my sketch page. More later...

I'll leave you with this image...


t shirt in a shop

Also keeping it paw-sitive this week are:
www.sewyouquilt2.com

maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com

https://julierosequilts.blogspot.com/

http://littlepenguinquilts
craftscaviescontras

https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/
http://homesewnbyus

http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/

http://sandysnowden.blogspot.com/
http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
https://faithtrustandbreastcancer.blogspot.com/

https://quiltingreadersgarden.blogspot.com/
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/
http://sonotorganized.com/

Minou's Minute
https://faithtrustandbreastcancer.blogspot.com

Linking to these parties! Go see!

https://comedy-plus.com/ Awe Mondays
sundays in the city
http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/
rosie and the boys nature pics
Thankful Thursdays pet parade

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

Saturday, May 11, 2019

Orange snowballs

The color for May at Rainbow Scrap Challenge is orange, so here are my orangecicle snowballs. Like a snowcone, or some people call them shaved ice, with orange syrup.

I love the color orange for it's warmth and sparkle, and the smell of orange blossoms, the taste of a really juicy orange. Sweet and tart.

I have a small but mighty stash of little orange scraps, and since they are a bit small for my template, I had to use many of the same fabrics in both snowball blocks and chandelier blocks.
I made 12, to be combined with all the other colors at the end of the year.

It's silly but some of these are the last of their kind, and it's hard to let myself use them. But this way I'll get to look at them. I love the tiny leaves, and the moon/star orange with red orange tints. That batik that looks like rice has been hanging around my stash for long enough!

Funny the opposite needs to keep the special fabrics, and to use the special fabrics.

Linking to:

can I get a whoop whoop Fridays
Esther's blog Wednesdays
Midweek makers wednesdays
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
scrap happy Saturdays

Friday, May 10, 2019

paint party Friday

Welcome to paint party Friday!
My friend Carol (https://quiltedfabricart) told me about a free online sketching/painting workshop, unfortunately now over. I signed up and it was very fast paced with two videos a day from world known teachers. I have another week to finish up but it'so been very valuable to me. it was at (https://www.karenabend.com/)

First of all I now have my sketchbook, paint sketchbook, watercolors, pencils and pens out on the kitchen table next to the computer.

Apparently it's good for my creativity to have supplies at hand. I've been stretching and learning and growing in my confidence from doing these exercises. The picture above was yesterday's sketch on my own, as I read the I Like posts and had a morning cup of coffee. Not even a prompt.
That's a sign of a good workshop, that it leaves you experimenting on your own.

I have painted for a long time, and nowadays often on fabric...remember this piece from a couple weeks ago?

I watched the color move across the fabric, and as it dried I decided it was no longer horizontal mountain scene, but a flower in the foreground. I came back using a stencil of petals, some dark blue and dark magenta paint with a sea sponge, and daubed in depth and details to lead you to see my tall flowers. Then used a spiral stamp for some whimsy. (click on photos to see them better)
I would like to somehow not quilt it but hang it on the wall as a banner

Back to painting on paper...

All of the teachers have in common their ability to really see an object. The ones working intuitively will just start in moving color across paper but the ones painting a face, or seahorse, or dog, or flowers will start with looking around them. They noted shape, positive space (the object) negative space (anything that is not the object, which also creates spaces) color, line, perspective, proportion, etc.
One can learn to draw.
One gets better at any skill as one uses it. Languages, riding a bike, cooking, speaking to a group.

I looked at my carnations as I trimmed them, added water, deadheaded them. Oh, the colors and the textures were lovely close up.

How delicate, how could I paint them? The lesson that day was on botanicals. It included creating a mix of colors you saw in your palette first. I usually mix right on the wet paper, so that was interesting in itself. (see the pic above). Then daub each color across the paper at the top, to see it will look dry.

paint one petal, paint one leaf, paint one blossom. Paint components before painting a composed picture. Again different, and a way to really see the object.
I carefully followed directions, and painted on watercolor paper. I didn't particularly like my picture but learned from the lesson. Now what to do with the paint remaining in the palette?

I took my sketchbook, the large one with sketch paper (thin) that I had made notes on, and with abandon painted big globs of color, squiggling my brush as I went. Painting over dried areas again with another shade, creating depth and curves and just letting myself see the color as I saw the flowers.

One is white with pink edges, but a hint of yellow in center, one variations on pink, and a tiny bit of greenish yellow too. When the paint was used up I found I liked the freely painted, large blooms more to my liking than the careful first painting.

the camera can't capture the color, which is at once subtle and dynamic in real life.

when I drew the faces, I was amazed that this came from me. From me, from my center and heart, from learning from brilliant people, from seeing, from God.

mixed media, paper, painted coffee filters torn, pieced fabric

Milo was understanding while I learn and practice...

I'm bored, and it's cold again

Music is important, while writing this I was listening to my CD of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHGA6kUHYDg

Linking to:
Let's be social Wednesdays

http://abcwednesday
http://floralfridayfoto.blogspot.com/
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/
rosie and the boys nature pics

Thursday, May 9, 2019

I LIke Thursday #140

Welcome to this week's list of likes

It's going to be short... I'm coping with a few things but through it all I've been drawing and painting daily The workshop is over, I'm still going through the videos and exercises for the next week.
One of them was a happy journal... draw some little icon of what made you happy that day...

She keeps a weekly calendar open and jots down a sketch a day. Kind of nice, right? She said her kids do it too, and looking back through is fun. Mostly I've learned how to draw faces, paint flowers, be free with color, and look at life differently.

I watched videos on youtube by Brenne Brown who has a terrific message for all, check Monday's post for details.

I've been reading Map of Heaven, which is profound. Written by a medical doctor who was brought back to life during an illness.

I'm watching American Idol and really love Alejandro's artistry and ability to write and play music.

Milo has been a good boy.