I am sometimes uncomfortable in the challenge.

First try

My church was having a Stations of the Cross exhibit and called for artists.  After the last time I did this, for another church, I swore I would NEVER do this again.  (My Dad had just died and there I was painting Jesus in the tomb...so sad and depressing.)   At first I said "NO!" but changed my mind when I thought ... this is MY church, okay,  but I needed something uplifting.  Debbie, who is in charge of this project said, "Get the 5th station where Simon helps Jesus carry the cross".  Well, okay.  When I went to the meeting , the stations were picked out of a hat.  I got #13. Oh well, I thought.  Meanwhile someone on the other side of the crowded room was begging for station #13.  At the end of the meeting on one answered her, so I spoke up and we traded.   To my surprise, I found I had Station #5 with Simon.

I bought my first canvas.

I began my research of icons of this station.  All were vertical and show kindly Simon carrying the cross.  I began a vertical following the traditions, but BOY! DID I STRUGGLE!  This was definitely not my field.  What did Jesus look like anyway?  What did the landscape look like? Colors?  Then I realized that I put the wire on upside down on the one I began. 

This was a sign...so...I bought my second canvas and started from scratch.

Then the magic began.

That night, I had  dream.  The completed painting was right in front of me.  The colors were magnificent and upon a closer look, it was a mosaic.  I said, "Wow!"  the dream was so clear , now would I be brave enough to follow?

I did.

New beginnings

Enter Simon, acrylic, 22 x 28

PS  I never could have thought of this on my own.





I THINK I am done.

Low Tide #8, acrylic, 30 x 24

If I keep looking long enough I will find a problem and have to fix it. Soooo, I am going to close my eyes.

This is going to take a while.

Oh boy! This does look different.  I have been playing with number eight. In each vertical rectangle is the #8. In February, we are going to be celebrating our 8th anniversary at the Tannery where I have my studio.

I pick it up with hopes of finding something new.

I figure, I have nothing to lose so I grid it off.

I go to beautiful places

In 2010, I traveled to coastal SC to visit and of course I brought my paints. When I began, the tide was high and then the water disappeared.  Nature made it better.  I found this to be is an "okay" painting and I tucked it away in my unfinished pile until lately.



I have too much fun!

Paper Dolls at the Beach, 2011

Guess which bathing suit is mine.





Somethings are more important.

While on family vacation, it has been tradition that I paint every morning.

It is hard to get someone to pose in their bathing suit so I decided to just paint the suits.  Soon after I set up and began, the grandchildren arrived and they wanted to paint too.  I had brought some place mats .....I can always work on mine later.