Blast from the Past

I've been going through all my photos in this computer when I came across this one.  I just love it.  Lily in the chair with me (as usual), tiny Mailey creating right beside me, and that painting...that painting in the window.   Let's not mention my short dark hair.  What was I thinking?  Wow.

Sometimes I miss this tiny studio flooded with light.  So much goodness came out of this room.  So much. 

Well, I've been taking total advantage of this summer and filling it with a new kind of goodness.  My days are a little like this:  wake, run, sit on the porch with Lily and drink coffee, catch up in cyberland, piddle around the house, kids wake up finally around 11ish, we set out for adventure or just hang low here in our lovely home.  It's been a summer of little to do.  My body told me that's what I needed to do, so I'm listening.  In fact, after church today I came home with big plans to finish our bonus room.  But alas, Lily and I piled up on the couch and look a 2 hour nap then watched the Proposal. How awesome is that for an afternoon?  Yes.  This summer is unlike most blasts from my past.  But quite honestly, I think I just might remember more of this one than others because I've taken the time to be still, listen and observe.  How about you?

Going Back a Few

The above painting is one of the 1st paintings I ever completed and loved.  It still hangs in my house on the staircase wall.  I love the innocence in it.  There wasn't any of me "trying too hard".  Just me, a huge canvas (really, not wood but canvas), a brush, and a few tubes of paint.  I've been thinking a lot about painting lately.  In fact, I've pulled a canvas Phillip gave me years ago from the storage area to paint.  I just can't seem to get started on it.  (It's HUGE....like as wide as a sofa and tall.)  But I think this is what I might try on it.  I think since the only painting class I had in college was watercolor I was trying to make the acrylics like watercolors on the canvas.  The effect is quite lovely.  And now I paint my canvases black!  How in the world did I get from point A to point B?
My girlfriend Ellie loved mine so much she had me make her one too.  It still hangs in her kitchen/family room.  I love the graduation in colors of hers.  By the way, these are circa 2006.  I think.  I didn't date it.  tsk tsk.  Hopefully I'll get to work on that big canvas tomorrow.  Be sure to follow me on instagram to see....I love to post photos there!  My username is:  artsyorange

A Week in Instagrams

I was looking over my instagrams for the week and thought, HEY...this would make a fun post.  So here goes:

The fun started Saturday when I finally talked hubby into taking the top of the Jeep.  Dang I love a Jeep.  Deep rooted love for a car is a funny thing.  The Adkins clan has Jeep running in its blood as thick as the Auburn love.  We hit the Saturday market in Peachtree City and then were off to a weekend of baseball!

Somebody got to go to a really late baseball game Saturday night to watch her brother play.  Somebody thought it was a giant tailgate party and she was the center of all the attention.  Complete with a hamburger from the concession stand and many crumbs from the ground.

Sunday games came around and still we'd not lost.  Woohooo...soon however a storm cloud loomed overhead.  Of course with a hard top Jeep you can't drive around the top rolled down on the back.  The top was in the garage!  So I opened up the giant umbrella we use for games and put it over the Jeep.  She's smiling I think at my complete cleverness.  It kept her dry!

 I was one proud Momma Sunday night when our boys won the State Championship.  They went completely undefeated the entire tournament.  Scored 62 runs in 6 games.  This little man rocked the bats and the catching gear.  I like watching him catch so much....in fact one play was so super cool the other team's coach yelled out, "Great catch superman catcher."  It was that good of a catch (and that wild of a pitch).

Moving on along to Monday I hosted another Tween class.  This small group of girls made the most amazing art.  Sometimes I get a tad overwhelmed with what I am able to get out of little hands.  Seriously.  I know that sounds like I think I'm all that, but teaching is a gift I am so grateful to have been given.

Tuesday was spent in the studio re-stocking jewelry for Asbury Station.  It's a cute little shop somewhere in Atlanta.  I've only shipped....but next week I'm going up with all these goodies!  And paintings. Yeah!

Wednesday was spent getting new cuts and color.  Just cut for this strawberry head below.  I feel like a new woman between the cut and color (It'd been 7months).  Fresh blond will do that to a blond.  I kinda feel like Wonder Woman and Miss America all at once.  Yeah.  Of course after I style it once it'll never look as good.  HA.

Then last night was Mailey's modeling class finale.  Good grief she's such a natural.  My husband, who has never seen her in action leaned over in the middle of the show and said with huge Billy eyes, "Jenni, she's really good.  Dang!"  I know...I've seen her walk before.  We just hope she gets some height on her so she do this later in life!

Then there's today.  We have a serious breeze going on in our neck of the woods.  And clear skies!  So I popped on the pink shoes and my headphones and strutted outside for a quick run.  Now, if you've read my blog for a spell you know running is my thing.  I love it.  Crave it.  But once I got so sick, I began to wonder if ever I'd get my stride back.  I used to run 3 miles and not even be winded.    It has been very hard for me physically and mentally to get back into this routine.  Heck, I'm even trying to figure out my body posture again.  It's just not flowing like it used to.  And then today happened.  Well, Tuesday happened first...I ran 3.55 without realizing it.  And today was 4!!!  So maybe, just maybe my body has healed.  Maybe.

Speaking of healing....we are still in the diagnosis stages of my illness.  I'm having a very, very good week though.  No stomach pain (totally just jinxed myself I bet).  Which makes me think I'm on the mend.  I am keeping a food and body issue journal and literally since February I've had chronic pain.  This week was the first week I've actually been able to write the words "no pain today".  You might can tell because I am up to my old busy bee do a hundred things a day mode!  Of ALL the testing I've had done, so far only one puzzle piece is still out there.  I really hope to know the result of that test soon.  So the real healing can begin.  Because until there is a final diagnosis we can't medicate.  Well, actually I won't medicate until the final diagnosis is in.  I am not  a pill for every ailment girl.  For now I'm going to steer away from shellfish and keep my feet running.   And pray for continued strength and courage to come from this with a knew perspective on living. 

My Artist in Training

They say we look alike.  I'm not so sure about that.  We certainly have different personalities.  Wow.  She's a spit fire one.  Full of confidence and crazy love for all people.  Really.  She has a charisma about her I wish I could bottle.  I hope no one ever dims the light that shines within her.

She started painting after attending Art and Soul Virgina Beach with me last year.  Honestly, up until that time although she always took my after school art classes there wasn't much interest.  In fact, in my after school art classes she was always the one who NEVER finished anything because she was too busy socializing and acting defiant towards me.  I'm secretly glad she won't be attending those classes anymore.  She was that difficult to teach.  The classes in my basement though, with the adults, she's perfect.   She gets a tad wound up if I don't help her right when she asks, but she finishes her paintings.  Which is a great thing!  I suppose there are no friends she's attempting to impress?  Just adults she want to impress.  In the right way.

This painting is by far my favorite.  I love the little collage fireflies.  And the little quote she found on her i-phone is super sweet.  I told her though if she keep painting like this we are going to have to start selling some.  She could easily set up her own etsy account.  She might even have better luck with it than I do.  hahaha!!

Well....off to sing at church.  A solo that is.  One day I''ll post a YouTube of me singing.  Or better yet, give you advance notice and you can come worship with me.  The closest I feel to my faith is through song.  In fact lately every time I sing I get freaking choked up during the song and have a hard time finishing the words!  Ya know you are connected when that happens.  And Happy Father's Day to all those out there reading this that are Daddy's.  Great day to celebrate the love and joy they bring to the family circle.  I'll be back later to share the rest of the classes work. 

A Little Getaway

Since leaving the legislature Billy's moved into a new position with his company.  It makes him happy....which makes me very happy.  Living with a husband that hates his job but is the main provider for the home and therefore feels stuck and just keeps shutting down because he hate's the life he is in is just not good.  And we were there for a long time.  Long time.  Thank goodness I am not afraid to ask God for things like a better job for my husband.  Because after a brief convo with someone important, at the right time and place, let's just say that ball got rolling and he is now where he is supposed to be. (that and a ton of prayer)

My point to all this is with this new position he travels now.  To some fun places.  Like last year when I tagged along to San Fransisco.  This summer it's Asheville, NC and Denver,CO.  Right now we are in the first trip.  I am so excited.  I've got to do some wife stuff with other wives, and eat some dinners with some strangers.  But that's ok.  The important thing is that Billy and I have time away.  To just be us.  We really like us as a unit.  And since yet another friend has left her husband we are closer than ever.  Its terrible that another person's suffering can open your eyes to what you have that is so precious.  And how you don't want anything to happen to it.  Right?  So we are going to embrace this special time away.  It's important to have this for any marriage.  We never find time alone during our regular routine.  So this block of time is perfect.

I'll see you guys Friday if you are coming to my workshop.  There's still room.  10-2, in my home studio.  $55 bring a sack lunch.  Email me at jennihorne@ymail.com.  Hope to hear from you!

Painting Without Intent

This sweet bird painting came about this week.  On a night I had to myself.  A rarity indeed!  Billy and Mailey were at our church's VBS and William was sleeping over at a friend's house.  I cleaned house for a spell then went downstairs to my studio to make sure everything ready for the Tween camp the next day.  I'd placed this board on my easel earlier in the week as a "need to get to" board.  I'd no idea what I wanted to paint on it, but stopped that night, grabbed a piece of chalk and just started.  After drawing I went ahead and started adding paint.  More paint....more paint...and about an hour later I was like, "WOW.  I like this." 

It felt good to paint again.  Not for any purpose, but just to paint.  I have such little time for myself these days that usually when I do I don't spend it in the studio.  That's just more work.  In my mind it is.  But that night it wasn't work.  It was exploring my inner artsy self.  The one that started painting years ago just because.  The one that was really clueless as to what it meant to be a painter.  I like when I find that artist.  And I let her out.  Ironically I posted this on facebook that night.  And it already sold.  Yeah.  Painting without an intent sometimes has a lovely outcome.

Tween Camp

Sometimes, if you just believe in yourself...in the good you can bring....in the goodness of others...magic happens.  Like today for instance.  These 11 little girls came to my house to make art.  Some knew each other, some not.  In the end, they all left as friends.  With a unique bond that only us right brained people get. 

The day flew by.  We started like my adult classes do talking about images and my dislike of drawing.  Yep, I hate to draw, but love to paint.  So I teach students how to use tracing as a technique.  I don't always trace, but it alleviates a ton of stress in young ones who really want to say paint a Jeep.  And drawing a Jeep is a whole different can of worms that would require more than 5 hours and a sack lunch!  

Below is sweet Abigail drying her painting so we could move on to the next step.  And of course, Lily was in the middle of everything all day. 

Rachel below is working on her piece she drew out with chalk.  She was daring and free drew her piece.  It turned out awesome!  Cool thing about this little girl, I taught her at Arbor Springs in the 4th and 5th grade and 13 years ago taught her sister at Flat Rock Middle School.  Holy cow, she's the same age now as her sister when I taught her!  Super cool.

Here are all the girls working below.  I love watching them work.  Not one complained, whined or was overly needy.  No offense my adult students, you know I LOVE you,  but these girls were dream art students!  They took what I had to say and ran with it.  And made awesome art.

We also made gentle reminder bracelets.  This is one of my most favorite things I've ever decided to make in all my making.  I can vividly remember the first 2 I ever made.  Valerie and I were on the way to the mart (tells ya how long ago that was) and I surprised her with one that said "brivia", her original business name and mine said "artsy mom".  I've worn mine, hardly ever taking it off since then.  Which I believe would be 7 years.  These are meant to be reminders of things we want to achieve, be, or know is within our hearts.  I just love Abigail Miner's below.  So true.  We had one that said "moo" because this little gal loves cows.  No really.  Obsessed is more like it.  Mailey put "mars" on hers because its her favorite song.  They were all quite proud of them. 

For a break we all grabbed our sack lunches and towels and walked down to the  lake.  The community ducks were quite excited.  They won't have to dig for muck for days.   Although a few girls were quite bug phobic.  And I brought back a tick.  Of course.

Overall the day was perfect.  It was exactly the distraction I needed ya know.  And their art just made my heart swell.  If you live nearby my next class for Tween's is June 17th.  9:30-2:30.

My next adult workshop is Friday, June 14th 10-2.  Please email me for any sign-ups!  They just keep getting better!  jennihorne@ymail.com

Daisies and Zombies (that title get your attention?)

 

 Howdy.  It's Sunday, June 2.  Sunday, June 2.  Dang.  I've been a complete and total slug today for some reason.  Well, actually maybe because since getting out of school I've been burning my candle at both ends and then some!  You know, typical Jenni stuff.  Gotta go, do, do, go, gotta, gotta....keep my mind off real life stuff.  And then hit a brick wall.  Kinda like today.  I was supposed to go watch William play in day 2 of a baseball tournament but a weird series of events has happened.  Let me just tell you about it. 

First I got up my usual early Sunday time and attempted to blog while the house was quiet.  But something wacko was going on and this computer wouldn't let me blog.  Urgh....So instead I sat on my porch, drank coffee and watched HGTV.  Cool right?  Then I decided what the heck, I'll go for a run before church.  So I did.  And managed 4 miles.  Woohoo....seeing as how I'm struggling these days to run very much or far.  Quick shower and off I drove in orange van to church.  Only I got to church, started towards the church and heard a loud hsssssssssing coming from the van.  Dang nabit.  Now what orange van?? (I'm just going to insert here that I am a tad freako about orange van since she is quite sickly.)   And there it was, a KEY sticking out of the back passenger tire.  Who does that?  Runs over a key just right so that it pops the tire?  Me.  So I jumped in the van and drove across to Auto Zone, who then said "I think the quick lube is open"  (my quick lube...love those guys).  So yep, they were open and were as flabbergasted as I that I had managed to inject my tire with a key.  A tiny lock key at that.  Quick tire patch and away I drove.  To the grocery store instead of church since it was half over at this point.

So I get home with bags of groceries and lunch.  We all eat and next thing you know I am about to pass out tired.  So I do.  No really.  Face first down on my bed.  Drool was involved.  Around 1:15 it was time for the boys to head to the game an hour away.  My plan was to ride with Billy's parents later while Mailey stayed home and then had Nana get her for VBS tonight at church.  Around the time Bill and Sara were to come get me the weather went nuts o' here.  So bad that Lily was in her panting I'm gonna pass out right now mom mental state she needs a straight jacket and maybe electrotherapy.  Mailey and her fear of storms were right there with Lily making my chest get ever tighter.  We made blanket forts and waited out the storms.  Which knocked out our phone lines.  That to me is creepier than creepy.  Dead phone lines that is.  I rather enjoy watching the rain in this house with a bird's eye view.

Needless to say, I did not head to William's games.  Kinda a bummer.  I hate missing him play.  Turns out weird stuff was happening there too though.  The 1st game they were to play was forfeited because the team they were to play had 2 players injured in their first game of the day.  A broken nose and a broken leg.  Now, William's been playing ball since age 3.  I have only one time witnessed an injury.  ONCE.  That poor team.  They will be forever haunted by those images.  So they had 3 hours to kill before the next game.  And then of course the weather we had hit them.  Looks like they'll get to play eventually.  And get home around midnight.  Seriously.  All I can think about is that dang tire patch holding and my boys getting home safe.  Chest is tightening a tad more.

And then there's tomorrow.  What's tomorrow?  Allergy testing.  (Oh that sucks you are saying right?)  My neighbor asked if I'd be going to the pool tomorrow.  I replied probably not because I'll be in a coma tomorrow afternoon.  Haha...no really.  With my luck I'll go into some freak coma after being injected with shrimp to see if I'm allergic to it.  I mean seriously there has to be a better way to see if you are allergic to something rather than injecting you with it!!!  Yeah....I'm still having health issues and this is just one of two really fun tests I'm having this week.  Folks getting old sucks.  But the great news is this is the 1st weekend in 3 weekends that I've not been doubled over take me to the ER now Billy mode.  Another weird happening.  In a good weird way.   Of course there are still a few hours left in this day.  Probably just totally jinxed myself.

Anyhoo, if you actually got to the bottom of this rambling blog post you win a prize!  Actually.  Not really.  I suppose this is all just really nervous energy trying to fight its way out of my system.  I find it easier for some reason to tell you guys, most of which are complete and total strangers what I am feeling than people here I can touch.  I was telling my family the other day that I had the best encounter the other day in a gallery in Newnan where I flat out told complete strangers that "yeah, I'm just trying to find my tribe here in Newnan.  For some reason I have trouble fitting in."  It's true.  I am a tough nut to be around, get to know and keep as a friend.  I know this about myself though.  Hey, the first step towards recovery is admitting the problem.  But if you are here in my little blog you already like me and are connected to me somehow.  You are my tribe.  Since getting sick I've shut down even more to those around me here.  Even to those I love the most.  Its just easier.  Easier to not talk about how shitty I feel every freaking day.  Everyday.  Everyday.  Easier not to talk about how scared I am. Except here.  I guess I do better with letters than with words.

So this week there is going to be a lot of poking and probing on this body.  Tonight I decided to fuel it with some seriously good red wine and a yummy Amy's pizza.  Movie candy and chick flicks are ready when Mailey gets home.  Since the rest of the week there will only be clear jello and chicken broth.  And I'll be most likely turned into a zombie.  Good grief, I need to get a grip.  So, I'll let you guys know what its like on the other side should there be an encounter.  Ok.  I'll stop now. 

Oh, and in case you were wondering.  Probably not.  But in case.  My favorite flower in the world is a daisy.  Like the one I painted above.  Which is about to be for sale in Etsy.  What you ask?  You have an etsy shop?  Why yes, yes I do.  And there are 10 original paintings sitting to my left waiting to be entered.  Ooooo.....keep an eye on my instagram for when they are up and ready for purchase!! 

My Instagram username is :  artsyorange

CU there....