Everything BUT Painting ... well .... almost ...

It was my lovely niece's high school graduation yesterday. Here she is with my aunt, opening a gift.

Yes, that's me, and I did get out of my usual barn gear when I went to the ceremony.

Here's Paulina with her mom.

Even her brother came out from Ottawa to attend. And Paulina just gave him this haircut! 

Some hibiscus from Steph's garden

These will be painted, and that's my only reference to painting.

I had to take pics of this cool antique car, parked outside the Orpheum Theatre downtown, where the grad ceremony was held.

And life on the farm continues. The baby swallows had their first flying lessons yesterday. 

Some were not as brave ...

... as others. These two managed about 15 feet before they landed.

That's all for now. Thank you so much for dropping by!

Old Stomping Grounds ... or ... This One Is Not Going Any Further

The Old Stomping Grounds
10 x 15.5 inches

    The painting above, I did about eight years ago. It is loosely based on a painting done even further back in time, by a woman artist from Vancouver. I never "copy", but the scene was SO well-known to me; I grew up very near here, and spent over thirty tears in the area.
   The scene is of an old store, a combination corner store and meat market. The convenience store [that term was not even in use in those days] was right across the street from the local high school, Magee H.S., and was usually packed with kids on school days. The butcher shop next door was small but well-supplied. The wooden floors were sprinkled with fresh cedar shavings. Most of the men who worked there were fond of dogs, and the neighborhood dogs were certainly LOVED of the store.  At least once a week, a pack of the local hounds would descend on the meat store and wait outside. Then came the treats, and you would see dogs heading for home with their goodies. I remember watching our family dog, Heathcliff [the name was from Wuthering Heights - I was very dramatic as a teenager] struggling for home, with a bone the size of his head.WOW ... he scored!!!
   When I did my interpretation, I placed all our family dogs in the foreground - from left to right, it's Ben [a rescued Bernese mountain dog] Heathcliff [or St. Heathcliff as he is remembered, a whippet/cocker spaniel cross] Ripley [another saint of a dog] and the boxer sisters [Lucy and Desi] Lucy and Desi are the only ones still with us, and they are doing very well, and are quite pampered.
  

Starting re-do - 14 x 21 inches
Painting simply, back to front.

I got this far before I saw my mistake; as usual, it's a drawing error.
The small diamond-shaped window is off center.

In 2 stages, I used masking tape, and then gently scrubbed with Magic Eraser.
I thank John Salminen for his video on removing unwanted color.

Cleaned up, and thin glaze of aureolin applied.

Phthalo green [yellow shade] applied.

A New Member of the Team ... or ... Steph Did It Again!

   I have three sisters. One of them, Stephanie, has, since she got married and had two children,  also become an avid animal collector. She also likes to "help" others collect animals.
   When I had to put my dearly-loved and much-missed mare to sleep, Steph found a rescue horse for me. Carlo was quite handsome, but wanted NOTHING to do with the riding game. After he tossed me hard, and fractured my pelvis, he was returned to the rescue people. He is now being "used" as a companion horse - NO riding for him!
   Then her husband bought two chinchillas. [previously mentioned in this blog] Steph refused to keep them in their cage. Whenever you visited her house, you could hear the scurry of feet and the gnawing of teeth on anything, and see the occasional flash of grey. After six months, I got a slightly teary phone call, asking if I would take the chins. I did. They chewed a saddle, a bridle and my bathroom!!!! I've had the bathroom re-done, and the tack did not fit my new horse, but ...

DO you mind?

Nothing better than I warm horse blanket

Hmmmmm?!!!

Definitely worth investigating

   Now I have Pumpkin. She is a very adorable brown tabby with her own agenda. She has taken over my bed, and the bathroom. And she is showing a few quirks. She does not glide gracefully and quietly, as most cats do, she THUMPS! She is an avid tap-watcher; she loves to watch and drink running water. I have a sick feeling, she is probably an art critic, too, and is only biding her time to let me know what she thinks of my painting.

... and Now for Something Completely Different

   Well, not really. This is about my niece, Paulina [Julian's sister] They are alike in that they are both bright, beautiful, [or handsome] athletic and determined. Julian spoke like Elmer Fudd till he was six. Paulina [aka "Chickie"] added and embellished her consonants; instead of cream, it was pream; in lieu of Ripley, she called their dog Bripbrey, and so on. Julian will quietly assess a situation, and usually come to an "agreement". Paulina seems to argue just for the sake of arguing.

The model

The painting

Paulina, a few years ago, with Lucy

The determined artist

Riding Bruno, a few months ago

Halloween 2010, she has "Bieber fever"

Wearing my birthday balloons last summer

Working her fabulous fashion sense on Ralphie

   But she is her own woman, that's for sure, with her own fashion sense. I'll never forget her taking dance lessons, and insisting on wearing her tutu well below her "root beer" belly. She does her own thing. She has also been one of my models.

Jules and Me

Jules and I, enjoying a moment. He's about 2 years here.

Jules at 9 years, form a photo at my 50th birthday

Julian, with his 1st fish. He's 14 years here.

Julian at 15.

Bond, Julian Bond - 16 years old

   This is my nephew, Julian, soon to be 17 years old. And like most of us older folk, I still see him in my mind's eye as being 2 1/2. WHY is that??? From the time I first saw him, I have felt an ease of relationship. [unusual for me, a lone wolf] I could always make him laugh as a baby. He was always an interesting person to be with, and is still so. I suppose the reasons are partly that he came along at a very traumatic time in our family, and that he is quite a bit like me in some ways. I remember my mother bringing him to see my horse, when he was about 8 months. He was fearless, though her head was bigger than Jules' entire body. He had his arm, to the elbow, up her nose, and Good Ol' Sweetie just stood there with a slurpy look on her face.

   Now, soon to be seventeen, Julian is very handsome, bright, thoughtful, athletic, [a great hockey player] and artistic in the literary arts. I love him to bits. That's my Jules!