Psychic Sketching

Sigh, It's Christmas time  and Santa Claus is exhausted and stressed but apparently the psychic connection between mother and daughter is running high. Yesterday after making football food for husband and friends who gathered to watch Army lose to Navy for the umpteenth time...I retreated to the studio to listen to music and doodle. And no, daughter #3, I did not paint that hand. I avoided all projects and sat with my sketchbook and a Christmas lager. While I sat there sketching away, Daughter #4 came downstairs and looked at what I was doing and said that her sister must have sent me the photo of her painting that she was working on. I said no I hadn't seen any of her sister's work yet. She said "spooky!" I later received this photo of her sister's painting and here also are my sketches from yesterday. I can only strive to catch up to #3. Awesome painting.

Daughter's painting

Mother's psychic scribble

Harry Potter and the Deer Maiden

Someone Not So Busy....

Long time no write. I was busy Harry Pottering about working on decorations for the Library's Hogwarts Holiday tree. After I finished the owls (and got seriously hooked on Doctor Who and Stargate Atlantis), I worked on the sorting hat. It was a Halloween witch's hat but after distressing it with some paint and embellishing it with patches, stitching, and felt eyes and mouth-it passes for a pretty decent sorting hat/tree topper. No picture though. I took one with my phone but I'm not quite sure how to transfer it to the computer. Maybe through Picasa? Headed off to get a massage the next day and ended up laying on my back with my hands on my chest and needles poking out of them. I had some rather large knots between my thumbs and forefinger so Renee was wielding her acupuncture magic. All I can say If I don't see the needles-they are not there. So I keep my eyes closed. Sometimes when you have a massage you get some pretty strong visions while you're lying there being pummeled to death. My own personal theory is that your releasing a lot of blocked energy or badness out of your system leaving room for some interesting ideas to come through. What I thought of when I tried to lay still  and not  move my hands because of the needles, is that my hands had turned into deer hooves because I was holding them in  a C-shape. I then proceeded to tell Renee that I felt like a Japanese deer maiden. To which she replied,"WTF?" and rightly so. She told me to draw it when I got home so I did.    

A Doodle....

Five Little Owls and Dr. Who...

I spent a marathon day in the studio yesterday finishing up these five little guys for the Library's Christmas tree. I came out only for leftover pizza and cups of tea. Who knew sewing five little critters was so time consuming? It was rather relaxing in a way. Since I wanted to finish them this weekend, I ignored all other projects. I pulled my comfy chair up to the computer, put the owls in a tray on my lap and streamed Dr. Who and Stargate Atlantis on the computer with netflix. A perfect day. I could hear the husband hammering away on shed #3 but I was tucked in my cozy studio with my tea and Dr. Who. All I need is a mini fridge down here and I'll never come out!

Mermaids, Angels and Owls! Oh My!

Stage one, a pale angel...

I spent the whole day in the studio and am now sporting multicolored fingernails. Paint, not polish. Manicures and I don't agree. I think the first and only time I had one was before my wedding. It wasn't a soothing experience. These days it would probably be a waste of cash. I usually have dirt or paint under my poor nails and I tend to walk into things.

What to write...

I made a start on angel # 2 and then got bored and started to paint the beam that runs the width of the studio with blackboard paint. The first coat went on all slimy and drippy. It took two more coats before it had any resemblance to a blackboard. Meanwhile I learned from daughter #3 that people actually do not use chalk to write on their blackboards at cafes and shops. They use chalk markers! Who knew? I thought they just had extremely nice writing and skill with chalk. I need to get me some of those...
In between coats of blackboard paint , I sat at my computer and made a mermaid playlist for some inspirational painting music. A lot of whales yodeling and ocean waves battering the shores. Yep, I made one for angels too. Then I got started on my mermaid picture by creating a background with acrylic paints and my fingers.(Another good reason to pass on the manicures.)

Make an ocean...

Add a mermaid.

Lastly, I found this sweet little felt owl pattern at www.juicy-bits.typepad.com. I haven't made one yet but I have cut out the pieces and have my felt lined up. Need to purchase some rick rack too.

Wrestling with Printers and Angels

Angel #1

Well I spent the afternoon finishing up Angel #1 and installing a wireless printer in my studio. When I got the lovely new computer, of course the scanner from my old printer did not work.  Looked it up online and found out it wasn't compatible with Snow Leopard. Go Figure. It was perfectly fine with my fuzzy little Tiger OS. I guess all great cats are not created equal or at least their operating systems aren't...and so one purchase leads to another until I eventually go bankrupt.
Daughter #3 was home this weekend in order for us to take her out to dinner for her 20th b-day. We celebrated last night and this afternoon I had her take some photos of me while working. Major discovery. I frown and look angry while thinking and working. I do not look peaceful, blissed out, or contemplative. I look like I am going to wrestle that project on to the ground and make it squeal uncle till it's complete. I think from now on I will only show hand shots. In my head, I see 19, but my face definitely says 48. Sigh...

Grrrr....

Beeswaxing leads to candy corn craving...

So here I am adding embellishments with beeswax until I get a severe craving for candy corn from the smell and end up adding the rest of them with matte medium. All I have left to do is to add some fibers to it. Unfortunately I need to go shopping again to get them, (Can't blame the computer or printer for that purchase) and then it's on to Angel # 2. I might make a slight detour through mermaids, the latest Suzi Blu class. Wings, fins, it's all the same.

Did someone say wings?

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Some Angels and Some Devils...

A Very Studious Cat...

Still dealing with the loss of furniture to daughter #1 and boyfriend. I moved a card table and assorted chairs up to the kitchen and camouflaged it with a tablecloth. Working cat Al said, "Thank you very much" and promptly jumped up to lay down on his new bed. I guess the card table is rather low...I moved a chair around in the living room so it doesn't look quite so empty also. This Columbus day weekend I took my camera for a walk in the woods accompanied by Binx who cleared the path of any dangers due to falling leaves and grasping branches.

 I also holed up in the studio to practice angels. I owe one to the lovely person who made me my chakra bracelet. This one isn't done and it's just a practice one. I'll give you a choice Annemarie!

Angel in progress..

Towards the end of this afternoon I realized I didn't have any gold leaf.Horrors! This called for an emergency trip to Michaels. I asked the husband if he would like to accompany me. I knew he would agree because the Red Hook brewery is close by and somehow we would end up there testing the beers. We did.

Lots of space now in the living room for napping...

The Nest Empties...

Daughter #1 came to visit this weekend with her true love. They left our house with a budget rental truck containing my kitchen table and chairs, the upstairs vacuum cleaner, two living room chairs, and various odds and ends that she had stored in the basement. And she's only the first one who has left home. Eventually I will be living in a tent. Ah well...it was all a part of my evil plan to get new furniture. Now that I can actually walk through my basement to get to the studio-I went in to work. Daughter # 3 gave me some advice on that one. She said her prof always has to force himself to got to his studio every day. I thought I was the lone ranger. Another gem of wisdom from her teachers...don't let your paintings become precious to you. When you are afraid to work on them for fear of ruining them, it is time to work on them and let them be destroyed. I do have one that I have been hiding from. I love her hand so much that I am afraid I am going to ruin it by working on it and the painting is no where near done. In an effort to avoid my painting, I started work on a drawing for the base of another only to find out that the head was going to be too big for the body. Oh well, I guess I'll use it for something else.

Head without a home...