The Trail

 

I'm back from my Appalachian Trail adventure with the Venture Crew :)
It was... hard to explain
exhausting
challenging
aggravating
amazing
invigorating
beautiful
fun
miserable
wonderful

all at the same time!

I had a lot of time to think and reflect. I want to write it down before I forget it... but first,
it's back to the rest of the real life that I've let go while I've been off playing for the last few weeks.

I'll be back soon
after I get some stuff done
:)

Atlas Shrugged

 

This could be Atlas, with the weight of the world not momentarily resting on his shoulders
It could be Nick putting his dad on a pedastle
It was very, very funny to the folks sitting on their deck watching us pose
It is a very real photo
I really love this picture

Two variations on a theme

Sunset,
two different nights this week
two different places
Relaxing at the beach
and relaxing at home.

I like them both
But home is a little... sharper... isn't it? Meaner?
But it's still home sweet home
and it's actually more peaceful in someways
home is home, after all.

You can't tell by looking at the beach photo
but at my back
are hundreds of thousands of people
vacationing at the Jersey Shore

And you can't tell by looking at the home photo
but the neighborhood is very quiet
and crickets are chirping, and music is playing
and no one is home but me.

This is what I've been working on lately

 

I played with this for a long time before I figured out what I wanted to do with it. I really like the way it came out. I put actual pages of a book down first, and then painted on top of them. The quote is only me, I decided I wanted to just say something from myself, not try to look up something that someone else said. Not what I usually do, but I wanted to play... and I'm getting tired of trying to paint people, lol :)

This is a small one I just finished

 

It was a quick painting but I really like it. I like the idea of adding words... maybe it's trite or hokey, but I do like the idea...

This is the one I'm working on right now.

 

I like the idea and the vision I have of it in my head. I don't know if I'll be able to get that vision on paper. It's nowhere near that yet. But I plan on working on this one for a really long time, and I have a long way to go, so maybe I'll get there. It kinda matches the one I have already hanging in the dining room... But I am still terrible at people, and I still don't know how to get those cartoony people to look REALLLL...

I'm in training :)

Time to get ready
We're going to hike again
I need to get in shape
The trail is calling

 

Nick's spinner craft video

What else should I say? It is just that. Nick made a spinner craft and I liked it so I video taped it. So... there you are.

Painting Parties

I love to paint, even though I'm never going to be a great artist. It doesn't matter because I enjoy it. (Although I'd enjoy it even more if it was turning out spectacular, I must admit!) But my belief is that art is great for arts sake, you don't have to be great at it, you don't have to paint something that looks exactly like what you are drawing, I believe you need to get down how you feel about what you are drawing. I'm not good at that either (lol) but it's still fun! And I guess it helps that I am not trying to get paid for my paintings - because that would be pressure of a different sort. But I love exploring what happens when you mix this color and that color, and if you use this brush instead of that brush, and if you add more water or glop it on. It's all fun for me.

 

And that's what I've been telling the kids, and Thor, too. Just paint, it doesn't have to be good, just do it! And they seem to be enjoying it, because we've had a few painting parties lately and everyone has hung out for a long while to paint with me, and that is a LOT of fun for me! I think they are having fun too...
:)

Here are my paintings

I'm starting with the most recently finished, and working my way backwards to the oldest. Well, the oldest of the group that I'm doing right now, this summer. So anyway, don't think they are going to get better as they go along. And I do still have one that I'm working on now, that isn't anywhere near done, that I didn't post. It's nothing like this group, it is more of a collage and more random and I'm playing more with it. I'll post it in the next group, because I think that what I'm working on is the direction I'm going to go in next - more hodge podge.

Anyway, please feel free to comment (but don't feel like you have to comment just to make me feel better.) Say whatever you really mean, if you say anything at all. I don't mind constructive criticism, I'm trying to improve. What you see here basically represents practice more than anything else. Hopefully, some day practice will make perfect. Or at least practice will make better.

Sun rise at the waterfront

I thought of this one when I was at the "Relay for Life" walkathon... I went to watch the sun rise and wanted to paint it. Although I was alone on the park bench :P
I started it a while ago, but I just finished it last night. It didn't come out the way I wanted it to... but then again, none of them really do... but I like it pretty much.

The Family Tree

I started this one on ...Friday I think?... and finished it on Sunday.


It's my Dad, although like I said he doesn't really look alot like that - although I think my Grandfather, in the back, looks pretty good. I worked from photos for both of them. It's about my Grandfather's story about growing the peach tree from a pit. I remember him talking about it just before he passed away, and I remember thinking that it was a really important story about him. And now my father has a peach tree in the back yard, and I think of it as him keeping a piece of his father alive.

James and Tara

I did this one pretty fast after vacation. I like the picture, but I don't really think it looks much like James and Tara. I worked from a photo, which I posted below.



I picked this photo because I liked the sparkles on the water, and I wanted to paint them. I don't think I did a great job on the kids, but I like the water...

I like this one.

I did this one after I did all of the self portrait things below, and I wanted to do something more fun. I like this one. It's not supposed to be anyone in particular, but I think the fairy looks like Beth a bit...

Self Portrait 1 - I actually like this, surprisingly

although I'm not sure how much it looks like me. I messed up the bottom half, so I added a fan, lol :)

Self Portrait 2 - I like this one the least

and I'm still messing with it. Yesterday, it had all very grey and white hair, and I made it brown. I might change it again tomorrow.

Self Portrait 3 - most like me?

I guess this one is best... Hopefully I'll get better...

It started as a self portrait, but...

... I kept playing with it. I don't look anything like that, but it looks like SOMETHING. Again - like I said - these are the earliest things, I'm going from newest to oldest...

Early attempt - ballerina

Comment! (I like constructive criticism)

Link to an article

This article about BP, and about our government - and in fact our society's - response to corporate America - was a really good read...