Keeping and Eye on the Prize

Yesterday, My favorite Coloradian sister and I decided to celebrate our birthdays with a gift certificate my brother, Jon, gave me to the Olive Garden (thank you)  and a trip to the Dillard's New Year's day sale.

While Barbara focused on quality I took care of quantity.  Needless to say a good time was had by all.  We  have decide to try again next year and we have already started planning next year's event (starting with having breakfast instead of lunch it will be cheaper and it will give us more shopping time).   We have 365 days to make a plan and strategize best ways to achieve that goal.

New Learnin's

For the last two weeks we have been working on a painting using paynes grey (brand name Maimeri) and freeze dry coffee (Kava) in my Wednesday night watercoloring class.  I think the effect of using just these two colors is stunning.

The only other project I have completed recently is a study the President of the Rocky Mtn Hi, Marilyn, taught at the Ross U Hill Library on November 17th.  A good time was had by all that mattered (me).

 

We used an upgraded craft paint called DecoArt Americana Traditions.  I love, love, love this paint!  I have not been able to find the upgraded paint in town, so have been ordering online (Dick Blick). 

Gourds and More

My Painting teacher has been pretty busy this month and we have not met since the last part of October. So I have no new water color painting  to show this month.

On the other hand,  the decorative painters have kept me busy this.  For our October meeting I took a co-worker and we painted gourds. Neither one of us had ever painted on gourds before, and as you can see we did not see how to paint a gourd the same. Then when we had our November meeting a few gals brought their finished product and they did not see gourd painting like me or Roxanne.

Roxanne's Gourd

Verlene's Gourd

Gourds brought to meeting 

The decorative painters sponsored a class using Dr Martin's Hydrus Fine Art Liguid Watercolors towards the end of October. I know the drawing has issues (especially the butterfly) but I do like how vibrant the colors are. This is the first time I have ever used this media. October was full of first for me.

Even back in the 80's I did better with my colors than most, but not better with my drafting ability. Anyway,  here is my painting.

Pumpkins and Hillsides

The decorative painters had a workshop last Saturday. A rubber stamp was used to emboss a pattern on paper, then filled with gold embossing powder. then we use H2O twinkle paints to fill in the leaves and pumpkins. A good time was had by all.


In my regular painting class we have been working on a hillside landscape for the past month.

 

We took Brandy to the vet two weeks ago and the vet said he could hear a heart murmur  and the best thing we can do (besides expensive testing ) was to reduce her weight. So, I have been pretty diligent about only giving her dry dog food. Unfortunately, I do not believe Paul is doing the same.

 It is so much easy for me to control her food intake than to control what I eat.

A Really Big Shew

Yesterday was the annual art show for the Rocky Mtn Chapter of the SDP. I enter five pieces and three actually place. I feel so validated!

My aspen trees placed 1st in the landscape group.

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The lilacs placed second in the floral/fruit group.

And the cow placed second in the animal/bird group.

 Here are the ones that did not place. In one respect, they are like children. You like 'em just as much as the ones that placed. However, it was nice to receive outside validation for the other pieces. Does that make me shallow?

In other news, I ran into my friend Sheila Hutchinson at work the other day. She will be working in my building for at least six months.  I haven't seen her in about ten years!  Ten years ago she lost her job, got another job and was working in Montreal. She looks really good. I had lunch with her today, but I forgot to take her picture.