Snifing Glue, but not Inhaling

Right now we are building collages out of torn pieces of paper in my watercolor class. I thought it would be a lot like decoupaging, and maybe it is, but it had been a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. Did you know there is a National Society of Collage Painters and the have a chapter in Colorado. If the decorative painters can have a society, why not have one of Collage painters?

Anyway, here is my 1st attempt. Note how muddy it is. I learned it is best not to use to many diferent patterns.

Here is my second. Much cleaner. It is not finished. I still have to finish the duck face and the duck reflection.

Here is my third. I took one of the eagles from last month (eagle #4) and just started layering torn paper.  I should have done more planning.

 Besides working with glue, I have also been working on these darn lions since July.

This is a painting done by Judy Patti, my watercolor teacher. I plan on using it and the pictures Judy sent me of the poor farm for inspiration for what will hopefully be my masterpiece rendering of the painting I have been planning to for Mom for the last couple of years.

Reading Update

I just finished reading The Judgement of Paris, by Ross King.  Learned so much about the impressionistic artist at the turn of the century.  While the book was short.  Twenty-five percent of it was footnotes. It covered a lot of ground. I will have to digest, and then go back and read again, but right now I need something light and fluffy. Perhaps a nice dog tale.

Snow Bunnies

While my painting endeavors do require a lot of attention, occasionally I will do something besides think about painting.

Here I am with my sister and niece doing lunch at Norstoms.

And here I am enjoying watching my dog making snow bunnies. People make angles, puppies make bunnies.

Plantronics CS540 with HLHL10

I am so excited about my new at work 'toy.'  It's a wireless headset with a phone receiver lifter. Its one of those things you don't realize you need it until you have it and then you don't kow how you lived without it.

You wear the headset then when the phone rings you push a button in front of your ear, that lifts up the receiver on you phone and press dough you are one the phone.  You can be up to 350 feet away from you phone, so mad dashing when the phone rings. 

I especially love it for the many web ex meetings I am now expected to attend. There is nothing more tiring than holding the phone to your ear with you neck for hours on end. Technology, who knew!

 As you can see you do have to contend with a few wires. I am going to try and hide behind art work, perhaps the six inch tile I stamped.

Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic

Sheila and I took a color pencil class with Paula Leopald over the weekend. Repetitive motion is so relaxing. Here are my results. I think Sheila was pleased with her results too, because she has her's framed and hanging on the wall.

Coffee Musings

What is the proper way to make coffee you ask? Why, you add hot water and use it as a painting medium.  Here are a couple of paintings I made using freeze dry coffee as a medium last December.

Where the oprey and buffalo roam

I was talking the Sheila the other day and she made the remark that she could not see any improvement in her work since she started drawing  in November.  Now, you might think a couple of months is not enough time, but  it got me thinking , have I improved since I started back in June of '11?

I am trying techniques that I have never tried before, but because each technique is new, my first efforts "do not demonstrate a proficiency."   I decided that maybe I need to do the project more than once.  Here are the result of a couple of different projects. 

 eagle 1

 eagle 2

 eagle 3 and 4

 buffalo 1

Buffalo 2-  The bison will have be reposted after they are complete.

I have come to the conclusion it may take me longer than most to see improvement.  My second, third, and even fourth attempts seem to render the same result as my first efforts.