Paint every day?

I don't think a day has gone by in several years that I didn't paint on something. So when I was due for hip replacement surgery I figured time off work to just lay around and convalesce would be the perfect time to paint more than usual. However, this has not been the case. I can hardly believe how much time I spent sleeping. The first week, I didn't do anything more constructive than eat and sleep. Almost three weeks since the surgery now and I still haven't picked up a paint brush to paint more than one picture. i want to say "what's wrong with me" but I decided to be kinder to myself and allow myself to fully recover before requiring my normal habits to come back. I haven't given up on art, just taken a break till I feel better. How did Mary Cassat do it? She created day and night, thousands of paintings, pastels and drawing in her lifetime. I need to keep the momentum up if I dare stay in the same category with the greats of old.

Live Painting at The Well

I don't know who I think I am but Wonder Woman I'm not. When I was approached to do a live painting during the church service, I jumped at it. It is a wonderful experience. The concept is that you have from the moment the music begins to the moment the pastor says "Amen" to completely finish a painting (usually about 55 minutes). It's not as hard as it sounds if you have it all planned out and prepared, plenty of brushes so you don't waste time rinsing between colors, etc. But I knew this was going to happen just 6 days after my surgery and I probably wouldn't be up to standing in front of a canvas. So I borrowed a wheel chair and figured "no problem". Then they asked if I could do the live painting for two services (the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.) and I said sure without thinking how tired I might be after one. Yes. It's official. I'm an idiot. However the Lord is good. Though I was extremely tired after the first service the adrenaline and the Holy Spirit helped me through both services and the rest is history. The sermon was based on the Scripture in Philippians 2 where it says that he humbled himself and became a man but then humbled himself further to death even the death on the cross. I wanted to portray that he grew up like the rest of us but he had to grow up under the shadow of the cross. Done in acrylic for fast drying.

Angelic

This little girl is a neighbor girl. She was sitting barefoot on the sidewalk looking up expectantly at the little boy who was feverishly trying to fix her bike. She had such and angelic look on her face, I had to paint her. Sometimes, inspiration is waiting for you right on the sidewalks just outside your door.

I used the wrinkled paper effect again for this one. It gives a stained glass look that I thought was perfect for angels.

Wrinkled Paper Effect

I call this painting "Fall Out". I so love the colors of fall and the other elements jumped out at me one day from a curb. They looked intriguing so I took them home to sketch.

I first drew the composition in pencil. I got my paper all wet in the bathtub then wadded it up like I was going to throw it away. Careful not to tear the now wet paper, I unwrapped and smoothed out the wadded paper and began painting. The watercolors seeped into the wrinkles or bruises, making a kind of stained glass effect. I almost looks three-dimensional. After the paper is completely dry, the details are added.

Knitting can be artistic too

I have been knitting sweaters in the Fair Isle style for many years. Lately I have done several for local shops to sell and some on commission for individuals. It has been very relaxing and very fulfilling artistically. I love having something to do when I am in my "down time" mode. Watching TV, riding in the car (with someone else driving of course), waiting for a doctor visit. And this is a frugal way to use up small pieces of yarn that otherwise would be thrown out. The patterns are fun to do, mixing and matching colors and patterns and designs. Here are just a few of my more recent knitted sweaters.