97 Things Not Everyone Knows About Me

1. I love to sit in the quiet. No music, no phone, no one... Why do the neighbors always seem to pick this moment to turn up the volume on their jazz station?
2. I’m a chronic procrastinator. I was voted president of the Procrastinator’s Club. Let’s have a convention and all get together.... maybe sometime next year.
3. I love listening to my husband’s voice as I lean against his chest. I fell in love with that voice.
4. I love hearing my children laugh.
5. l love the way alizarin crimson and prussian blue watercolor paint just explode on wet paper.
6. I love to watch snow falling straight down, quiet and crisp.
7. I adore the smell of pine needles.
8. I love clean, crisp sheets.
9. I adore red roses that smell as rich as they look.
10. I love staring at a campfire.
11. I own hundreds of books mostly on art.
12. I love to read children’s books. First, because I like to know what is selling out there and second, because children’s books are usually happy, bright, and exciting without sex, violence, alcohol or dark phobias.
13. I have been a receptionist, a theater ticket taker, a graphic designer, a shoe sales person, a bookkeeper, a mom ( and that’s a job, brother!), a teacher, an illustrator, and a writer.
14. I collect small rocks from places I’ve been.
15. I’ve visited Vancouver, Canada, Spain, France, West Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
States I’ve visited include Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Iowa, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and California.
16. I’ve lived in California, Indiana and Spain.
17. I’ve seen the Second Chapter of Acts, Keith Green and Helen Reddy live in concert.
18. I have a fear of heights but I keep it from most people. Perhaps I have a fear of people finding out that I have a fear of heights.
19. I play the piano, or used to a long time ago. I think it’s a muscle that has atrophied.
20. The first movie I ever bought for myself was Star Wars Trilogy.
21. I wanted to be an illustrator for children’s books since I was first introduced to picture books. I love looking at the pictures and wondered what it must be like to draw like that.
22. I took Spanish in the 7th and 8th grades but when I went to Spain it was all useless. They don’t speak the same in Spain as the Spanish spoken in California.
23. I don’t make deep close friends easily but once I do they are close forever.
24. I learned to read in Indiana but moved to California in mid-second grade. When I stood up to read aloud all the kids said I pronounced the words wrong because of my accent.
25. My jaw aches if I chew gum too long.
26. I feel like my step-children are my own. After all I raised them.
27. I used to love Christmas, the smells, the lights, the presents. Now I feel a sense of dread because I can’t lavish presents on all those I love.
28. I don’t think I have a favorite holiday. They all hold something different in store for me. Seasons, expectations, family visits.
29. I used to love my birthday. Now it seems like just another day.
30. I learned ball room dance as a preteen and haven’t used it since.
31. I have 7 grandchildren and I wish I could throw my arms around all of them right now and have a group hug.
32. I used to sew all my own clothes, many times that included underwear.
33. I learned to sew at the age of twelve and was sewing my wardrobe by 13.
34. I sewed most of my kids clothes, whether they liked it or not.
35. Now I rarely sew more than occasional mending.
36. I didn’t like reading in grammar school. It gave me a headache, until they discovered in the 8th grade that I needed glasses.
37. I read incredibly slowly because I was so behind when I got my glasses. But this way I savor each word and phrase, instead of skimming over them.
38. I knit while watching TV.
39. When asked her name by a neighbor, my oldest daughter at one year old thought her name was Luna No-no.
40. The first book I ever read all the way through was “Call of the Wild” by Jack London. I really don’t know what possessed my Dad to buy it for me. He rarely bought things like that for no reason. It meant so much to me I read it all, several times.
41. My favorite ice cream is Butter Pecan. Not chocolate. It must be a personality flaw of some sort.
42. My favorite color is burgundy. I also love red and purple. Perhaps my favorite is just a blend of the two.
43. I am a cat person and my husband is a dog person. Right now we have no pets... life is sweet.
44. We used to eat out several times a week (3 or 4). Now we’re lucky if it’s several times a month. Usually just one.
45. I love pizza with veggie toppings but my cholesterol doesn’t.
46. I used to love cooking and baking. Now my husband does most of it for me. Sweet.
47. I love a good cup of Earl Grey tea.
48. My best friend is my sister. I can tell her anything. But when she was little she was a pest. When did she get to be so smart?
49. I had to have emergency surgery to remove my appendix when I was 18.
50. I used to share a bedroom with my little brother. I was on the top bunk and he had the lower.
51. When I had my appendix out, my brother thought I was going to die so he promised if I’d just come home, I could have the bedroom and he would sleep in the barn. Too bad I was too drugged up to take him up on it.
52. I’m always too hot and like to sleep with the ceiling fan on and my legs hanging out of the covers, even in winter. My husband just doesn’t get it.
53. I love a good clean joke. I memorize them to share with others.
54. I often dream that the house, and in particular my bedroom, is on fire.
55. I am average height, 5’ 6.5” but in Spain I was an Amazon; a head and shoulders above almost everyone there.
56. I rarely take baths. Only showers.
57. I don’t tan. Only freckle. Now if you could get the freckles closer together maybe I would appear to be tan.
58. I won a spelling bee in the 4th grade even though I misspelled the last word. i meant to spell “holly” but spelled “holy”. The teacher gave me the prize because the assignment was to spell the most words about Christmas and “holy” fit.
59. I am usually painting several pictures at the same time.
60. I love to read my Bible every morning.
61. I try to read all the way through the Bible every year.
62. I love watches. I must have 20 some watches.
63. I love watching people in public.
64. I sometimes go to the library reading section and draw the people reading there. Great models. They aren’t moving much.
65. I started wearing hats several years ago. i bought a couple of hats at first and liked them. Suddenly people were giving me hats they didn’t wear or want. Now I have about 37 hats, and only one head.
66. People say I’m such a cheerful person to be around. I work at it, but sometimes I feel very down and don’t let on.
67. I love looking at Christmas lights but hate putting them up or taking them down.
68. I hate watching the news or reading a newspaper. Nothing is new and it’s all bad news, so what’s the point?
69. I’ve never bitten my nails but I chew on the cuticles.
70. I enjoy doing algebraic equations. Must be another personality flaw of some sort.
71. I have lost maybe 700 pounds in my life. The problem is that I keep finding them again.
72. I love sudoku. Numbers seem so constant, so clearly understandable.
73. I like to listen to Contemporary Christian music while driving but not at home. Why is that?
74. I always wondered why my mother could sit and play solitaire by the hour. Now I play it on the computer. I finally get it.
75. I have a pile of books next to my bed waiting to be read.
76. I don’t care for malls. Too noisy and crowded.
77. I like winter better than summer. It’s so much easier to get warm than to cool off.
78. My husband and I were married at city hall by a one-eyed judge. Really.
79. I never drink coffee. Never got used to the bitter taste.
80. I like to drink sodas but gave them up to help my blood pressure.
81. My first car was a green ’68 GMC Suburban. Dad wanted to be sure I was okay in an accident, so he had me drive a tank.
82. I could eat peanut butter by the spoon full right out of the jar.
83. I was pretty sure my dad just didn’t like me when he told me not to marry my first husband.
84. I was sure my mom exaggerated when she said dad wanted to know if we had a turkey for Thanksgiving every year.
85. I’m sure now that dad has been gone from us for 18 years, that he really loved me. Guess I’m just slow.
86. I consider myself to be more spiritual than religious. It’s about Jesus and the Bible more than the name on the church doors.
87. I’ve always rented, never owned a home.
88. It’s not that I’m apathetic, its just that I don’t care.
89. I love classical music, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Dvorjak.
90. I’m trying not to me self-absorbed, but after all, it is all about me.
91. My four children have scattered to the 4 winds. One lives 2 hours away in Modesto, CA. One lives in Dallas TX. One lives in Las Vegas, NV and one lives in Minnesota near Minneapolis. Was it something I said?
92. I don’t like wine. Okay, I have a koolaid mentality. I would rather drink fruit juice.
93. I love to be home in front of the fire or tucked in bed with a friendly book on a rainy day.
94. I love the smell of line-dried clothes.
95. I love to look at old black and white photos, especially ones labeled with names of the family members. My memory isn’t what it used to be.
96. When I was 13 I wanted to be a ballerina. I studied and practiced hard but it wasn’t meant to be. So now I draw and paint ballerinas.
97. I learned to tell jokes by memorizing them like a script. I'm really not a funny person. That's my sister Sherry. I guess I always wanted to have some of that positive attention too so I found a way to copy her without having the natural knack that she has.

Sold paintings

I sold two paintings this week. The first was hanging in a shop downtown. Someone asked if they could pay significantly less than the sticker price and I decided I just couldn't go that low because of the frame. Those of you who are painters... you know, the frame is the most costly part of the whole process. We artists really get soaked for framing. Anyway, later when I went to pick up the painting at the shop, the manager said the person who quoted a price was actually still interested and since she didn't like the frame, she would be willing to buy the painting without the frame. She offered a price I agreed on and just like that, a painting sold. The fun part is knowing someone liked my work enough to pay money for it. Okay, it's not like I can retire tomorrow on what she offered, but its the thrill of knowing she will hang it in her home and enjoy it. That's too cool.

The second painting sold today on my Etsy storefront. If you haven't checked out Etsy before, you should. It is like the Ebay of handmade things. It only costs me 20 cents per item to list on Etsy. That's really affordable. Someone saw a painting on Etsy and paid for it. Now I have to ship it to Massachusetts. One of my paintings will hang in a home in Massachusetts on the other side of the US. I'm so tickled I can't describe the feeling. I am so grateful to God for my gifts and being able to use them. And for people appreciating them before I die!

Portraits

Ever since I had a painting rejected at the SWA membership art show, I have been practicing my portraiture. Back to the old drawing board, literally. I have drawn and drawn and I'm still drawing. I still could use some practice. Some improvement. Couldn't we all. These portraits are of the exchange students I have been working with. I used pastels because they are fast and smooth. Pure pigment on paper. Vanessa is from Germany. Victoria is from Sweden. Kristine is from Norway. It's a shame after getting to know them this past year that it's now almost time to say good-bye to them. They are sweet kids.

Art goes On

So it's been a while since I blogged anything. But art goes on and life goes on with or without me. The truth is sometimes I feel 'wordless' and it's times like that that art works best for me. It speaks for me. It says what I can't say. It has a message even I fail to fully comprehend. So deep it takes me years to see the full meanings. My art is almost a subconscious subliminal message to the ages and to me.

I recently entered three paintings in an art show. The one I was most proud of got nothing. The one I entered as an afterthought got 3rd place and the one I thought would win was rejected. This troubled me so I called one of the judges later to see if the problem was the frame or the size (I really couldn't imagine what i did wrong). But he said it was the drawing. My perspective was off and the drawing was bad. Just when I let myself think I'm pretty good artistically, I get put in my place. Got to watch that over-confidence. Now I should be happy one of my pics won 3rd place. But no. I'm obsessing over the rejected piece.

When I came home from the art show, I decided to put on a happy face and not let this thing bother me. So I entered the house, smiled, greeted my husband with, "Hi honey. I'm home." And he took one look at me and said, "What's wrong. What happened?" How does he do that. I put on a happy face. But he knew. I better not ever have an affair. The man would know right away. So three days later, I was sitting in my art room puttering and he came in to tell me something, stopped short looking into my face and said, "You're thinking about that painting again, aren't you? Don't let those judges get to you. Your painting was good!" How does he do that? It's actually scary!

Bittersweet Memories

Going to a funeral is a bittersweet way to see family you haven't seen in many years. I loved the bond, the food, the friends. It was almost so great I forgot why I'd come. But I prefer to think of it as celebrating a life rather than a loss. I found that though I'm the oly family member that has pursued an art career, I'm not the only "artist" in the family.

The funeral I attended was for my Great Aunt, one week shy of 95 years old, the sister of my grandmother, Lois Russel. I've known her all my life yet I never realized how cleaver and creative she was till the funeral when the family displayed several of her quilts. She really had a knack for picking colors and putting together geometric shapes. Those who received her quilts were honored and grateful to own one. If their house were on fire, they would save their children then rescue the quilt!

Isn't that the mark of a great work of art?

My mother and her sister, also made these masterpiece quilts. I am honored to own two of them. They are treasures. Also they are reminders that I'm not the only artist in the family.

Society of Western Artists

It's a good idea for artists to join a group whenever possible. In my area there are several: Clovis Art Guild, American Association of Artists, Society of Western Artists, to name a few. To be able to get together with like-minded people, network, share frustrations and successes. I belong to the Society of Western Artist, a group of artists dedicated to representational fine art, and having art shows twice a year. Once a month we have a demonstrator who shares his or her talents and techniques before the whole group.

Saturday we had Rudy Murrietta demonstrate his portrait techniques. It was wonderful and informative to watch someone elses methods. I believe I not only learned something new but I was also motivated and inspired to come home and try some of his techniques on my own work.

Pen and Ink illustrations

Many people tell me that they never learned to paint or deal with color because working is just black and white is so much better. That's a cop-out. It's easier. However reducing color to shades of gray can be rewarding and sometimes challenging.

I love working in pen and ink, not the new markers. They are nice but there is something to be said for dipping your nib into an ink well and scratching for a bit then having to return to the ink well. There is something basic, nostalgic, creative, even spiritual. You have to develop patience. It isn't quick and easy. There is the possibility of disaster if you should skip a step and drip on the picture. There is always the possibility of spilling. A scenario I know well having spilled ink on my mothers carpet while working on a picture I won an award for. No one seems to mention the award... just the fact that we had to replace the carpet.

Here are just a few of my pen and ink pieces. I loved doing the dots and the cross-hatching.