Tantivy

I have been very busy or at least felt very busy for the last several weeks and the blog is what got left behind. Here's the story. Last week DH picked me up from painting class and we headed to SC and younger daughter's house - a five hour or so trip. In their not large house we had four adults and five large dogs. Well, actually, one of the dogs is just medium sized, being a mix of Cocker Spaniel and some kind of terrier. It was hilarious. One of the dogs would start barking and all of them would run around barking and trying to figure out what they were barking about. They would run out the dog door and down the steps then outside only to find that one member, the one who started the barking, wasn't with them. She was planted on the best seat of the sofa, ready to be rubbed by whoever was sitting next to her at the time. I say "her" because Jackson was the only male and (and he is neutered) and he spent most of the time bewildered and obviously trying to figu...

I hope that you don't mind seeing drawings and more drawings because that is about all I have been doing. Unless, that is, you would like me to explain about how the church looks at the Bible and what that means for us. Yeah, I thought that the drawings would be preferable and to tell you the truth, I am too tired to do thoughtful and thought provoking writing tonight. So here are the drawings and the painting. This painting still has layers to go but this is where it stands now. It is supposed to be a narrative painting, telling a story and is supposed to incorporate  words, etc. I am not even sure which way is up right now, but I will get that worked out. I went to the studio late this morning to work on it but after an hour or so it got so cold that I had to come in. What's with this cold weather? This is the third and last rendition of the water scene. I used liquid pencil on it and a little colored pencil. The drawing on this one is better but the background sti...

Last night DH watched and I listened to a program about animal brains which showed quite a bit about how smart crows are. When we lived in the mountains there were a lot of crows and I really enjoyed watching them. This guy was my favorite. He hung around a lot.  This should have Wanted written under it.  I messed with this one on photoshop elements.  These lilacs were a gift from our next door neighbor. Last night I drifted to sleep with the lovely scent wafting my way. What a luxury.  Outside the windows the pink dogwood is doing its best. The poor thing has dogwood blight and is slowly dying but is giving us all it can each year. I wish there was something to be done but I have talked to the arborist and there is nothing to do.  This end of the living room is clean again after moving my desk out.  I can't say that for this end.  A really interesting app called Waterlogue paints from your photos. Don't you like...

(I wrote this a few days ago but got called away and didn't post it. Since then I have darkened the background of this drawing. Much better. ) This post will be really short. Did I hear a sigh of relief? I am still selecting things to get out of the house, including furniture, and all else. Except maybe china. I have a thing for china. I have bought some decorative boxes to hold the things removed from the desk, but haven't put them to use yet. This is art week. Last night DH, Vicki and I went to Chattanooga to an art show where several of our class mates (art class) were exhibiting some of their work. Tonight we go to Atlanta to see another show. Anne Bagby, from whom Vicki and I have taken classes, will be showing some of her fantastic work. I would love to own a piece of her work. I just wanted to show you my colored pencil drawing that is finished (actually, once you see it online you think, "That needs a little..."). I really enjoyed working on this and thi...

I am sure that you have been where I am now.  It is variously described as running as fast as I can or meeting myself coming and going - or maybe a little of both. What made me think that I could take three classes a week and do some serious editing of our household goods, getting several things out of the house each day? (today it was several large bags of fabric) Ha! So what did I do? I started keeping a drawing journal, not to be confused with a daily diary. Daily would surely do me in. Drawing/sketching just records what is important or interesting or what catches your eye. Just for fun.  Here is the only drawing I have done. This drawing and future ones will be in ink. I can hardly even think of drawing in ink, much less actually do it and yet I did. The human mind/will or whatever being what it is, if you just jump in and don't worry almost anything can be done. There are several false lines here but I just made myself ignore them and keep on going. It is no prize...

As you probably know, I find life almost unbearably beautiful. Everywhere there are beautiful gifts from nature, beautiful faces, great books, absorbing study,loving people and so much else that a gracious God has given us in this world. With that attitude, and it really is mine, why do I paint things like this ? I always thought that I would paint beautiful things to share the beauty I see all around me. This is not beautiful. It is colorful. It is maybe a little disturbing. Either I am deeply affected on a level I am not conscious of what I read or I have some deeply hidden anger and pain. Deeply hidden - I am not conscious of that either. Or, as DH says, I am a hair off plumb.  If you have a better answer I would love to hear it, because I really don't know. The piece above, nearly finished, is what came of a start to make the first layers of a piece we are working on in painting class. It took an abrupt turn and became what it is. The new first several layers are shown be...