Some Progress!



Some progress made on the drawing of my father.



I write in my journal almost every night and I have kept a journal for over 25 years.

Some of the things I have created over the years.

A new pencil set.

Watching Coronation Street and drinking coffee on a Sunday morning.

My bedroom is my sanctuary and I love my bed.

I've made some progress on the drawing of my father, slow progress, but progress just the same. As well, here are some photos from the 100happydays project. I really enjoy looking for things that make me happy. :)

WIP!



The start of a new drawing of my father. He's looking a little spooky at this stage but he should look more alive after a couple of drawing sessions.



Completed!

Self Portrait
Done, done and done! Lol! I started another portrait of my father. I decided to put the Lana drawing on hold for now because as I was going through my photos the other day, I discovered one of my dad that I had taken and forgotten about. He had let his hair grow too long and hadn't shaved and he reminded me of Scrooge. I love drawing my father's face because it has so many lines and interesting details on it.

Happy Moments!

A clean fridge inside and out is awesome!

A basket full of freshly washed and folded hand towels and facecloths is always nice.

Vincent, one of five cats that I live with. :)

I'm sitting in bed now drinking a cup of apple tea with honey while I write. With me, in various cozy spots around my bedroom, are four cats and one dog, all sleeping peacefully. I feel much better today and I went on an excursion to Chapters/Starbucks and had a yummy bevvie while I read the mags. I also treated myself to a new pencil set which I am eager to try out very soon. I've posted some photos from the 100happydays project which I'm enjoying very much. Tomorrow I will spend packaging some goodies to send off to magazines in hopes of publication, always a fun thing to do. Goodnight and sweet dreams. xo

Almost Finished!

So, I was almost finished the portrait when I noticed that the eyes were off a bit. I couldn't quite understand what I was seeing because it looked like the photo. My eyes on the photo were a little off too which was odd but I hadn't noticed. Feeling frustrated with a lead weight in my stomach -- the feeling I get when I mess up my drawings -- I erased the eyes and tried again. I'm a little more satisfied with the results and I will post a photo tomorrow when I can take one in the daylight. I took the reference photo with my phone and my daughter says the camera can skew the photos. Anyway, I had a great week drawing, despite being sick. I was afraid at times that I would sneeze all over my work and that wouldn't do, nope. Lol! Next up is a drawing of Lana Del Rey for my daughter, Becca! It should be a fun one to do.

Work In Progress!

Here are some progress images of a self portrait I have been working on the last couple of days. I still have a lot of work left to do on the face and hair but I love to draw and I've been sick with the flu and it's been snowing, windy and cold outside so it's all good. The neck and shoulders will come next once I'm happy with the rest. The lighting of the images is a little inconsistent because I have been taking the progress shots at different times of day. The first image is the truest because I took this in daylight. The second and third I took with night time light so they are a little washed out looking.

A Week of Happiness!

I love drawing so much and I could do it forever. This is the beginning of a self-portrait. I haven't done one in awhile.

I'm reading the second book in the series, A Game of Thrones. I'm reluctant to watch the shows before finishing the books.

A beautiful, unexpected rose for Valentine's Day.

Yummy beverages and stimulating conversation with my family at our local coffee/bookstore and then a bit of browsing of the shelves afterwards is a great way to spend a cold, Winter evening.

Yoga in my bedroom helps me connect to my spirit and to find peace and stretch my body.

A Sunday afternoon enjoying a lovely fire and sharing a meal with a good friend and family.

As I sit here looking at these photos of my life and all the happy moments that I have experienced this week, I reflect on how happiness truly cannot be bought. It's the quiet times I spend with myself and the good times I spend with my family that mean the most to me. I'm feeling very grateful for my life right now. Namaste.

Happy Valentine's Day!

That first sip of coffee in the morning when just out of bed.

Being safe and snug inside with your family while a storm rages outside.

A bubble bath and a bit of reading before my work day starts.

Homemade blueberry pancakes for lunch on a weekday.

I've been participating in the 100 Happy Days Project and these are my images for the week of happy moments captured on camera. I'm generally a happy person anyway so finding things that make me happy is very easy. :)

View from my yoga mat on my bedroom floor.

The beginnings of a portrait drawing for a client. It's turning out to be quite challenging.



New Jewelry.



Oil painting of snowy trees.

New Painting!

Here's a painting done from one of the photos I took on my trip to Istanbul. I loved the simplicity of the red and white flowers and the ancient stone and old door. We had just finished touring a palace and were leaving the grounds when I spotted this little scene and had to photograph it.

Some Days Just Suck!

Why is it that PMS can cause such havoc in my life? Sure, my car is broken, there are leaks all over the house when it rains, my dog pees on the carpet on a regular basis, my cat pukes everywhere, my computer sucks, I ate way too many chocolate covered creamcheese pops and I skipped my yoga practice two days in a row. These things are just a normal part of my life and I usually deal with them in an "oh well" kind of way. But for a couple of days each month my life feels like it's falling apart and I have lost all control of everything and I just want to die.I have to keep telling myself over and over that this too shall pass and I will return to my wonderful, positive self before long. Deep breaths help when I feel I am about to hyperventilate. I look forward to the end of the day when I can meditate and get in touch with that deeper, quieter part of myself and feel grateful that I survived it all! Lol!

A Good Life!

Snowy day outside my window

Can't wait for Spring to sit on the bench beneath the trees

Relaxing on a Sunday afternoon reading my Kobo when I really should be working on a commission

An oil painting I completed in the Fall

My latest art doll, Ruth

Some earrings in my Etsy shop

Experimenting with crochet bracelets

2013 was an incredibly productive year for me creatively and otherwise. I accomplished some things I had on my bucket list and I started some new habits that have followed me into 2014. The long, cold and dark days of January were spent painting, knitting, crocheting, working on an art doll and making jewelry. I've read some great books and spent time thinking about my future. I have a good life and I'm so grateful for all that I have and for all that is yet to come. I can't wait to see what this year brings for me. :)

Time Flies!



Huge doors everywhere! I love huge doors!




Awesome architecture




I loved the turquoise buses.




Rainbow stairs




Abandoned wooden building




Tea by the sea




My daughter and I


My poor neglected blog! Lol!
Life has been very good to me this past year and I have had some great adventures. I visiited Istanbul in November and I had the best time ever. The architecture was amazing and I could have stayed there forever taking photograph after photograph. I have started painting some of the images from my trip and I will eventually share those here on my blog.



My day began in beauty with these gorgeous shadow patterns all over the garden



and ended in beauty with a spectacular sky leading us home after a fun excursion out, and again as I took a walk with my daughter and Gennie.



I've started a new oil painting and the above image shows the progress I have made so far.

The Crane!

I had a very good day today. Becca and I headed out to town to get some soap making supplies and groceries. Conveniently, I was able to buy all I needed in one store. I spent my afternoon making soap and a special healing cream I've been wanting to make for years. I grew the calendula and roses in my garden and I dried the flowers and made an infusion with olive oil. I used this infused oil along with sweet almond oil, beeswax, coconut oil, water and tea tree oil to make the cream. It turned out beautifully. Tomorrow I will post some photos of my creations.
I've been extremely busy in a very happy, creative and productive way. I made more space in my garage to paint larger paintings and I got busy making frames to stretch canvas over so I could paint, paint and paint some more. The above image is on one of the big 4ft x 5ft canvasses that I made and it's a scene I saw while on my vacation in Florida. I had such an amazing and incredible time and I wanted to recapture a little of what I saw while there.
I have the subject for my next painting picked out and I will start painting it this week, preferably tomorrow. My daughter is leaving in two weeks to attend university in Turkey and we have been spending as much time together as possible while shopping and getting her ready to go. I will miss her so much.
I've been reading lots and going to movies and hanging with family and friends this summer, which turned out to be so hot this year. I love it and I love drinking my coffee on the deck every morning while writing in my journal. I will even bundle up and sit out there on the not so hot days. All is so good in my world. I hope it is in your world too. :)