After some thought

and my cup of coffee, I decided I would start by looking at the piece as if it were cropped. Really cropped. In the old days before Picasa or Photo Shop I would've hung long strips of white paper to frame my work in order to decide how much to cut off.  I am so glad I have the ability to do this in the computer with Picasa or Photo Shop Elements.  
Want to see what it looks like with about 3 inches off the right side, 8 inches off the left and with the top copped about 1 inch? 

In each of the three images below the cropped off portion at the bottom varies from 1 to 3"

I won't put scissors to this piece for at least a day, maybe two.  Still have some touching up to do here and there.  By the time that is done maybe the old brain will come up with an alternative to ripping off the parts I don't like. Maybe  something more creative and visually interesting, but if it doesn't there's always the fall back... "ripping".  

Thinking...

the main elements of the painting is done.  There are some areas of the flowers and leaves that need attending to to add more definition and shadow.  Like most of what I do, there are some   parts that I am wild about and can't believe that I was able to get the effect that I did with my hand.  Then too with this painting there are parts I ponder.  I am also not happy with the left side of the painting as it is now.  Looks too heavy compared to the right side. I think it needs some of the smaller  leaves on the right side about mid way up at the least.  So I am taking a break.  Making myself a cup of coffee and thinking.  Maybe a way to resolve the issue will come today if not I'm sure it will once I sleep on it.

Painting, reading and movie going

Between the rain drops on Saturday I went to the movies with my girls Lyn and Rene' who is here for a week or so to see "Premium Run" which was an okay movie and something to do.  There's not much in the theatre I've wanted to see this Summer.  I started reading a book in the Lincoln Lawyer series which hasn't grabbed me yet and I am painting. On Sunday while waiting to see what the tropical storm was going to develope into we went to have a late lunch in Winter Haven, 40 minutes away at a place called Fred's.  Great southern home style cooking served buffet style.  It is worth the drive and like having dinner at "mom's" on Sunday after church we brought home some left overs for later.  The collard greens are just plain good.  There are more areas of green to paint but I was getting bored doing so and there is the  background to reconsider because at this time I am not sure  I like the blue I've used ... so  I started painting the flowers.    Here's a look at my progress. 

Painting and waiting for the rains and the winds

that will come as the hurricane approaches.  From what they say the rain and the wind in my neck of the woods will be no more severe than some of our typical summer storms of which I have experienced many. 

I don't think it is the weather that is coming that caused it but this morning I woke in a reflective mood.  The mood caused me to take note of my little piece of the world and the change in the quality of  light that came through my window this morning.  It was softer. Not because it was overcast.  No rather the sky was blue with just a few wispy clouds.  Yet the light was different somehow.  Here we are nearing the end of August.  How quickly the months are passing. 

Summer is going.  Autumn is coming as it does every year, but maybe in my head, faster than I want it to.  The kids around here are back in school. Olivia, my grand daughter in Kentucky finished her first week back as well.   I sort of feel sorry for them.  In the old days we were allowed to run free and play until after Labor Day.   One of the more fun things of going to school when I was a child was the cute kid size easel, the smell of newsprint and temper paint. 

My easel is larger now, adult size.  I use fabric instead of paper. Artist grade watercolor paints replacing the temper of my youth filled.  It's all about the colors.  Color me from a quiet soft blue of the early morning to hopefully a happy sunny yellow by noon.   Mood begone....   

Painting a piece longer than my paint surface means repining and so that is what I had to do yesterday to get to the bottom of the piece. 

that will come as the hurricane approaches.  From what they say the rain and the wind in my neck of the woods will be no more severe than some of our typical summer storms of which I have experienced many. 

I don't think it is the weather that is coming that caused it but this morning I woke in a reflective mood.  The mood caused me to take note of my little piece of the world and the change in the quality of  light that came through my window this morning.  It was softer. Not because it was overcast.  No rather the sky was blue with just a few wispy clouds.  Yet the light was different somehow.  Here we are nearing the end of August.  How quickly the months are passing. 

Summer is going.  Autumn is coming as it does every year, but maybe in my head, faster than I want it to.  The kids around here are back in school. Olivia, my grand daughter in Kentucky finished her first week back as well.   I sort of feel sorry for them.  In the old days we were allowed to run free and play until after Labor Day.   No, my old self is not wishing for my yesterdays, but I do remember one of the more fun things about going to elementary school  was  the ever present kid size easels, empty coffee cans filled with   long handled paint brushes, the smell of wet newsprint and temper paint. 

My past is very much part of my present.

My easel is larger now, adult size.  My newsprint is fabric. Artist grade watercolor paints have replaced the jars of temper of my youth filled.  Its still about the joy.  It's all about the colors. 

Color me a quiet soft blue of the early morning to hopefully a happy sunny yellow by noon.     Mood begone....   

Painting a piece longer than my paint surface means repining and so that is what I had to do yesterday to get to the bottom of the piece. 

A hurrican is coming

so they say.  While painting I am keeping my ears attuned to the telly and staying breast of what is happening.  Orlando is in the middle of the state.  Theoretically a hurricane can threaten from either side of the state or come straight up the middle.  There was more concern earlier in the week when the models and warnings had the storm  coming straight up the middle, but as time has passed the predicted path has changed.  The eye of the storm is now predicted to be further to the gulf side (Tampa) and more and more out into the gulf.  As of this morning, if the storm maintains this off shore gulf path   the possibility that the chances that I or anyone in the Orlando area will be adversely affected has decreased dramatically. 
This is not the first hurricane threat that I have experienced since moving to Florida.  The first turned out to be no more than an above average breeze that I did nothing to prepare for.  The second one, I did move the balcony furniture inside just in case because if it did come my way while I was out of town, I didn't want things blowing around out there.  Once again, with much relief and joy, nothing happened.
 But I am not being blase' about this tropical storm/hurricane warning.  You know what "they" say, "third time could be the charm".   We will be on the "dirty side of the storm" so heavy rain and wind is still possible.   I am prepared and we will see.
In the mean time I will continue to paint.  Here's a look at yesterday's progress.

I'm back at the easel

It's been awhile and because it has I had to re-educate my painting hand. I also had more than a few minutes of self doubt as I began to put paint to cloth.  But the joy of painting soon took over and I let myself flow into it. Here's a look at the progress I made yesterday.  This piece will be just shy of 6' long.   Now I am going back to the easel. 

Thought I'd check in to let you know

I haven't fallen over or dropped off the face of the earth. 

Where have you been? What are you up to?  Nothing much as far as what I consider interesting enough to write about. Have read a couple of books and went to see the Bourne Legacy.  Books okay, movie...not bad. 

Beside that all it seems I have been doing of late is sitting at my desk.  So much so that I decided to rearrange the apartment and move my desk to the window so I could at least look out and see the sky while I  have been spending most of my awake hours making plans for the  up coming bus trip to the Houston Quilt Festival that the local quilt guild I belong to is sponsoring.  When I volunteered to organize bus trips for the guild, I knew it wasn't going to be as simple as getting into my own car, programing the GPS and taking to the road.  Far from it.   Dealing with the needs of 46 other people has to be considered.  There was the search for enough hotel/motel rooms and booking them.  Buying tour package tickets to the Quilt Show.  Talking to the bus company and understanding the  national transportation regulations as they relate to drivers of big buses which includes having to plan rest stops and driver change locations.  Then there was the problem of where to eat and working those stops into the schedule driver rest break stops.  It took a lot of searching on google and Map Quest. And so many other little piddly things that piddly or not still need addressing.    But as of Monday afternoon I  have most of the planning completed and behind me.

As far as creativity.  That has taken a back seat for the last two weeks but it is now time to return to my "artist" life.  There are two up coming competitions that I am thinking of entering so I must get back to the sewing machine soon to put facing and sleeves on five pieces that are quilted, trued up and are rolled and waiting at the foot of my bed.

After my last teaching engagement I was down to less than 2 yards of silk broadcloth in the stash, but an order with enough cloth to keep me busy for awhile should be arriving in the next few days as well as an order of watercolor paints to replenish depleted tubes of my favorite colors.