Were The Stars Out That Night?



Childhood in Buffalo Springs VA, acrylic, 18x24

This is all true--I couldn't make this stuff up:

When I was three, I had a pet squirrel.  Whisko Wilkerson was his name.  I traded him to gypsies for a bird; the bird only lived for a few weeks.  The gypsy caravan came through southern Virginia on Rt. 58 about once a year and Dad let them park overnight in front of our country store; we got our palms read and we children were never stolen.

When I was about five, I saw a flying saucer come towards our back yard as I stood near the gate.  I ran into the house screaming; I escaped.  (Okay, it's possible that was one of the days I had watched someone patch an inner tube at the store--I loved the smell of that glue.)  My flying saucer looks a lot like a recessed ceiling light; maybe I was seeing the future.

At six, a calf was born and she became my pet--Pansy.  I used my hair brush on Pansy and I rode on her back.  Before my father studied to became a minister, he was a businessman--he owned the store which was on ten acres, owned several rental farms, was an antique dealer, drove a school bus, and he bought and sold livestock.  HE SOLD PANSY!  I'm sure I cried, but probably quietly, in my room.  About a month later, he hitched the trailer to the car and he brought Pansy home--I'll bet he lost money on that deal.  He told me much later that, as we drove past Pansy's new pasture on the way to church every Sunday, he could feel my feet pressing into the back of his driver's seat and just couldn't take it anymore.  I didn't know I was doing that--I was concentrating on holding my breath and trying not to cry.  

If we're lucky our parents teach us lessons in caring.  Happy Father's Day.

I'm considering adding a few faint stars to the sky (maybe the Virgo constellation for Dad's birthday); when I started this painting Saturday night the sky was starless and gray.  This painting makes me smile and it was great getting back into my studio for four straight days and having real paint under my fingernails again.



Childhood in Buffalo Springs VA (w/stars added)

 Sat. 6/16/12--IMPORTANT UPDATE.  Out of curiosity, I googled "UFOs in 1947" and the results were exciting.  There was a six-week "wave" of reported sightings that year--all over the US.  I only reported my sighting to my parents and, until this blog, never mentioned it to anyone.  Maybe I really did see a flying saucer!!  

Reading Dreams

Untitled, created in SketchbookPro on iPad

Our local newspaper sometimes has an insert called Lake Country Living.  I was surprised to see an article by my blogger friend Celeste Bergin on Page 4.

Unfortunately, I woke up this morning before I could read the article (I often dream of reading newspapers, scientific books, poems, and lawyer stuff).  I remember the title, that it was the left-hand column, half-way down the page.  Had I stayed asleep and actually read the article, it probably would have said that Celeste has worked hard to earn what sounds like the wonderful artist's life--the classes, the shows, the coffee-shops-in-Portland, museum visits, hanging out with other artists.  She has earned the gifts and now enjoys them.

I cannot guess why the article was illustrated with this atrocious gaudy boudoir chair--deep red cushion, white wood with gold paint, curlicues.  I don't think it's Celeste's taste and I don't remember seeing one on Antique Road Show (and that's the way it was facing in my dream newspaper--I would have flipped it).  

Hallie's Cleaning Tips--I have none.  Quentin Crisp said cobwebs soften corners and when you've got a quarter inch of dust, no more accumulates. 

Waiting



Waiting

My husband had more back surgery today; hopefully, it will alleviate some of his pain.  He'll be in the hospital for a few more days.

This drawing was done on a website a few years ago--and I don't remember the name of the site (Celeste had tried it and provided a link).  It was fun; lots of lines. 

Waiting is much easier now with an iPad.

A Mother's Reach

Reaching, size variable, iPad painting

My mother lived with me for a while when she was suffering with Alzheimer's/dementia.  She explained her illness once--she extended her right hand and said that names and memories were floating in the space just beyond her grasp.  Several years after her death I dreamed that I saw her stuck in concrete up to her waist, wearing her raincoat.  This has been in my head for about four years--time to let it go.  This was painted with the iPad app, Procreate. 



Pansy, colored pencils on paper, 18x12

Happy Mother's Day

This drawing began with one pansy; then it grew--had to add a sheet to the bottom.  Planning.  What's that?

When I Met Harry



Chase City VA, pastel, 16x12

I finally had this framed last week--the 98-percent finished pastel had been lying in my studio since October .  When I showed it to friends, they said, "That's Harry's house."  I asked, "Who the heck is Harry?"

I was one of the artists invited to display a few works at the celebration of MacCallum More Museum and Gardens' listing on the Virginia Landmark Register and on the National Historic Register.  Since it's in Chase City, I set up this painting at the Sunday afternoon event (I also took my iPad and a printed copy of my iPad Bottle painting). 

When I Met Harry

And.......someone fetched Harry!  He said he chose the old mill because it was the most interesting building in Chase City.  Perhaps the building and occupant found each other.

Every local who saw the painting had a great story about the Southside Roller Mill, the water tower, or what they did down by the railroad tracks

MacCallum More is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon; here's a photo from an earlier visit. 

Autumn at MacCallum More Museum and Gardens



Pest Control



Pest Control, size variable, iPad screenshot

Another summer, more bug spray.  My husband has armed himself, and all the bugs who wander onto our front porch get zapped--he thinks there are no good bugs.  I worry about the birds.   I'm a bug-rescuer; if I find one inside, I carefully take it outside to freedom.  Now I wonder if I'm sending them to the great beyond--I'll have to take them out the back door.

This is not a portrait of my husband; I don't know who it might be--looks a bit like a man I worked with many years ago.  I wanted to check out skin tones and figure painting on my iPad.  Now I need to learn how to move the painting from the iPad to my computer without including the little circle that's part of the screenshot from Sketchbook (and you probably thought it was a bugbite).

**Afterthought.  If I downsize the drawing on the iPad with my fingers, I can eliminate the little circle.  Aha!

Like Passing Notes in High School

 

While waiting for the clothes dryer to beep, I practiced using my stylus on the iPad.  I sat on my Hans Wegner chair at the dining table and drew my Siesta chair from the 70s (an agility test in my living room).  My iPad beeped--there was an email from my brother about a "Modernism" auction in Charlottesville VA on Saturday.  Perfect timing.  This was my response, the modern method of passing notes.  Love it.  I know, I know--I'm having too much fun.

   

Hitting the Bottle after Taxes



Bottle, iPad painting using SketchbookX

This bottle was excavated from my back yard; I've always loved the colors which can only been seen from a certain angle.  It's sitting on my kitchen desk/bar--a Danish piece bought in the early seventies (saw it on HGTV once and it was called "vintage").  The grain of the walnut is beautiful--I see cathedrals in it.  This painting was done with my fingers in the free version of Sketchbook and still needs a bit of work; I now have a stylus, like this app, and will upgrade to the Sketchbook Pro.

 

I am still enjoying my iPad.  My friend, whose enthusiam for his iPhone convinced me to order an iPad, passed away Sunday; he had helped me with setup, and his name was the first contact on my iPad.  He was in ICU for about a week.  Since he had his iPhone, I emailed a simple drawing to him each night (some are below).  He was a joy to know--an actor, a painter, a sculptor, a musician, a singer, a world-traveler.  He leaves a hole in many lives.

 

A hell of a couple of weeks--death and taxes--and the bottle is empty.    

 

 

 

 

iPad Screenshot

iPad Sunrise, in progress

Okay, I'm addicted to my iPad.  I looked at the inktense drawing I made last week (still unfinished) and painted this in SketchBookX, a free app I downloaded this morning.  This is what I worked on during Art at the Y today--I demo'd and said, "No clean up and no odor."  Neither this painting nor my inktense drawing looks like the actual photograph.  SketchBookX is a bit like the Corel Paint programs I've played with for years.  I didn't use layers here and I've never used them in Corel--not that I don't like them, I don't know what the heck they are.  LifeArtist has been working with the iPad for a while--she gives me tips.

This is my first ever screenshot--can't believe it worked.  It took many steps to get this painting posted.  I emailed the screenshot to my verizon account on our HP computer.  It was HUGE and a PNG; I opened it in Corel, made it smaller, converted it to a JPEG, and saved it to Picasa; from there I posted to my blog.  Whew!

I promise not to post every day!  These iPad works really save on storage and framing costs. 

                                                                             

First iPad Scketch



Elder, iPadding

I ordered my first app--it took a while to find it on my iPad.  Who knew it was hiding on another screen other than home.  I spent two days reading about drawing/painting apps; most had comments about problems running on the New iPad.  I'll be patient, but I just had to try one so I ordered Sketchpad for 99 cents.  With a slider I can "size" my finger, then pick colors from the wheel--that's about it--no blending, no eraser, no zoom, but there is an "undo" button.  This was fun, took about 30 minutes; I've always wanted to be loose with my drawing--this is definitely loose.