WASH ON MY MIND?....or Washington...

When I finished the top collage of the big eyed girl....it was the night they were counting votes for the Health Care thing.....and then I was trying to figure out how to make her head bigger because it was too small, so on my art table were some map pages I had used in another collage and the colors were right ...and lo and behold "Washington" was the city with all those roads leading into and out of it....ha....I had to use it....and with the "Not so sure" look on her face....plus the advice of scripture...it became my FIRST "political" scripture piece...I just thought it was fun and so I called it "WASH....or Washington on My Mind". It also has that "Chintz" look....as well as the Mockingbird piece, from a Mockingbird in my peach tree a few weeks ago.....using designs from my old feed sack stash on both of them. The last piece is probably my favorite....it is the little feed sack dress my Mother made me when I was near a year old.....with the three little heart buttons on the back and her lovingly hand embroidered flowers on the front....the border is from from a piece of fabric that is in one of her scrap quilts and the frame is from 100 year old wood from a house made into a frame....it is big....this piece feels like my Mom's arms are around me! I especially needed that recently after a visit with my brother. This year I did art in too much of a rush....and I think it shows....but never the less there is at least some new things in the gallery, plus some individual zinnia paintings, and a baseball boy and girl on cardboard....but not time right now to get pictures....I had absolutely precious women yesterday and today...God really sends me his most precious girls.....we had fun and my heart is fuller!! Tomorrow, Sunday, I'm closed and going on a "date" with my husband to see the Blue Angels! A day of real rest ...no business......I hope....just give me a chair and a diet Dr. Pepper.....and my hat for the sunshine....(and maybe some ear plugs) I'm good for the day.....ENJOY!....and big BLESSINGS!

COWBOY CHINTZ...LOOK?

The original (unfinished above) is on wood ....the prints are below...this was a fun, fun piece.... 12x16 ...my favorite...it is a little brighter in person... 11x17 These were done last month, Tallow Berries....originals are 8x8...the prints come with or without the antique German script on front...Mixed media on canvas. Here is one of the new pieces on top...and prints from it...I finished for the Antiques Shows in Round Top/Warrenton Texas....our famous twice a year l o n g show.....in the barns, the fields, tents galore, and front yards....from 77 people in town to 20,000 people....two weeks of pure junkin!!! WOO-HOO!! RAIN-SLEET-OR SNOW...nothing stops them from coming and having fun.... Anyway, I'm as ready as I can get..... with three more canvases to finish....maybe I'll make it!! I have prints of this one and the Rabbit below....11x14 and 12x16's....they are 26.00 each and the rabbit comes in an 8x10 too for 18.00. This one has zinnias around the outer edge ...all from my yard....the swirls are cut out from old Bible pages, a mixed media piece with vintage and new pieces...collage with painting on top of most....I thought it looked slightly WESTERN...pretty colorful!! Many people collect Chintz dishes with all the floral patterns and I love them mixed....so I had a "Chintz" kind of thing going....even with the next ones I'll post next week.....BLESSINGS and ENJOY!!

A GOOD WORD...LISTEN...

She is finished....unless I decide to add more....! Great Uncle bub Carpenter, he sure looks like my son!! sorry Bub, but you are a rabbit now...for a season! My old mohair rabbit.... Cleaned up sheet music cover..."For He Is Risen" is taken from the word "PIANOFORTE" and then placed in the little banner shape at bottom and then shaped for the rabbit to hold as a banner.... Old German script...anyone translate? My Mom's glass bead flowers...added one by one to the rabbits head for an Easter bonnet... After writing about following my heart a few posts ago.....and listing this work on the ning Gut Art group....we had to pick a WORD for the March challenge.....and I had already picked the WORD for 2010....as "LISTEN". I didn't pick it because I'm sooo good at it....I picked it because I'm NOT sooo good at it! But part of the main reason I picked it was almost like a wish or request.... and it is that I WANT to LISTEN to God speaking more....truly listen and LISTEN with my heart. Whether it is in art or personal life or just in my surroundings...... I want to stop my brain from "thinking" constantly.....rest my brain and just "LISTEN" ..... on these TWO pieces (one this week and the next, next week).... I listened to my heart. Easter is near and there is a lot of focus on rabbits dressed up and baskets of pretty eggs and jelly beans and pastel spring colors. Who can resist such pretties! But I kept hearing the Truth of what Easter or Ressurection Day really means.... so I made an "Easter Rabbit with a Message"...of the true meaning of Easter and why we celebrate such a glorious time. Many people ask me for pictures or vintage rabbit prints..... I do have some, but never an ART piece that is new from me to you....so here she is! The process....was totally digital..... it is an ART form, you know. It takes hours, it is all about picking the elements, what tones or colors, where to add elements, about balance and composition ....it IS painting...."DIGITALLY". My first that was purposed as a painting ... all from my heart and head. First I started with an antique photo of Great Uncle Bub....then my antique rabbit's head....then the cover of a music sheet from my Mom from 1892, then some antique hand written script from an antique Bible from Round Top that had several beautifully written scripture pages in German....then the little glass beads my Mom collected from years past...added them one by one in layers until it all came together....as one ART Creation....from my heart....for you. So ENJOY this one.....next week I'll have the finished "LISTENED TO MY HEART PIECE".....with LOTS OF COLOR!! It is my favorite....stay tuned! Blessings!!

NEXT WEEK...ART!!

I AM working on some pieces of art....so stay tuned!!

I LOVE RED ... and COWS!

It is one week before our people come to our Bed and Breakfast to begin selling at the Round Top Antiques Fair ....two whole weeks of it!! So I will post a a few quick fun things before I get too busy. First is ... yes... I like ...LOVE .... red! And two RED treasures I found this week are posted here. The first is the RED BANDANA BUCKETS, which I will use for our big 4th of July Celebration, I found them on Saturday at the Jersey Barnyard's Gift Shop, an absolutely precious place to take children and big kids too!! Here is their website .... www.texasjersey.com....if you want to experience a heart warming effort to show real country life with dairy cows, goats, chickens, rabbits...feed the baby calves and experience the real life on a farm...even a hay ride to the dairy ... yes a dairy where they get your milk to be exact! And you get to meet "Belle"... the famous Bluebelle Ice Cream Cow you have seen on commercials. It is worth it I promise!! ... and as we were leaving ...the gals were going to do all the feeding!! The next RED thing that I found is the little feed sack dress my own precious Mother hand made for me when I was about 1 year old or less, now I'm 63! I have cherished it for so long and want to frame it some way . Do you see that she hand embroidered little flowers on the front (she taught me to embroider and sew) and then she even picked two little heart shape buttons for the back. As I look at these pictures I imagined her sewing them on and it is still the same thread she used. I just wanted to share my red things for the week! Then I am posting some pictures of our Grand daughter feeding the animals at the Jersey Barnyard .... I won't show it all...you need to go there... it was a perfect day!!! Spring is here!! We live in such a blessed nation and I hope you will all take it in and appreciate all the hard work of our ancestors ..... that made it what it still is to this day. Don't miss our rich heritage, cherish your freedom and share it with others ..... God's Rich Blessings to you all! Happy Spring!!! ....I told you ... the Pioneer Woman has done something to me.....takes me back to the good times.

A NEW BANNER!!!

I took pictures today of my clean and Spring looking porch....I bought a bunch of flowers...(Gerberas and geraniums)....just couldn't wait for Spring....and the "Banner" above is one I manipulated for a new look for the blog ... the birdhouse is one I put a bunch of buttons on ...so it came out really colorful! My back porch is ready for some morning coffee time...and today I sat out there with my camera and coffee and a small grey bird with a pointed little feather hat (like a Cardinal but smaller) came and roosted right on my foot up on the railing and chirped and chirped!!! I was so surprised and delighted....it was like God saying ...."Yes, your porch is the place where you come to Me often...and therefore here is a special blessing!" This photo art above I manipulated for one of my new Cards (5x7) in the shop...is the same one but slightly different...have a BLESSED WEEK!! OH!....the painting I was talking about earlier is still waiting on my easel....it is not working out....yet!

Freedom From The Fear Of Man....check it out!

This is what I heard from a speaker J R Vassar...at the "Village" in Flower Mound, Texas ....(look for Sermons- JR Vassar on 2-28-10 and listen to what he says and don't stop because the last half is the treasure!!) I heard this the following week after I wrote the post below.....do you think I was supposed to hear that?! YES.....and it followed along with what I was trying to say below....I scared a few people with the post below and I didn't mean to.....it was written in total sincerity trying to become more authentic and free in who the Lord.... who made me and what He really wants me to do!.....and to be sure I'm not fooling myself.....and yes, lookin' for love....Jesus' love!! Watch for the next chapter....ha.

NEW REFLECTIONS....

This was fun....just playing with unlikely stuff while I was thinking about being FREER..... "free" photos from "The Pioneer Woman's " Blog...................................................................................................................................................... I recently (this week!!) read "The Pioneer Woman's" blog about her story of meeting her "Marlboro Man"....from "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" as she calls it.....and to my surprise I was "totally" captured in the whirlwind of her life changing events for the few months leading up to her new life on the prairie!! I NEVER read novels or romance stories.....I usually just read the "scriptures" which are as well full of adventure and real life events that change your life.....but why was I sooo captivated by her story of those months and how she met her Marlboro Man? I even talked to my Hubby about it.....it moved something in me that has been laying deeply covered by life lately....especially the last five years or fifteen years!!..... or more...twenty five!?!! I have continued to push myself to be busy with all the "talents" the Lord has graciously given me.... art, sewing, decorating , keeping the gallery open, taking new classes, learning new and wonderful art, stressing over the B&B days coming up and scheduling sweet people....sort of a dread because I feel like I'm constantly, mentally on a fast and busy expressway, having to keep my eye out to not miss the correct exits, so I don't lose momentum with being sure all is planned and organized and accomplished, and painted and framed and finished......and so I don't waste time to be able to get it all accomplished....never really relaxing....being lazy in a semi-depression...yes....but never really relaxing.....kind of how "Ree" started to realize she felt about her life in L.A.....in the "Pioneer Woman's" romance story.....she was young and falling madly in love with THE man of her life and a life she never dreamed she would be experiencing....ever in her life or in her wildest imagination..... and she became excited that she was actually being FREED from who she THOUGHT she was and freed from continuing to live out who she THOUGHT she was....!! ...maybe living a roller coaster ride that she didn't know how to get off of!! ....an OKAY roller coaster....but a fast moving one that had a tight seat belt that would be hard to unbuckle from the momentum and jump from! WELL.....the strangest thing has come over me this week after being glued to reading and absorbing her adventure of a new life .... and also of some recent events that have affected my life in a sad way.... sad for some (close to me, that I love) who have chosen to throw away their life....by not knowing when to unbuckle and jump out of that roller coaster....that seemingly exciting roller coaster ride..... It has all really had me reflecting this week.....as I shared with Dick..... I want "off" this roller coaster I am on and have been on for years......I want to sit and read a book and not feel pressured for time .....I want to sit on an expanse of a porch and look at the sunset....and watch birds for a "long" time.....I want to just take off on an adventure when I feel like it....in the dirty car with him, with the kids in our life....not having to worry about schedules, commitments, work, money or any pressing obligations.....that are mostly un nessessary. I want to visit West Texas where I grew up, I would visit Spain where I cherished my life as a 9 to 12 yr old child, but it's just too far and too many crowds and pressure of travel, plans etc......I just want to strike out in my sweats or whatever I grab to wear.... throw them in a paper bag and go.....just start driving, stop in an old motel,(do they have those anymore?) .. buy a Delaware Punch and peanuts and not be in a hurry to go anywhere in particular....but just to see the wide expanses of plains, maybe wheat, cows, lots of cows, smell dirt and cow manure....just like "Ree" does now..... on her prairie.....I grew up going to a farm, helping to feed cattle, haul hay, gather eggs, eat homemade wild plum jelly on hot fresh biscuits and maybe gravy and homemade ice cream and fresh fried catfish from the Sandy Creek .... which was usually dried up .... but they always brought fish to Grandma's to fry up....so there had to be water somewhere in that little river. It's funny....I haven't missed "ANY" of that for years!!!...... until I read The Pioneer Woman's blog.....and I thought how wise she was to follow her heart ......and I don't feel like I'm following MY heart anymore anymore .... I feel like other things, ....obligations are "driving" my heart and it is soo used to doing those things that it doesn't even recognize the tiredness of it all .....of riding on that roller coaster for so long....which has been great, but I'm telling you....it is time to jump off.... and just walk a little while. I'm not sure what all this means..... but I am actually TIRED of ART ... at least producing art to sell .... I've been doing it since 1983 and it has been an incredible gift ....to me....to others....but something needs to change.....I feel like it is all finally burying me....smothering me....and I need air!....MY AIR....not any other air. CRAZY?.....maybe it is my age ....? I'm way through with menopause and THAT has been life giving in itself! I want to GO somewhere.....where there is not very many people or pressure....I want to just be.....JUST BE....the child I am....and that belongs to an awesome and loving and understanding GOD.....I want to be FREER in HIM than ever before in my life and I want all things that are incumbrances to being freer in Jesus to be pushed aside....away! ....if they are supposed to be.....and HE definitely knows if they are in the way....I just hope "I" will recognize and KNOW too. Here is a piece of photoshop art I worked on tonight during all my thinking.....for NO ONE ...just enjoying the process and creative playing....it is me in my simple plain Vogue tailored wedding dress of 1966 that my Mother made....but with a new creation of zinnia (from my yard) petaled Spanish looking "flowing and frilly" dress that adorns my old bodice and adorns my head....with a crown.....because "I am" His beloved child....(by His grace)...... I am stubborn, lazy, fatter, mixed up, strong willed, tired but very happy to be HIS child...."thankful" that no matter what....I AM HIS CHILD through His Mercy and Grace ...and always will be......eternally. THAT is something I CAN rest in.....and I think He is giggling about it! I wonder what tomorrow will bring.....? Hugs to you all.....and thanks for listening....and pray big for those around and near your heart that are hurting in some serious way....do it right now.

PATIENTLY WAITING ON THE EASEL....a painting I'll show later...

This is from three different photos and some borders I made....combined all together. Our Elena...baby in Nest....three different photos, Elena, nest and zinnia. This is a rose photo, a bird on fence photo from DJ PETTITT, a house photo and border and grunge made with other photos.... The horse photo is a Texas sky photo last week, a neighbors horse, big trees in front from a photo while in Ohio, the word Texas taken from an old brick with the word "Texas".....then grunge edge. The "heavenly grapes" is a photo of grapes and a photo of my caladiums, a sky photo and hearts and twigs from a piece of art I did. ....and a border from a few years ago. Another of Elena....with a linen layer and other layers...then below with a bas-relief filter.... I have a painting...something different I was trying...patiently waiting in the studio on the easel.....while I am learning and playing with photos in the DJ PETTITT online class. Here are a few more of the excersizes in the photo shop manipulation class that I attempted with my own photos from around here....plus one of my grand baby in a bird's nest that was in my crepe myrtle tree. Yes, I've had fun, fun, fun! I'm not sure how I will use it with my art and paintings yet....but that will come with time.....and some prayer.....Yes, Lord....I know You are there.....and that I've neglected You during this class....but thanks for all the creativity You have created for us to enjoy and the AWESOME people you meet along the way.....You are always at work!! That I can relax in....I love Your faithfulness....Blessings to you all who have looked and hopefully enjoyed! Any questions are welcomed....

BACK TO SCHOOL...all of these were done on the computer thru Photoshop!!!

Done from a collage background page and a school photo of Peyton...two images merged on photoshop and manipulated so she came thru the background. A lesson on masking with photos provided by DJ Pettitt, copyrighted,....the sky was my photo. This whole thing has eight layers. This was my wedding dress photo with a photo of an old blue door on my porch, watering cans (representing the "watering" of my soul by the Words in the Bible I hold in my hand) and an old iron wheel and the house trim above with grunge edge and some brush lines.....It is called "Door to My Soul"...done on photoshop. From DJ's class, her butterfly, postcard, edging and floral photos for our class lesson we used, copyrighted and not for use. These were separate photos...five in all combined for this result done on photoshop. An interesting accident with a red filter....on the wedding dress, my photos, copyrighted....these are not collages, but done on the computer in photoshop. A butterfly from my photo on a previous blog post and a sky picture and the tree line from the back porch....then a brush made from my writing....six layers on photoshop. A paperdoll drawing, my hand writing and the background was made from a painting I recently did called the "Brite One".....five layers on photoshop. Round Top's Haw Creek Church and the back photo (manipulated) was taken on the evening recently of the blue moon at 6:30PM in Giddings, Tx....four layers on photoshop. Another try at brushes written and around the tree photo provided by DJ Pettitt for her class, copyrighted. Manipulated photo of Bird provided by DJ Pettitt, copyright, for class project. It is definitely a feeling of "Back to School"......I mean real studying, taking notes and practice until it's perfect!!! I'm talking about the "AWESOME", "FANTABULOUS" online class given by "the" none other than...DJ PETTITT. You should really check out her online classes found on her website. My son has told me for the eight years that I've used Photoshop fairly extensively with my art work ...that I NEEDED to learn "Layers". I know some of you are saying...."SHE HAS HAD PHOTOSHOP FOR EIGHT YEARS AND NEVER USED LAYERS!?!" Well, it's true and I love photo shop with or without layers......but it's like when you can live without chocolate because you've never had it.....but when you get a good taste of it...there's no turning back!!!! That is "LAYERS" for me! Tastes great!! So I will share here a few of my learning experiments....maybe not much...but wait til I get more time on my hands!!! The message on the "butterfly-zinnia" says it all for me! Blessings to you and Enjoy!!