EDiM Finished

It is hotter than blazes and I really should get on the treadmill, but I am procrastinating. I grounded myself to my art room until I got the last three of the EDiM challenges done and I am ready to post them. I've changed the name of my journal from "Every Day in May" by adding "and more" to it. I've downloaded the next challenges from the Everyday Matters site and will try to do more. Here is what I have to show today - I like bits of them, but not all of them.

I am hoping to get up the nerve to start putting some color on the adirondack drawing today. I think I want to put in the shadow colors first, but am not sure - so I continue to just think about it instead of doing it.

I spent about 5 hours at the son's house with the new baby last evening - and once I cleaned us up from her massive spitup spill, we had a ball. Here are a couple of pix:

I hope to have some art to share tomorrow - maybe I will bite the bullet and put some color on the watercolor pencil WIP.

xoxo

Memorial Day Weekend, WIP and EDiM

I hope everyone is enjoying this long weekend. We had a cookout yesterday with most of the immediate family. We really missed Miss 7 who was with her Mom and couldn't make it to our celebration. She will be spending the night with us next weekend though so we will enjoy that time with her.


I took a few pix of the little girls who were present and am quite happy with them. My girl tribe is growing so fast it makes me a little sad to realize how quickly the early years go by.

On Saturday in between cleaning, cooking potatoes and eggs for potato salad and making an apple pie, I found time to do a bit of art. I actually did the color charts while watching Tiger baseball.

You gotta love that straight vertical line of separation - grin!

I am trying to get caught up on my EDiM assignments. I am afraid these two aren't all that good, but I still believe in practice, practice, practice, and try to share art that I am proud of and art that didn't turn out so well.

This one is a bit fuzzy. I tried a wax resist with a cheap white crayon for the moon and hazy clouds. I'm not sure it worked very well.

This is the view into the living room including the front door from the dining area table.

I'm not sure how well this next pic will show, but I am in the very beginning stages of a painting of Adirondack chairs on the beach. Maybe clicking on it will bring up a clearer picture.

I increased the contrast so that the very light sketch would show. It is on 140 # wc paper.

Today I have to finish cleaning up the kitchen from yesterday's festivities, walk/run the treadmill, work on a handmade journal, do a bit of work on the wc above, recycle, and then spend from 5 until 10 ish at the son's with Zoë. It will be a very full, but fun day. It is already 64º and is expected to be near 90º, so I'd better get outside before it gets too hot.

I hope to "see" you tomorrow with more to share.

xoxo

Every Day in May Catch Up

My internet access has been spotty at best for the past couple of days. We have had so much rain that the creek in the back yard is not one of the lesser great lakes.


I was unable to find enough sun to do EDiM 122 something mostly in shade, but have gone on to do 123 thru 126.

I thought I'd leave you with a couple of pix I took on the street corners of St. Joe. One time when I was there they had decorated carousel horses on the corners. This time it was farm animals. I will share others later.

Well, I have both bathrooms cleaned, have dusted my bedroom and am on the third load of laundry. I guess I'd better keep at it if I am to get it done. I hope to have more art to share with you tomorrow.

xoxo

EDiM and Nature Pix

I'll have to make this short as it is pouring rain here and I only have internet access sporadically. Here are the next three EDiM assignments. They were done too quickly as I was in my class at the time, but for what it is worth.....

I also have a few pix that I took at my sister's house. She has a beautiful yard and gardens.

On my way home I stopped at Sandy's house in Niles and she took me for a walk through her backyard wonderland. I swear she has a nature preserve where the family farm once was.

And when I got home I went out to check on my own wildflowers and look what was there to greet me:

I hope you are enjoying your day and that you like my pix. Although I am typing with both hands now, the healing spot on my finger is hypersensitive and is almost too much to bear.  I am hoping that time will alleviate some of this.

I have four assignments in EDiM to catch up on today. Miss 3 is coming around noon and her sister will get off the bus here, so I don't think I will be getting to any book making today, but I do have a picture of the one I made for the fabric artist to share with you tomorrow. She appeared very pleased with it when I met her in St. Joe to make delivery.

So for now, I will bid you adieu and hope to see you tomorrow.

xoxo

Kristy Kutch Water Solubles Class

I had a wonderful time in Kristy Kutch's water solubles class at Krasl this past weekend and have some pix to share with you. I must tell you Kristy is extremely talented, fun and very good at explaining what she does. She answered every question asked even if a bit off task. Here is a sample of one of her works in progress:

Here is what my new friend, Dee, was working on:

It is a bread fruit.

Another woman in the class was working on this frog - don't you just love frogs??

 

Here is my work in progress:

And here is Kristy:

She is just as sweet as she looks.

And, last but certainly not least, these are the freebies:

I am so happy to be home and have loads to do to catch up. We are hosting our annual Memorial Day cookout on Sunday of the upcoming weekend and may have overnight guests. You know that means things have to be cleaned.

I just put a pot of coffee on so I can catch up on the mail and sit in the screened porch and inhale the yard. I have pix of my sister's garden and orioles at her feeder as well as pix from the wonderful gardenscape at Sandy's place in Niles. I will share those tomorrow. I will also share the missing EDiM sketches at that time.

xoxo

Kristy Kusch Class and A New Found Friend

I had the most wonderful time in the watersoluble media class at Krasl this weekend and am spending one more day with my sister before returning home. On the way home, I plan to stop in Niles to visit with Sandy.


I will have lots of things to share with you in the form of pictures tomorrow when I am home. I didn't bring my laptop and so am not able to share pix today. Kristy was very generous with goodies and sharing her wonderful techniques. She is so good and makes it look so easy, but she is ready with helpful suggestions and positive feedback. She brought a slew of pix and fresh fruit for us to use as reference for our art.


The class members were all friendly and talented and my table partner was a wonderful new find. She is Denise and has a very nice blog called Chez Dee. She is quite talented and so friendly. I felt as though I'd known her all my life by the end of the weekend.


Although my finger is really ugly, I am typing with two hands this morning with just a bit of discomfort.  I got some wonderful advice and empathy from Joan in a comment regarding my injury and am sincerely grateful for that. I think I am going to have to look for the mesh glove for future cutting sessions.


I've been keeping up with the Every Day in May assignments and will share them with you tomorrow. Today I am planning to meet up with the fiber artist to deliver her journal and am hoping she loves it. I had a really good time making it for her. I really enjoy making a journal when I know who it is for. It makes it much more fun.


The title of my last post had "I Dare You" in it, but my finger was so sore I cut the post short and didn't tell you that I've found 3 more copies of the book and will be making more journals with it. I will share them with you when I get home.


For now I hope you are finding time for your art and are enjoying good health and close friends and family. My heart goes out to the folks in Joplin, Missouri, during this awful time of devastation.

xoxo

EDiM and I Dare You

It is another rainy day, but a little warmer. Tomorrow I am going to my sister's to spend a few days because I am taking a class at Krasl Art Center in St. Joe. It is called "Drawing with Watersolubles" and is being taught by Kristy Kutch. I am really looking forward to it.


Meanwhile I am still trying to keep up with EDiM and here is today's offering for "Draw some hair".

I am still typing with one hand, but am seeing some healing happening. I will be so glad when I can resume my normal activities.

xoxo

EDiM and More Birds

I had a lovely outing with Nancy yesterday. We went to the antique barn in Williamston - a very nice place indeed - and then had lunch at the Red Cedar Grill.  After a very tasty lunch we drove over to Mason and browsed the Maple Street Mall - another nice antiques & collectibles shop - before calling it a day. I am already looking forward to our next outing.


I am expecting my new computer to arrive some time today and hope it is sooner rather than later. Once I get the contents of this one transferred over, I will do a bit more clean up on this one and then take it to my daughter. I am planning to meet Miss 8's bus at the daughter's house this afternoon and take her out for some one-on-one Nana time while Little Miss 3 is at ballet. It would be nice if the computer was ready to go by then.


Meanwhile I am still typing with one finger and am becoming quite frustrated with it. So without further ado, I will share today's EDiMs and bird pix.

Try to ignore the spots on the dirty window.

I also have a picture of one of my favorite meals:

Rice topped with black beans and then topped with fried eggs - heavenly!

I've had my coffee and now need some breakfast and a shower. I can't wait for this finger to heal so I can get back to making blank journals.

xoxo

EDiM and Birds

I spent some time getting caught up with EDiM this weekend and am now on track. It is interesting how much better I like sketching with a pen than with a pencil. I seem to make more decisive marks and get a better result. Here are the ones I did this weekend:

This clock hangs in the living room, but doesn't work.

I didn't do a very good job on the "flame" part, but like the rest of it.

This guy is so ugly, he's cute.

This was a really difficult exercise, but turned out better than I thought it would.

Now that I am caught up, I hope to stay on it each day. We will see how that goes.

On another note, the hubster put a second oriole and hummingbird feeder in the front yard. The other ones are in the back on the deck. The front yard ones are getting lots of activity. Here is a cute pic of sharing. 

My finger appears to be healing nicely, but is still quite sore and very ugly. I am really tired of one hand typing and am anxious to get back to making books. For now I am trying to take things in stride and be thankful it isn't worse than it is.

I am spending some time with my dear friend, Nancy, today and hope to have things to share with you tomorrow.

xoxo