WHERE DID ALL THE RAINBOWS GO? ~ This is actually a photo I took a couple years ago in the front yard. It was a double rainbow, very beautiful, and I manipped it in photoshop here. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Old Tobacco Barn and My New Etsy Store! ~ I took this old picture of a tobacco barn in Kentucky many years ago and just finished this new painting from that old photo. It's funny that my painting looks entirely different than the photo but I'm happy with the way it turned out. It's acrylics on 140 lb. watercolor paper and 8 x 10 inches.

Well, I finally did it, I opened up my new etsy store! I've been hearing some great things about them and I'm thinking it will be a lot of fun. I hardly have anything in there yet but plan to add more and see how it goes. I'd be so grateful if some people 'heart' my store (hint, hint). I'm going to do that myself although I'm still learning the ropes. I'm not sure what to do next except add some items in my store and get to know some of the artists in there. It's a really huge site with so many members!

'White Rocking Chair and a Rainbow' ~ One of the projects I finally tackled was putting on the 3rd coat of white paint to my 'outside' rocking chair. Wow, that sucker almost glows now! :D I've been lugging the heavy thing inside every time that rain was expected. Well, I love sitting out there in the evening and I'm hoping those 3 coats of paint will protect it. I'm still going to have to lug it back inside for the winter though. It's been cloudy and misting rain most of the day but right before dusk this evening, the sun was trying to appear out in the west which produced this beauty of a rainbow!

In Loving Memory of my Mother, Faye Sims (September 17, 1926-July 17, 2007) on her Birthday. She would have been 81 today ~ Momma, I Love you and miss you very much!

Special thanks and hugs to some friends...Babs (Wilson Art) for sending me this wonderful poem (below, author unknown) and for painting 'Sunrise for Faye' and sending to me. I'll treasure it forever! Here is her wonderful painting on top of my Mom's potato bin next to Mom's plant sprinkler.

I also want to thank my friend Cheri (Digis by Cheri) who send me a most wonderful book, 'The New Creative Artist' by Nita Leland. She sent it to me when I was out in Kentucky with Mom when she was very ill. I treasure that book and have read and reread it and it sure helped me get through some tough times. Thanks and hugs to you too Cheri! also, pssst: Happy Birthday to you this coming Friday!



To Those I Love And Those Who Love Me

When I am gone, release me, let me go
I have so many things to see and do.
You musn't tie yourself to me with tears,
Be thankful for our beautiful years.

I gave to you my love. You can only guess
How much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you for the love you each have shown,
But now it's time I traveled on alone.

So grieve a while for me, if grieve you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It's only for a time that we must part
So bless the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away, for life goes on
So if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can't see or touch me, I'll be near
And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear
All my love around you soft and clear.

And then, when you must come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile, and say - "Welcome home!"

FEELING THE SUN ~ This is another little 6 x 6 inch painting I did pretty quickly and it's acrylics on stretched canvas. I'm also getting ready to repaint the walls in the house soon so I'll be in lots of painting projects soon but I love it! I think I'm going to hang some of my little 6 x 6 abstracts in the hallway after it's done. Cyn I've gone through almost all of those little canvases I bought from ya and I really love that size!

'Red Frenzy' and 'Color Dunes' ~ I finished these 2 paintings today and they are both acrylics on 6 x 6 inch stretched canvas. I am almost out of art supplies and I see a shopping trip coming up soon! I'm still trying to decide if I would be better off buying paints and canvas on-line or at the local Michaels store though...decisions, decisions! I really am almost out of canvas and paints though, yikes time to stock up again! :( This time I am going to buy some white gesso and I haven't used it since college days. I want to coat and sand the canvas so I can get a nice smooth surface and see how that works. I've also thought about trying the stretched linen.

CRAYOLA DIGI-DOODLE ~ Check out Janet's blog http://aplanetnamedjanet.blogspot.com/ and her "So draw something" link. I did and had a lot of fun doodling this today! :D I even have it on my desktop and it looks really colorful!

BIRTHDAY PRESENT ~ for a dear friend and very talented artist. This is 6 x 6 inches acrylics on stretched canvas. I was thinking of naming it 'Heart of a Cowboy' or either 'Heart of the West'. My husband told me my tree is bow-legged (LOL rolling eyes) but that's the way I wanted to paint it. I hope everyone is having a great weekend and TGIF!!!

'SONGS FROM THE SWAMP' 1 & 2' ~ ...frustration and trying to paint when you just can't seem to get in the mood ~ arrrgh well I think for me the mood has to be right and I probably painted about 5 or 6 layers over these 2 little paintings before I felt like they were starting to work! After I got aggravated and smeared some of the paint down I saw a swamp setting and then said to myself, "aha" now I'm starting to see where they are going! Anyways these are both ACEO size (acrylics on 140 lb. watercolor paper'. I hope everyone is doing well and having fun with art tonight!