>> "Paradise" <<

Here's the albeit blurry, but finished piece that I'd mentioned yesterday..or the day before..my lil' brain can't remember too good these days.

I've been trying to get the pictures NOT to come out blurry with my camera, but the one person who knows how to make it all better hasn't talked to me in a couple weeks, so I don't know how to make the shots look better. I DO APOLIGIZE for the grubby look these have...

There isn't too much else goin' on these days around here...I'm debating on whether or not to construct a cold frame outside, so I can start some of the lettuces and salad greens that I need to eat everyday. Tom sez yes, go ahead and build it (Notice HE didn't say HE'D build it, he just said ok on the project...) and at the same time, Noah sez NO!! -- don't do something like that. I'm so frustrated, I feel like a cat out on the porch with a bunch of people sittin' in rockin' chairs...can't tell which way to turn. So, even tho we have all the materials to build a cold frame -- FREE STUFF -- I've got no idea of how to start building anything. So, I may end up with a couple of broken fingers, BUT BY GOLLY, I'll end up with a cold frame for the garden come hell or highwater...

We also have some other FREE STUFF out in the shed...I discovered a couple frames that were sitting in a box along one of the walls -- I guess the dear older lady who lived here had bought them, but decided that she wasn't going to use them. It makes me sad that her disease robbed her of the opportunity to continue her art...The family didn't want anything to do with her things, so to the dump everything went. 'Cept the frames and some odds and ends buried in the shed. So, the FREE STUFF is now gettin' a look-see, and I should be done with repainting the frames in a couple dayz. That's the plan for now.

Must go an' see what the woodstove is doin' -- noah started a fire earlier this morning, but it's been awhile since it got some wood added. My fingers are pretty cold so that tells me that the fire may have gone out. Hmm..

Lady of The Tulips

>> Here it is another day..the wind is blowing just slightly, the Sun is shine-shine in the sky, and the Robins are back & frolicking in the yard <<

And with that Spring-Is-Near thot, I'd just like to say that I have 2 very Spring like pieces finished an' lookin' none too shabby. The Problem is, that my camera is once again, giving me Fits and Spits, and to make matters worse, the Guide Book that tells some sap like me, just What To Do with Said Camera...is somewhere in Hiding. I MEAN -- it's hiding so #^%"*(!@ good that I've got no idea of where to EVEN start looking. HEY!! -- Let's NOT stand there and COUNT MY GREY HAIRS, 'K!!?? thank you...

Where was I? -- Oh..the Camera...well, I will say that the one canvas that'd I'd titled "Paradise" is done..got some added colors to it..some other papers and slapped on some other tidbits, too. It WILL look just fine, once that DAYUM camera decides to behave for me >> I also got another collage finished. The 2nd one actually came together much faster than the paradise one. I just couldnt figure out what the hold up WAS with the paradise piece..maybe just the idea of BEING THERE was enuf to make my brain go into freeze mode >> It's REALLY telling me that I should BE somewhere that qualifies as Paradise, instead of here, messin' aroun' with the Woodstove and firewood, sweaters and sweatpants. Yup. Tha's my story, 'k?!

The other thing is that I've got my BooKS here in my little studio now!! -- after getting up to norfolk last weekend, we brought as much back in The Very Fine Automobile as we could STUFF -- Danny helped out too, an' came down here with his little car crammed as full as we could get it. Made for a very Tight Fit...But the books are here. An' now Noah sez he'll make me a new bookcase, as the one I'd had for EVAH has left the studio and ended up in HIS room...cute...so now he has to make me a new one!! HA!! -- Shows what I'll do to get my books fixed up right!!

I also got some of my art supplies back where They Belong...I'm waiting for some Matte Medium to dry then I can use some of my stamps that I'd been missing for MONTHS and MONTHS -- they will Just Add that Special Touch. Really, they will --

>> Must get out & check on the Woodstove << Noah is watching a soccer match on tv, so I know He's Not gonna remember to check the stove..'till it gets cold in the house, THEN he'll remember. HA!! Love when it gets to 60 Degrees inside the house..

Lady of The Tulips

Here's a peek at what I've been doing the past couple dyas ~

The painted canvas has some tissue, some layers of paint, an' then I put on the little tidbits to keep the whole Island theme goin' ~~

The project isn't done yet, as I'm gettin' some more things added on.then some more paint will Also be added..probably some other Thangs..wh0 knows..It's been the one project that just does NOT want to Behave Itself..I lost track of how many papers I've layed out on that #@?>&<* canvas..then taken the things OFF -- then added something else BACK ON..I'm just glad I didnt try to throw the thing out the window..I was REEEAAALLLLLYYYY close to doin' just that...but then I realized that the temperature outside was a Balmy 35 Degrees, so havin' the Window Broken Out just didn't seem to make much sense..Well -- not that it ever really DOES..but especially when it's a wonderful 35 degreez...

I've been sewing some things, too -- another blouse is nearly ready for some topstitching..an apron has it's pockets stitched on, and the bottom seams are pinned. I'm takin' a break at the moment from all of those little things. I've also got another canvas in the works..some additional paint will be applied this afternoon..I'd thot about doin' that yesterday, but with the 2 sewing projects, an' then Tom coming home 5 hours early..well, that just threw everything to @"^}( in a Handbasket..

The Ports are in a Pain Mode these dayz...there just isn't that much freight comin' in right now..Slow is not the word, so Tom's boss has had to adjust everybodys schedule with a very clever hand. When everybody needs 40 hours, but something Clever like the freight train loaded with containers doesn't arrive in time..then there's no work. All the containers are sitting Somewhere Else..not where they should be..leaving all the 30 drivers with nothing to do, but go back home at 11:00 in the morning...Yup -- only 4 hours of work, an' nothin' to show for it. Makes for an Exciting Time,donchya think?? Sucks. That 's what it does. Just Sucks. An' all because of this Economic Slowdown...I've got some other Descriptive Phrases for the Mess, but I'll be polite and not write them here...

~~ Must go an' check on some Work...the temps are Better today outside..I'm only wearing a t-shirt under my sweatshirt today (!!) ~~ Usually I'm wearin' a long sleeve turtleneck under a sweater, with an additional sweater over THOSE...then 2 pairs of socks..an' sweatpants coverin' up me lil' legs...I look like I've gained 45 poundz..but it's all these layers that are keeping me warm...Tom sez he' got anothername for it...

Lady of The Tulips

>> Here's just a quick note for the day <<

I've got a couple pieces of paper that I've FINALLY figured out how to layout on a canvas -- actually it's the one that I posted on here last week. There are a couple other goodies that have to get set-up with some E-6000, then the piece will be ready to make it's debut!! Shwoo -- I have battled and battled with this one canvas for over a week. I've NO idea of what the $^#&**& problem has been with IT and ME -- wasn't there a full moon last week?! No ...maybe that was the week before. LOOK -- I'm TRYING to make some excuse as to WHY I can't seem to just plop some papers and paint together in less than 2 hours and have a FABULOUS collage just TAA-DAA..appear !! It's just one of those things. Yeah. That's what it iz.

~~ On to the Story of The Weekend ~~

Tom & I made it over to the shop @the Outer Banks...got to talk with the owner and had a great time discussing this and that. But as for having my Work on Sale...well, it's not good enuf. "There's a fine line between Crafts and Art..." -- uhh ohhh...So my "Art" isn't really Art in here eyes..it's sorta like something you'd see on sale at the Elementary School Yearly Fun Class. Construction paper and white glue. Cut outs of Trees and Birds. That kind of thing..And she sez, "Don't get me wrong!! I like your work..." -- SO WHAT THE $^^*$"$*)"%$"@$*"???? I'm thinking..

The Economy...

Poor Sales with Other Craft Items...

Other Painters Getting Axed, too...

Oil Paintings getting pulled off the shelves...

>> So I'm not the only one getting thrown out the window. The owner didn't know how she was gonna tell some of her longtime artists that she was gonna have to dump them, too.

~~ So in a way I'm not suprised...but it still really sank in yesterday, and totally Sucked. I hate that the last couple places that I've tried to have my Art 0n sale for, just totally kicked me in the face. As if I haven't had enuf of that in the last year...sheesh...

So in the meantime, I'm just revamping some of the canvases I've got done..sorta adding to them and making some more color choices with paint. Adding some extra tidbits to canvases I've been working on this last week. Adding here & there. Anything to make them Better Than Ever...and getting worn out in the process. I HAVE to stay optimistic, tho. I wrote last week that I was going to stay in the CALM mode..keep myself from getting too stressed out..keeping myself from going to the Dr's office more than I need to. Those kind of things.

And it seems to have begun to work -- I mean, I've come up with a couple extras on one canvas that I totally wasn't expecting...got some papers cut that I never would have thot about...adding them with some touches of paint, that totally changed a collage. Positive. Positive. That's what I have to feed on for Now...

~~Must go and get other papers cut..check on the woodstove. We're in a "Heat Wave" -- it's over 45 outside an' I'm just about beside myself.. Well, almost. I think actually I'm just gonna go sit in the sun that's coming into the laundry room an' sorta soak it up... Works for me...

Lady of The Tulips

W.I.P. -- Spring Bay Studio -- 2009

Here's the canvas I'd mentioned yesterday..or maybe the day before -- The colors haven't all been applied, so there is still some extra paint going to be added this afternoon. I think the blues have blended pretty well, so adding the papers won't be such a struggle. Sometimes the shades make me slow down even more, and give me some calm.


I've been thinking about Calm for the past couple days -- ever since I finally relented and accepted the fact that I must have medication to maintain my heart rate, it's given me a bit more perspective into how I need to release any pent up feelings of anger, stress, conversations that went nowhere. All the things that are weighing me down -- they have to be released to the wind, given a flight somewhere far, far away. In turn, I need to give myself some rest when yes, I do feel tired. And yes, I do need to stop the conversations that I feel burning up my memory, making me angry, or feel pain, or feel anything else but positive. Yes, it is turning toward the place where I need to be, in order to direct my full energy into my Art. The serene has to be completely enveloped around me, so that the stress and other related negative energy can be removed.

My goal is to allow the Art to remove the Negative, and in the following days, accept any Positive that will replace what has been weighing me down ~~ Giving me too much that is not where I need to be. So, the colors will remain within me, allowing me some freedom.

~~ I'm hoping that the freedom for being myself will transfer it's energy to you today ~~

Lady of The Tulips

>> Just a quick note to say I'm working on a couple projects today <<

This morning was spent sewing up some sleeves for a peasant blouse..got them attached to the front & back of the blouse. Then I worked on some tissue papers, trying to get just the right shade of blues ~~ It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, I just could not get them to look the way I wanted them to. So, I did a compromise. Got some tissue paper painted one shade of blue, then after attaching pieces of that to a canvas board, I then added another shade of a paler turquoise blue. Then, watering it down a few more times, I then added plain white to the top of the canvas board. It's drying now, and in theory I'll post it tomorrow.

>>I think I said I'd post a picture of another project I did this last week...yesterday. But my pea brain can't remember what it was, or which canvas it was...or much else. Some days my brain just doesn't want to work correctly, and it drives me crazy. << I also had been worried about a friend of mine who lives in Arkansas. She is fine, and after all the terrible weather thru Oklahoma and Ark., she has the good fortune of not having any severe weather near her mobile home. How great is That??!! Shwoo..it really had me concerned. I've also tried to contact another friend who lives in Mo., but haven't gotten an answer on their phone yet...that's making me a little concerned, as they too, have had some severe weather...my fingers (and maybe toes) are crossed, that they have come thru the severe stuff ok.

Must go and check on some goodies in the kitchen. I may regret it, but I asked Tom if he & noah would pick up something for dinner tonight and tomorrow night, on their way home from work today. Last time it was a salad from Mickey D's...it tasted wonderful, but there must have been something amiss, as I woke up in the middle of the night, with some bAddd problems...hopefully there won't be a repeat tonight!

Lady of The Tulips

"What She Wanted" -- Spring Bay Studio 2009


~~ despite the effort on making my Self Esteem dive completely into the depths of He** -- I've finished this canvas just the other day -- Actually it was on Friday of last week. I'd painted the canvas some time ago, but couldn't get the other pieces "just right" -- for my tastes. So, here it iz...

I'm feeling somewhat better today than I did when Tom took me to the Dr. on Sunday -- the pain is finally subsiding and the swelling has all but gone away. The startling thing is that what the Dr. at the clinic called my infection, is "Swimmers Ear" -- Say WhAt?? -- she even asked if I'd BEEN swimming...to which I replied, "No -- But get me goin' to FlOriDA!! -- an' I'mTHeRE in a Heart Beat!!" -- she just laughed!! Whoa!! It IS a great idea to be further South during the cold dayz that we've been having!! ~~ But back to whatever it IS that is making my hearing Not happening...the drops are working much faster than the other ones Ihad last fall, SO -- YAAA!!! -- worth the 60 mile trip to see the Dr!


I've got some sewing to do today -- 2 weeks ago Tom took me to the fabric store down the blvd. from his terminal -- got patterns on SALE for $1.79 a piece!! How GOOD is THAT??!! -- 2 apron patterns (the last one I made just is not cuttin' it -- made it a size too small so..) that I've cut out an' am gettin' ready to transfer markings & StUff so I can start stitchin' 'em up!! -- Plus I got some fabric on SALE too -- 1/2 price, so the journey was well worth it. Tom seemed to enjoy the day -- it was sunny and cold, but we just ignored the weather an' made the best of the day.

~~ Must get working ~~ I've also got a canvas in the WoRKZ -- I will post that lil' bugger later this week. I'm going to go outside for a minute to enjoy some unseasonably WARM weather -- kinda freaks me out...makes me remember Tornadoes an' BAD-ness while living in Arkansas...uggghh...

Lady of The Tulips

" Escape The Ordinary" ~~ Spring Bay Studio 2009


This is one of the canvases I worked out not too long ago..it had a couple spots that I left open for papers and other goodies. Finally I got the piece back out of it's folder, and finished it one afternoon last week. Tom even said it was ok -- which for him is saying a lot. Soom of the fabrics make me want to take up Sailing Classes. But the last time I was on a sail boat, I nearly got rammed into a dock..had an elderly man yell at me & my friend (who was the one actually sailing the boat..I was clinging on for dear life...) while we zipped past his boat. All in All not a day to really remember fondly. 'Cept that at least the elderly man didn't call my parents an' yell at them, too.

I have another canvas I'll post tomorrow. Today I'm just kinda recuperating from yet another StUiped Ear Infection. It drives me crazy that I suddenly am getting ThEse things..the Dr. I saw yesterday was very nice, an actually had worked at my regular Dr's office some time ago. How weird iz that? ~~ Tom took me up to Va., to one of the Day-Clinics -- they have some KiNd of name.."Now Care" or some such thing. The good thing is they are open on weekends, the Ins. we have does cover the office visit, and I'm able to get medications at the clinic for whatever ails me. That was a big relief. And we only waited 'bout an hour. Woah! That doesn't even happen at my regular Dr. office!

I've got some mat board drying on my table, and I'll pop a canvas that I worked out last year into the mat board an' a frame. I posted the frame the other day. OHH!! ** AnD -- I have an appointment this Saturday at a shop over on the Outer Banks!! -- the owner wants me to bring some of my work for her to look at. She said it doesn't matter how many, just a batch so she can tell if there something that would sell or not. I am optimistic, and have moved and altered my Dream Board to Direct my energy into the new endeavor.

~~ The pieces I had over at the Gallery in town were given back to me ~~ I have no idea why -- the pieces I had for the Exhibit on Mixed Media I CAN understand..the show was over an' so that's that. But what I WASN'T expecting - was to have my other pieces added to them to be taken home. And they were all sitting on the floor in a little pile. No explaination. No note. No "Thanx for having these here." -- Nothing. I was too stunned to say anything -- I felt like crying hysterically, but the gallery was in the middle of some Something, and there were people all over the place. The lady who looked in some Official Looking Notebook just said, "Oh yes..here's your things."" -- an' walked away with a somewhat disgusted look on her face. I don't know why all my things were given back to me. No Nothing.

So I'm wondering just what to do now. My self esteem is somewhat shattered, and maybe taking some work over to the Outer Banks may be a bad idea. But I just have been getting this voice telling me "Outer Banks" -- so that's what I'm going to do. I told tom that it'd be nice if somebody from the Art League would have told me something. But hearing no word on having my work taken out of the gallery is just not something I'm happy about. ??? that's all I'm left with. And since it's a Very Small town, I don't want to call up and yell, romp, stomp, scream and Make A Scene, so I'm just sorta left with an empty feeling.

That being said -- I'm still working on My ART ~~ Not matter what. The day is absolutely Beautiful, an' so for a little while (while my mat board dries) I'm going to go sit on the deck an' look at our trees. Maybe that'll make me feel better...

Lady of The Tulips

Here's a couple shots of the frames I've worked on -- the one that's a lighter Sea Green, or Turquoise, is one that I've shown before..but it has been told to me that the color was jus' a little too much, so I've toned it down w/a touch more white. And the "Antiqued" frame, is one that I'd written about -- Noah brought it outta storage for me, an' I SWANNY but I can't remember for the LIFE of me where I got that thing..anyway I'm pretty happy with the results of it's "new" look. For a cheap-iee frame it made out ok!! An' I've included the little fish-iee too..he's part of an entire piece that's in the workz AS WE speak..or write, or however you wants to say.

We are Now in the afternoon..an' the temps aren't outta the 30's...we had tha' itty bitty bit of snow yesterday..an' when The Weather People said "more" to come today...uhhhmmm..no. It's SuNNY out, but it'z about as cold as it gets for this part of the world. Noah wAS gonna go outside an Cut some firewood, but it's too COlD to run the chainsaw!! Ha! How'z ThAT!! for a kick in the head?!!! he's kinda meandering aroun' the house today, 'cause there's not a lot for him to do..he's outta work an' is NoT HapPY about it!! YEeee GadZZZ...it jus' drives him crazy without something to do..so..he's been workin' like crazy aroun' the yard -- clearin' out bad dead trees...cleaning up leaves...storing firewood, fixin' stuff in the shed...wearz Me out jus' thinkin' 'bout what all he'z been Up To!!

>> I'll get a shot of the latest canvas tha's on my NEW TABLE!! ~~~ It's sooo much better than that little poor excuse of a table that'd I'd BeEN tryin' to use...tom jus' walks in an takes a look at the new table an' sez.."Man..that sure is better than that other P.O.S. you'd been tryin' to use..." ~~Ha~~ he EvEN admitted that old thing was about as useless as a frog in the bathtub...man..it was worth the saving an' saving up of my penniES NickLes and Dimes for that TaBle..!! YYAA!!! <<

Mus' go an ' get some Stuff done...can't be here playin' aroun' -- Work is CallinG ME!!

Lady of The Tulips

Well -- If it seems like I've been gone for just a little while, well here are some of the reasons that That has been the case!! --

I've gotten done with painting the Studio -- How About That Color??!!!

You would not believe the nahhhstie wall paper when I was pulling it down off and AWAY from the walls...there was so much old stale cig. smoke all over it..and it was just the WORST smell..UGH!! -- I did manage to get it all torn off, primered the walls, and NOAH was just the sweetest doll and PAINTED the studio for me!! How Cool is THAT??!!

I got all the trim done along the ceiling and floors..painted the closet doors and did some extra painting along the doorframe into the studio -- Noah doesn't like doing the trim work, so that was my little project.

The color difference has made it SO much more enjoyable to come into the studio now, the room just seems to be charged with a new energy that just wasn't there before. I can't explain it well enough, 'cept to say that the overbearing sadness that permeated the room has now gone. I don't know what the exact story was on the couple who lived here, but it has always seemed that there was a heavyness around them that had enveloped the house, and for whatever reason, this room in particular. I don't know what kind of work the husband did, 'cept that I think he was a Notary Public..and what ever that entailed, it must have been something of a heavy weight on him, and that in turn had really saturated into the Studio.

But now All Is Good!! -- and the little canvas that I got done just before the painting got underway is titled, "Circles, Squares; Dot's and Blots" -- 2009 Spring Bay Studio.

It was a piece that I'd worked on off and on while deciding how I wanted the Studio to come out...very fun and Energy !! made it all come together.

I've got another couple shots of some frames that I'd worked on, too. One I redid in order to get another canvas set into it...that I'll show tomorrow, along with a frame that had been in storage, and Noah had brought it down here along with the little metal corner shelf that's in the one picture of the studio. I've no idea of where the frame was bought, but it does look pretty cool...honest.

Must go & check the wood stove -- we have some DRY FIREWOOD today, an' I'm makin' sure that we are WARM -- we had a dusting of snow this morning, an' naturally the schools were closed..it didn't stop Tom from goin' to work, tho. He's over by Raleigh today...have no idea what it IZ he's doing, 'cept hauling freight...

KEEP WARM everybody!!

Lady of The Tulips