Morning and 4 O'Clock

After feeding the birds this morning, I was wandering around the yard with my coffee and the camera. The hibiscus that my kids gave me for mother's day has been blooming beautifully all summer. I took it's picture as it was folded up, ready to open.
At 4 )'Clock, its hot. I'm sitting on my studio deck and was surprised to see the flower had completely opened throughout the day. Amazing. Both the fact that it opened up like it did and more so that I missed seeing it happen. Next time, I'll check every hour or so to see it unfold.

Yaro's Barn

Its been awhile since I posted anything.

I've had a busy week or so with painting Meg's room, reading HP (which I loved and have started to reread at a slower pace. There is too much to say about it, I couldn't cover it in this posting)

We've had a week of rain which was great as the gardens were crying for water. The rain was good, but, I didn't make it out to finish my painting at John's house. Tomorrow looks good though.

In the meantime, I worked on some pieces in the studio. The two shown above were started in the spring. More paintings of Yaro's barn. (accidentally put two of the same image up, I intended to delete the bottom image, can't figure out how!)

Who is Yaro?

Yaro is my husband's grandfather, who bought the property our house and our neighbors house is on--which used to be Yaro's and Emmas. He bought the land in the 1940's, built his house. Then Bob's parents built our house in 1949. Yaro and Emma are gone, but the land, house and barns are still here. The barn has been subject matter for me since we moved here in 1996. Before that, I was obsessed with Kleve's barn, just down the road. I love the sillouhettes of barns against the sky. Barns are becoming a thing of the past as more and more fall down or are torn down for development.

We spent yesterday celebrating Beau's (my son) 26th birthday. He and his girlfriend and her dog (good golly Miss Ana Molly) came from Columbus. We had a garden themed meal. The first hill of potatoes, yellow beans, zuchinni bread, local grown melon, with the addition of fantastic baby back ribs. All, Yum!! I gave Beau a collage. I meant to take a picture of it for posting and posterity, but forgot. He'll have to send it sometime.

Painting and Potter

Great amounts of painting were done this week. In my daughter's room. A necessary job, and more involved than anticipated. Isn't that always the case? Since she'll be home for the next two years while she attends culinary school, we figured it was time to make the upstairs her space. It is two rooms that she shared with her sister through grade school and high school. The rooms are connected and there is a bathroom too. Now it can be more like an apartment/suite. With the exception of some minor touch ups here and there, the job is done!

This morning I claimed as my own and finished a few pieces.

Marblehead was started in June on Marblehead Peninsula. It had a forty five minute beginning, then I fizzled-It was late in the day and I was hungry!

Purple Trees was done for the most part in June. I softened a few edges today and reworked some of the darks.

Red Barn or John's Field was painted last week at my friends house. I don't know what I think of this one. The image that I'm posting looks slightly overexposed. I love the textures and the movement of color. I like the sky.

Last is a painting I'm giving to my daughter for a college graduation gift. This is one of two that she selected. I painted this based on some photos I took in Arizona a few springs ago. I was just messing around with Raymar panels and I think waterbased oils. I was prepping for travel to Ireland. I brought panels and waterbased oils for ease of travel--the weight, the airline restrictions, etc. Well, Ali liked this one, so its framed and ready for her.

Last.

Harry Potter looms. I don't know what to think of all the hype. I am glad there are so many readers out there and its cool to think of so many people reading at the same time. It's like and international book club/read fest. It is quite a phenomenon when you think about it. All the hype seems somewhat commercial, though.

I love HP and can't wait to read the book. But it's bittersweet. I don't want the story to end.

slow learner

testing.

okay, i'm a slow learner. since the start of this blog adventure i've been thinking my blog template didn't accomodate putting images with my text.

it was bothering me.

so...i've been fooling around and lo and behold there is an icon right above the box i'm typing in that says add image.

ok, gonna try it.

it worked! i'm becoming so technologically savvy.

featured above is Woody. Woody Dog Sedivy, also known as Wooderson, and Hey, Bud.

13 years old, yorkshire terrier-poodle mix. aka a yorkie-poo.

woohoo!!
spent a wonderful morning painting at a friends house in the back field. weatherwise today was a splendid day with low humidity, amazing blue skies and big puffy clouds.
the painting was right
it was hard to stop. i got a good few hours in the a.m.
went to the grocery store, ate some lunch and back to painting.
tonight we are going to a wedding reception and i wish i could stay home and work some more.
i'll go back tomorrow to my friends fields.
after tomorrow the following days will be spent celebrating my dad's b-day on sunday (81 yrs old!) then my daughter and I will paint her rooms upstairs. she's moving back home for a while after a college stint. she's off to culinary school (close to home, commute to school, save on rent and food, have fun with mar and bob) to learn to be an advanced pastry arts chef.
yum!
so between time spent sittin here at the blogsite and eating meg's homework my shape will be shifting.

my mouth is sore and its hot, hot, hot
dental work is no fun, especially crown preps. but the worst is over.
i'd rather have the hot temps than the opposite-mid january and the snow is flying.
of course, what i'd really prefer is low humidity and upper 70's!
so, i've been painting lots around the yard and at the neighbors. i'm ready to find subject matter further afield. i've got a couple of locations in mind.
i've been playing with the versatility of oil paints. messing with some glazing. there is some deviation from showing the immediacy of the first brushstrokes-which i prefer to leave evident.

i'm
revisiting collage.
painting with oils on clay board, collage on top and carving/scraping into the oils.

Saturday Night

What a gorgeous day today.
Low humidity and sunshine all the way.

Frustrating painting day. The desire was strong, but I couldn't mesh desire with skill. The first painting I attempted was frustrating the whole time I worked on it. From set up to a frustrating stop for dinner. While eating outside, the sunlight on the trees in my neighbors yard grabbed my attention.
After dinner I started painting # 2. It flowed somewhat better.
But...
Still a bit off.
I think I'm tired!
Yesterday, I spent 4 hours on a breeding bird survey for the Geauga Park District. It is amazing and wonderful to spend hours hiking through the woods, birding in the company of fun biologists---they are fun! We start at 7 am.
The sunlight shining through the trees is remarkable.
We trek through swamp, wet areas, dry areas, cross beaver dams, sit in piney woods, bird in open fields.
After I birded, I worked for about 2-3 hours in the garden and in my flower beds.
yeah. I'm tired.
Tomorrow, I'll meet some art teacher friends at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, then to see the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Cleveland Institute of Art, then another photo exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Last, dinner in Litte Italy, I think.

I'm reposting this, will it work?