No name

I finished this the other day, no title comes to mind yet. Any thoughts?

The last few days haven't been spent in the studio, but have been in the kitchen instead. I've been making soups. Soup and cold weather go hand in hand, don't they?
Yesterday was Mushroom Barley and today a White Navy Bean is simmering on the stove.
I'm trying breads too...don't know about this venture! I tried Rye this afternoon and had a heck of a time kneading it. You'd think with my ceramics background (wedging clay) that I'd have the touch. The final word will be when the bread is out of the oven and being sampled.

There is sentiment attached to the idea of making bread. My dad made wonderful breads. Last year when he moved to the nursing home while cleaning out his apartment, I took home his bread books.
My daughter Meg (the one going to Culinary School for her Advanced Pastry Arts Degree) spent much of this fall learning about and making breads. At home and at school. Watching her work with bread was another piece into my breadmaking foray. The other day I pulled out the books. While leafing throught the recipes and his notes, I figured it's time to try. Today is Rye Bread, soon I'll try his cinnamon bread---mouthwateringly the best he made!!
One of these days I'll bring him some bread. Ideally...edible and delectable!

By the way, a movie I enjoyed recently...JUNO. Loved it!

Sold off the Easel

A friend stopped by a few days before Christmas to buy a painting for his wife. We spent some time talking about lots of stuff, this friend is a great talker-and funny, very funny to boot.
Eventually we made it into the studio where he gravitates to this painting, which wasn't finished. I sold it to him along with two others (that were finished). I promised not to modify too much on the painting, it was almost done, just needed some tweeking. Christmas Eve he picked up the work, the one still a bit tacky. His wife loves the paintings. I painted on their property this summer and they saw a number of works go from start to finish, some good, others....so-so. They have already bought a few pieces generated from this summer's forays on their property.

I thought a few pics from our Dec. 15th snow would be fun to see. I'm not sentimental about having a White Christmas, this was good to have early and be done with in time for safe holiday travel.

Gleaning from a Beautiful Autumn

Many of my recent posts have mentioned or really mentioned the beauty of this past Autumn, although technically its not 'past' yet. Not until Dec. 21st. You wouldn't know it here though, as its 24 F. and snowy.
So I'm not done with Autumn yet. There are still a few things left to paint, I hope to get to them by the year's end. We'll see....
This one is in a different format, the canvas is 5 x 12 and is marketed by the name SQUANGLES. The come in different shapes (triangles) and sizes and are affordable.
It was interesting to squish the composition into this space.
The colors are slightly off, the blue should be more of a purple.

Addendum to last post:
The painting I talked about selling and being there for the sale. It was sold to Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond). Cool!

Also Tom the Russian Blue has moved to Lakewood for the winter.

Serendipity

i am Molly sitting tonight...Molly being my son's girlfriend Tracy's cocker spaniel-beagle mix puppy. cute as can be. fortuitously (sp?) she needed to step outside for a final bathroom break. it's a crisp cold night and we have about 4 inches of snow on the ground. full moon, silvery clouds..so we're out there, me, Molly and Woody Dog Sedivy.
just chillin.
first i heard them. i started scanning the skies in the direction of their odd calls. (reminiscent of the monkeys in wizard of oz).
the v-shape emerged coursing through streaks of silver cloud.
Up, way up.
50 or more.
lovely v shape. SWANS, Tundra swans.

earlier in the day, a visit with mom and dad. Tracy, Beau, me, Meg and Marilyn.
great visit..we ate some just made that morning pumpkin pie.
Tre delicier (sp?)
we stopped at BayArts the see my work there and to shop at the holiday boutique. what are the odds that as I'm there, the painting shown above is literally being taken down from the wall and sold! Cool! got to meet the buyer and look at the painting one last time. this is a favorite of mine and i'm glad to know where and with whom it will be. i don't know, maybe that sounds odd, but some pieces you get attached to. and i like to know where all of my work goes. it tells a story of time passage, geography, an excerpt of one aspect of my life and intersections with people.

the last taker for PAY IT FORWARD has emerged. Leslie. a fellow blogger and a writer. we have a twist! Leslie is a poet and for those interested participating in PIF and in recieving poetry--visit Leslie and read her poetry, evocative work. She has her first chapbook of poetry printed! Congratulations, Leslie!

all in all a fine day after thanksgiving. giving thanks, indeed.
Thank you to my takers!! Leslie, Shirime and Christine!

A Birding Morning

Went birding this a.m. at Headlands (this is a state park on Lake Erie, east of Cleveland). not much to see in the way of birdlife, but i did hook up with some friends and we had a nice time walking the dunes, enjoying the views and the wonderful mild weather. we had some nice views of about 10 or more great blue herons hangin out and circling about, didn't have my camera then, so no shots.
but, i took lots of reference photos, the colors were muted by mists.

the painting posted is done or nearly done, i may rework the tree-esp. the trunk.

lastly, there is room for a final taker on the Pay It Forward venture.

Mundane

a day spent doing the ordinary can be so satisfying after a couple of weeks full of activity.
a certain level of comfort settles into doing the mundane..the sounds that accompany the days tasks, the drier, the dishwasher running, the broom swishing against the kitchen floor.
clean laundry folded on the table. fresh towels.
outside it snow mists.
first suet of the winter season is out, birds feed all day long.
hot soup for lunch.
every year my mind down shifts to winter mode. re-learning acceptance of slower time, hush time (snow has a hush sound)and relishing it.
an excuse to curl up on the couch with a great book and coffee and yum...cookies.

an advantage of teaching painting to high school students is giving a demo.
the piece posted here is on such result. i love the freshness of color...the students don't want me to change a thing, i'm compelled to work in the area to the left of the building. (a retreat house on the property where i teach)

last...there room for one more taker on the Pay It Forward fun.

Happy Saturday!

Pay it Forward

After visiting Tracy"s http://worksbytracy.blogspot.com/
--forgive me here, not sure how to put in a link) blog yesterday and discovering the Pay it Forward concept going on in the artist's blog community, I was intriqued with the idea. Like Tracy says in her blog,(the humbug thing), I tend toward skepticism when it comes to this kindof stuff. But this is fun...it'll be interesting to see or find out how far it goes.
The added bonus for me is to have a piece of Tracy's gracing my humble walls!

So here is how it goes:

I will send a handmade gift (in my case I can specify that it WILL be a painting, probably a small one, but the real thing) to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

When you leave your comment, please also do one of two things: leave your post address or e-mail it to me.
So here goes!