Summer's End

Look at what I saw when I walked into my kitchen. From our garden & neighbors gardens. I made that plum jam. It is yummy. There was a plum tree across the street from my sisters house, heavy with plums. She made jam, I think everyone on the street collected plums from
that tree. Rowan & I went and returned home with baskets of plums. That is summer. Summer setting on my kitchen counter. Tomato sandwiches. Plum jam. Squash casserole.
I will freeze most of these tomato's for the winter.

Here is a little Angel I just finished. I really enjoyed painting him. I love his little hand in his pocket. I am not sure why I decided to give him a pocket. But, I like it & seems to suit him. He has such a gentle calm about him. He will be on ebay by tonight. Setting & painting these Angels in the evening has made my so happy.
I am also working on a portrait. I don't think I should post it, because it is a gift.I don't want to spoil anything.
~~~Amy~~~

Focus

Well, I sure have been a busy girl lately. I wanted thank everyone for all the sweet comments
on my posts lately. And, especially for the encouraging words on my little Angel paintings.
I am going to keep on doing them. And, still work on my portraits.
I have over the past couple of weeks received very kind emails from my arty, bloggy friends
and....they really have helped me put some thoughts together that have been buzzing around my mind. Thoughts about all things ,Art, that I do. Does that make since? Where to put my focus.
Susan Carlan, has posted a real list of her goals as an artist. And, I looked at it and thought
"Eureka !"....... Please don't laugh. (o.k. laugh) But, I realize that I leave to much of my artist life up to fate. Like a bumble bee, buzzing from one project to another. Working really hard on each one, but, no real direction. I love each thing that I do. But, I often feel scattered.
Susan was kind enough to write me, my very own email. In it she pretty much said, "Amy if it makes you happy, do it." "Eureka" , again.
So, I am busy writing out my goals, but not just goals, but actual ways of reaching them.
I am putting lots of thought into it. So, hopefully in the very near future, I will post them.

And, on that note I say to you all Thank You, again, &
Good Night, Sleep Tight &
May Your Guardian Angels Watch After You!
~Amy~

The Olymics !

~~~~my son, Gabriel in China~~~~







~~~my Gabriel~~~

The Opening Ceremony's for the Olympics are tonight!
So, I thought I would share some of the pictures that my oldest son, Gabriel, took when he went to China last summer. Yes, we sent our 17,( @ the time), year old son to China last summer.
He was part of the People to People Student Ambassador Program. I was very brave, because I wanted him to have this fantastic, once in a life time experience.
And, he loved it! If your child is ever offered this chance, the program goes all over the world, and you can make it happen, do it. I am not sure how, but, we made it happen for Gabriel and I am so happy we did.
I think tonight we will have to have some Chinese food for dinner. Even tho we know that the Chinese we get here is not the real thing. Like I was telling Jack,(he is going in April of next year) I am very proud of my son, because he tried and enjoyed the food that was so beautifully placed before him. A lot of the kids said they lived on fruit & rice during their visit.
I am really looking forward to watching the Olympics. So, I need to get going & get what I need to make those egg rolls. ~~~Enjoy~~~ Amy~~~

~~~~~Sunday Morning~~~~~WOW~ WOW~WOW~~~~~
That was the most amazing show I have ever watched!!!
We ordered our Chinese food. My dear friend Leslie came over and WOW! what a show.
I was so excited, I called friends & family to make sure they were not missing it. I left too many comments on poor Jack's blog, sorry Jack.
How did they do all of this? Just amazing ! My kids were glued to what they were seeing. "That was so cool !" They were completely amazed.
Click here for some high lights of the show. I managed to say AMAZED 3 times in this post, well it was "just amazing"!
~~~~have a lovely Sunday~~~~Amy~~~~

I sold my first piece on ebay! I did, I really did. So, I have just listed this little angel, holding morning glory's.
I needed this little boost.
Anyway, I have also been working on a portrait too, which I will post very soon.

I do have a funny story to share. On my travels up & down the highway last month, I drive past the exit to my old neighborhood. Well, on one return trip, I decided to pull off and drive past my old house. I haven't gone into my old neighborhood in years.My two daughters, Rowan & Hannah were with me. We slowly drove past the little ranch style house where I , "mostly", grew up. Hannah said ,"kinda small, isn't Mom?". Yep, a 3 bedroom ranch, that housed 7 children & my parents. "Girl room" , "boy room". Anyway, as I drove around the corner, it was a corner lot. I could see all the trees we had planted, not much had changed. And, much to my surprise I spotted the shed, over in the corner of the back yard.The surprise was that, it was put up some 19 years ago, and when it was, my mom asked me to paint something on it. Well, I painted this :
And, it is still there! My mom moved away from this little house like, 11 years ago, a few years after my dad died. I think there has been at least two different owners, since the Gethins clan lived there. (Gethins is my maiden name) Anyway, I got out of my car and took pictures of it. Actually, I had forgotten all about this little shed. My mom had a herb and flower garden all around it when she lived there. But, I thought it was funny that no one had decided to paint over it. The house had a fresh coat of paint, but not the little shed. Now, that tickled me. ~~~~~Amy~~~~~

Angels

Where have I been? ~~~~It feels as if all I have done this month is run up & down the highway, driving, not really running. There has been much sadness in our family, as my husbands oldest brother passed away and most diffidently is with our Heavenly Father. He was a most wonderful man. My heart just brakes. His life was beautiful. His wife & two sons and their wives and children, all the most beautiful , kind, Believing people you would ever want to know. As I watched them, as they all comforted the people around them, with hugs and love, I am reminded
how Blessed I have been to be a part of this family.

To comfort myself, I sat down & painted this little angel. I started making them way back when Gabriel was in preschool. I needed a Christmas gift for his teacher & I wanted it to be nice, having come from a long line of teachers, on my mothers side. So, since my husband is a cabinetmaker, lots of wood around, and my sons name is Gabriel, I came up with the ideal to make her an angel. That was the beginning. So, for the past 14 years we have made these angels at Christmas, for all four children's teachers. I also have given them as birthday, baby shower and Christmas gifts. I really have know ideal how many I have made. Nor, did I take pictures of them.
The process was always the same. Usually the night before I needed to paint an angel, for what ever gathering, I would say to my poor husband, "can you cut out an angel for me?" I really have the most wonderful husband. I would then draw out the angel & he would cut it out. Or, he would find me a nice piece of wood to paint one on.
So, on the morning of the gathering, I would wake up early ,still in my jammy's & paint my angel.

I get so much enjoyment from them. Setting there with all the wonderful colors in front of me. Just letting my imagination go and so relaxing in something I love doing.
So, while I was painting this little angel, I thought why not try selling my angels. I don't know how well they will do. But, I made up my mind that I will try.
As , I am growing my portrait business. I really do need extra income. These are the cold hard facts. As an artist, it can be so hard to look facts in the eye.

So, I have asked that my little angel painting business be Blessed.

I have opened my own ebay shop. Wish me luck. :)

Wow, this was a long post. As always " thank you for visiting". And, by all means go check out my
little angel on ebay.
Amy

Belong together

I thought I would post this portrait again, because, the Summer Portrait and this one were commissioned by the same wonderful person. So, now she has a portrait of both of her children.(shame that she does not have 7 children) : )
I don't think they will hang side by side. But I thought it would be fun to post them near each other. Enjoy your weekend ! I have alot of work to get done. And I am going to try & set up an ebay shop for myself. Wish me luck. Amy

Summer Portrait

I just finished this portrait. It was done with pastels and pencil. I like the way he is surrounded with the blue ocean. Very summery.Perfect time to do this painting.... I want to go to the beach.
Anyway, I wish I had gotten better pictures before I had to hand it over. The top photo, I used auto fix, in photo shop. The lower one is just straight up picture. I do not really know how to use photo shop, as you can see. But, the real painting is somewhere between the two in color.
We have alot going on in our family right now. This past week has past by so quickly.
Amy

Pencil

This little drawing was done with pencil & a bit of pastel. I didn't feel the need to add color.
I think the color of the pastel paper gives it an old fashion feeling. Just a nice little drawing, I think. :) ) This is Sophie & Virginia, Two Sweeties ......amy

Chock Full o' Love

The colors are much brighter in person!......This is a painting that was given to my husband by my brother-in-law, Greig Leach, for Christmas last year. Because, we have such a large family, we exchange names at Christmas. And, in the past, when anyone would get Philip's name, they would think "COFFEE", right away. Philip drinks coffee all day, even before bed. So, in the past he has recieved, fancy coffee mugs and fancy flavored coffee. Lovely gifts, but, for one thing. Philip only drinks Chock Full of Nuts and he only drinks out of one mug at home. He is a creature of habit. That one mug, is one I gave him on Valentines Day many years ago. I have to steal it from time to time to wash the flood lines, the dried coffee lines out. He uses the same cup, till it finally brakes. In our 18 years of marriage, he has had no more than 3 mugs. So, this year Philip was given the BESTEST gift he has ever gotten! This painting. Greig, titled it "Chock Full o' Love", isn't that just perfect? Clever titles are very important to his paintings. My sister & he will sit & look at his paintings and together think of the perfect name for it.
Greig is an amazing artist, his work is done with oilsticks on beautiful 100% rag paper . I don't know of any other artist who has become the master of oilsticks like Greig. He has been painting with them for more than 30 years now. He uses no other medium in his painting, from the 1st. sketch to the final piece, with its many rich layers, all oilstick. Beautiful !
My sister & Greig met at V.C.U. in the very early 80's. They were married with-in a year of meeting each other, they were young, but, they knew, they were soul mates.They have two sons, now grown.
From the very start, Greig has supported his family with his art. With the added income, by waiting tables or bar tending. But, selling his paintings has always been his main income. Not an easy task. He has never taken the attitude of, I will just have to wait to do my art. Greig is now and always has been an artist who paints everyday. Just Google his name, it will blow you away.Or, just take a look at his bio. That is alot of years of faith and not at all easy. As I have herd my sister say so many times, " We are Rich & Famous Today!". But, then there comes the days of being not so," rich & famous". The highs & lows of being a full time artist, has never squalshed the passion.
Bridget, my sister, has always been Greig's #1 supporter. Together they make an invincible team, of what to do next.
But, isn't it grand having an artist in the family? The BESTEST gifts ever! Amy

SUMMER

Tomorrow is the 4th of July ! Tomorrow is the 4th of July !!!! What ?...... So, I am going to be taking time away from this lovely computer that likes to suck me into it's world. I have so much wonderful work to do. And, I keep getting stuck here looking at everyone else's wonderful work.
So, away I go, like a little birdy. But, I leave you with a few pictures of the kinda art I will be doing.This is a lithograph print i did, called Family Portrait,it was drawn from family portrait of all 7 of us kids when we were young. The way the hands were knotted together was beautiful to me, but, I won't be doing lithos. I will however be using my etching press, yes, my etching press. It came from Jerry's Artaramma. It is the student press. It is so beautiful, well, to me anyway. I will be working on a few portraits. Yeah, my favorite thing to do.

This a pot that I made, I will be keeping it filled with flowers. I need to enjoy this summer, with little outings with my family. Make sure this summer does not fly away without enjoying it . Scrabble, walks, visits , little fun stuff. You know ! So, away like a birdy I go.
So, to the little summery things in life.
Amy

TEA PARTY !

I have looked forward to this day..... Don't you know ? Today is the "Mad Hatter Tea Party", hosted by the lovely Vanessa at , A Fanciful Twist. Vanessa is a very talented artist and I have always enjoyed visiting her blog. The art she creates becomes part of her enchanting world & life. So much fun. This is my first blogland tea party. So, I wanted to put my best foot forward. So, Welcome to the Party !
My favorite part of any party, is decorating the table. And, since there are going to be so many artists at this tea party, I knew I wanted to use one of my own pieces of pottery for the center piece. My choices were. This coil built pot, I love it.. Please click the picture, for a close up.
these pots are so pretty close up .But it is very tall. ( i'm not sure how or why it stands so well), maybe if I had a really large table. Then there is this coil pot. This pot is one of my faves, But ...
Too Big. Then, this one. The right size. But, I chose this creamy white coil built pot. Then I ran outside & picked my flowers. Roses, hydrangeas and dusty miller. Very pretty!
So, off to the kitchen to make my scones. We made orange, rosemary scones. Then Hannah, said she preferred savory,"well then", says I, so we made our cheese scones. Yummy.
As we worked we added things to our table. Mr. Frog was invited, as were the little gnomes, who usually sit in my kitchen window. A little this & a bit of that ... Oh, almost forgot, my tea pot. I collect them. You have seen my "Little Red Riding Hood" tea pot. (in March posts) This one has mushrooms on top, and you know how Ms. V. feels about pretty little mushrooms.
O.K. we are ready. So, Please have a scone & a "cuppa". And, finally a picture of me dancing around in my red flannel nighty ,( something I still enjoy doing) my "Little Granny Fields" made it for me.
She made one for my big sister ... And one for our dolls too. I loved this nighty. She was my Great Granny.

Thank You for coming, I have enjoyed this so much. Amy

"A Little Give, Take Action"

Last week I taught a scene painting class for a theatre camp. O.K. , now this is the third summer I have taught at this camp. And every summer I try & think of a project for the kids that will 1.teach them something about being a scenic, 2. engage them, 3. needs to be completed in two 50 minute sessions, and 4. most importantly, will be FUN !
So, the camp is split into 3 age groups. The youngest group starting at 5 or 6, the oldest group no more than 12 years old and then the little guys in between.44 kids in all.
Also, I need to keep in mind that the space that we are working in, is really not good for messy painting, thoe I have gotten very messy by putting down drop clothes and plastic, in the past.
O.K. I decide we are going to do a little trompe l' oeil painting. A" little trick the eye" action.
I decide to cut out 44 canves squares to work on.
Then I decide, I am going to tape off the outside of the squares, creating a frame around a picture.
So, the first day, I talk to them about what a scenic is & the part they play in the production of a show.......I then explain what trompe l' oeil is & that we are going to create "what will appear to be a picture in a frame.....So, the 1st. day we are just going to do a little "scumbling, sponging action with 2 or 3 colors to create the background of our picture. Then tomorrow we will do a little stenciling on the background and finally pull the tape off and do a little wood graining or gold paint action to create our fake frame. Sound Good ?......While explaining, the kids did seem to like the ideal. But, a few hands did go up in the air asking if they could paint their own picture & not use the stencil. Of course ! Their minds were already way ahead of mine.
So, after camp, I go to the art store to purchase the stencils. As I stood there in front of the stencil selection, I thought, "Dummy...they don't want to use these boring stencils !...They want to PAINT !" So, thankfully I walked away from the stencils, walked over to the paint brushes and bought a nice selection of them.
The next day, when I announced to each class that they could paint what they wanted for their picture, they were all like, "YES!"
What was I thinking? Once again I learned my lesson. Every year it's the same, I start out saying, "first we will do this, this & then, this". And every year I am so grateful that I am not totally stuck in my perfectionist ways and am smart enough to let loose. So, between the kids & myself,and a little" give, take action." The class went very well.
Now, look at those paintings. They are BEaUtiFul !
While they worked, they hummed, they sang, they talked.
Enjoy your Monday.
Summer is finally here & I have alot of my own art to do. Get loose Amy, get loose ! :D

Tasha Tudor

Tasha Tudor

August 28, 1915 - June 18, 2008
Boston, Massachusetts

"Einstein said that time is like a river, it flows in bends. If we could only step back around the turns, we could travel in either direction. I'm sure it's possible. When I die, I'm going right back to the 1830s. I'm not even afraid of dying. I think it must be quite exciting." ~Tasha Tudor

I have a book called "The Private World of Tasha Tudor", it is full of beautiful photos that give you a peek into Tasha's amazing life.I have spent hours looking at that book.I grew up reading her children's story's. Her lovely illustrations have touched many, adults & children.
She has left alot behind for us all to still enjoy.
You can visit a memorial sight set up by her family here.
Her family also have a lovely sight called Tasha Tudor & Family

Marc Chagall

Abraham and the Three Angels (1954-67).
Song of Songs III (1960)
Look at what a very kind face he has, what a cute guy!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Great art picks up where nature ends."
"Only love interest me, and I am only in contact with things I love."
"All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites."
"My name is Marc, my emotional life is sensitive and my purse is empty, but they say I have talent."
Marc Chagall, July 7, 1887- March 29, 1985

One of the things that I love about blogging, is that it often sends me out searching for more information. I was visiting an artist's blog this morning & I made the comment that her figures reminded me of Marc Chagall's. And that got me thinking about a book that I bought many moons ago, 1988. There was a small, but, very good bookstore across the street from my apartment on Strawberry St. (yes, Strawberry St.) that I spent alot of time in. And, when I first laid eyes on Marc Chagall Arabian Nights I just had to have it, the shop owner let me put it on lay-away. It is a large "coffee table" book with colorful, romantic illustrations by Mr. Chagall.
After taking this beautiful book off the self, I looked Marc Chagall up & read a bit more about him. I found these quotes (above) and I can't help but think what a romantic, lover of life he was.
He was not afraid to depict and even indulge himself in romance and color in his art.
Maybe some may think that he wore rose colored glasses. But, he was clearly a lover of life and beauty.
He lived to be 102!!! He died when I was 25. Maybe his beautiful look on life had something to do with that. Anyway, I just LoVe his art and want to know more about him. I will take his book & read it again tonight. It has been... WoW, 20 years since I bought it and I can't remember the last time I have spent any time enjoying it. And somehow, I don't think he would saying he is a cute guy. : )
OoOo, Amy

His Scribble, My Scribble

Please click to see detail
So this morning ,I was visiting Eric Orchard's blog, ( one of my favorite blogs to visit) and he was
telling us how coffee had gotten spilled over, oh about 2 weeks of drawings he had done for a book he is illustrating. Yikes ! But, that got me thinking about work of mine that has gone the way of the "Doe Doe" for what ever reason. Most of my mishaps were due to my darling children trying to help Mom with her art. So, I told Eric I would post this painting. After my son had also worked on it (scribble) , well, it felt like a happy accident. I called the piece "His Scribble, My Scribble". That was about 15, 16 years ago and it was Gabriel's handy work, he is the one who just graduated from HS. The portrait is of him & myself, maybe that's why he felt he needed to add his touch. Anyway, I LoVe this little portrait. And hey, Gabriel has become an amazing artist & will be going to art school next year.
So, Do You Have A Story You Would Like To Share, About A Piece Of Art That Had A Happy or Sad , Unplanned Ending? Leave a comment and post your story, post your piece on your blog , if it is still around and we will come see it. : ) have a grand day! amy

Hot, But Fun !

Well, the graduation celebration was a hit. Our guests braved the heat yesterday & came out to celebrate with us. All I can say is, "thank goodness" for our big magnolia tree in the back yard. It was a haven from the HOT !
And this little pool I bought last year has proved itself to be a smart investment. The little ones were happy as clams splashing around.
The food was yummy, the crabs were delish. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. They must have been, because they all stayed & talked and laughed under the sweet shade of the magnolia.
So, I just want to say, "Thank you dear friends and family for making this such a special time for Gabriel."
Stay COOL, it was hotter today than yesterday. Yikes ! Drink plenty of water! oxox amy

Smells so Lovely !

Can I just say," my lavender has gone crazy! " I had to share this photo with you, before I tie it back. There is a sidewalk under all that beautiful lavender.
I tease my postman, asking him, " isn't lovely walking threw the lavender everyday to get to my mailbox?"...He just smiles & says, "yeah".
This is it's third spring, but it blooms all summer long. Happy bees & little white butterfly's visit all day long. We need to take care of our bees & butterfly's. They are apparently dieing out.
So, stay away from the poisons, who cares if you have dandy lions , clover & buttercups mixed in your grass. These highly under rated flowers are very important to our world. Let them live in your yard. Bees love them. (see "Feeling Dandy" post 4/30/08 )
So, I am up early, I have much to do for our party tomorrow. Wish me luck. Enjoy your weekend. Amy

Congradulations Gabriel !

Gabriel graduated from High School yesterday ! I cannot tell you how proud I felt , setting there watching him from the bleechers. I mean , you know you are proud of your child. But, at that moment it was an overwhelming, gushy, I can't help myself, look at my beautiful , smart, handsome, son ! PROUD !!! and Look, he is a young man now. Tears. Happy, but, tears.
Happy Young Man !

His party is this Sunday. So, I am still busy with all the running around for that. It will be so much fun. I will be back on Monday. One more week till my other three are out for the SUMMER! "Have a lovely weekend. " amy