OUT WITH THE OLD

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve - the old year is fading fast! It was a year filled with travel; reaquainting myself with relatives I hadn't seen in over 30 years; art (vistited lots of galleries and took 2 online classes); and tribulation. The last 3 months have been spent battling illness, Don's and my own. My problems are small potatoes compared to Don's. He was totally disabled for awhile and caring for him was a tough, stressful, full-time job. (I was so blessed to have Brigette here to help me with this burden.) Don has had a tough struggle in his fight against pain. It is not resolved yet but he is stronger than he has been in a couple of months. I feel like I'm coming out of a dark cave and seeing the light again! The New Year holds hope!
This year has taught me that I have to cling to my God and put all my hopes in Him! I can't expect anything from anyone but I can accept whatever help God provides. The help He provided during the crisis the past couple of months came from unexpected sources. People I didn't expect stepped forward with love, support and help. I am so thankful for all my dear friends and family that were here for us.
I don't have resolutions for the New Year but I do have plans. Plans to stay on a healthy diet, plans to start a Bible study and meet regularly with Godly women to study His Word, plans to get back to creating my art and plans to travel once again. And I know what God says about His plans for me! His are plans are for good and not for evil, to give me a future and a hope (Jer. 29:22). Amen and amen!

GUT ART

The Gut Art Class is in it's 4th week. I have enjoyed watching the field trip videos and responding with art. The result has been art that I would not have normally done but it was inspired by using prompts, or "pulling" art out of a background or just viewing the art of other artists.

Hello Medicare!

This past week I celebrated my 65th birthday. But mostly I celebrated Medicare!!!! No more exhorbitant insurance premiums - yipee!!!!
Deb took me to Santa Barbara for a mini-vacation sans kids. We stayed with our friend, Eileen, who just moved there. We had a great time! Being the birthday girl, they let me plan our itinerary so, of course, art was involved. I went to two art shows.
We shopped, we went crazy at a rummage sale, we dined at a trendy bistro and we laughed and celebrated life. We came home by way of Ventura where we met my friends, Dianne and Rose, for a birthday lunch. On Monday, my actual birthday, Deb fixed me a wonderful salmon dinner and baked me my favorite - a lemon cake! I felt so loved!!!! Although I'm an old lady now, I'm a happy old lady!!!!!

Gut Art Field Trip #3

I watched video #3 today which featured the art of Cora Marshall. She did a wonderful series of paintings of Negro slaves. When I was done I saw a vintage magazine on my work table, the pages are yellowed and crisp from age. I just sat down and started drawing and this came out. It is a simple drawing done with colored pencils, I liked it and wanted it to stand on it's own thus the simple background. When I was done I realized the text was upside down, but in thinking about the injustices to minorities in this country, and particularly the horrors of slavery, I felt it was appropo since slavery did indeed turn people's lives upside down!

ART CARDS

I did not start out purposing to do a painting for any other reason than to create a piece of art. However, once this zany lady was done I just envisioned her as the perfect birthday card. So I first added the birthday message using Picassa. Then I made a reduced color print on matte photo paper and used colored pencils to define some of the areas. I added the glitzy star, matted it with the same paper I used on the face, mounted it on a card stock and...... viola! - I have a birthday card! Actually, I made several.

Do not imagine that art is something which is designed to give gentle uplift and self-confidence. Art is not a brassiere. At least, not in the English sense. But do not forget that brassiere is the French word for

life-jacket. -Jullian Barnes

Funky Chica!!!

My painting for the day!

I'm having fun with

this style!

Art has the suddenness, the audacity, and sometimes the

savagery of impolite wit.

Caleb Jackson

Field Trip to Florence

Our 2nd Field Trip this week was watching a video featuring the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, a silk factory in Forence, Italy where the textiles are still woven by hand. It reminded me of Grandma and her weavings. The looms looked like hers. It was nostalgic to watch the man standing on the loom just as Grandma did even though he was a world away from her home in New Mexico. She called it "dancing on the loom". You can find out more about my Grandma at this website: http://americanart.si.edu/education/corazon/artistas_02.cfm

Some time ago I decided I wanted to try my hand at weaving, but I could never imagine myself working on a large loom with all those threads, so I used a handmade one that I fashioned out of cardboard. I was interested in the various textures of the yarns and the bright colors. This was one of my humble attempts at weaving. I admire the art form but I don't have the patience for it.