Love Peace Goodness

This was a mural done for a home for battered women. The youth in the community also came with me that day and put together beds and moved furniture.    

Not My Cup Of Tea

Although the title of this painting is "Not My Cup Of Tea." Actually this is my cup. I purchased it recently at a local Pottery Gallery. Then I got a new one that I love better. Tea cups are like that. I was considering putting this painting under the heading "Things I Put in My Coffee Cup", but while I was painting this I was thinking of tea.

Things I Put In My Pink Coffee Cup

Hydrangeas in Pink Cup

Pansy in Pink Cup

Shadows of Turning

 Over Thanksgiving my husband and I went out of town to visit old friends. We began our journey home  around sunset and took the scenic route. On a back road I saw this church with a tree shadow on the side that was stunning. So I hollered "Stop and let me get a picture!" My husband who years ago would have kept driving did stop and I hopped out and got a few shots. Tonight, while I painted it I reflected on how it would have only taken a few moments for the sun to have changed positions and I would have missed this wonderful picture. Sometimes change is not so easy.. change seems to take things away, but sometimes it gives us something better. Certainly an example of a change for the better is that now my husband will take back roads and stop to enjoy looking at shadows on churches, I guess after 34 years he is beginning to understand  my relationship with both my art and church! I love churches and all they stand for, but I have always served in church like it was a full time job... lately there has been a change and I sense God teaching me to slow down and enjoy Him in a more prayerful, quiet way. I am enjoying my gift of painting, I am enjoying the solitude and the peace, I am enjoying going to church and listening. Things change... but I am so glad God never does..Every good gift and every perfect gift cometh down from the father of lights, in whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

A Morning Ride With Gus, Tuffy, and Smokey

A Morning Ride With Gus, Tuff & Smokey.

One Autumn morning I took my camera and went out

 to take photos of  these barns and old house with colorful

 weeds that hugged the porch.

To my delight a family rode up on Gus, Tuff and Smokey

and tied them up to go into the country grocery which was

across the road from the old house. These are well loved horses

and from what I understand they have lots of cute "horse clothes"

you know, blankets and such that they wear. 

Up on Blocks

UP ON BLOCKS

This is an old gas station that I had to drive by 4 times a day for about 15 years. It was on the way to take the kids to school and back. Under the eaves there was always something awesome, sometimes a tractor, or a truck. When I went to take the photo  the old sign was gone and I could not remember what gas company it was. Thankfully the metal case was still hanging from the wire and with a little research I found out it was a Phillip's 66. That rang true, I remember telling the kids that I was going to go climb up the pole and get the sign for their dads 66th birthday because his name is Phillip. Now in my old age I realize maybe it isn't such a good idea to tell your kids you are going to take a sign.. at any rate it was a a trip down memory lane to paint it, and I am glad I took the time to do it before this old station is gone.

Portrait of My Daughter

Portrait of My Daughter

This is a portrait of my daughter sitting in an old art deco chair that belonged to her great grandmother. The Dog is Oz,  and Boisley is the cat calmly looking out of the window over her shoulder. Courtney has always loved books so a portrait with out books would not be complete. The books are on an old Hoosier cabinet passed down from me, on which sits the infamous trailing Philodendron which has traveled with Courtney from city to city and manages to thrive in any environment. Can there be any more sentiment stashed in a portrait? Well, yes! The painting in the background is one of the first canvas paintings I  painted and it travels with my daughter and hangs in her home.