Well, here they are... my first four angels. I feel really good about them. Mostly because I have never attempted faces before. Interesting though, how different they look in a photo or here in my blog. Now I see some changes I want to make. .I'm very happy with this one, though I think I need to put more contour into her face. Looks kinda flat. I love her eyes though.


.This was finished two weeks ago on my art retreat... but I didn't like the face so I redid it this morning. Still thinking about the closed eyes thing.


.Same with this one's face. I feel I've learned so much I wanted to totally redo her face too. Now, I just don't like her eyes. They need to be darker.


.This was my first redheaded angel. She's ok... but her eyes should be lower. Just got to a place of wanting to be done. Everytime I look, seems like I should do something else.

Both of the redhaired angels were done on board. I've also done some shading around the edges to give them a distressed look. Thinking about doing a light crackle finish.

Any comments are so welcomed. Thanks for looking!

"Golden Girls"

Brit and I (alias Golden Girls) attended a fabulous product demonstration at our FAVORITE ART STORE, Lenz, in Santa Cruz. Judy Gittelsohn is a local artist from Palo Alto who really impressed us all with her knowledge. Golden was very generous with product samples too!

Home again and challenged!

Ok... so you'd think he'd be happy I'm home again. It's pouring rain and I'm cooking a turkey (actually a half turkey that was on sale). My hubby comes home and says he challenges me to draw or paint this!! Can you guess what it is?? Scroll down.Actually, I don't even know what it's called. But I do know you can eat it. In the mean time, it looks great, and inspiring, on my art dest.


So, I finally got my Muleskine journal and started sketching and shading.
Here are my ladies.
this one is a bit more stylized.... I should probably stick to that since most of my faces seem to have rings around their eyes.

Done! and Full of Gratitude!

So, today was/is the last full day of my art retreat. It rained earlier, but the sun has come out, promising a beautiful sunset. I spent most of yesterday and today on this final angel. Included a cat, but I'm not too good at cats yet. It's all still elementary, but I feel good about the start I've gotten. I had never painted a face before this trip.

Anyway, these are done for now. I might add more to them once I'm home.
Thanks for looking and letting me share my journey.

Many blessings!

Here is tonight's sunset..I did an antiquing treatment and I like this one a bit better.
.This is a sketch for my next painting.
.And here I've blocked in some of the color.

.And here is yesterday's painting all done. (I think)

Happier about this one...

This is my latest angel. Here is the earliest version..This isn't the best picture since I had to use the flash. But you can see the added embelishements. I'll work more on her tomorrow.

I keep plugging along....

Well, I keep plugging along... got into some color, but her eyes look googlie.

All of a sudden a bring color caught my eye... the sun had been set for a while, but this amazing cloud show happened!
.I worked on this one a little more...
.Then I totally changed style. This one is way more folk arty.

Making Progress!

Oh my gosh... Finally figured how to download Suzi Blu's tutorials and I'm making progress! This one looks sooo much better. Interesting though, it can sit in front of me, but, when I load it onto the computer... it looks so different! Gonna rework it now..Here is something weird... sketched another lady and ZenDoodled half of her face. Seems like maybe next time I could do darker doodles (more dense) where the shadows fall. Just mindless fun.

New Day, New Teacher, New Hope

Well, after yesterday's attempts I'm more hopeful today. I found an amazing new teacher!

First, here is the ZenDoodle Mandala I've been working at for a few days. I love to mindlessly doodle in the spaces! Here is the sketch I did to day with Suzi Blu (new teacher)
And here are the two angels I tried to rescue.

I'm giving up on this one!! she just bugs me.

Art Retreat January 2010

H
Here I am at the beautiful Carlsbad Seapoint Resort for my winter art retreat.
This is the livingroom......This is the set of windows with a fabulous view!
and... THIS is the view....
Here is my art table, all set to go....
My first page of my art journal.... trying way too many techniques. Learned that acrylic paint wont stick over oil pastels. Plus, the Sharpy poster paint pen wont either.
ok... don't laugh, even to yourself... this is my first attempt at an angel face. Got lots more to do to her. She looks like she has a sneer on! her hair wont be yellow either. I forgot to paint her halo first.
So, I stepped away from angel #1 to start another one... with closed eyes. She's far from done too. I'm watching tutorials and Youtube demos. Maybe I should step away and just paint. I'll work more on her tomorrow as well.
In the mean time... no sunset tonight. the fog rolled in, thick and creamy. I'm all tucked in with the fireplace and Joan Baez. Nice.

Birthday blessings

As birthdays go, this was fabulous. My kids took me to the wharf in Santa Cruz for lunch. Such a beautiful, bright sunny day. I am blessed!

On the left, Brit, Tim, Monica. On the right, Me, Bill and Will.

I AM PASSIONATE about POSSIBILITIES!

Yesterday's program was so sweet and beautiful. Many beautiful surprises and wonderful inspirations were explored. I created this worksheet to record your Passion for Possibilities. The directions follow below the worksheet.



The I AM box is for qualities that define you and that you have been gifted with. Qualities of your spirit and soul. Who are you? And, what is the possibility that you want to create for yourself. This is the place to write down your dream.

The Who box is to list those who will be affected by your intentions. dreams, or goals. Maybe it's just you, and that's so important. Maybe it's your family or perhaps you want to serve a certain population. Be specific.

Where... imagine yourself living this dream, where are you? What do your surroundings look like?

What... are you doing. How are you living out the dream?

When... these are your next steps. It's not "after you retire" or get the raise. Once you've declared your intention, your dream, it has already begun. So what are your next steps?

The final box is WHY? My box said, "Because I have to"... there is something deep within that is driving me to fulfill a deeper purpose in my "retirement" years. I have to do it. (Plus it just feels great to be creating something new!)

Feel free to click on the worksheet and print it out for yourself. I could always send you the pdf copy if you like.

Many blessings this January 3rd evening.

Passion for the Possible

Today I am holding a Conscious Connections gathering, the first of the New Year. "Passion for the Possible", we will call ourselves into fullness as we consciously bring in 2010. We're beginning with a Sacred Thread Ceremony. Here is the reading....

The Sacred Thread
The Sacred Thread Reminds us we each are
Part of the Whole
The All There Is
A Sacred Circle
Connecting us all to something
So much bigger and more phenomenal
Than any one part of it’s whole
Yet each of us, significant and influential
Our individuation, no less than essential
Unique and distinct, cooperative and reciprocal
Aware that we each entwine our essence
Weaving into the tapestry of the All that Is
Interlacing our gifts of brilliance
Not contrived from without
But created within our own hearts
As the All manifests itself through Love
We are humbled in awe
Of the part of the All we each hold
In the Sacred Circle of God

Many Sacred & Sweet Blessings to you
PS Tomorrow I'll post the "I AM" Mind Map I'm passing out today

Starting 2010

Tucked into our Redwood mountain cabin I'm begining the New Year by creating a daily Spiritual Practice that includes two new features for me: Lectio Divina and some form of drawing, doodling, or painting (Zen doodles, Mandala's, etc.). Lectio Divina is Latin for divine reading, spiritual reading, or "holy reading," and represents a traditional practice of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and to increase in the knowledge of God's Word. It is a way of praying with Scripture that calls one to study, ponder, listen and, finally, pray and even sing and rejoice from God's Word, within the soul. I've chosen to begin with an antique copy (1939) of Laotzu's Tap and Wi Wei.

I've also signed up for Abby of the Arts Lenten E-course. (Anyone interested in following with me, let me know, and we'll sign up for a group rate.) I've always told myself I could never paint faces, so I've mostly focused on landscape paintings or had my husband do the faces for me (in my angels of this past year). But some inner guide has led me to explore folk art angels. I've found two AMAZING artists: Gritty Jane and Mystele (I love, love LOVE her layers! always a teal in every face!).

So, I've been verrryyy inspired! So.. several days ago I began my first folk art face... and these NUNS! seem to be appearing! We'll see where that goes! Here is a picture of my bedroom art table and my first attempts. Notice the beautiful Zen Alter my granddaughter gave me. My dad made the cross when he was in the Navy during WWII. All the little compartments are perfect for my little icons and candles.








And here is just one of the faces that came through. I'm looking forward to sharing more from my Lectio Divina study and artistic explorations in 2010.


Many blessings to you.