So I played...

hi everyone. You know I have done probably hundreds of owl ACEOs, and  realized that I have never put them on anything larger than a baseball card...so here is my first painting. I wanted to really loosen up on this, and just play. I wanted to use pretty colors that drew me, and forget about realism. Folk art is one of my favorite types of art, yet it can be tricky to do (for me at least...I tend to try and control my paintings). What fun this was!  I can't wait to do another one. 
Now I would have had more art to show you, but I got sidetracked by  Pinterest, lol! Wow, that is a wonderful tool!  It's like an online bulletin board for all the good stuff you find online.  I had to join Twitter though, in order to get access.  I'm slowly being dragged into the social media world :-)

Last weekend was a complete disaster art wise, so rather than fighting it, I sat down and sketched a red riding hood character. One of my favorite things to do is faces, so this was very relaxing. Mind you it is a rough sketch, and I experimented with watercolor crayons on the face, as well as pencil marks. It was fun to just paint without needing it to be perfect.  It's a great way to try out new things, as some of you have commented. 
Well, back to work for me -if I can drag myself away from my computer
thanks for reading!

A Valentine's Day for all

Love after love

The time will come
When with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you have ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott

Happy Valentine's Day!  Not all of us have someone to share it with. I certainly don't.  Doesn't matter.

I came across this perfect poem for today. It's a poem about reuniting with your self and finding the one perfect soul that has always loved you...YOU

When everything you touch....

turns to crap!! yup, that's me this weekend. Have you ever had one of those days when you have such high hopes for your art, but nothing seems to work as you envision? It's been like that all weekend for me. I had such great ideas, leading up to this weekend  that when Saturday finally came around, I couldn't decide where to start....so after wasting hours on indecision, I started. And guess what? it was garbage! I mean really bad!  In the garbage bin it went.  Then the next idea, then the next....oh boy, maybe I should have made this a week to sit back and watch movies. Because art didn't love me this weekend. Try as I may, my art didn't feel real, it felt fake, like I was forcing it, which  I was.

So what do you do when you are ready to give up? Play.  Just play with your art, don't put limits on it, don't expect it to be pretty, or something that you can sell. Experiment, and don't be afraid to paint over the whole darn thing when you realize how bad it is. That is how we grow. Not by our successes, but by our failures. We learn how not to do something, and we make that ok. Don't ' beat yourself up, just paint, or sketch, with no goals in mind.  This is the lesson for me this weekend.  Right now I  feel like painting  little red riding hood on watercolor. I don't know if anyone will ever see it, but after scrapping so many drawings, it's the one thing I felt like doing. So I got no art to show you.

Not all was wasted this weekend, I finally joined twitter. I only joined because it was tje only way I could join Pinterest, which sounds like every artists' dream.  I have no idea what I am doing, lol! but will slowly try and figure things out.
Wherever you are, I hope you are having a lovely weekend. Be blessed, and love your life! It's the only one you got!
xoxo
betty

Does music move you?

After a bit of a dry spell, today I finally had the urge to paint a face.It's funny how music can move you. Yesterday I was shopping with a friend, and a song came on, that I remembered from many years ago. It was so haunting, that I pulled out my pocket journal, wrote a few lyrics so I wouldn't forget, and went on with my day.
Today I pulled out my journal,  googled the lyrics, and found it was an old Glen Campbell song. I cranked up the sound and let the melody take me away. In the middle of the song, I had an idea for the very last page of my Art and Music journal that I started several months ago. The last page has been blank all this time, (although I had painted the background, I couldn't decide what kind of face and lyrics to put on it). Just like that, I had the answer, and wasted no time getting my pencil out and drawing the girl. This is the end result
(sorry for the bad photo, but I had to take it indoors, with poor lighting)

Ok, can you tell I have serious issues with my handwriting?? It is beyond terrible, lol! there are a couple of online workshops on creative lettering, and I think it's time to take one of them :-)

So, months later, all it takes is the right song, to move me into action. Have you ever had a song that does that to you, that inspires you? For me, it's usually oldies, as I don't like today's music. My Youtube playlists are full of classics from the 60's and early 70's. That's just the music I seem to resonate with.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on music, and how it affects you.  Go ahead, name your idols, or your fave songs. I have too many to mention, but over the years, I've shown some art on my blog that was inspired by them.

for you young folks, if you are curious about the song, here it is:



thanks for reading!

Resolve

hey folks! I haven't forgotten about my blog, lol! but I have been a bit busy since the start of the year. I'm giving myself a short break from painting, but still creating my ACEOs.
Lots of artists choose a word for the year, something to focus on, rather than resolutions, which generally fail. As I was thinking about this, the word 'Resolve' came into my head, and it felt right at the time. For me, resolve means to be determined to do what needs to be done, to not quit, to be focused....Yes it's a boring word, lol! but it's the one that I first thought of, so I guess it stays.
Once my little art break is over, I plan to buy some of those wooden letters you can pick up in a craft store,  spell out my word, and put it somewhere in my art room as a reminder.

One big change that happened the first week of January was I finally decided to get off my butt, and take yoga classes at my gym. I 'resolved' to do 30 days of yoga, and I have kept up that commitment to myself. What took me so long?? I've been doing yoga from DVDs for probably 20 years, and my gym has always had classes in the evenings, but I felt intimidated to go alone. I wanted someone to come with me at the beginning, so I could feel comfortable...but life is not always comfortable, and that's not how you grow.
It was the 7th of January, Saturday, and I got so angry at myself for being such a wimp, I grabbed my yoga mat, drove to the gym, and walked  into my first real class.  Of course it was so packed, since this is  when most people go back to the gym, lol!  I didn't let that intimidate me, I just found a spot, and did my first class. I haven't missed a day since then :-)
This may seem like such a small thing to most of you, but I tend to be quite shy in new social situations, until I get to know people, or am more comfortable, so it was a big deal.

This has been a refreshing break, and I am so looking forward to working on a painting, perhaps this weekend. Yoga will not end, I will continue it daily for at least the 30 days I promised myself. But art is calling to me again, so it's a matter of planning my time so that everything can fit in.

Since there is no art to show you, I thought I'd leave you with this humorous/educational video on good foods and bad foods. I love me some good sarcasm, and this video has got that, lol!
If you are a parent who buys cereal for your kids, you may want to take a peak!

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Hello my dear blogging friends, I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year. May 2012 bring you lots of joy, good health,  success, and may it be the happiest ever for you.

It's up to us, to make life the way we want it. A little at a time, day by day, we can make the choices that bring us our dream lives, the one we have always imagined. 

If not now, when?

sending you many blessings,

 betty

"I will seek elegance rather than luxury; refinement rather than fashion. I will seek to be worthy more than respectable; wealthy and not rich. I will study hard, think quietly, talk gently and act frankly. I will listen to stars and birds, and babes and sages with an open heart. I will bear all things cheerfully, do all things bravely, await occasions and hurry never. In a word I will let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common." - William Ellery Channing

Merry Christmas

 I thought I'd take a moment to thank you all for your wonderful support and friendship throughout the year. We have a generous, and creative community here on Blogger, and I have met many delightful people.
I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.  May you all have a magical season, and may you be blessed in the coming year.

Owls and Beagles

 hi friends, I couldn't think of a more creative title for this post, it's late, and I'm tired, lol!
After a busy few days, tonight was going to be a painting night (after I got my hair done), but instead watched a video that was sent to me....and then of course, had to click on another video and another....I love youtube, but it's easy to spend lots of time there.  Oh, and while watching videos, I had a plate full of the crappy  shortbread cookies I baked yesterday. I make these simple ones for the holidays, but for some reason, they were not coming out right.  Every cookie I removed from the baking sheet  cracked, so I guess that leaves them all for me, haha! They taste ok, they just don't look so pretty.
And as I was writing this post, I got up and had another...oh boy! they need to be removed from my house immediately!

Artwise, I am still creating my little owl ACEOs (see above ). I love doing them, especially the Christmas ones. So many ideas, but running out of time!
I've been wanting to try some  larger paintings and my recent trip to Montreal has really got me inspired. I'm just afraid that if I wait too long to begin,I will put it aside for another year.
There are so many ideas in my head I don't know where to start! so I don't. That's a big problem for me..I look through my sketchbook, and can't seem to settle on one thing. And because I can't decide, I go back to what's comfortable, which are my owl ACEOs, and my whimsical girls...not that there's anything wrong with that, lol! but it feels good to try something that might intimidate you at first.  We shall see....I have an idea in mind for a Christmas present, and if I ever get started on it, you will be the first to see (as the recipient doesn't read my blog).

So I will end this  post with the video that got me started tonight. It's about 9 beagles that were released from a research lab, and this is their first time outside in the sun. Having had beagles in my family for so many years, I am very partial to these beautiful creatures.
thanks for reading!

ps- please double click on the video to see the larger screen, I have no idea why it is cut off at the sides!

“Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.”

Anatole France

Two New Snow fairies

hi everyone. Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving (those of you in America)?Now the countdown to Christmas begins. Can you believe it's less than a month away?
This year I wanted to get some seasonal fairies done before the end of the year, and the one above is the first. She is on a wood panel, my favorite base, and this time I let lots of the wood show through. Maybe she will sprinkle some flurries my way, lol!
The original is listed in my Etsy shop (I'm also offering prints of her as well), and hopefully, will have some blank greeting cards as well. If I manage that, it will be the first time I've been this organized for the holidays!

For the second fairy, I think I went a bit crazy with the sparkle, but I think she will appeal to those who love fantasy, and sparkly things, lol!
Prints are offered in my Etsy shop, as well as the original.

Well, that's it for the night. I thought I'd give a quick update. Hopefully I can get some Christmas photos up next time. I was in some cute shops today, but  haven't checked  the camera yet to see if they turned out.
thanks for reading!

New Yule Witch

hi friends! still waiting for a bit of snow to come here...it's hard to feel like decorating for Christmas with green grass everywhere. At least I was smart and got my outdoor lights put up when it was mild.  Even though I don't feel like decorating, at least my muse is back, and I am anxious to fill my Etsy shop with some new art. I finished this Yuletide witch  last night, and right now finished woodburning a precocious go-go boot wearing snow fairy, lol! no traditional snow fairies for me :-)
Now let's see if I can make it work. I want glitz, and lots of sparkle! Once she is done- unless I ruin it, I will show it here on my blog.
Thanksgiving is coming up for my American friends, and from what I hear, the crazy holiday season starts right afterward.  Black Friday I think it's called? I'm excited for you, even though our Thanksgiving was over a month ago. It means countdown to Christmas, my favorite time of year.

Well, time to get back to my fairy, thanks for reading!

New Art

hi friends. Did you remember to turn back your clocks? This is so much better than in the spring when we lose an hour. However, be prepared, because it will now get dark a little after 5,  lol!

I've always loved painting shabby folk art girls, but never used beeswax as a finish. Normally I use a nice satin varnish, but for the next few, beeswax will be the way to go. It smells divine! and it really does give your paintings a glorious, dreamy finish.   I see these little canvases as experiments, where I get to play, and try out new things. 
The first one I did yesterday  looked great,  until I added the beeswax. I must have scraped off some paint, because there was dark smudges on her face, and there is no way to fix it. I should have known not to experiment on the more expensive wooden canvases,  she is now heading for the trash...oh well, live and learn.

 This angel painting is more my usual style. She was made  for an auction for charity. I can't seem to get away from putting little kittens in my angels' arms though, lol! She turned out pretty good, that I will be offering prints in my Etsy shop. With all the craziness of this world,  we can all use more angels.

I hope everything is good where you all are, thanks for reading!

Let's talk about Raw food.

hi everyone, so much for being more consistent in blogging, lol! Not much has been going on here, I've fallen behind on my Halloween art, but this autumn witch above is the last one I did.  I'm not sure if I can fit another one in before Halloween, I've got a commission due by the end of the month, which is coming quickly! And then of course, my favorite season of all!! oh my, I'm already excited, lol! and don't laugh, but I start decorating the first week of November :-D

The last few months I've been trying to get a bit more healthy. I found the scale started to creep up, without me doing anything different. I ate the same and exercised the same, but all of the sudden my clothes were getting tighter. Does this sound familiar? It should for those of you that hit your 40's...seems like no matter how carefully I ate, my waist kept expanding, and the scale was heading towards a number I could never imagine reaching when I was younger....well I did something about it, but not intentionally.

Let me explain: I was searching for kale recipes on Youtube, came across some very interesting ones, and was surprised they were raw. And of course if you've ever been on Youtube you know how easy it is to get sidetracked. I ended up finding so many raw food recipes that actually sounded great, and easy, as well as some 'experts' which I watched, and found myself intrigued.  I won't bore you with all the details, but let's just say when I discover something different, I usually do lots of homework

So I joined a website called Raw food Rehab, which is free to join, and was so pleased with the incredible amounts of information, recipes, and support. No I am not a raw foodist, although I have incorporated more fruits and vegetables in my life, and I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in increasing their health, and dropping some weight to check it out. After many years of struggling with the excess pounds, I am now very close to my perfect weight. I can't tell you how great it feels to see your jeans almost falling off because they are now too big.

It's not as hard as I thought. I used to think people who ate only raw foods were crazy, but I do understand that once food is cooked, it loses many of it's nutrients. So why not eat more fresh, organic foods? I'd sure love to hear your stories or your thoughts, especially anyone who has tried this.

I will leave you with my favorite  green smoothie:

1 banana ripe - or frozen
big handful of greens (dandelion, spinach, romaine, your choice).
2 mejool dates
1 spoon of peanut butter
1 1/2 cups water (it's up to you how much you'd like)
I also add coconut water and coconut milk/almond milk for extra creaminess.
Blend and enjoy. I usually blend the greens in water before adding the rest slowly.
There are many green smoothie recipes out there, and they are delicious! A great way of adding healthy fruits and vegetables to your day without too much trouble.

I guess that's it for now, I could seriously talk for hours about this, as I have watched many videos, and have found so many people who have changed their life by changing their diet.  I sincerely want to help people get healthy and feel good about life, so sometimes my blog will go off course, and talk about things other than art.  Hopefully no one minds too much :-)
thanks for reading,
betty

Here come the witches!

It's hard to think of Halloween when we are still in September (well not true, I think of Halloween year round, lol!), but I thought I'd better get a head start on my paintings, otherwise I find myself scrambling to get some art done. I finally finished this one, which I started 3 days ago. She is my first in a series of little Witchlings, and I named her Nina.In my initial sketch, she was supposed to be a red head, but she had other plans, lol! For my next one I will try to do red hair, but that is not a promise- my fellow artists know how a painting will tell you what it wants, and there is nothing you can do about it, lol!

I love doing these kinds of paintings where you use so many layers, and keep covering stuff, adding even more layers on top. It just makes it more interesting, rather than a plain background, which although is easier, there really is no mystery in it. I was lucky to find a book on the history of magic that was being discarded from my library, which I used for the tree. It is from 1854! How cool is that?
Nina can be found in my Etsy shop. (Sold)

hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. It's very chilly here, perfect weather to stay in and paint, and drink lots of coffee :-)
thanks for reading!

New folk art princess

hi friends. Hope your week has been going well. It was so nice to wake up to a sunny day, I even managed to get some color!  Thought I'd show my latest painting. After my last post, I sat down and finished this little princess. The girl was drawn out weeks ago,and since I wasn't too crazy about the drawing, I let it sit. Finally a couple of days ago, I thought I'd start painting and see what happens. So she is now a little blonde girl, and the teddy she was originally holding turned into a kitty, lol! She is  listed in my Etsy shop. (Sold)

Can I just say that bloggers are the nicest people? You are all so sweet and supportive. I'm always struck by how close the blogging community is. This is from reading the comments on my blog, as well as other blogs. People truly are ready to lend support when they can, and it helps us all grow.  Thank goodness for this wonderful forum for us to share our lives and our art.

thanks for reading!

Time is a flyin!

hi friends, it's September already, and it sure came fast!! We had a very late start to our summer, basically it was crappy until July, then we got record heat. August was so-so. The past month we had overseas guests, my aunt and uncle were here, so we did the usual tourist things, and we probably visited most of the malls in our area, which my aunt loved, lol!

 Yesterday we took them to the airport, so hopefully now, I can start working on my art again. 

  Looking back at the last few pages of my blog I am a bit disappointed in myself. I don't feel like this blog has been well maintained. I feel like I let my readers down, and know some of the posts have been forced. It's true I wanted my blog to be about more than art,  but I can't believe some of the stuff I tortured you with! I had a post about the location of a bird's nest!! Good grief, what was I thinking, lol! 

I just haven't felt all that creative the last few months, and I hope my muse is coming back. I did a little illustration last night of a fox and an inukshuk. That's a good thing for me, as I tend to procrastinate...still, after all this time, and after all I know.  How many times can I write myself little motivational notes? At some point, you have to just do it! 

Especially now, when time seems to be speeding up. 

Art is my refuge, I take comfort in it, and it never fails me, but I fail it.  By not creating, by spending more time than I should in front of the TV.  The excuses come way too easy : I'm tired, I was at work all day, it's too late to start, and on and on. There is no shortage in excuses when it comes to not doing what needs to be done. Art isn't a chore, and once I start, it feels so good, that I wonder why on earth did it take so long to start? I guess this is just the ebb and flow of creativity, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Sometimes we need a break to refresh ourselves, I just wish that break wouldn't take so many months, lol!

That's it for today...but I'd first like to say thanks to those of you who replied in my last post, letting me know my blog opens up quickly for you. I won't need to remove anything then.

I also said I was going to blog about my perfume obsession, it's coming soon, as well as new art, and maybe some sketch book pages.

thanks for bearing with me during my ups and downs, I look forward to the new fall season, and getting back into the groove :-D

thanks for reading!

betty