Blue Bike

My newest and most favorite painting! I do love simplicity....

Big Bugs at Inniswood Metro Park

Visited Inniswood today to see the Big Bugs..

Moments

Found on one of my favorite daily blog reads:

Happiness doesn’t come only when everything is in order and shiny and trouble-free. I think happiness comes when you allow life to bring you moments of laughter and peace and learning. And then you stitch those moments together to produce something that is more lasting and real than the illusion of “perfection” could ever be.

Weekly Painting - flower pot on stone wall

This was painted using one of the Lakeside photos. The full shot has so many possibilities for interesting paintings. This was cropped from the lower left hand corner (see below).

Back to Class

Back to Stan's class last night, for a new 7 week session. This is what I painted in class. I overworked it, but like my picnic table.

Where the Heck is this?

Have you ever looked at old photos and wondered where they were taken, even if it was YOU that took them? The first photo is a Christmas cactus that I remember having for several years. Not sure if the photo was taken at my mother's house or not, but what I noticed was the nice composition of the shot. The second is a shot at Epcot Center...... I think. That must have been about 1984 or so... The third is ...... I have no idea..... I really don't have a clue. But I like the composition well enough on all of these to maybe use them in my paintings...

I have thrown out many many photos. I have decided to just save the important shots of people and things that have true meaning. Why was it when photos were on film, that everyone kept every shot, even if it was a shot of your foot as you were changing rolls of film? Digital pics make things so much easier.

Til the Cows Come Home

Recently, was clearing out old photos and came across some of interest - well at least of interest to me, as it brought back lots of memories. These are the Polled Hereford cattle my father in law raised years ago. I watched many a calf being born.... and the calf in the grass is only an hour old.

The young bull in the second photo was an Ohio State Fair champion and was purchased by my family to bring new blood into the herd. He was a very energetic fellow, and he ended up hurting "his tool" while servicing the ladies and ended up with a blood clot that killed him. Too bad... he was very expensive!

Maybe I will use some of these shots for new paintings....

Home again....

I'm home. I saw 7 patrol cars in two counties and the first one I saw, had a little chat with me...... I was going 65 in a 55 zone. He was up ahead over a hill and got me with his radar from the rear of his car. BUT, he was nice and just gave me a warning and didn't write down my license numbers at all. PHEW. So, maybe they are taking it easy on people today.

I am SO glad to be back home to my own bed and shower.... The shower head at the B&B needed replaced. It was spitting out water out of only a couple holes so it took forever to get rinsed.

Marblehead

Pics of Marblehead area and a distant shot of Cedar Point. The winery Mon Ami where I had lunch.

Lakeside Day 2 Evening

Sat down at the pavilion til sunset last night. On the way back to the B&B, I found this great tree - it is huge and that is ivy growing all the way to the upper branches!



Heading out to roam Marblehead this afternoon.

Lakeside Day 2

It was cool and very very quiet here last night. I have 4 windows in this little room/bath, one has the AC unit. The weather is actually perfect during the day, it is 69 and sunny, with a breeze.

I had to rush thru the B&B breakfast to get to the painting class this morning. Although I didn't try them all, there was baked french toast with nuts, baked eggs and cheese, danish, lots of beautiful fresh fruit, bagels, cream cheese, cereal, etc...

After my class I went out driving around. Went up/over to East Harbor State Park. This is where my parents took us when we were kids to swim. Then Lake Erie was so polluted they had to shut it down for numerous years, and it was finally cleaned up in the 70s, I think. Took a few pics. Then drove up the Catawba Island. Went to one of the fruit stands that has been here forever and got fresh cherries. They had beautiful strawberries, but didn't buy.

Then came back to Lakeside. I got my paints out and sat on the front porch and tried to paint, but it wasn't working. I went down to the pier area again and sat in the sun for about an hour. Some of those pics show that.

The pics below of the bandstand, was last night's concert in the park with a celtic band. Tonight, at the auditorium next door, is a concert, but it is gospel, so I doubt I will go. Tomorrow's concert is a brass band.

Monday

The watercolor class is packed (elbow to elbow) and there are people from 10-80 yrs old, and not as fun as taking them at home. Painted a barn this morning. YUK, have painted way too many already.... oh well. I will go to tomorrow's class anyway.

I plan on getting out of Lakeside this afternoon for a real meal and maybe explore around Marblehead. I have already sat in rocking chairs at the B&B, sat at the water's edge and watched people, walked all over several times....... Lakeside is a very lovely place, and it would be really wonderful if you had a family here with you........

Lakeside

I am down at the coffee shop on email. Can't get it at the B&B, and it isn't too far. I am bored already. I told the inkeeper, I would be leaving on the 4th instead of the 5th.

The room is nice, but really tiny. Not too many choices on food here.

It is windy here, but sunny. Near the water, it is kinda cool.

See pics here....

On the Road Again

Hey, it is finally raining here!

Heading up to Lake Erie on Sunday-Wed, and hopefully, if I can get online, I will post lots of new pics. And hopefully, if I get alot of painting done while there, I can post those after returning home and scanning them in.

Vision

It's not what you look at that matters,
it's what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

Brook

Under Way

Pontooning on Hoover

My teacher Stan, took his students out in his pontoon boat on Hoover Reservoir this morning. We took our cameras to take pictures to use in our watercolors.

Stan, our Captain:



Hoover Grill viewed from the water.

Sunflower

Jax's Limited Palette

Experimenting with the Jack in the Pulpit composition. Used a limited palette of indigo, a violet and sap green.

Jax's Pulpit

Here is what I did in class last night. It is a different style than what I have been doing. I like parts of it, but it is not really a complete painting, just playing around.

Hocking Reflection

Blacklick Metro Park

Enjoy

Enjoy special moments. Even if they only come in spurts...They all count...

Vanessa Valencia (www.aFancifulTwist.Typepad.com)

Orchids

Limited Palettes

Last class from Charlie last night. Down to one class a week - two is too many....

He showed us limited palettes. I painted a different dogwood scene using only Indigo, Burnt Sienna and Yellow Ochre. It has a victorian feel.

New Class - New Teacher

Was recently asked to join a different watercolor study class. Stan Pierce (yes - Stan the model) hand picks students to be part of a group on Tuesdays at his home. I was honored to be asked and last night was my first class. These are just quick studies, not finished paintings - We were to work on focal points... making an area recede... sharp edges contrasting.... darks against lights..

Sedona

Stan - the Model

Stan Pierce sat in on our watercolor class so we could experience drawing/painting from a live model -although in my version, he is about 30 yrs younger than actual....

Spice

Snap Peas

Leaf and Butterfly

Bahama Cottages

Bailey in her pink tu-tu

Caramel Apples

Villa de la Palm

Villa de la Palm.... OK, ok, I am now done with villas.... Some improvement though, don't you think?

And below, we have the Small Crowd. This is a technique the teacher showed and this was my first try. I will try this again, although these guys are not too good....

"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." - -- James Earl Jones

Plaza de la Balboa Park

Class work Week 5.....Isn't this cool? This is from one of my pics of the spanish village at Balboa Park at the San Diego Zoo area... I love the lightness and free strokes of this painting. There are some problems and things I should add, but I am leaving this one as is, and try to paint another one...

I love it......