Tangerine - for The Creative Color Challenge 2012




We Built This City

 

Orange painting completed with two days to spare! Yee ha! This is my painting for the Creative Color Challenge.

Wow, it has been a creative Sunday for sure. I've been up since 6am and started painting at 8. Today's been my idea of a perfect day; drinking coffee, painting, chatting, painting, listening to the radio, painting, make a little lunch, eat, paint. LOL...You get the idea.




Valentine Tags

 

I made a bunch of tags. I see alot of give aways on the blogs so I thought it be fun to give these three tags away. So I guess the way it works is if the first person to comment on them, I'll send the tags to that person :)) Don't forget to email me your address. My email is wethree333@gmail.com

Now I'm off to the art store. I need to buy another watercolor pad. I have alot loose paper but there is something about keeping it all wire bound that I like:) Well I'm off with coupon in hand! Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. Next Sunday will be quite different at this time. We'll be getting prepared to watch the big game - super excited for the Super Bowl! Go Giants!!

Enjoy your day,

FranT

A Lesson Learned

  

sketched in my Jill Bliss journal while waiting

Today I spent quite a bit of time in traffic court. What an experience. I am happy to say that I have never had the pleasure and hope this was my first and last time. While waiting they play snippets of filming that gets done at big intersections. It okay for the most part. Nothing gorey but certainly disturbing.

I went in on behalf of my husband's ticket. He received a ticket in error and was ticketed for having an expired parking sticker on his window, down at the parking lot of the train station. I went to Town Hall to correct and was told he shouldn't have gotten that ticket because his permit was still valid.

Mistake number 1, neither one of us actually checked to see what the date said, we just took the officers word on it! doy! After I left I emailed the lady at town hall the copy of the ticket and she was going to mail me a letter. That way I could use that to dispute the ticket via mail.

Mistake number 2, I emailed the woman at the wrong address, never followed up and then never got the letter. So here I am this morning on my way to court because he got a court summons.[ I did this for my guy because he works as a contractor and if he takes a day he doesn't get paid.] I got all my paperwork together, had my proof of valid permit and drive like hell [super genius] to the courthouse.

Mistake number 3, arguing with the judge about a $15 fee that I felt was unjustified. I was a victim of the police officer's mistake! Bottom line, it's pretty much futile. I left paying a $15 clerical fee, ended up using gas to drive back and forth [$], and then took half day off work[$].


When I got in the car I started to laugh because a small part of this is my own doing and part was something I had not control over! I started the drawing above while waiting at the courthouse. Then colored it in this evening. This pretty much sums up the experience.


I am proud though because I truly feel that my meditating is helping me deal with my anger alot better. Its been a week and so helpful. I mean I did get mad but I got over it much, much sooner that I would have even a week ago. That is progress! I can sorta kinda really feel what it means to  'let it go' ...well for the most part... I would LOVE the day that it doesn't bother me so much so that I wouldn't even post about it.LOL! But for now, I got to chew your ear off a litttle:) Thanks for that.

Art on Saturday

We were snowbound today (I'm putting it lightly).  I would say we got about 4-5 inches, so enough to pretend:) I baked, painted, watched THREE movies and generally lolled about. I just got finished walking the dog and I have to say its so refreshing outside! I love the first 24 hours or so after snowfall. Its exquisitely pristine out there! Everything will go grey soon but for now it's perfection.  

In Nov'09, we moved back to NY after living in Florida for 6 years. The weather there was glorious for the most part but I sure did miss the seasons the first few years down there. But I did eventually get used to it and so much so that if it dipped below 80 I was looking for a sweater. No kidding!

Having been back I must say that I really cherish the changes of the season and enjoy all the little things that come along with that. I totally enjoy how much my son loves the cold weather. I hope I never take the changes of the seasons for granted again. I guess once a northerner, always a northerner. At least for me, that is!

I started a meditation routine this week. I used to do it every evening for a year or so but that ended in Florida. I've decided I really need it and was going to stop procrastinating! I'm not making any fuss at all. That's what trips me up and keeps me stalling. 'Oh, I have to have this and I have to have that. I need a cushion, what if I get cold? I'll need a light blanket. I don't have a bell, where's my mat..' you get the idea, I could go on and on. So I just sat down on the sofa, put my hands on my knees and just meditated for 15 minutes. It was fantastic! I did it every morning and I have got to tell you that I am calmer. Not entirely , for sure but it has actually made me stop and consider two or three times through the week, related to my temper. That is a HUGE improvement and happened to take me by surprise. I am a complete and total seat-of- my- pants gal, particularly with my moods and feelings. So I am grateful for that today. Namaste ;)

Lab 46: Get a Stack of Books

I am working from the book Drawing Lab by Carla Sonheim and it is terrific...even if I don't follow it to the 'T' I'm getting so much out of it. In this exercise, you're supposed to use a stack of books but I took my 'Eyewitness France' book off my shelf first and just stuck with it! And I spent a nice 2 hours in France :)

I received a nice set of Inktense watercolor pencils. That is what I used for this exercise, along with my trusty Microns. But I do want to try out the Dr.Ph Martin's watercolors I also received . I haven't even broken them out of the plastic yet. I am surprised at my patience. Maybe its intimidation, LOL!

I got so much out of the responses from my last post! Thanks to everyone who replied with their amazing comments. I am so encouraged! I am definately not going to worry anymore about a style and just do my thing.

Have a good evening everyone. Enjoy the rest of this Monday and have a lovely week!

Slow Saturday

colored ink and watercolor pencils



watercolor and micron pen



    

watercolor rainbow:)











I used a black Sharpie, white gel pen and watercolor

    

Doodle



 I'm struggling with the fact that I am unable to find a certain style. Why do I feel as if my work should look more or less similar? I think its because I feel like if someone were to look at my work they should know right away that its mine. But when it comes to creating, I've got  multiple personalities! I wonder if anyone else feels this way . I am also wondering if anyone feels the opposite? If they only create in one particular style, do they wish they were able to create other styles? hmmm. Its a slow Saturday because I was up late, manic, cleaning my kitchen. That's me:) all or nothin' LOL! Have a great day!





An Illustrated Jodi Hills Quote

Wow look at me, posting two days in a row! I finished this watercolor yesterday. Its based on a Jodi Hills quote. I still don't know too much about the author but I think her quote here is fantastic! My sister posted this on FB and after a few comments, she was asking me to illustrate this. After having read it and painted the idea, I feel like this is really me. I am on my way, don't know where that is, but I'm going! The past month or so I have noticed that I am starting to get , for lack of a better term, an internal compass.  So I know that this is why this quote is so special to me! I am going to stay with this feeling and remain focused and positive. Perhaps something amazing may appear:)

collage feature I just noticed on Picnik...now that was fun to do:)

I hope anyone who reads this is striding happily along their path! Have a wonderful day or night :) Frannie :)

Just Beautiful!

Wow! Just a few days ago I received a print that I won in a contest that was held

by Wini of Art,Love &Joy

I was so happy to find out I had won and was given the opportunity to select a print! Here it is:

Wini packaged everything so wonderfully and she also sent some stickers through, you can see that on the top left of this photo. She also sent two mini-cards and a beautiful postcard. Thanks so much Wini!!

I will really enjoy looking at the lotus blossom painting hanging in my home office. I am starting to build up a nice collection of framed art on my walls there and I am so grateful to have some beautiful things to stop and take a look at through the course of my work day!

Take care and enjoy your week ahead!

HNY 2012!





my painting based on the Miro Exercise - from Drawing Lab

 I've taken some time off from the electronic devices in my life! I liked it but I realize now I've missed them too! I had a wonderful holiday break and today is the last day, I can't believe I am saying this but I'm looking forward to getting back to work. We all need a break and I am going to promise myself that I will take proper vacations this year, rather than a day here, and a day there. I also didn't do a lick of work which is another big plus for me. I usually sneak and check in.

I was able to purchase a TERRIFIC book by Carla Sonheim with a gift card I received this Christmas from my parents. So far I have done two exercises. The book contains 52 projects. The other was a Modigliani. I just a random girl design. I like how she came out. I don't like to do portraits so much as I have a hard time with likenesses.

We had a good new year and it was a quiet one, for sure! I was in my glory just sitting back and painting while the boys played games and watched movies. We ended the night off by watching THOR and stopping the movie in time to ring in the new year! Below is my journal page that I created NYE.



Counting Down to '12



I hope everyone has a happy and healthy year this year and find peace for themselves. The only thing that I hope for myself is that I continue to stay creative. That's my fuel to keep on keepin' on.

Happy New Year!