Why in the world would you want to know 7 random facts about me.....because I said so...

Where have I been the last few days, I am a bad blogger. I have been busy with life, it seems to get in the way quite often. I read my fellow blogger Krissies blog and she had 7 random facts about hereself. So I thought I would tell you a few random facts about me. Just in case you ever wondered what is she really like>

1. I love diet coke, i do not drink coffee, never have
2. I have been married to the same man for 35 years, quite a feat some days
3. I have one child, had her in my later thirties and is the light of my life
4. I have worked for the same company for 35 years and am retiring in April.
5. I have travelled quite a bit in my younger years as my dad was in the Airforce
and have lived in France and England\
6. I was born a middle child, Pisces, and March 17, St. Paddys day is my birhtday
7. I was named after a lady my Mother met in a beer parlour.

Well there you go 7 random facts you probably never wanted to know about me, but now know. I have been in the studio creating some art journal pages, they are drying as we speak, so going to post some tommorow. Well till then take care.

Inspire Me Thursday - Gratitude

I am blessed to have a loving family and great friends. I am grateful everyday to have these people in my life. I have had these 3 friends for abut 35 years or so. I have other friends of course. But these three have been there for each other and me, we have gone through many of life's trials and survived them together. I think every woman needs a woman or women in there life for emotional support, fun and laughter. They cant replace your family, but you need them in a different way.

4x4 Challenge - Trees - First Snow

Here is my 4x4 challenge about Trees. I envisoned being in a forest with the snow coming down. I dont know if I caught that feeling in this small painting. Lee

Mr. Winter is making itself known soon

This is me I do not like winter. Its getting cold here and I have a to do list, plus I got my winter coat out....I quess I better start wearing socks again.

The Red Shoe Diary Revisited

I decided this needed to be in my art journal, not my sketch book. I had this idea and I still might do it, to incorporate these designs and the story into an art series for my studio, each on its own canvas. Well today I am feeling very warm and fuzzy thinking about Christmas and what I have to do and get and when it has to be mailed. I noticed the neighbour putting up their christmas tree tonight, a little early for me. I am one of these anal types that dont like a mess or things out of place. So we put up the tree about the 15 of December and take it down the day after Christmas. I can just about stand it that long and thats enough. Well I did another art journal tonight so I am going to post that one now to.

Sisters

This is a special art journal peice I made. I am actually going to do something like this on canvas for my mother for Christmas, but I am going to add my other sister to it (10 years younger). This art journal peice was about our connection just 2 years apart and when I last saw her.

Finding my Style

I have been reading a few blogs, and they seem like me to be having a problem finding there own unique style. I am trying to find my style and thats what these two pics are trying to find my style. Been doodling down in the studio, and here are some of the works that were done. Not great, not awful somewhere in between. Practice at your craft is important, and I find that the more I draw and paint and doodle the better I become. I try to draw, sketch or paint each day, there fore by the time I am really to old to hold a paintbrush I should be draw and paint like Van Gogh....

So I look like the Green Eyed monster

This is an old image I reworked and put in my art journal. Yes I do feel envy once in awhile. You often doubt you have any talent, when you surf the web and see what others are doing, and you begin to feel like yours is pre school looking. But then I sit back and say to myself I am making this for me and I like it that should be enough. We have had a busy couple of days around here. Wednesday was my daughters 19th birday, so we were out for dinner, tonight she had a bunch of friends over. Tommorow she is leaving for Seattle for 3 days for shopping and fun with a friend, they are flying. The dollar is so good right now you have to take advanatage of it. I ordered some stuff on the net as well, could not resist. I might even do some christmas shopping on it as well. The weather is turning cooler and snow is forecast......Well I am going to bed now as tommorw I am going to the studio, you should see some new work soon.....Its a long weekend here, called Remberance Day.....so we have Monday off as well.....

Faceless

This is another journal page that I made in my book. I have not done much art in the past 5 days since my last post. Life has a funny way of interfering with my art. I mean could someone else clean the house and cook the meals, really I am an artist.....Really time just flies by and before you know it, it's a week since my last post. It snowed here on Saturday night and its stayed around, today was quite mild, but the nights are cool. I know the bad weather is coming its just a matter of a week or so and Mr. Winter will be here until March. Well I should go I will post again tommorow....

A Fabulous Life

Well I did say I was not going to post tonight but it was very quiet around here for Halloween we only got about 50 kids and it was all done at about 8:30. So I went down to the studio to work on this piece some more. I am actually doing this women on canvas for my bedroom. Of course the canvas is long and skinny the background is not the same, and the woman is more defined, this was just a quick outline piece for my art journal. On the canvas there will be no words....Well tomorrow night is out with the girls, for a few drinks, dinner and good times. If I have time I might post and have some pictures to show you. Hope you all had a great Halloween.

Mixed Media Monday-Birds

Here is my entry for mixed media monday...I painted and sketched this bird in the summer, it landed on my deck. You might have seen it on my blog before. I made it as part of a gift exchange and sent it on...Hope you like it it took about 5 minutes but I think turned out pretty good.

Who Says you can't go home.

I was listening to this song on the radio today on the way to work. It stuck with me all through work, you know when you can't get something out of your mind. So on the way home from work I thought ok I should make a journal page about my hometown with some of the lyrics to the song. So here it is my hometown (well some of it)I used acrylics, watercolour, colored pencil and gesso. I use gesso alot to get the page ready to paint, I mix in with some colours to give it a muddy appearance. I love gesso..Well i was not going to post tonight, but no work in the studio tommorow as it is Halloween and all the little trick or treaters will be about. My puppy is going to go crazy, I haven't decided what to do about that, she might have to go downstairs till its all done. Well gotta go Happy Halloween and lets have some comments I really like them.

Hotel California

I am so done with Halloween art, there will be no more from me. I dont even really like Halloween, never did even as a kid, did not like the whole dressing up bit, but did like the candy. This is my favourite group of all time. They have a new CD coming out tommorow Long Road out of Eden, debuting at Walmart if you will, a 2 disc compliation and I am so going to go get it as soon as work is over. Since I like them so much I decided to make an art journal page about here, so here is my work. When you look at the hotel it looks a bit like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, oh well, its not about perfection it is all about perception (I dont know if I spelled that right). Well its time to go once again, hey dont be shy leave some comments, I like to hear from all of you, dont have to comment on my art you can just comment and I will answer back....

Skinny Saturday Challenge-Halloween

Here is my entry...hope you like it, paint and black felt pen.....

Halloween-4x4 FRiday Challenge

Here is my Halloween 4x4 Friday challenge....

Inspiration Thursday-All things Halloween - The underworld

I had a blast doing this one, Underworld
The wind begins to howl and moan
A coyote is on the prowl and all alone
The from nowhere the ground opens up and what should appear
The devil in a glossy coat of green is here
He hunts alone and with his spear
Sniffs the air and knows his prey is near
He seizes the man who moans in fear
The ground opens up and they both disappear

Lee

Another Late night...

Yes here it is another late night for me..I get my second wind at 11:00 but my body does not thank me at 6:00am when I have to get up for work..I have been in the studio, trying ideas, working in my art journal and looking at the canvas that I am working on. I just look at it, I have sketched in my idea, but cannot bring myself to put paintbrush to paint. What am I afraid of, I have done this before, but never for myself. I am keeping this one for me and putting it in the bedroom. Oh well I better get going and I will talk to you tommorow.

Love your curves...

Another art journal page. Well had a great weekend, the weather was beautiful, did not do to much. Hung out with the family, daughter included she is studying for mid terms (so she was home for a change). Did lots of comfort cooking and baking muffins (much needed around here nobody has time for breakfast/ Well its back to work tommorow. Looking forward to this week Friday I am taking a day off.

Getting in touch with my inner muse

Here is another art journal page that I worked on tonight....Getting in touch with me.....I also started my new picture on canvas....drew in what I wanted.left it against the wall to come back to it tommorow and touch up the drawing part if needed. Then its the painting, I already know I want a red dress......I will leave you with that little tidbit to guess and think about what I am painting...

Love Blooms all around the world

This is one of my journal pages that I have been making with suziblu. I love that site, it was to use collage techniques, not to much of that here, but she posted the man for us to use, and I painted him and sketched and painted the girl and did the rest. I cant belive I have not posted since Sunday. I have been bogged under at work, working till 6:00 at night, on Saturday and I feel wiped out. I am glad the weekend is here. I missed all of you, but I am back and will be posting more.

4x4 challenge - Create

Here is my entry for the challenge. I am awed by all the talent at this site. The stuff that these artists come up with is amazing.

I had a bad day....

I had a bad day...just like the song.. On Saturday things did not seem to bright for me...just a bad day. Well today Sunday I look back and say it really wasn't that bad...so here is my art journal page I made tonight just to remind myself....On a brighter note the weather is perfect and all is right with the world. Except its late again and I need to get to sleep for work tomorrow. I hope you all had a great weekend and here's to next weekend....The dress was made from old paper towels that I use to wipe my paint brushes with, its take paint and felt pens really well..

Inspire me Thursday - Hats

Its all about Hats today. I had fun with this one thinking of what to do. I immediately thought of Cancer, and how women wear so many hats during one day of there life. So here they are I hope you like them.

4x4 challenge-Numbers

I decided on this because of peoples obession with wieght and the scale the numbers mean everything to them.....

So you think your sexy....

Well another art journal page. I am really loving working on my art journal.....This weekend I am leaving the journal and going to work on a canvas that I am going to do for my bedroom. Keep your fingers crossed that It turns out the way I see it. I wont finish it but I want to get a good start on it. I think that I am going to do a small version of it first to get it right and then go for the big one. If the peice turns out the way I want it I will show it on my blog if not you will never see it.....Today was a perfect fall day, it was warm, a hint of a breeze. Went out with my daughter and mother for dinner (hubby was at a meeting)a little shopping at the mall (bought a couple of christmas presents it is never to early to start your Christmas shopping. This year I am going to make Christmas cards, paint a something. I just dont know what yet. Have you ever made christmas cards, what did you do....

Old work, reworked

This piece (the girl with the wild hair) is an older one I had laying around, was never to happy with it. So I reworked or recyled it.....I made it into a journal page in my art journal, I added paint, words, an older picture from a magazine and kind of made it a story -. Well I am having that early night tonight so gotta go..talk to you tommorow.

4x4 Challenge Men

Here is my 4x4 Men challenge hope you all like it....

It's all about not being a target

This is my newest page for my art journal. Its all about women not being targets for anyone. I love creating these art journal pages, its still about art but its like creating a scene. Well it was back to work today and the usual routine....after the long weekend its hard to get back in routine. I have exciting news to tell, I have won a framed print of my favourite artist Karine Swenson, (see the side of my blog) go there you will see what I have won. I put my name in and won. I am not that lucky so I did my happy dance, can hardly wait to get it. Well times ticking have to check my fabourite sites and then hit the sack. Will talk to you all tommorow...

Its Thanksgiving in Canada and I am turkeyed out..

Had a great day today family, food, and fun. Even better its a holiday tommorow and leftover turkey for sandwiches. Nothing better than a turkey sandwich. Well this is picture I did a few days ago in my art journal Its cancer month in Canada, I had a friend in walked for the weekend to end breast cancer, 60 kilometers and in the end all her toenails fell off. She raised I think just about 2000...to support the walk. So this picture is in honor of her...

Inspire me Thursday-Birds

Inspiration Thursday is all about Birds this week. As it happens I have been drawing birds lately for practice
so here they are in all there glory. I wanted to try and draw a turkey vulture, which I did with felt pens, I like the way it turned out
This one was a gift (my first ever painted,drawn gift for someone at make a connection I felt safe giving it to her because she didn't know me)
This last one I made I think almost a year ago, as you can see no legs, pretend they are under them. So here they are my birds. As it happens my favourite movie of all times is the Birds, to this day I am afraid of birds that sit on telephone wires, haha.

Working on my Art Journal

Assignment as Suszblu blog was to do a self portrait, ok this is not what I look like, but the intent was not to try to draw what you look like...well I succeeded. I am having alot of fun with my art journal....Tonight I went to my fav store Ikea with my daughter, bought a new down filled comforter and duvet for her, winter is coming, today felt like it a few items for my self, came home and did a little clean up, cleaned out the fridge which need it badly. And here I am posting at 11:19.....My sister from Winnipeg arrives on Thursday for the long weekend in Canada its Thanksgiving weekend this weekend. She is coming without the kids they are going to the dads, she hasnt really been here since she was born here. So my mom is coming for the weekend as well as her so should have alot of good times....

Inspiration Thursday-Intimacy

Whether it is the intimacy of your studio, the intimate relationships between colors or images, an intimate knowledge of your technique, or other intimate issues, this week, let us find inspiration in intimacy.

Again I found this one hard and was not going to participate, and then this one came to. No I have never done this, somewhere in my youth maybe I would have liked to but no. So this is my take on Intimacy.....

Its all about being a free spirit - or trying to be

Art Journal page 2. I went down to the studio to work on Inspiration Thursday, tried a couple of things they totatlly were awful tried to do 4x4 nothing worked. Was going to give up and decided to make myself an journal page and not worry if it was good or bad. I am trying to free myself from being so ridgid in my art and of critiqing myself. So here it is not perfect by any means but after all I am trying to be a free spirit. Now that doesnt mean I am running off to vegas with all the family cash but just a bit more open to more ideas......so watch out for the new me (or the old me) but I will be here tommorow so I better see you here to.....

Art Jouranl Page 1

I joined a new group they are making art journals. I found this amazing site see the side bar (susyblue) She made some videos on art journals and got me hooked. I am really excited. I have started many a art journal just to push it to the side. Is it because I am an orderly sort of person who likes them all in a row or neat. She set up a site on LIVEjOURNAL . I am breaking out of that box and just going for it, no more neat and tidy for me, its all about trying new things and expermenting.....go there join up and lets have some fun....now i am off to clean the studio (okay I will try to leave a little mess) and try some art, I have studio friday, inspiration thrusday, gothic arches.......

Off the wall art. Challenge from Anke

This is a small art creation that I did for Anke art challenge
It had to be a certain size, the word flower, and wall, some newspaper and some colour of green in it and this is what I came up with. It was fun, I think you should all go on over there and join, this challenge closes on October 15. http://creativespiritsconnet.blogspot.com/ Well that is it for tonight talk to you all tommorow.

4x4 challenge-france

I looked at all the people who had submitted to this challenge, and the talent is awesome. I wanted to join but really am not much of a collage person, so It said you could do it anyway as long as it was 4x4 so I painted mine. Who doesn't enjoy a good glass of french wine. First time at 4x4 friday challenge, wont be my last.

Moglini Art Revisited

I love this artist I think he had a way of painting women that transcends even into today. I first was introduced to him through Carla Sonheims blog..and have been entranced ever since. Read everything there is to read. Dont you love it when you really get what a artist is trying to say...sometimes I will look at a painting and think now how the hell did they ever get that from that painting.....a blob is a blob of paint....not the Cistine Chapel... Now this picture is mine (just in case you got confused its okay with me if you think it's his work) most of his work he paints the subjects are identified by there long necks....I didnt even come close with this one, but its my take . And dont mind the scanning I just noticed I scanned it crooked.

Inspiration Thursday-Square

Alright not very imaginative but I really had a hard time with this one. But i enjoyed creating it alot...Hope you all like it .....it's a beet just in case you werent sure from the drawing.

Inspiration Thursday-ATC (Artist Trading Cards)

This week, we’re going to revisit Inspire Me Thursday’s very first challenge, ATCs. An ATC, or artist trading card, is a small piece of art measuring 2-1/2″ x 3-1/2″. Other than the size, there really are no other rules — anything goes! For the base of the card, you can choose from a variety of materials — cardstock, watercolor paper, cardboard, fabric, or whatever else you might have on hand. Then paint it, collage it, sew it, embellish it, you name it!

Well I am really late this week, I was not going to participate this week as I am not really good at these. I find them to small and I never know what to do. So here is my contribution this week. The flowers, the vase, and the water were made out of paper towel, that I use to wipe my paint brushes with........

I am Back.......

Well I have not blogged for a few days, been busy, been away. I have not done any art and I am feeling like I have not done any for months,,so I need to get back to it starting tomorrow. I made these as gifts for the girls for the weekend, I got the idea from Claudine Hellmuth, she calls them poppets the girls loved them, I made one for me as well. She was just on Martha Stewart showing how to make them, if you go to her site, she has a video on them. We each had to bring handmade gifts. Sandy the jewelry designer made bracelets, beautiful mine is pink picture to come tomorrow. Lois made homemade cookies, ginger um, they came in a homemade bag and some body lotion. Marianne made us birds to hang from the ceiling with a cd as a body (picture to come) and a diffuser, heavenly scents. We had a blast , we went to Calgary which is located on the doorstep to the Rockies. On the Saturday we went to Canmore which is just a hop to Banff right in the Rockies note the picture. We ate, drank stayed up late and generally had a great time. Talked about next year and decided to go further afield and hit either Vegas or Phoniex looking forward to that.....Well tommorow I am going to go do Inspiration Thursday just about time for next week, but want to do it and will start posting again daily...

Shes a cuties alright

Well as you can see its not much of a news day when I have to post a picture of our puppy Sofie. I have been hard at work on the gifts for the weekend. yes this is the weekend that the girls go away and have a great time. We all bring gifts (handmade) nothing to fancy and exchange them, we have a blast, lots of shopping, drinking and eating and laughing. The weather here today feels like winter and I dont want to see that weather for a few months yet. Well it is late and I need my beauty sleep so will post again tommorow, cant show the pictures of the gifts until after the weekend as they read the blog....

Inspiration ThursdayLimitedPalette

At first I was not going to participate this week, I didn't know what to do. I went to home depot (got some paint swatches and decided to paint my limited palette on one. The colours did not quite come out as expected but I likesoft colours and bright colours. I enjoy colour it makes me happy....
This picture was done awhile ago when I was stressed and this these are the colours I lean to when stressed and unhappy, greys, dark browns, black. The picture represents how I feel some days when I have to much on my plate.....but now I just take a deep breath and relax and let it all go...

Studio Friday-Inspiration Map

Do you have your map ready?? The map that has all your dream destinations on it that you want to go to? The map that will show you the way so you don't traipse in the dark or circles? If you do, maybe you would like to show us a tiny corner of it? Where did you draw your map? How did you make it? Did you use colour or a special paper?

Here it is my dream map, places and things you could accomplish only in a dream. Some things are true, I love my blog, I am going to take art classes, and travel to all the places where beautiful art was made so many years ago. My dream is just to go to Guggeheim to see all the beautiful art, but in my mind it would be nice to be good enough to have some art there, you know your own show. As you can see all roads lead to the final destination, to live a happy and creative life. Took awhile but here it is.

Daily thoughts and drawings....

Here is a picture of some daily art. Well I have not been posting much as summer is winding down, I find that I have been quite busy with the baby or I mean puppy. Even though It is my daughters dog, who takes it out for a walk and his puppy breaks (so he doesnt do it on the floor) Next weekend I am going away with the girls for a Its All about Me weekend. Each of us have to bring each one of the girls something we have made. So I am in top secret mode making these items. I will be able to show you after the trip dont want to spoil the surprise. The weather here has turned dark and ugly, rainy, and the trees are chaning colour, I do not want winter to come. I would love to live in a climate like Austrialia (I spelled that wrong) where it is pretty nice all year long.....Well I gotta go and work on the project talk to you tommorow.

Oh Those Summer Days

Here is a little mixed media that I did last night. I saw the change rooms in magazine loved the colours cut them out and the rest was painted. Hope you like it. Had a really busy long weekend so far, tomorrow last day off then its back to work. Had my anniversary, on Friday, we went out for a really nice dinner last night, and we had my mom over tonight for a bbque. Then we had some furniture for out den sitting in my dining room for the past month, so hubby and Jason (mostly Jason put it together) 10 hours later it is finished and looks fab. Well it is 12:30 and I am tired so am going to hit the hay...talk to you tommorow.