We took my grandson Kennedy to the beach last spring.  He thought Lake Michigan was a good place for throwing rocks! 

It's my birthday.  Gonna have a good time?  No doubt!

And the red head theme continues....

I thought the show was just about Irish themed paintings but now I find out it is about Irish Landscapes so this one won't qualify:(

Oh, well, it is one of my goals to be able to do people better so this portrait of a little red headed Irish girl was a good practice. 

It is the Saturday before my 56th birthday.  Where did the time go?  How much time is left to do the things I want to do, to see the things I want to see?  Of course, no one knows and there is no guarantee for tomorrow.  Seems like I am in a happy place right now, but I have been grabbed and dragged, kicking and screaming out of happy places before so I concentrate on making the most of this time, in THIS happy place. 

Trying the mobile blog. My grandson is an artist too. He made this mask!

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Please don't take my picture...

"Stop the car!"  K parked in the middle of the road and I got out, tried to get closer to him but he didn't want anything to do with me.  He walked away, turned his head.  REM's "It's been a bad day, please don't take my picture" is the music running through my head as I followed him trying to get a better shot.  Finally I gave up and had to be satisfied with this view....

Riveredge in March 2010

This piece is one of my favorites.  K and I went to Riveredge for their annual pancake breakfast which happens when the maple syrup is being collected.  Afterwards we walked along the path by this small pond.  It was a beautiful day and the sun was fabulous!  I did this on canvas-hey what did I know, I had just learned about pastels and was experimenting!

Spent a warm and wonderful evening at our friend, B's place yesterday eve.  Talked about our youth.  The protests in Madison are calling us.  Working people everywhere, stand together!  We talked about the Vietnam War protests and the Vietnam Vets we know who are still suffering from their experience after 40 years or more.  People, we have to participate even when it doesn't seem like anything we do makes a difference.  Each contribution is like a drop of water wearing away the stone.  Eventually, we will make a path.

Winter Sunrise

Same view, different day.  Winter sunrise over Lake Michigan is better than summer sunrise because I don't have to wake up so early so see it!  Today is my last day of work for the week:) I hope I will have some time to work on my art this weekend but who knows?  

Sailing by the Port Washington Lighthouse

I got this one all done and was pretty proud of myself until someone pointed out that there were no shadows under the people.  Details, details....

Walk with care....

We picked this one apart, identifying all the ways it is wrong, but I still like the contrast, the waves, the sky.......

Take that Christmas wreath down!

It was early March and as you can see, someone was a little tardy taking down the Christmas wreath.  Still with Wisconsin weather, you really can't blame the farmer for leaving it up. 

Tree by the Southern Path at Summit Beach

Well, it is back to work day for me.  My day started at 6:05 with a text from one of my staff to tell me they are calling in sick-again; and the sound of the plows clearing the snow-again. I will need to leave early or be late to work.  This is the piece I did yesterday afternoon.  You can see this continues the "snowy meadow" theme, although in this one, the sky is clear and blue and the sun has made it up over the lake clouds and is shining on the meadow.  When we lived at Summit Beach, this tree was a love/hate object.  It blocked my view of the water, but it provided scale and perspective to the view also.  Many times the subject of removing it came up, but I hope it is still there blocking/framing someone else's view!

This is looking south over the meadow at Summit Beach.  I love the color of the grass against the snow.  I spent the afternoon working on another piece.  My friend and mentor, Becca, was here with me working on one of her pieces.  I love working with someone else in the room.  I never figured that I would be a social artist!  No lonely artist studios for me.

Good day to stay inside.

My View.  It is very wintry outside today and I am glad I have  a vacation day, one more day to stay home and relax and play with my pastels.  Monday is a great day to take off! 

I live on the "Fresh Coast" and this is my view in winter of the Port Washington marina, harbor and lighthouse.  This piece shows the marina before they put in the floating piers.  Port Washington is a small town of around 10,000, kind of like the place I grew up in, Nevada, IA.  We have a small town newspaper where sooner or later everyone gets their picture published-birth, graduation, marriage, death.  I've lived here only 6 years and I have been in the paper 2-3 times even though I didn't get born, graduate, marry or die!

This marina is a great example of a community investing in their infrastructure.  When the marina was first proposed, a lot of people here didn't want it, didn't want to spend the money, didn't want things to change, thought it would never be used.  The politicians who voted to proceed were all thrown out of office at the next election.  I cannot imagine this lakefront without it.

beginnings 2-20-2011

I guess I have always been an artist, just not an artist with an urgent need to share my art.  I doodled, I sketched, I left drawings on tablecloths in restaurants, on the back of documents at meetings, but to put my "doodles" out for anyone to see?  Well it is a beginning.  Stay tuned.