Yes, It's 15 degrees here and we are about to get a ton of snow. DH is going to Costco today because we are running out of some stuff. I cannot do without coffee! The picture is a glimpse of the fence along our driveway. Keep your eye on that Yucca plant because it won't be long before it blooms in beautiful spikes and flowers.

I was going to spend the day with my sister but the patient she cares for is needing her and my Mother is needing to go to the doctor for her swollen foot. I have a nasty cold with sore throat and earache so I won't be going out. I just had a nice talk with my sister and we are going to try to get together on Friday. I have to feel better by then! It's imperative! I have to get out of this house. I'm having a bout with Cabin Fever!

Carving a life

This is my Mom and Dad.  I lost my father when I was 10 years old.  My Mother is now 90.  I often wonder what my life would have been like if I still had two parents.  My parents divorced several years before Dad died and it turned my world upside down.  I have heard that it takes a lifetime to get over your childhood and that has been the case.  I'm still working at it.  Moving back to my home state has brought up a lot of memories and not all of them are bad. 

I often dream of having loving parents but that was just not the case.   There is a song that says "A child's hurts are carved in stone" and my sister talks about "carving a life for herself".  I think about that word "Carving".  It is a word that denotes hard work and creating a life for yourself with few tools is very hard work but we are strong and we do it.  My five siblings are strong because we had to be.  We all have different damage and memories but I am so proud of our strength.  We are all creative in are own way.  Being creative is such a blessing and that has been a gift.  Our strength we earned with hard "carving".



"Somewhere It's Snowing"

Yes, The soft is drifting down.  I need to get ready soon because my sister is picking me up for a day of fun.  Yesterday I organized my art room and it looks great!  I can actually see what I have.  Since I received a new color printer from my son for Christmas, I have been working on scanning and printing photos of family.  I found a box of baby pictures in the basement of the grandchildren.  Memories!

I was really tired last night but the effort was worth it.  My promise to my DH is that when something comes into the house, something has to go out.  Yesterday I decluttered and it is waiting for me on the porch to donate.  Yea Me!

Random Thoughts

It's all beautiful and snowy white outside and I hear that we are getting more this afternoon.  That's okay with me except that I really should not be driving in the storm so I won't.  I am sitting in my art room pondering how creative I will be today.  Some would look at my room and think "hoarding".  I think "creation"!  As long as the rest of the house doesn't fill up, I am good. 

Today is my granddaughters 21st birthday.  I received a text with her hand holding her drivers license and her saying "Yea"!  She was a beautiful baby and now she is a beautiful adult!  She is so excited and I am excited for her.  Happy Birthday Lexi!!!

As of January 1, 2011 I decided to take much better care of myself.  I joined Dr Oz's "Move It and Lose It " but I'm struggling to understand the web site.  I am watching portion control and cutting out sugar.  Yesterday I went to a new salon and got a really cute haircut.  I am taking better care of my skin, which I have neglected.  Excercise is next but I guess I keep putting it off.  I have lost 2 # so far so I am on my way.  My goal is to be healthier and to live longer. 

Tiger Lily

I finished this today and now I can see everything I did wrong from the drawing to the values. I am going to try this again, this time with a value sketch. I knew better but I was in the playing mood and just threw paint. I used sepia pen, salt, watercolor, quin burnt scarlet (DS), Nickle Azo Yellow and paynes grey.

Curiosity

It's 2011!  Happy New Year friends and family.  This morning I was perusing the web and Oprah's OWN was everywhere.  I clicked on Diane Sawyer and I hear her say "always wake up curious".  It has been just lately that I have liked that part of me.  Growing up, it was "children are to be seen and not heard".  Asking questions was forbidden or frowned upon so I learned, not only to not ask out loud, but to not ask internally.  Lately I have been asking:

What if I tried....
What if I did this or that....
Am I the best person I can be?
What do I need to change?
What are my priorities?
What makes me happy?
What makes me sad?

So.....Like my friend Dabs, I ponder alot!  Mostly when I am creating art.  My art room is a serene, peaceful place and it is quiet so I can hear my thought and hear that small, still voice inside of me. 

May this year be a turning point for those that need it and a spiritual growth spurt for those who least expect it. 

Sisters

I am in the middle. The Baby Girl. I miss my sister on the left. She lives in CO. The sister on the right lives 25 minutes from me and we are both artists. This was taken several years ago in IN at the birthday party. I was about to leave for Las Vagas.

Drawing, Watercolor and W/N White

I am trying all kinds of new things. Some, I am not doing well but I really like this one. After drawing with a #2 pencil, I painted with watercolors using BS, Magenta, Azo Yellow and Paynes grey. When it was dry, I splattered wikth W/N Bleedproof white and a toothbrush. The idea for the pole light came from "Capture the Charm of Your Hometown" by Frank Loudin. This was fun!

Oh, I Forgot.  I used Payne's Grey and Susie's Brush for the swirling snow.    I also used a circle template and a Mr Clean Magic Eraser for the moon.

My Home

My Sister's New Car

Sketches and Paint

Snowman

Ice Skater

Value Sketches







I finally got a Snuggie! Merry Christmas!



Thanks to my dear sister, Barbara, I finally own a Snuggie!  and...a pink one too!  Yep, This is what I look like when I wake up in the morning.  Merry Christmas to my dear friends and family! 

I have always wanted a Snuggie and now I have one!



My DH doing What He Loves Best

Drawing and Painting

My Adventure in Making Bobbi's Toffee-The recipe is a secret!!

Boiled almonds getting skinned

Almonds and skins

Bobbi's Toffee

Time to update

Our three sided Christmas Tree
This way I can push it up against the wall
and make room to walk by it.

Winter wonderland has arrived.  Our home
is pretty in any season but especially now.

Our Lane
Jim made the bench for the skaters
and I have been collecting sleds.

The pond covered with snow.  This is the
view from our front porch.

Look who's drawing!

Look who's drawing!
Originally uploaded by nfaithfox

I'm taking a Drawing class and this is the first page of my drawing journal. Let's see if I get better.

A Rose By Any Other Name

Winter is coming but..I jumped the Gun

Autumn in Ohio

My favorite season has arrived!  It is so pretty here in the woods.  Pat and I went out yesterday to take photos and Jim and I went Saturday.  So beautiful!

Ohio The Beautiful

Yesterday I went with my sister on a photo opp around Ohio.  We went to Long Lake where I spent part of my youth.  We went to lunch and thrift store Hopping.  Great Day!

Desert Poppy

This is a painting from a photo by my friend David Richman.  Thanks David.  I'm gaining on shadows.

Country Store

This is a painting from a photo that was shared with me by Bob Fisher.  I learned a lot by painting this. I over painted the trees.  Walk away Norena!   Shadows do not have to be grey!  Perspective, perspective!  Better luck next time.

Peaches and tomatoes..Oh MY!

I haven't posted for almost a month!  I have been busy canning again.  We have 21 qt of tomatoes and 24 qt of peaches.  If we get snowed in, we will eat!  My little neighbor Amanda brought me fresh brown eggs from her chickens that she is raising.  I was thrilled!  Yummy eggs that taste like eggs used to taste. 

My sister Pat and went shopping/thrifting on Wednesday after we painted, and I got my heat gun that I have been wanting for 40% off.  Pat had a coupon for both of us.  We are going to make holiday cards with embossing.  My painting is of the Rose of Sharon that is in my back yard.  Pat picked the last two flowers on it for my reference.  I am painting it in cool colors for WCW.  I even got some cleaning in yesterday.

We have given up and trying to crate Mollie and Maggie at night!   They used to be crated but it got so hot for them this summer, we relented and let them sleep on our bed.  Now they will not sleep in the crate.  Charlie sleeps under the bed like Angel used to sleep.  We haven't gotten a full nights sleep since we tried this so we just gave up. 

The Mysterious Missing Couch

Yes, I have a couch.  When I bought it I was promised "several weeks" for delivery.  This is the ninth week and it arrived yesterday.  I'm glad that it's finally here.  Now, how do I get the new couch chemical smell out quickly?  Oh No, I hope I'm not allergic to my new couch!  I sure love the way it looks from afar.  I just can't get too near it.