Ice, Ice, Baby!

This area was hit by a powerful ice storm with many power outages this week. We did a happy dance when power came back on at my house last night. THANKS, Duke Energy workers!

Catching up with several photos here. One is of ornaments I painted for Christmas gifts. Not as easy as I'd thought it would be! One is of sweet and special niece Celeste with her beau Irvin on Christmas day. Two more are of dancers at Rob and Laura's New Year's Eve party...I didn't ask permission, so am only using un-recognizable photos. What a fun night! Laura's friend later posted a clip of Laura singing Autumn Leaves to You Tube...Google that (Laura Dorman + Autumn Leaves should do it.) Fabulous!!!! Other photos are of my room on recent travels - quite lovely. This one was a gem of a place with only three guest rooms in Ripley, MS - Inn on the Square. And one is of tree limbs downed by ice in Mom's front yard. This is actually a very minor scene in Kentuckiana. Damage from downed trees and power lines was everywhere and lingers several days later.

Have some art to do this weekend to prepare for a mini art show + social event I've been invited to participate in at 21C, a new Louisville hotel. Will post photos of my results later.

Looking forward to SuperBowl Sunday - not for the football, which - alas - I do not understand. Looking forward to spending time with friends, playing games (Cranium, anyone?), and watching those commercials. And the expected thaw! Unfortunately, there is more snow in the future - another storm coming next week.

Ending a bad year starting a hopeful new one

Come on 2009...hope springs eternal.

I went to a wonderful New Year's Eve party - very international, very much fun. Thanks, Laura and Rob! Your friends are so much fun!

I packed up Christmas 2008 New Year's Day and today. On to 2009! I am planning to work on only art I want to do in 2009. Tomorrow I will try to letter Credo in Romanian for Laura. I have four portraits to do - my three nieces and one's boyfriend. That should keep me busy for a long time. Thanks to DJ Pettit I am not too afraid to take on the challenge. The first one I started - Natalie's - looks so exactly like her it's amazing. I had the skin color wrong so it didn't get finished for Christmas, but it will. She looked so pretty on Christmas day - and so different from the photo I took of her in May that I was basing the portrait on - that I see that I may have to do more than one. These girls today are always changing their looks.

The Christmas commission I did was satisfying in the end. The 'commissioner' literally jumped up and down in joy when she saw it. That pretty much made my day. Very sweet.

I finished the Twilight series of books. Number 4 was not very satisfying. It seemed quite contrived. Nonetheless, the series was great and it's still hard for me to believe I became hooked on a vampire series. I studiously avoided Anne Rice's books many years ago. No - I don't believe in vampires. But Twilight made me want to. Crazy - I know.

Celeste saw the Natalie portrait and loved it and is excited that I plan to do hers as well. She cut my hair in a punky-messy way and it looks great. Lots of fun and very easy to keep up.

Happy New Year!