Jack the o'lantern, blue bottles in sunny window & Sheriff Max

Max was dressed as Sheriff Max, but we couldn't let him out when the kids came. Too unpredicatably rambunctious. Typical sheriff, right?


Earlier today I took a snapshot of my blue glass in a sun-filled window.


And tonight I caught Jack the O'Lantern looking quite used up in his geranium perch. I need to try this again tomorrow night without a flash so you can see the eeriness that shows when he is lit from within instead of without.

A Smile in Every Room

The above words were a part of the article in today's Courier Journal about friend Gaye Medbury's home. Enjoy Gaye's home. The small pictures do not do it justice. The actual newspaper article was better, but not as thorough. Here is a link to the article - with 53 pictures to enjoy!
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=B2&Date=20091030&Category=FEATURES08&ArtNo=910300801&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

You may have to copy and paste...if so, I'm sorry, but do it! You'll enjoy the journey. "A Smile in Every Room" is suitable, but not entirely apt. "Many Smiles in Every Room" would have been even more accurate.

October evening

Here are some photos along the riverfront in Jeffersonville, on the banks of the Ohio River...plus one taken of Autumn leaves next to the parking lot where I work. Rain tomorrow will probably end the gorgeous display.

Blue Bottles in Window

I've been gathering blue glass for a couple of years. Here is a collection in my window. It makes me happy to look at them. They're even prettier when the sunlight shines through them.

Wienie Roast!

Went to an old fashioned wienie roast last Saturday. To protect the innocent, I won't name names, but this is a good way to share photos with them. It was a cold night with warm people.

Cincinnati

Didn't take a single photo on my day trip to Cincy today. Cincy is on the Ohio River. The leaves are only just beginning to turn. We ate a very late lunch at a restaurant right on the picturesque river. --- It was a work trip and was very good, though my back ached from the non-ergonomic conditions of the inventory I conducted. My co-workers are fantastic people and good at what they do. (Much like most in my old job, which is very heartening to me.) (Hey! Who on earth uses the word 'heartening'? Where did that come from?) We learned a lot, such as how to make our own situation ergonomically correct and able to facilitate the best work by the short, the average and the tall. My co-workers received many vicarious compliments on their facile grasp of the new concepts. Yay, team! (Funny coincidence...I headed the Purple Team at my old job and I left with us as top performers. This new team at the new company is ....the PURPLE team! I had nothing to do with it, but it bodes well.)

Boss is out the rest of the week, but I will have plenty to do nonetheless. For one thing, I will explore the entire (huge, old) building - and locate the TP to replenish the private room - as I am the only woman in the testosterone-rich office setting.

Forgot something important - I need to have Friday, November 20th off as I will be attending a watercolor workshop in central Indiana with my good friend Donna that day. Oops!

An old wedding set

Forgive me for cleaning up my files. I had never posted this set to my website and ran across it this week. This lovely bride had me letter the return address, the response card and envelope, the invitation and envelopes.

Copperplate tidbits

Here are a few small pieces I did this week in copperplate. The piece on ships had to be lettered twice (one on top of the other) because the first white lettering sank into the paper. The Oprah quote is one I lettered much larger several years ago. I hope to do a few more little pieces this weekend. Head start on Christmas gifts or an art show I plan to do next year. It's been a long time since I've lettered just for the fun of it - and I'm loving the feel of the pen on the paper.

Diana's Sandi Goddess

My friend Diana came over this morning and asked me to take some photos of her latest piece. It's for a woman named Sandi, and the form looks like a goddess to me - therefore the name of today's blogspot. It is a full sheet of Stonehenge paper - about 30 by 22 inches. (The white at the bottom is a separate piece of paper, not part of the piece.)


Here is a photo of the entire image, but because much of the lettering is in pastel colors and some is very small, I am also including some detail photos of some of the areas. The quote is a Nancy Woods poem about writing her life in the stars upon the universe...very pretty. There are some small jewels in the sky of the painting along with the name Sandi debossed into the soft-bodied Stonehenge paper. Some shiny parts are due to collaged-on gossamer paper. It looks more like simply texture in these photos, but in person it is very striking.

ET Wedding monogram

I did this wedding monogram of the bride and groom's first name initials a few years ago. Just found it when I was looking through files for something else.

A Pear is Like a Lady

Thanks to Georgia Deaver for supplying me with this quote. I'd painted some pears in the past, and when I saw the quote I knew I wanted to put them together. Today I did this little piece in calligraphy on watercolor paper and added a pastel drawing of a pear. It's my first rough for a larger piece.

Bees!

Bees are swarming on my hummingbird feeder. Yesterday there was a mound about the size of a 50cent piece. Today it's at least double that size. They're really emptying the feeder. A friend told me last week that she'd like to have a beehive...she's welcome to the bees! These photos were taken through my kitchen window screen. Sorry, but I didn't want to risk being stung. I'm not National Geographic photographer crazy.

Painting today

I began a new set of paintings today. They started out white...gesso and paint mixture. Added pastels in three colors. Added more gesso and acrylic to add some tone to the white. I will wait to see what they tell me to do next. These photos are a little dark.





I am also experimenting with the pair of orange paintings I did a few weeks ago. I want to add some bright, bold blue to spark against the orange, but am taking it slow to see where it needs to go. I have varnished them and they look really good without the blue - but I keep thinking a spot or two of blue could make them better.

Took care of legal things today and shopped! Bought a new red leather Fossil bag at Dillard's and a beautiful new suit jacket in browns and black and gold at Stein Mart. Bought some new canvases too...have to have the raw materials when the painting bug hits!

One door closes, another opens

(A doorway in Savannah)


Left a (stress-filled) job that I loved and some great people on Friday. No more driving across the bridge to Louisville every day. No more seeing the progress on the new arena being built next to the Clark Bridge everyday - if I was even in town, that is. Will miss my clients and teammates and others, but new, exciting things are happening. Life is unbelievable!





A new day has begun. Got a new job on Monday that I know I will love and will love me back. Exciting times! They wanted me to start today, but I am taking two weeks for R & R to prepare for the demands of my new role(s). One door closes...another opens. (Actually had two good job offers yesterday. Unbelievable! I chose the one I knew I wanted, which is basically being created as we go.)



(Another Savannah doorway...steps to climb!)

Celeste - my little mermaid - is 20

One of my sweet and beautiful nieces turned twenty on Saturday. Here are some photos. Family is good.


Birthday Girl - Celeste.


Celeste, Natalie, Andrea. My beautiful gurlzz.


Jim and Mom.


Celeste with Dee.



Here's the cake! Mmmm Cheesecake Ice cream cake.


Sisters/Moms.


Celeste and Andrea. My gurlzz.


Andrea and Dad.


Andrea and Grandma


Lovely Natalie - look at those eyes!