MY ART

This morning, I was browsing the blogs I usually visit, when Donna from Chookyblue posted some beautiful pictures, and I wrote her and asked for her permission to use them as reference for my painting, which I plan to get back into. She asked if I had posted any of my pictures on my blog, and I had never posted any of these, and I told her I would. She graciously allowed me permission to use some of her photography.

Keep in mind I have had a few adult education classes, but I am mostly self-taught, and they are probably out of perspective. I just do it for my enjoyment and relaxation, and have not painted in awhile, but I feel I need to get back into it for my "soul", as I love it. My best watercolor, I gave to a good friend, I don't have a picture of it, and when she and her DH divorced, and she remarried, we sort of lost contact.



In 1968, when I was almost 18, I traveled for 21 days around Europe with a church group, and attended a Baptist World Youth Conference. We were in Berne, Switzerland, and I took a photograph, which I painted in oil from that photograph.









This was my 1st watercolor I did while taking an adult education class in 1977. It is still one of my favorites. This was done from looking at the instructor's sample.

I had to take these at an angle so the glass over the pictures would not glare from the flash.








This watercolor I painted from an old calendar. I did this on my own in about 1978 and I gave it to John's parents. Several years ago his mother wanted to make sure I got it back in case something happened to her.











In 1979 I painted this for my dad. I think again, it was a scene from a calendar. Several years ago when I found out he was not displaying it anymore, he gave it back to me. It is another one of my favorites.















This watercolor I painted sometime in the 80's when my girls were young. It was from a picture in the paper.

















I took a water color class in 1993, the instructor would come in with something she had painted and we copied it. And this is one of the pictures I did at that time.













This was one from the same class that I painted and gave to my dad, which he gave back to me several years ago.














This was another one from the same class in 1993. I gave this to my mother, which my father returned to me after she died. I like this one too, although the flowers do not appear random, like they should have been.

Anyway that is my art, such as it is.

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY KRISTEN!

Today is Kristen Alys' 30th birthday! I still remember the day clearly as it was one of the best days of my life.

In this picture, Kristen is 18 months old, and I am 9 months pregnant with Katie, and 29. John's parents had come up to stay with Kristen while I had a second C-section. They took this picture just before that big day.


This little bikini on Kristen was so funny. Kristen had nothing to hold the top of the bikini in place and it kept slipping up around her neck.

Jeff and Katie and another friend threw a surprise birthday party for Kristen last Friday night at Spaghetti Factory, and she was mostly surprised.

Happy Birthday Kristen, a loving daughter, wife and mother, and one of my best friends. I could not ask for a better daughter. Love, Mom