THIS HALLOWEEN...

Jimmy Chew is going as a Gentleman.

We all know THAT is a big act.

I went as ....

Everyone at work dressed as CATS!

Doc dressed in a robe, slippers, a scarf on his head and carried a Hello Kitty Halloween bucket plus a few "cats" hanging about.

His costume was a "Crazy Cat Lady" and we all were his cats. 

It was a big hit with the clients. 

I posted my photo on Facebook.

I, unlike many people on that social site, hate posting photos of myself.

One person REALLY wanted to see " the rest of me"....

Sigh and Grrrrr.

Finally I posted this as a reason.

LOL!

Obviously I need to start dieting so that I feel better about myself AND of course to get HEALTHY.

Anyway....

I took some Fall photos the other day.
I went over to one of the cemeteries in town.
Chippiannnock Cemetery.

One of few beautiful spots in town.

Lovely but kinda spooky at this time of the year.

I was alone and the leaves kept swirling, rustling and making noises at though someone was walking through them
but no one was there.

The birds were really loud.

Cawing and chattering.

I didn't stay long!

Have a Happy Halloween!
XOXO

IT'S GETTING COLD OUTSIDE.

It rained on and off yesterday.

Not hard rain, just drizzles and spurts.

There was a cool wind that started to turn cold.

I worked a double, but it was OK,
not a lot of boarders so I got to spend more one on one time with the dogs

and a big sweet black diabetic cat.

Just a slow day.

Sometimes a person needs that.

A day to take it slow and catch your breath.

I couldn't leave early because of the diabetic cat. His insulin needed to be spaced out.

So when I left work, it was dark and windy.

There was a light rain.
Leaves were swirling a bit but then as it rained more, they would stick to the pavement and make it slick.

I'm glad there wasn't much traffic because I really had to concentrate on the black wet road.

It did seem magical, driving through the night and over the government bridge.

The clanging of metal against metal as I crossed it. The rhythm of it, like a song.

Rolling towards home.

I've been unhappy with my hometown but last night I had glimpses of what I used to like about it.

I liked the song on my radio and I felt peaceful as my vehicle came down road from the bridge into my city.

To the left of me is the renovated building that used to be the Illinois Electric Company.
Now it's pretty, and made into upscale apartments.

Ahead of me I  could see the cars at the stoplight. I'm always cautious at that stoplight because I've seen semi trucks take wide turns into the side lanes before.

Right on clue a huge semi rounded the corner and swung way into the lane.

It barely missed the cars at the light and I think that was because they quickly steered to the right.

The truck driver must have seen how close he came to clipping them because as if in slow motion, I could see him turn hard out of the wide curve he had made.
But that caused him to slide for a moment on the wet pavement towards me.
The side of the truck cab and the huge double tires were right there, in my peripheral vision.

It was just a moment.

A quick instant and he was past me.

I let out my breathe, I hadn't really realized I had been holding it.
Really, my only thought was - I hope this doesn't hurt.

WORK CALENDAR

They are making a calendar at work.

I guess they intend to try to sell them.

So, when they decided to do this, they gave each of us a month.
Our month would be a photo of one of our pets.

I wanted November because that's Blue's birthday month.

Unfortunately it was already claimed.

So I took May (thinking May Flowers).

Lily had April but her bunny costume for her dog didn't work out for her as planned, so she asked me to trade.

So I/Blue got April.

Blue doesn't like costumes.

He doesn't like props.

He refuses to be "posed" (except for that time when he was next to Santa!) and if I try,
he gets greatly annoyed and lets out a big "ROAR" which causes a lot of barking in my house
and then he runs and hides under the kitchen table.

OK, hide is probably the wrong word.

It's hard to hide when you are 155lbs.

So I had to improvise.

I don't have PhotoShop or anything, nor do I know how to use it if I had access to it.

Therefore I got a 8x10 print of one of his photos and then I drew and colored in an umbrella, raindrops and his big white paw on paper and cut him and all the drawings out and then laid them on the counter at work and took a photo of it.

So here's my submission for our month -

"APRIL SHOWERS"

WHAT I DID LAST WEEKEND

Last weekend I did some cleaning and organizing but mostly I worked on creating some horses!

A co-worker/ friend encouraged me to do some illustrations of horses.

I love horses but I have never illustrated one before. 

So here's what I ended up with - 

This was Inktense and paper.

So was this -

This was layered paper and Inktense-

And this one is paper and Inktense and totally my style.

Blue tried to stay awake as I was creating but his eyes kept closing and his head would drift back and then he'd jerk awake again.
It was quite the struggle for him. 

I've been there myself and I know how hard it is to stay awake when all you want to do is catch a couple of winks.
During the day I'm usually at work, so that's his nap time.
I totally screwed up his schedule.
I have no idea why he felt the need to stay up though! LOL!

Jeez, I love him so much! :)

HOODIE TIME

Temps have dropped!

Last night it dipped below 30 degrees they say.

I brought in what plants I could

And it looks like my rose blooms survived the night.

Inside the house, it's COLD.

It shows 55 on the thermostat and it's almost 1 o'clock in the afternoon
but I'm not turning on the heat yet.

Next week it's supposed to hit high 60's, maybe even 70, during the day.

Nope, not yet.

It's definitely sweatshirt weather.

Time to bundle up.

Jimmy Chew has his hoodie on, 

looking all gangsta.

He's been a bad boy again,

But that's nothing new.

Somehow he pulled down the bag of dog food.

It's a ziploc top.

I thought I had it zipped.

Apparently not.

This is a photo of the laundry room floor.

Sigh.

I'm now pouring the bags of food into a big Rubbermaid container with a top that snaps closed and storing it on top of the cabinet.

Yes, I was angry.

But Jimmy charmed his way out of it.  Again.

Here's THE LOOK he gives when he's in trouble.

His cuteness has saved his butt SO many times.

HAPPY HALLO-WEENIE!

So, full disclosure.

Someone I know has Dachshunds.

Several.

She used to breed them but no longer.

She just has a little "retirement home" for her remaining weenies.

After I created my "Playing in the Leaves"  illustration, I posted it on several of my social media sites, one being my Facebook Art Page.

This woman saw it and immediately said she wanted it.

So I said I'd put it aside for her AND I told her that I was going to be doing one called

HAPPY HALLO-WEENIE

Her reply was "mine, mine, mine!"

I LOL'd her back.

Funny that she wanted it before it was even created!

I finished it yesterday and posted it on my FB page and her reply was

"Love, love, love it"

LOL!

Yep, totally had her in mind when I thought it up.

Hmm, besides getting busy on my calendars and Xmas cards,
I'm gonna have to think up some Christmas- weenies!

Painted Pumpkins and stuff

Last weekend I worked like a fiend.

I finished up 16 prints and mounted them on painted canvases and then sealed them and took them to work.

I hung several in each exam room and I have even more up front at the reception desk. 

I also worked on painting paper mâché pumpkins. I finished up three so far and also took them into the clinic to sell.

I went out to my booth and it's sold down and I need to replenish it.

I picked up my check while there.

It's my second one. I made rent, paid their commission fee and had a small amount left to buy some art markers.

Slowly my house is emptying out and each month I've been able to pick up some art supplies.

I'm sure some people would say that the amount of time and energy spent, isn't worth it but it's working for me.

To be able to get rid of stuff and have a few dollars to buy art stuff. 

While out at the mall where my booth is, they told me that next month, on Saturday November 21st, is the big Open House.

I guess everyone gets their booths in super shape and they make goodies to give away to customers up front.

Yep, a real social deal.

I usually just scurry in to work on my booth and leave. I'm polite, say a quick greeting but I keep walking.

I notice other vendors stop and socialize at the front counter.

Sigh.

I just want to empty my house and make a few bucks.

But I'll make some sugar cookies and put my booth number in frosting on top.

I can do it, be social I mean.

I don't want to but, I will.

I guess.

Other stuff... I got my dot.com and secured my art name for a shop on Etsy.

I'll share more when I have more to show.

THEN.... A LOT is going on at my day job.

The one girl that was such a problem is gone. I won't go into it here. At least not right now, but I took care of that situation and I also came up with a new plan for work. 

My co-workers LOVED the idea and Doc grudgingly went along with it.

It involves much more responsibility and more hours and in the LONG run it will be for the best. 

I won't bore you with the details right now either because this post is getting overly long again!

And finally, I need to get the front part of my fence up before it gets COLD.

I'm thinking it needs to be this weekend because the forecast is warm and sunny and THAT kind of weather is for sure not to last.

So right now I've got more balls spinning in the air than ever.

But I actually feel OK about it all!

Really I do! because eventually it will all fall into place...

And don't worry! 

I will have the calendar and cards very soon too!

Wish me luck and I'll "see" ya when I see ya!

Xoxo

Inktense and Prints

I did 2 little illustrations for Fall.

They are originally on watercolor paper and done in ink pen and Inktense pencils.

If you aren't familiar with Inktense, They first appear to be watercolor pencils but they are not.

It's ink and it's permanent.
Unlike watercolor, you can layer over it and it won't get muddy.
Not that I know anything about watercolors but...

What you do is, or at least what I do, is to color it in then go over it with water. 

I learned by watching a YouTube video.

Rather than a traditional brush and water, I use a water brush.

The water is in the handle and dispenses as you go.

Maybe everyone knows about this and it's nothing new but I discovered them both last year and I love it.

I still use acrylics and papers and things in most of my paintings but these two were done in just ink and Inktense.

I will now get prints of them and sell them at the clinic and eventually online.

I always think the problem with prints is that then you have to find the proper frame.

Well, not mine!

I've mounted my prints on canvas that have the sides painted black and
sealed the whole thing with several coats of gloss finish.
It doesn't really show it in the photos of course, but they have a nice smooth "feel" to them.

Here are a few that I did and are now hanging up at the clinic.

I ordered the prints from two different sources.

One puts a border around the print and does it in a more matte finish.

The other does no border and only gloss unless I want to wait several days.

So far different people like different looks.

I prefer one but I won't say yet.

Do YOU prefer one over another?

Anyway, I think I'm really on to something!

I also decided on the "NAME" of my Art business!!!!!

But I'll share that later.

xoxo