Dressing Mabel

 

I dressed Mabel and put her in a dead corner of the bedroom. Mostly she makes me smile until I forget that she is there and freak out because I think someone has stolen into the bedroom. I am going to give her an overhaul soon and make her less (as in not) blue. I would actually like to wear her outfit.

Late February

Do you see the heart shaped patch of sunlight on the mountain?

I walked the dog this morning and though it is -17C the sun is warm, beautifully warm like the thermal blanket they through over me after the birth of my daughter, so comforting and embracingly warm. The Columbia river is filled with translucent ice chunks that crunch/tinkle as they move north following the current. The moment was so calm but promising, the river a milky dark pthalo green. How do I capture that feeling in a painting??

Fiona, my walking companion.

Congrats Olympians!

Another job well done. Way to go Canada!

A Proposal

 I asked Mom how Dad had proposed expecting the traditional “down on one knee and ring” that I had seen on TV. Mom said that they had discussed getting married as Paul had received his WW2 draft notice. The fateful night, the man of few words said “Do you want to do what we talked about?” She answered “Yes.” They kissed goodnight. He strolled off down the street whistling setting every dog in the neighborhood barking. They were married February 21, 1942.

Radium Hoodlums

They creep in under cover of darkness

 

They lurk in the trees

 They pretend to be innocent

 

Then they try to steal your broom

 

and defecate in your doorway. They are

BADASS BIGHORNS!!

 

Another Sheep painting

Moving On    12x12 acrylic

I seem to be in a painter's block slump. It's depressing and rather irritating. I can't settle on anything I want to paint or how I want to paint it. To try to get unstuck, I am making more abstract work just to keep the brush moving. It makes me think of the Hemingway quote, ""There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."

Heart Day

Happy Valentine's Day to my big squeeze!

Happy Birthday, Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln  8x10 acrylic collage

I grew up in Illinois. My Dad must have taken me to every Lincoln site in the southern part of the state. I have been to Lincoln's birthplace in Knob Creek, Kentucky. 

 

 his home in Indiana

 The "Waymaking" at Westport Il. where he entered Illinois from Indiana

 Pretty much anywhere on this map

 My first job out of college was the beautiful Prairie House Gallery that was part of the Lincoln Herndon Law Office site.

Of course, my daughters have been indoctrinated in Lincoln stuff too..

 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln

Just a big pile of rocks

I live in the mountains. Painting mountains are difficult for me. I am not one of the people that views them and thinks that they are beautiful. I am one of the people that thinks they block the sunset (prairie girl). However, I am going to attempt a few mountain paintings.

Most photos of mountains are actually quite boring...all shades of blues, until they are lit up by morning or evening light, then things become interesting.

I loved my Dad

For years, we celebrated my Dad’s birthday on February 9^th. That was what was listed on his birth certificate. But Grandma Laura said he had been born on the 8^th. She lived to be over a 100 and her mind slowed but never faltered. Dad started celebrating on the 8^th in his later years. I think he was tickled that his granddaughter’s birthday was so close to his own.

A great Feb. 7th

 

HK

I was working in Lac Le Jeune helping my first husband with finishing touches on a log house he had built. I was bleaching stair railings and getting grumpy because my back was hurting. The pain was steadily getting stronger to the point that I finally mentioned it to my husband. He said, “Maybe we should start timing these pains.”  I was slow to catch on even though I was about 10 days past my due date. The pains were about five minutes apart. We headed for home and left my older baby daughter with her Auntie.  The nurses at the Royal Inland Hospital were just as wonderful as they had been for my first birth. After a long night of labor and a brief and harrowing stint with forceps, HK popped into the world like a champaigne cork.

 HKgolightly

I loved my horse

I had wanted a horse from the time I was four. The main reason I learned to draw was because my parents could not give me a horse so I drew them. When I began working, I invested in some English riding lessons. It was wonderful. In 1981, my husband bought me an appaloosa mare. She looks a bit dozy in this photo but she had a very high action trot, a smooth ride and could turn on a dime. She also dumped me on a couple of occasions when she was spooked by sage brush. But for a brief while, she was mine and I enjoyed her greatly.

Barbie

4th February, 1959 : Today was the first day of the invention of the Barbie Doll. This doll was created by Ruth Handler, who was one of the founders of the Mattel Company. Barbie was named after Ruth’s daughter.

My mother never let me have a Barbie doll. I'm not sure why. She bought a larger fashion doll and commissioned a neighbor to make a beautiful wardrobe for her. I played with it right up until my teens.

 I have a pinterest site where I have collected all the dolls I would like to have entitled "I never had a Barbie but I would want one like this".

A day late but nonetheless...

purple heart   8x10 acrylic

Whether you call it Groundhog’s Day, Candlemas or Imbolc, February 2 falls midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and in many traditions is considered the beginning of spring. 

Imbolc: from Ol-melc (ewe's milk) because this is the time that ewe’s begin to lactate. It is also considered the time of year when the earth begins to stir. In agrian areas there are often ceremonies to bless the fields. It is the time of the return of the light and renewal of life.

I am happy, happy because it now stays light until 6 pm. Spring is coming!