Enjoying my retirement one painting at a time. Interspersing my thoughts with my Handpainted porcelain (painting), decorative painting, glass painting, watercolors, ACEOs, Alcohol Ink Art, colored pencil and acrylics.
Alcohol Inks! Several years ago, I took a class at a painting conference. It was using alcohol inks on dominos to make into pendants. It was fun and I bought a few alcohol inks but I did nothing with it. Fast forward a few years and a facebook friend of mine Riv posted some of her work. One in particular really got my attention so I thought, "hey I've got those inks".
I had plenty of porcelain and glass being a china and decorative painter so I pulled out a few pieces, the inks and alcohol and gave it a whorl. They turned out beautiful. I was pulling out porcelain, antique
Inks on porcelain ornaments enhanced with gold leaf pen.
glass, glass vases, you name it I experimented on it. Alcohol inks are for nonporous surfaces but I pulled out bisc just for grins. That too had interesting results.
The freedom I find in letting the ink do it's abstracted thing is exhilarating. I have learned this takes a bit of skill but more than that it takes patience. I'm not much of a patient person. I generally like to have immediate results but this is good because it's teaching me to wait and watch as I frequently just do it one drop at a time.
No now I'm obesessed. The next thing will be finding that yugo paper to do larger frameable art! Life is good especially with art....
That's about all. I cannot believe it is this close to Thanksgiving and I'm not done Christmas shopping. I generally start in August. I guess with everything that happened this year loosing Mom and then Dad,
Handpainted Porcelain
I am happy to say I have 2 people on my list finished but I'm no where close with the others! I may take the easy way out with the DH and just give him a check. I keep asking what he wants for Christmas and he goes "I dunno". Well that's helpful! LOL. I can always come up with a list.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Perhaps after that I will be more in the mood. In the meantime, I'm making a list.........
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The Santa pictured is available in my Etsy Shop. Light him with a mini Christmas light string or put a candle in him..either way he's adorable especially when lit. The photo doesn't do it justice...I'm such a poor photographer. https://www.etsy.com/listing/62759169/hand-painted-porcelain-santa?ref=shop_home_feat
So yesterday I was waiting for Mass to start at the Irish Festival. A lady walked up with a therapy dog
in training. He was so beautiful. He was also very well behaved. She sat down. He sat down. She pet him on the head and then he rolled over on his back. She tried to move him out of the aisle but he just laid there with his feet straight up so she kind of pulled him under the seat and there he laid with all the people going around them.
Once I was told that when a dog rolls over like that, it means that it represents total trust & surrender.
It occurred to me as I thought about it that what better place to totally trust and surrender than at Mass in the presence of God. It was a great start to my day.
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Prayer: Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess You have given me: I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough, and will desire nothing more.
So last night was Shuffle Bowl at the Club. I think this is the 4th year. We do it every Friday night from September to March. It's a lot of fun and something Dad really enjoyed. Mom never played but she would sit there and cheer us on.
I was looking around watching people play shuffle bowl last night thinking how much my parents, Dad especially loved the club and how much he loved playing shuffle bowl. He'd laugh a hardy laugh when Leo (his partner) would say, "that's my partner" when he'd get a spare or occasional strike.
It wasn't easy for Dad to play because he had problems with his shoulder and didn't have full extension of his arms. As a result he was always in last place, but Leo, who is so good natured and loved Dad, volunteered to be Dad's team mate.
Tonight is the monthly dinner/dance at the club with the Monaldi Brothers. Mom and Dad always went to the parties. In fact, my Dad was the one who really started those parties. When he went to the club, they didn't have them until he jumped in as the sponsor. And with those parties came the Monaldi Brothers because, hey if it wasn't an Italian Band it wasn't worth much. LOL My Dad and Mom loved to dance.
Dad loved that song Gigolo and the Monaldi's would dedicate that song to him at every party they played at. Mom and Dad would take the floor and do his "2 step". I used to think to myself, how lucky I was to have parents who were so fun and had such a love for life. I would go to those parties with them just to spend time with them. This will be the first dinner/dance that I've gone to without them there. It's going to be sad to watch everyone dance to the Monaldi's...but in my mind's eye, I will see them dancing out there doing the 2 step...life goes on.....
There will come a day, when youth will pass away,
What will they say about me? When the end comes I know, there was just a gigolo....Life goes on without me.
So for the past month or so I have been volunteering at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in Millersville. It's something I've always wanted to do since way back when my kids were in school and went there for class trips. My path has always crossed that place, from the kids, to my job of 35 years at DNR and even with 4-H as the volunteer coordinator and I are judges at county fair.
It was at the fair that I realized when I went on my phone browser that the other judge was the
volunteer coordinator for AEOE. Who knew? Not me and I've known Sheen a long time. Boy was I surprised. So I talked with her and here I am. Thursday is my day there.
Photo taken by staff at AE
It has been one of my biggest joys and the thing I look forward to most during the week (with the exception of Mass of course). All the 4th Graders in the State visit there to learn about the effects of humans on the Chesapeake Bay. I'm having a wonderful time working with these kids and enjoy watching them enjoy nature and the great outdoors. Not to mention the view is not too bad either as it sits on the Severn River.
And what a great bunch of people on the 4th Grade Team..pictured to the right. They are so much fun. I love being a part of the team even if it is only once a week.
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For more information on Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center http://arlingtonecho.net
10. He brings me toys when I come in the door.
9. He is always happy to see me.
8. He wakes me up with puppy kisses.
7. Sometimes he likes to sit on my head.
6. He is a cuddler.
5. He can play paddy cake.
4. He plays soccer.
3. He is such a little clown.
2. When you say leash he goes to get it.
and the number one reason I love Luigi.....
1. He loves me back.
If you are on Facebook, look him up. He has his own page....
Well this year's Christmas Craft Show at Oakdale Circle Studios was a success. Interestingly enough, Friday (the work day) was busier than Saturday (the off day). Crazy stuff. But craft shows are always interesting. You can never figure them out or what sells from year to year.
This year I dabbled in Steam Punk. Now I'm a traditional kinda girl so Steam Punk was a little out of my comfort zone but you never grow if you don't push yourself do ya?
So I china painted a few pieces which are pictured here. I did a mug, hand mirror, plate and vase. And I made 2 necklaces that I didn't photograph (shame on me). Out of all that, all that remains is the luster vase with the gear on it.
I would have never imagined that the steampunk would have gone. Now if I do more for next year, it likely won't sell. But I might do one or two more just for grins. I definitely will do more of the necklaces. My philosophy is to paint or make things that I really like so that if they don't sell it can be an excuse to be mine! It was sad the necklaces were sold because I really liked those necklaces. Oh well that's the great thing about being someone who can make things. You can always make another one for you!
