Paintings, Memories and Friends

You know sometimes when you stumble on a great find  and it is a pure prize ? 

 Wellllllll,

I stumbled on this wonderful site and I honestly don't remember where I found it.  It is Paper Paintings by  Elizabeth  St. Hilaire Nelson. She has a DVD for sale and of course I had to buy it.  I have a link on my side bar here with her blog, she is a very talented lady and has a heart warming story to go with it.  She is suppose to be here to teach us, I know in my heart and after reading her story you will know why.   My good artsy friends Cat and Colleen  also bought a DVD and off we went on a joint art project.  We all three did our first paper painting.   One lives in Arkansas and the other one lives in Colorado, even though we live a tad far away from each other we all tackled this fun and habit forming art.   We visited via e-mail and I think just had the best time.  Paint and paper flying all over everywhere.  Nope not snow here just pretty paper.   I have been hunting for something to do when I grow up after retiring from Professional Photography this year.  By Jove  I might have found it together with my pastel painting and digital painting and art journal and cooking and my blog.

I don't know what is more fun,   the painting or the tearing and gluing.  All were so relaxing and with music in the background just a pleasant experience for me.  My first project, oh what to do ?  Well, I have a Christmas wall that stays up all year.  So why not something Christmasy for it ?   It is funny about my wall, I also have a corner with Maxine in it that stays up all year also, people will say --Oh you haven't taken your Christmas down yet or you have your Christmas up early.   Nope, it stays up all year.   In it is a wonderful trio of  our grand kids cooking, a little promotion I did in the studio but went to their house to do theirs as a surprise for their mom and dad for Christmas.  We also have a beautiful needlepoint that daughter Vickie did for me, it is perfectly done and I will treasure this forever.  Also is a Christmas card I did of Jewel and Charlie the year before Charlie died, the bigger dog.   We inherited them and brought so much pleasure into our lives.  On the wall is also a photograph of grands holding Christmas lights.  Oh what a beautiful photograph but the story behind it is just also a wonderful treasure of a memory.  Maybe one day, if you want a good smile and warm heart, I will share that  story with you.   So back to my project, what am I going to paint ?   A Christmas ball.  

My Christmas wall, of all of the paintings and walls I have this one certainly has the most memories for me.    Notice the Christmas ball at the top.   The frame is not the perfect one for it but had to get it up on the wall . 

Here is the painted Christmas ball, just had to show you up close also.

The paper, now this was certainly relaxing just painting this.  I didn't have many acrylics when I did this but I do now, thanks to Hobby Lobby. That place is just wonderful and I am always in hog heaven when I go there.   I think Elizabeth has created a painting monster here with me.

There you go a problem solved, what fun this was and even Elizabeth liked it.   I think looks better further off so I have both here.  Now it proudly stays on my wall and I can always remember what fun it was with Cat and Colleen.


Now I have two photography friends that I have know for over 24 years, I know Ginger knows the exact years but me  ?  Some where in the  80's is when I first met she and Alexis.   Ginger was in town and she and Alexis came over for a visit.  They loved my Christmas ball.   They wanted me to show them how I did it, thanks to Elizabeth I could show them.   Well, I had two boards left and after a few seconds of hunting them and a subject they were paper painting also.  We loved the fellowship we had and they got to come back the next day and finish it.  Now they have a painting and we had wonderful memories of doing this together.  So now I have four friends that I got to do this with. I can't think of anything more satisfying than that. 

 

Ginger  and Alexis painting there snowman and I am on the floor looking for some great embellishments for them.  Scrap booking certainly has it advantages.

Alexis and Ginger, reluctant about photos but proudly show their snowmen.   The paintings are alike but different , their personalities show thru in the little snowmen.

Here we are   Alexis, Me and Ginger.  Eldon took the photo and we are proudly holding our art pieces.  Funny kind of reminds me of when you were in grade school proudly showing off your work. Hey, we are just as proud now as we were then.  

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in Annette's world.  This may be the last posting until after Christmas and if so please have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Hummmmm, I may share my Christmas card though.