KEY WEST ART

Okay I leave in one more day - long day here at the dealership - long week actually. Saturday will be day one - hanging out with my Lauderdale brother Dean! We'll have fun. Then Sunday morning the sunny drive down to Key West. At 6pm I will be attending a reception for all the students to meet and listen to Sandford Birdsley get us started!!! This is going to be such an experience!
On the home front - just to let you know - Mark did jump successfully and he is HOOKED on flying through the air. So, come spring time he will be learning to go solo.
I know I will be learning alot over the next week and will be hopefully posting some of my work and certainly that of the teacher!
Excited!
Dana

PERFECT DAY

With only Sunday's off, one's like yesterday are treasured. I slept until 8am ( which is really late for me), it was so nice. Got up sat with Sophie and drank a couple cups of coffee. Sophie and I then mozied up to the artroom - and got started in a calm way. Usually I am pressed for time and trying to put together a project in panic mode. Yesterday I worked into my project and pieced it together. My brother, Dan, has poor health and I have been supposed to paint his angel for him since - I don't know - March maybe. My mom asked me to get on it because he hasn't been doing well lately. I wanted to take my time and do it right - finally. I had the vision in my head (as I always do) and started to put it on paper. Dan is very religious so I decided to have a faded picture of Jesus Christ included ( that didn't come out as well as planned) but Dan will appreciate it, I'm sure. For the most part, I'm really happy with the finished piece and am sending it out to him today! I didn't really leave the house until late in the afternoon. The sun was shining and all the colors were bright and crisp. Mark and I finished it off grilling chicken and he made the best potatoes ever - salad - glass of wine - what could be better! PERFECT DAY!

QUEST

13 more days until I leave for en plein air - Key West. My "QUEST". I'm now calling it that instead of my dream trip - because... I wrote of my gift from Jackie, a collage by Edee Joppich! This picture does not do it justice, I'm still trying to figure out the photo - computer thing. Anyways - each day I look into this collage and see so much more than the day before. I am looking at the layers and pulling out new information and inspiration for my "quest" into art.

Grateful to have experienced these two women!

Dana

Pam Carriker's art

Wow, visit thebagladysart.blogspot.com
Check out her awesome work and enter to have a chance at WINNING one of her pieces
I love this!

a crossing of paths

16 more days until I leave on my artisitc journey - so many thoughts running through my head. I received a beautiful gift of a collage entitled, "Quest". So fitting as I start this new path. To have even more impact this particular collage was done by Edee Joppich, watercolorist extraordinare! About 18 years ago I attended her classes in Livonia - last year while selling cars I met a women, Jackie, that has become a close friend - went to her home and recognized some of Edee's paintings on her walls. It turns out they are close friends and have been for years. Very small world. Jackie was at Edee's gallery this summer and brought me back this wonderful piece of inspiration. Thank you just doesn't seem to cover the appreciation of this special gift.

my entry

Well, I am one of the entrants that doesn't know how to photograph my art! This is a wall mirror or a stand alone counter top mirror. It makes me feel whimsical. In using Gail's prompt photo - the two girls - I kept my granddaughters in mind and some of their past halloween costumes - butterflies and fairies - they were so cute and beautiful. I did watercolor wash on top of Gesso, painted my fairies and embellished with decorative paper and glitter. I also added stickers using the dragonflies and butterflies. It was really fun - I wish the mirror had shown better in the photo I submitted.

I have learned something new with each of the projects Gail has announced and will continue to participate and improve. I thank her for the inspiration and education.

Dana

Mide Wide Open Contest Entry

I wish I knew how to do the photos better for my art - this is the entry using the Mide Wide Open photo and word prompt "all dressed up". Hope you like it and will log in to vote for my mirror! go to http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/ or find it thru Shabby Cottage Studios.

It was fun to create - and a challenge with all the hours I work it is hard to find time to create with the time frame given - makes me get going.

25 days until Key West!!!!

Dana

MARK'S BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE

OMG, well for Mark's 59th b-day I decided on a surprise adventure. Skydiving! He has mentioned that he wanted to do it - not me, afraid of heights. So I'm taking my dream trip this year (27 days to be exact) and it would be awesome for him to have one of his dream adventures. So, I don't tell him. I take Saturday off work, tell him we need to leave early and dress comfortable - also take some extra clothes - winter running gear would be good. It was only 36 degrees out when we left the house yesterday morning. We had a 2 hour drive to Fremont, MI. About 30 miles to go I had him open his b-day card that announced the surprise. He was thrilled, smiles from ear to ear. We get to the Fremont airport, in the middle of nowhere - just a couple of hanger buildings and wind socks - yikes. We walk in and a group of people are hanging out just waiting to jump. A couple dogs are part of the operation and everyone is low key. The class begins and it all seems relatively simple to do a tandem jump. So Mark gets ready with the help of Tony is parachute jump together guy. Seems really cool, they are going to do a double roll out jump instead of a plain jump out and arch! Okay, Mark is excited and off they go onto this tiny 1957 plane (as old as me plane). Four jumpers pile in - Mark first - two solo jumpers and Tony - Mark's tandem. Off they go into the beautiful blue sky. About 15 minutes into is trip they hear a huge bang and the cockpit fills with smoke. The pilot is yelling "get out" so the solo jumpers bail. Mark and Tony kicked the door open and away the two flew. Since the door opened the smoke cleared and Tony is trying to get Mark hooked up (he is the only one in the plane without a parachute!) Tony gets the top hooked and Mark is at the door feet on the jump pad and asking Tony, "Am I hooked up?" Tony replies, "GOOD ENOUGH." Mark is like slow down here - and at that time the pilot says I think we can make it back - and they are really to low to jump unless really necessary. Mark and Tony back into the cockpit and Dennis (the Pilot- a good one I might add!!!!!) Limps the plane back to the airport and lands with a no good engine - the plane had blown a rod right through the casing! There was alot of action on the ground as I sat there - "Somethings wrong, there is a fire on the plane. Okay I see them - He can make it, if anyone can land that plane it is Dennis." People running out onto the runway as this tiny plane lands - they had tiny little fire extinguishers, not like any rescue vehicles at this airport. I remained relatively calm, thinking that Mark was the better of the two of to be going thru this - he'd be calm and I'd be crying. As soon as the plane stopped everyone leaped out - the pilot wasn't sure if really a fire or what - get away from the plane. Once surveyed they discovered it was the engine had blown up. No more flights yesterday, so believe it or not, Mark has rescheduled for the 19th - the day after our 9th anniversary! Wow. I wanted him to have some excitement but this was alittle much! Thank God everyone is okay and laughing - I think that is because everyone is so nervous about what a close call this really was. Mark is the man of my dreams and I want to keep him!

Dana

OCTOBER

So many things running thru my head this morning:

1. 31 days until I leave on my dream trip! Painting en plein air in Key West. I have to get a couple more paint brushes and supplies that I need to ship down to my brother Dean's in Ft. Lauderdale. Don't want to risk loosing my luggage. I also have started a surprise project for him that I need to get DONE before I go...
2. So many birthdays this month: Today my friend Amy, tomorrow my husband's ( I have a huge surprise adventure planned for Saturday that I can't mention just in case in checks in on my blog) and Patti's, the 3rd Michele's, the 5th Bonnie's, the 8th Bobbie's, the 22nd my brother Dales, the 30 Nancy's - and I probably missed a couple, need to check my calendar!
3. Need to have a good month in car sales! So need to get my newsletter out this weekend.
4. Need to build my Mary Kay business so that I can work less hours at the dealership and spend more time in my artroom!!!
5. This seems to far down on the list, but like I said lots running thru the head this morning. The MIND WIDE OPEN contest starts today - can't wait to see it and get started!

Dana