Random thoughts

I entered the contest at Laketrees for a portrait, and Kim posted my photo. So now I need votes!!! Go to this site and scroll down and there I am with Mom. Yay - Vote for Mim!! I promise to put soda in all the water fountains (isn't that what they said in grammer school when running for school office?)

Thanks for all the comments on the onions/strawberries/beets especially about the color combinations. I have an interesting theory about my relationship to color. When I was a kid I had bad eyesight and didn't get glasses until I was 10 or 11. Since I couldn't see far, I spent my days with my "nose buried in a book". So I can tell you the subtleties of page colors, printing ink, thickness of paper, smell of a new or old book. What I can't tell you is the subtlety of colors in a tree - I saw them as brown trunks and green blobs. Switchsky has a idea of pressing your nose against a tree and just staring until you can see the colors. As I mentioned to her, I have literally done this - and mostly can just see grey or brown altho' other colors are starting to seep thru. I believe that in my early days my eye's couldn't see color and therefore my brain did not get wired to see shade and subtleties of color - and I didn't spend enough time looking at reproductions of paintings, maybe that would have helped. I do believe that one's brain can be rewired, but also believe that there are certain wirings that can never be fixed, the cells have died or atrophied from lack of use. Oliver Sacks says quite a bit on this subject which I find fascinating. So this is why I try to take such a scientific approach to color and try to understand what mixes with what and how to enhance colors by using other colors that frankly, make no sense to me. Recently I wanted to draw a picture of a little Santa statue that I have. I placed the little statue in front of me and couldn't even start - he has a while beard? How do you draw a white beard? What colors do you use? Well, I just stopped and did onions instead - working with my instructional book. Red onions - OK ; white beard - not so OK. Anyway, the gist of it all is that I am learning in my own way how to use color, it's alot of fun, and I'm not showing you all the failures!!! One technique that I have learned to use is to scan in a picture, go into photoshop and highlight an area and have the color identified. It's always a surprise! What - that's green? I thought it was blue...and on and on.

I spent yesterday afternoon and night cleaning up the basement after the painting was finished and I am only about 1/2 way done. The painter still has a few spots to finish but he completed my room in a fairly nice color. We need to put up something on the ceiling to hide the insulation and then it will be done. So I started cleaning and putting things away, what a task! I have started two big piles, one for trash and one for the Goodwill. LOTS going to Goodwill. When I was in my box making decoupage stage, I bought lots of cigar boxes on ebay. I still have about a dozen. Anyone want a cigar box? I have wooden ones, the paper covered ones, small ones and big ones. Email me or comment here and I'll send you one or more. I promise, in front of all the online gods and people, that I WILL NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER ARTY THING until I can work my way thru these piles. The problem is that I didn't (and still don't) know which medium totally suits me so I try them all. I went from decoupage, to painted boxes to drawing and painting and everything in between. It's been a roller coaster ride, and I've enjoyed it so much, but it is time to settle down with something...now if I could just figure out what that should be??? I also don't know what things do what - so I try them all. Gel medium? what the heck, try all different kinds for all different things. Adhesives? I must have a million. Oh well, I try to be philosophical - someone will benefit from my excesses and I've learned alot. Of course the other problem is that I can't throw anything out. So up on the wall is the photo-turned-oil painting picture of my great grandma in her mink stole. I never even knew her but my mom was crazy about her. I always loved her because of mom and spoke fondly of Grandma Tilly. But just this year I found out that "wonderful" Grandma Tilly dis-inherited my mother when she married Italian Catholic Dad and "died before she could change her will". I think that's a load of crap - my folks were married for 4 years before I was born. Supposedly after I was born the old goat changed her tune and was going to change her will. Oh well, Mom still loved her, so there is her portrait in my basement looking down from the wall. I actually enjoy the painting and dare not get rid of it - the rest of the family knows that I have it.

There's also alot of stuff in this room that doesn't need to be there - what is that big plywood slab doing down here? Neither of us remember, but of course - we can't get rid of this! But there is also stuff for future projects. See that round wooden table top? That's going to be a decorated coffee table, complete with decoupage plates and forks and knives and interesting decorated paints. Just you wait (and wait...and wait)

When I think of all the things that I do in this room, it really isn't so bad. I paint, and craft, and draw and sew. All of our important papers are stored here in plastic bins - like 2004 tax returns. All of Tony's old art materials, old sofa and chair. It will be nice when it's done and I've purged all the stuff I don't need. I still do need a sewing table and am looking for one of those ones that fold up into a nice little space when not being used.

At least I still have my sense of humor! That counts for alot I think.

Have a happy weekend! We're expecting another storm so today will be Christmas shopping and tomorrow - MORE CLEANING~~~!!!