Busy Hands Happy Heart

Memorial Day is more than a day for Picnics, Bar-B-Q’s and Hot Sales. I give thanks to each brave men and women who has given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy.
Busy Busy. I have been so busy. As I said before I am artist of the month of May Yeps it’s June.>
I filled my car with my paintings 40 or so. I took everything off the wall, out of the garage and under the bed, and we hung them on Friday with help from my student Paul- yea. My students really gave me what for not having 3 of the paintings framed, so on Saturday I climbed a ladder into the attic to look for frames. Man It was hot. and Remember I just had two knees replaced aah. The show is beautiful even if I do say so myself. The students were very happy to see what I really can do.



A friend gave me 15 real amethyst beads that her husband brought home from Brazil. I already had a stretchy bracelet of Austrian crystals that was too tight, so I cut it and used the Austrian crystals that had little wire catches as my in-betweens. I strung them on a sliver chain. Whoa not so easy there. I had to cut the end off the chain. Since the chain was a little too short I took another length of silver chain that had been a shoulder duster earring and soldered it to the chain and made a closure whalla a lovely necklace.

I have been painting on the patio for about two months but me thinks that has come to an abrupt end as the Texas weather has turned really hot. It is almost 90 before noon and with the 70% humidity it get very uncomfortable quickly.
I am painting a beach scene of three of my nieces when they were 1, 2, and 3 years old.
Be Blessed

Art In Many Ways

Here it is the latter part of May and I am continuing to teach creativity in my senior’s art class.

This week we went into understanding the color wheel. I had been painting for 20 years before I even began to understand the color wheel. We started with the color schemes as in analogues, complementary and so, and then we began to understand how to make a painting pop. When teaching the color wheel, I used the Johannes Itten's color star. I made templates of each color scheme.

Since the painting class has been a ZOO for the last few weeks, what with the annual show and then the reception, I have not scheduled a featured artist for the month of June. So I am taking the spot. I am only going to frame one extra piece. I already have so many ready to show that are under the bed and hanging in the garage.

I want to hang "JAZZ BABY". I was invited to paint something for the Jazz Festival in 2005 and "JAZZ BABY" is what I came up with. I really like it. Tell me what you think, or am I speaking to the wind?
I have been conducting private color lessons on my patio as well. I cannot continue this for long because the weather will soon be too hot. We are in Texas, after all. I am eager to start with my glass fusing. I want to make some jewelry pieces. I like to make the jewelry for fun and then sell it to raise monies for the FOOD BANK.
Be Blessed

Seniors Art Show

Oh My, Oh My, Oh My, What a week!

Last Friday my class brought in their works of art for our annual Art Show and Sale. I am so impressed with their level of talent. We had 24 participating artist,with 61 works. There were works in watercolors, oils, acrylics as oil and acrylic as watercolor, pencil, pastels, mono printing, collage, and photography. I am also impressed in their lever of congeniality towards each other.

I had a superb judge. She has a Master Degree in Art History, and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary education. She has 15 years of teaching background Art History and Art Appreciation. She is a master quilter and a very talented jewelry designer. And she is my daughter, Emanda Johnson.

She was a very tough but fair judge. She would not let me put up the labels for the paintings or say a word, until she was finished with the judging, so she did not know who did any of the works. (Not like I have done in years passed.) We will have a lovely reception and awards ceremony tomorrow, if the past is any indication, with ribbons and certificates and prizes. The prizes were generously donated as we have no money.

Be Blessed, as we are.