LIFE HAPPENS...

OK. ITS NOT BEEN SINCE CHRISTMAS THAT I UPDATED THIS BLOG...HAS IT???

WELL LIFE HAPPENS...LIKE................

MOM WILL BE 99 THIS MONTH...I THINK THIS PICTURE IS ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO..
YES..SHE GETS PRETTIED UP EVERY MORNING..EVEN THO SHE HAS NO IDEA
WHO...IS DOING THE HAIRBRUSHING ETC...BUT SHE ALWAYS SAYS ' THANK YOU..

WE HEARD OF THIS PLACE..CALLED..FLAPJACKS..AND SINCE..WE HAVE A ' FLAPJACK'....EXCEPT HE DOESN'T COOK..HE JUST BARKS..HA...SO WE TOOK HIM UP THERE TO MEET THE OTHER 'FLAPJACK'   THE OWNER AND WAITRESS GOT A KICK OUT OF ALL THIS!!!

THEN I DABBLED IN ENCAUSTICS AGAIN. LOVE THIS MEDIUM. ITS EXPENSIVE SO YOU NEED TO BE SURE WHAT YOU WANT TO  CREATE.  BUT USUALLY I USE A SURFACE BOARD..BUT TRIED THE MEDIUM ON METAL.  TOOK AN OLD CANDLESTICK..THIS IS THE TOP OF THE STICK...DONT' YOU LOVE THOSE COLORS!!!!!

SO GUESS I WILL TRY MORE METAL!  I NEED TO JUST LOOK ROUND THE HOUSE!

I READ WHERE THEY ARE PUTTING EAR PHONES ON THOSE WITH DEMENTIA..THE MUSIC CALMS THEM..SO..HERE WE ARE..MOM WITH EARPHONES.  SHE DOES LOOK VERY CONTENT..EXCEPT WHEN I SAID..' MOM DO YOU LIKE THE MUSIC?"  SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID ' WHAT MUSIC"!!

GOT AWAY FOR A WEEK AND WENT BACK TO VENTURA CALIFORNIA.  OUR TIMESHARE IS NEAR THE MARINA..VERY RELAXING.  SO WHEN MY FRIENDS ASK..WHAT DID YOU DO FOR 5 DAYS..I SHOW THEM THIS PICTURE..IT SAYS IT ALL!

I THINK THE BOOK IS ' 7TH STORY MOUNTAIN' BY TOMAS MERTON..EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT....

 DAN SENT ME A BIG BOX FOR MOTHERS DAY..OPENING IT..WOW...JUST WHAT I LOVE..
OLD OLD STUFF..HE FOUND MOST BY THE CREEK...AND THESE TWIGS..WELL THEY GAVE..GIVE..ME SO MANY IDEAS..I ASKED HIM FOR MORE.  CAN YOU PICTURE THESE ON A CANVAS..PAINTED IN A SO MANY COLORS....WELL LETS SEE WHAT I DO WITH THEM.....COMING UP...

HERE IS THE OLD STUDIO..ACTUALLY YOU CAN'T SEE ALL OF IT..THERE IS ANOTHER TABLE..A LOW 75 INCH DRESSER AND OTHER 'STUFF'.  DECIDED TO FINALLY GIVE ME A ' CHAIR'...A ART-CAVE...SO...I BIT THE BULLET..EVERYTHING HAD TO COME OUT..ALL THOSE SHELVES..AND OTHER SHELVES ON OTHER WALLS...EVERY TABLE..EVERYTHING!!!!!!!  REPAINTED THE ROOM..AND SET UP THE STUDIO IN THE GARAGE SINCE WE AIR CONDITIONED THE GARAGE I COULD NOW AFFORD TO USE IT!!  WELL ONE SINGLE CAR ANYWAY...WILL SHOW YOU THE 

"TREEHOUSE'  WHICH I CALL MY NEW STUDIO IN THIS SAME ROOM...JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT..NO...MUCH MUCH DIFFERENT!!!  I HAVE MY CHAIR.  I WILL SHOW YOU THE NEW STUDIOS..GARAGE AND INDOOR LATER...ALL I CAN SAY IS NOW I CAN SIT...READ SOME OF MY ART BOOKS..MAKE NOTES..TRY TECHNIQUES ON A SMALL TABLE...AND DESIGN..RATHER THEN JUST CREATE.  LOVE IT!!!

AND WHAT IS THIS?  WELL WE WENT TO SAN DIEGO AND HAD PLANNED TO PUT ABBY AT THE VET..THEN I FOUND OUT SHE WOUDL BE IN A CAGE FOR 7 DAYS..SO DANNY..SAVED HER...ON HIS WAY TO SANDIEGO FROM SANTE FE..HE PUT HER IN THE CAR!!!!  NOW...SHE REALLY DID LOVE HER NEW HOME...CAN YOU FIND HER???????  OF COURSE SHE CAME BACK 5 DAYS LATER IN THE CAR WITH JOHN..FLAPJACK AND MYSELF.  SHE IS ACTUALLY A
GOOD PASSENGER!!

SO UNTIL NEXT TIME. THIS TIME I AM USING MY NEW POWER BOOK AND DID NOT HAVE ALL MY PICTURES DOWNLOADED..SO NEXT TIME WILL SHOW YOU SOME OF MY NEW WORK.   I AM HAPPY WITH IT..AT LEAST I AM HAPPY I AM TRYING NEW TECHNIQUES..I KEEP SAYING MY NEXT WILL BE MY BEST.....NEXT....
AND PROMISE IT WON'T BE 6 MONTHS...
WHOOPS..FORGOT TO ADD MY LATEST FROM MY ARTUNRAVELED CLASS..ACTUALLY I THINK I DID BETTER INT HE METAL/MEDIA..BUT DIDN'T TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT.  ANYWAY..THIS WAS THE TREE CLASS..AND I AM HOPING TO USE SOME OF THESE NEW TECHNIQUES WHEN WORKING WITH THE TWIGS DAN GAVE ME..I THINK THERE IS A WAY TO MIX BOTH...WILL SEE..

THANKS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!   STARTED THE NEW YEAR OUT WITH FIXING SOME OLD!

THE BIRD AS IT WAS BEFORE...WELL IT JUST DIDN'T WORK..SO I TORE IT OFF THE CANVAS..AND REPLACED IT ON ANOTHER.THIS TIME WITH A 'SKY' BACKGROUND AND SINCE ITS CALLED ' BIRD WITHIN MY HEART'..I NEED TO PUT IT ' WITHIN'..SO CAME UP WITH IDEA OF CUTTING APIECE OF PLEXIGLASS IN SHAPE OF A HEART..AND ATTACHING IT ( THE PLEXIGLASS) 3 INCHES ABOVE THE BIRD USING A SCREW THAT I EMBELLISHED..SO YOUR LOOKING THRU A PLEXIGLASS HEART...TO THE BIRD...ITS GORGEOUS AND NOW...ALL I WANT TO DO IS FIND MORE IDEAS FOR USING PLEXIGLASS...SO I CREATED 2 BOXES WITH PLEXIGLASS TOPS..NONE OF WHICH I HAVE DOWNLOADED PICTURES OF...(DAH)..SO WILL SHOW NEXT TIME..INFACT..THE PICTURE WITH THE PLEXIGLASS HEART OVER THIS BIRD...HAS YET TO BE DOWNLOADED..I JUST THOUGHT I BETTER DO THIS BLOG WHILE I HAVE TIME SINCE ITS BEEN MONTHS SINCE MY LAST UPDATE!

 AND I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED ENCAUSTICS.  WAX.  LOVE BLENDING THE COLORS BUT TOOK THE PALLET AND WAX OUT OF THE STUDIO BECAUSE IT TOOK UP SO MUCH ROOM..AND THE WAX WAS SO EXPENSIVE..BUT THEN IN NOVEMBER I VISITED A STUDIO OF A PROFESSIONAL ENCAUSTIC ARTIST AND SHE SHOWED ME HOW TO MAKE WAX ALOT CHEAPER...MIXING OIL PAINTS WITH BEESWAX.  SO FOR SURE 2014 IS GOING TO BE THE YEAR OF ENCAUSTICS!

BUT.  I REALLY ENJOY CREATING THE BOXES FROM CARDBOARD, PLASTER AND JOINT COMPOUND..HERE IS MY BLUE BIRD BOX..( TOP)...I AM SO PROUD OF MY BLUE BIRD..I HAVE YET TO TRY THIS AGAIN!  WHAT A POOR SPORT I AM..I JUST NOT PREPARED FOR THE NEXT TRY TO COME OUT AS GOOD..BUT THIS BOX IS REALLY PRETTY...WAITING FOR A HOME!  MY OTHER BOX I DROPPED OFF AT AN AA MEETING...AUCTION FOR COFFEE MONIES I SAID!!!

 DURING ALL THIS..MOM LOVES HER HAT!  ITS BEEN VERY WARM THIS YEAR AN MOM GOES FOR LOTS OF WALKS.  TROUBLE IS WHEN SHE COMES INSIDE..SHE WON'T GIVE UP THE HAT!  SHE STILL..HAS A MIND OF HER OWN!

 WHO'S UP ON THE LADDER? NOT ME!!!  ITS DANNY. THANKS DANNY!
POOR GUY COMES HOME FOR THANKSGIVING ( SURPRISING ME) AND ENDS UP
PUTTING UP CHRISTMAS DECORATIOINS.  ONE MORE REASON I GUESS HE STAYS SINGLE AND VISITS FOR CHRISTMAS RATHER THEN STAY HOME AND DECORATE.

 MOMS HEARING IS SO BAD.  I WANTED HER TO HEAR SOME CHRISTMAS MUSIC
SO I PUT ON THESE EARPHONES.  IT LOOKS LIKE SHE IS REALLY ENJOYING THE
MUSIC..UNTIL I ASKED HER ' DO YOU WANT TO LISTEN MORE OR SHOULD I TAKE
THEM OFF'?  SHE SAYS ' LISTEN TO WHAT???????????????

 CHRISTMAS EVE..MOM STILL UP UNTIL AFTER 10PM!!!  IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE
SHE IS AWAKE..BUT SHE IS..DRESSED IN HER RED CHRISTMAS APRON FROM KIRSTIE...A FORMER CAREGIVER AND MY HAIRDRESSER'S DAUGHTER.

 MY NEXT BOX.  THIS GUY IS SOMETHING ELSE.  I GET THE BEST EMBELLISHMENTS FROM MY FRIEND WANDA..AND IT JUST INSPIRES ME TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM...SO I GUESS WE HAVE A THEME HERE SOMEWHERE..YOU WILL SEE....

 OH MY GOSH..LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!!   JOHN..LOOK!!!  WENT TO MERCHANT
SQUARE FOR THEIR ANTIQUE SALE..AND THERE HE WAS!!  HE SAID ' JUDY PICK ME UP AND TAKE ME HOME"!!!  I SAID.." WELL I THINK MY BROTHER KENNY..WHO LOVES SNOOPY ALSO..WILL FOR SURE WANT YOU..WILL MAKE A GOOD BIRTHDAY PRESENT'...........HOWEVER...HE FITS SO WELL..AND IS ENJOYING SITTING IN MY
STUDIO..SO WE HAVE UNTIL MARCH TO SEE WHO WILL HAVE SNOOPY!!!!

 ONE OF MY ENCAUSTIC VENTURES!  I JUST LOVE MIXING THIS WAX UP..
BUT THIS IS WHY I PLAN TO DO MORE WHEN I START MAKING MY OWN
WAX...THIS PIECE TOOK ABOUT 3 BARS OF WAX AT ABOUT 17.00 EACH.
LUCKILY I USE COUPONS!!....WELL UNTIL NEXT TIME...I WILL HAVE MORE OF MY PLASTER BOXES..AND MORE ART..AND MORE ENCAUSTIC..SINCE I HAVE BEEN IN THE STUDIO MORE IN 2014 THEN LAST 3 MONTHS...I MADE A PLACE FOR MOMS WHEEL CHAIR TO FIT SO SHE CAN SEE ME..RATHER THEN MY BACK TO HER..AND IT IS WORKING GREAT!!!!    CHEERS