Thursday

Maybe you remember the pencil drawing I did of the cowboy some time back (on the left).  I gave him a "makeover" today using charcoal (on the right).  I think it's a big improvement.

The calf roper I am working on in charcoal is progressing.  Today I am working on the rope and his hand.  Hard!  His shirt won't be any easier.

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There have been a lot of free ebooks for the Kindle on Amazon lately.  Someone (?) has been searching the freebies out and posting it to Facebook.  I have downloaded about 15 free books in the last couple of weeks.  Some of the more catchy ones are "Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun", and "Bubba and the Dead Woman".  Wow, can't wait to read those.

But I also got "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and several other good titles.

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I just read in an artist magazine that Leonardo da Vinci was famous for not completing projects.  Way to go Leonardo.  We are kindred spirits.

Wednesday

 This is to show Vicky how we cope when she's not at art group to bring us delicious baked goodies.  I brought cheese and crackers and a can of mixed nuts, and Dorothy brought some trail mix.  So we survived.

Lenore finished her painting of a fire and matted it today.  I think this is a very striking painting, one of her best!

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I worked on the Papago church painting this morning, but didn't accompish a lot.  I have a feeling this is one of those paintings I will still be puttering around with six months from now.

I put the painting back and got my charcoal pencils out when I got home.  Wonder why I've never used charcoal much in the past?  I can't get the details I do with graphite, but I can get nice dark darks so my drawings have contrast and value changes, which I haven't been able to accomplish.



Tuesday

 Last night I heard Barrie coughing downstairs.  I called down, “are you sick?”  She says “yes”.  I say, “Well, knock it off, you’re supposed to be healthy.”  Kasey says, “Oh, let her do what she wants to do, Grandma.”

Before I got my Kindle Reader last year, I had a few new books from Amazon that I hadn't read.  I decided to read a "real" book and give the Kindle a rest.  I am reading the book "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton.

This book was assigned reading when I was still in high school, about a hundred years ago.  I resented being required to read it, and didn't expect to like it.  Instead, I was fascinated by the story.  This is the first time I've read it since then, and it's hard to put the book down.

On the cover, it says this was the first paperback ever published.

Also found the old black and white movie on Amazon, so of course I had to buy it.  Shopping and spending money is just too easy!

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A friend posted this on Facebook.  

In honor of Hostess declaring bankruptcy, this week we're eating a sandwich that is also morally bankrupt: The Twinkie Hot Dog. Turn the Twinkie upside down, slice it like a bun, slide a hot dog in there, and act as if you've done nothing wrong.



Sunday

 I still don't know how to paint sagebrush, but I think I'm a little closer.  I'm tired of working on it.

The wind has come up a little today.  So the little gobs of snow stuck on the branches will soon be gone.  The sun is shining so bright that I am tempted to wear sunglasses in the house.

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Here is my horoscope for today:

Follow any new urges you have to do something unexpected today. Early in the morning, if you feel like doing something other than what you had planned for the day, then do it!

The "Early in the morning" part is what tripped me up.  You see, it was almost 10:00 this morning before I got up (late night reading).  Too late to change my plans, and besides, I didn't have any plans.

Saturday

Beautiful day. We got more snow overnight and it is still snowing. I watched Kasey walk up the front walk this morning, struggling in snow up over her knees and giggling every step of the way.

Barrie left her with me when she went to the dog lot this morning.  She said she might not make it in and out, and didn't want to have to snow shoe out carrying Kasey.

Kasey went with her Mom plowing snow yesterday.  She had a great time, loved plowing snow.

I don't have pine trees any more since the beetles killed them, so I took a picture of my neighbor's pine trees.

The snow is piling up on even the little twigs of the willow outside my window.

 And the branches of the quakies in the yard.

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I'm making a little progress on the pen and ink elk.  Slow going, all those little dots.  Just keep dotting, Duene.

Friday Do over

Started the church all over again.  The first one willl go on the floor of the shower for a good rinse job so I can use the back of it.

This is what I call the "Conley Sky" because he's the one who showed us how to do it.  The paint is thinned down and put in little spray bottles.  You start with wet paper and spray the color on, then you keep tilting the paper in different directions and add more color if needed. 

I used miskit film to cover the white places.  It's kind of a cross between contact paper and plastic wrap.  You press it down, then cut carefully around the edges with an exacto knife to remove where you want the color. 

I always forget about the problem this block of paper has.  In spite of being glued down on all four edges, it wrinkles and buckles when it's very wet.  I guess it will flatten out eventually.

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This is my horoscope:

Force yourself to follow through on the tasks you have at hand. Part of your problem right now might be that you have a lot of half-baked ideas cluttering up your mind -- you need to pick one of them and complete it today!

Does this mean I should quit starting new paintings and drawings, and finish what I've started?  Darn, I hate that!  And I resent the "half-baked" statement.

Thursday

I wonder if the National Weather Service is doing a happy dance today?  I think this is the first time all winter that they have correctly predicted the weather.

More snow and wind is predicted for today.

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I painted the sky in the Arizona church painting, and it is bad.  I'm going to start it all over again.  I think I will use miskit film to cover the church, and use the method Conley showed us for the sky, spraying the paint on (thinned down and in a little spray bottle).

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This is one of the reasons I hate politics.  Anyone else think journalists (and TV) should just be put out on the ice?

"Newt Gingrich lacks the moral character to serve as President, his second ex-wife Marianne told ABC News, saying his campaign positions on the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family values do not square with what she saw during their 18 years of marriage." 

How ridiculous is that?  Putting a bitter old ex-wife on national TV to bash the guy?  I think no  matter what his positions, I would vote for him, just because of this.

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I'll leave on a cheerier note.  Here is Pinedale's own John Perry, speaking at an anti SOPA rally, wearing his "Grateful Dead" scarf.

Wednesday Snow

So beautiful outside!  It's snowed about 3 inches, and looks like it is going to keep it up.  I haven't even seen Barrie yet today, but I bet she's busy plowing snow.

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Chloe is in the house.  She heard me in the kitchen, and yowled from the front porch to be let in.  I would take a picture of her, but I can't get her unwound from my ankles.  And she is making me sneeze.

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Vicky baked a pineapple upside down cake for my birthday, and brought it to art group this morning. Still warm from the oven, and yummy.  Thank you, Vicky.  You are a special friend.

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I went to Ridley's today.  Is that twice in one month?  Wow!  Anyway, I saw the same girl again who sacked my groceries and insisted on taking them out for me.  What a nice treat.  I looked at her name tag but already forgot it.  Most of Ridley's employees aren't friendly, but she sure is.  Had to tell me about her husband who was home for the day, so he was in charge of the house and didn't know how to cook pasta. 





Tuesday

This is a small 6" x8" watercolor I thought I would whip out today.  But I am stuck. It wasn't supposed to be a winter scene, but at this point, to me, it looks like that should be snow on the ground .

 

I'm no doubt biting off more than I can chew, but I am starting this watercolor tomorrow.  Have the image transferred to the paper and some miskit applied. 

This is the church in Sil Nakya, Arizona, a little village on the Papago reservation.  I lived near there.  Some friends and I drove across the desert, sometimes through dry river beds, and found this place.  Looked like only three or four families lived there. 

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I have heat!  Finally!  I've unplugged the electric heater and hope I can pay the power bill this month!

I believe Roger said last month it was probably the thermo coupler.  Give that man a cigar!  That's exactly what it was. 

Monday

I've decided I need to have at least one birthday a week.  Thank you for my song, Kasey!  Love you!

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When I was teaching, this was one of my favorite things to ask kindergartners, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Little boys usually wanted to be a fireman, or a policeman, and a lot of them wanted to be what their fathers were.  One little boy wanted to be an emperor.  I wonder where he is today?

And of course a favorite of little girls was to be a ballerina, or a mommy.  One little girl said she wanted to be me, and one said she wanted to be a ribbon.  I think she did grow up to be a ribbon.

Tracy called me yesterday, but I wasn't by the phone.  Sister-in-law Alice called.  I think they were right on the border between Nevada and Arizona, and she was having a hard time keeping her time straight.  Arizona doesn't have daylight savings time.  She was getting ready to go to a casino where she was one of the finalists in a slot machine tournement. ?????

And later yesterday afternoon, Leslie (stepdaughter) called.  Nice day!