Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day here today. We might even go for a nice bike ride later.

I was busy the past few days working on a new painting titled "Four Friends." I finished it up yesterday morning and thought I would share it with you. Each chair belongs to one of four of my dearest friends.

This was a fun painting to do and I really want to do a few more of these types of paintings. I love the ocean and its character changes with the weather. I want to show these different characters in future paintings.

Have a blessed day all!

Good Monday morning to you!

I had some curious on-lookers this morning as I was packing my art supplies and camera in the car. With each snap of the camera the little brown calf in front would jump and prepared herself to take flight if need be. So cute!

Well I'm heading out for the day, I'll be traveling around throughout the day to take some photos. Hopefully I find lots of interesting subject matter.

Enjoy your day!

Afternoon blog friends!

Its rainy here in Western PA again today. :(  I'm getting pretty tired of it. It seems like our biking riding this summer has been slim pickins'.

I entered one of my paintings in our local Farm Show today along with a set of my snowmen greeting cards and a photograph. My hubby also entered one of the wooden games he's made. We'll see if we win any prizes. I'll let you know in a few days.

Teaching another drawing class tomorrow, which is really a lot of fun for me. Kids learn fairly easy and have great imaginations. After I'm through there I am going out to some outlying areas to take some pictures provided its not raining. Hopefully I'll find some interesting subject matter.

A small group of Bible study friends and I formed a book club last summer and have been enjoying it a great deal. I've read some fantastic books. I just received a new book titled "Persecuted" and can't wait to dive in. I've heard it's a page turner and Iwon't be able to put it down—I love those types of books! The more suspense the better. I'll let you know what I think as soon as I'm finished. The book is based on the movie that opened in theaters on July 28th. If anyone gets to see the movie I want to hear your opinion!

Well have a wonderful week!

Good morning, well maybe. I burnt my fingers this morning reaching into our toaster oven to retrieve my toast. I reached in to high and my fingers touched the hot element . . . man instant pain. I put some burn gel on it but it didn't do much to relieve the the pain. I know eventually throughout the day it will subside but for now they are soaking in ice water. I will be back to finish this blog later on.

Well the pain has subsided enough so that I can type with more than two fingers. So here I go! The subject I want to talk about today is "Zentangle." A few of months ago a friend asked me if I had ever heard of Zentangle and my reply was no and I asked what it was. She said it was a type of drawing technique. Not knowing anything about this as an artist peeked my interest and I went into search mode. I found a book on Zentangle and discovered I knew all about it, more than I realized. The name of course has changed, it was what I knew growing up as a form of intricate purposeful doodling. Actually there was a famous graphic designer, M. C. Escher (1898-1972), who really developed this type of drawing. You can see his work on his official Website. I've included the link below. M.C. Escher is one of my favorite artists, his techniques were amazing but very time consuming. I would recommend that you take a look at his work at http://www.mcescher.com/ His work was phenomenal!

Now, for the book I picked up. It is titled "Joy of Zentangle" featuring three different artists. However, I recognized the technique right a way and knew I had seen the basics of it before in M.C. Escher's work. What disappointed me was the statement I read on page 9 (second paragraph). It states that Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas are the creators of Zentangle. I disagree! M. C. Escher developed this technique long before they arrived on the scene. Granted they have created their own designs, some even resemble Escher's, but not the technique, and if you check out Escher's Website the evidence of truth is overwhelming.

Let me know what you thoughts are on this, I'm curious to find out what you think!

Its been a long jump from April till now and my apologies for not keeping up with my blog. I have been pretty busy getting some paintings long over due finished, and I am nearing the finish line. I have one left and I am waiting for a photo from a friend so I can complete it and get it mounted, framed and off in the mail to her. There you have it.

I have a couple of personal paintings I am also working on. One is a set of colorful beach chairs, each  representing a close friend. The other is a white bengal tiger and I have a few other animals in the works too. I am excited to have the extra time to put into painting this summer, to get a little ahead.

As you know my husband and I will be retiring in a couple of years and we are preparing for that as well as planning our next adventure, an art gallery. We want to not only feature our work but works of other local artists in the area we are relocating too. We want to keep the cost down so the artist isn't overwhelmed and has an opportunity to show their work and not be soaked financially to do it. Hopefully we will be making our final destination decision within the next few months. We have narrowed it down to four places, Elkin, NC; Wilmington, NC; Beaufont, NC; or Stuart, VA. We will let you know.

I have some baby news also, the eastern bluebirds are finally bring their babies to the mealworm feeder. One family has three little ones and the other just one, at least that's what we've seen so far. I'll keep you posted. They sure are adorable!

Our little wren is back this year too, and finally found a mate after much singing on our clothesline pole. Yesterday while watching them I saw that the male has something stuck to his beak. He worked and worked trying to get it off. It looked to me like it was a small piece of white paper. He stubbled for about 40 minutes before finally getting off. Poor thing. I wanted to help him but every time I approached the clothesline he flew off. I figured he would eventually work it off on his own and did.

Okay all have a wonderful new week, enjoy this beautiful summer weather and I will be talking to you next week.

Blessings
Sam

I have been pretty busy finishing up some well overdue paintings that I had to put aside to work on other projects. I don't like putting this off but sometimes it can't be helped. So for those of you out there that I promised gifts too, please hang in there they will be coming before summer's end. Please accept my sincere apologies, I'm working on doing better.

We are gearing up for our retirement in a little over a year and half. I have a lot of downsizing to do and sorting out of the many items we've accumulated over the years (this will be no easy task). Some of our plans include moving to a little warmer area, opening up an art gallery to include artists in the community we move to, as well as my own work and some of my hubby's beautiful hand made furniture. We are really excited about this and plan on having fun doing it. My ideal building choices would be an old abandoned school house or church, maybe an empty old store front. Something along those lines would lend an outstanding atmosphere to art. I would also like to incorporate a comfortable sitting area where visitors and friends can relax, enjoy a great cup of coffee or tea, read a little or just chat away the time.

Area choices we are looking at are Wilmington, New Bern and a few other coastal towns of North Carolina, Greenville South Carolina, and some areas of Virginia. Nothing has really caught my fancy yet.

I'm sad today. A dear friend who my hubby and I have come know and love, has been a part of our Bible study group for close to two years, became seriously ill and now taken a turn down hill. We have been praying for him for heeling, wether that heeling is growing well out of it or heeling by going home to be with the Lord. We don't know which that will be, only God knows. But I have come to learn that the Lord heels in three ways: all at once through miraculous heeling, a heeling through whatever medical process is used, or heeling by bringing the person home to be with Him. Whatever God's will is for our brother and friend I will praise Him because I know the suffering will be gone either way. It is so hard to let go of someone you love and care for but our treasured memories of them over time heel the wounds in our hearts.

Death is inevitable for all of us, but the hearts we touch along our journey home also touches ours, leaving a priceless gift that lasts a lifetime.

Please cherish the love ones and friends you have today for they may be gone tomorrow, the time you give away can never be retrieved.

I leave you with this Scripture: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Blessings to you my dear friends