Summer colors

What started out as a very cool and lengthy spring has now blasted into an inferno of a summer. Summer is my favorite season, but the heat for most of the country is nothing to joke about. Living next to one of the Great Lakes cools the air a little.

My daughter brought me this huge pot of colorful flowers, this is a painting of just one section of this lively mix. I wanted to paint it loose and used a large brush to give it an abstract, impressionistic feel. I don't know if that happened but it was fun to paint.

Yesterday, my daughter took her beloved budgie to the vet. She was 15 years old, her mate died last March. It was very sad to see what old age does to the avian world is not far from what happens to everyone and everything. My daughter was 13 when we got Scully and Mulder, and I feel very differently now about caging beautiful birds. They did have a lot of spunk and I believe a lot more intelligent that they are given credit. Will miss them both.

Serenity

Finally getting back into the swing of things, a lot going on the past two months. Additions and subtractions to the family.

This weeks DPW challenge was to do a painting from a photo taken by a mobile phone. I will post more at another time.

Congratulations, Now What?

This has been quite a Spring. Alone in my thoughts a lot. I took this photo at Presque Isle State Park last night. The weather forecast was wind and waves and I love a good howling storm. It was actually quite beautiful, no storm.

My son graduated last Friday from High School. I did not attend. The reason it would be beyond my emotional control. I have a child with very involved special needs, intellectual and medical. It has been quite a journey. We have worked hard, my son, my family and an amazing variety of people, I consider it an honor to have known. My child is a gift, I have learned more from him than I could ever possibly acknowledge. He is my hero, but one of the best gifts I received from him was meeting the dedicated people that support a child and family with Special Needs. I have met an army of heros, people that are selfless, giving, heartfelt and genuine. None of us will be acquisition wealthy, but wealthy in ways far beyond what I could even imagine. To these people, I will always be grateful, for your support for Kevin and for me, too. In the beginning of the journey, you do not realize how easy it is to become isolated and alone, excluded. It starts simple with no longer receiving invitations to classmates birthday parties, and eventually you fear behaviors will not be accepted in Public situations. Always stressful! A lot of planning.

We had a lot of rough days, years, and we worked hard together and succeeded. My son is a beautiful young man with an amazing potential. Everything I had hoped for...We got there, together.

Due to severe budget cuts in the State of Pennsylvania, he is now retired. Not one to easily give up, my caring army and I are taking a week off and back to work. Thank you Rhonda, Ann, Joy, Kim and Debbie. There is a greater purpose and really good people out there! Every cloud does have a silver lining.

Seeing double challenge

Daily Paintworks Challenge

I chose this scene for the latest Daily Paintworks Challenge.  The task today was to chose a painting and when finished do a zoom in image of a part of that painting, on a smaller canvas.  The first painting was painted on an 8 x 10 canvas board.  It was from a photo I took at the end of summer, 2011.  There is a lovely little boat launch and beach known as Shades Beach, in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania.  My family had a few reunions at this spot, and I love to go there and look for interesting photography opportunities.  This particular day was one of my personal weather favorites, bright, warm, sun and lots of wind.  I love what the sun does to the water color as it peeks in and out of the fast moving clouds.  The wave action was amazing that day, glad I painted an impressionistic version of this challenge, called the Seeing Double Challenge.  I'm calling the upper painting, Shady Winds and the lower one Lake Erie Waves.

New England Abstract

Last Fall I went to Minuteman National Park, I find the place enchanting. History and ghosts, hidey holes and lots of walking. This spot I photographed was a little meadow of color, and did a small abstract. The photo was purple, yellow, white and greens. Loved the color palet.

I don't live in the Boston area, I did awhile ago and this is one of the places I miss.

Watercolor Inspiration for change

Is there a better time of day to take a photograph? Early morning or sunset, the sun works it's atmospheric magic on your photography. A neighbor of mine gave me a couple of iris plants last year. I have quite a few of the Majestic Irises that my sister gave me, but, Pam said these are different, smaller. I had forgotten about them until yesterday. I am drawn to the beauty and delicate nature of flowers. I immediately want to grab my watercolors...Clouds have this impact on me too.... I have always wanted to try painting outdoors, but my neighbor has two terriers, that do no allow a peaceful backyard experience. So I rely on my canon camera. Sigh.

I am working very hard on organizing my homework to accommodate my overwhelming feeling I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do it. I am feeling a pull or force that something needs changed or I am getting eccentric. That might be cool...

If you could wake up in a different place tomorrow, where would your fantasy take you?