Birthday

October 4 was my birthday. I am now 72 years old. Or should I say "young'? I had such a busy year with several workshops plus a little traveling so I say that I have been too busy to grow old or to busy to know that I am growing older. I have only one more workshop scheduled this year. That will be a watercolor workshop. The next workshop is not until next March which is a porcelain painting workshop.
I have not been to a movie in a long, long time. We moved here in 1984 and it was long before that the last time I went to see a movie. That is not to say that I don't watch movies. I watch quite a few of them on TV or DVD's. We went to see Fireproof. It is a really good movie. Chick flick? Yes, but it was the men I heard laughing. There are two more I am planning to see soon.
After taking many workshops, I now need to practice some of the things I learned before I forget the lessons. It is time to be working on Christmas ornaments also. I have not even started on them. Every year, I tell myself I need to start on them in January.
Here is a tiger eye that I painted on a 4X6 inch porcelain tile.

Daughter's Birthday

Today is our daughter's birthday. Stop by to wish her a happy birthday.
Thanks.

Confident In a Mother's Love

We are currently in PA. It is a long-g-g-g drive across TN, VA, a little section of WV and MD into PA!!! We had a beautiful day for the drive and this is a beautiful part of our wonderful USA.
Tomorrow we will go to Gettysburg. After that, we will continue northward to Wilkes Barre for the reunion of the USS Ft. Snelling, the first ship my husband served on.
I hope it did not take too long for this picture to download. I was most anxious to post this. I love it! Look at the love of this mother and the serene confidence of the baby as the mother "kisses" it. See that tongue embracing her baby? The tongue of the adult is 27 inches long.
This I painted on a 12X16 inch porcelain tile.

This has been a very busy week with appointments and just trying to catch up on the laundry, bill paying, balancing the checkbook, etc after being gone for over 2 weeks. A friend gave me some apples so I made almost 3 pints of applesauce today and put into the freezer. It sure will taste good when it is cold.
We are leaving again Sunday for the reunion of the USS Ft. Snelling, the first ship my husband was on. This year we meet in PA. The only time I was in PA was many years ago when we made drive up from DC to visit my husband's brother. He was at the army base not far from the state line.
Here is a wall pocket painted like a calla lilly.

Catching Up

Maybe I should adopt a theme song. If I did, it could well be "On The Road Again". But I like better "There's No Place Like Home".
I have been away for painting workshops and for the IPAT (International Porcelain Artists and Teachers) show in Nashville, TN. I was able to take some workshops with some wonderful teachers both at the show and before and afterwards. There were some absolutely extraordinary works of art there.
We were blessed at the end of this 2+ weeks to visit my mother (here she is with our daughter, Karen) one night and the attend the reunion of my husband's family - brothers and sisters with children and grandchildren. It was a joy to be able to spend some precious time with them.
I will soon post pictures of the most recent things I have painted but I want to get a better picture of them to post than I currently have. In the meantime, here is a bowl on which I painted a calla lilly about a year ago.

Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 49th wedding anniversary. My dh graciously allowed me to attend another chinapainting seminar today and tomorrow. He came with me and is staying since it is only two days.

Second Portrait

I am one of the most blessed china painters in the world! A group of 6 meet here at our house each Monday to paint together. We so enjoy our fellowship. Sometimes we all work on the same thing, practicing what one or more of us have learned in a seminar or workshop. Other times, we each "do our own thing". We often critique each other's work when requested.
The second portrait I recently painted was of our youngest son when he was 4 years of age. This is the original picture.

This is the one I painted on an 8X10 inch porcelain tile.