good day for soup

Only the pure in heart can make a good soup. Ludwig van Beethoven

small but mighty

 This is Jack, a mighty fellow in a small package. He is a rescue dog so of unknown breed. However I happen to know that he rules his household with a benevolent power.

best dog ever

I have been painting dogs belonging to all my friends and family, I am making all these dog paintings as my new oil painting project but haven't painted my own dog. 
My own best dog died 3 years ago now, he was an Australian shepherd and over his lifetime I did sketch him and paint a few watercolors. I blogged here about his passing. He is greatly missed but at this time we sadly have no plan to replace him in this household. 

So I am surrounding myself with a shelf of oil paintings of other dogs.

a brave little spirit

 New day new doggie. Let me introduce you to Trinka, special companion for my dear sister. Trinka has so many charms and talents. I can’t list them all but if you need a comforting furry pet she will cuddle up! 

Trinka is a breed called Cavachon. Half Bichon, half Cavalier.

I say brave little spirit because Trinka has twice survived attacks by much larger dogs. The last one was by a pit bull with a careless owner, her injuries were life-threatening and my sister had to punch the pit bull in the face to get Trinka free. Brave little dog that she is, she recovered cheerfully. 

Old dog new dog

Can an old dog learn new tricks? Yes yes, she can. I have been studying as much as I can about oil painting and learning new techniques. This was my homework assignment for a zoom class I’ve been in. My instructor is Jennifer Gennari and this is through a program called Drawing America, atelier style live classes online. I have about seven more dog paintings in the works right now. It's been great studying up close Jennifer's oil painting technique and I have figured out a few more tricks to apply to my other work. 

grandmothers

 "This is a place where grandmothers hold babies on their laps under the stars and whisper in their ears that the lights in the sky are holes in the floor of heaven. "    
Rick Bragg

I am now a grandmother to ten (yes 10) little new people. It is my pride and joy and I want to keep sketching quickly in my notebook, drawing, or painting them for as long as I live. What a gift they are to me. 

little baby

 

“If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.”

― Vincent Van Gogh

First Sunday of Advent

 Advent is my favorite liturgical season. I love the purple banners, the four candles on the altar, the readings from the prophets, and the contemplative music. 

I especially relish the way this season stands in stark contrast to the frenetic activity of the world around me. Just as the world is flashing brighter lights, the church is dimming her lights and waiting.

Advent is a four-week season that marks the beginning of a new church year. The first half of the church year walks through the life of Jesus from his birth (celebrated at Christmas) until his death and resurrection (celebrated at Easter).

Historically, the four weeks of Advent were set aside as a time of preparation for baptism. The church today now observes Advent as a four-week period to prepare for our celebration of the Incarnation at Christmas.I am filled with gratitude for the ways the Lord has fulfilled my hopes and yet my heart breaks in the reality that all is not yet set to rights.  Christ has come and yet we walk in darkness waiting for the coming of Jesus in glory.

Advent gives the church an opportunity to anticipate the coming of Jesus as our true fulfillment and our longing for his coming again. Credit: Margie Fawcett, Deacon, Church of the Resurrection Wheaton Illinois 

mistakes

 “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”

― Albert Einstein

A photo of my most recent oil painting resting on my studio book shelf. I had problems with this painting and still do. My emotional reaction is to toss it aside, or hide it in a closet and forget it. But my rational brain tells me to save it, savor it, learn from the struggle, learn from the mistakes. 

Maybe I have not succeeded in making the image I had envisioned, that almost never really happens anyway. But I have worked, learned, made a lot of mistakes and tried something new. Next painting!

fear of perfection

 “Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”

― Salvador Dali

My art lesson taking place out of doors on a bright autumn day with a group of enthusiastic fifth graders. The quote about perfection is one that needs to be repeated, or some version of it when teaching children. (except for very young children who have no fear of failure!) I have the kids all arranged and instructed to draw this tree , not just draw a tree but to draw this particular tree on this day. I wanted them to really learn to look.

I sat across from the group and drew them on that particular day! I used their school art paper and their crayola paints to demonstrate the lesson.