Home Improvement Days

This is what I have been up to these past weeks. We are in the process of updating our home in order to place it on the market.....soon.....I hope.

I have to say, I have never felt so old as I do when I am on my hands and knees sanding and painting cabinetry. Exactly when did that happen...LOL! Once the kitchen is done I think we will go ahead and put the 'for sale' sign in the yard. We still have the master bedroom and bath to paint and a few other odds and ends, but overall I think the house will show well at this point. Who knows, we may get lucky and find a buyer who is willing to finish these last 'little' projects. Hey, I can dream can't I??

Well, I have had two very quiet days here in the woods. I'm waiting for that creative urge to blossom into a project.....LOL. So far, I have had several ideas....but nothing that is really motivating me to get that paint brush up and running. I think part of the problem is this overwhelming feeling...... that I have other more important things to tend too. Now, that just can't be right. I feel somewhat 'unsettled' these days. I'm doing my best to quiet those 'more important' thoughts and turn my mind inward to my creative muse........

Trying to get Motivated

Yesterday I spent the day organizing my art and sewing supplies. It seems that every time I even think about starting a project, I have to go on a "search and rescue" mission to locate everything. So, I have rounded up all my different supplies and grouped them together my type (sewing, painting, beading, and ribbon embroidery) and put them in more accessible places. It took some doing, but I think I will now be more apt to "create" knowing everything is readily available.

In my re-organizing I found several 'projects' in need of finishing. That will be my next task, putting together a 'ta-do' list to finish the old so I can move on to new.....

I just found out a nearby neighbor of ours is also an artist. She is particularly interested in fiber arts. She showed me some of her studio and some of her work. It is nice to have a fellow artist close by.....maybe it will inspire me to 'create' more often.

It has really been bugging me lately---that artistic urge to create--I feel the need to find that artist brush between my fingers again.....soon!

Up to Nothing

Well, I'm afraid I don't have any new art projects to post at this point. We are currently in travel mode, which means we are moving from place to place a little to quickly for me to really get anything accomplished. Just to much sight seeing to do and meeting new folks.

I did make a decision on the slipcovers---they are just not going to work. I'm not happy with the way they look and I made a bad choice of the fabric. It just didn't stand up well to puppy toe nails. Not to worry, it can be salvaged and used in another project.

I think we are going to be looking into replacing the recliners and possibly the love seat when we get home. Not that they need to be replaced, they still look great and the recliners are mighty comfortable; but we think we might find something we like better. We are thinking of replacing the sofa with another recliner and just keeping the sofa's air bed for overnight guest. I would get much more use from a third recliner and end table then the current sofa. The current recliners are really over sized and I think if we can find something smaller that is still comfortable--we would be happier.

Finishing Up Cornice

So, there you have it. The first is a close up shot of the mama robin, then the baby, and finally the finished piece hanging in between the two drapery panels. I think it all turned out pretty well. My next project is two finish some 'coverlets' for my love seat and recliners. I'll post some photos when they are done. I have started thinking about my next painted cornice. I asked my hubby what he would like to see and he mentioned a south west scene. Now, I normally would not mix such diverse decorating schemes. But, what the heck! Rules are meant to be broken......so here I go.......

Robin Cornice In progress

These are the 'in progress' photos I promised. As you can see, I start out by simply washing in color. I allow that to dry and then start building up the values and adding additional color. I do this primarily by adding stronger washes. Next I break out my liner brush and start picking out the shapes I want to bring forward--those are highlighted. I then go back and reinforce shadows where necessary. I'm using a lot of light blue as my highlight color for the nest. I just like the way it plays off the pink flowers.

Robin Cornice continued

Here are some more images of the cornice I am painting. As always you can click on them for a larger view. I'm sorry about not having some "in between" shots to show more of my process. Sometimes I get so "into" the painting the rest of the world fades and I forget about the camera. I'll keep the camera on my desk tomorrow and hopefully be able to do a better job of posting some 'step by step' shots for you to see.

One thing that popped into my head today. Remember when you were a kid and you laid on your back looking at the clouds.......imagining the different things you could see.....flowers and animals.....remember?? Well, I find the same thing in my painting process. I try to forget the whole, what I mean is I focus on the shapes, shadows, and highlights. I try not to paint a "bird" I paint all those interesting and wonderful shapes and textures that make up the bird....make any sense...give it a try next time you are at your painting easel.........