Thank you giveaway!!!

So far these are the two prints that people seem to be requesting for my card giveaway.

Update to my card giveaway!  If you have donated, bought something from my Fine Art America store, bought something from my zazzle shop, commented on my blog, commented on my fb page ....I will be happy to send you a signed card that you can give as a gift or slip into a frame.  Just email me your address if you want a signed card. 

  After the holidays are over, I am going to be sending a card of one of my paintings to everyone that bought from me in 2010 as a thank you, thank you, thank you! The card will be mailed with a stiff backing so that it arrives safely for framing, I will also sign it on the back. If you bought a painting, I already have your address. However, if you bought a card or a print from Fine Art America or an item from Zazzle, you need to email me your address if you would like to receive a card. I would also love to hear suggestions on which print I should use for my thank you card gift giveaway! You can email me at carriejoynyc@yahoo.com with your address. Blessings!

Oh and there will not be a watermark carrie joy art on the card.  :)

My Christmas Gift to all who bought from me.....

After the holidays are over, I am going to be sending a card of one of my paintings to everyone that bought from me in 2010 as a thank you, thank you, thank you! The card will be mailed with a stiff backing so that you can frame it, I will also sign it on the back. If you bought a painting, I already have your address. However, if you bought a card or a print from Fine Art America or an item from Zazzle, you need to email me your address if you would like to receive a card. I would also love to hear suggestions on which print I should use for my thank you card gift giveaway! You can email me at carriejoynyc@yahoo.com with your address. Blessings!

My Christmas Prayer....

From: Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
By the power and the truth of this practice,
may all beings have happiness,
and the causes of happiness.
May all be free from sorrow,
and the causes of sorrow.
May all never be separated
from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless.
And may all live in equanimity,
without too much attachment
and too much aversion,
And live believing
in the equality of all that lives.

May all beings be filled with joy and peace.
May all beings everywhere,
The strong and the weak,
The great and the small,
The mean and the powerful,
The short and the long,
the subtle and the gross:
May all beings everywhere,
Seen and unseen,
Dwelling far off or nearby,
Being or waiting to become:
May all be filled with lasting joy.
Let no one deceive another,

Let no one anywhere despise another,
Let no one out of anger or resentment
Wish suffering on anyone at all.
Just as a mother with her own life
Protects her child, her only child, from harm,
So within yourself let grow
A boundless love for all creatures.

Let your love flow outward
through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.

Namaste Tee made with an image of an original painting

This beautiful tee is available at Zazzle. Tee is made with a graphic of an original painting I did in the Spring. Namaste is a Sanskrit word and is often accompanied with a bow. It is used as a greeting, salutation and blessing in India. Some general meanings of Namaste are, "I honor the Spirit in you which is also in me." "I honor the place in you in which the entire Universe dwells, I honor the place in you which is of Love, of Integrity, of Wisdom and of Peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are One.""That which is of God in me greets that which is of God in you.""The Divinity within me perceives and adores the Divinity within you." (Wikipedia)

They are offering 50% Off 2-Day Shipping on Orders $50+ Use Code: JINGLESALE53 Not all items ship right away so check processing time if you need it by Christmas. Light colored fabrics and textiles like this one, ship right away!If you want me to design something specific send me a message. You can visit my Zazzle shop by clicking here.

Tote bags of my original art now available at Zazzle

Zazzle is having Free 2 Day Shipping today. Use code JINGLESALE71


Not all items ship right away so check processing time if you need it by Christmas. Light color totes ship right away. These budget totes are less than $13!

And they are customizable!
 
To view all items go to my Zazzle shop by clicking HERE
 
And if you need me to design something specific feel free to email me at carriejoynyc@yahoo.com

Christmas Ornaments available too! And you can still get them for the holidays!!!

Necklaces now available!!!

Necklaces created with my artwork now available at Zazzle.  And they are having a sale today.

The Love Affair

Up for auction now!  Auction ends Dec. 13th

 Painting inspired by Kahlil Gibran on Marriage (From The Prophet).......and also inspired by the Dogwoods outside my window........"Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together. For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

Forgiven ~

This auction ends tonight, up on ebay now.

Stretching my skills of painting anatomy, the figure is based on a sculpture by Edward Hodges Baily, 1842 called Eve Listening to the Voice. The sculpture depicts Eve listenting to the voice of the serpent.

The painting is titled Forgiven.

Measures 18" x 18"

I showed a little bit of the process below.

 

Wonderland -Mixed Media on Crackle Paste on Wooden Panel

This Mixed Media painting is up for auction now on ebay, Click Here to View. the listing.
Measure 12" x 12"
Materials used, Wooden Panel, Printout of a Vintage Photograph, Text from a children's Storybook from the late 1800's,  Crackle Paste, Acrylic Paints, Permanent Markers, Soft gel mediums and Polymer.  Want to learn how to do this?  Check out my FREE video tutorials by clicking the tab at the top of this blog.

Gethsemane... I decided to put this up for direct sale right here on my blog.

$450.00

If you are not familiar with Gethsemane.....It is (to sum it up) the story of when Christ went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before his persecution.  It is one of my favorite stories in the bible.  I don't want to say too much because I think we are all meant to take what we need from the story. 

$450 including shipping and insurance. 

Painting measures 16" x 20", Acrylic on Canvas. 

Painting arrives signed on the back and includes a certificate of authenticity.  Painted on gallery wrapped canvas and the sides are painted black so you can hang it as is.  Sealed in a high quality varnish. 

Prayer Box is up for auction.....

My prayer box is listed on ebay now.  To visit the auction you can click here.  To find out how I made this, you can scroll down to my earlier post.

A Prayer for Us .... Auction ends tonight.

Angels are the guardians of hope and wonder, the keepers of magic and dreams. Wherever there is love, an angel is flying by. Your guardian angel knows you inside and out, and loves you just the way you are. Angels keep it simple and always travel light. Remember to leave space in your relationships so the angels have room to play. Your guardian angel helps you find a place when you feel there is no place to go. Whenever you feel lonely, a special angel drops in for tea. Angels are with you every step of the way and help you soar with amazing grace. After all, we are angels in training; all we have to do is spread our wings and fly! -- Author Unknown


18 x 18 Acrylic on Canvas To view auction click here.

Painting Inside The Box....Prayer Box

 A little while ago I bought a beautifully painted cigar box from one of my favorite artists, Terra Sheridan.  I will show you mostly how I did this box but I also used some other techniques on my box that I learned from her. You should most definitely go visit her blog. http://www.terrasheridan.blogspot.com/


When I was a little girl my mother had a tryptych that hung on the kitchen wall.  It opened and closed and she told me people use it to pray.  I decided to combine these two ideas and Voila here is my prayer box.  This is made from a wooden cigar box.  Almost any fine tobacco store will sell their old cigar boxes.  The wooden ones are usually about $5, so you don't have to take up cigar smoking!  I lightly sanded the box.  If I were going to paint straight onto the outside I would have sanded more heavily or even used a stripper because the outside of the box has a varnish but since I was going to be collaging papers onto the box I only lightly sanded the box. 

I have some unstretched canvas that a friend gave me.  I painted this painting of Mary onto the canvas and then mounted it inside the box using Soft Gel Medium.

For the rest of the box I used decorative papers and paint.  I wrote out with a permanent marker what the angel said to Mary, "Rejoice, O highly favored daughter.  The Lord is with you Blessed are you among women."  I used many layers of different papers and lots of Golden's Soft Gel Medium to mount and seal them.

After all the collaging and maneuvering, the clasp on the box wouldn't snap shut.  So I added a loop and a tassle.  I added that little bead just to make the clasp a little more fun.

After all the medium and paint dried, I varnished the whole box with Liquitex varnish for acrylics.  The box stands on it own and can be displayed open or closed.  I like the idea of the painting inside as now it has its own little display/frame.

Below is the beautiful box from Terra that I won on ebay. I think she has some up for auction now! You can find them by going to her blog.  http://www.terrasheridan.blogspot.com/

For all my art friends...this is the dealio.....Prints and Cards

For all my art friends...this is the dealio.....I stumbled upon this site Fine Art America. I saw another artist was selling her art through there. You upload a picture of your piece and they tell you how big they can go in print size with the pixels you have. They charge a flat fee for the cards, giclees, prints and framed prints and then you set the mark up. After that you are out of the loop. They do the printing, shipping, customer service etc. The money goes into your paypal account and you are paid once a month. I figured it can't hurt and maybe some people can buy some prints and cards that they can afford and I can receive some residual income to support myself as I focus on painting and creating new pieces. You retain all your rights to your art throughout. You can sign up for free but I think you may be limited to 25 images with the free account. If you upgrade, you can upload an unlimited amount of images, you get thrown into the google feeds and you can throw your ticket into the ring for Disney Licensing. I upgraded. I have been on it for a few weeks now and upload images when I get a chance. All my sales have been through people I have already engaged with through facebook, blogging or ebay but I have gotten a lot of hits from all over the world. This is what I have learned so far. Love Carrie

Ten artists collaborate to raise money for homeless veterans.

Well our traveling painting started on its journey today.  Ten artists around the USA will be contributing.  Proceeds of the sale will go to Veteran's Leadership Council Cares a 501 C 3 dedicated to helping our veterans get back on their feet.

Contributing artists:
Lori Gilroy , Maria De Leon, Charlotte Phillips, Joji Todd, Cathy Gillette, Elaina Allen-Velando, Lisa Scherer, Leslie Rubio, JoanRudloff, and ME!
 
I am so happy to be doing this with my artist friends from all over.  Can't wait to see what we all bring to the panel!

Art For Your Heart

Well I won two giveaways ....yep TWO!!! The karma must be good these days! Glad all that inner work is paying off! I got to choose which magnet I wanted from this super woman and artist. I chose Om Shanti because it was the phrase I was least familiar with. Om Shanti....means something akin to eternal peace. So O...m Shanti my friends and to check out this amazing artist you can go to her blog
                                                                Art For Your Heart

Well Painting a Day not really working out....but

Well Painting a Day not really working out....but do have a nice little collection here.  Up for sale on Art Fire.

Lily of the Field

Painting a day! Well I am not painting a painting a day but I am aiming for it and I will get as far as I can. However, all these day paintings I have been working on are completed in ONE day. I am trying to exercise my ability to follow the idea straight through and then call it complete without a lot of going back and forth. It is helping me execute my creativity! This is "Lily of the Field"....my husband saw it and said WOW and then I am not going to tell you what else he said about the imagery but he mentioned Georgia O'Keefe ;)~

I am happy to now offer prints, giclees, stretched canvas giclees and cards!

Inspired

This is my latest painting up for auction now on ebay.

Let the bidding begin.....

In Love

Diane is having a Giveaway!!!!

You all must stop by and  enter to win this most beautiful piece that Diane is giving away!  All you have to do is stop by her blog and comment.  She gives instructions on how to enter your name up to three times.  You know I did it!  Just click the link I put here in my post to get whisked over there.

A little update on the online class.

Based on a couple of emails I got I just wanted to add this....please feel free to ask any questions and I will be happy to share.  The best place for the questions would be on the Tutorial Page that way everyone can see the q and a.  Also please do not feel silly about making a small donation.  I would love to have the time to do more.  I really enjoyed doing these but as you can see I have nothing up on ebay now and really need to get back to painting.  Blessings.

Online Class ...How to work with Crackle Paste and Transferred Images.

I just uploaded an online video tutorial of how I work with Crackle Paste and Transferred Images. I broke it up into 10 short segments to make the videos digestible. I am providing these free of charge as I am so grateful for all the free info that is on the web these days. However, I have posted donation buttons all over the place :). If you want to encourage me to do more tutorials please donate as they take more time than you can imagine to edit and upload. If you already do videos like this then I am sure you already know and I am preaching to the choir!

#1 Intro and a little about materials

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#2 Finding and Using Images

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#3 Applying the Plaster

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#4 Laying down the image

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#5 Revealing the Image

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#6 Setting the Image

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#7 Tinting the Plaster

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#8 Before You Varnish!

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#9 Finishing

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

#10 Final Thoughts and How "At the Water's Edge" Turned Out

To see the full class and all the lessons 1- 10 or to return to the links to follow on to the next segment please follow this link.

Golden Ratio: 1- faces, 1- apples, 2- bottoms, 3 - The Dance

I am struggling with translating how much this golden ratio has opened up for me...it really isn't that egghead...it's just like anything else ...you can take the principle and get complicated and intricate but really it is basically intuitive....but as soon as I start posting triangles and numbers I think everyone just shuts down...I know I did until I was able to find an in at an emotional level...the awesome thing about it is it allows just about anything to work...I struggled for a long time with that aspect of painting...composition, balance...probably due to lack of training. I read recently (and this just goes to show how little "experts" can know) that Botticelli's Birth of Venus is "misproportioned but somehow works"...that's what the scholar said,,,,further research and I discovered it worked because he built her in the golden ratio....I think formal education is over rated....

I may spontaneously combust :) The Golden Ratio - Part One

Okay....I just want to say that I am in no way an expert on this, but some other artists have asked me about it, so this is what I have gotten so far. ...I am going to break this down into parts because honestly I have to take the merging of my left brain and right brain into bite sizes or I may spontaneously combust :)

If you are artsy then you probably learn the way I do...in 3d!  I have to put something into practice to really understand it so I would suggest you take the basic principles and just try it.  I will try to explain the best I can.

The basic principle of the golden ratio is based on the Fibonacci sequence which goes like this 1, (1 +0) = 1, so you have 1, 1 then 1 +1=2 so you have 1, 1, 2,  then 1 +2=3 and so the sequence goes 1,1,2,3,5,8.etc you might dimly or clearly remember this from school.  It turns out that the Fibonacci sequence is everywhere in nature and that is why it is so appealing to the eye when used in art.  We often do it in our art quite naturally.  If your painting looks good to you..you probably have used the golden section.  So why bother learning it?  I have two primary reasons that I wanted to learn this concept.

Firstly, I thought it would help me to understand composition better - if a painting wasn't working - I could use this as a tool. 

Secondly, for me, it is a way to be closer to God, to fulfill my purpose on this earth.  God gave us intellect and self -awareness.  I think we are supposed to merge the trinity of ourselves, mind, body and spirit.  One of the reasons the classic Contrapposto pose is so significant in art is because that step is symbolic at least in part of what seperates us from the animals, it is our gift and our responsibility.  The pine cone develops within the Fibonacci sequence naturally - we can do it naturally and also with awareness, we can also buck against it...I think that is when we feel unhappy.  To be aware of God....it is really very beautiful.  It's our free will if we want to be in harmony or not....okay I will let you take it from there....

So I started this painting with the intent to plot out sections.  After I plotted sections out, I sketched the figures, I was in love with the form of the woman on our right.  What was it?  I realized I had "accidentally" sketched her in her own golden ratio.  If you look at her you will see that the length from the top of her head to her neck plus the length from her neck to her waist is equal to the length from her waist to her knees.  That is why she looked so beautifully balanced to me.  Since I found the ratio in her I just adjusted my plotting, using her as my guide for the other women and also adjusting colors according to sections. 

I ended up learning a lot from that little discovery and have a new painting I am working on in which I was able to incorporate the ratio much more adeptly, tying the source of light, more angles etc.  I will blog about that in my next little chapter.

If you do try this - I would love to hear your discoveries - see pictures etc.

Self Portrait Challenge - Portrait of an Artist

I just took part in gritty jane's self portrait challenge.  A few artists also just did their own rendition of a picture she had up on her fb page.   I thought it would be fun to incorporate two other artists that I am friends with into my self portrait.  This is me with Janine Parr Heifetz and Gritty Jane . I think we all influence each other and spark each other's creativity.  Plus you know I love the three graces! 

Somebody commented on my fb page that I captured our inner children.  My women often come out very young.  I wonder if maybe it is my inner child that is painting?  Maybe she is just the one that needs it the most.

It was a lot of fun doing this painting.  I felt like they were there with me.  Smiling, sipping coffee, encouraging. .....

I use my wedding photos a lot for material - simply because that is what I have the most of in way of recent pictures. This is not really the best photo of me but I liked the stance and the shadows.

Shipping tricks and tips ...a peek into my email box

I am including a recent email exchange I had with another artist about shipping techniques.  We both agreed that if I posted this to my blog some other artists would get something out of it, so here it is.....

Q:  This is an amazing painting! I am an artist here on EBAY, and also on ETSY, I also sell in local Galleries. I don't sell here all the time because I become some frustrated with finding boxes to ship my paintings in and also the cost of shipping.. My question to you is how to you ship for only $12.00 and where do you get your boxes? Thanks for any help you can give, me..I am frustrated!

Me: Hey there - and I know - I struggled with shipping for awhile but I figured it out. I get my boxes either from uline or papermart. The shipping is a bit expensive but I buy in bulk so I don't have to order too often. USPS as soon as the box gets over 4 inches (even slightly) gets ridiculously expensive. I found fedex is the cheapest way to ship. Insurance is cheap too. I opened an online account and print the labels from home (gives an extra discount) and then drop off. Sometimes I lose a couple bucks on shipping just for the boxes and bubble wrap but it's not too bad. The only time I use USPS is for small pkgs where I can use their boxes or International. I wouldn't rec fedex for intl. Oh and for really big paintings I usually rig up my own box by taping two together. Pain in the butt but saves a lot of $. Hope this helps. Are you on fb? If so look me up - Carrie Joy Art

Q:  Wow, you are so kind...yes I am on FB...

Me:  It's my pleasure. I wish I would have known all that a lot sooner. I was thinking of posting the question and answer on my blog. I won't use your name - unless you want me to link to a blog or website or something. I like being part of an artsy community and helping each other. Have a great weekend!
Carrie


Q:  You should post it to your blog...it has been a serious problem for me! And, I have asked other artists and you are the first person that has had an answer for me...every one else said that they scrounged for them. (I didn't ask Jane). I will be putting new paintings on EBAY soon!



So there it is ....please excuse the typos and abbreviations - we were just shooting back and forth. 

Oh and I swear I will have something on ebay tonight.  It has been a weird creative week but I have something great to share.

Sisters of the Moon......

For those who like the time elapsed painting videos I do, I have a new one up on my facebook page.  Facebook was the best way to get this one into cyberworld.  Just click the fb link to the right and it should take you to my page.

Hold on tight....new listing coming.

This is my lady as of a couple days ago- she looks quite a bit different now.  I am still learning this fresco thing so sometimes learning new techniques slows me down.  I found that Golden has a facebook page where you can ask tech support questions and chat with other artists- loving it!  Did you know they are a completely employee owned company?  So Cool.

I did not use water on this one at all and as a result there was much deeper cracking.  I also used a thicker layer of paste which I think contributed to deeper cracking and more texture.

However,

her face had a lot of texture which is what I was going for but the texture showed up in the wrong places and I didn't quite like it so I sanded it - just looked messed up then....started over with the pastes (included light molding paste this time) and paint.  She's looking up now!  Should be up tomorrow or the next day.  This time I am going to apply the medium layer and varnish before I list.   The Graces (remember them?) came out great but I tested small spots first because she already had bids- very laborious.

Goofing off pays....

I just kept tooling around the internet today.  I actually did get a lot done in the art room and around the house but I kept going back.  I started to feel guilty but then...

I have this fresco I am so nuts about and usually when I paint a painting the finishing is so by rote for me.  I take the pictures before I varnish because I feel I get better photos.   I always varnish the same - I make my own mixture of 1/3 gloss and 2/3 matte.  I find this keeps the painting the same but evens out some glare and pulls out enough color without making it look plasticky. 

In all my tooling around/ goofing off I went back to the Golden website just to check in on the whole fresco process and I found out I am going to have to finish this baby in a different way.   Just applying varnish because of the absorbency would give it a frosted look - whew that was close.  I need to apply a soft gel/water medium first.

I am going to A.C. Moore tomorrow.  I always go there when I need just one thing because they always have a 1/2 off coupon for one item on their website.

The Three Graces Fresco on Canvas

The Three Graces

Fresco

18 x 18

Up on ebay tonight

Hmmm where do I begin with this one?

Okay I will start with technique.

I got some Golden Crackle Paste because I felt like experimenting.   When it came in the mail I looked at it and thought what am I going to do with this?   So I went on the Golden website and looked up product info and it said that you could use the paste to do Fresco.   Now my heart was starting to beat.  

I used a palette knife and spread the paste all over the background- not the women at first because I knew I would have to work fast.   I then spritzed the canvas and my paints with water to keep it wet.   You don't need a lot of paint - a little bit tints the plaster.  

After I did the background, I did the same thing with the graces.

Now the challenge with Frescos used to be that if you wanted to change or glaze anything cracking could be a big problem.  Since I was using crackle paste and looking for some cracking I didn't worry about that.  I did lots of water/acrylic washes over the whole thing to achieve depth.

I let it cure for quite a few days - close to a week to see how much it would crack.

It cracked just like an old fresco.

I love it.

Oh- and - I did not mean for it to turn out so close to the original (Raphael) but I got so lost in the technique.   My husband said it was very common for the old masters when they were trying out a new technique to paint close to who they were studying so I guess I am in good company.

I made the facebook plunge....

You know there was a time that by choice I did not even have a t.v.  Yep it's true.   Now I have a website, a blog, an ebay shop, an etsy store, three email accounts and now a facebook page.   I dragged my feet for a long time with facebook but I guess it was inevitable.   I am a self representing artist and I need to represent.   It has not been so bad actually.   It is turning out to be a lot of fun and a great way to share my art and life with family and friends.   If you are reading this then I consider you my friend so please feel free to join me on facebook.   It is easier to do quick posts and updates and the environment is sweetly casual.  So there you go.  I have got a link there up at the top of the page and all are welcome.

Carrie

Enchanted by Contrapposto

Enchanted up on ebay

I am working on a commission and painted this lady to sort of warm up.   I use this pose a lot in my art - I just really love it.   It turns out to be called Contrapposto and has been an important element of painting and sculpture.   It is when a figure is standing with their weight on one foot and sort of twisting from the hips.   It has been important because it captures a psychological disposition in a pose.   To me it is an extremely emotional stance. 

I also thought I would share my pallette.   I often wonder what colors artists use so I will try to remember....

Van Dyke Brown

Red Oxide (I have recently fell in love with this color- but a little bit goes a long way)

Yellow Ochre

Aliziran Crimson

Chromium Oxide Green

Permanent Green Light

Hookers Green (Liquitex - it makes a difference - Golden's Hookers is much darker)

Hooker's Green (Golden)

Ultramarine Blue

Prussian Blue

maybe Cobalt?

Oh for the skin I pretty much always use the same colors with a few exceptions.  

Yellow Ochre, Titanium White, Alizarin Crimson, Prussian Blue

I paint the skin in lots and lots and lots of thin layers.   I also often make a smoky hazy glaze out of white, prussian blue and van dyke brown if it is getting too cartoony.

It is hard for me to remember sometimes so as I paint a painting every paint I use I put in a basket as I go.  That way when I pick it up the next day I remember how I got my colors. 

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

With all the women and mothers I paint I had to take some time and acknowledge Mother's Day!  Thank you to all the mothers out there!   Where would our world be without you?!!?

I have always loved this picture- I want to use it for a painting because I think the harmony of the composition is excellent.

I totally thiefed these pix from my Mom's house.   She always asks - do you have those pictures where I have long dirty hair ha ha.  What a fat baby I was!   She swore I was the cutest and that the nurses didn't want to let me leave the hospital.  Do all mothers say that?   I think so.

 When she had me she was so young and a highschool dropout. The picture here is us at her University of Tennesse College Graduation where she graduated with a 4.0.    By the time I was 9 she was an attorney.   College and Law School.   I always saw what we didn't have but the older I get the more I realize how amazing that was and how much she gave me through her example.  

Christmas and I got a baby doll!!!  I guess I always was attracted to the beauty of motherhood!

Mom cut her long hippy hair.

Isn't she beautiful!

Enchanted

16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas

I could say a lot about this painting but I think I will save it for tomorrow's post.

Happy Mother's Day and Thank You Mothers everywhere.