Studio on Wheels...

So there I was... trying my best to be a plein air painter and not doing a very good job of it. Wanted to give Miss Prius a chance to share in the responsibility as I'd seen this work for others and thought it a neat (read: easy) approach to painting outdoors. And it was all that, but don't expect to see charming little w/c's from this effort... unless I do something miraculous with the photos back in the real studio! I have untold new respect for the plein air genre and all the artists and their beautiful paintings that capture the wonders of nature before them! Point of fact: I've tried outdoor painting a number of times and have never made it work for me, not even in my own backyard. I don't expect much different this time but I'm enjoying!

Actually, much of my problem had to do with too much socializing and not enough attention to the goal at hand... but hey! it was a fantastic day and lots to talk about. Just being there was good mo-j0!
Lake Nicol was a delight... nearly deserted, no homes lining the shores, only a couple of fishermen sans motorboats... a perfect day in a perfect place. This little extension includes a new pavilion with constant shade and gentle breeze. Next time I'll spend more time out there as the water views are 360 degrees. Very glad to have met up with this group of painters and am enjoying the ride ;) The paintings will come...

And Then...

Conclusion: it was, for the most part, well done. You take six kids (seven, with a play date thrown in for the youngest) ranging from 8 to 14 and you aren't dealing with children anymore. There's the transition into teendom (Heaven help us all!) that I didn't fully prepare for and had memory prods of what an attitude I had at that age! The oldest flew home after the first week leaving two BFF (Best Friends Forever) pairs plus the youngest-who-will-not-be-ignored!

The all time favorite was tubing on the big lake with the old man successfully causing them to lose their grip and fly off... someone kept score but it wasn't me. Big grins all 'round. Our little lake saw a bit of action, but not much... thought the sail boat and kayak would be hits but not. The old golf cart made repeated hill climbs with various drivers and just about went up in smoke but survived... I think.

We did break out the watercolor kit but the assortment of Oops paint from Home Depot was more fun. When will I learn? I'd picked up some $1 frames from Michael's for them to paint and then went searching for odd scraps of wood which was just as fun to paint. Pollock would have been proud of their spattering. The local community had an Art Walk one night and we visited Kentuck Fine Craft Museum with all it's open studios, meeting artists and seeing demos... then made a gallery visit before rains washed us out.

The cooking camp part consisted of one evening of discussing a meal everyone would eat (vast taste differences) and settled on shrimp kabobs with grits. Big success in my book! They contributed whenever appropriate with other meals but I didn't push a big organized effort to control. We visited a resturant with a counter that viewed the kitchen and the owner took pains to entertain... we appreciated! I'd anticipated more involvement with daily cooking but, like Xmas, anticipation is where the real fun is!

Technology played a big role in this group... some were on their phones almost constantly... texting or talking... way into the night. No need to keep parents updated, they were probably more informed than I ;) I joked to one that there was no way I could mistreat them as they would tell on me immediately! But that's part of their lifestyle and I certainly understand, I'm hooked too.

There were some good side trips... the local Science Center has a great kid set-up of all kinds of exploration... and the University Museum of Natural History was more time well spent.

Conclusion... Good times and good memories were made. I love these girls, with all my heart! Always will. But as teens, I think I'll leave the details to their parents who understand better than I what today's society is all about. We had our turn and produced three really great kids I couldn't be more proud of! And they're doing a super job with their not-so-little ones... my hat is off to them!

Now... back to the studio where I think I might know something... if I haven't forgotten!

There's A Tree On Our Roof!

Last week... the way it was...

This week... the way it is...

We had a bit of wind come through last night... I woke to loud gusty sounds, house creaking a bit, occasional thumps on the roof... could hear deck furniture being stirred around, but other than one really loud SWOOSH! I wasn't too alarmed. Noted the flashing 12:00 so checked my iPhone for time and radar... saw that the bulk of the storm had already passed us so I went back to sleep. The master never stirred.

This morning I took my coffee for a walk to check the trashy limbs and leaves left behind and LO! a big tree had come down on our roof!

We now have a skylight in the garage, where our two cars are held hostage since the garage door track is disabled. Insurance and crews have been called, our work is cut out for us... so to speak. Not how we'd planned to spend the week.

So lucky! We needed a new roof anyway, the garage door is ready to be replaced... no harm to the living area (though I wouldn't have minded a kitchen upgrade, not this way!) We live in a very wooded area full of big old trees, beautiful but potentially harmful... which can be said of most anything.

Yes, we do have a NOAA radio but we seldom have it on at night because it sounds off for storms many miles away from us that would never be a threat. Until they can let me know when danger is one zip code away, we can't bring ourselves to put up with constant needless alerts. Will rely on our wits... for better or for worse.

Spring... Into Action!

Spring rains dictate our calendar these days... plus any number of other distractions. Trying to get the bulk of the hillside steps built before heat and humidity have their way with our good times. An hour's drive away, we try to outguess the weatherman with day trips but yesterday we thought we could overnight there and sneak in another days work... but not.

I don't sleep well after a day of, um... exertion. Must remember to stock a Tylenol PM for such times. Numerous trips up and down the hill do a job on my legs which I don't notice at the time, but are nagging reminders later... the few steps that are finished hint and how much easier it promises to be.

A new development is an alert that the lake level will drop within the next few days as repair work is done on the spillway. When we lived there before, they would purposely drop the level every few years so people could work on their docks and retaining walls. We've been holding off building a new dock and this took us by surprise... arg! Hold everything while we shift gears! A quick study needed in how to best go about doing this...

But hold everything... the garage sale golf cart we bought a few months ago is demanding attention... like it's smoking and won't... go! Was doing fine but is now posing all sorts of challenges at a time when we really needed it to carry building stuff up and down the hill... more research needed! For a family of do-it-yourselfers, we sure know how to keep our to-do list full!

Just to make sure all bases are loaded... a commission is needed in NOLA... soon! And it's a big one so will be driving it down, along with new inventory stock sometime around Easter... that's not very far away!

Maybe it will rain...

Wisteria

1989, WISTERIA 5
acrylic/canvas diptych, 48x46

A drive into town yesterday reminded me that I'm leaving just as spring begins to fully assert itself. Sure, the early bulbs have come and gone, but dogwoods are setting the stage for the next surge of color. As I began to crest the last hill into town I noticed a rampant grove of wisteria worn by a stand of winter trees, making them appear as if in full bloom. It drapes itself everywhere... and ever so beautifully, even in trespassing. I once tried to maintain a fence laced with the plant... a rewarding struggle enjoyed but not repeated. Even knowing how wild and overtaking wisteria can be, it's a breathtaking sight at it's peak. I wonder what's blooming in the Languedoc...

Peppermint Peach...

Never heard of a Peppermint Peach tree until this one bloomed in my neighbor's yard. The amazing blossoms vary from white to rosy red with assorted combinations in between, including stripes of red and white. It's an early bloomer with Forsythia and Redbud, all of which combine to herald the onset of spring. Usually, I find myself coaxing my spring bloomers to slow down, not so fast, take your time so I can enjoy each succession in full glory. But this year, knowing I'll be 'out of pocket' for the April flowerings, I'm urging them to all hurry and show me their stuff before I leave. I do hope we'll experience an early spring in our part of France, we expect it to still be cold, probably highs in the 50's at first, so all (dry) signs of warming and renewal will be welcome.