A New Medium for Me

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a new art book I had previewed by checking it out of the library.  It intrigued me so much that I bought it from Amazon the next day. "Studying Up" March 17.

I ordered a small supply of Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink colors and other supplies needed for applying them to non-porous substrates.  I followed Cathy Taylor's suggestions for playing with the application of the inks to Yupo paper to get a feel for color and viscosity.  Then I took the advice of artists in a Facebook Group to use glazed tiles.  They are easy to clean up with 91% rubbing alcohol.  I had also ordered some mister bottles made specifically for using with the inks as the mist is much finer than the normal mini-misters I use with liquid water color.

I have a long way to go with this medium.  

It is very easy to mess it up.

But I found sometimes that messing up and spraying with more ink made it prettier.

My first piece:

I'll call it, "The Rose."

Today, I'll work on another tile.  And do another lesson in the book.  And maybe an AI painting on Yupo paper.

The only limiting thing about this medium is that you have to have a non-porous substrate.  However, Ranger has developed a non-porous card stock suitable for alcohol ink and Yupo paper is perfect.  And, I can also see a lot more tile in my future.  I can get them for just a few cents a tile at Home Depot.  I'd like to try the black tile as well.

It is good to be back in my studio again.  

Mondays in Retirement

One of the best things about being retired is the way one looks at Sunday nights.  And Monday mornings.

There is no disappointment that the weekend is over.

There is no rushing around to make sure everything is ready for early morning departures and adequate gas for the long commute.

And, I don't have to wake to an alarm.

Unless you factor in THIS guy!

I can pretty much set a clock by him.

What good things am I going to do today?

I just saw a status post on Facebook.

And a second.

They seem to go hand in hand, don't they?

In my browsing on the laptop this morning, they were closely followed by several emails re events in my future and I realized that this week I will be making decisions whether to do or not to some things in the coming year in order to make some positive changes going forward.

So I have resolved to DO some new things, STOP doing some old things, and to continue doing a few things and do them better.

I am adding balance to my life and taking time just for me.  It's time.  I want to be sure when the sun goes down every evening that I have no regrets on how I spent my day.

We don't have to look far.....

I've heard it all my life.

"You don't have to look far to find someone who has things far worse than you do."  Or something to that effect.

And it is very, very true.

We don't have as much as many others around us.  Our home is smaller. And older.  We have aches and pains.  We're past our prime. But we are so, so fortunate.

That old little home is completely paid for, taxes and insurance are lower.  Our aches and pains are easily managed.  We have good health for the most part, great insurance coverage, and and enough money for all the necessities and some of the luxuries of life.  We love our lifestyle and we love each other.  And we have enough to be able to give to others.

We are, indeed, very fortunate.

And recently, I have had several friends let me know of serious health issues.  Issues that are not easily managed.  I'm concerned and worried for all of them.  All I can do is be a friend.  

I know our time will come one day when life isn't as easy as it is right now.  We need to appreciate what we have every single day.

Especially our good physical health, good hearing, and good eye sight -- and sound mind -- especially the sound mind.

Busy Lives

Busy lives.

We all have them.

Sometimes I wonder whether it's worth all the sacrifices we make.

The moves away from family.

Yes. No.

With some families it works.

With others -- not so much.

We sometimes have strong bonds in an insular family unit at the expense of a larger expanse of family relationships.

It would be so much easier if everyone were closer together -- on one hand.

Not easy at all when you consider some of the personalities involved.

Things happen the way they need to.

We just need to be accepting of that.

Studying Up

Well, I spent the day straightening the desk in the office and my art and crafts nook.  Then I spent a little time on the lanai enjoying the feel of cool spring breezes and the smell of freshly mown grass.  When I came back in, I grabbed my new art book and started reading.

I have long admired Cathy Taylor's watercolor paintings.  When I learned that she had a new book available on alcohol inks, I checked our library system and found that none of our libraries even had it on order.  So I asked the Tarpon Springs Public  Library to add it to their stacks -- and put me first on the waiting list for when it came in.  A couple of weeks later, I received notification that it was there.

I immediately fell in love with it.  I know, I know.  It's an inanimate object.  But it's a book.  And it is about art.  What's not to love?  I grabbed my laptop, pulled up Amazon and ordered a copy for myself!

I showed it to some of my "artsy" friends who also loved it and a new group will be forming soon.  Beginning in June we plan to meet the first Wednesday of each month and we will call ourselves the "Crafty Ladies." First on our agenda?  A few classes  using the lessons in Cathy Taylor's book.

Today I looked at the list of materials for the first lesson.  91% rubbing alcohol.  Well, that's pretty simple.  Or is it?  When I looked at all the bottles of rubbing alcohol in this house (and, believe me, there are many) they were all 70%.  So I needed to order some stuff from drugstore.com so I ordered two 32 oz. bottles of the 91% alcohol so we will have plenty for our workshops.  I already have Yupo paper.  Sandy may have some, too.  The rest of the materials are amusing:  a drinking straw, toothbrush, old credit card (Seriously, who keeps those around? Don't we shred them?), hand sanitizer, white glue, paper towels, and felt.  I ordered a supply of felt sheets the day I first read the book so we're good to go.

The beauty of alcohol inks is that you can paint on just about anything with them.  I am really looking forward to playing with this new medium. I have a friend in New Mexico who told me not to buy anything but a small supply of the inks as she has LOTS of them and is not using them anymore.  When we get together on Perdido Key in May, she will bring them to me.

And that is a story for another day.

Perdido Key.

The next "Irresistibles" trip.  In May.  Five of us.  Girlfriends.  5 nights. Penthouse condo.  On the beach.  We can hardly wait.  It has been a long time in the planning.

And, guess what?

They are going to learn to make paper flowers.  I already have their kits and glue guns ready to go.  We'll order in pizza, open a bottle (or two) of wine and make flowers on the walk-around balcony as the sun goes down over the Gulf.

Lots of good times coming up -- at home and away.

And "sew" it begins.....

I think I lost my mind a couple of weeks ago when I decided to clear out the guest room closet of old clothes while I cleaned and reorganized the room.  The closet was the receptacle for clothes of many different sizes -- mostly business attire.  Items I would never really need again.  So I bit the bullet and donated practically all of them to The Haven, a not for profit organization that assists abused women and their children with everything they need to be safe and, eventually, start a new life apart from the abuser.

Sizes 4 through 10 and some 12's went out of here, leaving me plenty room to begin the "closet sewing center" I had been so anxious to create.  My husband was happy to see some of the purging but had no idea what I had in mind until these fateful words popped out of my mouth, "Honey, could you move the old sewing machine table for me?"

"OK, where do you want it?"

"The guest bedroom closet...."

"What?"  His voice elevated slightly.  And I got that look that husbands and wives are so good at giving one another. The one that says, "I love you but...."  and the "but" can mean a million different things.

I said, "Please don't argue with me.  Just move it for me and I'll show you what I have in mind."

So he did and I did and he, as he always does, jumped right in and helped me make it a reality.

He measured, he foraged in the garage, he took me to Home Depot where even the young man who helped us got deeply interested in what we were doing.  He sawed, he painted, he drilled and he pounded.  He put up lighting and pegboard.  He gave me his precious stash of pegboard hooks and fashioned an additional shelf for those items that don't do well hanging.  While he was doing all this, I was finishing corsages and doing the door prizes for the fashion show and finding storage units I could re-purpose for my new sewing center.

The new sewing center was finished two days before the Woman's Club Annual Charity Fashion Show at Safety Harbor Resort and Spa.

I love it.

I still have a few accessories to hang and I want a new task chair with good ergonomics.  This center only cost us about $30 in materials but it was the result of a lot of loving labor.  My new folding cutting board is on its way from Amazon along with some other inexpensive items.  I'm watching for a good sale on task chairs.

And I can hardly wait to use my new center.

But first, I have to reorganize my art supplies and all my paper and paper craft tools as well as my library of books and DVDs.

Garden Club Monday

Today is one of my favorite days of the month -- Garden Club Monday.

I don't dig much any more.  That is primarily because I am so allergic to fire ants and other insect bites.  But I love plants and learning about them.  

We learned about native Florida wildflowers today and I came away with a new appreciation for them.  My favorite is one I see every time I go out to the beach.

It was a very interesting and informative program and gave me a few ideas for ground covers of native plants.