Blue heron with Tude IV

The joy I feel being home is found in many things. 

Time spent with my husband Christopher is the most precious of all.

We both have hit the ground running since we have come home.

Christopher in his shop, making frames for me and other artists. Me in the studio trying to sort out the myriad of canvases I brought home from India. Eleven of them were already stretched, (the twelfh belonging to our grandson Neel and left in India.) They still needed wires,  cleaning, and varnishing. All got done, and I sold several this weekend.

One of them gets shipped on Monday as a birthday present to Georgia. 

The show this weekend was surprising to say the least! 

This was our inaugural run with the panels and boy did the artworks show extremely well. 

I could not be more pleased with the exception of the velcro situation. 

I will be fixing that problem shortly before the National Shrimp Festival in 10 days. (10 days!!!!) Chris and work well as a team, and I am so grateful for his helping hands and patient listening (sometimes!). Our marriage is definitely a duet most of the time and not a duel. 

I have to admit, I sold more this weekend than I expected. (Including one of my 5 canvas works!)

I am going to be holed up in the studio for the next 10 days working on a litany of projects for shows coming up. 

I also found out that the project at Gulf State Park had a press release sneak peek as of last weekend. I didn't get any phone calls and such, because people did not know what they were looking at in the photos. Now I have posted the photos from the article on my Facebook page, and people are absolutely loving the piece. My artwork was used to make a backsplash at the main restaurant in the Gulf State Park Convention Center. Two canvases that were 16x40 were scanned and put on 4x 16 tiles, the tiles were then used to do the backsplash measuring 28 inches by 12 feet! 

I am so excited that I can now start selling the prints at shows. 

I hope they do well.

I must sign off for now. 

There is a lot to do in the Raccoon Retreat Studio here in Fairhope, Alabama!

Blue Heron with Tude, Acrylic on canvas 15x15

Day 91 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018

Blue Heron with Tude III

Great Blue Heron III is another one painted in India on a flat canvas for traveling. It was so much fun to paint this series while with our daughter in India for the birth of our grandchild. I had finished several paintings while there and had finished the ones I needed to complete for the 100 days. My daughter suggested I continue to paint. So back to the art store I went,  buying a meter of canvas to paint on while there. I was able to lay out the four 15 x 15 canvases and one
15 x30 in the Heron series.

Today found me at my first show of the fall season in Daphne Alabama. The Jubilee festival is in it's 30th year and is put on by the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce. It seems to get bigger and better now every year. I did not know if I could do the show as I was headed home from India 2 days before set up. When they opened up the jury process for late entries I decided to take the plunge. I am delighted that I took the time to do this wonderful little show?

Great Blue Heron III, Acrylic on canvas,
15 x15
Day 90 of the 100 days- 100 paintings 2018

Blue Heron with Tude II

Today has been interesting to say the least. We're both tired from our epic journey yet only Chris seems to find rest. I am trying get the things done that I need to do to get ready for shows. Today found me adding velcro to the panel covers to finish them for this weekend. We then went out to the barn to put said covers onto the frames Chris built. After a lot of tugging and pulling, we got them on to all 11 panels. Tonight was the first time we used them,  and it was a learning experience for both of us. After some adjusting, they look fantastic. I can hardly wait to put the artworks on them.

Our first show of the season starts in the morning!  Saturday September 29th at Daphne Alabama .

Great Blue Heron with Tude, acrylic on canvas
Day 89 of the 100 days-100 paintings 3018

Blue Heron with "Tude"

Blue Heron with "Tude"

This is one of the canvases from India, hence why it looks a little wrinkled.

The photo is not the best either!

Chris is building my stretcher bars as I have 17 to stretch.

Have you ever observed these wonderful birds?

They have to be the most graceful yet gawky, 

beautiful yet beastly, 

crafty yet cunning bird you will ever watch.

Try to go fishing, he will steal your bait.

 They will intimidate you into dropping your fish you just caught.

They will stalk small fish, larger fish, fresh water turtles, sting rays, 

and I've even photographed one eating a snake! 

Drop your hook into the water and he will swiftly and silently fly in, landing just a few scant feet from where you are standing. Given the opportunity, he will take your fish 

just as you are reeling it in for the catch!

A Bird with Attitude for sure!

Great Blue Heron with "Tude", 15x30, acrylic on canvas

Day 88 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018

Stranger creatures

Our traveling continues in Frankfurt Germany. We had to go through security again. I don't understand the reason, other than safety reasons. It is just a pain to stand in line, present your tickets, present your passport again. How in the world did we get on the plane in India!?

We get to our gate and settle in. Chris is trying to nap, I am creating art as usual. Our flight does not show up on the video board so we check gates.  Our gate has changed so we move bag and baggage to the next gate which is 5 gates away. We have printed boarding passes, but we are given new ones. We are also subjected to another document check. I guess it's all good, just another bump in the road of life. We both are uncomfortable in the aiplane seats, no leg room, no place to put my purse, and if the person in front of you decides to lay back their seat........
I have had a seat literally land on my knees when the passenger decided to lean back. It is also quite the feat to be able to watch your monitor as it is mounted on the seat back.

Then just as you get settled down, they bring a meal or snack. This requires you to ask the leaning passenger to please sit up so you can use your tray holder. Sometimes they comply, sometimes the attendant has to ask them. Airline food is sketchy,  sometimes wonderful, sometimes inedible,  almost always unappealing in it's look. But, you're hungry so you try some and find it is not as bad as it looks.

Hour 16 and counting.........

The octopus is representative of the other passengers. Passengers trying to get in the wring seats, with the ticket holder showing up and questioning their place on the plane. Attendant talks to the pair and finds they are supposed to be about 30 rows back! Arms and legs everywhere,  in the aisle, ready to trip you up at the most inopportune moment. No place to put your garbage, your feet your purse. Welcome to the friendly skies of ............!

Stranger Creatures , acrylic on canvas, 12x12
Day 87 of the 100 days-100 paintings 2018

Sentinel Pelican

We start on our journey home tonight!  I am looking forward to home, but not the journey to get there. Our first leg leaves at an awful time, 2:45 am! We have to be there at the airport 3 hours before the flight. We are first headed to Frankfurt Germany and will arrive about 7:30 am their time. On the way here, we both stopped in Munich and it has a large mall attached. I don't remember Frankfurt having very much, except for a bottle of water that I was desperately seeking. I do remember it costing 8 euros, and that was 5 years ago! Note to self, bring water from plane! (Or at least an empty bottle that I might be able to fill.) This flight is about 9 hours long, maybe I can sleep! (I know Chris will be able to sleep) The last time we were on this flight, he had an outside seat and could stretch his legs. I sat in the middle with a man that slept almost the entire flight after breakfast! Both males, mine included hogged the armrests. I was stuck trying desperately to not disturb them! Our layover there is 6 hours!!!!

Our next flight is the long one, taking us way north to avoid certain airspaces. It became extremely cold for me as I was on the outside of the plane near the window.  I think the plane flew up towards the north pole because of storm activity over the Atlantic. This flight lasts another long period with us landing in Houston,Texas USA! in the evening.

Another 3 hour layover then a short hop home of about 1 1/2 hours. All told, we will be traveling a total of 21 hours according to our travel plan. I think this is just flight times though, add another 9 hours of layovers.

In the meantime, we wait for our journey to start, one more load of laundry,  final packing, last meal here, final goodbyes.........for now.
Home on Wednesday night!

Sentinel Pelican, acrylic on canvas, 12x12
Day 85 of the 100 days- 100 paintings 2018

Pelican flight day

Our day was rainy here. From what I can see, it's raining in Fairhope as well. The weather seems appropriate enough to match our moods. Time together well spent, with lots of bonding done with Neel and family here. Then there's the sigh, the tears begin to flow and my heart hurts at the thought of leaving.  I told Christina, "I'm not ready to go yet."
She said "Then stay."
It will be hard to pull up anchor and sail away to a distant shore after feeling the love here and being inspired.

Yet, there is a pull from our place we call home so far away right now. Tomorrow is our last day here and adventure awaits after we get home. First, we will drag our tired bodies into the place we call the Raccoon Retreat. Then the dachshund screaming, barking, and happy whimpering  will begin. I am certain we will just sit on the floor and allow them all over us for a happy reunion. We will then shower and crawl into our own bed.
(Or maybe on the recliner sofa,  covered in dachshunds!)

Thursday finds us hitting ground running. At least I pray we are functioning!  Chris has orders for stretcher bar frames, both from a local artist and of course from me. I have completed a lot of work here and two have sold already. Saturday and Sunday I have the Jubilee show in Daphne. Monday I am shipping colored crab II to a lucky birthday girl in Georgia. There is also a lot of stretching, varnishing, painting, and wiring to be done before shrimp festival.
Permits to be bought for a show, a place to stay during Kentuck near B'ham.
The list is long, but I will never forget my time here.
Time well spent............

Pelican flight day, 12x12, acrylic on canvas.
Day 86 of the 100 days-100 paintings 2018