What's up with my Blogging, Lately??

I've been almost absent from the blogging world from quite some time and I just don't have an excuse!  I've been reading blogs but haven't contributed much myself!

Recently, my kids and I took a trip to Misissipi, and we all fell in love with my Mom's dog, Max.  He is a little bit spoiled!  That's him on the stool....he sits on that stool and watches my Mother cook....for as long as it takes!  Too funny, huh???

This one is my favorite!  He gets fed SOFT FOOD by hand!  She hand feeds, like a baby, all of his food so he will eat.  My dad handed a plate of that food one mornng and said..."here, you feed him" and I thought I may throw up in my coffee!"  The texture in my hands and the smell was appealing with my morning coffee believe me!

You know what the best part is.....Max is perfect for my parents!  He sits in their lap all day....lays down with my mom when she isn't feeling well and doesn't jump up and down on the furniture.  A perfect dog for a Grammy and Papa.!  Kudos to my sister for giving them this puppy last Christmas as a surprise gift!!

Have a great day!
Karen

Do You See What I See?

I love painting these days.  I love turning the painting while I am painting and looking for images that appear and working to enhance them.  I especially love when people tell me that my paintings make them want to keep looking.  I paint to make me happy and make people that receive my paintings happy.

What do you do make yourself happy?

Karen

Merry Christmas

Merry, Merry Christmas!  It's been a beautiful Christmas at our house, how about yours?  We had our gifts bought by Thanksgiving and the tree up early.  Even the wrapping was finished before Christmas Eve this year!

It's been a year of blessings for me - I recovered from two back surgeries and a serious infection in my spine and had to leave my job of many years - but, I now have the job of my dreams.  I took an art class and have discovered a new community of talented artists as well as reawakened a creativity in myself that I thought was lost.  I am learning new things about painting from wonderfully artistic people like Flora Bowley and blooming true every day!

I'm starting to set health, creative and personal goals for the new year....what are some of yours?

Blessings,
Karen

Happy Thanksgiving

We've had quite a scare this weekend with our oldest dog, Chaney after he was bitten by a snake or a spider in the throat.  He had a severe reaction and had emergency surgery Saturday and spent the night in the hospital.  He's back to himself now and will return to the vet tomorrow to make sure his wound is healing well.  Hopefully, all is well and he won't require any further surgery.

I'm so thankful for my family - all of them including the dogs!  I'm also thankful that I'm feeling better - health is a wonderful thing!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

XO..Karen

Holidays are coming!

I'm painting bright and abstract paintings lately but my mood is far from the feeling that my paintings portrays!  I'm feeling flat, sad, irritable and basically anxious and depressed!  I have to force myself to participate in our morning meetings because all I really want to do is lay my head down and close my eyes!  I'm not sure where this feeling came from or when it got this bad....but I'm waiting for it to get better.  Holidays are always hard for me....losing a child and being without her on the holidays is difficult .  I feel it particularly during this time of year.

Hope you are not struggling with stress or troubles this time of year as this supposed to be a happy time of year.  Let's make the best we can of it!

XO Karen

Paintng Again!

I've fallen in love with the process of painting I'm learning in Flora Bowley's class..Bloom True.  My paintings have so much vibrancy and life....I dream of color palettes and shapes and imagery.

If you ever get a chance to take the class, I highly recommend it.  There are first time artists as well as accomplished artists learning the process....all creating beautiful art!  It's truly healing for the body and soul and I'm loving every minute of it!

The great thing about painting this way....you just keep adding paint and images until your painting is beautiful.  You go into the process with no color palette or image in mind.  The painting itself will tell you when it's done.  What do you think?  Is this one finished?

Karen

Falling in Love Again

I have fallen in love with painting again!  I am taking Flora Bowley's e-course "Bloom True" and am learning so much about intuitive painting.  I love the process.  These are three of my paintings in the beginning stages ....they have gone through many more stages since these photos were taken and I'm sure they will look completely different when they are finished but that's what the process is all about - letting the painting go where it wants to go.  All I know is after months of being blocked, I wake up in the middle of the night and add layers to my paintings and add to the paintings before and after work.  I truly love to paint again.  If you are an artist and she offers the class again....I highly recommend it!

Have a great Sunday.

XO
Karen