Happy Memorial Day

I was watching the artist Kaziah Hancock on The View this morning and thought how she is in a way the voice of Memorial Day.  She is the artist who paints portraits of our soldiers who have been killed in the service of their country in places like Iraq or Afghanistan.  She has been able to get a casualty list from the military, complete with family information so that she can contact them to get a true feel of the soldier she will be painting.  She personally has painted over 800 soldiers' portraits, and along with several other artists that she has helping her, there is a combined total of over 3000 portraits that have been done. 

There is no fee involved, it is simply something that they do straight from their hearts.  Kaziah is a goat farmer as well as being an artist, and says that she does sell some of her other paintings which helps to "keep the lights on." She did form a non profit so that does allow for some donations to go toward getting supplies, but it is mostly paid for out of the artists' pockets not to mention the donation of their time.  Kaziah says that she gets in touch with the spirit of the soldier, and with the information she gets from their families she feels that she really knows the person by the time she finishes the portrait.

The portraits are given to the families of these soldiers, and they say it is like "getting them back" even if it is only for a split second on canvas.  It does mean the world to all of these families who have suffered such a loss.

So Happy Memorial Day, and remember art is everywhere!

Another Side of Me

All right, being self admittedly a little obsessive/compulsive, somewhat type A and a Gemini, I have veered off my course just slightly.  I went to Barnes and Noble with the best of intentions to purchase yet another art book-this time looking for a new Lian Quan Zhen offering.  But the allure of the cooking section was too powerful, and I ended up with two new cookbooks to add to my four hundred book (plus or minus) current collection.   One is Quick and Easy Meals by the American Heart Association, and the other is The Biggest Loser-Flavors of the World Cookbook.  I did this because I wanted some new and fresh ideas that were healthy and calorie/portion conscious to help my husband maintain his weight.

About four years ago my husband lost about 85 pounds using the Sonoma Diet which stresses whole grains and portion control using local Sonoma County products that are similar to those of the Mediterranean.  You still can have just about anything you want to eat, but the amounts are closely monitored.  He never felt hungry while on the diet, and he has been able to maintain his weight since the initial loss.  After a while, though you need more ideas, and it makes you look at old favorite recipes in a new way.  I have all the best cookbooks that are available, and I love to adjust the recipes by Julia, Ina, Jacques, Giada and so on, but sometimes it is nice to have a new cookbook that you can just cook from without changing a thing.  I can't wait to try some of these new ideas.

Okay the art has not been forgotten.  I am still reading Edgar Whitney, and I have started a painting using matte medium and tissue paper.  It is actually starting to come together the way I was  hoping, and when I am finished I will post a picture.  The painting is another version of my peony bowl, Buddha and some persimmons, and I do like the way it is going.  So now you have a better idea of how my mind works-kind of in many directions.....

Oh the Weather!!

Well the Montgomery Village Art show went really well this weekend to a point.  It was getting progressively colder on Saturday, and the rain threat was becoming more real so the event was canceled for Sunday.  Saturday we did have a few lookers, but the the mall was not filled as full as it would have been on a sunny day.  I did get some wonderful compliments on my work, and that is always nice.

I spent Thursday and Friday of last week matting and framing about seven paintings so I would have something new to put in the show.   I did a couple of Zentangle collages, and some more loose paintings with some pen and ink detail.  I promised to show you a new painting so I will keep that promise.

I like this painting because it is light and loose, but it still has a certain amount of the control I seem to need.  It isn't very big-11 x 14-but it brightens any spot where it is hung.

Yesterday my husband Rich and I were invited to his cousin Dolores' 80th birthday (he always thought of her as more of an aunt because of the age difference), and we had a wonderful time visiting with the family.  Good food, good family, good friends what more could we want??? 

So the weather tried to mess with us, but we didn't let it-we just enjoyed........

The Day After Mother's Day

Yes, it has been awhile since I posted anything on my blog.  I'll bet you thought that I had given up, or was slacking on my goals, but the opposite is true.  I have been doing a lot of painting and matting and framing since I have a show in Montgomery Village this coming weekend, and I need to be ready for it.  I have also been doing more Zentangles, and I have even put together a couple of "collage" versions of the tangles.  The reading is getting a bit neglected, but not totally, so all in all I am keeping up a good pace.

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and all of the family was here for the day.  My mom, my daughter, my daughter-in-law and I all enjoyed the day.  It is always fun when the grandbabies are here, and yesterday was no exception.  My husband, my two sons and son-in-law all seemed to have a good time as well.

So I will keep you posted as I promised, and let you know how much progress I am making.  Next time I post I will add some more images of my latest work!