Winter Catch Up

Catching up is great, being focused is hard.  When I started Gwen's barn she showed me a picture of Mr. Green.  When I finished painting Mr. Green's extension of his house, he showed me the same  picture but with a hat on.  So when I see something twice and see the flash of what could be on a canvas I imprint that picture and some day do it.  I finished Mr. Green's picture and here it is:

This was a black and white picture, but I saw a shadow behind him, and I have to believe it was his mother...all those prayers for someone so far away from home.  He was stationed in Germany, but he never forgot Jones County......he is one of those smiling faces that appears at Gypsy's for breakfast.  He always has a smile and a gleam in his eyes.....a true hero here among us.

The other painting is a barn quilt for a neighbor.  They have lots of pine trees around them and a uniquely designed home, which I love so I thought a pine tree with lots of sky would depict what I remember when I think of them.

I love these quilt squares, I added some yellow to the tree some purple, white and blue in the sky to represent "blue sky pine" they are the most populated tree here and they give us green all year, with yellow dust in the Spring that lets us know it is almost time to plant.  I love nature and there is a lot of nature in Jones County.  You can drive to New Bern and Kinston, but it does not have the feel of Jones County.  We are a blessed lot who live here.....come on out and see what is for sale, lots of land and beautiful trees.

Today it is raining or icing maybe both....but the sky is giving the trees their due today.  They look so green, and offer us hope that winter won't last too long so we can reap the beautiful flowers to come in Spring.

Be careful, take care and have a wonderful winter day full of hot tea and warm thoughts.  k

Cold Weather Diversion

I haven't painted on Gwen's barn in over a week.  I drive by it when I leave our house and see it so wants to be finished.  I see the tobacco barn, and the field of tobacco in my head.  I also am practicing the horses to go on the other side of the barn.  I hope I don't have to wait until Spring to get this done.  Meanwhile the Blackwells are ready for their Angel, and again I hope I don't have to wait until Spring.  My goal is to paint at 50 degrees, if the sun is out it would be a pleasure compared to today.

Meanwhile back at the house and in the studio, which is my second favorite place, I have finished Surfer Girl for Shelly and Malydia (our neighbors)  picture below:

Shellie was a bit surprised at the size 20 x 30,  I am glad they liked it.

This morning Gram and I did our yoga, had biscuits and sausage gravy, hot coffee and then off to the elliptical.  While I was gliding away I saw a tree transform three painting I had done last year.  So I hopped of, brushed in the scene and came away with the Mosley Family Tree (Jay, Kristine, Cole and Sam), see below:

as you can see Sam is the first painting,  going up you see Jay and Kristine and then Cole.  The tree travels through all the pictures and helps me enjoy my family. 

I finished Mr. Green's picture today, in his uniform.  Claudia is going to work on a matte for me on Thursday.  I also want to get Regina's horse matted also.  I will bring my drawing of Jesus to Claudia also, to see if she can make a canvas drawing for me.  She has all kinds of goodies to make my stuff wonderfully beautiful. I picked out two charcoal drawings for Angie's mom and dad, they are wonderful, and since these drawing are of their grandchildren I thought they might like them.  Then I have a special flower pencil drawing for Meg.  She likes odd things, and this is odd.  I will put these pictures in the blog tomorrow.  It is 1:56 in the morning and I can't sleep.  So I decided to catch up on the blog.

I am working on a portrait of Ina Ray also, it is being done in oil, so I am waiting to work on the eyes because the paint is too wet, and that is a problem for a messy painter like me.  It has been nice to be home with Gram and Tony.  Tony sang a beautiful solo at Church on Sunday night, it was called "Joseph."  The song portrayed how Joseph felt when Mary was chosen to have Jesus.  A perspective I had not thought of, until Tony sang it with such emotion, he truly portrayed God's love, because Joseph had that for Mary.  Unconditional reasoning, unconditional love.....such a wonderful blessing for God to have bestowed on both of them.  This is a wonderful Christmas.  I miss Meg and Jay and their lives, but we talk often and get to see Jay and Kristine more than Meg and Trevor.  But Meg calls and we talk for hours, about things, about nothing, and feel as if we live next door to each other, it is about 3000 miles away.  But hearts know no distance, they just remember love.

Tomorrow Tony and I will work in the kitchen, the upstairs room is coming along, the art room and library are also becoming a very used part of the house.  So we are about to enter the morning of our third year in Trenton, we have met some wonderful people, and you know who you are (Willow, Gwen, Gypsy, Regina, Darlene, Jessie, April, Wendy, Stewart, Luke, Mr. Green, Tim, Ricky, Brandon, Ina Ray, Max, Linda, Glen, Glenn Spivey, Cliff, PJ, Sarah, Emma, Erin, Pam,  and on and on....

I really enjoyed Trenton's Downtown Christmas, Willow and Darlene and team (beautification committee) did a wonderful job.  I can actually say I have not put up Christmas lights in any of my home towns until this one.

Also a special thanks goes to Ms. Ava for allowing me to post a barn quilt on her tenant house on Wyse Fork Road.  It looks lovely and every time I pass it I say a little prayer for Ms. Ava.  She is a wonderful person, again another wonder person who lives in Trenton.

I will post the most recent barn quilt purchase by someone else soon.  I will be finishing another barn quilt tomorrow and it will be hung by Sat.  Our goal is to have 25 of these hanging by Spring (come on warm weather) and then we can have maps provided for those of you who would like to take the tour.

All in all it has been a busy long week (about 10 days) since I have been able to get to Gwen's barn, but I know "this too shall pass" and it will be complete for all to enjoy especially me, Tim and Gwen. 

I have a list of painting to finish while the weather is coooooold....so keep reading and know there is plenty of paint in the garage waiting to be exhibited.

Take care and be safe during this wonderful time....as we say in Trenton "We still say Merry Christmas in Trenton, NC."  This is a special place, thanks for that~

k