Smoky Mountains Completed

It seems it has been a long time since I posted a blog.  I've been busy and am happy to say I finished (finally) my oil painting of a Smoky Mountain scene.  I had visualized how it would look over our mantle and was happy the finished project matched my vision.  I think earlier I had blogged about this old gold leaf frame I found at the Purple Heart Thrift Store.  I was looking for an old traditional ornate frame like this and knew the instant I saw it that it was the one!  It was actually a framed mirror, I threw away the old mirror. I did have to make an effort to make the canvas board fit the odd dimensions of the old frame.  Paying only $20 for this deal-of-a-frame, the extra effort was worth it.

Today I prime a wall of our dining room for a mural I am painting.  I have yet to decide on a design.  Of course I can't help but blog about it so I will share my design later and some progress on it

 

A thought for the day:

If life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic.

.

First Oil Painting in Decades



Yesterday I was playing around making a still life
and photographed this.



Today I worked on my oil painting of the Smoky Mountains.  What a hectic week it has been!  It has been decades since I have painted in oils. I am not quite sure why that is true.  Today it occurred to me how much I was enjoying painting. Add all the art experience of decades and I can see how much I have improved in oil painting.  Honestly, the last time was probably in my late teens.  My first oil painting was of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.  I should have saved it!  I remembered it not being that great but probably not bad for my first time.



Years ago my aunt gave me a huge collection of brushes
and oil paints.  They are still good and are what I am using now.

I appreciate that my aunt gave me these art supplies years
ago. 



... and more tubes of oil paint she gave me.



Had to turn on the smooth jazz station before I started painting.

A small segment of the foreground of my painting.  I am making some
progress!  The painting
is quite large at 26" by 34".

(Sorry for the glare on the painting)

I can't wait to post it when it is finished, framed and hanging over our mantel.  The next project is a dining room mural.

Today



This beautiful flowering tree was in the Atlanta area Saturday.  The wind was
so fierce I had to hold them limb steady with one hand and snap the picture w
with the other hand.  Odd to see blooms when the temperature
during the weekend had been as low as 18 degrees.








 

We travel this road often near our house, I took this
photo today ... Clint was driving, of course.  There is no shoulder
and I can only imagine all the downed trees in an ice storm.  This road scares me.

So far "they're" not "callin' for" any ice storms.  For some reason
we laugh at the expression "callin' for" in weather forecasting.

Last week we actually heard "they" were "callin' for" ice pellets
in northern Alabama.  Yes, we laughed at this, too.

Pellets? :~D



This photo could win for Most Boring Photo in Blogger History but this
scene hopefully marks a milestone for me.  After much research, I now
have my gessoed canvas panel ready for my oil painting.

Today Clint did a blog post on numerous famous people who have died from drug related deaths.  He was talking about these talented people throwing away their lives and not using their God given talents.  The words "God given talents" jumped out at me, I am have been guilty of not using my talent for some time now. Not getting younger, either. That is why I am excited about starting my new oil painting of the Smoky Mountains. Hopefully the next project will be a mural in our dining room. We have a perfect wall awaiting a beautiful scene.

Last week I mentioned I had received an exciting email concerning a blog topic. Well, I received another anticipated email on Tuesday.  I now have most of the blog draft done, this upcoming blog is a collaboration in some ways and hope to post it as soon as I can.




Thank you for listening ...

Enter at Your Own Risk!

Several months ago we went to Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains.  Today I am displaying photos of faces seen on the streets of Gatlinburg.  Two of the faces shown are of real humans, the other ones faux humans.  Can you pick out the two real humans?

Also, a message to my dear blog friends and followers.  I know that "some" of you don't take too kindly to wax figures (snicker, the sadistic side of me is emerging ;~D) . I promise on this post there are no 113 year old wax heads or any other wax figures.  It was such a hot day on the streets that day, any wax figures would have been a liquid puddles on the streets.

As a precaution, if anyone should experience some sort of anxiety attack while viewing these photos, have the paper bag nearby and repeat after me:  These are not wax figures, these are not wax figures, these are not wax figures ......

May your tour of these ghastly faces and figures begin ...

Round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows ... or cares!

♪♫  Brylcreem, a little dab'ill do ya    ♪♫


(A haircut wouldn't hurt either)



Open wide!  Hmmm  Maybe we should first discuss our payment plan ...





Man of few words ...  his face says it all.



This guy reminds me of Ozzy



A human sized G I Joe



An old tycoon

A Robin Williams wannabe on a bad hair day

Ah come on, your face won't break if you smile ... well it might indeed with those scars!

This guy creeps me out!  There's something about those eyes!

Harry Potter, what are you doing in this mix of creepy characters?

If you hit the target, this babe is dunked into the water!

(Beware of the tsunami)

(A Deep breath is in order here)



BOO!