Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Years Eve! We are staying in. I'm fixing dinner, twiced baked potatoes included, and we have three movies to watch. I'm excited to be relaxing at home with my family. See you in 2011!

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas!

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas! I hope your Holiday Season is filled with Love and Fun!


Our Mister Rudy just loves the Christmas Tree! He sits on the back of the chair, next to the tree, and looks at...I'm not sure what....for long periods of time. He seems to be having a wonderful Christmas. The rest of our fur family seems pretty happy too...but they are being camera shy.

Merry Christmas!!!

Journal

I think I completed two pages of a journal...a long time ago.  Then Suzi mentioned something about a journal...travelling around and ending up in a museum.  So I checked it out, paid the money and I've been racing to get it finished now before the deadline, Jan 15, 2011.  At first I was sorry that I had taken it on, but now I believe it's been one of the best things I've taken on.  I know it's not my best work...I'm probably not going to finish the entire journal, the way I would like to, but I've learned so much and it's becoming one of my passions.  It's such a great way to grow, experiment and learn about yourself.  Not to mention becoming addicted, in a great way, to things like ink.  I didn't know how much fun drawing in pen and ink could be.  I am so looking forward to creating journals from now on!

Here are a few pages... 

Merry Christmas!

The plan is for this post to be my entrance back into the world of blogging.  I have missed blogging and I've missed reading your blogs...most of all.  Life has been way too busy and I am at the point where I need to start saying NO, to the not so important things, and YES to the things I am passionate about.  I'm a firm believer that we need to direct our lives, not let our lives direct us...but what have I been doing?  Whatever life, and everyone else, has wanted me to.  Time to get back on track.  

I will share part of the journal that I've been working on tomorrow, but tonight I want to share a picture of two cutie pies enjoying our Christmas Tree.  Rudy Farcus in the chair and GusGus under the tree.  They were taking turns with Oppea and Rory.  It's hard to catch them all together. 

Have a wonderful evening...

Deb

Stormy Sunday

It's very stormy here in Oregon today...  Gus and I were going to go for a walk in the forest, but fortunately we were slow getting about.  It started hailing, like I've never seen before...so much wind and then the lightning and thunder started!  Five out of Six of our pets got very nervous.  Not Rudy...here is a picture of him...as calm as can be.

Something else I've been thinking about today...Delicata Squash.  I tried this squash last year for the first time and fell in love!  It really is one of my favorite things to eat.  I roast it in the oven after drizzling olive oil over it and adding coarse sea salt, pepper and fresh rosemary.  It's the best!  And, I found a new little squash to try this year...A sweet Dumpling Squash.  Isn't it cute!  I can't wait to try it!

 

Penelope Cat

I'm not sure if I should be posting this right now... I'm so tired...and I'm having trouble thinking of what to say.  So, with that said...I will just post my new painting, "Penelope Cat".   I used the watercolor pencils for the majority of this painting and only used a bit of acrylic paint here and there.  Ok, I'm off to bed....  I'll be back when I'm not half asleep. :-)

A Portrait of Rudy

Happy Sunday!  I hope it's as beautiful where you are...as it is here. 

I finished a small portrait of our cat, Rudy, the other day.  Rudy is the white cat that adopted us at the espresso shop...and now lives with us.  He is such a colorful guy...so I decided to paint him in brilliant color. 

I used water color pencils and acrylic paints, on canvas, for this piece.  I think I've found a new love, too.  I am so enjoying the water color pencils on canvas!  Who knew it would be so much fun.  That reminds me...I need to order more colors...better do that now.

I'll be back soon with another painting I'm working on.

Ready for Halloween!

Autumn is probably my favorite time of year.  I love pretty much everything about it...from the gorgeous falling leaves, pumpkins, mums, honey crisp apples (the best apple by a mile), excited children and the clear blue skies.  Such a homey, comfy time of year. 

The espresso shop is  decorated and selling a ton of Pumpkin Pie Spiced Chai...it's so good!  Egg Nog Lattes are next! :-)

 I found these cute little pumpkins at our local store.

A cat named Bleu

"Bleu" is my new cat painting.  I do love to paint cats, but I'm planning to paint a few florals soon.  There's a 30X30 inch canvas staring at me right now...  I guess I had better get my house clean...so I can get started! 

Wild Cat

Hi !

It's been a while, again, but in about a month I plan to be painting full time again!!!  I am so excited! 

I have a new painting, "Wild Cat", and a framed print to share tonight and I'll have more in a day or two.

Time to watch Survivor....  It's been fun watching this year.  My sister-in-law put the names of the TV Survivors in a hat and 20 of us picked a name.  Makes it more personal and fun!  Of course there will be a party when we find out Who the winner is.  Yes...there is a prize!  I'm Brenda and I'm still in! :-)

Be back soon...

Deb

   

Hello

Yes, I am still around!  There's no way anyone has time to read everything that I've been up to...we've been kind of busy...so I'll just show you the only painting I've created in months...and a picture of my gluten free pumpkin muffins.  I'm attempting to eat gluten-free.  I do feel better, but I've gained a pound, unlike everyone else I know that lost weight eating this way.  I don't understand?  Could be that I love these pumpkin muffins and potatoes and corn. 

Here's my new little kitty, Sophie

Yummy gluten free Pumpkin Muffins with cranberries and pumpkin seeds

I hope everyone has a great week!

My Day Off

Today was a gorgeous day, and it was my day off! A day to, finally, exercise with Jillian. If you've never tried one of her DVDs, I highly recommend them. Then it was off to Grandpa's Garden. A beautiful little, family owned farm, with the best fruits and veggies around. They are now making jams and syrups, too, so I had to buy a few to try, and they are wonderful!           

I had in mind that I would paint when I got home, but first GusGus and I had to have lunch on the deck, and give Oppea a little attention, too.

We have a very small garden on our deck this year.  Some herbs and cherry tomatoes.  GusGus loves to lay by the tomato plants.  The cats lay by the catnip plant on the other side of the deck.  They really seem to enjoy it. 

I did paint for the rest of the afternoon...  I had a GREAT day off!!! 

The Getaway...

Saturday after work my husband and I headed out, for a short adventure, over one of Oregon's most beautiful passes, to visit his sister in Bend.  Believe me, traveling through this most amazingly, gorgeous part of the world...  Oh, you just really need to experience it.  It's amazing.  Here are a few pictures that I snapped coming home, trying to capture a bit of the magic. 

There's a section of the forest that was infested with a beetle, but they weren't allowed to spray, which meant the trees died...and then...a forest fire.  These next pictures show a dead forest in the background and the new growth.  It's very hauntingly beautiful.

And, then there is Bend...  A beautiful city, surrounded by snow capped mountains.  The Three Sisters being the most famous.

We didn't float down the river this time, but we have joined in the fun before, and will again.  It's a gorgeous setting.

Lots of things to do, including a brick firepit, outdoor dining, concerts and lots of charming little shops.

The desert is beautiful, too.  There were lots of flowers...all colors.  These are our favorite.

Hopefully, there will be more short Getaways this summer.  We had such a great time!!!

  

Busy...Busy...Busy

Just when you think life can't get any busier!  It does!  It's been fun, but I am ready for a quiet, slow, creative moment.  Maybe tomorrow...  I am closing the coffee shop on Sundays and Mondays through the summer.  The plan is to paint on those days.  :-)  Painting with my granddaughter is in the plans, too!  She's amazing!

I did finish, "Oscar And Izzy", a commission that I have been working on.  Very sweet cats, and my first abstract-ish, commissioned, pet piece.  It was so much fun, and definitely a style I feel I need to explore more.  

On a different note...  Has anyone been in an airport lately?  Oh, My!  We took our daughter to an airport two hours away...(so we were up at 2 am)...and I didn't know that there were that many security guards in the world!  They scan each and every drivers license now, too.  It was very interesting, and felt...strange.  I think it would make a great surreal painting.   I may have to give Surrealism a try.

Happy Sunday!

Hello

Hello!  I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post!  Life is very busy, too busy!!!  I've really missed reading blogs and posting.  I've, actually, tried to read a bit and post, but I've been so tired...things just don't come out right, so I go to bed.  I've been running the Espresso shop by myself, so that's pretty much all I've been up to.  I have been able to paint a bit at the shop, and finished this little guy, that I named Sherman, after a crazy cat that I owned 30 years ago.  He was fun to work on.  I painted him on wood, using acrylics, watercolor pencils and I used my new favorite stamp on the background and around the edge.  I'm, also, working on a commission, which I will share after I give the owner the first peek.  

Well, I guess I had better get to bed, so I can get back to making Lattes!  :-) My favorite is a coconut latte, at the moment....It's so good!   I will be back....  

I hope everyone has been well and having a great time! 

First 3/4 face...In a very long time

I have avoided the 3/4 face for most of my life, so when I saw Suzi Blu's 3/4 face class, I decided it sounded like fun, and why not give it a try.  Well, I am so glad that I decided to make the time.  Suzi is a great teacher and it's been fun learning a new technique, with very different materials.  Wow, there are a lot of new products out there!  So, while I have been waiting for my back-ordered wooden canvases, I did a little painting, and started to experiment with some of the new, to me, paints and inks.  I think, when I really get going, I am going to love this new journey!  

Blue Calico and My To Do List

I've set a few goals for myself lately, because I seem to be so busy...I find myself standing, wondering what to do next.  Do you ever do that?  I can be so scattered.  So it came to me...make a list for each day, which  MUST include exercise, and I HAVE to do everything on that list.  It's working pretty well! 

Here's my new little colorful cat.  I love the combination of dioxazine purple, light blue violet and gold ochre...throw in Mars yellow, quinacridone burnt orange and a touch or burnt sienna, finish off with golden's iridescent bright gold (which I absolutely love).  One of my favorites.  I LOVE color!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

Edible Flowers For Kitty

I opened the door the other day, at the espresso shop, to find Kitty having an afternoon snack.  She seemed a little miffed that I interrupted her, but forgave me after I gave her a backrub.  I have to admit, the pansies do look yummy! 

Hello

Hi!  I'm still around...Just very, very busy.  Business at the Espresso Shop has picked up a lot, so more of my time is spent there.  I signed up for a couple of art classes, to learn new techniques, and they are amazing.  I love Jane's 'prints on wood' class,  and I am very taken with 'Suzi Blu's Piety and Passion' class.  Great new techniques that I can't wait to start.  A lot of new supplies, for me, so I've been having quite a time finding everything, but I think I'm set now.  I  don't want to know how much I spent...it'll be worth it.

I  have a new little FOX painting to share.  He's now in my ETSY shop.

Have a great evening!
Deb

Jane's Prints on Wood

Here is a link to Jane's Prints on Wood tutorial.  I'm excited to learn her technique!
http://www.grittyjane.com/blog

Happy Easter!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, loving Easter!  We're going to my Sister-In-Law's, so I won't be cooking.  Well, I am making a couple of salads, which I love to do.  The grandchildren are excited, and coloring their eggs today.  I wish I could join them, but it's off to the shop for me!

Before I go...I have a new abstract kitty painting to share.  I thought of bees the entire time I was painting him, so his name is, "Bee Cat".

MOM

Spring, babies and Moms all go together for me.  It's a special time of year, and with Mother's Day right around the corner, I wanted to create a painting depicting the love between a Mother and Child. 

Robin and a Cat painting

I'm off to the espresso shop...but wanted to share my new Cat and Robin painting before I go.  I really enjoyed painting the robin, and since I love birds...I don't know why I haven't painted more of them. 

I hope everyone has as beautiful a Saturday as we are having in Oregon today!