They are all talented

In my last post I shared the artwork of my son's children.  This time I'm sharing the artwork of my daughter's children, who are equally talented.  (Warms an art teacher's heart.)

Beau's Jesus

Olivia's Jesus which also won 1st place.  

A leg up.

Just another quick grandchildren post.

A sample of my oldest grandson's art.

And his youngest brother's art from the Oil Heritage Art Show

And...... the middle grandson's art.  (And he thinks he can't do art!)  This is his 5th ribbon (three of those being first place and one being best of show.)

The piece is entitled "Volcanic Eruption."  He finished it a couple of nights before the drop off date.  That night I was trying to explain to him what a focal point was.  It seemed he was getting the concept pretty well.  At some point this piece just didn't have "it" and I didn't think he should enter it.  He kept asking why, hence the discussion of design elements and principles.  When he left that night it wasn't going to be entered.  It was propped up on my kitchen table and as I kept looking at it (probably with my hands on hips and my head cocked) I realized how much energy and depth it had.  So, I texted his mother to tell him to go ahead and enter the painting.  

The next morning I got a text from him asking...... Where's the vocal point?  

Needless to say, I'm glad I listened to him and let him enter it.  

My beautiful granddaughter

This took place last May, but thought I'd share as I haven't done a grandchildren post in quite awhile.
My granddaughter had her first Holy Communion this past Spring.

Of course she rivals Michelangelo's  "Pieta" in beauty.  (I'm not bias or anything.)

My little super stars

I am slipping.  There hasn't been a grandchild post in a long time.  (Not that they haven't been busy...... I've just been sleeping.)

Anyway, here's a couple new pictures.  Don't they look adorable?

This is Beau.  Maybe someday he'll play for the Penquins.

This is Cody who had his first tournament this past Saturday.  He thinks his coaches are bossy.

(Aren't coaches supposed to be bossy?)

Love them both dearly.  Cody's big brothers do Kung Fu and Beau's sister Olivia is into cheerleading.

Still Anal in 2013

Tax time comes around so darn fast and like most artistic people my focus is on making art........ not keeping records and tracking every little detail related to the business end of art making.  (Although I do try..... really I do.)

One of my first orders of business is inventory.  I swore I would not be as anal about counting every little jump ring and bead as last year, but that is a hard habit to break.  So....... I've been spending days playing with numbers, not making art (it's killing me.)   Luckily, my cousin comes up to the studio to help with it.  (She can't believe I make her count every last one.)

I try to keep up with it all .  Every year at this time I resolve to spend time at least once a week and get my paperwork in order.   (That usually lasts about a month.)  Preparing my reports for the tax preparer is mind boggling.  It's okay if the numbers work out, but they never do.

It wouldn't be so difficult if what comes in equals what goes out, but art doesn't work that way.  Pieces don't work out (got a jar full of that stuff.)   Things get lost (still haven't found the piece that shot off my flex-shaft.)  Some pieces get made with materials I've had for twenty years (how would I remember what they cost?)  I can't remember what I had for breakfast!  Sometimes it's hard to figure out exactly how much polymer clay was used or how much wire.  (I finally put wire down as an overhead item.)  Then I have pieces that are unaccounted for.  Where did they go?  I do know that a few were stolen, along with a display piece I had sitting out.  How do painters ever figure out their expense sheets?

Oh well, I am trying to do it right.  Anal or not, it's who I am.

So, I'm including a picture of young artists working in my home studio.  (I'm so jealous!)

"Happy New Year"

Happy New Year!

Well it is finally here..... 2013.

I'm not making any resolutions except....... to think young and make the most of my time.

We had grandchildren with us for the last few days of the old year.  (What better way to think young!)

No sled?  No hill?  Just use the steps!  (We had just a little snow!)

Now back to the studio and back to work.  I have a couple of commissions to work on, a silhouette machine to use with metal clay and that dreaded end of the year paperwork to take care of.  

Keep warm and stay posted for the New Year!

I'm not buying a Chicken!

My second oldest grandson (who is seven) likes Pokemon, plays on his DS, wants Grandpa to set up a box wall so he can crash his go-cart into it (that's another story) and in general does what all little boys do.  But for some reason his brain comes up with all sorts of unusual ideas.  (For many of his questions I have no answer.)

Sometimes it seems like he is the easiest to buy for.  (And since I'm sure he doesn't read my blog, I'm going to go global and tell you one of the things he is getting for Christmas.)

Last year for Christmas I bought him a coffee table art book about Andy Goldsworthy, Andy Goldsworthy, a Collaboration with Nature.  He is a British artist who does temporal sculptural installations with natural materials.  His work is phenomenal.  (Ooh, he would be great inspiration.)  Ethan spent long periods of time just sitting in my front room looking through that book.  Twice he borrowed it to take to school and share with his teachers and classmates.  So it just seemed right to get it for him (and yes I did get him typical boy stuff to go with it.)

This past summer when we were camping in Cook Forest we went to the Indian Trading post to buy the boys a souvenir.  One of the boys bought a toy bow and arrow set and the other some type of boy toy.  Ethan wanted the red looking diamond that was in the crystal case.  I have a large one in my studio and he has been admiring that for years.  His "diamond" is not as big but maybe even nicer than mine.

So this year he has his mind fixated on Lapis Lazuli.  He has been talking about it for a long, long time.    He and a friend have discussions about it.  And of course Grandma has found a nice big chunk of raw Lapis Lazuli that comes in a pouch with information about the stone.  Originally I was going to get him a polished stone but opted instead for the raw version.

He was also fixated on getting a baby chick.  He and his friend have had lots of discussions about that too.  But this is where I draw the line.  I am not buying a chicken (no matter how much I love the little guy.)

Where's Daddy?

Friday morning after Thanksgiving:

Granddaughter - "Where's my Daddy?"

Grandma - He went to work.

Granddaughter - In North Carolina?

Grandma - No, in Pittsburgh.

Granddaughter - Darn, I thought he went to get us donuts.

Skip childhood...... go right to adulthood

It seems like today's children are in a hurry to grow up.  The granddaughter is six....... going on thirty six.   (As noted by a lady as we waited in line for the bathroom at the local pizza parlor.)

Today I picked up Cody, the four year old from pre-school.  As usual he talked and talked and talked...... about anything and everything.  He is still young enough to require a booster seat in the car.  His oldest brother is nine and no longer has to have a car seat, although he has to sit in the back.  Cody proceeded to tell me that his older brother could sit in the front seat.  Of course I had to set him straight and told him that only adults could sit in the front seat.  He said his brother was an adult.  When I told him that his brother wasn't an adult, he said "Well he's a kidult!"

Now as I think about it, I think kidult should be part of our vocabulary.  Todays' kids are growing up way too fast.   They think they are older than they really are.  I guess we can thank the media for this.  Childhood is precious and we are quickly losing it.

Hoodwinked!

My husband and I just got home from five days of watching the grandchildren.  My daughter had to go to NC on business and since her husband works from six in the morning (today it was 3:45) until seven at night, we were needed to get the grandchildren off to school in the morning and to pick them up in the evening.

It went very well and the kids were good.   They did talk us into stopping at Grandma's Country Oven Bake Shoppe every night for a cookie.  (We resisted the first two nights but gave in today.)

As good as they were, we still had a few incidences that reminded me not to be too Grandmotherly and believe everything they tell me.

They've all done it.  None of the grandchildren are immune from trying to hoodwink Grandma and Grandpa.

Oldest Grandson (when he was younger)....... "My mom allows me to ride in the front seat of the car."
"My mom doesn't make me use the car seat. " "We are allowed to have ice cream for breakfast. "

The Granddaughter (six years old but thinks she's sixteen) ........  My Mom allows me to ride my scooter to the playground by myself.  

The last two days I let her pack her own clothes for after school and she did okay.  Well, the third time wasn't okay.  "I'm allowed to wear these knee high boots!"  (Not so said her mother when I talked to her.)  To make it worse, it wasn't just the boots but the tights and the belly showing, spaghetti strapped top.  It's not even suitable for showing on this blog.   Grandpa sent a picture to her Mom when we picked her up and that's how she got busted.

I know the other three have hoodwinked us too.  They're not off the hook.  It's just that at the moment we can't think of the specific times they've done it.  (Grandparents are not only easy...... but they also forget lots of things.   That works to their advantage.)

And the game is on!!!

 

Let it Rain!

Beau, the youngest of the youngest.

(I remember playing in the rain....... a long, long, time ago!)

Oil Heritage Festival Day two

Yesterday at the Oil Heritage Festival was pretty promising as I mentioned in my post.  We were hoping that today would be better since people would be off work and more likely to stop by.  That was not the case.   The number of people in attendance was disappointing to say the least and it wasn't only for us.  The outside vendors also saw quite a drop.  The weather didn't help as there was once again a tornado warning in effect.  The sky got pretty black and all the outside vendors cleared out about an hour early as today was the last day.

We were able to stay open a little longer since we had nothing to take down and made an extra sale or two.  We also have the advantage of being able to be open tomorrow during the car show.  It's a whole different crowd and I know when my husband takes me to a car show, I usually look for something else to look at.  So.... hopefully tomorrow will add a few sales.

Today was the 5K race that all the members of my son's family participated in.  I wasn't able to see the race but "the crew" stopped by after the race.

John Manders (our resident book illustrator) was once again doing caricatures out in the street in front of the gallery.  He was positioned in such a way that we were able to watch him draw when he wasn't busy.  (He even did a caricature of a Mastiff named Lenny today.)   Yesterday he did seventy caricatures.   I had him do caricatures of my three grandsons today.

Tyler the oldest

Ethan the middle child

Cody the youngest

Calories don't count

After five days at Myrtle Beach, SC I learned that "Calories don't count outside your zip code." (That's good to know since I was dreading my next weigh in at Weight Watchers.)

 I also learned that there is a certain age when it doesn't matter how good of a body you have..... Bikinis are a no no. (There are some images in my mind here that will give me nightmares.)

The grandchildren loved the ocean and the alligator farm.

And the granddaughter loved the day she went shopping with her Mom and Grandma.  

I  got to golf at Tidewater golf course and saw first hand the huge number (and size) of the sand traps on a premiere course (although I only ended up in two of the traps.)  Makes me appreciate the little courses I golf on around here.

Ended the trip by taking the grandchildren to the NC Zoo in Ashboro.  We really, really like that zoo and this will probably be the last trip there.  (My daughter and her family moved back to PA.)

Children will play.  These young baboons were playing peek-a-boo with the grandchildren.  

I also learned that July in the Carolinas is hot, hot, HOT!!  (But it was fun .......  now back to work.)

Speaking of Backs

One of the first people I traded charms with at the conference was Kim Paige.  (She recognized my charm from my blog...... nice to know that it's being read.)

Kim's charm 

I mention Kim because she was wearing a necklace that had her children on it and I noticed it immediately.  When I went to take a closer look at it (on her neck of course) I saw that the other side was also beautifully designed.  (Why is it we immediately turn the piece over?....... another reason for taking extra care with the opposite side.)  Kim designs and sells under the title "Red Tree Studio."  (I guess that's why the red leaf!) 

Check out her portrait pendants.  http://redtreestudio.com/photopendant.htm

A few years back I did a portrait of my granddaughter Olivia.  That was another reason I was extra interested in Kim's necklace.  Her technique allowed for more detail than the photo polymer plate I used.  

Actually after seeing Kim's, I'm embarrassed to even show mine.  In fact I won't.  I'll just show the sweet little picture it was taken from.  This is Olivia Pearl!

"I caught a worm!"

"Grandma, I caught a worm and Ethan caught a pink worm!"  Obviously the little man doesn't quite have the grasp as to how this fishing thing works and didn't see Grandpa put the worm on his hook.  He did manage to catch a little fish later in the day at the campground's frog pond.

Well we are back from the campground and relaxing in the air conditioning.  It was a good time and we are looking forward to doing it again.

Vampires at the Arcade

A great weekend for playing in the pool

 climbing the fire tower to the top

and playing in the stream.

Today my legs are KILLING me.  I guess I should have stayed on the ground!

"Turn Around"

My second entry to the Junk Art Show is titled "Turn Around."  The theme of this piece is grandchildren.  Now, I'll just mention right from the start that I don't consider this piece finished.

My method of working seems to be.... get an idea, begin working, change my mind, work some more, decide that "it's" not working, set aside and live with it for awhile until the piece tells me what's missing.  Sometimes this "tell me what you need stage" lasts a few days or occasionally it's been a few years.  When I started this piece I had three days.  (There's that procrastinator in me again!)

I suspect the idea began forming on the day that I attended my Granddaughter's kindergarten program, followed by rushing home to attend my Grandson's preschool program.  During both of these programs there was a slide presentation showing all the little ones through the previous year.  Of course the slide shows were accompanied by music that reminded us to enjoy them now because they grow so fast.

For this piece, I went in search of junk to use.  (Unlike the previous piece which just jumped out at me.)  Since I did a major cleaning out earlier in the year, there wasn't much for me to choose from.  In looking around the grandchildren's game room I noticed all the puzzle pieces which they'd outgrown.  (Sniff, sniff.)  So, that was my starting point.

At first I was going to use the puzzle pieces as is, but decided instead to paint them.   (Although there are a couple that are the original color.)  Pink for the granddaughter and blue for the grandsons.  I put in quite a few hours, arranging and rearranging the pieces (stressing about it as I knew time was running out.)  There are painted-on puzzle shapes that bend around the canvas to the edges and actual pieces glued on to the edges.

Besides the puzzle pieces is a handless clock face (trying to stop the clock..... to no avail) and puzzle shapes cut out of sheet music.  Here is where only "oldies" like me might get the title "Turn around."
The song was written by Malvina Reynolds, Allen Greene and Harry Belfonte and was a hit for the Kingston Trio in 1964.  (I'm including the lyrics for anyone not familiar with it.)

"Turn Around"  Puzzle pieces, acrylic paint, sheet music, watch face

"6 x 6"

I liked the idea, but didn't really feel the piece was successful.  So..... after the show, I will live with it and see if I can figure out the direction it wants to go.

"Turn Around" as written by Malvina Reynolds.

Where are you going, my little one, little one, Where are you going, my baby, my own? Turn around and you're two, Turn around and you're four, Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door. Turn around, turn around, Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door. Where are you going, my little one, little one, Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?2 Turn around and you're tiny, Turn around and you're grown, Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own. Turn around, turn around, Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own.

He cracks me up!

According to Cody .... Crap is not a "D" word.

Welcoming

My front studio is basically a jewelry store.  I'm always playing with it and trying to make it more appealing by redecorating it every so often.

A seventh grader stopped in the studio tonight after her dance class.  As she was looking around, she commented that she liked the way I decorated the studio.  She said it looked "welcoming."  (That surprised me, coming from a seventh grader.)  But it was exactly what I wanted my customers to feel.

My latest venture was to add a fountain.  They always sound so soothing and relaxing; just the atmosphere I want to shop in.  I grouped the fountain with a painting my then eight year old grandson had painted and some "water themed" jewelry.

Today when the teenager stopped in I was playing Celtic music.  Earlier I had relaxing spa music on.  That kind of music is a perfect compliment to the sound of trickling water.  But I've been known to play Lady GaGa, Adam Lambert and Kid Rock.  Do you think it will work with the "welcoming feeling?"
I'm not so sure!

Got my work cut out for me

I've always wanted to instill a love and understanding of art in my grandchildren.  My husband on the other hand wants to fill their little heads and hearts with a love of science and...... of course sports.

Saturday night during "Art all night" I got a chance to talk to the three year old on my cell phone. When I told him I was in Pittsburgh at an art show.  He asked me if I was with the Steelers.

I think my husband is winning!

Why do I let him stay?

My husband is helping our oldest grandson with his science fair project, a potato gun.  (Which I don't think is appropriate for a third grader to make........ but he and I will discuss that when he gets home.)  Anyway, my husband wanted to print out the directions.  As usual, instead of asking for help with the printer he tried it himself.   First he yanked out the external hard drive device without ejecting it first.  Then he set up the printer (and I'm not sure what he did, but it did not work....... except to make loud clacking noises.)  In his defense the printer has done this before and I've never really figured out what it was.  Eventually, after about 20 minutes worth of flipping the printer over and pushing buttons it finally began to work.

So, I went to print out his article and discovered it was seventy pages worth.  (I am not using seventy pieces of paper for something I don't approve of.)  I didn't discover this until after five pages had already printed so I now have more pieces of scrap.  I then found a site that had a mini-potato gun.  Tried to print a PDF version of that and found out that I had to join the web site for $2.00 a month.  Heck with that.

Now you might think this post is about letting my husband stay.  Well it's not.  Instead, I'm questioning why I let my grandson stay overnight so much.  He was trying to help me figure out why the printer wasn't working.  "Grandma, do you have paper in the printer?  Sometimes old people forget to put paper in the printer!"

The operative word was "old people."  He's lucky I love him so much!