New Release

Finally finished this last night.  I'm really enjoying painting playfully.  This is supposed to be a whimsical view of the McWherter Bridge at Paris Landing - just around the corner from my house, but I suppose it could be any bridge.

To purchase orginal, please contact me.
Prints in a variety of sizes and formats. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

The weekend after the July 4^th weekend has always seemed to me as the time that summer really sets in.   Around here it usually gets really hot and sometimes pretty humid. The days are kind of lazy and long.  A great time to sit back and enjoy the scenery of life.  

 

 

Let's Sit

Buy a print in my online gallery or in Paris Landing at T. F. Rice & Co.

 

 

There’s an old song by Nat King Cole that has always made me think of summers on Kentucky Lake.

“Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer

Just fill your basket full of sandwiches and weenies
Then lock the house up, now you're set.

….. You’ll wish that summer could always be here.”

-Words by Charles Tobias and music by Hans Carste

 

State Park Art Display

I went to Paris Landing State Park this morning to put up a display of my artwork.

I think it's wonderful that they let local artist display their talent like this.

As I was leaving I couldn't help but notice ...

 ... the beautiful Pansies just outside the front door.

And then because it was such a beautiful morning

I drove on over and went through the picnic area.

I love the lake when it looks like this.

Have a beautiful day!

The Dinghy, Image C

Had a question the other day about “The Dinghy, Image C.”  They had seen it on one of my websites and wanted to know, “Why the C?”   Well, it’s a little complicated. Let me start at the beginning.

Here is the original photo.  It’s the dinghy for the marina down at Paris Landing State Park. It’s just a metal boat without a motor they would use to paddle around when they needed to get between the docks. This was just a quick snapshot and later, when I opened it on my computer, I realized I really got lucky with the composition. I think the original  looks pretty good as it is, but you know me … I just have to play with it.

 

 

 

 

So the first one I came up with looked like this.

 

"The Dinghy, Image A"

This later became known as “Image A.”  I really liked it, but I really wanted the blue to be just a little different shade. So while I was experimenting I came up with a completely different color …

Brown.

"The Dinghy, Image B"

Which I also really loved and had to save it also for my permanent collection as “Image B.” Then of course, I was still looking for just the right blue and finally came up with

"The Dinghy, Image C"

Buy a print.

Image C which has just the right shade of blue and a little golden brown also. So, in the end, I liked Image C the best, but I also really loved Image A & B, and kept them all.

Here is a little detail of one of the things I like so much.

It’s all those little squiggles of texture.

Hope you like it too!

Things I Like

A door plaque at Anne's House.

Flags displayed so proudly.

And elephants in hidden gardens.

Anne's Rock Garden

When you think of a “rock garden” I know this is nothing like you would have imagined.

Folks around here have a thing about rocks - at least in my family. And my sister Anne (aka GammieAnne to her grandchildren) is the only one I know of who puts them so proudly on display. She also has an elephant in her yard. We’ll talk about that another time.

Real, bona-fide Kentucky Lake rocks.

What Have I Been Doing????

What have I been up to lately you ask???

Watching it snow.  Took this about 3 weeks ago right after it snowed.

Doing a lot of letter art.  This one was for Jack Jones Flowers & Gifts.

Feeding the fat little birds over at Mother's house.

Making pendant jewelry.  This one is over at Jack Jones Flowers & Gifts.

Watching it snow!

Yipes!  Exploring "Snake Jewelry" at Paris On The Square

Watching it snow!  I think this was last week.

Making more jewelry.  This one is at Schemes & Themes.

Wondering what kind of critter left these tracks in the snow in my back yard.

  Making More jewelry!!!  I think I'm addicted.

And of course ... watching it snow.
I am so ready for spring!!!!!

Sweetvalley In The Fall

Went by Sweetvalley the other day.   It was gorgeous!



Sweetvalley is owned by my little brother.  He used to live there all the time but work took him away.  Now he rents it out to folks who like to get away to quiet places with great views and see nature at it's best. 

He always has a flag flying.  And that big white, round rock in the front yard is an old gris mill stone.  It traveled a long way to get here - all the way from Henderson, Tennessee where our grandparents had a farm.  When John was just a little boy, he would stand on this old stone to get on his horse. 

This is an art print I did of the road in front of his house.  I titled it "Lake Cove" which is the name of the road.  I really love it this time of year with all the leaves on the road.  I like to drive through there with the windows down.  There's just something really neat about driving through all those leaves. 

I like this friendly sign over the front door. 

And this gorgeous wreath.

And the decorated mailbox ... which is a dead give-a-way that my sister,

Anne has been over there decorating.

And I really love the kitchen window.  Don't know why I haven't noticed this before.  Couldn't resist creating another art print - "Sweetvalley Window." 

To learn more about Sweetvalley, go to  http://sweetvalleykentuckylake.com/default.aspx

 



Rocky Beach

Two of my nephews were here a few weeks ago - Caleb & Justin. I'm terrible about remembering ages but I think they’re around 3 and 5 - little fellas - and close to the ground. The reason I mention their height is because of Rocky Beach.

This is a close up of what we always called "Rocky Beach."  Can't imagine how we came up with that name.  Do you see anything fascinating there?   Well - neither do I… now.   I think you have to be really short, close to the ground so you can see it better and of course be young and open minded enough to let your imagination run wild.

Here are few other views.
 

 
There’s a beach down that way that has no rocks, just sand. And yes, we always called it “Sandy Beach.”
 
 

 
Another view. I love TVA but hate these big towers they plopped down right in the middle of this beautiful scene. So …. I usually do my magic trick and ….
 
 

 
Poof!!!! The towers are gone!
 
Back to the rocks.
 

 
 
When we were kids, Rocky Beach was where we hung out. Shoes were required, even when we swam. My sister Anne reminded me the other day that we thought if we picked up all the rocks, we would have a sandy beach.  That would have been a lot of work for two little girls.
 
 

 
My grandma lived just up the hill from Rocky Beach. Over the years we hauled several tons of rocks up to her house one bucket at a time because we were always finding fascinating rocks that looked like turtles, or bowls, or birds, or ashtrays, or that had shell patterns imprinted in them, or had holes all the way through them.  These rocks were just too unique and wonderful to leave laying around on the beach to get lost among the other rocks.
 
 

 
Justin and Caleb hauled several buckets of these fascinating rocks over to Gammie Anne’s house the other week.   I wonder where she stashes them?  I wonder what Grandma did with all those rocks we hauled to her house?

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

What a beautiful weekend!!! 

Fall is in the air and the trees are just starting to get some color!

Anne has started decorating for fall.

But someone forgot to tell the impatiens - it's fall. 

Wall Calendar

Fall doesn't seem to have arrived yet.  We still have impatiens blooming as you can seen here around this little Dutch Girl in my Mother's garden.

Craft Show

Every September there is a craft show at Paris Landing State Park.  This year the weather was perfect, temp in the 80's, pleasant breeze and sunny skies.

 

 

My favorite thing was the . . .

SNAKES!!!!!