So Glad to be Back and You are Big....

Been down with a bad back spasm the last few days.  I am such a workalcoholic that I get so tired my back goes out.  It doesn't happen because I didn't bend my knees when I picked up something heavy. or when I accidentally fall, or if I reach higher than I should.  It just goes out.  I get to the point when I am really working hard and proud of my accomplishments and then, I guess my body says, Vacation time!  I was getting ready to go to bed and as I pulled up my pajama bottoms -Yikes!  Out for two days.  Oh well.  I'm back and trying not to work so hard but that is like asking time to stand still.  Not going to happen.

The other day I was delivering a Christmas package to my neighbor who is single and lives with her toy poodle named Yogi.  Her sister was visiting her.  Yogi looked to me like he had really porked out and I almost said, Yogi, you are so fat but I caught myself after a long pause and said big!  The neighbor's sister cracked up.  Did you hear that long pause before she almost said fat?  Sometimes the insults just come out no matter what you do.  The dog is like the neighbor's child so I hope I am not in the dog house.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America and look for my best-selling print, Reaching Out, on The Mindy Project.  So far, the drawing has been visible on the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 8th episodes.  There will be new episodes starting January 8th!

Also, look for me and my paintings on The Hour of Joy on Fox TV out of Roanoke, VA.  My appearance is tentatively set for April 3rd,2013!

Scammers Working Harder and Harder to get my Money and You have to eat the Box...

Scammers are working so hard to get my money.  I get a bunch of the- give me your address, I will send you a certified check, and my private shipper will get the painting scams, every day.  I know I shouldn't respond but I send them this to shut them up which usually works.  I only take Paypal and I do not accept any kind of private shipping arrangements.  If you give me your address, I will mail it UPS after the money has been transferred from my Paypal account into my banking account which takes about four days.  Now some of them are saying all right, I will put the money in your account and send my representative to pick it up.  I'm not clicking on any of them from now on.  Scammers are so easy to spot and I'm not talking to them anymore.

One commercial my husband is so sick of is the one that claims eating a certain kind of breakfast cereal will help people lose weight.  These cereals are so light you could have a grocery bag full and not think anything was inside. They are balloon grains you can put on your newspaper and still read it.  They are so light that you would have to eat the paper it comes in and the box before you felt like you had anything to eat. Sure you lose weight.  You didn't eat anything.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America.  Here are the ones starting tomorrow.

Now That is What I Call Feedback and Maybe We Should call it...

My most recent patron that bought Blue Ridge Autumn gave me such great feedback that I just had to re-print it here. I always worry when I sell an original over the internet. Computer monitors vary so much so that I have no way of knowing whether or not the patron is getting an accurate image of my painting. This patron was quite pleased as you can see!

Absolutely breathtaking painting. Picture does not do the artist justice! It will look great in my living room. I will definitely be back. Very quick shipment of artwork. I love this artist!

My husband and I were discussing the amount of commercials on TV these days. We both think there may come a time when the commercials take up more time than the show. We are forever clicking the mute button. Maybe we should call it Mutavision instead of television. Oh well. I mostly just watch DVDs. I am a big movie buff and our library gets great stuff. One of my friends that works there calls me up when they get something she knows I will like. What a sweetheart!

Don't forget about my Limited Time specials on Fine Art America! I have my favorite small painting, "Burning Shore", up this week along with "A Break in the Clouds", and "Breakers at Pawleys Island". Check it out!

How to Avoid Artist Tantrums and Shoot Em UP Bang Bang...

I have been painting in oils for more decades than I care to admit to and it has always been a love/hate experience. I am appalled by people that think artists are having fun with their hobby. I am also appalled by people that think artists are always on the verge of suicide. Both extreme views are ridiculous. I do not play with paint and I am not going to kill myself because I never really get exactly what I want out of a painting. I learned long ago that aritsts have to live with a certain amount of failure.

Most of the time it is a great experience and I love putting the effort into it. Sometimes I get to the screaming stage which brings me to the title of this blog. There is one sure way to avoid Artist Tantrums. Give it up. Get rid of the supplies and all the paintings. Since that is not an option, once in a while I resemble a two-year-old that got her pacifier yanked from her mouth. Since I paint by myself most of the time no one has to hear me freak out.

My husband did not go to movies when he was growing up. He watched some television but he mostly liked to read. Our son is a movie buff and my husband is great about taking him to movies he doesn't want to see. I am not invited. Our son likes to make movie night a guys night so I stay home. Can't complain. As my husband says, the movies they see are always Shoot Em Up Bang Bang or Kick an Alien's Butt.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time promotions on Fine Art America. I offer three greatly reduced canvas prints each week!

Where was Murphy Tuesday? and Get Elected to Congress...

I can't believe it! My husband and I put up my new show in Blacksburg and I didn't scratch a frame, drop a hammer, cut myself on a sharp corner, or leave a painting at home. Where in the world was Murphy? It was supposed to rain and it rained a little before we dragged everything out of the car and rained after the show was hung. I guess Lady Luck kicked Murphy right out of town. I wish she would show up more often. I didn't even have to adjust a frame. If you live anywhere near Blacksburg, VA be sure to see this show which is a tribute to my husband's environmental efforts. I have learned a lot from him over the years. He is a dedicated naturalist and a great guy! The show is at New Live Dental behind the Starbucks on Main St. in Blacksburg, VA. It will be there until April 15th. The painting here is Near Purgatory which is seen on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I love all the arts. As I have said before, if I had a lot of lives I would pursue them all. I'm so glad I play the piano. It is a great creative outlet that I don't try to market. Got to sell paintings but I don't have to perform. I have always been fascinated by actors and get a lot of DVDs. I told my husband that if I were an actress I would love to play a criminal. He said get elected to Congress and you won't have to act.

Gangway to the Studio Tomorrow and A Shark Would Leap out of the Water...

Almost have everything ready to take to Blacksburg on Tuesday for my new show, "A Naturalist's Legacy". Got to show, got to sell, but most important, GOT TO PAINT! Tomorrow I will be in the studio before I start climbing the walls. I loved the recent FAA discussion about the warning signs of art. I don't need to look for the tell tale signs. I know I am hopelessly addicted and love it! I hope to die with a paint brush in my hands as I tell anyone that will listen. Sugar and paint. One of the happiest days in my life was when I asked my doctor Dad if people that are NOT over weight are in danger of getting diabetes if they eat a lot of sugar and he said NO! Years ago I tried to cut back on sugar and gave up. Not trying to give up sugar or paint. Addicted to both and that is just the way it is!

Discussions of my husband's dietary problems often come up when we are eating and he is missing something he can't have anymore. A country boy really needs his biscuits but they are out. The muffins I make with the special flour is okay but a wheat biscuit would certainly be nice. The substitutes we have made are okay but the one thing he hates is the rice bread. He said if a piece of rice bread were thrown into the ocean a shark would jump out of the water begging for its life. That should give you an idea of how rice bread rates in his fructose free, wheat free diet.

Up the Stairs with the Show and You can Always go Zooming down the Internet...

Checked out the venue for my show, A Naturalist's Legacy, and as luck would have it there are stairs I have to carry my work up. My paintings are not that heavy but they are large and awkward. The venue is a Dental Office that pays an annual fee to have shows sponsored by the Blacksburg Regional Art Association every three months. I have been going to a physical therapist for this strange pain on my right side that is especially sharp by my knee. The therapy is not working and the therapist is baffled. I may have to go get a MRI. Don't think it is the piriformis I have been whining about for months. I hope the show is a big success to make up for the pain I am going to have to go through to get it up.

As I have mentioned before I try to include some humor in my blog. Where would we be without laughter? It is really is a great medicine. I have noticed that a lot of people don't have any problem with posting very colorful language on the internet. That type of language doesn't bother me but I don't use it because I know some people are very offended by certain words. Some of the funny lines my husband comes up with are either x-rated or just have words you don't see in a Sunday School bulletin. I told him I would like to post some of these quips but he said it is better to stay on the high road. You can always go zooming down the low road on the internet but it is probably not a good idea.

It Really is Great to be an Artist and I think Rotten is Better

Recently I have been in contact with a former student who is selling very well. I am so proud of him! I told him if he keeps it up maybe someday I will be bragging to people that I had him in a Drawing class. I told him it is great to be an artist and I really mean that most sincerely! He agreed and said, "Amen, sister!" It is great! I am so glad I wasn't discouraged but followed my heart. I have no regrets and now that I am no longer teaching I am going to work harder than ever to promote myself and sell my work. My paintings are unique extensions of myself and I want others to experience what I experienced when I made them. Here's to 2012!

I am getting quite sick of the Pizza commercial where the owner makes the profound statement that his company believes "Fresh is better". My bird-watching husband's retort was, "I think rotten is better. "Ask a buzzard!" By the way, Radford City's great Vulture Festival will be held in February. Come learn about these miss-understood valuable creatures!

Working on the Promo and I think They are telling One

"A Naturalist's Legacy" is scheduled to go up January 15th and, as usual, I am rushing around trying to get the promo out to the papers, getting frames together, mailing postcards to my mailing list, and wishing the guys would go back to work. The break is over but it has been snowing today so my husband and son will probably be home again tomorrow. Love them but I need alone time to start getting everything together and I was looking forward to an empty house tomorrow.

I am very excited about this show about my naturalist husband and I hope others will gain greater appreciation of this region through his efforts. A long time ago Loretta Lynn was being interviewed on TV and she was asked about her marriage which had a lot of ups and downs like most marriages. She said that when she heard couples say they never fought she thought they were telling one! I would have to agree but I have been very fortunate. No couple gets along perfectly but I did marry someone I love and honestly admire. He still won't pick up his socks but he is a great guy to me and I am proud to put on this show in his honor!

Thank You for the Terrific Compliment and I think we need a New Name...

Friday was my last day at Radford University. My grades are in and I am delighted that I am now a full-time professional artist. I have had a lot of great students over the years and I will miss interacting with students that want to learn. The ones that can't seem to get to class, let alone learn, I will not miss at all. Saturday I received a CD of Christmas songs from a former graduate student that I had in one Drawing class when he was earning his MFA. I don't think he ever missed class and turned in excellent work. He is now selling his work in San Diego CA and is also a web designer. When I told him I was retiring he said he learned more from me in one semester than he learned in all his time at Radford University. What a great compliment to end teaching on! If all students were like him, everyone would want to teach.

I read the paper everyday and I get more and more discouraged over our leaders and their inability to solve our problems. I think it is a fair statement that many are controlled by the rich and are doing their bidding rather than what is right for this country. My husband said that maybe we should change the name from Democracy to Stinkocracy. Don't miss-understand. I would rather live in the US that any other country but this partisan politics has got to go.

Excited about my upcoming show and Not as Many as there are in Washington...

I am confident that I will get the main painting for my next show ready in time. The show goes up January 15th and now that I am retiring from teaching I am sure I can get the painting and the promo going in plenty of time. That is a great feeling! I have been wearing too many hats for a long time and now I can concentrate on my career as an artist and straightening out our house or the dump as we prefer to call it. People have often commented that I am a very organized person. When you live with two slobs, make and exhibit artwork, and teach on the college level, you are either organized or dead. I love my guys but they couldn't organize a pair of shoe laces.

Yesterday we came across another skunk on the road. I love Southwest Virginia but we do seem to have an awful lot of skunks. I mentioned to my husband that we have a lot of skunks in Radford and he said not as many as there are in Washington. If you really want to check out a stench, walk in on Congress. Skunks galore!

Limited Time Promotion Coming Soon and How I Saved Countless Lives

I am offering two of my most popular paintings at a 40% discount this week only. "A Break in the Clouds" and "Stepping Stones on the New River" are paintings that express the joy I have experienced living in Southwest Virginia in what is commonly known as the Blue Ridge Mountains. Actually, only a small part of this area is the Blue RIdge but I use the term for other mountain ridges since it is the accepted name in the New RIver Valley. Both of these paintings have the atmosphere I have come to love my whole adult life. I am originally from McLean, VA but I can't imagine living anywhere else now. I think I was a mis-placed mountain girl. Look for my promotions. They should be up soon!

In a about a month I will retire from teaching at Radford University, VA. I have enjoyed working with highly motivated students and I think I was able to help them better understand what are the exciting and beautiful aspects of visual art. I won't miss the students that don't seem to be motivated and do not put much effort into learning. Years ago I gave make-up tests to students who had various reasons for missing tests. I would have around twenty students per class I had to schedule make-up tests for. Then I decided to rate the tests so I wouldn't have so many make-up tests to give. If a student missed the test then the second one would count double. If they missed both tests then the final would count for their test grade. I saved countless lives. After I started the new test policy grandparents stopped dying, girlfriends stopped going to Emergency rooms, and room-mate's dogs stopped getting run over. Students came to all of the tests and everybody was happy, especially me.

Still Arm Wrestling and Are We the Neighborhood Diner?

My current painting has been quite a trip and I don't mean to the beach. The arm wrestling has gone on for such a long time my mind is reeling with all the different directions I have taken. I think I see daylight now but I thought that before so I can't wait until Friday when I can attack it again. Thursdays I teach most of the day and then take some young adults bowling so I just have to be on edge until I can get back to it. What a roller coaster ride!

I have mentioned before that our old dog is so nice that I caught her staring at a cat eating her dog food one day. She didn't budge or bark- just stared at the cat. I oftentimes see cats sneak into our yard. Birds take her food and dip it in her water bowl to soften it. One small dog squeaked his body through the fence and now my husband says squirrels give him a dirty look if the bowl is empty. Are we the diner here? I fully expect the goats at the end of the street to show up one day for a snack. Such is life!

Sold Two More Prints and My Fat Missed Me

I can't complain about this week-end even though I worked almost every minute of it on art, housework, or taking care of a sick kid. I used to brag about my great feet that never hurt. Those days are over. Sold a print on Friday and one today so that sweetens up a mostly sour week-end. It is great to be appreciated.

I have had to watch my weight my whole life. I was never very overweight but there were times I did have some extra. Fortunately my mother could have founded Weight Watchers. She cooked meals that are just like what you see in Weight Watcher menus. None of us are overweight and I have managed to keep the extra pounds off since I left home many years ago. I have a number of friends that are still fighting the battle of the bulge and keep trying this diet or that. They want to insist I am just one of those people that doesn't have to worry but it isn't true. I tell them Weight Watchers is the group to join. One of my friends lost quite a bit of extra weight and then slowly put it on over a period of a couple of years. She told her husband, "My fat missed me".