Photos finally

Well so much for getting the photos done quickly. A blog is not my strength at this point in time. I have been on vacation, on the road to the great Salt Lake and California, for the past three weeks or so. About 4500 miles on the road. We listened to 5 books on CD. I was really getting ready to be home and back in the studio. Then we invited our grandson to spend the week with us before school starts. A break for him but not for us. LOL And not much time in the studio.

I did get the photos taken yesterday. Here you go.... Some old ones first and then some of my new work. When I first started in the studio, in order to get comfortable, I did some corrections to some of my old paintings. I had been looking at them on my walls and knew exactly what needed to be corrected. So just for kicks, here are the old and the new. As usual, click on the small photo to see a much enlarged version.

The new chrome series is totally different from the older work. I find that I am really enjoying the intricate work of the chrome pieces. I also like the idea of working in a series and finding a new avenue of growth.


This is one of the older paintings. "Flaming Sunflower" Done for a painting class I took a few years back. The professor thought it looked crafty. At that time I thought I was using my creativity with multi-media. The sunflower is paper and acrylic on canvas.


This is a close up so you can see how I used the paper for the petals of the sunflower. The paper is totally soaked in acrylic gel and paint. So far they have held up really well.


Green Callas was done in a series of lilies. This one is acrylic, the others were all done in water color.


Red Rocket, part of the new experimental series that I have begun. Dan says do more of these. He thinks more Chevy owners would love to have these on their wall.


Swan was my first attempt at chrome and is only 8x10 inches. Quite small. But fun to do.


"Ram on Fire" was the most complicated hood ornament that I have painted so far. The back ground of the flames was almost as much fun as the ram itself. Love the contrast of the chrome and black.

More to come. Next up on my easel, a water color of a golden trophy from the Bonneville Speed Trials.

Open house

Friends from my "other life" came to the open house. Sheena, Cheryl, Boby, Andrea and Ishrat were my buddies. I will miss the fun we had at the office but I sure love my free time to paint now!

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In the studio before everyone came.


I could only display a few of my paintings in the gallery. There was another show installed. So we chose some of our favorites and made a small display of some of my previous work.


After being in the studio for a couple of weeks, we decided to have an open house to show friends and family where I will be working and painting. I am so happy with the space. I have a feeling that it will be even more wonderful in the winter when the weather is not as beautiful as it has been this summer.
Dan and I ordered sandwiches and veggies and I baked bars. We had coolers of pop and beer and a couple of boxes of wine. As always we over estimated what people would eat and we have lots of beer, wine and pop left over. Enough for the rest of the summer at least.
Lots of good friends and relatives stopped by and stayed longer than we ever imagined. Here are a few pictures of me, the people and the studio cleaned up for the open house.

Redirecting my talents

Bittersweet Arts is new endeavor for me. After working for 22 years at a university, I am moving on to a new chapter in my life. (Hear the loud clapping and cheering here)
I have been very lucky to rent a studio in the Emy Frentz Art Guild. The plan is to get out from under my dear husband's feet, he has been retired for 10 years and is very happy to keep his routine as it is.
No worries, he likes me well enough to suggest the studio where I can go and actually work on my painting. I had fears of sitting at home in my pjs reading a good mystery and thinking I "should" be painting. Now I know that I will have a routine too. It is just not the really lazy one that usually comes to mind when you think of retirment.
In a few days I will move in to my studio and start on my first project. We are always told to paint what we know. For the last 10 years or so, I have followed my husband around numerous Street Rod Shows. I know cars and I really groove on the hood ornaments that are on some of them. I particularly love the reflections in the chrome. I'll be experimenting on which way to paint them--watercolor--acrylic's big small? Let the fun begin. I have committed to showing these in a local street rod shop in hopes that lots of Rodders will get my original art for Christmas. What do you think?
I know now you are wondering where are samples of my work. At home on another computer. Now that I a figuring out blogging I will be able to move some of my art here and into Picassa.
Happy Hot and Humid summer and happy retirement for me! (loud clapping and cheering)