Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Where does the time fly!!! My husband and I spent the day taking down the Christmas trees and nutcrackers. Although I am always a little sad when packing everything away, I look forward to the coming year. This will be the first winter I will go through without surgery in 3 years!!! I have been spending a great deal of time in my studio and enjoying the solitude. This year I decided to begin a new tradition by creating pendants for gifts. Below is one example of several I completed. Everyone seemed to like the results. The image size is 3/4 inch x 1 inch.

We had a great Christmas with the family. Both my kids and their boyfriend/girlfriend spent the day with us. Due to really bad weather some of our family was not able to make it. It rained Christmas eve and day and froze. My son's girlfriend fell twice. A possum that lives in our backyard somewhere must have gotten flooded out. He spent Christmas under our back deck attempting to stay dry. Poor guy.
We all spent the afternoon playing pool and Wii bowling. As you can see my son was really getting into it. I am the worst bowler ever.

The kids weren't the only ones having a good time. Our golden retriever LOVES pool.

Well, now its January-hard to believe. We will be heading out in a couple of weeks to Florida and while there, will be attending the MASF miniature show. Till then, you can find me hold up in my studio. Can't wait

Till next time,

Gail

Winter Wonderland

Well we are almost ready for Christmas! Decorating is done as is the shopping. I took this picture this morning of our backyard. I really liked the dark blue snow clouds coming in from the North over the lake. According to the weather forcaster, I had better fix this firmly in my mind as it might be raining here by Friday. I never considered the possibility of not having a white Christmas as we have been slipping and sliding here for weeks.

While taking this picture the squirrel games began. We have four birdfeeders in the yard and the squirrels are busy chining themselves on the hangers robbing each feeder. While I don't mind their antics, they did cross the line today. Storing birdfeed has become a problem at our house. If we keep the seed in the garage, it attracts mice. Uck! Well, we decided the only thing to do was to buy a rolling trash can to keep outside and place the seed inside. To discourage the squirrels from investigating, we placed it right under the living room window. Much to my surprise, today I was met with two beedy eyes staring at me through the window. Mr. squirrel was busy destroying the hinge on the trash can. By the time I got the camera, he was gone. His buddies were still around though. Anyone with ideas for storing seed, please let me know!

I have been spending quite a bit of time in my studio this week. I started a new tradition this year and have painted bird pendants for some special people in my life. I will show them after Christmas. Besides pendants, I finished a painting of the Grand Hotel entrance on a hazy day. I am currently working on a portrait-my first of a Cherokee Indian that lives on the island. I had intended to show my WIP, but cannot as my dog ate the power cord to my scanner, and the new one has not arrived yet. No kidding-this was a $45.00 snack. You see, Jasmine, our 10 year old Golden, believes she should NEVER be left along. She gets quite angry and tends to snack on the first thing she can find. I am surprised she has not been electrocuted by now. Its animal house around here.

This will probably be my last post till after Christmas. I wish everyone a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a healthy and profitable New Year!

till next time,

Gail

Shamir has an operation

Well, we are slowly getting ready for Christmas, but in the meantime, life goes on. My daughter's horse spent the day at Michigan State University Vet School. Shamir is 19 years old and is being treated for a tumor behind his front leg. Shamir has always had a mole in this location, but a few months ago it blew up into a baseball size tumor. This is his second treatment at the hospital. Medicine, even in animals has progressed in amazing ways. After knocking him out-strapped in a sling so he can't fall over, they place beads the size of peas inside the tumor to shrink it. Today they placed 12 beads inside Shamir. The great news we got today is that the tumor is shrinking so well that they don't think they will have to go in and remove the tumor. Best news of all is that tests showed it is not cancer!!! This picture was taken at the hospital just as he was waking up!! My husband had just given him peppermint candy (his favorite) and he is begging. In this picture he looks like a mule. In reality he is a very beautiful horse. For those wondering Shamir is an Arab. I don't know what his name stands for. We bought him when he was 4 years old and kept the name.
Hope everyone is having is a wonderful December. We are supposed to get snow the rest of the week!!!
Till next time,
Gail

Is It Thanksgiving Already?

Wow! It has been another month, and I had promised to update this blog on a much more regular basis. Just completed more paintings for Twisted Fish Gallery holiday show and have shifted to island views. Seems very strange working ahead one or two seasons. The above painting was from a photo taken near Woodstock , Vermont. I love Vermont and would really like to secure a gallery in that area as an excuse to return. Woodstock has been voted one of the prettiest small towns in the US on more than one occasion. I agree. My husband and I went on a sleigh ride on a particularly brisk day. It was well worth freezing a couple of toes over.

I have been enjoying the serenity of fall and secluding myself in my studio. It is amazing that I don't seem to mind working for days at a time without leaving the house even though I am a very social person. Creativity occupies the mind.

Besides painting I have spent time shoveling out my house for the holidays. Shortly after Thanksgiving we start decorating for Christmas. My husband has a rather large collection of nutcrackers. I think they are strange things, but my husband loves his collection so I arrange it for his enjoyment. Complete with snow and lights!

I recently bought some Verithin colored pencils and plan on doing some small flower and fruit pieces in the evenings with my feet up on the loveseat. If I finish anything worthwhile, I will post in the future.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and PROMISE to update my blog in a week!! Honest

Till then,

Gail

Big Rabbit Ears

This is a photo of me with Carol Andre taken about a week ago West of Traverse City. The tree reminds me of big rabbit ears. Carol and I had a great time paintings, talking and climbing over art supplies and golden retrievers as we were painting in our motorhome. Just a bit tight for space. It was in the 40's outside and sleet and rain prevailed most of the time we were there! Sadly, the morning this picture was taken, it was time for home.
It takes about 5 hours in our motorhome pulling a Jeep to get home. I have noticed the most amazing thing this year. About 2 hours from home, I start coughing, sneezing and wheezing. Now if this was 5 years ago I would say smog-no doubt. But, with manufacturing at a standstill I can't blame smog. I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in Mackinac City at the very tip of the lower peninsula. She said before the mid 50's, when the Mackinac Bridge opened, people from lower Michigan would come up and pitch tents at the tip of the state and get seasonal jobs to escape their allergies and asthma. Guess I should consider that next year!
Mackinac Island has pretty much closed for the season and I called my gallery guy to wish him a good trip to Va. where he spends the winter. Guess there was a bit of excitement about a week ago. The last ferry boat heading to the mainland lost its engine in a very strong wind and high waves. It took about an hour to get the engine started. Meanwhile, they were being tossed around and taking on water. Glad I wasn't on that boat. This does not happen often. Don't let it stop you from visiting the island.
I am currently working on winter pieces for a holiday show at Twisted Fish Gallery. The week has gone something like cough, sneeze, paint. Even the dog is scratching!!! Oh well, Winter is coming and we can all complain about that soon.
till next time (sooner)
Gail

Time is Flying

Wow has it really been a month since I last posted!! The older I get, the faster time goes by. It has been a busy month. The above painting is one of two pieces sent to the MPSGS show in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, I did not make the deadline for MASF. My up North galleries are still keeping me busy. Can't complain!! I was very excited to learn I will have a show on Mackinac Island at the Victorian Summer Gallery next Labor Day weekend. I am very honored to be given this opportunity. Now the work begins.

Saturday, my husband and I made a quick trip to Traverse City (Elk Rapids) to paint during Art Beat gallery open houses at Twisted Fish Gallery. I met many wonderful people and had an opportunity to discuss exactly what a miniature is. Many people were interested to learn of the 1/6th scale guideline. This is becoming more important as of late, because I see a shift by artists to smaller format paintings. These are small paintings as opposed to miniature paintings. It is always fun to watch the amazement of people at the small size and detail of a miniature painting. I had several people tell me that my paintings looked like photographs. I told them that was the idea!

I currently have several paintings in process in my studio. I am finishing up a commission and two other paintings for Victorian Summer Gallery. I am also painting Winter scenes for Twisted Fish Gallery holiday show beginning November 1st.

Next week we are off to camp on Lake Lelanau, West of Traverse City. This is a beautiful inland lake that we camp on every year. I think this year it may be snowing!! During our camping trip we are going to meet up with Carol Andre. We have never met face to face but we talk quite often and have a lot in common. Really looking forward to meeting her.

Once back from camping it will be time to winterize the motorhome, and start putting lawn furniture away. I can't believe it, but Winter is coming.

Till next time,

Gail

Reflecting On The Porch

This has been an especially busy week at our house. My husband has been dealing with a sick dog (seems she is allergic to some sort of bite) and a sick horse. The horse has cancer that is localized and the prognosis is good. It has required a couple of trips this week to Michigan State Vet Hospital, however. I have been holding down the fort and painting like crazy. How fitting that I should paint a piece having to do with reflecting. As the saying goes, a bad day in my studio is better than the best day I ever had when I worked full time. It makes all of the craziness of this week easy to put into perspective. I have the added bonus of being able to excape to a beautiful island when I paint. In my mind, I am there!!! Happy Labor Day everyone.