Ever More Complicated

I should not complain about the complications of technology. But, it seems like once you learn one technical item or way of communicating, it's replaced by another! I am currently working somewhat diligently on my Bellacompany Face Book to get some friends and then launch art auctions for some of my many paper pieces. You can check out our progress by going to http://www.bellacompany.com. With any luck at all there will be a link on the front page that works! I do plan to share any reasonable income from auctions with local shelters. It is a work in progress, but I will get there.
The generous spirit of Luna guides me.

We did get a new pup for Noodle (our terrier) as she had no playmate when Luna left us. Why do people get puppies when there are so many grown up dogs needing homes? It's a mystery. However, she is my first puppy since Bella and, we got her for free from a local Weston person. She's an education in why adopting grown up dogs is such a good idea and, at the same time, she has brought smiles and laughs into our lives. And, she's added some exercise routines to our day
On another note: The Artist Coalition of KC is having their annual auction on Feb. 13th. Lots of great art to see and buy.

public art

I've been too busy to blog...
running Bellacompany.com, getting my art ready for Open Studios and life itself leaves me little time to sit and even seem intelligent.

We lost our big white dog, Luna. We found a puppy to keep Noodle company and to brighten our spirits too. That's working well.
This last weekend, I visited Salt Lake City to participate in a No More Homeless Pets of Utah fund raiser. What an inspiring event it was. These Utah volunteers are highly organized and put on a spectacular event. The best part was that people got to bring their dogs with them. It was great fun and I drew quite a few Luna Toons to help their cause. At the same time, I wonder what the world would look like if we all got some dogs and cats and took good care of them so that all of these devoted highly skilled volunteers could use their nohow to help with other causes on this planet! Being responsible for ones pets seems like a no brainer...but I'm somehow not quite right about that!

Blogging student

I saw " Julie and Julia" yesterday, and in addition to being a wonderful film to watch, I learned about blogging! So, if I could improve my blogging efforts and my cooking efforts, I'd really be on the path to heaven on earth!

Our household doesn't spend as much time as we could on creating great meals. The excuse is the same old same old...not enough time. But, we do have time if we plan ahead. Now that our kitchen is remodeled we don't have too many excuses for not eating well. There are lots of great vegetarian websites with wonderful recipes, so I'm on the path. ...even if the approach is a little slow. By the way, I'd love some suggestions for vegetarian recipe sites!

As far as my blog subject matter, I just need to keep on the art path. (Being "discovered" is a whole other arena.) What's enjoyable is viewing my own comments and paintings as I move along to each new painting. Hopefully I can learn to slow down my multi tasking gene (way over active), and sharpen my "stay in one place" gene some. This blog began as a way to organize my art, so I'm feeling pretty good about showing new work as well as a few pieces of work from 1960....and all of the stages in between then and now.

The artist coalition event, Artists Sudios: KC, will be happening in Oct. My studio will be open Saturday, Oct. 24th from 10-4 and Sunday, Oct. 25th from 12-4...or by appointment.

New Car Buy

I've had my Safari Van since 1996...she hauled t-shirts, our dogs, and a lot of my stuff in my many moves. She took us to all kinds of destinations: SanteFe, New Mexico, Los Angeles, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Duck, North Carolina, and Chicago twice! In addition, she helped me deliver many paintings to many shows in Kansas City and Manhattan, Kansas. On a recent trip to Omaha for a show, she gave us a warning clunker sign...and we knew our great times were finally coming to an end.
The Cash for Clunker program inspired a much needed change! After much driving around and looking on line, a Honda Insight is my choice with great gas mileage and a great ride too. (We were surprized at the many cars we looked at that had no real improvement in gas economy).
I'll miss my Safari..almost wanted to bring her home and park her in the yard or hang her on the wall...but I stopped myself. In the future, I'll paint smaller or rent a truck when I need one! Meanwhile I'll be using probably less than 1/2 the gas I've been consuming over the past 11 years! What a change in my foot print that is!
Cash for Clunkers is a great program that will probably be out of cash pretty soon, so I highly recommend looking into the program. The program really rewards a switch from a gas guzzler to a gas miser! There is some math to do with the car you own and the car you buy when it comes to the credit you get on a new car...so, if anyone is thinking about doing this...check out the facts first by looking at "Cash for clunkers.gov"
Meanwhile...I'm still grieving my great big green van for awhile longer. She was great van!

July of my Dreams

I'm not sure if it has ever been like spring in Missouri
...in the middle of July! A chance to not only get the garden into some kind of mid summer order (without a heat stroke)...but also, to paint. I'm sketching outside and painting in my studio.
Getting ready for Open Studios at the end of October.
I hope to have many new dog/garden paintings for visitors to enjoy and buy too!

When I first moved to Missouri, I was thrilled to paint flowers. There were so many in summer! I was raised in Seattle where flowers were abundant, so, in some ways, it was like returning home.
July 19, 2009

Spring to Summer

Spring is such a great and difficult time. It's nature's "e" ride at Disney World! Great to be on, but I also realize I'm already missing the contemplation of a winter day. Everything beckons! The yard gardening, the longer dog walk, the necessary home repairs. Like the fall season before winter, spring seems like the perfect time to get too many things done before summer. I did take several days away from other work to go out in the yard and draw some flowers. My studio is next to the garden so it's amazingly easy to get back in the cool and bug free environment to work on some small mixed media paintings! Enjoy.
ps. roof project done, new porch working, kitchen remodel turning the corner to completion!
In addition, I need to be working more in my studio as the Kansas City Artist Coalition is gearing up for another Open Studios event this fall in mid October! Folks visiting my studio in Weston will probably want to see some new work! More about that event later

learning about blogging

I'm trying to teach my old brain some new tricks, but it takes a lot of patience! Big Shamu is my only friend out in the universe of Blogging and she really keeps up with me somehow. So, now I can't figure out how to e-mail her, or where to make a comment! ...hence this blog!
Meanwhile, we are undergoing a kitchen redesign and on Wed. we're having our back porch and essential entrance to our backyard repaired. We seem to have nerves of steel when it comes to home repair, but our dog Helen who came to us with macular degeneration is not so understanding of each change in any part of her day, so the back porch repair is going to be traumatic as the back porch is her way to the backyard.
Top photo is our yard in early spring. We've had a cool rainy spring, so even the day lillies haven't bloomed yet! 2nd photo is of Helen relaxing in the backyard last summer.