an update, a blossom and bookpages 29

Hi there! First things first...Thank you all so very much for keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers. I feel so blessed to have an extended family here in blogosphere :)  My sister is the bravest women I know and has the most positive outlook on life at the moment. To bring you up to date, she is terminally ill with advanced stage metastatic breast cancer which has traveled to her brain. She has had brain surgery a few weeks ago to debulk one large tumor and the other is inoperable. To weeks post op, the MRI revealed that the cancer is continuing to grow. She has opted for 14 days of full brain radiation. I can't even put into words how heart wrenching it was to have a conversation with her regarding hospice and end of life decisions. She is quite the trooper and my shero :) My other sweet sister has been spending the last week with her, taking her to her daily radiation treatments. 

Today I have a mixed media painting to share! I was inspired to join along with the July  Creative Cart Blanche challenge where the theme is to combine blossoms and bookpages. This is my first time combining mixed media with oil paint and I am lovin' the results! I carefully tore out several pages from an old oversized dictionary that my sister gifted me that she purchased from a thrift store and proceeded to collage them on a 12" x 12" MDF board. After collaging them in place, I washed with gesso to create a surface for oil paints.

I only painted one LARGE poppy blossom as I followed along with one of my favorite artists - Gary Jenkins. I'm hoping the sweet ladies at Creative Cart Blanche won't mind that I bent the requirements... 

 You can still see the print from the bookpages peeking through the transparent layers:

I have to play around with the mixed media and oil paint technique. I'm not sure but I don't think the turpenoid likes the matte medium that I used to adhere the bookpages unless it's paper towel pillings that remained on the surface after wiping off the thin layer of linseed oil that was applied prior to painting the blossom. Trial and lots of errors will surely help me find what works and what doesn't ;) It's all a learning process and I'm loving the journey ;)

As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, I'm joining along with the July Creative Carte Blanche challenge, Blossoms and Bookpages

as well as linking up to the current Paint Party Friday post:

Thanks so much for visiting and don't forget to get your mammogram!
Be Sweet ;)

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French blue shutters 30

Happy Friday! Any big weekend plans? Today I have a 12" x 12" painting to share of French blue shutters that was inspired by Dreama Tolle Perry's e-course Dream, Love, Paint. I love Dreama's abstract, somewhat whimsical style.

I'm joining along with Paint Party Friday:

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Be Sweet ;)

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painting brilliant tulips 15

Hi there! It's been awhile...I hope all is well with you. I'm taking a painting 5 week e-course called Painting Brilliant Colors with one of my favorite artists ~ Nancy Medina. I fell in love with Nancy's use of brilliant colors and impressionist style. Today I have brilliant tulips to share which was from week one's lesson. I have a lot of practicing to do...I think the tulips look more like roses and I really don't like the shade of the lightest green leaves because I think I mixed too much yellow in it. This sample was painted on a 12" x 12" gessoed canvas board. Practice, practice, practice...

Here's my second attempt on an 8" x 8" gessoed board. 

I'm linking up to this week's Paint Party Friday:

Thanks so much for visiting ~ I hope you have a great day!
Be Sweet ;)

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sending sunny thoughts 26

Hi! I can't thank those of you enough who left such kind and heartfelt comments regarding my dear sister and for keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate that more than you know. I will certainly keep all of you in my thoughts and prayers as well. I had a great time visiting my sister and her family, reminiscing of childhood memories and making new ones. Needless to say, talking with sister about end of her life decisions including when to stop treatments, hospice and my departure at the airport were the most heart wrenching moments that I have experienced since I lost my Mom 13 years ago. Today I have an 11" x 14" painting to share which was inspired by Nancy Medina's Strawberry Sunflower Bouquet video tutorial:

You may be wondering where the strawberries are... well, I'm practicing and I didn't leave enough room for them because I wanted to paint the flowers instead :). I am going to try to paint this again on a larger canvas with a few changes:

I'm going to join along with Paint Party Friday:

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Be Sweet :)

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purple pansies 33

Hi! It's been awhile. I'm writing this post with a heavy heart as I sit at the airport waiting to depart to Houston for several days to spend time with my sweet sister and her family. Last week Friday, I received horrible news that the breast cancer has metastasized to my sister's brain. She has several large tumors, one was debulked meaning the entire tumor can not be removed and the other is inoperable. I'm going to try to be strong for her husband and two children as my heartaches for all of them but my heart hurting as well. Please keep my sister and her family in your thoughts and prayers. She loves pansies and asked that I paint her some so here is my first attempt.

I'm joining along with Paint Party Friday:

Thanks so my for stopping by!
Be Sweet ;)

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