Reporting Back!

Where have I been? Well, actually Manzanillo, Mexico! And I guess in the hubbub of preparing for the trip, my blog took less priority. But I'm back a-workin' now and will attempt to catch you up from even before we left.

I had set personal goals of getting my smaller Dahlia pieces done before I left. But, well, I did finish one and feel very pleased with 'her'. She is 5 x 7 inches and along with two other of her sisters, she will be within the same frame as the larger, more graphic Dahlia you have seen started previously in this blog. I wanted to create an unusual graphic presentation with strong pieces. Here she is and her name, for now, is #2.

In preparation for the trip, I labeled particular images on reserved journal pages, then I'd printed out the images and took them with me. I had hopes of 'catching up' with my journal during the vacation. But you notice I said 'had hopes' - well, I didn't. So along with adding to my plein air painted images of the trip in my journal, I'm also currently adding 'backed up' pages from before we left. One is in honor of the daffodils that are speckling the landscape up here with happy, spring-promising color. Now we also have hyacinths but they may or may not make it into the journal.

Tomorrow I'll launch you on a tour of Manzanillo, Mexico. Til then "Happy Trails!"

Three Small Dahlias

Here I am ... I've finally found myself. I've been in a whirl of ordering materials for my upcoming Journaling class, designing and frame sizing for five pieces for the May Floral Show and, oh yes, don't forget our new "going to the gym" committment three times a week.

But in between all that good stuff, I have been working up value studies for three 5 x 7 inch Dahlia pieces that will fit in the same frame as the BIG Dahlia piece I've already started (yes, the one you've seen some progress upon). So here are the three lil' gems. I got so involved with the rich value studies - they took over a day and a half. Now, I will go to tracing the images to watercolor paper and begin painting.

It's a good time to have lots of projects to work on ... the days can't make up their mind as to whether they are in "Spring" or "Winter". So the more inside activities I have - the happier is my creative "kid" within. And tonight I venture off to a meeting re-creating Open Studios here in the Rogue Valley with the new and thriving Ashland Artisan Gallery and Art Center. It's an exciting prospect where the artists create the Open Studios themselves.

So, life is good and ever reinventing itself. Keep those creative juices flowing!