I Been Tagged

I have been tagged by the very talented artist Laurie Justus Pace

Here are the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. 2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. 3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

5 facts about me. As Harley Brown said, 'You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder why.' OK. Hang on!

1. I am terribly allergic to turpentine and most chemicals. One whiff and I am out 12 hours with a migraine.

2. This may sound weird. When I was 9 years old, I had asthma and double pnumonnia. I actually died. I remember being above my body looking down on myself. My mother was beside the bed, crying. But I came back, and no, I'm not crazy! I now also work as a CNA and take care of my mother, who will be 90 in a month.

3. When I was 7, I remember my father lifting me up on his shoulders to see John F. Kennedy, who came through Moline campaigning for President. I just remember lots of flashbulbs going off as John F. Kennedy went by sitting in the back of a convertible.

4. I have done editorial and magazine cartooning. One of my cartoons was published in the Saturday Evening Post. The same month the cartoon was published, my brother died suddenly at age 37. Three months later, my father died. I didn't feel like drawing funny cartoons for a long time after that.

5. This was a defining moment in my life. I became a CNA because my best friend of 30 years became ill with a rare form of Parkinson's disease. No one was helping his wife with him, so I did. I helped care for him for 6 years. The disease had ravished his body. His family was gathered around him when he died. For a brief moment, he looked as healthy as he ever did in his life. His daughter, Tonya, grabbed my arm and asked me what was happening. I told her, 'He isn't sick anymore.' You could almost visibly see his spirit leave his body. It was remarkable. Sad and joyful at the same time.

I noticed that the facts about me seem to have a theme. One thing I have learned is to take life a day at a time. Each day is a gift. No one is guaranteed a certain amount of time here, so enjoy each and every day! Live well, because when it's over, it ain't over!


I am going off to tag 5 artists, I'll get them linked up here when I choose who gets it. I'll be back.

OK. I have chosen the taggees. They are:

Liza Hirst
Brenda York
Mike Beeman
Irene Corey
Michele Beaulieu dba Naquaiya

Beaux Arts 8x10 Acrylic

$100.00 (includes shipping)

A close friend recently told me that she thinks several of my paintings look 'unfinished.' It's good to have someone around you who tells you the truth and not just what they think we want to hear. It causes one to dig deeper, to evaluate more, to look at work more objectively and not just settle. This painting was first posted on May 10th of this year. I always thought I let it go to soon. It needed punching up, so I punched it. I may be doing this with a few other paintings as well.

Daily Painters Studio Tour

The view from my studio window of the house across the street.

This is where I do much of my work. Sometimes an easel is set up for larger work, but for smaller paintings I set the canvas board right on my lap. I need a paint box with a lid so I can close it quickly when Charity or Hope the cats walk in. Rockwell and Remington are great inspirations as I work. Today, many of the Daily Painters are posting pictures of their studios. Please visit the Daily Painters site to see where and how artists set up a working space.

Stretch Revisited 9x12 Acrylic

$100.

This is my first post for December because I have been studying. I looked over my paintings and was not happy. They seemed to be more concerned with technique and getting it right than with what art really is all about, which is feelings and emotions and speaking from the heart. It is not easy to dig deeper and place on canvas or paper what one really wants to say. This is why painting is a lifelong pursuit and no one ever reaches the place where our art is complete. It's the journey that matters. The first version of this painting was posted on April 12th. It was really lifeless and without emotion. The balance between warm and cool colors really brings life to a painting.