Friday with a Cherry on Top!

Yesterday was a fantastic day!  Ro and  I met at the beach for our morning walk.  We headed down the shoreline in the opposite direction of our usual journey into territory yet uncharted by us.  We came across an enormous tree care worn by Lake Erie and given to the beach as a spectacular bench.  We indeed rested and enjoyed the calming waters gently kissing the sand.

I returned home, watered my flowers, made breakfast for myself and jumped back into the video project that I've been working on to share with you.  It's my first video and I'm having all kinds of problems with  it!  After my tech guy (my son, Mike) came over last weekend and installed a conversion program, I thought the rest would be a walk in the park.  I finally figured out how to insert some pics into my video, mute the video's audio and insert music.  As I finished my breakfast, I was quite pleased with my WMM project and hit the "Publish Movie" button.  I thought my problems were over, but NOOOooooooooo, not so quick there, Angelia.  It seems that now there are compression issues.  The bottom half of my video is now GREEN. What?  Really? An emergency call to Tech Guy and I find out there's MORE installing of programs to be done. 

OK. I'll admit it. I was PISSED OFF!  I knew the only thing I was going to upload was my butt into the car and OUT of here.  I was going on and on - WHY am I doing all this anyway?  Who cares? I could be outside goofing off and enjoying the beautiful weather! Plan B initiated.  I needed to go buy canvas for my commission anyway, and I really needed to step away from all things electronic.  I made up my mind to share the video with you anyway, so I began the "upload video" process here in Blogger.  After all, we're friends and friends share the crappy stuff, too.  I went to my blogger dashboard, and that's when I noticed that there was now a comment on Thursday's post!

I look for comments on my post several times a day and I read EVERY single one.  Your comments are what keep me posting and I want you to know how very much I appreciate each one.  You guys always make me laugh and smile, but yesterday's comment took me totally by surprise. It read,  " Angelia: I have given you an award on my blog...Hugs to you"  It was from Kelly, from Kellys Art Journaling, one of my very favorite blogs!

With a huge, dumb grin on my face, I rushed right over to Kelly's Art Journaling to see what kind of award I'd been given, and here it is, "Cherry On Top Award".  What an honor, and what TIMING! Pissed off? Who's pissed off? Ahhhh....synchronicity was at it again! Just when I was ready to pack it in and GIVE UP (at least for a day or two), I'm given the acknowledgment that I AM in the right place and I DO make a difference. So.....the rules for this award are:

1.  THANK THE PERSON WHO GAVE IT TO YOU.  Kelly, you and your blog are a huge inspiration to me.  Thank you so much for your continued support of my efforts.  I'm very touched that you thought of me for this award.

2.  POST IT WITH PRIDE ON YOUR BLOG.  Absolutely!

3.  POST THREE THINGS YOU LOVE ABOUT YOURSELF:  Just three? LOL - OK. 1. My dedication to LOVE - God, family, friends, all mankind regardless of race, creed, color or religious/sexual orientation. (The greatest illusion is that we are separate) 2. My sense of humor.  3. My passion for ALL of the fine arts & music. 

4.  POST A PIC YOU LOVE.  Keith took this pic of us Thursday night at the beach sunset. How cute are we! :o)

5.  TAG FIVE PEOPLE FOR THIS AWARD

1.  Connie Hozvicka @ Dirty Footprints Studio. Genuine, juicy and BIG. I love this gal and her vision.  Thanks for all your support, Connie. 

2.  Traci Bautista  Can you say "Eye Candy"?  I want to roll around in her art. WONDERFUL!

3.  Effy Wild   Wild AND Precious. And very supportive.  Thanks, Effy.

4.  Samantha Kira Harding  Journal Girl, AWESOME girl :o)

5.  Less Herger  Another supportive and wonderful creative. Thanks for welcoming me into your journaling community, Less!

I could list MANY more blogs that deserve this award.  I can't begin to tell you what a wonderful group of creatives it's been my pleasure to have met and to have become acquainted.  I hope you will find time to visit these wonderful blogs and show your love and support to these wonderful creatives.  Also check out the blogs that are included in the Blog Hops, and let these help inspire you on your own journey to "Happy Creating!"

Outside The Book

Watercolor Paper

I've been so busy with journaling that I've been side tracked from painting LARGE.  I was browsing Connie's blog, Dirty Footprints Studio, and through a labyrinth of surfing I can't repeat, I came across Chris Zydel and her Creative Juice Arts website and was moved to paint LARGE. (You really must explore both of these sites and be truly uplifted and inspired!)

I went into my studio and rummaged through my paper stash and found 2 full sheets (22" x 30") of Strathmore Gemini watercolor paper that seemed perfect for my outdoor paint-a-thon. I love the deckle edges and the feel of the paper.  I gathered my supplies - large (for me) paintbrushes, left over paint that I had from a mural project, and a white plastic tablecloth tarp to protect the deck. I was ready to paint LARGE with a journal mindset!

A beautiful, sunny day, a silly me, and I'm ready to paint! I can't believe I'm posting such a horrible pic of myself! LOL

I'm going to paint a random shape - I can't believe orange is my first  choice of color!

Hmmmm.....look at this luscious red! I'll put some here....and maybe here....

Where there's red, there's purple....at least on THIS deck!.....Speaking of red & purple...

Look at how nicely my deck window box has filled in with red begonias and purple impatiens!

 Look at this yummy blue and green! It's fun to use this red pail of water to clean my brushes!

I would love to show you more stages, but guess what?  My camera battery died just after I took this picture and there was NO way I could stop painting.  I had no idea how I was going to develop this page until I looked at it from a different perspective.  Here's the result....

This painting, "Red Sky at Night",  represents the restless nights I've been having: bed at 11:30, bathroom 3:30, tossing/turning until 4:30 and then wide awake and on the computer.  It gives me additional time to look at some of the wonderful images by my creative friends here on the net and time to catch up on world news. And what emerged on my second sheet as I began to randomly apply paint?  Here it is:

A painting that represents the memory of wonderfully cooked meals by my mother, grandmother and aunts over the years, all prepared with love and a happy heart.  Most of them are gone now, and those who are left are too far away for me to drop by for an afternoon.  I have named this painting "God's Kitchen" because the love and laughter that I experienced in those kitchens and the wonderful meals that I enjoyed from all those women are a part of who I am and their spirits remain with me always.

I hope that your journaling experiences have given you the desire to journal "outside the book" and paint LARGE. I hope you can recapture the free spirit of the child within you and allow yourself the pleasure of playing with paint and expressing your essence in "Happy Creating!".  There's only one YOU - set yourself free and come out and play!

Dirty Footprints Studio Interview

I'm excited and honored to have been asked by Connie Hozvicka to participate in her "30 Journals 30 Days" project at Dirty Footprints Studio.  I met this lovely, former Buckeye gal through an art journaling group that we both belong to.  Connie is not just an amazing artist, she's an awesome spirit filled with love, whimsy and generosity.

I hope you'll pour your favorite beverage, pull up a comfy chair, and go on a wonderful journey filled with eye candy as you visit Dirty Footprints Studio.  Read about and get to know the beauty of Connie, and peak into the lives of other creatives as you navigate the first 19 interviews of her guest journalers. (I'm number 15)

I'll be back tomorrow - I have so much to tell you from the weekend.  Meanwhile, "Happy Creating"!