Beautiful Inside

How does she know?

I mean, really. What confidence. You have to admire it really. Maybe she's on very good terms with her internist? I've had three kids and there is a certain point in the midst of pregnancies that you lose your ability to become embarrassed about yourself. I will admit, I once had midwife tell me that I had a happy cervix. I think I blushed, maybe I laughed. I didn't post a sign with my photo. (Though I did remember the comment and post about it here, so maybe I shouldn't throw stones) Or is she simply stating that besides her many virtues as a real estate professional, knowledgeable in her field, she's also a great person with a heart of gold? Oh, right. The house. The sign is about the house. Well that's just plain creepy. Who wants a house that talks?

Moving on. Felix, my stunning brilliant little boy has stopped sucking his thumb! He had a small cut on his thumb this past Friday and it hurt too much for him to suck it. So I was lying there with him around his bedtime and out of the blue he said, "Well, that's it. I 'm guess I'm going to stop sucking my thumb now." And then he did. He made it the whole weekend and there's been no back sliding even though the little cut is healed. I'm just so impressed. I've talked to him lots of times before this about all the reasons he would have to stop, but he never seemed to take it in, always saying that when he was older he would. I guess now he's older. I feel like I should throw him a Bar Mitsvah, if only we were Jewish.

I'm working on some new materials for the shop that I'm hoping to post this coming week. I've taken denim and wrapped it over canvas stretching bars and I'm making some art on that. I like the idea of material as a background but it also helps to force me to keep it simple. I think the added bonus is that they'll be originals to sell rather than just prints. And soon I'll have to choose the winner in the photo contest. It's going to be hard to choose there have been some great entries.

So far summer vacation has been relatively painless as the kids are all getting along pretty well and Tully is so much more interactive. Today we went on a small hike to the Balls Bluff regional park (the scene of an important civil war battle) and we saw this turtle.

The Contest

So this is the latest announcement I placed in the shop

Win a Free Print!
I'm looking for inspiration, so how about you let me borrow yours? Send me a photo for a painting and if your photo is chosen you'll win a free print of the painting created from it. I'll also post the top three choices on my blog. If I get enough entries and responses we could have a new winner each month. So get out your camera and show me what you have.

Unusual perspective and views are especially appreciated as well as urban or city images. All photos should be in standard bmp, jpg, or gif format, and taken by you. Convo/email/comment to me with the subject heading, photo entry. Good Luck and happy snapping!

The idea is that it would be so nice to get a glimpse of life through someone else's eyes and illustrate that vision in my style. I don't get out enough, and honestly how many cows could I possibly paint? I'm a little worried about people giving me pictures that they just find on the internet or wherever but I'm deciding to rely on the general trust worthiness of Etsy folk. Also I have to make clear to the winner that I'll be using the image to make a painting and then sell prints of that painting. My thanks for the picture is the free print, not a cut of my meager profit. I guess I'll clarify to the winner at the end of the month that they'll retain the rights to their picture and I'll retain the rights to my painting of it. I thought this would be a nice way to collaborate with the world at large so to speak, we'll see.

Eric took the camera to work today. Can you see my frown from here? There are some new cows in the field and I swear they were posing, practically daring me to photograph them and I couldn't. I know, you thought I was sick of cows, but there is a black one and I'd love to catch how the light falls on that shiny fur. And there is one with a white face, and that can be so expressive. Looking through photos to post I found this one. You can tell by the trees that it was a few months ago, but the spirit of spring is obvious. I've named this sheep Randy.

Love is awkward

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Can you see the fire in those eyes? This ones full of spit and vinegar but oh how I love her. Not much for news right now, other than the computer miraculously fixing itself. Also we got the good news that our rent won't be increasing this year which is a nice relief since we like it here so much.

Life on a 286 acre farm with a creek and animals is not bad as raising kids territory. And I would have hated to move when the strawberries are coming in so well in our little garden. So I'm off to pick some. Here is another pic of Emer and Tully heading off into the lower field. They've recently cut and baled the hay in this field so I think there might be a painting coming on with those images.

The post of no pictures past

The computer in the office that I use to upload pictures from my camera to the internet is temporarily down so this will be the post of no pictures. I'm telling you now, don't even scroll down, no eye candy awaits you. I know, I share your disappointment, there's something great about seeing stuff up there on the little screen with the little audience. The funny thing is, the computer in the office was fixed last night when I asked Eric to plug in or fix whatever it is that broke and he did. But then with the voice of Al Gore ringing in my ears I turned the computer off to save energy and went up to bed. This morning I turn it on and NO. For me, the computer is incredibly testy and difficult, for him it's like a well trained dog. oh well. I'm sure I have some skills up my sleeves that my genius engineer doesn't. That's a fine premise and we're just going to play along with it because barring the fact that I'm in short sleeves there is nothing wrong here. move on.
Two things.
1. The birds that have their nest on the eve of our back porch are beginning to get big and less ugly. While I type this I can see the mom and dad zipping back and forth delivering food and the babies are spreading their wings a bit sitting up a bit more. Not nestled in so much anymore but perched on the nest. I thought I saw the mom earlier pushing the little ones and flapping her wings as if to say "Here's how these things work. If you don't like what I made for you, use them." I would include pictures but refer to paragraph one.
2. I went to the community pool with a friend and all three kids. I got a little floaty life vest for Tully and one for Felix and a little floating board for Emer and I was a whirling dirvish the whole time trying to keep an eye on them all regardless. The life vest for Tully was the best money I ever spent though as she as no fear and likes to go to the deep water and yells at me when I try to hold her. I think when the lifeguards wear red shorts regular civilian men should be prevented from wearing the same. Otherwise I'm giving the guy with the beer belly and mustache my undivided attention because he raised his voice, and immediately my eyes begin scanning the pool for some disaster only to find his kid splashed someone. Also lifeguard whistles. There ought to be some kind of a code because sometimes they blow it to say get out of the pool and sometimes it means don't run, or hey quit splashing.
Okay, without pictures I just can't go on. I'll try and take some pics of the birds though and save them for a time when the other computer is working. Tweet