I love the maker of this Card! What a talented daughter I have :)!

Artists at the Fair

I love going to the fair and seeing all the animals, tractors, carnival rides, etc. It was a nice surprise to see artists demonstrating their crafts, loved it!

Armory Arts! Dinner and Painting.

It was such a treat to have Paint Night at ArmoryArts, thanks to Mary and Joy.
Loved Joy's studio.
Loved seeing old friends and meeting new friends.
 Loved Mary's dinner!
Thanks for everything!

Lovely ladies! Great night painting together!

What concentration!

Hard at work adding the details!

Photo Shoot

Behind the scenes at a fun photo shoot at home.

Paparazzi 

 Jena: model and photographer :)

Jena and Desi waiting for the next shot. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. 

Jena and Tagus relaxing between shots.

Fundraiser "Brazart"



Here I am with my "Double Barreled Slingshot"!
I was so glad to contribute to the silent auction for a great cause.



My daughter and friends.
Mary worked so hard on this event! 
It was a wonderful, successful fundraiser!

This beautiful bra represents the scar on one side.

Some of thebras worn by the male "models" in the fashion show!

Beautiful wire bra.



This one was made of faux fur.



This was made of plastic eggs.

abstract painting

Another of my abstracts- very fun to do.
This one is about the church and it's  history of  relationships.

Gallery peeks

Peeking into more A2 galleries- very fun to go explore...

inside were panaramic landscapes

amazed by the artwork!

bad photo- of old tvs lined up w/ videos

"BrazArt" entry "Double Barrelled Slingshot"D

I'm almost done with my entry for the "BraZart" event. It's a fundraiser for cancer. I'm hearing that there are a lot of great entries coming in for the silent auction. My entry is a double barrelled slingshot using a bra as a sling. I painted a double target to go with it. I think it's looking great! :) This was a fun project!

Double Barrelled Slingshot (the slingshot is resting on the target in this photo)

painting the slingshot

Professor Bippes Retires

My husband and I met and fell in love in the Art Dept. of a small christian college. We actually met on an art department trip to Chicago in the Fall of my freshman year, a mutual friend introduced us. The next Spring we had several classes with Professor Bippes, who taught us how to draw very tightly with an ultra sharp pencil. He emphasized the elegance of a sensitive contour line. In his class, we labored over thousands, no millions, of teeny tiny parallel lines built up to precisely shade a drawing. We learned to take command our HB pencils. It was slow, tedious work. This was 34 years ago! I can't believe it!
Prof. Bippes is a much loved teacher. In my teaching career I have had several interns and student teachers over the years that he has sent my way. They all love him, because he loves them. He demands high quality work, and requires a student's best effort. Freshman are ruthlessly sorted as they fall short of the effort, perfection, and numerous hours that a positive critique from Bippes requires. He is famous for the stinginess in which he doles out As. High praise from Bippes is earned.
We just attended his farewell art show and reception. His work was displayed on one side of the large gallery, alumni work was displayed on the other side. His drawings and woodcuts are masterful, and thought-provoking. It was easy to see his influence in the alumni work, his demand for excellence in thought and execution marks us all.
The art department has grown tremendously from the time my husband and I attended school there. It's in a new building, with new equipment, new faculty, new gallery, etc.; but the influence of one professor remains, and will remain. His philosophy, vision, and direction are solid, inspiring, and enduring.

Our inspiring Professor

Fun in an A2 gallery!

I thought this "see saw" sculpture at an Ann Arbor Gallery was pretty fun! I wish I would have noted the artist. I liked the idea- super hero like!

Continuation of transportation series

Hooray for Painting Night! I love painting night!

about done with the sailboat in the transportation series

Groovy dress painting for 60's night coming up!

tractors

More recent paintings I'm working on in the transport series..

Well, we went to the Armory Arts Open House for the 2nd Sunday event in support of Mary. Her studio looked wonderful! She is a brilliant artist. The girls and I also got henna tattoos by Afaff. Mine lasted less than a week- I wash my hands a lot! Oh well, it was fun, and it was pretty while it lasted.



Applying the dye.




They were so pretty!



Wed nite painting

On Wed nites I paint with my buddy Mary. I've been painting on wallpaper, really enjoying the results. They are framable, rather like paper- matted and framed. They do not require glass. This picture is on a wooden floor, I have the wallpaper clipped to a board.

Sorry, once again I'm having trouble flipping.
I flipped it in another program but this program just ignored my flip.
I guess you'll get a neck workout looking at my blog :)

My first "real bike" was a blue Shwinn 3 speed.
I was being nostalgic painting this bike. I loved that bike!

flipped bus

can't get this pic to flip for some reason
I wish they had a flipper right on this site
anyway, this is last night's painting- in progress

Horse painting

next layer on horse... I'm trying to decide if it's done

What I'm working on this week

underpainting started Tues 

drawing with sharpie and glitter crayon