Well, this is the first of forty in my Mud Pie collection. I worked on this one for an hour yesterday and today I spent 30 minutes on the second (still have a half hour to go). I remember when I first started taking this class and thought I would never be able to paint. I'm not saying I can paint now but there is a small resemblance to the picture in my last post.

Tomorrow I will be going to my sister Connie for a visit, really looking forward to it. I try to see her (and her husband Steve) at least once a month, it too easy these days to drift apart from family & friends.

Wow this last week went fast. Went to Pastel class today and had a great time. All of last years ladies were back and it felt like family. We are work on a forty picture project (Mud Pies), each of us must do 2 paintings a week of the same image, but each of us has selected a different picture to reproduce. I started out behind because I missed the first two weeks and then this last week I helped Mom with her craft show. I have promised to be caught up by next week (must have six paintings completed) and I think I can do it. Oh yea, we are suppose to complete each in 45 minutes to an hour. Below is the image I have selected for my 40. I will be adding a post for each my attempts.

Well Pastel Class was good today. New member to the group Judy, looks like she has got some skills and is just looking into a new medium. Barbara Jo as expected had a number of beautiful images she had worked on this last week (talked her into giving me a couple to try and sell for her the week). Not to disappoint Anita (Stoll) our instructor/teacher/mentor/friend had an interest assignment for us to do in our off class time. She saw an article in the Pastel Journal where a woman had done the same picture 100 times. Each was done in 40 minutes and using different color schemes. The images were amazing and let her use different styles, techniques, & colors, very freeing. We are now to do the same but to a smaller degree, 40 pictures, two a week. The task is a little scary but I am there to learn. This may lead one day to some real skill ;~)

Three days since Thanksgiving and I'm not tried of turkey yet.

The days and definitely the nights are getting colder (25 degrees last night).

I going to a pastel painting class tomorrow morning & I'm looking forward to it. The women in the class are interesting & a lot more talented then I (so there is no place to go but up).

Day One of My New Blog

It's a couple of days after Thanksgiving 2009 and I'm feeling good. I don't know why but this year I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving. Usually during the holidays I feel stressed out and don't want to to be part of it. This time through I cooked most of the meal and just enjoyed myself (have I broken some secret code?). The only thing amiss was not enough family. Connie & Steve were not feeling well and Mark & Amanda went to Mark's Mom's and Patti stayed home too exhausted from Nursing School. Maybe for Christmas we will have a bigger crowd.

Some of you may be wondering why a new blog? I don't know, maybe it just easier when your not writing the code yourself and going through the publishing process. we'll see how long this lasts.