Where Did Last Week Go?

Last week absolutely flew by!

In addition to work appointments, I had the flooring fellow here three days last week.  He transformed the downstairs by ripping up the old NASTY carpet and putting down red oak hardwood to match the rest of the first floor rooms.  When I say NASTY, I mean NASTY!    The carpet had visible stains from the top-side (even after being cleaned) but the underside was full of stain evidence.  Plus, the padding underneath was just powdery.  I wouldn't have expected that in a house that's only six years old.  Must not have been very good quality.  

What a difference the hardwood makes!!  The rooms look so much cleaner and so much larger.  Such an improvement!  Here are two views of the den / living room - before and after.  WOW!

Here's a look at the NASTY carpet and also before and after of the rooms.  The carpet people will be here next week to replace the NASTY carpet upstairs (in the  two guest bedrooms and the office) with new in a pretty shade of dark gold.  I wish I could afford to put hardwood upstairs and on the stairs, too.  Just too expensive. 

I saved most of my vacation days this year since I didn't know if I'd have to take them to move or what.  So, now I have to use them.  

I took Friday off to attend a Friday-Sunday watercolor workshop with Nancy Nordloh Neville at the Pendleton Art Center in Cincinnati.  I think I was the only student in the class that hadn't taken from here before.  In fact, several of the students are also in her class that meets every Monday afternoon.

Nancy was a delight.  Very good with her critiques.     

I LOVE Nancy's work!  Everything she paints is just gorgeous!  She leans towards florals and fruits -- still life paintings.  Nancy's husband, Bruce Neville, is also a watercolor artist.  With his background in architec ture, he prefers painting landscapes and buildings.  They share a studio on the 6th floor of the eight-story Pendleton Art Center.  Their studio space was jam-packed with inspiration!  I could have sat there all weekend and been satisfied with just looking around!  

Friday, Nancy had set up this butt-kicking (no other way to explain it!) still life.  It was gorgeous but, boy!, was it intricate.  My mind starts screaming "I can't do this" when it's confronted with something so complicated to paint.  This still life could have been a dozen or more paintings from different angles or by including / excluding this object or that.  Here is my attempt.  I want to go back in and add more leaves to the hydrangeas so there won't be so much white space.  I also want to make the flower heads less splotchy - more uniform.  The fact that the hydrangeas are so straight bothers me a bit but that's how they were in real life.  Using artistic license to  make the changes mentioned above, might help things.  I won't even discuss the trials and tribulations of trying to paint the silver coffee urn!  We'll see if I can improve this any.

Saturday, most of us were still finishing up Friday's piece.  Once done, it was on to the Saturday set-up.  Mine lacks the red-checked tablecloth -- still need to add it.  I also want to go back in and paint more pansies - make them fuller with more blossoms and leaves.  The spot where the bag meets the pot also needs to be darker.

Sunday, was a real challenge!  An architectural piece straight off the streets of Charleston, SC.  I wasn't feeling well on Sunday which didn't help matters.  I found this piece very hard.  Extremely difficult to draw / simplify.  

One thing that this workshop taught me is that I really need to draw more --- practice, practice, practice!   Your drawing is the foundation of your painting and I really need to practice drawing everything in sight!  

I'm taking an Imaginary Trip Through Autumn with Laure Ferlita, too.  Journaling is something I've always wanted to do.  This would also provide good drawing opportunity.  Anyway, Laure is a watercolor artist living in Florida who sponsors these "trips" to Paris, Europe, through Autumn, etc.  I think she has one coming up to the beach.  It is very organized and a super fun idea.  She gives us assignments and posts demonstration videos, we do them in our journal, post our results to the blog, and she provides us with helpful criticism and tips.  Check out Laure's blog, Painted Thoughts.

This imaginary trip idea is great!  I would have loved to have known about this when I lived in Virginia and the closest art class was almost two hours away.  I think the format is a great opportunity for people in rural areas, people that can't easily go away from home for an art class due to children, full time work, handicap, etc.  If you're interested in more information and possibly joining us on a "trip", click here.  

Here is our second lesson on the autumn "trip".  A white pumpkin.  I kind of like this pumpkin.  I especially like the water blossom in the shadow.  The first assignment was to design a cover for our journal.  Our next lessons were an andirondack chair and leaves.  I still need to do my leaves.

When Laure posted all the people and their state of residence on the blog, I noticed there was another painter from Ohio.  I emailed and found that Kelly lives right down the road - about twenty minutes - from me!  What odds!  This is open to anyone on the web and the two of us are practically neighbors!   Kelly and I emailed back and forth and then met for dinner Saturday night after my workshop.  It was great fun meeting her!!!  We seem to have a lot in common - love of art, love of birds, mother to sons, etc.  I hope we can get together again soon for a painting date.  She said that I need to see Fort Ancient - which is just about five or six miles from me.  Check out Kelly's blog, Red and the Peanut.  She is a terrific photographer!

On the knitting front ---- the baby blanket continues!!!!!!!  What an easy knit!

I'm off today and tomorrow and had hopes of unpacking boxes in a big way!  However, I don't know what this is I have but I still don't feel well.  I think it's asthma that has just settled in my chest.  Anyway, it comes with a hard cough but no runny nose or cold symptoms.  Needless to say, I don't feel like unpacking a thing.  Gracie kitty has an appointment at the vet for her annual exam this afternoon and I do have a late afternoon work appointment tomorrow.  If the day is nice, I might just take a folding chair outside and sit and read or knit.  There's no real furniture in the house so it's either get back in the bed, sit at the kitchen table, or sit outside!  

Comments

[Anita]

Your new floor looks gorgeous! It makes the room look sooooo much larger.

Love the paintings too. I tried watercolor & can say that it just isn't my thing. Everything I painted looked flat. LOL

[Rebekah]

Love your paintings!

And your floors look beautiful.

[Terry]

Please give yourself permission to have a doctor visit and get well soon!

Robin, you are soooo Talented!Love your water colors, your knitting, and your photos on your blog are wonderfull too!

I am inspired and envious of your new wooden floors!

[Sara]

The floors look amazing! Love the paintings! Very nice. And how cool that you met a local painter?! Fort Ancient is fun. Jack Blosser is the caretaker/anthropologist who manages it. He and his family are so nice. Hopefully you get to meet him when you go out. Get to feeling better soon!

[Sydney]

The wood floors make a huge difference and I do love them.

Your paintings are lovely. I'm always fascinated by buildings but I don't do so well painting them. I need to talk myself into more practice I guess.

The imaginary trip journaling class is such a good idea. How nice that you found someone in the class that's near you.

[Rusty M.]

The floors look lovely. I really like hardwood floors and those really open up the space.
The paintings are great. You certainly are multi-talented.
Take care of yourself...you sure don't need any of the viruses that are floating around here. Feel better.

[Shirley Duncan]

I love your art work. Is there one for me?!!!!!!!!
Mama

[Gina]

Glad you are getting things done and keeping busy. The new wood floors look wonderful. It really does look so much more open. Your paintings are lovely and the idea of the "trips" is so interesting!

[Lindy]

Robin

Love those wood floors!!!
Big difference!!!!!!
Can't wait to see what's next......

[Kelly]

....your viola painting turned out beautifully!! I love the addition of the apples and bag (I saw the tulip painting in person, and it's gorgeous)!! I had a blast Saturday night. How funny we should live so close! The wood floors look beautiful. You're right, the area looks so much bigger and cleaner...

[Jackie]

Hi Robin!

Well girlfriend, the art classes and your interpretation were killer...really! You are way too hard on yourself. You have such an eye for color anyway and it shows. I think your pieces are beautiful.

House is looking spectacular. I love it when you can redo from the ground up! Almost makes you NOT want to put in any furniture at all. Make the whole first floor your studio (sorry Andy.....)!! What lovely light!

Take care of yourself so we can enjoy your blog!

[Chan]

Beautiful floors and art. You take care of you!