Mowing the lake

(Click on the image to enlarge)

This is so odd. the second largest fresh-water lake in the US, Lake Okeechobee, has grass and weeds growing for so long now that they are actually mowing it where the water used to be!

In the distance you can see bulldosers dump trucks and front-end loaders dredging up the sludge and the muck that has been coming down from the Kissimmee River for hundreds of years. They hope the lake will be cleaner and healthier when the water levels rise.

Here is a link to a painting I did in January, just before the drought, you can see the water came up close to the cypress tree.

http://fawnspaintings.blogspot.com/2007/05/last-december-plein-air.html

Not to Worry

I have been told they are not going to start building anything on Eagle Bay. They are just cleaning out the muck and settlement so the water will be clean when it fills back up.

All of the dirt here was a marsh, plus it went off to the right.

Wiped out

I went down to Eagle Bay today. This is a marsh of shallow water and all kinds of wildlife. The last time I went it was dry with grass growing everywhere, no water at all. Today I cried a few tears as I looked at what man has done. They have bull dosed the whole place! We are talking achres of wetlands completely wiped out! Machines, and piles of dirt are everywhere you look.

Click here to see Eagle Bay before the drought.

A New Challenge

2,000 Paintings in 30 Days – the Daily Painting Challenge at DailyPainters.com Online art gallery members to produce 2,000 original paintings in 30 days, from June 15 – July 15

Erie, CO May 23, 2007 -- The artists of the Daily Painters Gallery have been busy. Since September 2006, they've posted over 10,000 original paintings to their online gallery at DailyPainters.com. From June 15 to July 15, 2007, they will be attempting a new group record: 2,000 paintings in 30 days. The members of DailyPainters.com represent a growing movement in the art world, known as 'daily painting' or 'painting-a-day'. These artists strive to produce one small painting every day, or nearly so, and post them for sale on their online gallery. Even with all of their other commitments -- art fairs, gallery commitments, commission paintings, full-time jobs, and other demands of everyday life, these artists love their daily painting routine. It's a great way to stay fresh and stay focused, and it's fun, even if it is a lot of hard work. And, art collectors can't get enough of it.

The Daily Painters Gallery is a great place for art collectors, decorators, and homeowners to find affordable original art and discover new painters. Visitors can browse the latest paintings, browse by artist, search by category, and visit the artists' blogs. And, visitors can subscribe to daily email updates to get the latest art in their inbox every morning. Because the paintings are sold directly by the artists, prices are more affordable than your local gallery, with many paintings starting under $100. With over 10,000 paintings in one easy to use website, finding that one-of-a-kind piece for your home has never been so fun.

DailyPainters.com was founded in 2006 by artist Micah Condon and has since grown to include over 120 artists. DailyPainters.com artists have been featured in The New York Times, USA Weekend Magazine, The Boston Globe, Art Business News, Domino Magazine, The Washington Express, Wired Magazine, and more.

http://www.dailypainters.com/

Summer art

I had my first kids summer art class today. It has been a few years since I have had a studio to teach in. It was great. I remembered what teaching is really about, and the excitement of working with minds that want to explore new ideas! We had fun, and I felt inspired again.

After teaching at the high school I was beginning to wonder why I ever liked teaching before. It is very hard to teach art to those who don't want to be there! I had some good students too, but I spent so much time with behavior problems and grading issues. Teenagers are not the most agreeable people in the world.

Now I am letting my students choose their own projects and work at their own speed. What a wonderful way to help someone create something! Smile.

Here are some pictures of my studio. I can sit four at the table comfortably, and I have three more stations around the room.

sleepless

Been up for over an hour. Usually I can get right back to sleep, but I am excited about so many different things. Starting kids summer classes (small groups at my studio), working on some murals, and of course my Daily Paintings. I keep finding new ideas to try and learning new approaches.

Trying to finish a small painting everyday is a sure way to get some much needed practice! One attempt raises new questions and then I will have three more ideas to work through. Right now I have started a fourth palette knife painting. This one is turning out excellent, at least for me. I learned more from the struggles of the last one than I have in months!

Hope you have a worshipful Sunday!

Nothing

For the first time in my life I have no pets, and no kids at home. I have quit teaching at the public school, and I plan to do nothing! Nothing except paint pictures and sell my art. But that isn't at all how it is going. I am cleaning out things, re-arranging things, cooking more for my husband, running all kinds of errands, and finding constant interruptions to my creativity.

I am excited about the many new opportunities that await me. I want to do nothing -- except what I believe God is leading me to do. I am so tired of trying so hard to do everything my way and then asking him to bless it. I am learning that if I just slow down and ask first, then things work out in unbelievable ways!

I feel like I am suppose to write a book. I am not skilled in this area, but I am going to try. I have so many remarkable things in my life to write about: I moved almost every year; I was held hostage when I was just four years old, and I was a foster child as a teenager. The most remarkable thing is that I am OK. Sometimes that is questionable, but for the most part I am happily married and live a well rounded life. I give Thanks to God for the people he has put in my life that have helped me to heal emotionally. I am sure there is more healing to come too!

So I guess this will be a place for me to just talk about what is on my mind or what I am struggling through. Maybe I'll post some of my poems too.

Have a great Day!