tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41603843352860364662024-03-13T04:50:11.299-04:00LeAnn Whitacre - Art and LifeOil paintings and a bit of commentary by Kentucky artist LeAnn WhitacreLeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-59608967380401136112013-08-26T03:16:00.001-04:002013-08-30T18:12:45.342-04:00Five Green Peppers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Me: "Do we have a machete?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: justify;">Jim: "No....why?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Me: "Well, I was thinking I might weed the garden."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Yes, friends, this summer's attempt at growing a vegetable garden has been a surprising mix of success and ridiculous failure. The lettuce went crazy, but the spinach never showed up.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AYpbxgKmE5U/Uhr0P35eu6I/AAAAAAAAAXE/KGGiU6vxkQ4/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252019%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A27%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404234.3318" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AYpbxgKmE5U/Uhr0P35eu6I/AAAAAAAAAXE/KGGiU6vxkQ4/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252019%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A27%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The tomato plants grew from seed, but they haven't yet produced one ripe tomato.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-poogri4q2ac/UhrVeVHRs_I/AAAAAAAAAUI/qLocMTOEQ_M/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A22%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404204.707" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-poogri4q2ac/UhrVeVHRs_I/AAAAAAAAAUI/qLocMTOEQ_M/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A22%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The squash and the zucchini went berserk,</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A6S5TNTQ-zU/Uhr0ItdahRI/AAAAAAAAAWY/1sA4yf90BiM/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A53%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="400" id="blogsy-1377501404191.1152" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A6S5TNTQ-zU/Uhr0ItdahRI/AAAAAAAAAWY/1sA4yf90BiM/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A53%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NqQqJvn6qzg/Uhr0Or6ExEI/AAAAAAAAAW8/ZxwAoddoEVk/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252019%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A23%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404231.202" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NqQqJvn6qzg/Uhr0Or6ExEI/AAAAAAAAAW8/ZxwAoddoEVk/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252019%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A23%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">and I ended up with zucchini the size of watermelon.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HCaGyWCL6m4/UhrVcmkyvpI/AAAAAAAAAUA/AiQ7cnOwcrg/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A14%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404238.3792" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HCaGyWCL6m4/UhrVcmkyvpI/AAAAAAAAAUA/AiQ7cnOwcrg/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A14%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The watermelon vines produced three watermelons...at least that's all I've found, after I tripped over them in the foot-high grass on the edge of the garden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eOOeNy_89qQ/UhrStEo10GI/AAAAAAAAASY/PjqgS0z0Q14/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A12%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404173.1233" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-eOOeNy_89qQ/UhrStEo10GI/AAAAAAAAASY/PjqgS0z0Q14/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A12%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There may be more, for all I know, but I'm not going in there without backup.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pXygG289GxU/Uhr5o-VTeiI/AAAAAAAAAXg/VMgzIqZjV0I/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A12%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404267.7715" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pXygG289GxU/Uhr5o-VTeiI/AAAAAAAAAXg/VMgzIqZjV0I/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A12%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The cornstalks are taller than I am this year, which is exciting, because they're the only things taller than the weeds.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KqaLO_BtHQ4/UhrSnshzaxI/AAAAAAAAASE/xBLP5kFNRxQ/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252025%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525203%25253A19%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404262.3247" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KqaLO_BtHQ4/UhrSnshzaxI/AAAAAAAAASE/xBLP5kFNRxQ/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252025%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525203%25253A19%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RpilDpOXU4Q/UhresWFLzJI/AAAAAAAAAU0/oPiZYg1Xn1Q/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252016%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A03%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="374" id="blogsy-1377501404218.1228" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RpilDpOXU4Q/UhresWFLzJI/AAAAAAAAAU0/oPiZYg1Xn1Q/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252016%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A03%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="text-align: left;">Who knew you were supposed to pull out ALL the weeds? Or, that stomping them down wouldn't keep them down? I pulled out most of the little vines, but left a few of them, because I was pretty sure they were morning glories. </span><span style="text-align: left;">They are now strangling the corn stalks, and the beans...and the tomatoes.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5P7OI9h-wWw/UhrS5bYPgVI/AAAAAAAAATU/RrY8DTfz-UE/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A41%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404199.0967" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5P7OI9h-wWw/UhrS5bYPgVI/AAAAAAAAATU/RrY8DTfz-UE/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A41%252520AM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">I did plant peas, of some kind, but I can't find them now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dljv7sEkxss/UhrS_FQxJwI/AAAAAAAAATs/TCAu3EC2yjI/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A50%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404260.1406" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dljv7sEkxss/UhrS_FQxJwI/AAAAAAAAATs/TCAu3EC2yjI/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A50%252520AM.jpg" width="375" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">I stumbled across a pepper plant yesterday and was overjoyed to find five green peppers, just waiting for me...perfect consolation for all the rotten cantaloupe I stepped on. Ugh.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rKVwpuu8JFM/UhrS0Ak32ZI/AAAAAAAAAS8/SiccMRvBQSY/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A28%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404243.355" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rKVwpuu8JFM/UhrS0Ak32ZI/AAAAAAAAAS8/SiccMRvBQSY/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A28%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZyKgsiyHe5E/UhrSg0IbLpI/AAAAAAAAARk/2peMHwhtlp4/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A29%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404193.9236" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZyKgsiyHe5E/UhrSg0IbLpI/AAAAAAAAARk/2peMHwhtlp4/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A29%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">Last year, I don't remember seeing monster weeds, or zipper spiders,</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GZEP6mtyarE/UhrnbvN8BlI/AAAAAAAAAVo/XHey0Ru3IwQ/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252025%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525203%25253A22%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404203.445" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GZEP6mtyarE/UhrnbvN8BlI/AAAAAAAAAVo/XHey0Ru3IwQ/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252025%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525203%25253A22%252520PM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">or losing my owl statue to a jungle of vines...</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MFK8pt-2mJk/UhrmLfuWavI/AAAAAAAAAVU/2Jd3fZCqpqQ/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A45%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404188.4421" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MFK8pt-2mJk/UhrmLfuWavI/AAAAAAAAAVU/2Jd3fZCqpqQ/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A45%252520AM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">but then again, last year we had a drought, with a ten-day heat wave. Even the weeds gave up after that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I did pull out the weeds early on.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fCwNTe_tnRA/Uhr0Hk-qLJI/AAAAAAAAAWM/mIOwpWVBU04/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252020%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525204%25253A08%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404281.9392" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fCwNTe_tnRA/Uhr0Hk-qLJI/AAAAAAAAAWM/mIOwpWVBU04/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252020%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525204%25253A08%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I even threw down grass clippings between the rows, and around the tomato plants.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7HrLp4hkaNU/Uhr0GQYXzXI/AAAAAAAAAWE/lDyvC1XyiVE/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252020%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525204%25253A06%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404232.467" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7HrLp4hkaNU/Uhr0GQYXzXI/AAAAAAAAAWE/lDyvC1XyiVE/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252020%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525204%25253A06%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I picked lots of lettuce, a few squash, a few dozen zucchini.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LvtnW6RMo_w/Uhr0MbhlBUI/AAAAAAAAAWs/6lDE5wyx18E/s1024/Photo%252520Jun%25252026%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A24%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404195.6086" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LvtnW6RMo_w/Uhr0MbhlBUI/AAAAAAAAAWs/6lDE5wyx18E/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252026%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A24%252520PM.jpg" width="407" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">And it rained a LOT.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-87fN2oINxsg/Uhr0J8Wk_QI/AAAAAAAAAWc/uxX-zsTWWdU/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252026%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525205%25253A57%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404200.5964" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-87fN2oINxsg/Uhr0J8Wk_QI/AAAAAAAAAWc/uxX-zsTWWdU/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252026%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525205%25253A57%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I thought I had it made. That was May.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Then I left town...for most of June, and part of July. Gardens don't do well without supervision. You need a gardensitter. (<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">25 year-old sons with jobs and girlfriends don't count.) </span> You need someone to go out every day, pull the weeds, pick the zucchini, and maybe even cook some of it...</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2fWK_rNgA1w/Uhr0K6tAhmI/AAAAAAAAAWk/pY7-6M6WXws/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252026%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A30%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404222.5667" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2fWK_rNgA1w/Uhr0K6tAhmI/AAAAAAAAAWk/pY7-6M6WXws/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252026%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A30%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">and mow the grass while they're at it,</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UyX0AE_16P8/UhrSdoTGgxI/AAAAAAAAARU/EtxiuEfn3Tc/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A18%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404219.7275" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UyX0AE_16P8/UhrSdoTGgxI/AAAAAAAAARU/EtxiuEfn3Tc/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A18%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">so your watermelons and canteloupe don't get lost.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RHNlkuyKNIg/UhsAn77RaII/AAAAAAAAAX4/E-G36Y_CGlU/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A12%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404298.6255" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RHNlkuyKNIg/UhsAn77RaII/AAAAAAAAAX4/E-G36Y_CGlU/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A12%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7rOpzR8Z6tM/UhsAurdZOKI/AAAAAAAAAYA/z-xddx7AuiY/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A13%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404285.7825" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7rOpzR8Z6tM/UhsAurdZOKI/AAAAAAAAAYA/z-xddx7AuiY/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A13%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">I'll have to remember that next year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Furthermore, I will remember to pull up ALL the morning glories, while they are little,</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2S-q6yx8FaY/UhrSkSTP1yI/AAAAAAAAAR0/W_kbL9jnXlA/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A32%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404227.3643" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2S-q6yx8FaY/UhrSkSTP1yI/AAAAAAAAAR0/W_kbL9jnXlA/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A32%252520AM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">because no matter how pretty they are,</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MJI6NzJUPlg/UhrS9UbUMII/AAAAAAAAATk/hly69mtUQJo/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A50%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404272.5857" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MJI6NzJUPlg/UhrS9UbUMII/AAAAAAAAATk/hly69mtUQJo/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A50%252520AM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">they will turn your garden into one giant trellis, </span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yvx7SHZCgu0/UhrS7stHzlI/AAAAAAAAATc/mPpZAcUXoHI/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A20%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404239.312" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yvx7SHZCgu0/UhrS7stHzlI/AAAAAAAAATc/mPpZAcUXoHI/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A20%252520AM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">just for fun...</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_Kf4a87_hHg/UhrS33QsJVI/AAAAAAAAATM/uhPDdR8ZmBI/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A22%252520AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="500" id="blogsy-1377501404272.5435" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_Kf4a87_hHg/UhrS33QsJVI/AAAAAAAAATM/uhPDdR8ZmBI/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252010%25253A22%252520AM.jpg" width="375" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">and, maybe one zucchini plant would be better than eight.</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fVgt4DtYeng/Uhr0FP81IHI/AAAAAAAAAV8/VL1zQes-iTc/s640/Photo%252520Jun%25252016%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525204%25253A11%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="328" id="blogsy-1377501404260.4324" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fVgt4DtYeng/Uhr0FP81IHI/AAAAAAAAAV8/VL1zQes-iTc/s500/Photo%252520Jun%25252016%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525204%25253A11%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FF-bLK5Lnzg/Uhr0NiMZWRI/AAAAAAAAAW0/wOOGeLNdWN8/s640/Photo%252520Jul%25252014%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A14%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404223.059" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FF-bLK5Lnzg/Uhr0NiMZWRI/AAAAAAAAAW0/wOOGeLNdWN8/s500/Photo%252520Jul%25252014%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A14%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Now, I'm going to go buy myself a machete. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">_____________________________</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VYJ2TzXIqjw/UhsA14zYCYI/AAAAAAAAAYI/ALpkRQzAg30/s1024/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A32%252520PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1377501404214.1648" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VYJ2TzXIqjw/UhsA14zYCYI/AAAAAAAAAYI/ALpkRQzAg30/s500/Photo%252520Aug%25252021%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A32%252520PM.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></div>
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LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-28674226672719203692011-02-09T15:04:00.000-05:002011-02-09T15:04:06.001-05:00"The Last Rose" Oil on hardboard 5x7<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJyVX-znCuQNcA8nhKrBxljrPwVoqpQrjBaHfQPsbMAE_oTGu4MaQjCXG2TitZBM5ni-DCpbP7KJdq0shGGj42aCZTSwLh95KcXNJr4i-PdtcTdRcXYRKcFjBXnGztyUbqWib_3hzKSio/s1600/IMG_3973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJyVX-znCuQNcA8nhKrBxljrPwVoqpQrjBaHfQPsbMAE_oTGu4MaQjCXG2TitZBM5ni-DCpbP7KJdq0shGGj42aCZTSwLh95KcXNJr4i-PdtcTdRcXYRKcFjBXnGztyUbqWib_3hzKSio/s320/IMG_3973.JPG" width="227" /></a>When I take pictures, I usually think about what it might look like as a painting. I took several pictures of leaves one day last fall... or perhaps the year before... most of them I placed on the faded cypress wood of our front porch. I actually managed to follow through and paint the oak leaves. Jim claimed that painting before I was even half-way finished. The same day, I cut this rose off one of the bushes that Jim planted in the middle of our drive. We have a triangle-shaped island of sorts, and we've tried several different things there, but the roses have looked the best. They fill in early, bloom all summer, and keep on going until the first heavy frost says 'enough, already!' This was one of the last roses I cut. </div></div>LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-10931065862667067012011-01-09T01:44:00.001-05:002011-01-09T01:49:49.372-05:00"Autumn Leaves" Oil on Hardboard 5"x7"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y8_XNJvh5AxphkDIgfYGkd1AzAcUoM1saHceYsK8UofHKQzU-gaLuQh3_dlrAs_lt08PLZL8UepzMafe8KHmBZP1OjntgGyHvXVYByUSU5rnaFdgMxvLTwZYZrcgn00jFRpD3oawuXD8/s1600/Sept.+10+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0y8_XNJvh5AxphkDIgfYGkd1AzAcUoM1saHceYsK8UofHKQzU-gaLuQh3_dlrAs_lt08PLZL8UepzMafe8KHmBZP1OjntgGyHvXVYByUSU5rnaFdgMxvLTwZYZrcgn00jFRpD3oawuXD8/s400/Sept.+10+037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> The end of summer, and the beginning of autumn always comes as a surprise for me. It seems like a mischievous prank; the shortening of the days, the way the sunlight changes and fades for seemingly no reason. Long summer days are the natural state of existence for me. I live in summer. I feel most like myself when the sun is high and the ground is warm and the lightening bugs appear and dance in the trees, and the Chuck-will's-widow calls from somewhere deep in the woods. Must summer really come to an end so soon? I think I wouldn't notice if it didn't happen at all, or until December, and only then if someone happened to mention it.<br />
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Most people don't know that in Florida, the leaves don't fall off the trees until some time in March, when the new ones push them off. The trees just dump them, all at once, and put on their new leaves practically overnight. I realized when I moved to Kentucky, that fall and winter are real seasons. They show up, and show off, and stick around until you really get to know them, whether you want to or not. Leaves falling here encompasses the very essence of the season. It's not a small thing. The color alone is worth living through it, at least once. If you have a yard, you really need to rake them up, so they don't kill the grass. This is something that will keep you busy, and keep you from noticing how short the days are getting.<br />
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I realize as I write this, that it's January, and snow is falling almost everywhere, and the days are getting longer. I did this painting back in October, because I couldn't resist trying to capture the mood, and embrace the change of season. There are many kinds of oaks, but these are Pin Oak leaves. My husband loves Pin Oaks for their symmetry, and stateliness. This painting is for you, Jim. I love the oak trees you planted that line the drive - even before there was a drive, and for having a vision of what it could look like one day.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-29580373055943418792010-12-31T10:39:00.008-05:002010-12-31T20:20:05.598-05:00Flower painting #2 - Sunshine Yellow - 4"x4" oil on gessoboard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM6Od9-YKmFxniaPeG5A7L-OIzzbQ7oApV8eYCyHZT8ijedl0m_KH2hHCgs8AwiBXkCwklAhceYXSFC2HBKAb8_rPGOi3cj8wOmu4LNFAPZIYMgJ0mIT4s4HK3UeLvS2PqosFxap__yO7/s1600/Yellow+Hibiscus+painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQM6Od9-YKmFxniaPeG5A7L-OIzzbQ7oApV8eYCyHZT8ijedl0m_KH2hHCgs8AwiBXkCwklAhceYXSFC2HBKAb8_rPGOi3cj8wOmu4LNFAPZIYMgJ0mIT4s4HK3UeLvS2PqosFxap__yO7/s320/Yellow+Hibiscus+painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> This has been a year of so many new things, new people, loves, and losses. I loved this hibiscus plant we found at the nursery back in the summer. I took pictures of it before we decided to buy it. I had to paint it. I've heard that anything yellow, with shadows, is difficult, because it isn't just 'dark yellow' - it's something different altogether. I found this to be true. It was fun experimenting, and mixing colors until I got is right. I think I did, pretty much. I really like the way it turned out. <br />
Sad thing, though, about what happened to it. Have you ever had a moment in time that you wish you could take back?...change something?...listen to that small voice inside your head? I've had a few in my lifetime, some more impacting than others. This one, not bad enough to cry over, but still.... <br />
I took this little painting, along with a few others, onto my front porch one afternoon to photograph. I was just about done, and had just set it down next to another small painting when my camera refused to work. It needed batteries. ..sigh...so I went in. For a split second, I thought, 'don't leave it there...pick it up, and bring it inside...' and then just as quickly, thought 'No, I'll be right back...and besides, it's not going to rain 'til later, and there's no way the dog could pick it up off the porch...' Well, being highly distractible person that I am, I forgot all about the paintings. <br />
Eight hours later, after the wind and rain had stopped, my youngest daughter came in from the front porch, and said 'hey, look what I found by the front door!' It was my little sailboat painting. It was dirty, and had a chip out of the side. Then I remembered. OH NO! I left the yellow flower painting out there, too!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1w1GMK2Oyq2qj09L6jsUJ2EN3SJqoNEqLhySWhbyud3MsCiAH6RmeRhURtkvDED80fP6uetWVdVkYdVlPIuH8BS3ZaxyHXgoOSGX6Ee7iR_xLdJANyW0kYQs5Sa1QHEkDff16_BdyuyA/s1600/IMG_0318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1w1GMK2Oyq2qj09L6jsUJ2EN3SJqoNEqLhySWhbyud3MsCiAH6RmeRhURtkvDED80fP6uetWVdVkYdVlPIuH8BS3ZaxyHXgoOSGX6Ee7iR_xLdJANyW0kYQs5Sa1QHEkDff16_BdyuyA/s320/IMG_0318.JPG" width="318" /></a></div> Yeah...it wasn't there. I felt sick. It was nowhere to be found. We looked a long time. I thought maybe the wind had blown it off the porch into the bushes, but no. My husband found it later, in the yard. Never underestimate a dog's ability to get ahold of something it wants - and chew it to pieces. Oh, I wish I'd listened to myself to begin with! This is what's left of my sunny hibiscus painting.<br />
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I may try to repaint it one day. I have a brand new year to work on that...starting tomorrow. Happy New Year to all my friends, and may you be blessed in 2011.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-21268945978508661872010-11-22T11:59:00.000-05:002010-11-22T11:59:25.956-05:00Tabitha's Challenge: 100 Flower Paintings #1 'Little Favorites' 5x7 oil on canvas board<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYruEwsOM6V23iP6UK6IU3oG9whE0LmbI1DJoeiuh6nwQGJQAJh12Rg6WkOVJJeOmmyGspgFbTYa-GbMN7mpViCVTpLZ_xyXfB5S_L1K_gaxIugfrHefSqyE3hunpve8i-h0JgsR1jHSt/s1600/IMG_6896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYruEwsOM6V23iP6UK6IU3oG9whE0LmbI1DJoeiuh6nwQGJQAJh12Rg6WkOVJJeOmmyGspgFbTYa-GbMN7mpViCVTpLZ_xyXfB5S_L1K_gaxIugfrHefSqyE3hunpve8i-h0JgsR1jHSt/s400/IMG_6896.JPG" width="285" /></a>A couple of months ago, I showed my daughter some paintings on another artist's blog, some in a series, like '100 plein air paintings' or '100 faces'. She told me I should do something like that, to challenge myself, and suggested either flowers, or birds. 100 of anything sounds un-doable in my world. But I accepted her challenge. I decided that flowers would be easier, to start, but of course, I immediately made things complicated for myself by picking out 'flower scenes', instead of one little flower in a vase, or something simple like that. So, the challenge began. Here's the first one I did.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-49802825507078006292010-07-24T18:04:00.000-04:002010-07-24T18:04:59.925-04:00Tabitha on the Beach 12"x16" Oil on Canvas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuLRldu3KFpv4t0sMREVvxubsxroROzAHlGB_03jf20WrOWtAilBXahmSeaN5RChDP_uqebF8c6YDk7F0bXegFYc96pPrXNsEGov6KqW-lJ8iFWbXM7R0RKnV7L4xLvKcpUbSv6coqcNP/s1600/Painting+-+Tab+on+the+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuLRldu3KFpv4t0sMREVvxubsxroROzAHlGB_03jf20WrOWtAilBXahmSeaN5RChDP_uqebF8c6YDk7F0bXegFYc96pPrXNsEGov6KqW-lJ8iFWbXM7R0RKnV7L4xLvKcpUbSv6coqcNP/s320/Painting+-+Tab+on+the+Beach.jpg" /></a></div>This is a painting I did last summer. It was my first attempt at painting a beach scene, or water. I started out a bit intimidated, but it all went pretty smoothly, and a lot quicker than I had anticipated. It was a lot of fun. This was from a picture of my daughter at the Gulf Coast, near Destin, Florida, taken on the last day of our vacation that year. She was about 11 at the time. It hangs in her room for now, and she loves it. I've thought about giving it a different title, something like 'One Last Look' or 'Until Next Time', since Tab loves the beach so much, and always hates having to leave.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-17727235996808027022010-04-22T13:21:00.001-04:002010-04-25T19:44:39.591-04:00Kentucky Waterfall - 9"x12" My First Plein Air Painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44Rv2EsFBi9L2szJt7MfKm7xwGZN-CsQHXkz90rvhkSKofrUd9HkVVcUMJ4QviOoJToWhHPXnOgf9MIokordQNxaoOiLoaHehUg78-3qPaPsY0fMpl7bgLfczEQT-jf7HURqgX-vkJWr0/s1600/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh44Rv2EsFBi9L2szJt7MfKm7xwGZN-CsQHXkz90rvhkSKofrUd9HkVVcUMJ4QviOoJToWhHPXnOgf9MIokordQNxaoOiLoaHehUg78-3qPaPsY0fMpl7bgLfczEQT-jf7HURqgX-vkJWr0/s400/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+231.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9YX16_bDzosk8cbOM7jZWDwF2CcmZmq3qppLJofCUiB-b8BCdy780vKIInSDlHZLKMhBDwffhWjNjmfKGnOEHSmk-yrlqCzJenm2D59As1qL7c78Dx09fJqzEG3pSXzsnfRbZ9B_RG1e/s1600/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9YX16_bDzosk8cbOM7jZWDwF2CcmZmq3qppLJofCUiB-b8BCdy780vKIInSDlHZLKMhBDwffhWjNjmfKGnOEHSmk-yrlqCzJenm2D59As1qL7c78Dx09fJqzEG3pSXzsnfRbZ9B_RG1e/s400/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+185.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfh8NAv8Nk4uuaqJh6Rwox1qt_4X4cc7iIuAqEgJrmaxD-e1szfn63O3s4mW0wv4yicw_1GTe5eNXnm_obzLwnU5wBktjfTB8Ru6cuA5KWaIUmmCxAjMHw7_VchePUzk3zJqAplZK7Ok4/s1600/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfh8NAv8Nk4uuaqJh6Rwox1qt_4X4cc7iIuAqEgJrmaxD-e1szfn63O3s4mW0wv4yicw_1GTe5eNXnm_obzLwnU5wBktjfTB8Ru6cuA5KWaIUmmCxAjMHw7_VchePUzk3zJqAplZK7Ok4/s400/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+193.JPG" width="375" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWkD3WHyjdrQK6C-OELprCn7NRj8GgwEWiTmkA4zgfr85RDPJGWBd_TKRGY6MOpoXann17FDtHlNoirg6g1C-JAkTif4yrie0TXrPgengiBVMKa3_wSDwHaQysiIiff-5HOD1_5ZED2Ez/s1600/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyWkD3WHyjdrQK6C-OELprCn7NRj8GgwEWiTmkA4zgfr85RDPJGWBd_TKRGY6MOpoXann17FDtHlNoirg6g1C-JAkTif4yrie0TXrPgengiBVMKa3_wSDwHaQysiIiff-5HOD1_5ZED2Ez/s400/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+195.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM48ZzGPtfwwONmbveTH6zauKd4vIlztGiNP7MjU5P3WWtYFEWicKXmSI72jC8wapbpOgex61Glp3NEFiM2qrtecs0R0rKcj2hq75CqTglLxB4CEpPabNfdgK989GL0skMhYKBxuoOTQqq/s1600/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM48ZzGPtfwwONmbveTH6zauKd4vIlztGiNP7MjU5P3WWtYFEWicKXmSI72jC8wapbpOgex61Glp3NEFiM2qrtecs0R0rKcj2hq75CqTglLxB4CEpPabNfdgK989GL0skMhYKBxuoOTQqq/s400/April+2010+Seneca+Park+and+waterfall+painting+181.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>I'm back. After a long winter with lots of snow and cold, wet weather, I came out of hibernation. You would think that after living in Kentucky for 20 years that I would be used to the cold. I live through it, but I don't welcome it. So! For Christmas, my husband bought a small, portable easel for me, and I've used it twice, now. I've been wanting to try plein air for quite some time, but, well, obviously, being the kind of girl that lives for warm weather, I would never venture out to paint in the snow, for instance. Probably not in the rain, either, unless it was very light rain, and warm, at that. So, Monday, I packed up my stuff, and walked down by one of our seating areas in the woods, and set up. <br />
<a name='more'></a> This is my first Plein Air painting! The whole process took about 3 hours. I cheated at the end of it, by looking back at the picture I took, thinking I needed to get the shadows right, because the sun had shifted since I started, and the shadows were different...(I'm sure those of you that do plein air painting on a regular basis have learned how to deal with this - paint the shadows first? Draw in the areas of shadow beforehand? Go out on a cloudy day?) Well..haha...the shadows work only with the appropriate amount of trees, I found out... and it became obvious that I had left out a few - trees, that is. I can laugh about it...but I'm still trying to fix the shadows. What's cool, though, is that I wasn't sure I could paint shadows, or if they would even 'look' like shadows at all. And once I put them in there, I didn't think they would show up that much, or be that big a deal in the scheme of things. But, noooo....they show up, all right, and look like shadows...(at least to me). And, they're the biggest annoyance to me about the whole painting. I tried to work quickly, and not obsess, and overall, I'm very happy with it. It's also fun knowing I can go out, set up, paint a painting, and get it done all in about 3 hours. I can deal with a few shadows, now that I've got the sunshine back!LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-86034323280905028342010-01-08T19:34:00.000-05:002010-01-08T19:34:57.268-05:00Well, it was 12 degrees here in Kentucky today. This is the 8th day in a row with temperatures below freezing. We have about 3 inches of snow on the ground that won't be going anywhere until some time next week. It's very pretty, actually. I took a few pictures before the light faded completely. These are from the screen porch off the side of the house.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gx3uHCYrMqKxjKRD5rn60NNXolzayaKUnjaFzkTERguo8IX4tXEZlEpXhQtElU7JV4ox5ikZU-JHb314_7bm_p6b3DrWDAo347XO1YqNi9BdnlwMnfRcbWqkzxOvIHRAdR_TvPHaFopV/s1600-h/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gx3uHCYrMqKxjKRD5rn60NNXolzayaKUnjaFzkTERguo8IX4tXEZlEpXhQtElU7JV4ox5ikZU-JHb314_7bm_p6b3DrWDAo347XO1YqNi9BdnlwMnfRcbWqkzxOvIHRAdR_TvPHaFopV/s320/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+038.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTnr2Wxblxs0Fs-16k219kjNF0bzdZVxbgDyxMvacx4Y29OXtp5ZVGFuMF2VG_0gCycw2zAWvY_sDJgfXsSubqZhRMQPFwTz6OgwcutDmNwAp9typxlayloo5jorYRVNkcwUiw7Y0oE8o/s1600-h/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTnr2Wxblxs0Fs-16k219kjNF0bzdZVxbgDyxMvacx4Y29OXtp5ZVGFuMF2VG_0gCycw2zAWvY_sDJgfXsSubqZhRMQPFwTz6OgwcutDmNwAp9typxlayloo5jorYRVNkcwUiw7Y0oE8o/s320/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+040.JPG" /></a><br />
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These are from the window in my 'studio' looking out the back, and over toward our neighbors with horses.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7vmCXeBqxP28OlUmihDdI2HgeDPWpDNDhc74Ws01aT0pPo0S-P32fhpglTcv9gBksTugdd7lgUDF9XvyzBZUpNTIQq50rEoo5sIkgBLVIhErDersm1GCFQp5-Mdj_ZOYx6c6kEn2ZoLQ/s1600-h/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7vmCXeBqxP28OlUmihDdI2HgeDPWpDNDhc74Ws01aT0pPo0S-P32fhpglTcv9gBksTugdd7lgUDF9XvyzBZUpNTIQq50rEoo5sIkgBLVIhErDersm1GCFQp5-Mdj_ZOYx6c6kEn2ZoLQ/s320/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+046.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfrD0egwLcHsII8S0AaYeK-Iz1wcpKkl7J6A6DKwI_ZbCReoam9OFXOoDUbzOIRcSBCMEqzmzmvWO_7Rc80mOT0SRAmTQLc3xMVuhze2pTIYfMAjGl6-A4PsNOl56Arzu5nec6oq_spSr/s1600-h/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdfrD0egwLcHsII8S0AaYeK-Iz1wcpKkl7J6A6DKwI_ZbCReoam9OFXOoDUbzOIRcSBCMEqzmzmvWO_7Rc80mOT0SRAmTQLc3xMVuhze2pTIYfMAjGl6-A4PsNOl56Arzu5nec6oq_spSr/s320/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+053.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK9S8xyF3ke1UIhghTuEay5YfybdcqGrK5rDT5lLpsMDxaUYdwHQYJ-k7lnfOFdW2rVhyOUjnAubLM2u7L30xFo5lnPvex4FQoHIYP_qqAlT7CH8x67WopO1REY1MsGesDNre5B9f-34p/s1600-h/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK9S8xyF3ke1UIhghTuEay5YfybdcqGrK5rDT5lLpsMDxaUYdwHQYJ-k7lnfOFdW2rVhyOUjnAubLM2u7L30xFo5lnPvex4FQoHIYP_qqAlT7CH8x67WopO1REY1MsGesDNre5B9f-34p/s320/Dec.09-Jan.10+snow+057.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><a name='more'></a>Maybe tomorrow I'll venture out and get some better pictures of the snow. Perhaps I'll paint a winter landscape one of these short, cold days, and shake this need to hibernate until spring...LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-23756162793864027182009-12-30T13:45:00.001-05:002009-12-30T13:47:44.324-05:00Blue-eyed Blonde 5x7<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkGnZCXPkXUECf7blox14Pt6ioKsReUzVpDPgtzDRu0DLO4DC9QB_1CkgVcla1brImTGK1YBkxqHrOBiNZ0CM2Qg_uy49qzyf9_dhOhQB3_yJB2TueBlcCKwDuAxNjsM8niUoyTz8J4d1/s1600-h/Fall+2009+Nov.+Dec.+portrait+1036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkGnZCXPkXUECf7blox14Pt6ioKsReUzVpDPgtzDRu0DLO4DC9QB_1CkgVcla1brImTGK1YBkxqHrOBiNZ0CM2Qg_uy49qzyf9_dhOhQB3_yJB2TueBlcCKwDuAxNjsM8niUoyTz8J4d1/s320/Fall+2009+Nov.+Dec.+portrait+1036.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span id="goog_1262197449791">I painted this lovely lady for the portrait challenge on Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks. I had fun with this - wondering about her, and feeling like we had a connection since she was painting my portrait at the same time. This is only the second portrait I've ever painted. I got that panicky feeling before I started like I used to get every summer when I was little, thinking I'd forgotten how to swim. I'd cling to the side of the neighbor's pool, skinning my fingers and toes on the concrete sides, trying to get up the nerve to let go and just swim. I stared at this lady for days, wondering what would happen if I started to paint this, and realized I had no skill at all - and what in the world was I doing playing around with oil paints and brushes?! So, again, as the deadline quickly approached, I let go, and just started painting. I still have a lot to learn, but I think if I get started on another painting right away, I won't get that panicky feeling, and I'll be able to paint without the skinned up fingers and toes! (so to speak). I hope she likes it!<br />
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</div>LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-8554851982497348482009-12-07T15:33:00.161-05:002009-12-07T18:15:46.028-05:00Audrey Feeds the Birds 14x18 It's amazing what a deadline will do for you. It marks a particular spot in your life, and says, "This must be done by today, or else .......... (fill in the blank)." That is usually not a good thing. The 'else' is either something you lose, something you forfeit, or something BAD you GET instead! If you don't pay your taxes by the deadline, you get more taxes, and another deadline, and more taxes again. If you don't enter something in a contest on time, or have an application in by the deadline, you'll never know what you might have had won, or been offered. You gave up a chance of something potentially good. But deadlines are not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes they force you to do something you really wanted to do, anyway. When I was painting once a week at Schrodt Art Studio, the rule was that you had to have your next project picked out before you finished your current one. No big deal, right? Well, since I rushed to finish the orange poppy in time for the show -HA! I met that deadline!,- and then...OH NO! - another deadline! I needed my next painting. Now. I had no idea what to paint next. Especially since I wanted to paint something 'original'. On my way out the door that Thursday morning, I looked around frantically, thumbed through a couple of photo albums, scanned the mantle for an idea...(what happened to all those ideas I had last year?).. Then I spotted it. A little picture of my little girl, Audrey, taken when she was about 4 years old. We were on vacation near Destin, Florida, at a little place called The Magnolia House. This birdfeeder was in the front yard of Nancy Veldman's shop, and she had given Audrey some birdseed to put out for the birds. 'Oh, maybe I can do something with this', I thought. I grabbed the picture and headed out the door.<br />
I must say, I really didn't know what I was going to do with it. They all agreed it definitely had it's possibilities. So I went to office Depot, had it enlarged, twice, had them brighten up the color a bit. Then I had to decide what size canvas, where to place her on the canvas, what to add, what to crop out, etc. (This is all new to me, really.) I decided the enlargement was a perfect size to transfer onto the canvas with graphite paper. That gave me a rough drawing to start. I had to finish one side of the birdhouse, add some space on the right side for 'whatever'...As the painting progressed, I ignored that right side, painted in the grassy area behind the bushes, added the distant trees, and tried to create a park-like setting. At one point, I painted a path leading out and away from her, but it didn't look 'safe'. (haha) So I closed it in, added more greenery, more grass, and more trees in the distance until it looked believable. My palette of colors was so minimal, I had to ask for a blue to match the color of her dress! (Cerulean Blue, I think, was what I borrowed.)<br />
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</div> This is the finished result. Out of moment of desperation to meet a deadline, I was forced to decide, from a myriad of possibilities, what to create over the next few weeks. A true moment in time, captured almost casually on a vacation to the Gulf Coast, has now become a painting that I truly can't believe I did. Honestly. I'm almost afraid to tackle something like this again. What if I can't paint another thing this well again? Then I think, 'Well, perhaps I will,.... if I must..., in order to meet a deadline!' LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-40305092103407708242009-10-27T16:11:00.001-04:002009-10-27T20:14:15.773-04:00Cityscape 5"x7"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMN5FQRqr_iEtF3_uHJFuuJyfrkFjVMIjU_qsdCp3u11W4IztYkDScI7saebIEHA5cAKDb8PKmJSC4VrEqBnt-z38QOnvAcvhDBm_9rCI6fzL_PjRdmYwpfaf0qTh0rTWySyeCtDOZEj3/s1600-h/Cityscape+take+2+013+Picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMN5FQRqr_iEtF3_uHJFuuJyfrkFjVMIjU_qsdCp3u11W4IztYkDScI7saebIEHA5cAKDb8PKmJSC4VrEqBnt-z38QOnvAcvhDBm_9rCI6fzL_PjRdmYwpfaf0qTh0rTWySyeCtDOZEj3/s320/Cityscape+take+2+013+Picnik.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>This is the October challenge on Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog. I wasn't thrilled with how this ended up for me. I struggled with straight lines, shadows, and color. It may look better framed. But I did it, and I'm sure I learned from it - you always do, when you do something quite out of your comfort zone.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-62109825231996009632009-10-17T18:34:00.001-04:002009-10-17T18:39:58.642-04:00Self Portrait - 4" x 6" - October 2009<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I've been wanting to do a self portrait for a while, so I decided to start small. I drew this about 2 weeks ago, and got a mixed review from my family. It didn't really look like me,..unless you squinted..and then, well, it did, just younger. I figured I probably wouldn't paint it. I took a picture of the drawing just in case it got lost, and then I could always refer back to it and know I tried a self-portrait once upon a time. But there's something funny about drawing a face. You keep looking at it, and it starts looking back. Then, after you've critiqued it to death in your mind, you figure it can't get much worse with paint on it, so you dive in. It took me about 2 hours, after I mixed a bunch of paint. Actually, I kind of like it, now! It looks like me with an extreme makeover! My husband asked me if that was the challenge: paint yourself 20 years younger? Ha, ha. Yes. I think I may have stumbled onto something. This could be the angle I've been looking for. <i>"Portraits done on commission: Looks just like you, only better!"</i> or maybe <i>"Perfect portraits of the perfect you!"</i> or better still <i>"I'll paint you to look like you've always wished you looked!". </i>So when your spouse says 'Wow! Now <i>that's</i> the girl I wish I could date!' you can tell him 'That's me, baby.... just keep squinting.'<br />
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</div>LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-44843432245457641282009-09-19T20:02:00.002-04:002009-09-19T20:10:09.206-04:00Lukas and Tabitha 1995<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQL1lwQ51gmqZE7McG4WXraf2mkVldt2HzqhaPEeqPcv0nXoADa0dIsvBF_NfrPzgdAR5GxyHo3Yoj16ggwG7LfyA_f7G2L-hqU3idTWCmSIuxNsbZoJbAbtz7Kxstpll1OFxheotSxtX/s1600-h/Sat.+9-19-09+and+Audrey+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQL1lwQ51gmqZE7McG4WXraf2mkVldt2HzqhaPEeqPcv0nXoADa0dIsvBF_NfrPzgdAR5GxyHo3Yoj16ggwG7LfyA_f7G2L-hqU3idTWCmSIuxNsbZoJbAbtz7Kxstpll1OFxheotSxtX/s320/Sat.+9-19-09+and+Audrey+023.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzYowweDUr3_vV7OlyCfDKN-N0gVwa7mgKZOh3A29yksIxXPVDT2NORp7W4fKdlQEVb-rMo-RO01ztgexXNaZK7ZllgX1LkqHdqWqpInisyz200y-bZqHeZ-Wp792q5iAlF_frKUiA5Hf/s1600-h/Sat.+9-19-09+and+Audrey+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzYowweDUr3_vV7OlyCfDKN-N0gVwa7mgKZOh3A29yksIxXPVDT2NORp7W4fKdlQEVb-rMo-RO01ztgexXNaZK7ZllgX1LkqHdqWqpInisyz200y-bZqHeZ-Wp792q5iAlF_frKUiA5Hf/s320/Sat.+9-19-09+and+Audrey+020.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>September makes me sad. If I had to explain it, I would have to say it was the angle of the sun. Things are always changing, I know, but in September, the sun moves away..quicker, it seems...a little farther every day. It comes up later, and goes down sooner. It's lower in the sky, and it's hard to tell when the middle of the day is. There's early morning, and then, suddenly, it's late afternoon. Time moves quicker. You can almost see it running away. Very strange. Like life, itself. You think you have your whole life ahead of you, and then, all of a sudden, you're looking back at most of it. Where did all the time go? How did I get here so quickly? My son is in California, serving in the Air Force. My oldest daughter will be driving solo in two months, and my youngest just started middle school. I have two drawings I did when my son was 6, and my first daughter was just a baby. On a whim, at the grocery store, I bought a drawing pad, just to see if I could still draw faces. Lukas asked me, "What are you going to do with <i>that?</i>" I told him I was going to draw his picture. He was very skepical, but very patient to sit for me, and when I finished, he was amazed. It really did look like him. I knew it wasn't perfect, but he was so proud of it, and I got a small taste of what I <i>might</i> be able to accomplish one day...(when I had the time, of course.) I tried to draw Tabitha, but at a year and a half, she wasn't interested in standing still for long. I happened to have my paper and pencils with me one day when I stopped at a friend's house. Tab was asleep in her car seat, and I thought I would capture the moment. I have both of these framed and hanging on the wall going up the steps. Most days, we walk by them without much notice, but come September, when the sun is slanting low, and the air is bit different, and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself, I stop, and cherish these two sweet faces, and wonder where the time went.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-18599777150751558992009-09-16T18:25:00.003-04:002009-09-16T18:37:54.847-04:00Cupcake and Shadow 4"x5" Oil on Canvas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8X3Pow6wulPi8m0RcaLEcTxOKk5h2sapjiReNiTvJwTnBmVFUtzhhht8MnZ5m9vZd95Avjl28rT7TMTAL0GruKPxIlUC8LQHbYL_oPS9UHBRtjgDQyigpPjfAqAKQSy2bXBdXK_9v7gde/s1600-h/Cupcake+painting+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8X3Pow6wulPi8m0RcaLEcTxOKk5h2sapjiReNiTvJwTnBmVFUtzhhht8MnZ5m9vZd95Avjl28rT7TMTAL0GruKPxIlUC8LQHbYL_oPS9UHBRtjgDQyigpPjfAqAKQSy2bXBdXK_9v7gde/s320/Cupcake+painting+006.JPG" /></a></div>I took the challenge! This is the latest creative challenge for Karin Jurick's 'Different Strokes From Different Folks.'LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-8211352557689666072009-09-09T19:48:00.001-04:002009-09-09T19:49:59.827-04:00Copy vs. Original<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2TfCud8od7NjFxypedLuC-kaIRsmO0jDgibnBVO6aTBfZOKIbyqYAlvs9bFfJjnSjVMas2J3pMhfuH6Mvlf9ARcWD4AhBbBMdVcQW3XzuHjtyWpJmxYCgMNayx3wwC8_nGP0TI4B6A5N/s1600-h/iphone+pictures+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2TfCud8od7NjFxypedLuC-kaIRsmO0jDgibnBVO6aTBfZOKIbyqYAlvs9bFfJjnSjVMas2J3pMhfuH6Mvlf9ARcWD4AhBbBMdVcQW3XzuHjtyWpJmxYCgMNayx3wwC8_nGP0TI4B6A5N/s200/iphone+pictures+090.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0P8WmKZPAY6JWm-D6NLR7mf5MJVp4cdx-3EXJowK8u0UhLRRHwCu5LqEARhCfP2uQuVvKjplVct-mB4tDFmOQz139UfueJdIbD4k9XYNUiD5kAGEXVKvjboc4qFzV1ZlddgmFgF8aYkZ/s1600-h/2x2+flower+painting+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0P8WmKZPAY6JWm-D6NLR7mf5MJVp4cdx-3EXJowK8u0UhLRRHwCu5LqEARhCfP2uQuVvKjplVct-mB4tDFmOQz139UfueJdIbD4k9XYNUiD5kAGEXVKvjboc4qFzV1ZlddgmFgF8aYkZ/s200/2x2+flower+painting+003.JPG" /></a>Last year around this time, I was preparing to enter my first two paintings in the art show held annually (semi-annually, now) at the local studio, and hoping it would all go smoothly...I would finish the poppy, get it framed, get it to the studio on the right day, at the right time, etc. (Big deal for me.) Done. When I handed over the paintings, I was asked: "Original, or copy?" Well, since I hadn't had the painting copied, and I didn't COPY anybody's painting, I said, "original". Eyebrows were raised. "Really?", they asked. "Oh, ummm... " Then the two sweet ladies clarified the difference for me... This is what I learned: If you paint from a photograph, and YOU didn't actually TAKE the photograph yourself, it is called a COPY....a picture out of a calendar, or a magazine, for instance. For your paintings to be considered ORIGINAL, when you use a photograph as your reference, YOU must be the one to TAKE the photograph. Simple. But a bit disappointing. I actually did change a couple of things from the photographs...I left out leaf... and a tiny little flower that was in the way...I guess that doesn't count. Perhaps if you tried to sell a 'copy', you would be infringing on the photographer's copyright to that image, unless you had specific permission to paint it, as you would for a commissioned portrait, for instance. (If I'm wrong about this, somebody help me clear it up...) So that's when I decided from that point on, I would paint <i>originals - </i>take my own pictures and use them, crop them, etc. Except this one last little (2.5x2.5) one, which I copied from a print of a painting that hangs in my living room, which technically makes this a copy of a copy...<br />
<a name='more'></a>LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-29841047424131104682009-08-31T09:21:00.000-04:002009-08-31T09:21:12.116-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5luRoQPEvXKRsBxqtjrpxD_GPWt40ineUZvR70Nxp2Zl93AJLtBs4zJCJRFThWrqjdiL0k7jeyuhMoGhx6pYiWAWIuYae-9nCsvdtYRVmV6mYYCFzFPLGOP3neY0Uf34wKVhiyhkGrego/s1600-h/iphone+pictures+558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5luRoQPEvXKRsBxqtjrpxD_GPWt40ineUZvR70Nxp2Zl93AJLtBs4zJCJRFThWrqjdiL0k7jeyuhMoGhx6pYiWAWIuYae-9nCsvdtYRVmV6mYYCFzFPLGOP3neY0Uf34wKVhiyhkGrego/s320/iphone+pictures+558.JPG" /></a></div>Have you ever put something you don't want to lose in a special place so that you don't lose it, and then, can't remember where that 'special place' is? Well, I have. I should know better by now. It happens to me a lot, even when I tell myself 'don't just set this down anywhere, PUT it somewhere, so you'll know where it is'. This little painting was done with my mom in mind. She loves roses. I wasn't sure if I could paint a rose. I've heard they're difficult, so I wanted to start small. I really like the way it turned out. I liked it enough to take this picture of it on my phone, to show my husband. I liked it enough to find a small box, add tissue paper, and prepare to send it for my mom's birthday. I then thought 'better put this somewhere so it doesn't get thrown out, or lost...' . That was back in January. I know exactly what the box looks like. I can see the exact color of the tissue paper. I could probably give you the exact dimensions of the box I was going to ship it in. But I don't know where it is. I dream about finding it. I wander around the house, and wonder if someone threw it away, thinking it was just an empty box.... It will probably turn up one day when my kids have to go through all my stuff because they have to put me in a 'special place'.... so I don't get lost, of course.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-26189279984546974272009-08-26T19:41:00.005-04:002009-08-26T23:42:42.114-04:00Second Painting - 'Orange Poppy' 12"x16"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtUp3-vwml7VoXfDBUxSTBT0Rd00dguDMEjGA8P3qfioiCamFOCpNX5ad2Y6YQcHOLFB3kgcnSwIEJJmyr2fiEQXbNWfcULxwuZWM4eZ5ESVidoLkZhslOR2wTLqN77Rgvs8A4N7kxp3B/s1600-h/iphone+pictures+006.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtUp3-vwml7VoXfDBUxSTBT0Rd00dguDMEjGA8P3qfioiCamFOCpNX5ad2Y6YQcHOLFB3kgcnSwIEJJmyr2fiEQXbNWfcULxwuZWM4eZ5ESVidoLkZhslOR2wTLqN77Rgvs8A4N7kxp3B/s320/iphone+pictures+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374483027797288658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zrOJh51KYIMknfQFHbvuZhksYG2asXmQ-muoCK90PH7Lww_Rs-wTAK17KFat0MQ2Mfm9Nskkuset06GwFw4iwYvJ-U1jCdQyeFZzlarsv0pOYOTGSRtBoxnTBBZgehw5O4E7vTgZ5AFa/s1600-h/August+mornings+-+orange+poppy+091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zrOJh51KYIMknfQFHbvuZhksYG2asXmQ-muoCK90PH7Lww_Rs-wTAK17KFat0MQ2Mfm9Nskkuset06GwFw4iwYvJ-U1jCdQyeFZzlarsv0pOYOTGSRtBoxnTBBZgehw5O4E7vTgZ5AFa/s320/August+mornings+-+orange+poppy+091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374482010000410882" border="0" /></a><br />This is my second painting. I worked from a calendar photo...no tracing...I did graph it a bit, then drew it the best I could. I love the vibrant peachy orange, and the beautiful ruffled edges. Working with these colors really brightened my days. I worked on this in weekly studio sessions, (Schrodt Art Studio, Louisville, KY) 7, maybe 8 in all. I know that's a long time, but I was really fascinated with the process of trying to blend, or not blend, trying to mix the exact colors I saw, and, to be honest, I was really nervous about the middle of this thing! I really didn't know how I was going to do it, and was wishing I had picked something a little easier. However, after putting it off as long as I could, I decided this big orange poppy wasn't going to beat me, so I just globbed on a bunch of the purple/black, filled in the fuschia center, then left it like that for a while. After a few strokes of the purplish-gold, I knew I had won. I know oil paintings aren't necessarily supposed to look just like the photograph, but this one does, pretty much. It was all very absorbing. Sometimes I had to tell myself to breathe. Do I want to paint like this always? Maybe not so much. Maybe a little more 'painterly'. I'm going to work on that. Oh, and by the way, I finished, and framed this one to go in the studio's art show, along with 'Morning Glories'. I ran up so close to the deadline, I forgot to sign it, didn't have time to varnish it...and it's been hanging on my wall all this time without a signature. I took it out of its frame TODAY, and signed it. I'm glad I can finally show it here.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-62714959378086836872009-08-18T11:51:00.003-04:002009-08-18T12:55:27.928-04:00Morning Glories<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxLuY9EfZHwZAj2iWgljb3hctvmwnWAdoh9RW5HIYemZaNpO-5T1y7vIE5z_Nec-KQtE6N1k9ZO001k3ahaure-5uQfm45uwYmRKxoVJYJK_aNxyE2cBAR-E2e-JC7lGhMs4VWApxpEQh/s1600-h/Morning+Glory+painting+035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxLuY9EfZHwZAj2iWgljb3hctvmwnWAdoh9RW5HIYemZaNpO-5T1y7vIE5z_Nec-KQtE6N1k9ZO001k3ahaure-5uQfm45uwYmRKxoVJYJK_aNxyE2cBAR-E2e-JC7lGhMs4VWApxpEQh/s320/Morning+Glory+painting+035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371332571487750594" border="0" /></a>Obviously, I don't paint every day. I didn't even know people COULD paint every day... except Norman Rockwell, who apparently painted 8 hours a day, 365 days a year... and his family brought him lunch, and had to beg him to join them for Christmas, birthday celebrations, etc. We all love his work, and that was his living. Painting was his LIFE. I've been on a lot of blogs, and websites lately, and I see that a lot of artists out there paint every day, AND have a life, full of family, travel, music, love, faith, and fun. You all have inspired me. This is my first painting. (I won't count the 'project' we had to complete in art class my senior year of high school - acrylic, anyway, a blank canvas, and instructions to 'paint something...whatever you want'. I painted dogwood blossoms on a spring green background, very blurred, and very ethereal...by accident, of course. My mom liked it.) At some point in everyone's life, you realize that you're running out of time, and it hits you that you will never be able to do all the things you want to do, or finish all the projects you've started, or dream of starting. You'll never be really good at everything you may have the talent or proclivity to do, and then you actually start losing the ability to do a lot of the things you once did really well! Like backwards walkovers. I used to be able to do a backwards walkover any time I wanted to. It was fun. I can't do that any more. So, when my husband understood my panic last year about 'not being good at anything' - other than laundry and being a mom (and the miriad of things that go along with that - most of which we do because we HAVE to...and because we love our family, of course) he insisted that I FINALLY do something with my art. I took a class, and this is what happened. Morning glories. I really like it. It was easy for me. And that's when it hit me. This is what I'm supposed to do... and maybe if I hurry, and learn quickly, and ask a lot of questions, I may catch up with where I would've been had I realized it sooner....(sigh)....then again, maybe I'm not behind at all. Maybe I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I'm learning. Not just to paint, but to be okay with the journey I'm on and the life I have, and one day, maybe, hopefully, I will paint - and perhaps even finish - a painting every day! I'll keep you posted.LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4160384335286036466.post-41228067795324544222009-07-22T13:01:00.000-04:002009-07-22T15:37:44.274-04:00Cold Kentucky Rain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iF-sZ5ovu5tqb8KL6ORYF1P93sosNWc1wfXBI9fL1nKNuEcPZNS16dG7B-rr1gJuZrtd1L-AI0ixU5pE5LWVsRi0AMZ5NvFUUl6Ck2JqzjF2TmV0nDj3_ZuT3LiXE6oJ9quhZDeueP2j/s1600-h/100_1836.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iF-sZ5ovu5tqb8KL6ORYF1P93sosNWc1wfXBI9fL1nKNuEcPZNS16dG7B-rr1gJuZrtd1L-AI0ixU5pE5LWVsRi0AMZ5NvFUUl6Ck2JqzjF2TmV0nDj3_ZuT3LiXE6oJ9quhZDeueP2j/s320/100_1836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361370680850117074" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This has been the strangest July in Kentucky. Cool. Rainy. Then cool and absulutely clear, like an October day in Florida. Then rain again. Then just plain cold. I consider 55 cold. Anything colder than that is completely unnecessary. But in July? They say it's been the coldest July on record, for as long as they've kept a record... more rain, too, than ever before. It's raining right now. It makes me wonder who's prayers are being answered. I was in Florida back in May, and all the lakes back home were drying up. Muddy puddles left in the middle of fields... docks standing out in scrubby grass, dry as a bone...big, hundred-year-old trees literally dying of thirst. A friend of mine raises cattle, and she and her dad were having to sell off a bunch of cows because there wasn't enough grass for them to eat, and they didn't want to keep buying feed for them. I prayed for rain; enough rain to end the drought, and fill the lakes and ponds back up. I admit I asked God to refrain from sending another hurricane, if possible; I figured that's probably what it would take at that point. I wasn't sure, so I left that up to Him. It started to cloud up the day I left, and I mentioned casually that I hoped the rain would hold off until my flight left. Dad laughed. It hadn't rained in weeks, he said, and it wasn't likely to start now. The following weeks in Florida proved to me that God answers prayers when and if He wants to - I'm sure I wasn't the only one praying for rain down there - and with a sense of humor. The first rain in weeks was something just short of a 'tropical storm', but they weren't sure what to call it, because it was too early in the season for a hurricane. It dropped rain all over the state, flooded some areas, and just kept on churning for about 4 days. I haven't kept track of exact details, but I don't think it's stopped raining, yet. I hope the lakes are filling up, and the old fishing village at Lake Pasadena can resume renting boats, and selling bait, and the cows can continue to graze peacefully in San An, and that the old treehouse tree will be around for another hundred years or so. And whoever is praying for rain here in Kentucky needs to stop.<br /></div>LeAnn Whitacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12599040837553863234noreply@blogger.com0