Biddy Brain

It has been interesting lately!

2011-06-07T11:33:00.008-04:00

I've been living in the center of my own carefully crafted tornado lately. I suppose I needed a reminder from the Universe to take a break. So, I sprained my ankle stepping down my sister's back porch steps. As I remember the moment, I was laughing gleefully, had my hands full and had just said something haughty about someone I know.
BAM!!! Right on my rear end accompanied by a fierce pain in my right foot. Within ten seconds my ankle had blown up the size of a softball.
Sister said, "Gawd, look at that!"
I said, "I'm gonna throw up."
She said, "Don't look at it!"
And so it went. The next several days were spent going stir crazy with a bag of frozen peas on my foot in the house Joe and I just bought in St. Marys, Georgia.
More about that later.
This morning, checking my email, I got an unexpected surprise. Not a big surprise mind you, but one that gives me an excuse to settle back a bit longer while my wobbly ankle heals.
The email was from Layla of The Lettered Cottage. If you haven't heard of her blog and you love remodeling ideas and great DIY videos and blow by blow, you'll find it here The Lettered Cottage
Layla and Kevin are dear dynamos and I love checking in with them for my weekly dose of remodel inspiration.
This morning Layla emailed me to tell me I was a lucky winner of her giveaway, a copy of Mary Kay Andrews latest book, "Summer Rental".
Find Layla's blog post about Mary Kay's Tybee Island vacation cottage here Breeze Inn .

Enjoy the blog and looking about Mary Kay's adorable house, y'all! I'm waiting for the mail lady. Better make a pitcher of lemonade.

Hope you and yours are having a fine Summer,
Love and all good things,
Ronnie aka Joe's stove operator

A Few New Paintings

2010-11-12T14:45:00.001-05:00

It has been a busy Fall, but I did manage to get a few paintings done.

Cherry Free Fall. You'll find this one in my Etsy shop. ronniegunn.etsy.com

And Juliet! Isn't she the snarky bomb. Where for art thou, Juliet!! She's in my Etsy shop too.

This one is on display at Arts Clayton Gallery until Nov 16th, then she too will be in the Etsy shop.

This little red, green and white number is in the shop HERE.
Have a fine weekend, y'all. I'll post the crazy art I found in Trois Rivieres, Canada, next week.
Love and all good things,
Ronnie

Bonjour! It's Quebec City!

2010-11-04T16:10:00.003-04:00

I loved Quebec City! The second stop of our trip to Canada. We stayed in this cozy B&B on the main street that leads into Old Quebec City.

We parked that car we rented at the Montreal airport and
walked everywhere!

Old Quebec City is a walled city with beautiful architecture, parks and cobblestone streets.

The weather was 70-80 degrees. Perfect for dining in the sidewalk cafes.

Situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence. Part of the city overlooks the river and part is down below on the rivers edge. Lots of stair climbing!

Art above the streets!

Many fur shops. It must get awful cold here in the Winter.

If I had audio you would hear this lovely harp music. Not sure why Joe has his finger in his ear.

Did I mention we walked everywhere? This is day number four of walking 6, 7 hours a day. I had blisters on my little toes and on both heels. Don't buy new shoes before a trip, no matter how good the shoes! Band-aids were applied.

Beautiful statue of Champlain at the riverfront. I don't know that happy guy, but apparently Quebec City does that to people. : )

Inside the walled city is the Citadel, a functioning Canadian military fort. We just missed the changing of the guard. There they go!

Guard on duty outside the gates of the Citadel.

Here's Joe displaying his guard expression. Flip flops!! He's out of uniform!

Did I mention we walked miles on this trip. At this point I gave up shoes and went back to the B&B to get my pink flip flop shower shoes. What a relief! Now, I'm waiting on JOe to catch up.

Let Go, Joe! This is great! NO more shoes rubbing on my poor little blisters.

There were many beautiful art galleries in Quebec City. Friendly gallery owners, but weren't keen on my camera. Wish I could share with you. We had great fun exploring galleries.

All I have is a peek inside this window.

Yep, it's hilly here! More walking. Exploring for food and french bread especially.

We found this fabulous market where we ate lunch.

Joe checking out our options.

Yummy veggies. Signs all in French. I learned more French than I thought I would.

We settled for this beautiful french loaf and smoked salmon. We shared a table with a lovely traveling couple from Chicago.

Back to the city and more walking. Flip flops are doing great! Check out this paving. Looks wavy, but it's perfectly flat. An optical illusion.

Imagine the rest of the ship buried under the ground.

Around the corner and look what we see.
The biggest example of trompe l'oeil I have ever seen!

A closer look...

Hard to know what is real and what is paint.

I wish I could have seen it in progress.

Into an older section of town this man was announcing something exciting in French! He was having a fine time.

So, Joe decided to join him! HAH!

Busy Summer tourist season. That's the top of the monstrous Hotel Fontaine in the background.

Inside one of the many Catholic churches in the city.

A tribute to mariners.

OH, Fudge, indeed. Check out this clever packaging! Fudge Sausages. Fits perfectly in one's suitcase.

Did I mention there were lots of stairs in Quebec City?

Eeeee Gads! There's more?

Almost to the top. Whew!

A big pay off! Beautiful Battlefield Park along the St. Lawrence.

This is a residential area adjacent to the historic park. What a place to live! And within walking distance to the historic city.

In the middle of the garden...a statue of Joan of Arc.

Heading toward the high river bank we found an old military watchtower.

A view of the opposite side. You can see the settlement on the bluff, as well as below, on the river. That staircase is a killer.

One last view of the battlefield before calling it a day.
Next stop is Trois Rivieres for the the Grand Prix!!!
I'll post next week. What a great town with a love for art and an extraordinary enthusiasm for auto racing. Here's a preview.... Some very interesting art .....

and hanging out with the APR race team for the Grand Prix Race! Zoom Zoom Zoom! Crash!

I hope you all are enjoying a beautiful Fall season. Until next time...
Love and all good things,
Ronnie

Beautiful Montreal, Quebec

2010-10-21T11:13:00.007-04:00

Want to go to Europe, but hate jet lag and feeling a little pinch in the old budget? Try Quebec! Here's a sampling from our trip to Quebec in August. I took hundreds of photos. These are all from the city of Montreal. Enjoy! Let's start with...Where do we eat!

Popular place = long line to get in. Joe waits.

Joe takes my picture while I wait.

Well worth the wait!

Love that twig chandy.

Love this guy's snappy look!

More yum as we leave. Southern biscuits?

Many street musicians.

And bikers.

We parked the car and walked everywhere.

Time for Gelato!!! It's everywhere and we ate alot of it. YUm.

OH, look! An art gallery!

Pretty pose.

Click this pic to get a close look. Simply charming. She sits in a berry patch.

I told the gallery owner I would take no straight on shots of the art. Looks like I lost my mind on this one.

Photo image used on face.

Here she is checking on me. BONJOUR!

Outside again. Music and decoys!

LOve these! Joe reflected in the glass.

WALK walk WALK! Time for another break?

Chinatown art, Montreal style.

Hmmm. What's to eat in Chinatown?

Vital community, this Chinatown.

Joe makes the lunch decision.

The shopping is wonderful here.

He's making some kind of confection. Joe's tugging on my arm.

Where's a good palm reader when you need them?

Goodbye Chinatown.

Joe decides dinner while I go over to let this street musician know how much he is appreciated.

It was lovely having dinner outside.

The blue skies continued.

Carriage rides downtown.

We step inside a Catholic church near the seaway.

A tribute to mariners.

Ladies viewing the many ships hanging from the ceiling.

Outside of the church. Cobblestone streets.

A huge scrim! What a lovely way to cover a building under renovation.

Young re-enactors.

Wish I had audio!

Lovely Canadian girl.

Cafe in a shady alley.

You lookin' at me?

Notre Dame Cathedral with it's square being restored.

Inside stunning Notre Dame.

Sweet horse. I gave him a rub on the head and told him how beautiful he was.

People are so handsome here.

Joe, saying "Come here."

Fur trader

Street performers cracked us up.
Much more to share. Beautiful Quebec City is next!
Have a finer than fine day,
Ronnie

Better Boy

2010-10-10T21:29:00.002-04:00

IMG_5656
Originally uploaded by biddybrain

I'm not sure if I shared this with you, but I put it on my newly created Flickr page and thought you might be interested to see it.
It's a work in progress...start to finish.
Click here to see the progression of this painting:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/biddybrain/sets/72157625137041772/
Have a great day, bloggers!
Love and all that good stuff,
Ronnie

Red Hot Automatons

2010-09-09T12:26:00.003-04:00

Prepare to be amazed, folks.
I am about to introduce you to Tom Haney of Atlanta, GA.
AUTOMATON ARTIST!!!!

No need for further jabber. See for yourself!
Here....

And a short and sweet one here...

http://www.tomhaney.com/
Have a happy and creative day, dear ones.
Love,
Ronnie

Red I Said

2010-08-24T17:29:00.007-04:00

Hallelujah!!!! I've done it. The kitchen is ready for action...sprinkled with my favorite color RED....a bit of original art....and things collected over the years.

Yeah, I know, I have just revealed that I have a rubber band looped to the button of my favorite gardening pants (purely for comfort, mind you) but this picture said it best. I'm very happy.
I'll begin with a before shot of my old fridge.....

Lord, Have Mercy!

And now the after fridge....

Yes, that's the only magnet on it! I can hardly believe my own restraint. Now, all I need is some of that stainless steel cleaner. This magnet is by the great Sandy Mastroni, by the way.
Next up the big white hutch before....

And the hutch now wearing the new gray paint....

This is where I ran into trouble during the stuffectomy. Things just refused to go so I'm calling this my
Stuff Shrine to the Past. I know, it's a cop out.
I gave two grocery bags of this kind of stuff to my little sister a few weeks ago. She loved it, so I was happy, but there is still more. We lived in Michigan for four years when Joe was in the Coast Guard and we had the best time antiquing in the country nearly every free weekend. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Okay! Ready to see the RED?

RED atop a little jelly cabinet my dad made. I did the painting. Arty Hazelquist did the Santa.

A great retro bowl little sis gave me. My wax lips that I'm saving for a special occasion.

My most favorite thing isn't red, it's the King Kong on the Empire State Building. My big sis says it should go. I think she's wrong.

Part of my apron collection. I was very judicious. This is a great thing to collect. You can find them for $3 to $5 dollars at yard sales and on Etsy. They remind me of my grandmother. This is good for my soul.

Here's another before shot. Paintings I did in another life time.....and two sweet boys...

Now for the pared down NEW streamlined look....

That's one of my Minor Whiners in the basket. I have a few more in my Etsy shop. They've been waiting to be adopted for so long they're starting to look meaner and meaner.
Next up an idea I had for an old tole tray my mom gave me. She served drinks on this back in the '50's. More good memories....

I turned it into a magnet board. I found the big magnet clips at Target for about $5. The paperclip can is magnetic too.
More red accents.....

A bit more....

He wouldn't be still. Notice red collar.
And more......

I decided to put Lucky Linda with her friend. Yes, more Sandy art.....

Last, but surely not least, is The Mullet Tossing Mermaid created by Sandy Mastroni.
I told Sandy I wanted to be buried with it....

HER ARMS MOVE! HER TAIL MOVES! I am so in love with this. Here's a closer picture...

I'd best write this in the will. "Bury with Ronnie!"
See you all next time. I hope your Summer is going well.
Love and all good things,
Ronnie aka Joe's stove operator

August speeds by!

2010-08-22T22:59:00.001-04:00

Summer seems to move faster than other seasons, but I did manage to squeeze in the kitchen painting. Kitchen walls are now blue! Used to be greener. And that behemoth of a white hutch is now a nice gray taupe.

Here's how it used to look. White with all that STUFF piled in it! Streamlining is my new middle name.

I'll be editing. You'll see the results of my stuffectomy in a forthcoming post. Anyway, I got this brilliant idea from a magazine to add an accent color to my new scheme. So, I painted the back of the hutch a nice brick red thinking it would look real sharp, but it looked plain awful! I painted over it with the gray and sanded it a bit to show just a little red. More of that later.

Whine time: Painting the interior of your house is a nightmare. It's as near to moving as you can get. Moving stuff from room to room as each room gets painted. Pictures come off the wall....

Books I haven't dusted in 15 years come off the shelves...

Now all the stuff has to find a place again. Blah. Do I really want to hammer a bunch of holes in these freshly painted walls? A lot of it just needs to go. Too much stuff!
But I have a plan... Less stuff and less traditional! How's this for a start?

A Texas Javelina (boar's head) I gave to Joe for his birthday one year. Sandy Mastroni's Lucky Linda is a nice juxtaposition, don't you think. I have more results to show you, but I left my camera next door. I'll get it tomorrow and we'll visit again. How's that?!
Oh, I forgot, I do have one pic of the finished kitchen....

Sandy Mastroni's mullet tossing mermaid now hangs from the light fixture. SHOOT! I'll never make it as a Home Decorating Blogger! This picture just doesn't cut it.
Maybe I better wait til tomorrow when I have my camera.
I'll have nice pics of the squared away new kitchen and some ART PHOTOS too (yes, this is an Art Blog) from my trip to Quebec, Canada. Here's a tiny tease.....

HAH! Not so tiny, huh?!
Later gators,
Ronnie

Sandy and Jerry

2010-07-28T12:22:00.003-04:00

This is a video embed test for Sandy Mastroni. Do not adjust your blog. We will be back to our regularly scheduled nonsense before you can hit delete. If you're cool, you'll take the time to enjoy this wonderfully strange video, resulting in lower blood pressure.
Later gators,
Ronnie

Kitchen, Dog, Tick, Tired

2010-06-27T16:55:00.005-04:00

No, this is not your doctor's office, its my kitchen.
People have been known to throw themselves onto my kitchen island, lying there, waiting for hours for the doctor to come strolling in.
YES, it's all white, FROM the 90's when all white was IT!!! I'm such a slave to style. Even the coffee pot and toaster.

Good Bye old kitchen!
We had some good times together.

Check out that fabulous light fixture!

Pralines. Now I want to go back.

YES, I have a lot of junk! Zoom in on that hutch.
You'll be so proud of me. I've since cleared it out.
Results later. It's no longer white either! Wooooo Hooooo!

Okay, we're finally getting somewhere, but no base cabinets. Notice no sink. No water! That's Joe calling to see where the contractors are. Imagine that.

Whine time: It's disorienting waking up in the morning and finding there is no sink in your kitchen. How about no sink for nearly four weeks! That nice little pitcher, next to the microwave, here on the back porch, is now the sink.
Actually, we started to enjoy making breakfast outside each morning.
FYI: Those old white cabinets are now hanging in the basement. I'm helping to save the planet.

Okay! About two weeks later we have base cabinets and appliances. Still no sink, no water, no dishwasher. At this point the dishes are piling up in the backyard. I rinsed 'em off with the garden hose and called it good.
About now I'm wishing I was here....

But instead I'm here.....

Yeah, I saw a lot of this. I blurred the picture to protect the innocent.
We're creeping up on week four now and still waiting on countertops. Be aware all you kitchen renovators! It can be two weeks before your granite is cut. They won't measure until the base cabinets are installed. THEN the clock starts ticking. No countertops means NO sink and that means No water.
I'm wishing I was here....

A favorite watering hole. This is Seagle's Bar in St. Marys, Georgia. It's a great place if you're into that sort of thing. But I digress. I wonder why?
Meanwhile back at the Tucker kitchen renovation, we have totally lost our minds....

No water, furniture piled up, men with low hanging pants, and we go and get a new dog.
Good grief, Charlie Brown. Isn't he cute? Scared to death and for good reason.
How are ya'll doing out there?! Had enough yet?! Well it's not over yet. There's more...

I was bitten by this tick! No, not this exact tick, but one that looked a whole lot like it. If you see this tick, run for the hills!!! I was sick sick sick with a fever for 5 or six days all because of this tiny tick.
Antibiotics were required and no brain damage was done to me or the tick. I am still in recovery, but there is still no kitchen sink.

The poor dog spends his days eating sticks and shredding every cardboard box we can throw at him.

I could eat nails if they had gravy.

No, this isn't gravy. The washing machine decided to blow a transmission. I decided to clean it up and pretend it didn't happen. About ten loads later, it's still going.

I was on Priceline about to make a reservation for Fiji when we got the call. COUNTERTOPS!!! Do you see that sink?

This honey of a plumber installed it in a flash, faucet and all. I want to hug him and dance the polka, but I'm afraid he'll leave before he installs the dishwasher. If you recognize this man, please don't tell him I took this picture.

We're nearing the finish line. Joe has decided to hang the light fixtures after realizing what electricians charge per hour.

Sons come to the rescue to hang the ceiling light...

Thanks, guys. <3

I'm hysterically happy now.

TA DA!!!!! Now all to do is fill holes and dents in the walls and install the vent over the stove.
Next up, PAINTERS!!! How about sky blue?
Have a happy Summer, you all.
Love and all good things,
Ronnie aka Joe's stove operator

Porch and m&ms

2010-06-21T16:29:00.009-04:00

Joe and I bought a little house in St. Marys, Georgia in 2000. We enjoy it when we can and rent it out to vacationers when we can't. Click here to see what vacation renters see.

Owning a vacation house is a double edged sword. It's a nice place to get away, but then there's that pesky maintenance. Many of our trips "for fun" end up as hammering, painting and raking. In this case...the front porch. Had to make it new. It had become treacherous!

With the help of husband and wife team, Joe and Linda, the old decking was ripped off. Replaced it with Yella Wood. This should last decades!

Old posts had to be knocked out to replace the deck boards, so I decided this was a great time to create new heftier posts and railing.

I described what I wanted to Joe the carpenter and he made them a reality. Twenty-four mitered saw cuts on this bottom treatment alone. NICE work, Joe! And Linda, your caulk work is divine.

While Joe and Linda forged ahead, I headed to the backyard to slap a new coat of paint on some of my "worse for the wear" trash porch furniture. How about a shocking pink adirondack chair?!

Meanwhile, back at the front porch, how's this for progress?! New posts are set!

But it's not all work and no play! This is Linda about to demonstrate what nice thin slices her big ole saw
(whatever kind it is) can make. That's Joe Williams, one of my favorite of all time neighbor, risking his neck for my blog.

Here's a closer look.
HAH haaa!
I am focusing on Joe, because this is an ART BLOG after all, and Joe is an artist.
"FINALLY, some art", you say.

This is some of Joe's work. I know! It's beautiful! He paints on old navigational charts.You'll find his framed work at The Cottage Shop on Osborne Street in St. Marys.
So, what about the m&m part, Ronnie?
Be prepared to be stunned. See that beautiful shrimp? Joe uses the color from m&m shells as paint. Yeah, go ahead, ponder that with your mouth hanging open. What's more, he uses eye shadow too!!!! HAH! Amazing. What originality. Would you have ever thought of that in a million years? I know, I've stuck my tongue out (just like you have) and said, "Cool, my tongue is blue", but would I have ever taken the leap to use it to paint a picture? Well, Hell no!
Click the picture for a closer look.
I wonder how Kool-ade would work? It's so hard to stay on track. I have to paint the porch first.

Next up! The kitchen tear out! See it all here! Next!

As for the porch...
I stained the decking a pale drift wood. Joe and Linda finished the rails and now all that's left to do is a good coat of white paint. The pink adirondack turned out nice.
I hope you all are having a good Summer.
Love,
Ronnie - aka Joe Tucker's stove operator

St. Marys and Baddog Creation

2010-04-12T00:05:00.005-04:00

I'm heading for St. Marys this week. It's time to make Spring repairs to the little yellow house.

I made a repair to the front porch two Springs ago. With all the tromping feet along with the damp sticky coastal climate, wood has a tough life here. I wish I had a photo of the finished repair. I did a GREAT JOB! Used power tools! The repair still looks good, (zoom top pic for the amazing results) but now everything's rotting away around it! It's getting down right dangerous around the edges.

So, the carpenter will meet me there on Tuesday to replace the whole porch floor along with new heftier posts and railings. I'll take pictures as we go. You'll see the results of the hard work when I return home.

Other news...
Last week I painted another Good Baddog. If you're interested, I started with a base coat of light khaki, then threw on some raw umber for texture. I drew on the pattern and started with red. I love red.

Hunk a burnin' Elvis.

Mona Lisa hair.

Mangy, but getting there.

Almost...

Done! This Good Baddog now lives with a very nice crazy lady in New York. Thank you, Martha!

Have a great week, y'all! See you when I return.

Love,

Ronnie

Spring It On!

2010-03-30T01:01:00.015-04:00

Spring has been shy this year. One day of teasing 70's then 40's the very next day. Alfred Hitchcock on the left and Tippi Hedren on the right enjoyed a warm day on the porch on Sunday.

I wonder if they miss old Yoshi barking at them. He loved those birds and would watch them for hours.
Old Yosh' died about this time two years ago and Joe and I still expect him to greet us when we return home.

He just knew there was a secret passageway through the bottom of that table!

Yosh' is buried not far from these porch steps. He lived to be 15. 105 in dog years. He was a great dog and it has taken us this long to consider getting another one. Joe has been scouting out for red, smooth haired, boy dachshund pups, so it won't be long until Tippi and Al have a furry companion again.

I have a jump on the Spring spruce up this year. I had Mom's house painted last week. She lives right next door. Window trim, doors, shutters, eves and gutters all freshly painted. Mom is as thrilled with it as an 83 year old woman can be!

I walked around our yard with the camera on Sunday. The plants are starting to show signs of Spring.

It stayed warm long enough last week for my day lilies to risk popping up.

The trees are still bare, but show signs of waking up. See this tiny fleur-de-lis shaped sprout?

These two rows of Bradford Pear are always the first act of the Spring flower show. My dad planted these behind my parent's house about 12 years ago.

More tender spouts. Fuzzy leaves of Lamb's Ear. I took these pictures as the sun was getting low. Shadows were long and I liked how the light brushed the edges of the tiny plants.

The sun hid for just a moment behind a long skinny cloud. Still a bit more light.

When I turned around to head back inside, I found the moon rising over the house.

It was so bright last night, making eerie moon shadows on the lawn.

Strange seeing it looking so big in a clear blue sky.

A bloom on my Star Magnolia! A tiny tree under our bedroom window. I hardly notice it except in early early Spring when it does this.

In a few weeks these trees will be covered with fresh chartreuse leaves.

Maybe we'll have a new dachshund pup.

Or maybe I'll have a yard sale!

These lobster traps have been laying next to the back porch for 10 years.

Somebody out there really needs some lobster traps!

How about these wood covered bottles? Would you buy these at a yard sale?

I know I would, because I did!

Now it's time for them to go.
OUT with the old!!! In with the new!

I hope it's warming up where you are.

Love to you all,

Ronnie

A dachshund springing into action.

Saturday Outing to The Plum Tree !

2010-03-15T12:34:00.017-04:00

Come on! Get your hat and coat. It's a field trip!
This time we're heading to one of my favorite haunts,
The Plum Tree!
Parking around back is GREAT, especially in McDonough!

Flashback: Here's a shot of their front porch taken last Fall during the McDonough Scarecrow Contest. The Plum Tree won first prize for their Green Acres display. Eva Gabor looks so at home on the front porch.

The Plum Tree is just a block from the McDonough square and about 10 minutes from my house.
Spring is almost here.

Okay, enough of that.
Stepping inside the door I am hit by this beauty!! Birdcage stuff is the BOMB these days.
Anything BIRD is good!

"HI! What's new?! The shop looks great!"

But enough chit chat. This table is calling my name. Pretty hot little rocker too. Hmmmmm.
I'll think about it. Lots more to see...

OOOOO! Check out these dough bowls. Beautiful colors.

So much to see. I hope this lady doesn't notice THAT TABLE!
I'll drape myself across it when she walks by.

I'm always a sucker for retro treasures to help deck out the St. Marys cottage.

Let's head down the hallway. There's more!

Lovely bird prints on canvas. These would make nice gifts for the girls.
Let's keep moving.
Joe's watching basketball at home and I still have to get to Michael's for the 40% off artist paints, pens and pencils.
It's a BUSY DAY! HAHAHA ha!

At the end of the hall, a sweet little bedroom full of great goodies and lots of locally handmade things like pillows, quilted items and aprons. Don't forget to click the pics for a closer look.

HI! That's me taking a picture and waving at myself just as this man came walking in the room and looked at me like I was crazy. Check out that Buster Brown haircut I got last week. I whacked off my ponytail which required an emergency appointment at the beauty shop. I wouldn't recommend doing this even in your most desperate hour! It's a really bad idea.

Here are the aprons I was talking about. Beautifully made by a local gal. Perfection.

See anything you'd like? Love that sweet tiny trophy displayed inside a lantern.
Victorian prints are always good.

We better make our way back toward the door. OHHH, here are some things Sandy Mastroni might like.
Nice little 50's, tin, plaid picnic basket.

Did I mention that Cindy will ship!!!
Yes, if you see anything here you like (except furniture) she will SHIP IT TO YOU.
For info on that go here: http://plumtreeantiques.blogspot.com/

One last look at those sweet retro umbrellas. Cindy and her crew are masters of display.
If it were raining I just might.......OH, I almost forgot!

That beautiful Oak Dropleaf Gate Leg Table!
$169. Hmmm. Let's ponder this. What do you think?
My old table nearly tipped over with the grandsons on Thanksgiving. I sold a painting this week for almost exactly this amount...........
SO, YES! It's perfect! I'll take it! I'll be back on Tuesday to pick it up!

Have a great week y'all. Glad you could come along. If you live nearby or even if not (remember The Plum Tree will ship) here's the essential info:
The Plum Tree
58 Griffin Street
McDonough, GA 30253
(770) 954-1928
Open Tues-Sat 11AM to 6 PM
http://plumtreeantiques.blogspot.com/

LOve and all good things,
Ronnie
aka Joe's stove operator

Akh! I've Been Branded!

2010-03-11T10:51:00.022-05:00

I'm tooting my own horn today.
That's right! I'm making my own Biddy Brain brand stuff and having a lot of fun doing it.

"Good Baddog" now gives me that creepy look
from this sharp looking mouse pad.

I'm hooked! I'm ordering my own stuff !
I gave this mug to myself on Valentines Day.

I tell myself I'm doing a great service to the American economy. Um hum.

I also bought these from myself. My very own Wiener National shoes. I wore them to the beauty shop last week.
(I did a DIY by cutting off my own ponytail.)

The beautician said, "Where'd you get those crazy dog shoes?!"

I said, "I DESIGNED THEM."

She said, "Well, you might be able to make a livin' designin' shoes, but you sure won't make a livin' cuttin' hair."

She straightened it out the best she could. Ironically I now look like Buster Brown from Buster Brown SHOES!

But my shoes are so cool, I don't even have to comb my hair. Nobody ever looks up.

They talk to the Shoes!

Check out the view as I walk away. I LOVE THESE! There's that Biddy Brain brand again.

Would you say I'm on an ego trip?

I'll be designing some Keds High TOPS tomorrow! Now won't I look good in those?

Love,

Ronnie

Gallery Visit!

2010-03-08T14:21:00.008-05:00

I made a visit to the gallery on Friday to deliver The Flying Ford and thought you might want to tag along. This is the lovely Courtney harassing Joseph with a pair of antlers I brought to her.

Joseph is a writer. He comes to the gallery for inspiration and to visit with Courtney, Karen and whatever artist may be around. I took this picture as Joseph was lamenting about his love life. I raised the camera to shoot and Courtney adorned him with the horns! Perfect! Sorry, Joseph. I couldn't resist.

Notice that red sign in the background?

GALLERY

STORE

It's full of great stuff by local craftsmen and artists.

You should stop in sometime.

Arts Clayton Gallery

136 S. Main Street

Jonesboro, GA 30236

Get Directions

phone: (770) 473-5457

Tues - Fri: 9 AM - 5 PM

Sat 10 AM - 4 PM.

Closed Sun, Mon, holidays

Their website:
http://www.artsclayton.org/gallery/

The work of young artists fills the gallery this month. Here are some examples.

It's the 13th District Congressional Student Art Competition. On display in the gallery March 3 - March 26.

Click the pics for a closer look.

Pretty impressive don't you think!?

FYI: "Congress created the Congressional Art Competition in 1982 as a way to showcase the artistic talents of young people throughout the country. The top three winners of the local competition win thousands of dollars in scholarships to Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) and the Atlanta Art Institute. In addition to receiving a scholarship, the first place winner is invited to attend an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. and will have his or her artwork displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel leading to the U.S. Capitol".

More examples of the great student art

It's hard to focus with these two around! Here's Joseph practicing a pose for his next book jacket photo. Courtney is brushing up on her River Dance technique. Of course, more student art in the background.

As for the Flying Ford...

It will be on display at the National Archives at Atlanta along with lots more local art, March 16 - May 15, 2010. The theme, 1920's: The Golden Age

Come on out for a look see...

Exhibition displayed at National Archives, 5780 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, Georgia 30260.

Be inspired by the beginnings of "Modern America"!

Shifting gears...

Whenever I visit the gallery I enjoy seeing what Richard has produced. These wooden angels are examples. Don't go looking for him on the web. He's exclusive to the gallery.

So you'll have to come get one!

These are Richard's birds on branches. Aren't they sweet? He carves each little bird.

Check out these crazy lamps by another local artist. Way to recycle!

And this one.

I guess it's time to skate on out of here. It's a beautiful day outside and there is a lot to do! Have a really good week, you all.

Love and all good things,

Ronnie

aka Joe's stove operator

Whew!

2010-03-04T17:42:00.005-05:00

You CAN do it
with a little help from
your
blogger friends!

Thanks, y'all.

Finally I got this one done. Have a fun weekend.
I plan to!

XO, Ronnie

F-O-R-D Found On Road Dead

2010-03-03T15:02:00.014-05:00

I'm painting again. This time the gallery gave me a theme.
How nice.
The 1920's.
Okay! I'll paint a 1929 Ford.

I had fun with Ben's car! : D

Things were going well.
Then for some hair brained reason I thought "it needs more".
So, I added wings.

Okay. Now it has become a BEE CAR!
We have a theme going. Let's throw some honeycomb on the radiator!

Great! Now what? Fill the cockpit with bees? One bee? Why?
I've lost it.
When will I ever learn that I can't wing it (ha).
If I don't plan things out in detail, on paper, I run into a truck (car) load of frustration.
It goes something like this....
I'm working happily...(add some whistling)
go-o-o-oing with the flo-o-o-ho-ho-ho...
la la la...
then BLAM, it all starts looking like crapula. Maybe I'm not as right brained as I'd like to be.
Now I have a Bee Car with wings with an empty cockpit. Shall I add Felix the Cat as the driver (1920's)? Betty Boop? Poop.

I decide to get all symbolic on myself trying to make sense from what I've created.
So I add a four leafed clover. Why? For good luck of course! Because I'm going to need it if I'm ever going to finish this project.

How about Lucky Lindy, 1927, first solo trans Atlantic flight by Charles Lindbergh. THIS makes no sense whatsoever!!
Should I paint over the dang clover?
Where's Felix when you need him?
Yours truly,
Ronnie
aka The Whiner

One More Family Face

2010-02-19T09:28:00.022-05:00

Way back in history, about a year ago, I did a series of paintings that featured family faces.
http://biddybrain.blogspot.com/2009/01/third-victim-in-family-faces-series.html

This is the latest, perhaps last, of the Family Faces Series. This one's for Ben.
And that's Ben's face in the driver's seat!

He loves rhinos! He also loves Formula 1 auto racing. His favorite driver, Michael Schumacher, will be driving a Mercedes this race season, hence Ben is in a Mercedes with a rhino!

Ben also loves ice hockey! When I present this to Ben, I'll ask if he'd like a hockey stick sticking out of the backseat. I have a feeling I may be painting a bit more on Sunday. ; )

Every once in a blue moon I will become so entranced by another artist's style that I can't stand it until I give that style a try. Ben's painting is the result of discovering Ed van der Hoek, an artist from the Netherlands.
I fell head over heels for Ed's whimsical happy art.
Find out why! Enjoy Ed's art here >>>> http://www.edart.nl/new/

To view my initial sketch and beginnings of Ben's painting see my previous post... http://biddybrain.blogspot.com/2010/02/something-for-special-boy.html

Have a super duper weekend, bloggers!

LOve,
Ronnie

Something for a Special Boy

2010-02-17T11:19:00.006-05:00

I'm hoping to have this finished today.

I'll post the finished product tomorrow!

Have an exceptional day,
Ronnie

Our 29th St. Valentine's Day together

2010-02-13T17:11:00.008-05:00

Me and JOe
the young version.

Me and JOe
the old version!

Or is it the 30th? Time flies when you're having fun!
Here's wishing you a happy Valentine's Day.
Love and all good things,
Ronnie
aka JOe's stove operator

I Made Shoes with my ART

2010-02-09T11:28:00.011-05:00

I know this is shameless self promotion, but I can't help myself. Making these was plan ole fun. You do it in parts. This is made from chunks of my painting called "Champion"

"Wiener National Faceoff " When you wear them the dachshunds face each other.

"Chicks Night Out" The original was a 30" x 40" canvas.

"Dad's Garden" A mandala I did for my dad. He loved gardening.

"Go Shoes!" From a painting I did for Auto racing friends.

"Just Bee" shoes.

And "Snake Boy Racer".

Now, who else has shoes like this?!
I wonder what they'd say on "What not to Wear"!??!
I don't care. I'm waiting patiently for my Wiener National shoes to arrive.
Actually, I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Get 'em while they're hot!
http://www.zazzle.com/biddybrain*
Later,
Ronnie

Hamming it up in South Georgia

2010-01-28T12:25:00.018-05:00

Ed Hose

I'm always looking for inspiration.
I've been slogging through artistic concrete lately.
That is, until I found Ed Hose. Gazing upon her amazing menu of art has my brain basting in creative juices!

Ed Hose is Fabuliscious!
I discovered her (yes, her) yesterday through Camille Ronay , owner of Georgia Made Georgia Grown.
I couldn't wait to share with you her crazy wild parties on paper.
She's promoting a show at Gallery 209 in Brunswick, Georgia.
Click the pic to get the full view and once there, click "press to play".
I've said enough. Enjoy the song!!!

Bacon Wrapped Double Happiness—The Song!
Composed by Ed Hose, Mike Dyche and Pilliard Dickle
Performed by Pilliard Dickle

Press to Play!

Go get 'em Ed!
Catch ya later fellow bloggers,
Ronnie

TIME

2010-01-19T11:59:00.010-05:00

I can't believe it's the 19th of January already. Time seems to be evaporating. The older I get, time picks up speed.

The Gunns around 1960 Augsburg, Germany
me, mom, turtle, dad, andi

This is a picture of us taken 50 years ago. 50 YEARS!!!! That's Mom and Dad, me and my two sisters, me on the left. Check out that big hair. I would walk with my girlfriends every Friday to a nearby village to get my hair done for one German mark, which translated to 25 cents a pop! Those were the days. Where did all that time go?

A clock I have in my living room

made by the great artist, Sandy Mastroni

This month, much of our time has been spent caring for our mothers. Watching them age and needing more of our care has me a bit melancholy and reflective. I spent last week, along with my sisters, in a hospital, watching over our 82 year old mom who has pneumonia. She came home on Saturday accompanied by an oxygen machine. She is in good spirits and slowly recovering.

Our moms (mine on the right, Joe's on the left) at our house on Thanksgiving.

No, not that goofy guy on the left.

Joe and I gave this (see below) to each other for Christmas. We found it in an antique shop in St. Marys on Christmas Eve. We hung it on a nail in the back of a closet to give it a test, excited to see if it worked and to wait for the cuckoo to pop out.
It became a ritual by Christmas Day. As the top of the hour approached, Joe would yell through the house, "It's CUCKOO TIME!" Then we'd run to the closet to watch with great ceremony and delight as the cuckoo popped out to announce the new hour. A celebration.
I need to properly hang that clock today. Perhaps in the living room near the other two clocks. It's time to celebrate again.

CUCKOO!!!!!

Love and all good things,
Ronnie
the cuckoo time keeper

Power to the Poppet!

2010-01-08T11:01:00.028-05:00

Skye Poppet

by Mercy

Blogging takes you places and connects you with people you would never expect in your three dimensional life. Take Mercy for instance. She is one of the most courageous people I've ever met. She appeared on my radar screen back in February 2009...

Mercy said...

Hi, i just randomly stumbled across your blog from my own.
your art is so inspiering, everything you have created that i can see makes me happy.
what are your influences?
i want a studio like yours and just wanted to let you know im gonna be your online stalker from now on.... peculiar of stalkers to introduce themselves but i thought it would be polite.
you have an eye for a differnt kind of beauty.

February 25, 2009 7:10 PM

The stalker line got me!

So I clicked to see what Mercy, this little duckie, was all about.

Here's a hint...

And Boy did she talk.
I read and I read and I read about things I'd never heard anyone express. What she wrote was startling and sad and brilliant and harsh and hopeful and she stole my heart.
I've been following Mercy's blog for nearly a year now. It has been an uphill climb for her. I am amazed at her progress and I find myself feeling so proud of this girl who lives thousands of miles away.

Self Portrait at 20
by Mercy

She stole my heart again this week, when she showed me Skye (see the poppet above).
"I made a poppet", she said.
"What's a poppet?", I asked.
"It's like a Voodoo doll, but good", she said, "You send hugs through him."

Do a Google search and you'll find lots of poppet info, but none as good, in my opinion, as Mercy's idea.

Skye is a real guy. He has leukemia.
Mercy's response to the news of his illness was to make a poppet version of Skye to send to his mother.
Skye's mom is too far away and unable to be with her son.
Thanks to Mercy, Skye's mom can now hug her poppet son and send immediate hugs his way.

I LOVE Mercy's idea.

What do you think?
I want to know!

POWER TO THE POPPETS!

Love and all good things,
Ronnie

Get Going!

2010-01-04T12:26:00.007-05:00

Let Go Go On

by Mary Engelbreit

As the new year begins I always find myself inspired. A clean slate! That OLD YEAR is GONE!

G-O-N-E gone!

Out comes the legal pad and pen and the list begins. At the top...

Fitness:

Dust off the Elliptical trainer,

the Yoga mat,

and set the Tivo to record Gilad and his merry band of skinny Hawaiian girls sweatlessly exerting themselves on the beaches of Oahu!

It's January 4th.

So far, I have Tivoed several installments of "Total Body Sculpt with Gilad", moved the suitcases (left there after our Summer trip to Hawaii) which blocked my path to the Elliptical trainer, and literally (cough) blew off the dust from my Yoga mat.

All righty then!

As soon as I finish my first blog post of 2010, I will turn on the Food Network and do 30 minutes on the Elliptical. I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy New Year Everybody!

Love and all good things,

Ronnie

aka Joe's stove operator

Mother-In-Law

2009-12-18T14:34:00.010-05:00

There were rumblings for quite a while.

"Keep an eye on that", I said to myself.

The phone call came the day before Halloween...

"COME AND GET ME!", she said.

So we did.

It happens to folks our age. Our parents, once strong and capable, are unable to go it alone.

I called for reinforcement to help move all of our belongings upstairs to Andrew's old room.

Then we prepared our downstairs bedroom and the downstairs in general. Joe's mom has severe Scoliosis and requires a walker to get around.

Back in May we visited Senior living communities at her request. I'm so glad we did, which put us ahead of the game.

She lived with us for the past 7 weeks. We pulled out all the stops and literally put our lives on hold to get her transitioned.

On Monday we officially moved her into a beautiful Senior community, furnishing her new one bedroom apartment from head to toe.

Mission Accomplished!

Christmas is just around the corner. Have a merry one dear bloggers!

Love and all good things,

Ronnie

Remind me that I Have The Power

2009-10-23T11:59:00.015-04:00

I Have the Power!

I made homemade biscuits last night to go with a fresh kale and bean soup. Good way to ring in the Fall weather. Just a tad cooler here and the poplars are juuuust beginning to turn that beautiful golden yellow. I took this picture from my backporch in mid November last year. It won't be long.

I'm licking honey from my chin as I type. Finishing off the next to the last biscuit. Hey, I can multitask with the best of them!
Multitasking with a husband who is suddenly, after a lifetime, always home, is another thing. YES, LET THE WHINING BEGIN! AGAIN!
You should know by now, this is how I problem solve. Whine....process....regroup....start NEW!
I LOVE this man I call JOe. But as another fellow artist once told me of her experience trying to create with a husband in the house...."the air just feels different. He doesn't even have to be in the same room."
I'm gettin' there! It gets easier and better everyday. Susan is right. It takes time. And I've got time.

Other News: "Art After Dark" was great fun. Here I am waiting to be fed. The City of Locust Grove provided wine and shopkeepers provided the goodies.

Great turn out!
Especially nice to get person to person feedback and see what people gravitated to.

People love the Big Biddies and this makes me happy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow I'm off to St. Marys. Fall gardening and housework, but I'll be taking the paints and brushes. I have a few orders to fill and a few new ideas to try. I'm looking forward to it.

I've got to go get that last biscuit before Joe does. I'll catch up with you soon. Some fresh apple cider would be good with that biscuit. Good Grief! My body must be preparing for hibernation.
I'm hungry.
Love and all good things,
Ronnie
aka Joe's stove operator

Summer aka BLOG KILLER!

2009-10-02T20:14:00.018-04:00

My new favorite t-shirt
"I live in my own world, but it's OK... they like me here."

Hey Lovely Bloggers!
It has been 42 days since my last blog post! This was certainly not intentional, but Summer grabbed me with the tenacity of a gator on a terrier!
A quick refresher: Joe has retired. Life as I have known it for decades is gone, vanished, kaput.
We have no trouble filling up our days, but now, every day seems like a weekend. If asked what day it is, Joe and I both glaze over... "Saturday?"
It has been fun, but I have sorely missed my art. There have been so many moments when I have been stopped in my tracks by pure inspiration, images conjured that I KNEW were destined for solid form. Dozens of ideas have simply floated away... stolen away by a cluttered mind and too much activity.
Where do lost ideas go!? I don't know, but I'm on a mission to find them!
I keep telling myself, "You need to create a notebook necklace". When inspiration hits, paper and pencil are RIGHT THERE! Scribble it down quick. Grab it while ya got it.
Today, I find myself blissfully alone. WEEEEEEEEEEE! As I type, Joe is headed for a race in Virginia (VIR for you race fans). I begged off with a kiss and a wave-goodbye from the driveway.

Here's Joe, happy as a clam, in the pits with APR Motorsports

Wasting no time, I headed off to the nearby village of Locust Grove to meet with Brenda, the owner of Old South Ceramics. She will host me as "her artist" at a local art event called "Art After Dark". I have until Oct 9th to get it together, interrupted only by jury duty on the 5th. Wish me luck that it's not a long drawn out horrible trial. I just don't have time for justice these days!

Locust Grove, Georgia
site of Art After Dark, October 10th

It's good to be back. I'll be posting pictures of two more Hawaiian artists I met during our August trip and of course all the goings on around here! See you then.
Is there a chill in the air? Are the leaves beginning to fall where you live?
Love and all good things,
Ronnie

There's Art in Them There Islands!

2009-08-20T12:59:00.019-04:00

Huge painting by Brigitte D'Anniabale, Kaua'i artist
That's a piece of copper across the top!

We are home! It was a great trip and I took lots of pictures. Hawaii is as beautiful as I remember, IF YOU KNOW WHERE to GO!
H-I and H-2 (Hawaii's interstate highways??!!HA!) are NOT the place to go.
It wasn't in 1993 and it certainly isn't now. So, we hit our old haunts and tried our best to stay off the very busy Oahu highways.

This post is about Hawaiian art!
After all, this is an ART BLOG. ; )
If you want to see our other pics (Joe in the old C-130 he once flew and pictures of Waikiki beach surfers and the site of our house that is now washed into the sea) go to my Facebook page (over there in the right column) and peruse the "Return to Hawaii" photo album.

Now, on to the art!
I fell in love with Hawaii artist Brigitte D'Anniabale.
Find her here at http://abc.eznettools.net/taboragallery/Brigitte.html
Here's another example of her work...
One dimension just doesn't do her work justice. She nails and glues stuff all over!

I found Brigitte's art one cool evening while walking with JOe, doing a little window shopping in Honolulu. I spotted this huge painting in a gallery window!

I was smitten!
Joe knew it was all over once I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.
From the first gallery, I found my way to two more galleries in Waikiki (I was kind enough to leave Joe snorkeling during these expeditions) where Brigitte has work displayed.
Brigette works with salvaged architectural pieces from old sugar plantation buildings...tin, copper, vintage moldings, fabric, pieces of wood with chipping paint. It gives her work texture and depth, but also a REAL tactile bit of Hawaiian history.
I was so sad to see SUGAR disappearing in Hawaii. In the 90's, we lived a few miles from vast sugar cane fields and the sugar mill in old Waipahu. Not there now. But that's another story.

Next post! Two more Hawaii artists!
See you then,
Ronnie (who is very glad to be home in her nest again.)

*And a little plug for a friend...For a really good time visit PJ at PJHornberger.com

No ka oi

2009-08-02T21:55:00.013-04:00

Happy Monday!
Another painting complete. I'm really pleased with this one. JUST BEE. It's in my Etsy shop . But I'll be away for a weeks vacation. Back on August 12th.
In other news, My Swamp Hibiscus are blooming! These flowers are the size of salad plates!
They remind me of a place I lived a long time ago, where it never snowed, always summer...
Tuesday, Joe and I are taking a trip. We'll be up at the crack of dawn.
We're leaving the grass,
the weeds,
and the pile of mulch,
and all those blank canvases at home.
This trip was quite unexpected, but something we've wanted to do for years.
When half price airfare popped up, it became a NO BRAINER! We are packed and ready to go!
Where?

In the early nineties we were stationed in Barbers Point, Hawaii. We're going back tomorrow.
I guess we'll see how things have changed in 16 years. We lived in a Navy neighborhood on the beach, at the entrance to Pearl Harbor. We sat in our backyard and watched as the navy ships and submarines sailed into the harbor with Diamondhead and the Ko'olau Mountains as the backdrop. Amazingly beautiful. I loved every day of it.
Upon doing a Googlemap satellite search just now, curious to see the rooftop of the house we lived in, I find it's still there!
5375 Edgewater Drive Ewa Beach, HI. where it's always Summer.
I'll take lots of pictures.
We'll be back at home this time next week!
For easy listening Hawaiian radio KINE 105 click HERE!
Love and all good things,
Ronnie

Honey, Spiders and Chicks! Oh my!

2009-07-24T13:46:00.010-04:00

I'm back at it this week. Joe is running errands and picking up some of the new Skecher's walking shoes for me. I'm sitting WAY too much! House is quiet. Started painting this JUST BEE thing. Will show you the results soon.
This was pretty spectacular. A big iron sculpture at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham. We went to watch APR www.goapr.com/race/ race last Saturday. Click the pic and you'll see the baby spiders ready to attack the army of Porsches!
Andrew has a VW TDI cup race in Chicago this weekend. I sewed on this big patch which sewed up the zipper on one side. Decided this wouldn't work too well. Wish him luck! Race #5!
I painted this for the APR team last week! It was fun to do and I even added a screw! A bit of Checkered flag stuff on the side you can't see here.
Got the living room painted too. What a chore. Like moving. But it's done and looks GREAT!
Amazingly enough, I got this done while they were here. It's in the Etsy shop. JOe likes this one.
Thanks for all the great advice and sweet comments for me this week. I was tearing my hair out for a while! Have a great weekend y'all! I plan to.
Love,
Ronnie

THIS is an art blog???

2009-07-20T00:17:00.013-04:00

An Art Blog.
You've seen them...a piece of art or two posted each day, a bit of talk about art history and how to market your work.

Lately, saying this is an Art Blog is a stretch. My art is getting all entwined with my life. Or lost in it.
See the picture above? I took this months ago for another purpose, but it seemed to work. Paint brushes all clean and idle, unused. That's laundry piled on the kitchen table. An illustration of what my life has become. Wax lips, some candy cigarettes. A bottle of X (seemed like a good idea at the time).

This is my husband, Joe. He's trying to enjoy a piece of cake at a friend's house, but he is also looking at me, while I take the picture, knowing it may end up here on
THE ART BLOG.
Being an artist can be detrimental to your heart, mind, soul, pocketbook, your flower beds...
your rugs, your toilets, your relationships (see Joe above), the oil filter in your car...(add more HERE if you like).
It's a matter of balance. I used to have it. It left. Where and how does the art fit in without creating problems in other parts of life? Not quite there yet. Obviously! That's the task at hand.
One of my blog friends, Sandy Mastroni said to ask for Help. She's right. Sometimes I forget.
Have a good beginning to a great week loved ones,
Ronnie - living life in a small town in Georgia, USA

Goings On for the 4th and a Friend's Retirement

2009-07-06T14:04:00.021-04:00

It was a good 4th of July. Family gathered at my 82 year old mom's house. She loves to party! Then she likes everybody to leave so she can get a good night's sleep with her little dog Rocket.
This is my mom and a son and his son! Looks like a game of rock paper scissors.
Water was certainly the theme. A lot of water logged kids as well as adults.
Little guy says enough is enough. NO paparazzi please!
More water logging.
Light is getting low and the older sons are enjoying the lake and Jones Grape sodas interspersed with a few adult beverages.
Andi and Ana decided to bring a new tent for its inaugural. Pitched it in our backyard 10 feet from the lake and went kayaking first thing the next morning. Brilliantly absurd idea!!!
Shifting gears to the week prior, Joe and I traveled to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida for an old friend's retirement. This is their quarters on base where they threw a great party the night before the official retirement ceremony. If you want to see pictures of that go to my facebook page and look for JETS!
Here's the happy (they don't know what's about to hit 'em!) retiring military couple.
Lots of good comfort food....
and Nancy's famous Bourbon slushies! Holy moly YUM! Look at the smile on this girl's face!
And here's their motto to live by. Surprised!? I'm not. Whoo Hoo indeed!
After the festivities Joe and I kicked back at a little cottage on the base near the Pensacola lighthouse.
A bit of history. You'll have to click the pic to read the fine print.
One last look at the white sand beach and then it was time to return home. Boy am I ready to be home. Ten days for me to get some painting done before we have to go again.
I hope you're enjoying the summer!
Love and hugs,
Ronnie - tortured wife of retired JOe

12 Hours There and 12 Hours Back!

2009-06-25T00:00:00.043-04:00

And we're off. At the crack of noon! The plan is to make it to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, two hours south of the Mid Ohio race course.
THIS is for Liz Gunby of JumbleSaleRabbits blogspot in Scotland. She loves VW vans. Joe was speeding by and I was saying, "OH, oh! Where's the camera!" This is the portion I got. The back was equally perfect! Vanagon!
Arriving in Cincinnati and passing over the Ohio River, the border between Ohio and Kentucky.
Are we there yet? We made it to the airbase, had a good night's sleep, then headed to the racetrack the next morning. Andrew was already there with the VW TDI Cup race team.
This is JOe and Drew looking over track diagrams and having lunch in the fabulous huge VW tent which included catering and classroom for drivers and flats screens everywhere. They had waffles with VW on them for breakfast.
A Pirelli poster using Andrew in his car, #32! "Pirelli grips like no other."
Prerace! All the fresh faced and scrubbed TDI Cup drivers doing the celeb thing and signing autographs. That's Andrew signing for a fan.
Andrew (not him in this pic) was also here to work with APR motorsports. He crewed for them in between the VW stuff. He was dead on his feet by the time Sunday night rolled around. This is Erin in black with the little red apron. She makes sure APR drivers and crew are well fed and cared for. APR is known for it's hospitality. I think the drivers want to be on the team just for the food!

Joe took this of me and Andrew just before the race. I stole those pants off of a Revolutionary War soldier. What was I thinking! Blahhh.
Andrew suiting up. It's really buzzing in the VW tech tent. Camera crews for the documentary, race fans and family. Are you bored yet. Yeah, I know. This is an art blog, but I'll get to that.
The picture below is of Andrew careening back onto the track after bouncing off into the grass in this WICKED curve. A lot of drivers lost it on this curve, one smashing into the wall. CRAZY! I love this picture of the blonde lady. Look at her reaction.
The BIG picture after that is of Andrew's car making this same turn after rear ending a car in front of him. Imagine a lot of loud car noise here!

Alrighty then. Are you still here? Now we're back at APR where Erin and her assistant Hippy Mark have done their magic once again. Andrew has lost the VW race and has now switched his hat from TDI Cup to APR Motorsports.
These are two of the APR drivers, Mike Sweeney and Dion Von Molke suiting up for the the Koni Challenge race. Chow down boys, the race is coming up! Learn more about APR (Audi Porsche Racing) here www.goapr.com/race/
The race was near the end when I took this picture. The two APR cars are in first and second place! It was a wild race. Our friend Randy Pobst was right behind them racing for another team. This is torture for me to watch. Three laps from the end APR front runner, Ian Bass (the afore mentioned Erin's son) loses power on his car. Randy takes it to second place!
Woo hoo! I love racing. It's not over til it's over!
Here they are on the podium. APR guys in red and Randy (with his hand up) in black. All great guys.
This is the rowdy APR team after their win. They are truly a family. That's Andrew in blue. They couldn't peel the TDI cup driver suit off of him! He's having the time of his life.
Meanwhile, the race is over and we're on the road for home. This is where we stayed the first night.
JUST Kidding! That's a bomb shelter behind the Commanding Officer's house, Quarters One, at the Air Force Base. We stayed another night at this beautiful historic base. The Wright brothers made their first flight including a flight and "turn" here. Interested in more about this, including historic photos, follow this link:
http://www.strategic-air-command.com/bases/Wright-Patterson_AFB.htm
On the road again. Rocky Tennessee here. About now you're wondering,"What about the longest yard sale, Ronnie?" Well, it was too far off the beaten track for this trip, but we did stop at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, Kentucky. So, here's the ART PART! Finally....
Once they were gourds! This rooster was about 4 feet tall!
Extraordinary woodwork. $800 plus for the rocker. Click the pic for a close look at the old bearded men carved on the back. Beautiful work.
Felted hats and bags. This art center is located in a thriving artist community. I MUST return!
The whole downtown is art galleries and working studios and a college. Check out this link to learn more.... Beria, Kentucky
Beautiful wooden hats and bowls.
The end! An Amish couple returning from church on a Sunday morning. I'm glad to be home.
Have a great week, friends.
Love and all good things,
Ronnie

ROAD TRIP!

2009-06-19T10:27:00.004-04:00

Joe will be honking the horn soon! We're headed to Lexington, Ohio for Andrew's 4th race. Also hope to catch parts of the longest yard sale! It stretches from Ohio to Alabama. See ya when we return. I'm taking the camera!
If you'd like to have your name or business stuck on Andrew's car, he still needs sponsorships for the remaining 6 races!
Later Gators,
Ronnie

Bliss Bikes in Progress

2009-06-16T23:29:00.012-04:00

Whew!
Boy it was tough getting this done. A whole lot of life getting in between me and it!
If you remember my last post you'll see my original design. I made a teeny tiny sketch and then enlarged it on my scanner, added the lettering, and then transferred it to the canvas (18x24).
I slathered a good cover of Raw Umber allllll over it. Edges too.
Design has been transferred and all I've done here is fill in the spaces with flat color.
Filled in everything and added some detail on the blue lady and added a bit of lighter brown to the corner to experiment a bit.
Threw some clouds on the lady, a few bike spoke spin lines, and added more of the lighter gold/brown here and there and some star thingies.
A closer look. If you click on the pic, it'll put your eye out it's so big! And I've painted out the star thingies cause I didn't like 'em.
FINE! as they say at the end of a French movie, which has nothing at all to do with this painting, but it's my blog and I just felt like saying it. This picture is yellow and fuzzy, cause my light was crappy, but I'll take another all Bright and Clear tomorrow.
This painting is in my Etsy shop, but if it just hangs out there it's headed to Naked Art USA in Birmingham, Alabama the first week in August.
Love and all good stuff,
Ronnie - in a small town in Georgia
PS If you're a newbie, scroll down a couple of inches and you'll see my design before it jumped on the canvas.

Balancing Act!

2009-06-15T09:46:00.008-04:00

Things are humming along better than expected. At least I got this new thing started!
I had planned to finish "Bliss Bikes" yesterday, but Joe drug me off for a long walk around the lake. I whined while putting on my shoes and whined while plopping my old floppy straw hat on my head, but once I got going realized I was in dire need of the exercise. Joe said if only I'd listened to him alllllll these years just think how different things would be. Yeah. Right.
LATER, I settled in the BB workshop and mixed the most BE-autiful blue, using these colors, for the lady in "bliss bikes".
I'll show you a progression (as usual) when it's all done. Should finish it up tonight.
ALSO, I'll be putting these little books I did in the Etsy shop when I get some good pics. Reminds me, I'll be taking mom to have a sonogram of her heart this afternoon, but everything should be fine. She's a tough little bird.
Other drama...the house did get a new roof last week. This is a shot of a very handsome (looked like Zorro) Mexican man who popped up to the second floor to find me sitting at the computer downloading photos while sipping tea and wearing my pajamas. I smiled at him, grabbed my camera, pointed, shot, but he DUCKED!
Here's the roof in progress. eight guys used pitchforks and snow shovels to get the old roof off. An awful racket from the inside! That's my workshop, the window on the top left behind the leaves. The new roof looks great! Next up, living room paint. I'll see you tomorrow with my finished painting.
Have a great day everybody,
Ronnie - aka JOe's stove operator

This IS an art blog!

2009-06-08T15:12:00.012-04:00

With Joe's retirement came a whole new "to do" list:
Get the annual physical, apply for long term care insurance, do repairs on the house so we can put it on the market next Spring. So, I went for the physical and doc says, "Looks like your shoulder's still messed up. Time for a trip to the bone and joint man."
I haven't been able to lift my right arm above my head for way too long. I suspect it happened here at the farmhouse. The old windows had to come out and then...
I carried and heaved them in here. Then there was the painting and scraping...

Yep, that's me, on the ladder....
Here too, pulling up three layers of flooring to get to the wood. But alas, good news came today. After steroid shots and several weeks of physical therapy, I'm good to GO!
Yep, this is an art blog and it's back to the drawing board.
Joe has roofers scheduled next week and the living room to be repainted shortly after. I guess he'll be handling that. He's retired now!
YeeeeHaHHAHAHAHsnortHaHAAA! I'll keep you posted. It's a laugh a minute around here.
LOve you all,
Ronnie - struggling to stay an artist in a small town in Georgia

2009-05-29T09:17:00.010-04:00

Joe is retiring next week. Wednesday to be exact. My life will never be the same.
I used to look at people my age when I was in my twenties and think, "Well, their heading for the dirt nap." Now I'm there. I don't feel like I thought I would. I feel like I'm stuck at around 33. Then I walk by a shop window, see my reflection and shock myself.
" Who the HELL is THAT!?" Or when I head back UP the hill I just came down and I'm gently reminded by my heart and lungs. Sigh.
Joe will have a lot of time on his hands. Like he has never had before. He has lived an amazing life and I can't imagine what this transition must feel like to him. He asked me today as we were looking around the yard, "What will I tell people I do when they ask?" Good question. He'll be working on that. Perhaps he'll spend more time collecting rocks. Joe is called the Rock Man around here. He loves rocks! He'll see a rock on the side of the road and we'll have to stop to collect it. See these? In the picture above? Yep, you guessed it. He seems connected to them like he used to be a rock. Except the pebbles. He got these at Home Depot and scattered them amongst his rock relatives.
It was a glorious morning. Look at the way the sun's light shines through the leaves of this wild violet. It spang from amongst Joe's rocks. It's quite at home here. I can't wait for it to bloom.
Have a great week.
Love,
Ronnie

A Good Memorial Day

2009-05-20T22:08:00.015-04:00

Monday is Memorial Day in America. It's a time for family gatherings and backyard cookouts. A time to visit a military cemetery and perhaps leave a token of thanks and gratitude to a fallen soldier, sailor or airman. Joe and I will travel to St. Marys where on Monday a wreath will be placed on the St. Marys river.

I grew up the daughter of a US Army aviator. My dad was a member of the Army Air Corp, a veteran of the Korean War and Vietnam War.
I cut my teeth while watching young soldiers, paratroopers in training, jump from the mammoth jump towers at Fort Benning. I adored military parades and the music of John Philip Sousa.
I also loved planes, helicopters, anything that flew. And my father was a pilot. I mean PILOT! When he smiled, I swear little stars flashed from his snowy white smile. He was my personal hero.

When I was nine years old my father took me flying over farmer's fields. Dad was attending flight school at Fort Dix, NJ at the time. Illegal as hell, he had my mother bring my older sister and me to a grassy field where he landed an Army L-19 Birddog. Picture a light weight, army- brown, highwing, two-seater aircraft, it's wings painted with the star and stripes.

It was a beautiful day. As the three of us stood in the tall grass of the field, Mom pointed toward the sky. We watched as a tiny plane grew larger, then landed. My hair whipped against my face from the rush of the propeller, then with all the trust in the world for our handsome young father, my sister and I climbed aboard.

I had flown once before on a long trip across the breadth of America and up to the Aleutian Islands and then across the endless Pacific to the island of Japan. It was 1952, the airliner was not a jet, but a propeller driven plane! But today was different. It was filled with spontaneous spirit and that touch of danger that my dad embodied.

As Dad motioned to us, and with Mom's help, we jumped into the single seat behind our dad, sharing the harness intended for a backseat observer. Within minutes, Dad opened the throttle and we spun around to take off. The plane felt as light as a balloon under us. With each bounce across the grass it seemed to want to leap into the air!

I think Dad took that little plane through every maneuver he'd learned and knowing my dad, probably more. We dove and climbed and rolled and did gigantic loops in the air that made our stomachs float into our chests and I heard myself yelling a squeeky little girl Whoaaaaaaaa! in unison with my sister. We looked at each other in wide grinned joy and we both knew we were the luckiest girls in the whole wide world.

Have a good Memorial Day folks.
Here's to my dad and all the other veterans who have passed on. Thanks. Thanks an awful lot.
Love,
Ronnie

A Parallel Universe!

2009-05-13T14:05:00.021-04:00

We had a great time at Hatch Market!

The Scoop Magazine/Hatch Market team worked hard tying up loose ends after months of planning this first time event. I imagine this would be a tough thing to do the first year.
Things were a bit hectic as we set up. I didn't get the spot I imagined, which was a 10x10 spot covered by a tent they would provide. Once we got there I realized that the space I was given was not going to work. A six foot table connected to a long line of other tables covered by a HUGE tent. Sadly, no place to hang my art.

It looked like this.

So, Joe and I found a spot under a tree and next to a stretch of fence and were given the okay to set up there. We hoped it didn't rain (no tent) which lucky for us it didn't. Staff did offer to go buy a tent, but it could be an hour or so til they did.
A few things seemed to fall through the cracks, such as SIGNAGE! None on the surrounding streets to attract impulsive, looking for something to do, weekenders or for people intentionally looking for us. I believe that oversight kept the crowd a bit thinner than we'd expected. You live and learn.
BUT, I was very much humbled by all the creative people and true Indie stuff!

Click the pic and you might see something.

One of these days I'll remember to take great close ups for you!

The best part was meeting people like this. Jessica of ButterBeanBabies and Jodi of JodieMO
First craft show for them. What a dynamite job they did!

Here's Joe, my dear husband/pack mule, chatting with a customer.
This is not his thing but he hung in there to the end!

This is Anne Elser. Hey, did you notice! They put her in front of the Air Conditioner!

She makes THE most beautiful handmade journals, one of which I bought for Joe.
His birthday was Sunday.

These two talented ladies are best friends. Joyajewelry and Linwood Avenue. They too were rerouted, but lucked out with this great space in the garden under a vine covered arbor.

So She Sews and her very sweet significant other. I love her recycled creations. Check her out at SoSheSews.etsy.com

I met so many other great artists and crafters,
but no time to run around with the camera.

Bede Sisters Kay and Lori Shumpert make beautiful market bags and I had to have one!
E! La La! makes luscious soaps which Joe and I bought for Mother's Day gifts.
And I met Lolly of Lolly felt like it! Enjoyed talking to her lovely mom too.
It was great seeing all of you!
Great first try Melanie and Jessica! A good learning experience for all.
Love and hugs,
Ronnie

I busted outta here!

2009-04-19T19:44:00.015-04:00

The Dogwood Festival, held in beautiful Piedmont Park is the oldest and best arts festival in Atlanta. I first visited 30 years ago pulling my young sons in a wagon.
My sister called and said I needed to join her for the day, that I could probably use the inspiration. So, I did!
A bit of Midtown through the trees. Piedmont Park is like Atlanta's Central Park. About a 45 minute drive from my house on a really good traffic day.
Sheep Incognito! The booth on the right. What a hoot. Cute work and sells brilliantly! Boy, that lady is happy to have her picture taken.
There was good food here, but this was the most visually interesting. It was the forks that got me!

Brilliant artist here. My favorite of the show. And I forgot to get her card! Her husband takes all the photography of her work in preparation for making prints of her originals. He said she paints everyday. Click the pic for a close up!
This guy paints on black roofing paper. A long skinny 10" x 46" is about $4oo!!!
Perfect weather and a great artist break! I wish you could have been here!
I'm back to work now and humming along pretty well.
Switching gears, some of you are asking about the owl chicks. This is the last picture I took of the little one. He was posing for me, but his eyes are closed. If you're interested in some amazing professional pics of these owlets. Go here... JCKnoll.com and click the owls. He's been watching them since they hatched.
Have a great week, folks!
Ronnie

Serious Hair on Fire Mode!!!

2009-04-15T09:07:00.010-04:00

Okay, today is the day that I begin in earnest to prepare for the Indie Arts Fair called HatchMarket.
I'm about two months behind, and if there were trophies for procrastination and quadruple tasking with disastrous results, I'd have a full shelf.
So, suffice it to say I need praying and good vibes sent my way. I'll probably head to Walgreens today for a stash of Valerian and maybe some Celestial Seasons Calm the Crazy Person Tea.
Yeah, that's a plan.
Sleeping last night was an Olympic sport. Imagine a sea bass out of water.
Yesterday was spent pushing the reset button on the youngest son.
Lord have mercy! Does parenting ever end!!!

It was determined yesterday that he'll begin the 2009 race season as a V W TDI Cup race car driver. This is the first and only Green (Diesel) racing series. Green? Auto Racing? Auto Racing! Green! Humans will try anything. First race is held at the beautiful Virginia Internation Raceway. Paul Newman called VIR heaven on earth. Wish the boy luck.
And his mother and father too.
I'm off now to chain myself to the art production room. I will check in later with the results.
Love and hugs,
Ronnie

Who Hooed?!

2009-04-10T10:41:00.024-04:00

See those two little bumps in the middle of the tree?
Two owl chicks! Waaaay up in a Live Oak tree. Nesting in the resurrection ferns.

This one is chowing down on leftovers left by mom the night before. I know! But that's what owls do.

Way up there. The tree is on a corner next to the elementary school on the main drag in St. Marys. I took these pictures the first week of April when I was down to do the Spring cleaning.
Younger one on the left, still quite downy. Older chick on the right. A man told me they can hatch several weeks apart. Explains why one is so much bigger. This is a good one to zoom/click on. You can see big one's yellow eye and the little one is napping leaning on his sib'.
Little one's face. Big one's bum. Looking for more chow.
I wish I had better camera skills. I walked here several times and was always surrounded by Owl Chick Fans! Tripods. Long lenses. Lots of chatter and pointing.

They never peeped that I could hear. One guy told me the mom owl (a great horned owl) came around only at dusk with a nice juicy meal for her chicks. He said he'd seen the bigger chick fly once, but not very well.
If I'd had the sense to take a shot of the scene below, you'd see lots of folks with their hands held above their eyes and pointing. Four of five tripods with cameras and traffic stopping to look.

I came back as it was getting dark, but didn't see their mom.

Look like two teddy bears.
Joe and I are going back today to stay for the Easter weekend. I'll bet they'll be flying by then.
Have a great weekend, folks!
Ronnie

Weekend Art Creation and an Arts Clayton Gallery Visit

2009-03-28T16:54:00.029-04:00

Arts Clayton Gallery made a Call For Art! This is Courtney. She's busy hanging art for the upcoming show - Champion Spirit!
I couldn't resist contributing, so I stayed home to create a picture before heading off to Saint Marys.
I grabbed a 24" x 24" gallery wrapped canvas .
Then, spent a few hours planning my design, choosing colors and creating letters/text, putting it all on a big piece of vellum to use as my pattern.
People ask why I make a pattern. Answer: I can recreate the painting so much easier next time.
Two strips of blue tape keep sharp edges between color blocks of burnt umber and yellow.Then randomly brushed on some white and a creamy khaki color. Burnt umber is nearly gone!
A wash of white on the top portion and burnt umber on the lower half. Also glued a small rectangle of fiberboard to the white part for depth. Then, randomly added burnt umber and red blobs. Some scratching with an exacto to give it that old abused look.
Ripped off the tape and added the black! Scraped on some red and white with the palette knife.
Letters are painted on! Also cut a star from heavy watercolor paper, painted and glued it on....
A bit more final fiddling, adding some aging and shading here and there and it's DONE! I had a great time doing this one!
Once the paint dried I threw it in the back of the car and sped off to the gallery.
Karen (here) and Courtney are preparing for the new show opening next week. A lot of new art waiting to be displayed....
A printmaking class next week. I hope I'll be back in time.
Brick walls make art look so much fancier!
Does this couple look familiar?
I could look at this one for hours. Click the pic for amazing details!
Handcarved angels with tin wings by Richard...
Courtney still hanging pictures!
Have a great week, folks.
Spring cleaning awaits!
Ronnie

What DO you DO?!

2009-03-23T13:45:00.011-04:00

The blueberries are blooming. Isn't that just swell.?
And here I am needing to blow off a bit of STEAM! I thought I would be relieved when the season arrived. Instead, I'm feeling like the rope in a game of tug-a-war! I'm running up against what most artists experience. Maintaining your priorities and proper balance in your life with that old nag playing in your head that says, "Making Art isn't all that important! What you need to do is clean up that garden! Your screened porch could use a good hosing! And those windows! Ohhh (shiver)!"
I discussed this dilemma with my youngest son this morning as he stopped by to fix the computer for me.
Using the huge, log-sized branch that has fallen from the ancient oak tree in the front of his house as an example, I began...
"Drew, does that log, that's been laying in the front yard of the farmhouse, nag at you when you drive up? (Andrew lives in the old farmhouse I'm renovating.) Because it sure bugs Me!"

Basically, he said it wasn't high on his priority list. He knew exactly where it was and if he needed some handy firewood he didn't have to go all the way to the woodpile to get it. He explained it was a time saver leaving it where it fell and his neighbor was not bothered by it either.
His top priority was his livelihood (which happens to also be his passion) and those other things, well, they just weren't.

I've been making some form of art my whole life, a back burner activity that I promised myself I would someday drag to that big front burner.
So, that's exactly what I decided to do in Summer 2008. I began painting once again and offered my work to a beautiful local gallery. Next, I created the Etsy shop and this blog.
As a result, I have been encouraged by the support of the gallery, my family, Etsy buyers and all you wonderful bloggers.

With every piece of art I reveal on the blog, you all are right there with your encouragement and humor and appreciation. This means so much to me and I thank you all so much!

Arranged by Arts Clayton, one of my painting is now displayed at the new National Archives building in Georgia! Scoop magazine featured my work in their March/April edition. I've been chosen for a juried art show planned for May. I am thrilled and stunned by all this. I feel like I'm finally making art a priority.

I'm leaving on Wednesday for St. Marys to pressure wash the little yellow house for Spring, lay new mulch in the flower beds, wash windows and plant annual flowers. I enjoy this kind of thing, especially in St. Marys. I have four days to finish, be back home, then ready to start again in McDonough where I have left outdoor chores far too long.
I'm feeling a bit like a one man band! In my mind, I see myself holding art supplies in one hand and in the other a hoe, a rake or maybe a broom and my head is spinning like Linda Blair's in the Exorcist.

With Spring, all the things that were the primary focus in "My Previous Life" are rearing their eager little heads, "Pick me! Pick Me!"
This has me worried and scared that my art will be relegated to that simmering place at the back of the stove.
Could I leave a log laying in the front yard for a month? No.
Could I leave a partial pile of mulch at the end of the driveway all Winter? Yes, because I have.
Perhaps I've already begun to find balance!
It's a glorious day outside and the yard looks like hell. The Gallery has made a "call for art" to be delivered this Saturday.
I'm goin' for it!!!
As they say in Georgia, "That mulch pile ain't goin no where! It'll be there when you get back!"

Have a joyous Spring, loved ones.
Ronnie- also known as Joe's stove operator.

ps...
Two artists I know in bloggerland had very good weekends.
Folk artist Mystele
and
Author Dave Ebright
Check it out! It'll make you smile!

I'm at it again...

2009-03-14T16:21:00.012-04:00

Spring didn't sprung this weekend. It's cold and drizzly.
So, I decided it's a good day to try once again to produce a masterpiece!!!
Throw on a red "frame" and some hair...and a bit of skin.
How 'bout a cat?! I figure if I want to sell this thing it has to have
a CAT!
Poke holes and wire on some old readers that i was saving in a drawer for something really important...
some lightning bolts. Some hearts. A designer paper dress. A faux brass plaque.

And she's done! I had a good time doing this, however it was a very difficult process that took a great deal of time (this I'm not kidding about), skill and training.
Warning! Don't try this at home. Save yourself a whole lot of trouble and Buy it at my Etsy shop. : )
Have a good time out there, you all. Whatever you're doing.
later gators,
Ronnie

Brit Blast from the Past

2009-03-12T11:22:00.028-04:00

My sis went to England this week. This has me reminiscing on a trip I took with my sisters to England this month two years ago. One of the first pictures I took. He looked so English that I couldn't resist.
We stayed here with a handsome Barrister and his family. A lovely three story townhouse. They treated us royally (no pun intended) and fed us in English gourmet style.
First day out we ended up here in front of the Dusty Fox Pub. We're holding each other up after a few too many stouts! Me on the left.
We chatted up a storm through the village with big sis, the photographer, trying for the perfect shot.
A walk through the countryside.
A house I'd dream of living in.
The Barrister sends us off with The Full Monty. The traditional English breakfast.
Next, we stayed here. Fawsley Hall. There in the mist! What a gorgeous place.
Accommodations were astounding! We were jumping for joy when we walked in! Wow!
We positioned our chairs at the window overlooking the garden for our morning tea and decided we were pretty darn lucky!
We were so thrilled we decided to document the moment wearing our new hats. Yeah, that's Cary Grant. He spent the night with us too! Little sis in the good guy white hat, me in the elegant black. I positioned the camera at the foot of the bed and set the timer. The first two shots were of me flying through the air in a blur, the billowing comforter and then the quick SMILE! NOW!
After waaaay too much to eat and drink we took a walk in the morning. We found this fisherman by the pond wrestling an extraordinary fish! He was not interested in the least by our attempts at conversation! Good Morning! Whatcha got there?!
Grumble grrrr...#@!*X&#... a pike. It's a PIKE!
Striking the goofy adventure pose in the cemetery.
Then there was the night at the lovely Carriage House Inn! Less than stellar! That phone is a fake and I swear the mattress was stuffed with cardboard boxes! I guarded myself from the slimy headboard with the extra pillow! But we had fun here talking stupid sister stuff and laughing 'til we conked out for the night.
On to London! Westminster Abbey!
Trafalger Square....
Buckingham Palace. We knocked. No answer! Italian girl wanted the gate all to herself.
On the train heading for home.
There were a pile of pictures, but there are things to do here in McDonough, so I'll say goodbye for now to my thoughts of England. Have a good time in England, sis! Get well other sis!
Have a fab day, folks!
Ronnie-in a small town in Georgia USA

DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!

2009-03-11T09:19:00.002-04:00

Recognize this style? Hmmmmm?
If you don't, you are seriously out of the loop!
It's by Sandy Mastroni!
She is celebrating over 200 sales on Etsy this week!
She's having a giveaway for a chance to win this charming art pillow as a thank you to all her loyal friends in blog land.
HERE! HERE! GO HERE! Help Sandy celebrate. I hope you get lucky!

Dance Around! It's James Brown!!!?

2009-03-01T20:12:00.014-05:00

The Arts Clayton Gallery is holding a big fund raising dinner this month at the National Archives. They needed, "visual art as it relates to music".
This 30 inch round beveled canvas that I found on my trip to Atlanta several weeks back was screaming, "Me! Me! Use me!
So, I did.
I started out by excruciatingly pencil drawing three concentric circles and then got out the black paint. I usually plan my paintings on paper first, but this time, I didn't have a clue where I was going except that James Brown was screaming at me too! "Please, please, please, please!"
I loved James Brown as a kid. I went to what was probably one of his first concerts, held in a grubby old city auditorium in Atlanta in 1966. A friend's brother had to drive us, because we were too young to drive ourselves.
The place was packed and when James came out on the stage followed by The Amazing Flames, everyone jumped onto the wood folding seats, teetering there in their loafers for the entire show.
The Flames wore shiny, lime green suits with pegged pants and short suit coats. Carefully coordinated James wore the tightest, hot-pink, shiny, silk suit that I had ever laid my young eyes on. On his feet where those famous, magical, black, pointed toe, ankle high boots...boots that aided him in sliding in any direction upon the stage floor, never having to lift his feet even an inch. It was as if he had ball bearings on his feet. I was star struck. Owwwww!

Which leads me to this...James Brown memorialized or demoralized on my big round canvas.
The act of painting that blue neon stripe and trying to keep it straight (round) was a religious experience.
I was pleased with how James' likeness turned out and my son and his friend agreed, "THAT'S James Brown!" This was comforting.
Next, I hand drew the letters and "energy lines" on paper...transferred them to the canvas...then painted them and...
Here he is. It looks much BIGGER in person! Click the pic to see the bling in his eye.
When I delivered it to the gallery on Saturday the ladies all screamed with excitement when they saw him! Just like when James was alive and dancing.
To Feel Good click below to see James dance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgDrJ5Z2rKw
Have a super week, folks. : )
Ronnie

High Cotton!!!

2009-02-25T15:42:00.011-05:00

Another painting in steps! This time, a cotton sign. Grab yourself an 18"x24" gallery wrapped canvas. Paint it with a good coat of raw umber. Then, a coat of white. Let it dry well and then sand and scratch and generally abuse the canvas. Draw on your design and you're ready to paint.
Letters and a red stripe. I did one a while back for a Georgia lady. This one's for TEXAS!
Some shading and highlights...
Paint on that cotton field, a star and a big cotton plant! More distressing, add some white here and there...
Add burnt umber around edges for that good, old, dirty, rusty look...
AND YOU'RE DONE!
This painting is off to Texas to a cotton farming family. YOu gotta LOVE it!!!
This pic is fairly clear. Zoom in for a closer look if you need details.
Later gators,
: ) Ronnie

Not New Orleans!

2009-02-23T10:06:00.026-05:00

Blowing off the to do list, Joe and I jumped in the car Thursday afternoon and headed to St Marys for their quirky small town America Mardi Gras celebration. This is not New Orleans!
We had a great time! Enjoy the pics, folks.
The King and Queen of Mardi Gras in St. Marys, dressed in all their royal blue jeaned grandness!

Hot Grannies!
Evil Jester Grand Marshall!
The Beauty Shop Float!
Pedalling Pirate.
The Tractor Brigade that shows up for every parade for any reason.
The General Lee in all its loudness!
Yum! Carnivore Central!
The perfect couple. Argh!
Cap'n Joe in a moment of good behavior.

A few of the dogs attending.

Good Bird!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Let the good times roll!
Ronnie

Rare talent in Rhode Island

2009-02-18T09:11:00.020-05:00

I challenge you to find a more talented group of women. Arts in RI!
Take a gander at this gift basket (scroll down) they ponied up and gave away to a very lucky winner for Valentine's Day. Not only talented in their craft, but extremely generous as well.
Julie Beck! I have been following and admiring her for a while. Her very "uniquely Julie" house portraits are a must have. Watch the progress of her work on Julie's blog.
Paula McDonough! I adore her nostalgic jewelry design. Look for that signature key! Beautiful.
Carol! She makes gorgeous hand woven scarves and dolls in her seaside studio.
Kim! Swoon worthy!!! Her lampwork beads are each a piece of art. I love Kim's work.
Wendy T! Wendy's beautiful work speaks for itself. Stunning jewelry designs made with all natural materials.
Linda! Funky and very cool purses and jewelry. NO whining cuff links. A purse made from seatbelts. You gotta see it!
Lisa! Exquisitely made handbags and pillows.
If you like the new bright prints, She's got 'em. Follow her daily rant at Lisa's blog.
Go visit a while with these fun and talented ladies from Rhode Island.
Little state, big hearts, VERY BIG ART!

Have a swell day, y'all!
Ronnie - feeling pretty good today, thank you.

Beauty stuck in the eye of the beholder

2009-02-17T13:07:00.009-05:00

This is a painting done by my brilliant, thoughtful, three year old grandson. Beautiful? Yes!
I think so. It now hangs proudly in my art workroom. Thank you Cooper.
Today, I have a sore throat and sore skin. My hair is sticking out like a pile of pic up stics dropped on my head.
Could it be the result of the mind body connection....
"I'm too sick to think about any new ideas. I don't feel like myself. sniff.
Yeah, that's it. Self reflection can be uncomfortably revealing sometimes.
Two "Family Faces" victims are waiting to be brought into the world. One I promised to my dear story-telling, ocean-loving grandson and the other for a sister as a commission. A third BIG painting is for a gallery fund raising dinner...the theme being Visual Art and how it relates to Music, due by the end of the month. Blahhhhhh! The most I feel like creating is rice krispies treats.
What do I do? I take Sandy Mastroni's advice and try another medium.
I got out the new box of Sculpy. Thatta Girl!!! This is what happened...."Cat Fish Love" on the far right. On the left, a bunch of what Joe called Donut Flowers. A heart pendant hiding behind a teeny tiny purse. And in the middle a little monster.
The monster is a clear violation of design rights, meaning how dare I take a perfectly brilliant idea conjured in the mind of JunkerJane and screw it over like this??!!?! I guess because I love her monsters and they haunt me every waking moment along with brilliance that falls out of SAndy Mastroni's brain. Look at this.........

I adore this image. And the thought behind it. Good to be odd. Odd to be Good. Brilliant.
Don't you think? How could you not?!
Have a good week y'all,
Ronnie - cough, cough, oh, whoa, cough, whine, moan

Has your Muse drifted off?

2009-02-12T14:41:00.009-05:00

I've been hearing a lot of talk lately: My Muse is GONE. I've lost my Mojo. Can't seem to get it together.
Perhaps it's Winter and the lack of sunlight.
Maybe our minds need a bit of a respite.
Relax. Release some of the pressure.

You may be surprised that it all comes back.

:)
Have a good day,
Ronnie

Big Biddy, Sand Hill Cranes,Trip to Town, and Giveaway

2009-02-09T12:44:00.027-05:00

I painted another Big Biddy this weekend, celebrating my love of Chicks, Checks, Dots, Red and Yellow! You'll find it in my Etsy shop.

Sand Hill Cranes! They're heading back up North. This could be a good sign for you all up there.
I was doing the morning dishes and heard Joe call, "They're BACK!!" And I could hear them. DRRRRRR Drrrrrrrr Brrr DRRRRR! Hundreds of them flew over the house!
HUndreds and hundreds of trilling cranes. Can you imagine it?! Click the pic for a closer look.
This event thrills me no end! I ran out and took several pictures, but this is the clearest. I am no Shelagh Duffet!

Thursday I headed into Atlanta, Virginia Highlands to be specific. It's a small charming village surrounded by turn of the century houses. This is Highland Woodworking where you can learn everything you want to know about wood.
40% off sale on canvases at Sam Flax, so I was on a mission along with lunch with sisters.
A Valentine display and my reflection.....
This caught my eye as I was about to cross the street.... Painted Windows!
And here's the guy that creates them. I had to talk to him. So, I did! Charming man with elegant long hands and a passion for what he does. He paints these in reverse!! A brain buster to me. Click the pic to see a closer look at these great paintings. Here's his website....HERE!
A Yummy gourmet food shop....bella cucina
And heading out to eat with sisters. Sorry! I put the camera in the car at this point. We had sauteed veggies with Tofu and a luscious baby greens salad. Gawd this is a bunch of boring crap.
Are you there?! I didn't think so....Blahhh.
Oh, and that fabulous Giveaway!? Check here at B's place!
Love to you all,
Ronnie - aka JOe's stove operator living in a small town in Georgia

2009-02-06T19:08:00.015-05:00

Hey guys,
I was tagged this week by a bright new talent. She is a sharp little artist living in Australia with a studly husband and TWO real cute kidlettes.

She has a great new blog sharing her life in Australia,
Where it is now Summer!
I know! Booooo! Hisssssss!
(This is for all us in North America and Europe!)

To see Kaili's brilliant paintings, stop by her spanking new Etsy shop also called Billyandbutton!

As for the TAG, it requires that I show you the fourth photo in my fourth photo folder and pass it on to four other bloggers.
I dread what I'm going to find. I'll be back in a minute.

Well, not exactly what I'd hoped for. : (
If it had been the FIFTH folder and the FIFTH picture it would have been the night I went out with George Clooney and we stopped on the way to Burger King to pick up Brad Pitt to discuss my part in the next Oceans 11 sequel and I said, "Nah, throw Julia a bone. She's been busy with the twins and I've got a lot on my plate with the blog and all and keeping Joe in Cheerios."
So, this is what you get. And these were the rules! : )
later gators,
Ronnie

This tag stops here. Enjoy.

billyandbutton

If not for you

2009-02-02T08:35:00.009-05:00

Here I am sitting on the side porch of the 146 year old house that I am very slooooowly renovating. I am in a moment of creation! HaH! Many of us create here, but I digress.

If not for you, the things you create would not exist. This is Bob and I am his creator. I made him for a friend as a gift of love. His purpose is to ride strapped to her motor scooter as her constant traveling companion.
My delightful story telling grandson. If you could see the next frame, he would turn and tell you a story about this old cabin. His mind is always creating and he loves to tell you about it. Perhaps one day he'll become a writer and we will all be changed by his creations.
This is me trying to convince Joe to grab the other rake and put down the camera. WE are creating a garden. If not for us there would be no delicious greens for our dinners. I forgot to mention, Joe did the tilling.
A neighbor of mine worked hand over foot to create this work of art. I bought it from him at his yard sale. I tried to convince him to keep it, but he said he had moved on. I proudly display it on a ledge overlooking my vegetable garden. It brings me joy each and every time I see it.
This is my oldest grandson (Yogi tea boy). He is lost in creating. Or perhaps he is contemplating how to get back at his cousin with whom he has just had a pebble fight. I chose to believe the former.
I'm often lost in the act of creating. It is only after I've completed something as simple as a good cup of tea or a scooter-riding Bob, that I realize, "This didn't exist a few moments ago!"
If not for you it wouldn't exist. So, I leave you with this quote by Martha Graham...

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action and because there is only one you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it. "
-Martha Graham

Have a brilliantly creative day folks!
Ronnie

Another day at the Market....

2009-01-28T22:11:00.005-05:00

The trip to Bangladesh was grueling, but well worth it. I had to pay for extra baggage, as my carry on would not hold all of my bracelets.

Third Victim in the Family Faces Series!

2009-01-26T17:32:00.012-05:00

When I looked at this photo of my oldest grandson, it said, "I'm a monk. Paint me."
I waffled a bit, waking up one night with an image of this cherubic face as a Pentecostal Southern snake handling preacher, but I came to my senses by morning. This is a collection of things I gathered as inspiration...the Dalai Lama and a book on 1000 year old Indian paintings and a box of Yogi Tea which is down in the kitchen.
The black and white copy enlargement of the face is from the smaller color picture. First off, I colorized the photo using acrylic paints and Prismacolor pencils. You'll see the results of that at the end.
Here is my finished drawing. I later transferred it to a 12"x16" canvas.
Painted the canvas a BRIGHT orange then washed it in a khaki color then ragged with burnt umber. My photos drive me crazy! They don't show any of the subtle colors or patterns.
I've chosen my color scheme and started painting. I white-out the face so the dark background doesn't show through when I apply the face.
Did some striae on the blue and added some trim designs. Then I COMPLETELY lost myself and forgot to take any pictures until I was done.....
Which is here. Click the pic for a closer look.
YOU are handing him a cup of good old Yogi Tea! And he is very grateful.
This boy is so adorable, I could have painted a wort hog around him and he'd still look cute.
Later gators,
Ronnie

Due for a Change. No, not Obama. My Work Space!

2009-01-20T19:09:00.014-05:00

This is where I have been working. It's a wreck! If I wanted to sew, I had to clear the painting stuff off and throw the machine on.
It was youngest (finally flown the coop) son's room. The gigantic poster of a Ferrari is still tacked to the ceiling for viewing when he was in bed. Dave Matthew's Band pic on the door. The Undertaker, a wrestler, on the back of the door. Remnants he left behind. Not exactly my space, but I was getting by.
Then Scoop Magazine called and wanted an interview with pictures for their next issue! Oh no, this would not do! An artist's digs with shades of vacated college student?!
Monsters and Minor Whiners agreed. So, I started packing it up! Take over the bigger room across the hall with a nice view and better light without 4,000 blue spots of poster putty dotting the walls!
Here it is! All nice and clean after two days of work and Joe helping me hang new blinds on three windows. And Junker Jane's monsters and kitty pillow placed on the bed.

Throw in the easel and move the monsters and pillow to the rocking chair. Made a nice big table from a door and two put-together bookcases (which hold more stuff!) and covered it in colorful vinyl. Called it good.
Now, I have TV! Better chair. Better light. Better get to work.
Have a good one,
Ronnie
If you live near me, look for Scoop Magazine! It's Free or as they say, "Priceless".

Summer Photos of St. Marys, Georgia

2009-01-18T17:16:00.025-05:00

Joe and I discovered St. Marys over eight years ago. We fell in love with this unpretentious, friendly, quirky town. This is not a resort town. If you want to go downtown on your bike wearing your dirty gardening clothes to get an ice cream, your fine.
Everyone knows everyone, which can be good and bad. I've been known to lay in the middle of the street just 'cause I can. My sisters and I have chased cars through town on our scooters. Not motor scooters. The kind you push with one foot.
Fishing is great and you can catch a bunch of blue crab in an afternoon just by dropping in a net with a chicken wing tied inside.
Since it has been so cold lately, I thought you might like to see a bit of Summer. A bike ride on a particular day in July. Not in any order...
When I'm in St Marys, I take a bike ride both morning and afternoon. This is afternoon on the fishing pier. That's Florida in the distance.
Early evening on the boat dock, looking toward town and the boat ramp.
This is what the dining room looks like when I'm there without Joe. Art supplies!
The cemetery is two blocks from the house. I love to explore here. St. Marys, Georgia is the second oldest city in the United States.
St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest.
Many Acadians from Novia Scotia buried here.
Trees. These are Live Oak. Very old and protected by the city. You can't touch one, even on your own property, without permission. The Spanish moss blows gently in the breeze.
This is the marsh and sailboats at the marina. The marsh grass changes color with the time of day. Turns a beautiful golden color in the winter.
A winding creek heading for the brackish water of the St. Marys river
The old Bachlott House. It has been completely restored by the National Park Service. Administrative offices for the Park Service and their Rangers.
A National Park in St. Marys? Yep. This is where you catch the ferry to Cumberland Island National Seashore. Most famous for the wedding place of John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn B.
This is the Ranger Station where you get your ferry and island info and stop in the lovely gift shop for postcards and seashells and posters of wildlife.
This is my bike. I've named him Carl. Everyone thinks I'm a bit crazy to have a bike with a name, but I loooove Carl and I have the most fun with him.
I've stopped here for a walk in the old cemetery after first shopping at the downtown Farmer's Market for fresh veggies. That's what's in Carl's basket.
Then, it's back to the little house to paint a bit and do some yard work til evening comes, when I'll head out again in hopes of catching a nice sunset. Sigh. I wish I were there right now and it was Summer.
Have a great day, folks.
Ronnie
If you are so inclined, check out the St. Marys link in my link list. It'll tell you waaaay more than you want to know.

STOP EVERYTHING AND LOOK!

2009-01-15T16:51:00.006-05:00

Click this link. No WAIT! If you've never been here before, scroll down to a picture of a girl with a pie. Then come back up here and click this link. It will make your day or make you go Eeoouwwh.
http://www.zarshmogon.com/biddyphil/

Then you can read about pj hornberger down bElow...
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V (these are arrows)