April...really?

Yep....they say it's spring.......not so sure I'd agree right now.
Luckily this latest covering is starting to melt away...and I have managed to return the car to the garage after it not being able to get out of the driveway.

 
 
Yes...it's April and spring is indeed getting here. Just not quickly.

I'm taking the positive approach and getting my spring/summer Torn Paper Paintings ready to take to the Little Beach Gallery soon to freshen up their walls for the upcoming season!!

In that collection of brand new pieces is Otto!!
I just love this guy. For some reason, he makes me smile every time I look at him!! I hope he does the same for some lucky shopper this summer. Something tells me...there will be more of these adorable critters coming up!

Those who have been following along will also know that every month I've been making prayer flags...one for me and one to send to my SIL. Well...the March one is done. The theme...gratitude.
I'm happy for the time that I spend making each of these. They always make me stop and reflect as I move forward with each theme. As for "gratitude"....every day I feel I have plenty to be grateful for.

Spring....I guess!!

Considered posting yesterday....but figured everyone might think it was an April Fools joke.
Yes...they tell me it's spring....really??
By the looks of my backyard...you'd never know.
I'm hopeful that this will all change really soon. After all...even the Lowes store is starting to bring in spring plants....poor things!

Oh well....whether it "looks" like spring or not...it's time to start preparing for it.
My first Torn Paper Paintings workshop of the season is only two weeks away.

Also time to get all my latest paintings ready for a run to The Little Beach Gallery to freshen up the wall for the new season. Lots of new pieces will be showing up there....including a new batch of minis.
Also...my fabulous daughter...and brilliant webmaster...has almost fully completed the long overdue process of updating my website for me. I'm certainly at fault for not paying enough attention to it at times. Now...all the pics in the gallery are of "available" works.....all the sold pieces removed, and other pages freshened up!
Always busy with things in the works....but can't spoil all the surprises!!l
Onward....spring is here somewhere....I just know it.

Spring ahead

I certainly hope so.
I hope really really hard that spring is right around the corner!!!
This has certainly been one of the hardest winters we've had in some time. Started out gentle...no snow right through the holidays.

Then.....BAM....snow after snow after snow!! In fact...two blizzards within two weeks of each other!! Unheard of. Nearly 100" of snow within an 8 week time frame!! Yes...I'm waving a white flag.
Tonight we turn the clocks forward....SPRING AHEAD.
You don't know how hopeful I am that those words are true.
Today we got a temp above the freezing mark finally with a prediction of a week coming up in the 40's!!

OK...while that should...and normally would excite me...it has created a whole new problem.
The thaw! AHHHH!!!
By afternoon today with the melting going on outside we were treated a the surprise of an ice dam. I spotted a puddle on the floor of the front foyer when I was coming downstairs, and when I looked up, the ceiling was covered in wet blotches!!!
Soo, with bowls on the floor to catch the water, I am now waiting for the roofer to come over on Monday to help clear things. Yes, it always happens on the weekend too!

So...yes....lets all cross our fingers that it is indeed a "spring" ahead moment coming up!

Think Spring

OK...at least try!!
I can't remember when we've been bombarded with sooo much snow. Geesh...we've been getting like two to three storms a week. No fair!!
As I sit here right now the wind is howling outside and I can't seem to warm up. I think just hearing that is what's keeping me feeling cold....and maybe seeing nothing but "white" outside. There's no color.....just like living in a b&w photo!!
Sooo....I have to stay in my art room where there is color all around me....and work on images of spring & summer!!
Just finished more seagulls on the beach....Three Amigos!! These shore birds seem to always be soo popular...so I'm glad that they are also fun to work on.
I've got several other underpaintings done....but next one in line....huge ice cream cones!!
Yep....I can pretend that I'm in the middle of spring while working on Torn Paper Paintings....but reality really takes a bite when I come back upstairs and get those cold sights and sounds again.
Maybe I can play groundhog and simply stay downstairs.....hmmm....

Enough already!

Yes....another foot...yet again.

We've had more snow this winter than I can remember in a long time. I'm only grateful that I've been really busy in the artroom these days because there are few days that I'm willing to venture out

in this.

Since the sun is shinning on last nights snow (natures way of giggling at us) I thought I'd take a few pics from the sunroom and the front yard by the driveway. Enjoy!! 

Yes....that second pic is looking out at the diving board......think spring!

Snowy weekend

Well....looks like it'll be a white Christmas. With approx. 18" inches of snow over the weekend...I don't think it's going to melt anytime too soon.

I have to say, while it does tend to change plans for everyone when this happens....it's actually quite beautiful. I had to get out there and take some pics from around the house.

The gazebo in the front yard always looks lovely surrounded by snow...not to mention the trees lining the driveway. Thank goodness for the snowblower.

The stone wall at the top of the driveway always makes a pretty image.

Looking at the expression on the trees...they're enjoying it too!

Lot's of the white stuff!!!

Snow....snow...and more snow!!!

I went outside last night during the storm to take these pics. I had intended to post them right away....but as luck would have it, before I could get the post up online....the power went out. DANG....I hate when that happens. I was afraid to turn the computer on again after that for fear that it would keep going on and off....which the power did! Sooo...I went to bed instead...lol

The pics are even nicer to look at if you click on them to enlarge them. The last pics I'd taken were of my back yard. I took the front this time.

The first one is a shot of my husband after he'd shoveled just enough of the walk to actually get out of the breezeway and into the front.

The next is of the lighted deer out front. He was actually the reason we went out in the first place. The large tree near him had gotten some very heavy branches and were threatening to knock him out.

The next pic is a shot of some of the lights in the front of the house. I love the way the lights shine through the snow.

The next one is of the gazebo further up front in the yard. It looked so beautiful with the lights shining through the huge pine branches.

The last pic is one that I took as I was coming back into the breezeway. I just stopped in my tracks. I think that this is just sooo pretty.

We have a small lighted tree in the breezeway and the glow from the tree onto the panes of glass on the window and door to the back yard looked so lovely with all the snow on them.

I'm thinking that this may be a shot for making my Christmas cards for next year.

Well....I can hear my dear hubby out there with the snowblower right now. Guess I'll go out and help for a while......at least brush off the cars!!

Visuals of the season

Well....it certainly is beginning to "look" like the Christmas season.
Yesterday was the day of the Christmas fair sponsored by our local art group and held at their gallery.
MMmmmm, lucky me, I got to work the bake table! Will power....yep, had to have it!! I only had one cookie for the drive home later! Whew!!!

Now, this morning I awoke to a lovely visual. The first snow of the season!

Just a tiny bit....but enough to make everything look just beautiful! This first pic is the view from my bedroom window. It almost looks like a black & white picture, except, if you click on it to enlarge, you can just see a hint of color from a bit of grass showing through on the right and a tiny view way down on the beach level of a hint of the pink and green chairs that are still down there.

The second pic is another view from upstairs from a front facing bedroom. This is what the red maple tree looked like this morning! What a treat this all way.
I don't mind snow in this amount. Just enough to look pretty for a little while but not enough to have to worry about getting around in!