Up and running!

• Got the laptop up and running! Love it. AND, got my Internet music back! I never use my home stereo, just the computer. Wow, so many wires with the old one. It really acted up this morning. But now it is no more. The laptop is a 17.3- large enough for digital work.
• Well seems I've got bullets in this post, lol. Musta hit a button somewhere, new keyboard.- I have a lot of stuff to learn! Haven't hooked up my printer yet or installed any of the paint programs- Windows 7 first.
• Happy Holidays Everyone! Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Puter!

Today was the last delivery from UPS for my new system, a book from Amazon about Windows 7. Mom house sat for me for the delivery as I'm at work. Last night I was fried and had to sit and watch a movie to relax the brain, now I feel a bit excited. My old computer has been limping along the past few days- I've been checking my e-mail at work, and I do not know when I'll be up and running with the laptop. A laptop. And a Wacom, and a simple paint program- see what I can do. My nose has been stuck in a paint program manual, and the computer set up manual- which is why my brains are mash potatoes. Scrambled eggs. Now I have to get through the Windows 7 book. But it's all good. Save I do not when I'll be back to producing digital images. I'm too systematic. There are tutorials in the paint book I want to try, and I'm sure I'll go exploring through my new OS. I brought my sketchbook to work for watercolor, but we've been people busy.
Oh I have missed my Internet radio! I've been down for almost four days. I bought Christmas CD's at Bogart's, but I need some rock and roll, some new wave, some bee bop! My laptop came Saturday but I'm waiting for my days off to set up- with my geek son.
Boy it can stress you out waiting for packages in an apartment complex!

Waiting on a vacuum, but the Wacom came!

The wheels fall off my little cheap vacuum, a replacement was supposed to come today, another little one you can tuck behind a door, but the Fed Ex man brought me my Wacom tablet instead! BUT, my computer is dying too (everything breaks at once!-I have to navigate between freezes and a little black box on my screen that only goes away when you turn off the monitor), so there will be no Wacom work til my new puter comes. Talk about scattered brained today, vacuum falls apart, computer is wacked. The holidays rush me a bit too much, AH- I am finished shopping though! I finally edited some photos of recent little paintings. Little vacuum, little Wacom, little paintings. With the Wacom comes Corel Paint 4- I didn't know, and I had ordered that as well- it came Monday- at a savings of 70 bucks- so I'm giving the extra to my mother for Christmas. She recently won an honorable mention in North Jersey for a pastel. She sounds excited to try something so new. So techno.

Anyway, a few paintings. Two from slow time at work, Fall 6, and Snow 1- I have never painted snow before soooooo. And it's watercolor- I hope I learn a thing or two from the watercolor workshop starting January. Four little flower paintings for Christmas gifts, two posted here.

Tomorrow I must work on a painting for my son, a present for his current interest. Star Wars effects in the background, hmmmmmmmmm......laughter.

Pumpkin soup for Thanksgiving stayed with me for too many days, didn't think it would be so heavy....

Happy Thanksgiving

Not very busy today at work, and I took a few digital shots this morning- so I might as well blog. A silly self-portrait included. I taught Silver Run this morning. We have Artful Giving at the RRCA right now, as well as the NJ Chapter of American Artists Professional League, so I had the kids create embellished self portraits as possible holiday gifts this lesson. Mine is an example that I whipped out yesterday at work. Fun class, but my back has been acting up again, so I was stiff. "Quiet" the principle said.

I only had one day off last week and I think I'm just tired. I need my next three days off.

Not much else to say. I haven't been sketching or painting (I will), not with my work schedule. Co-worker ended his jury duty, but we had to decorate here, and my boss had a car accident- so I ended up with more hours. Have quite a bit of the holiday spirit though. Lovely working with tempered soft Christmas music all day, and Artful Giving is quite cheerful.

Making pumpkin vegetable soup for Thanksgiving, in keeping with my health awareness, with vanilla yogurt parfaits for dessert. Crock pot simmered all day soup, yum-yum.

Fall Series

Short post, I have brussel sprouts cooking. I had three days off so I sketched out the new series, eight canvases.............................................

Inner peace and a cappucino

My co-worker has jury duty this week so my days are changed- I have today and tomorrow off. I so needed it. It was emotional heavy-duty dealing with people- those who came to view Chun-Yan's work after reading the paper, and the artists mourning at the RRCA. I was completley exhausted by the end of work yesterday.
Just returned from a walk around the river with a cappuccino. The river was silver high tide, so beautiful in the dusk. I feel so lucky to be so near this landscape and if I hadn't so much to do today (laundry, cleaning) I would've gone out with my french easel. I was able to cross the new river bridge today, it's been closed as they were putting in handicap ramps. Nice. I am inspired, a tragedy has occurred, but I am inspired for knowing Kim and all her beauty- art and personality. And I was filled with a sense of peace walking.
Tomorrow is a full studio/painting day. Took me awhile to get to this point. Everything is in place- home, diet, exercise, papers, computer files. Going to work on the series, maybe sketch out three each fall and winter. Or more. Just immerse myself.
In January I am taking an adult workshop at the RRCA for watercolor. Maybe I'll be able to do something with my Sunday studies.......and I think I will begin again my work in digital art. I don't know about buying a Wacom as I planned, after purchasing Chun-Yan's painting. We'll see........
Some folks in this town have a really funny sense of humor. The bronze statue of Capt. Buck down at the river sports a striped wool scarf and a knitted purple leg warmer on his left leg. The leg warmer would have had to been sewn on. I keep forgetting my camera to take a pic of this......

"Wildflowers"

She didn't get away. I did. This is my third day working after the news of Chun-Yan Hilyard's death- at the moment I'm quite unsteady. A RRCA Board Member just left- there has been much talk among all of us about this- he was shook to the core with the news. As we talk we are struck with the horror of it, as it sinks in. The loss, the absolute loss. Working here I've been a shoulder to hear memories, sadness, disbelief. Quite a few people have come in to view Kim's work after reading the paper, including a co-worker of the husband. Some have been quite angry.

Seven of Kim's work have sold- I bought one myself this morning (a trust fund is being set up for the children). "Wildflowers". I feel a kinship with Chun-Yan/Kim- all my horrors of a violent marriage have resurfaced like bad gas. Any mistreatment. Wildflowers- as we should be.

It's a beautiful painting- plein air- and braver than I have yet to be.

"She was an artist's artist - another female artist commented.

She was planning on leaving him in January..........I hesitate to bring up my past marriage in a public blog but silence kills. We are so silent, it's so wrong. Some have said she was quiet about the abuse because of Chinese tradition. As I agreed with one female viewer- the mouth taped shut is just all too common with all of us.

I will hang this tribute in my home with honor and dignity and hopefully her spirit will be with me as I paint.......