Snow Painting

This past weekend there was an awesome blizzard! It just snowed and snowed all day Friday and Saturday. I went plein air painting Sat AM and realized two things: 1) I had a hard time walking thru Humbolt Park because the snow was so deep and 2) It was snowing hard and the wind pretty much froze your face and anything else in in it's path. As a watercolor painter I made small talk with the only other painter out that AM (Go for it Frank DePalma!) and then headed back home.

It was gorgeous in Humbolt Park. The boat house veiled in the falling snow. Ducks made their way across the frozen pond afoot. And die hard dog walkers allowed their dogs to make their way thru the deep snow. I'm glad I know how to dress for this weather.

SOLD!

Hooray! I sold another painting! It's a big deal to me.

I didn't take a photo of the painting but here's a copy of my sketch from my sketchbook. It's an alley in the Old Town Triangle neighborhood.

The Plein Air Painters of Chicago (PAPC) has a show called "The Four Seasons of Old Town" running through the end of the month at the Old Town Art Center.

There is a closing reception with free wine and nosh on Sun. Nov.30 from 1-3 at the Old Town Art Center 1763 N. North Park, Chicago, IL -- All paintings, including the one I sold, will be on display until then. Don't miss it.

Night Painting

I am a plein air painter. I paint outdoors at my easel. I paint around Chicago. This past Saturday night I painted, for the first time, at night. Yep. I bought a coal-miner-style headlamp from Target and redorkulated and everything.

A small faction of the Plein Air Painters of Chicago (PAPC) headed to scenic Riverside, IL for this night paintout. It was in the hopes of creating some spooky or creepy, yet realistic, paintings for Poefest (a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe - Oct. 26 6PM @ Stars and Cigars in Berwyn).

At any rate, it was an interesting expereience and I wasn't quite sure what color paint I was putting on paper. But it was fun and I had a good time (see my painting above).

Riverside, IL is this crazy cool suburb where little kids can ride their bikes all over town when they're 7. It's that safe. It's like Mayberry. While I was painting some older boys rode up to me to check what the heck I was doing in their town painting with a headlamp. Well, they were out of high school (19) and riding their bikes around town on a Sat night (real achievers). After I explained what I was doing, they continued to hang out. I was finished so I packed up. They're still yapping away to each other and calling some girl on a cell phone. Then one guy asked me for my phone number! What the? I said "no, you can't have it". He said "why?" - I said, because I'm somebody's mamma! "So what" he said. I said "I'm married". Then I said "I'm 37". This, to my great pleasure, was recieved with much surprise. The instigator said "oh, I thought you were 19". His buddy, the smarter of the pair, - said "wow, you don't look older than 27". They made my night!! Sweet 27!

It gets better.

While chewing the fat with a few fellow night painters, at the local corner ice cream shop (it's so picturesque I could barf) - a gal asked me if I was "Becky". It was my old friend from grade school and high school - Halenia! Wow! She just moved to Riverside with her family from Chicago. She looked fab! She was always very cool - very athletic and smart - and from the old neighborhood. She told me I look exactly the same. I interpreted that to mean "same weight". It's not true but I'll take it!! Woohoo! I was no skinny biotch back in HS but I'm 15-20 pounds heavier now. Although I am very fit now. My abs, aside from the mommy trauma, are better than back then.

Ok, now that I'm looking at the photo of my abs - I'm wondering what *!@$ possessed me to put it up there in the first place! It's this - I work hard in the gym and am proud of being fit - even if it doesn't translate into a perfectly flat stomach or perfect body. If I can be proud, so you can you. So don't believe all that media hype gals! We ARE good enough. Oh, and flatness doesn't mean strength. I have strong abs with a layer of fat over it for good measure :-) (I'm crazy)

I digress.

This is what happens when you don't blog for awhile. And, no, I have not been drinking while blogging.

Being a Whiner is better than being a Whino

It's been a busy month for me, Wow! Here is a small recap of what I've been up to. Disclaimer: Yes, I KNOW some of these things have nothing to do with me, directly. They were taking up psychic space nonetheless.

I was trapped in the house when the kids got sick with 5th Disease and ear infections. We played lots of games and watched loads of cartoons (PBS only of course)

I participated in the 4th annual Plein Air Painters of Chicago Exhibit

I solicited and wrangled food and beer donations for above exhibit (drink Goose Island Beer and shop at Trader Joe's)

I solicited more donations for the upcoming Project: ARTSmart Gallery 4300 on 5/3

I taught the last session of Artsmart for this year

My friend, Laura, after having GD and mandatory c-section for her first baby was a rockstar and delivered a bouncing baby boy no problemo. And she now looks great in all of her photos (biotch)

My Dad died.

All my 5th and 6th grade art students made homemade condolence cards for me (they were so sweet and funny)

I wrote an obituary which my sisters didn't use

I ran the Shamrock Shuffle

I continued to train for a 10 miler in May

I prayed diligently for my mother-in-law who had a breast tumor removed

I went to Damato's bakery and spent $55 on chocolate shell canoli (best ever) and Italian cookies (for family in town for the funeral)

I attended 4 kid birthday parties

I ate 3 cheeseburgers w/ fries at Rockwells (favorite local burger) on different nights

I got my hair colored really, really blonde

I had an 8th grade boy tell me he was going to make his art project the color of my beautiful eyes

Qwelled my fervent desire for inclimate weather and being in it - and those caught up in the maelstrom. It would take a direct blow to cut me loose.

There were many other aggravating and delightful factors and situations related to the above. All I can say is that if this keeps up "impending doom" may be more fun than usual. On the bright side I did get a tax refund. Thanks for allowing this constipated brain dump. Too bad I'm still full of shit!

PS - Blogger formating BLOWS