TOLERANCE

6x9 oil on canvas

You might see more paintings of this couple, the cow did not change her posture very much, but her friend flitted about displaying her fine plumage for all to see.

Isn't summer great? My summer has been filled with a lot of painting and a lot of lunch dates with friends. Today began with a few hours of painting, then a 5 hour lunch with a long lost friend. Later this week I am joining some very special blogging buddies for lunch, two I have already had the pleasure of meeting and two I look forward to meeting.

Like I said, summer is great...painting and lunching...lunching and painting! ;-)

I received a blog award!

I received two art blog awards (is it ok to combine) from the very kind and generous artist, Edward Burton and from the ever so positive and sunny, Sheila Tajima. Well, still being new to this internet blogging thing, I'm actually afraid to write stuff about myself and share, but I will try. 

You probably already know how this works, as I understand it I am to list several things about myself and then tag others to do the same. So here are some things about me:

1. I have the best job in the whole wide world. I teach 1st-8th 

grade in the inner city in Dallas, an area that is known as one of the 8 poorest areas in the U.S.  I love to go to work everyday.

2. I have 1 husband of 24 years, 1 daughter of almost 19 years,and 1 dog of 14 years. I am incredibly blessed to call them my family.

3. I'm originally from SW Louisiana and am known for visiting with an ice chest to bring back fresh seafood, cajun sausage, and lots and lots of cayenne pepper and Mello Joy coffee.

4. I collect old/interesting bottles to hang on my bottle tree that was designed and built by my 2 very talented brothers. And yes, the occasional great bottle of wine is placed on the tree, front and center.

5. I love cows of all kinds and wish I could have one, but that's not going to happen in the city, besides my husband says NO. A few weeks ago I got to climb up onto a longhorn and pose for some pictures...yes, the picture is on the refrigerator and above.

6. There are several great masters of long ago whose work I admire immensely, they are: Bougereau, Cezanne, Sargent, William S. Johnson, Augusta Savage, & the amazing quilts from the artists of Gee's Bend.

My job here is done and now I am to tag some of my favorite and incredibly talented artists:

1. Nathalie S. Davis - inspiring portraits.

2. Sally Tharp - an amazing painter of bottles and glass.

3. Helen Parkhill - wonderful artist, hasn't posted in awhile, but I hope this encourages her to post some new animal portraits!

TA, MY OTHER GRANDMOTHER

12x24 oil on canvas nfs

This was my grandmother, everyone called her Ta which is a nickname for, Letia (pronounced with a strong french accent Lee-Ta). She was a hard worker, loving, but firm...a no nonsense kind of person. I remember the "drop-in" company and how she loved visiting with her rural neighbors. Visiting with her friends and family on a daily basis took on significant importance in her later years. When I think of my summer visits, several things come to mind,  feeding the cows and chickens, picking eggs, and in the late afternoons, before I knew about plein air painting, taking my sketchbook out to draw and paint in the pastures.