It's Been a Long Time

On June 1, 2013, I went down to Charleston, SC, to take over for my sister, Wanda, and help out my parents, especially my mother who was becoming disabled because of a sudden onset of arthritis.  She was in the hospital when I got there with a somewhat routine lung infection.  On June 10, she passed away.  Everything changed.  I stayed most of the summer to help my father adjust, and to adjust myself.  I have learned that my mother still truly cares about what happens in my life, and I love her even more now.

While my sister and I were doing around the clock vigils with my mother in the hospital, my sister brought up to the room a local magazine she found in the hospital.  In it was an advertisement for an art contest sponsored by the Charleston Artist's Guild--a very old art club.  I decided that if I could, I would enter it.  It had to be a painting of Magnolia Gardens, and I happen to be working on one before I left Kansas.

I came home and did a larger version of the one I started.

Magnolia Gardens Bridge

I decided I could not enter it because, even though no one else touched  my canvas, I did work on it during my class at Mark Weber's and did ask for advice.  So I painted another one at home from a photo I took while I was home for the summer.

Summer at Magnolia Gardens

I got a rejection letter, that made me feel really bad.  But not forever.

I also painted a tree in my bathroom.  When I was little I admired as unusual and exceptional a tree that my Uncle Wilford had painted on his living room wall.  I have always wanted one of my own, and while this is not as colorful as his, I love it.  I modeled it after a tree in an ancient Chinese scroll I saw in the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum.

I put in a mama bird caring for her babies because that is still how I feel about my children.

 

 I decided to enter a painting contest of Yosemite.

Yosemite in Blue and White

Although I've never been to Yosemite, I've been watching the Ken Burns documentary on The National Parks, and have enjoyed learning its history, particularly about John Muir.  I want to go visit.

I am currently sending in some paintings to the David Bown Competition.  I'm going to send in my Summer at Magnolia Gardens, my Freesia and these:

Dots in Space

Songbird

I figure, why not just try anything.