Dogs, Cats and a few humans...

 That's what I've been painting. Mostly dogs it seems....I've done a few florals and a great pair of workboots! That was a nice change and I'm very pleased with the result!

I can't even tell you how much I'm enjoying painting and I LOVE watercolors! I still can't even believe that I'm able to turn out work that I like as much as everyone else does, since I'm so hard on myself!

Anyway, I'm learning to have confidence in myself as well as not be so much of a perfectionist. Watercolor is mostly WATER and can't totally be controlled. That is the mystery, the challenge and the joy of this kind of painting! At least for me!

Now that I'm remembering to come here to post more often, I also feel better about this blog. :) I still haven't been inviting people over here because I feel like it's "all over the place" as far as having a direction and therefore something to help people WANT to come here to read what I have to say. I don't really like baring my soul online, but I sit and read other people when they pour out their deepest problems. I'm more likely to think about how well they write or spell. Guess I shouldn't so critical, but it's very distracting when you have to "correct" their use of certain words in your mind while you're trying to determine if you have anything to offer this person. Most of the time I just use an emoticon as my "opinion" and ever that is rare if the person has a lot of response already. I do hate to see someone make a nice post and then no one responds.

Same thing with this blog! I need to decide if I'm going to open it up or just use it as my own private "boo hoo" session or to brag on myself! :) 

Anyway, I'm working on a family's 3 dogs at this point, plus trying to "re-do" the only painting that has come back for changes...from now on I will ALWAYS send a digital copy first before mailing the actual painting! :) I also have two darling cats to do as a trade for a birthday gift I'm putting together for my granddaughter! I will post all of that when finished with everything!

Here's my last commission and a very happy client! If you read this, let me know!

 

Thank goodness for Watercolor!!

Years (like MANY years) ago I would get lost for hours writing in my journal. I kept a daily journal for 22 yrs...

For the past 20 yrs. it was drawing my cartoon (MinniePauz) and working on the website. 

From 2013 to 2020 I wasn't able to find my joy, except for being able to enjoy and make memories with my grandkids in Texas.

 

In January 2020, joy came back to me after getting settled back in Michigan and my own apartment!  

  

First it was being able to collect houseplants that gave me so much joy! I went from one (from my Daughter) to this: 

  

Then in April of 1921, on my birthday, again my daughter added to my sense of joy by gifting me the watercolor supplies I had been wanting! Ever since then I have been absorbed in learning to paint with watercolors!

So, that brings me up to this moment and I really hope anyone reading this has also found a source of joy! I feel this is going to last me a long time because there is so much to learn and so many paintings I want to do! To end this "session", I will share a few of my paintings that also brought joy to others!! ♥

Leave a comment and share the source of your JOY! Until next time....Dee

February 2023 Musings

*Started this on February 1...adding to it on Febrary 10...still trying to finish it*

Hard to believe I'm actually posting so soon after my last post!! LOL!! Happy February! Today is my sister's birthday, so I thought I would write about her and our relationship...maybe I can figure out what that is.

I was born 4/27/48 and she was born 2/1/50 so almost 2 yrs. apart, but in our adult years I would tease her for a few months that she was "catching up to me". Then at the end of April, I'm nearly 2 yrs older again. :) So, this leads me to the topic of this post today. We have spent 73 years as sisters...never being apart until I was a Senior in high school when I went to live with my Aunt in Missouri and she stayed with Mom & Stepdad in VA.

I'm not sure if I can condense what I want to say into a reasonable post here, but the last few years have been like not having a sister at all. After many times of asking what was wrong, what happened...I narrowed it down to politics. That was a shock to me because although we did lean different ways, we never argued or even discussed our differences. 

<Here we were in our younger days.

In October of 2019 I moved back to Michigan after 7 yrs with my kids in Tx. Each year while in TX, I would drive 10 hrs to my sister's place in IL and after a day or two, we would make the trip to our parents' home in TN. Then back to IL and I would head back to TX. I made one trip when she was having surgery after cancer, 2015 I think.

When I moved back to Mi....I didn't feel comfortable on those long drives again. She was going to visit me in 2020, but would have to bring her dog and the apartments I'm in wouldn't allow doggie guests. Everything between us seemed pretty normal with phone calls and video calls until sometime in 2021 I noticed that she never called or made any comments or posts to me on FB like we had always done. Finally, to cut this short, she said it was because of our differences on political issues. I guess it was because I voted for Biden in 2020...remember, I voted for Trump in 2016. 

It's been really hard for the past 2 yrs not having a sister to share things with or feel like someone has my back...especially someone close to me for 73 years! It has helped that I've been able to "let it go" and not fret over it. Then yesterday I'll be damned if she didn't call me to say I should start a YouTube channel! Out of the blue! LOL! She'll probably never know that it made me happy that she called me, but I will keep my fingers crossed that it's the beginning of a renewal of our sisterhood. Most likely it will never be the same because of the break from our "norm", but hopefully something comfortable that will carry us through now.

So, I finally got these thoughts written down and preserved. I'm going to try to not fret over our "distant" relationship and maybe we will someday feel close again.