Spring Break is Over!

We had our Spring Break this past week. I'm not sure I was as organized with my free-time as I am when we are home schooling. Oh well, it was a nice break even if the "spring" weather didn't cooperate! (We even had a little snow.......SO ready for warmer weather!)

For Spring Break week, our local library held "Tech Week" for middle schoolers and up. My youngest, "B", along with my husband attended a class on "Stop Motion Animation" and learned how to make a movie with their clay creations. My older son, "E" didn't get to go, but I think there may be a future collaboration with his brother! "E" loves to sculpt and "B" loves the techno side of things. Here is "B's movie he made during the class (just so you know, it is a WORM!) lol!






(Hope you can view it. I've never used the "upload a movie" feature on blogger.They took over 50 photos just for this little movie!)


This week I was finally able to pull out all of my new supplies from Golden and PLAY! I'll post some of those creations soon. It was fun to experiment and see what each gel and medium would do. And while I was getting my hands messy, I was listening to music on Pandora.
Have you seen this website? Once you select an artist you like, it "customizes" a playlist for you...kinda neat! If you have this, or sign up for it, email me and we can exchange "stations"!

Now it is back to reality and routines......can't wait for summer!

Poppets, Portraits and Playthings of the Past~

has been updated this evening.
(Yes, it was another marathon painting week! I really need to pace myself.)

Please click the link to take a peek, and find out what happened to Lana's little lost sheep!

Poppets,Portraits and Playthings of the Past

New Offerings and Updates~

.....and a new selling site.

It is time for The Primitive Gathering's 15th of the month update. We have some new artists on the site, so please stop by for a visit.

The Primitive Gathering

I've painted some simple spring-time offerings.....a vintage postcard style painting of Chicks in Clover, and two sets of bird's nest ornaments decorated with bird and egg paintings, and prints.

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I'm rejoining the talented artists over at American-Folk-Art, and just in time for their March 16th themed update of "Lions and Lambs". ( I've just painted a lamb, I've never attempted a lion....maybe when I have more time to play.)

Here is my webpage on AFA:

Me on AFA

(Just click on "My Gallery" around noon EST)

At the top of this post is an early peek at the "Little Lamb".....I continued with the Sepia Series I started a few paintings ago, and painted him in brown and umber tones. Everything can be seen on my website too, on Early Wares, and Watercolor Paintings.

Pear Tree Primitives

Now, have I given you enough sites to visit on the internet to totally confuse and lose you?
Lol, you should ask my husband how much fun it is on a roadtrip when I'm giving him directions!

"Let's Hear It For the Boy" #2

Thank you for all the sweet comments about "E" and his art. What started as therapy for him; the sculpting to keep his hands busy, and the drawing for fine motor skills, has developed into his "thing". I hope he enjoys them for years to come.

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"B", our second son, also on the autism spectrum, had his 13th birthday this past June.....oh, wait, that means, uh....March, April, May, wow! In about 2 and a half months he will be 14!
Where does the time go? You can read about "B" and his 13th birthday celebration HERE.

This is "B"s favorite shirt....it explains a lot!

"B" has more energy than one body can contain, or should contain! I sometimes wish I could bottle it all up and take some out when I need it for myself!
All of his energy comes in handy with his latest interest though~ Illusions. He helps and is an assistant to Jason, a young man at our church who performs as an illusionists for children's parties, conventions, and events. "B" has been sworn to secrecy on how all of the illusions work, and guards this information carefully.

(click HERE to see Jason's website)

Here "B" is performing with Jason at an event at our church. (Actually, no one is allowed to take photos during the performance, so I took photos after-the-fact.....hence, the "Posing"!)

For this illusion, "B" crawled into the round basket, and Jason stuck swords in the slots! I was a little nervous watching from my seat, but he came out all in one piece!

(When my mother sees this, she will email me about "B"s long hair, I just know it. So, let me explain, he just doesn't sit still long enough to get a haircut! So, he has been growing it out most of the year, I kinda like it. "B" also loves to play Guitar Hero, so the long hair helps with his "rock star" image!)



Hmmmm, maybe "B" will learn an illusion that will clean his room without me asking?

Have a great weekend!

"Let's Hear It For the Boy"

The family has been asking about the boys, so you 'll have to indulge me a bit on this post.
Of course our main focus is home school several hours a day, but after they've finished.......

My oldest, "E", loves drawing and sculpting. And his sculpting medium of choice are my kneaded rubber erasers. You know, the pliable gray kind that you can pull apart for tiny places you need to erase while you are drawing and sketching? I'll show you some of his "creations".






(I just looked at that second photo, and that is a tube of antibiotic cream behind his hand....not a cigarette! We don't smoke...but that sure looked strange...just thought I should clarify!)


My erasers are disappearing all the time! Guess what he found in his stocking for Christmas? Several packs....just for him!

He also loves to draw, and recently he watched a documentary hosted by John Cleese, the British comedian. As "E" watched, he drew Mr. Cleese's likeness. I wanted to save the original drawing, so he traced his drawing onto watercolor paper, and added color with watercolor pencils.



We really encourage "E" to draw and sculpt. When he was first diagnosed with autism, his fine motor skills were not very well developed. His therapist had him practice with picking things up with tweezers...and then they discovered "E" really liked comics and so...."drawing therapy" began. It has been so fun to see him enjoy this over the years and, of course, I keep notebooks and notebooks of his work.

He is sixteen now and really wants to take Dr. Ed.!!! I know his fine motor and gross motor have greatly improved, and he is always extremely cautious about everything, but I'm not sure I'm ready for this! Any family members want to come for the summer and teach him how to drive?


On the next post, I’ll tell you about “B”, my 13 year old. His latest interest is VERY deceiving! ☺