A Cottage Addition

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."

Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862

Well, that was the case these past two weeks for my husband and son. We had wanted a lean-to for garden tools, and had priced them at home improvement stores and decided it would be less expensive to try and build one. My husband is great with tools, builds wonderful pieces of furniture and always starts those pieces with an idea, then a drawing, and then dimensions.

The lean-to would be his first "construction" project. So, he bought a book that had a design he liked in it. Bought his supplies and started the project.

Building is sort of like sewing...not really, but it's the best analogy I could come up with this morning. Have you ever purchased a pattern, and just loved it and had to make it. You buy your material and notions. You lay out your pattern and start cutting. As you are reading each step and following the instructions, you look at the dress and have this panic attack because they skipped a step and now the collar of your dress is on your sleeve....well, ok, maybe it's not that bad. But, just imagine this scenario with large lumber instead of thread.

My poor builders (Ethan was "helping"), had this problem several times throughout their construction project. They had to rewrite the instructions, take apart already built doors, redo the roof line and of course make several trips to the hardware store.

But, the finished project is beautiful, VERY sturdy, and looks as if it is an addition to our little cottage. (In the photo at right, it still needs a little trim painted...but you get the idea). And it isn't even summer vacation yet.....perhaps I can talk him into building me a crafting/painting shed???

"Passed" Painter of the Day

Let me first explain my title, a bit of a pun..."passed", as in "gone on", "passed away", "deceased", Dead.....you get the idea. Sort of a play on words with my blog name, "Past", as in yesterday, history....well, ok, just didn't want you all to think I couldn't spell, (witch kan happin).

This weeks painter is Ammi Phillips. He, yes "he", (I thought it was a woman for the longest time!), lived from 1788 to 1865 in and around Connecticut, Mass. He was named for his uncle, who had been named for the family's pastor. He was, in every sense of the word, a true itinerant portrait painter. He was self-taught and his style was influenced by past artists who had lived in his area, as well as, artist who were his contemporaries. Ammi's style developed and changed, and historians have categorized his works, ie; "Realistic Portraits 1820-1828", to identify these different periods. He traveled to homes to paint people in their familiar surroundings, and was well-known for it.

One interesting tidbit I found out about Ammi, was that he drew, or sketched his subject onto the canvas before he began painting. On one of his paintings, a sketch of a man's head can be seen. It was nice to read this, because this is how I paint too. I'm not "free" enough to paint without a direction and plan. On the left is a portrait of a little girl and her kitten that was painted my Ammi.

Ammi's first wife, Laura gave him four children. She died in Feb. 1830 when the children ranged in age from 5 to 15. He married Jane Ann in July of the same year. She was twenty years younger than Ammi. He apparently enjoyed his new marriage, because he stayed close to home, not traveling about the country as he had done in the past. With Jane Ann he had three more children.

Ammi was a prolific painter, much in demand, and well respected for his art. He seemed to know what people wanted in a painting and was so successful in pleasing his clientele that he was able to provide for his family on the income from his portraits. What a way to earn a living: loving what you do and having it be appreciated by others.

~Have a Happy Mother's Day~

Rose

I've just completed a portrait for The Primitive Gathering...if you haven't visited, you should click on over. It is updated the 1st and 15th of each month (I'm on the 15th) with lots of fun and creative offerings.

This is Rose and she is loosely based on a portrait by John Brewster....last Friday's "Passed" Painter. I seem to work best under pressure ....or at least faster under pressure! Our offerings are submitted on the 10th and I finished her last night!

Now I have to finish another portrait for American Folk Art by the 15th, awwww, I have plenty of time!

Tagged!!

I've been tagged by Manuela of The Feathered Nest. According to the game, I'm supposed to list 7 random things about myself. When I told my husband about this he said to list each family member and the dog as 1 through 4! ...he *thinks* he is so funny!

1. Actually, I will start with him! We met while I was touring with a Christian band (I sang) and he was the Music/ Youth guy at a church where our group gave a concert. Our group stayed in the area for a week and he drove to our concerts every night....he was a "groupie"! By the end of the week we knew we were meant to be! And one year later, after I finished my commitment to the band, we were married. It will be our 20th anniversary in August!!

2. I'm a homebody. I don't like to leave the house unless I have to. And grocery shopping is my least favorite thing to 'have to' get out and do!

3. I talk to my dog in full sentences and he really understands what I'm saying.

4. My husband enjoys cooking, so I let him! I don't have the patience to cook....or maybe it's the attention span? My husband says I should look at it as being creative. I guess I just enjoy other creative outlets more than cooking.....plus I'm terrible at it! And I'm a slender person...so, I always fall back on the old adage, "Never trust a skinny cook".

5. I love to garden, dig in the dirt, but I forget to water! Poor plants....so far my little herb garden hasn't suffered. Here is a photo...and let me just say, I don't like having my photo taken, but, here I am with eyes closed!, with Roscoe (see #3) and my new 'early Mother's Day' bird bath for my little herb garden!...this is not an attractive photo, but did I mention I don't like having my picture taken???

6. I can spot a barn red vs. a brick red door a mile a way! A few years ago I used to have a decorative painting business (small), painting faux finishes, stenciling, etc. And when a client had a certain color they wanted to use I would make up a sample board and take it to the paint store. The paint guys knew that I would not settle for a "close match". And that I could tell them if they needed to add a little umber, or more midnight blue, etc.
I'm not too obsessive about it when my boys dress themselves and the colors don't match perfectly....at least they did it on their own!

7. I keep my Netflix movies waaaayyyy too long! I've had a movie now for 3 weeks, and I can't find the time to watch it. So, if you have Masterpiece Theater's "Great Expectations" in your queue and you've been waiting on it...I have it, and I'll try to watch it this week!!

I'm new and I don't know many people yet, but I tag Robin of Robin Sherwood FreckleFarm (thanks Robin) Wendy of Whendi's Bears and Sylvia Anderson.
and if anyone else would like to join in, please do!

"Passed" Painter of the Day

Since joining the blogging world a few weeks ago, I have met some wonderfully sweet people who have lovely blogs (see "Lovely Blogs to Visit"). Oh, let me take a moment to say, if you would like to link blogs (I think that is the term), please let me know!
These lovely blogs are inspirational for the heart, mind and soul, and they reflect each person's interests. One of my interests is painting and I enjoy 18th and 19th century portraiture, in particular. So, as a way of keeping me on a "blog" schedule of sorts, I thought I would introduce or at least aquaint those who are interested with a deceased artist and call it "Passed" Painter of the Day on Fridays.....which is subject to move to another day of the week due to my crazy schedule!

This Friday's artist is John Brewster, Jr. (1776-1854). John was born deaf and was one of 7 children of Dr. John and Mary Brewster. He learned to read and write and eventually paint. He started painting portraits in the 1790's and went to live with his brother's family in Maine in 1796 . . . this was his "home-base" as he traveled from Maine to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and eastern New York, supporting himself solely by painting portraits and miniatures.
In 1817, at age 51, he enrolled himself into a newly established school for the deaf: the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford. Here he hoped to learn how to communicate by using signs, writing (which he had already been taught how to do), using artificial speech, and reading lips.
He returned to Maine in 1820 and his painting took on a "renewed enthusiasm and vitality," according to Nina Fletcher Little, contributing author to "American Folk Painters of Three Centuries," © 1980, Jean Lipman and Tom Armstrong, editors (this is a wonderful book if you enjoy this sort of thing!). He painted at least 10 portraits that year. In his later years, 1835 and until his death in 1854, not much is known. His family didn't leave him anything in a will, so they must have thought him to be self-sufficient. He died at age 88 leaving a legacy of realistic and "picture-perfect" portraits (at least in my opinion!).
The above right photo is one of Mr. Brewster's portraits entitled "Child with Peach." Isn't she sweet?
Here is my interpretation of John Brewster Jr.'s "Boy with Finch" currently for sale on American Folk Art.

~Hope you all have a wonderful weekend~

"My Morning Off"

On Thursday mornings, my boys attend a special "help" class which is actually a "help" for this home schooling Mom! I usually have about 1 hour and 15 minutes to run errands while they are in class, and I usually run over to Michaels to pick up art supplies...it's close by. But, I didn't really need any supplies. Although I have some self-imposed deadlines for finishing and starting portraits, I thought I would run into TJ Maxx, "just to look"!
I had literally "run" through this store a few Thursdays earlier after a Michael's errand and thought it would be nice to take a little more time to browse, because it is a HUGE store!
Well, it's a good thing I don't get out much!!! I had to make some quick decisions because of the time frame and I guess I didn't realize how much I missed seeing home accessories.

Before we moved, I worked part-time at a home accessories/furniture shop where the owner was kind enough to let me sell my creations. I loved decorating with ALL the goodies that would come into the store. Ahhhhhhh.....~****~......~****~.......

*Dream Sequence*

Anyway, back to TJ Maxx.....the last time I was there, I only had time to browse through all the lotions. But today, I went straight to the home accessories and found this perfect little pear. Oh, there were LOTS of other goodies, but I needed this sweet pear for my desk!

I walked out into the aisle, pear in hand, and saw the linen section of the store!! Last years, "spring/summer" quilt has seen too many washings and, well, I found this sweet quilt!...on Sale!!

I then saw a lady looking through large hanging rugs, thinking......., "that would be nice, since we put our wood floor in last year, we haven't had a new rug for it, just the old one, hmmmmm????"
So, I went over to look and actually found a salesperson to help me take down this rug I brought home!
Because theses purchases were quick decisions, I was prepared to not like them when I got home, but,...... I think I might just keep them!....and next Thursday, I think it might be safer to run my errand to Michael's!

Bringing in the May

"In medieval England, people would celebrate the start of spring by going out to the country or woods—"going a-maying"—and gathering greenery and flowers, or "bringing in the may.". . . .According to Shmuel Ross (found it online!).

Hope you get to dance around a Maypole today!!! (Or, at least, smell some flowers).
And before you get too dizzy......click on over to Honeysuckle Lane...Lana's lovely site:
http://www.honeysucklelane.com/fancifulwhimsies.htm

She has sweet offerings for May and she also has a blog if you would like to leave her a note:
http://honeysucklelane.blogspot.com/

"Spring has many beauties, and May is a fresh and blooming month....."
Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers