Painting in Progress

Many projects are in various stages of completion - plaster boards, tableleg dolls, memory tiles, family tree collaged book pages, book of faces..........my brain has so many ideas popping around and just can't seem to focus on just one thing.  Today I decided to paint.  It's been so long since I've done an actual painting I thought I had better do one before I forget how!  Here's what happened in the studio today.  Remember I am working blind, but am pleased with the direction this one is going.

Phase 1:

Phase 2:

  

Grandma Gusta

Oh my goodness, I got so wrapped up in researching my family tree that I have forgotten all about blogging!

It was exciting to find tons of information about my very mysterious Grandmother Augusta. My father's mother.  I had only really seen her in pictures as an old woman.  Uncovering a young "Gusta" was so much fun because not only do I look like her, but her family is the one that is traceable back to the late 1400's in the USA.  All of my other ancestors immigrated to the US in the 1800's. It's inspiring to learn about their journey here and how much they must have sacrificed and struggled to start a new life.  I've also had the pleasure of meeting 2 new cousins on my mother's side and I think I have tons more to discover.  Here is a fabulous picture of "Gusta".  My she was an immaculate dresser! A true Southern lady.  Isn't her hair fabulous?

 My computer has been freezing up since last October.  FINALLY Dell gave me a new motherboard and YAY! my computer works.  IT IS SO NICE to have a healthy computer again.  June 1st I had a cataract removed and I am walking around stunningly BLIND waiting for the eye to heal so I can get a new eye glass prescription.  It's very hard to be patient when your vision is messed up.  I feel so fortunate to live in an age when vision can be repaired and altered with glasses!  3 more weeks - Life is Good :)

  

Ancestor Search

I've been quiet and engrossed in completing a project I've been wanting to do for at least a dozen years.  My geneology is such a hodge-podge.  My dad never talked about his parents.  Mom just threw pictures in a box and what a mess it was to sort through.  I'm not a scrapbooker, but I did want to put something special together for my kids.  I ordered this great geneology chart from www.misbach.org at least 10 years ago.  They are still available on that website.  This is what I've discovered so far through my wonderful cousins, MaryAnne and Lee who have always kept in touch with family and by using Ancestry.com.  What a wonderful website!  So far I have unearthed 2 great grandparents, four 2x grandparents, six 3x grandparents, four 4x grandparents and one line that goes back to the late 1400's.  It's quite blowing my mind and become a mission.  Discovered we have a bizillion distant cousins in Fitgerald, Georgia who have been online uploading family trees.  Now this is a fabulous gift from the age of technology!
  

Book of Faces

Started a Book of Faces using the brown bag book.  This is Claire.  She is quite proper and serious.  I'd like to tell her to loosen up and have some fun.  The old page I used in back of Claire is not strong enough alone as a ground.  Had to stop working her skin colors because the paper was breaking up.  Put some pearls on her and had to call it good.

Journal Book 5

This book is made from thin birch wood, plaster and acrylic.  It was a great learning piece.  Texturing the plaster before it dries is super important and I will pay more attention to that on the next book.  Love ♥ the feel of it in my hands.  Not sure if the cover is finished as it looks so formal, like it's waiting for a title or a drawing of some kind.  It's on simmer for the time being......... can you see the butterflies flying?  Unless you know they are there, they don't stand out.

The Collector

Self discovery today.  

It feels like:

•          finding something on a treasure  hunt!
•      a puzzle piece clicking into place
•     a fuzzy picture suddenly zooming into focus
•     the unconscious suddenly becoming conscious

and once discovered – headsmack!

OF COURSE - I am

WHY WOULDN’T-  I be

I know exactly  WHY

This thing morphed into my being

because I grew up surrounded by it.

Because I witnessed the living of it.

So much a part of me I couldn’t see it.

Until now.   

2 Dragon Ladies