Ring the bells

With everything that's going on around the world, I've been thinking a lot about freedom and peace and security and all the world's children.  I just happened to find this video today, and I think you might be moved by it as much as I was.






God bless us everyone.

Portrait of my Mr. C (also known as "the big guy")

Mr. C

Here he is.  Finally!  The big guy, my husband, portrait #4 in my family portrait series.

(detail)

Like the other portraits, it has lots of texture and many layers of acrylic washes, many of which were wiped back to create layers of color.

 (detail)

Each portrait tells a little story, too, and on this one I included collage elements relating to his job as an engineer.

While it was fun to do these portraits, I never realized how challenging it would be to paint people so near and dear to me.  Some days, when I was ready to paint, I realized I was too annoyed with them to paint them.  Especially the boys.  Ha!  That was something I never expected, but there you go.  It's true confession time.

So here are all four portraits, together at last.

Mr. C, the big guy

self-portrait, the dreamer

Katrina, the linguist

Chris, the philosopher

As I look at all four portraits together, I can't help but notice that my head is bigger than Mr. C's head. In real life, I am not nearly as stern as this, and his head is really much, much, MUCH bigger than mine. Ha! But he does have killer dimples.

Now that this project is finally finished, I'm moving on to the many other things I've been wanting to do. Can't wait to get started!

It has been interesting lately!

I've been living in the center of my own carefully crafted tornado lately.  I suppose I needed a reminder from the Universe to take a break.  So, I sprained my ankle stepping down my sister's back porch steps.  As I remember the moment, I was laughing gleefully, had my hands full and had just said something haughty about someone I know.
BAM!!! Right on my rear end accompanied by a fierce pain in my right foot. Within ten seconds my ankle had blown up the size of a softball.
Sister said, "Gawd, look at that!"
I said, "I'm gonna throw up."
She said, "Don't look at it!"
And so it went.  The next several days were spent going stir crazy with a bag of frozen peas on my foot in the house Joe and I just bought in St. Marys, Georgia.
More about that later.
This morning, checking my email, I got an unexpected surprise. Not a big surprise mind you, but one that gives me an excuse to settle back a bit longer while my wobbly ankle heals.
The email was from Layla of The Lettered Cottage.  If you haven't heard of her blog and you love remodeling ideas and great DIY videos and blow by blow, you'll find it here The Lettered Cottage
Layla and Kevin are dear dynamos and I love checking in with them for my weekly dose of  remodel inspiration.
This morning Layla emailed me to tell me I was a lucky winner of her giveaway, a copy of Mary Kay Andrews latest book, "Summer Rental".
Find Layla's blog post about Mary Kay's Tybee Island vacation cottage here Breeze Inn .

Enjoy the blog and looking about Mary Kay's adorable house, y'all!  I'm waiting for the mail lady. Better make a pitcher of lemonade.

Hope you and yours are having a fine Summer,
Love and all good things,
Ronnie aka Joe's stove operator