Saying Goodbye

Sometimes saying goodbye is no big deal.  Bye.  See you later.  Until tomorrow, etc...

Other times it's not so easy.

My husband's grandfather passed away last week.  

We miss him already.

He was a very interesting man, who led a very interesting life.

  I'm happy to have known him, and I'm so glad our son got to know his great-grandfather.  They had a sweet relationship and loved each other very much.  I'll miss the sweet little song he'd sing to Elias that always made him smile.

I took this of them just last month

Goodbye Dzeda (Grandpa) Orloff.

Wow, what a month.  

Now my sweet lil' toddler has a nasty cold.

I need more sleep.

I need a vacation.

I really, really need to make some art.

Anybody want to come over and clean my house, do my laundry, and watch my poor sick cutie so I could lock myself in my studio for a few hours?

Anybody?

Shadow Shot Sunday : Chairs

It's time for Shadow Shot Sunday again.

This was taken in Pasadena this summer (I know... Pasadena...shocker right?)  Hubby and I were walking along on a date, eating our gelato (yum!) when I suddenly stopped and just stared at the ground. 

 Ooh, a swirly shadow!!  Can't pass up a swirly shadow now can I?

Actually it's hard for me to pass up a good shadow of ANY shape or size.

Totally addicted to shadow shots!

To join in with your own shadows, just pop over to Hey Harriet's for Shadow Shot Sunday.

Finished Furniture Piece

Here are photos of a large armoire that I painted this summer for a client.  I showed you a peek of the bird that's painted on it in the last post, which also showed a wee bit of the house that it now belongs in.  

Here (below) is a photo of what the armoire looked like before.

Just a slight difference  ;-)

The armoire wasn't too bad to start with, but it just didn't go with their gorgeous beach house... too much Country French, not enough Tommy Bahama.  So I hired a painter to sand, prime and base coat it for me... you know I don't do that... I'm an artiste! 

 I started by painting the turquoise details, then glazed the whole thing with a nice neutral tan color.  I sanded back some of the edges to rough it up a bit and make it more casual to go with the more beachy, yet elegant feel they have in their house.

 

The wonderful interior designer had suggested painting a tree branch with a bird sitting on it, and I LOVED the idea!

After I painted the branch and cockatoo, I antiqued the whole thing with a dark brown and wiped most of it back, leaving it a little heavier in the grooves.  Then, when it dried, I put several coats of sealer to protect it.

The hardware that was originally on it went beautifully with the new look. 

So what do you think?  I haven't done this type of work for at least 5 years.  Do I still have "it" or have I lost my touch?

I also did a few more small, very simple pieces to go in another of the client's homes, but I'll share those with you another time.

I'm Back.. And I've got Some Shadow Shots!

Hi there.  

Sorry I went MIA on you, but I've had quite a bit going on these past several weeks. 

 I had to finish up a furniture painting job (photos to come soon), my husband went back to school (he's a teacher), and a few weeks back I  unexpectedly lost my 40 year-old cousin.  We were good friends as teens, and even though we had lost touch many years ago, I'm going to miss him.  And him being only a year older than me has really got me thinking about what's truly important in life and to not let it slip by mindlessly.

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day."

                        --E. B. White

Just found this quote and I love it.  It makes me smile.

Ok, moving on. 

 Here are some shadow shots that we're taken at my client's gorgeous home (the one I painted the furniture for).  I love the scroll shadow within the palm shadow.  Can you see it (above)?  It was caused by the ironwork on the balcony shown below.  A shadow within a shadow.  How cool is that?

To join in Shadow Shot Sunday drop by Hey Harriet's and tell her "Hi" from me.

And speaking of painted furniture, here's a lil' peek at what I painted on the front of an armoire.  I'll show you more this week.  See you then.