MONDAY AUGUST 31

I  SAW  A  PAINTING  WHERE THE  ARTIST  HAD PAINTED  A  DECORTIVE  BORDER  LIKE A  MATTING  AROUND  THE  PAINTING.. I THOUGHT  IT  WAS  VERY CREATIVE....

I TRIED THE  SAME  WITH THIS  PAINTING  OF  SUNFLOWERS.. A  SUBJECT  I LOVE.. THE  INDIAN BLANKET  ON THE  TABLE  WAS  GIVEN TO ME  BY AN OLD  GENTLEMAN WHO WAS  FRIENDS  WITH  MY OLDEST  AUNT ON MY  MOTHERS  SIDE. AUNT LENA TRAVELED  TO VISIT  US  EVERY  SUMMER. SHE  LIVED  IN CALIFORNIA IN A  RETIREMENT  VILLAGE AND  HAD  THIS   FRIEND GEORGE. HE  HAD  SUCH INTERESTING  STORIES.HE  LOVED  MY PAINTINGS  AND  GAVE  ME  THREE INDIAN BLANKETS. OBVIOUSLY I STILL HAVE  THEM.NO TELLING  HOW  OLD  THEY ARE...

I DIGRESS. 

I WANT TO GET  BACK TO THIS  PAINTING  AND  SEVERAL OTHERS .. AND  TRY TO SOFTEN  ALL EXCEPT THE FOCAL POINT..AHHHHH   WHAT IS  THE  FOCAL POINT?

SATURDAY EVENING AUGUST 29

PJ 'S  BIRTHDAY

KENNEDY 'S  FUNERAL

MATTED  THE  FOLLOWING  PAINTINGS..

AS  I WATCHED  THE  FUNERAL CEREMONIES FOR  TED  KENNEDY, I  FINISHED SEVERAL PAINTINGS  AND  MATTED THEM WITH  TRIPLE  MATS..I HOPE THIS  WORKS  TO KEEP THE  PASTEL  FROM  MESSING UP THE  MATS.. TOMORROW,  I TRAVEL TO KISSIMMEE TO CELEBRATE  GRANDSON PJ 'S  BIRTHDAY. WHEN I RETURN , I WILL SHRINK WRAP THE   UNFRAMED  PAINTINGS.

NOW  THIS ONE  PAINTING SHOWN  IS A  ONE  MORE  GOAL REACHED.. IN THAT  I STARTED THIS  ONE  IN WATERCOLOR AND  FINISHED  IT  WITH PASTEL.
IT IS  FROM A  TRIP TO MAINE WITH BOBBIE HOUSTON  SHIRLEY GAUTIER, THERESA TRAHAN, AND FRAN DIXON.

HERE IS  ONE  I ACTUALLY STARTED  IN ITALY  AND  I FINISHED WITH  PASTEL.
MY ART  IS COMING IN STEPS  LIKE THE  ONES  IN THIS  PAINITNG.

I STARTED THIS   ONE  MONTHS  AGO AND  FINISHED  IT  THIS MORNING  FOR  MATTING. THESE  BIRDS  ENTERTAIN ME  EVERY MORNING  OUT  MY WINDOW. THERE  ARE  A  DOZEN OF THEM  . SOMETHING UNDER  MY TREE BRINGS  THEM IN FOR  BREAKFAST.

I ADDED  FLOWERS TO THIS  KETTLE  PAINTING AND  FRAMED IT.. HENCE THE  LIGHT IN THE  GLASS.SHALOM PARK PAINT OUT ONE  SATURDAY PRODUCED THIS  GREEN .. VERY GREEN  PAINITNG.. I LIKE THE  PEACE  AND  QUIET  THAT IS  SO THERE  IN SHALOM PARK. PERHAPS  I CAPTURED  IT'S  PEACE?

ITALIAN VINEYARD, FALERNO, UMBERIA.

MY  OLDEST  GRANDSON CALLED  HIS  MOTHER  AND  FATHER THIS  MORNING  FROM AFGHANISTAN. MY PRAYERS  ARE  FILLED  WITH HIS  NAME.

AFTERNOON FRIDAY AUUST28

24X36  PAINTING OIL

WHAT  DOES IT  NEED? SOMETHING IS NOT  EXCITING. NO  MOVEMENT . I TOOK MANY PICTURES  IN ITALY OF  STREETS AND  BUILDING, BALCONIES  AND  ALLEYS.
SO MANY FLOWER  PICTURES.  PLUS  PEOPLE  DOING  EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.

I REALLY LIKE TO PAINT  PEOPLE  DOING  THINGS. I NEED  TO LISTEN TO THIS  ... INTEREST. HERE IS  SOMETHING I WITNESS EACH MORNING.. PEOPLE  WALKING THEIR  DOG.. YES  THE  DOGS  RELIEVE  THEMSELVES.. BUT THE  BEST  PART OF THE  DEVOTION TO THE  DOG  IS  THAT ALL THIS IS  DONE IN THE  BEST  PART OF THE  DAY .. EARLY MORNING .

AHH YES  I LIKE  MORNINGS..HERE IS  A PASTEL OF THE  SCENE  TO THE  NORTH OF THE  HOUSE WHEN I FIRST  MOVED  HERE.

SO MORNING AND  PEOPLE  GET  MY  ATTENTION...

HERE IS  ONE  I DID UP AT THE  SQUARE OF  PEOPLE  DANCING

QUICK SKETCHES .. NO FIRM LINES OR  DETAILS...

JUST  LIKE  A  JOKE OR A  STORY WITH TOO MUCH DETAIL IS  BORING.. SO TO IS  A  PAINTING  WITH TOOMUCH DETAIL...

THURSDAY NIGHT AUGUST 27

AFFTER  20 TIMES OF  TRYING TO SIGN IN , I FINALLY AM SIGNED IT.

FRUSTRATION WITH THESE  PINS

TRAVELED TO A GALLERY CALLED PRIMARY OVEN. IT  DID NOT  HAVE THE  ART  I
WANT TO HANG  MY STUFF BY.. NO THAT  IS NOT  CORRECT.  THE  ART  WAS  DIFFERENT.  AND  I WOULD NOT  MATCH THE  SETTING.

DID  SEE WHERE I WILL BE  PAINTING FROM  ON SEPT  12TH.

TODAY I ALSO  MATTED  SEVERAL PIECES.AND I THINK I HAVE  SOLVED THE  PROBLEM OF  MATTING  THE  PASTELS . FOR  A  BROWSE BOX.

I HAVE  PLACED  AN EXTRA BOARD  BETWEEN THE  SHRINK WRAP AND THE  PAINITNG.

TOMORROW AFTER  TENNIS  , I WILL TRY SOME  MORE . I SEE  PROGRESS IN GETTING READY FOR THIS  SHOW..

PICTURES  OF  MOI PAINTING IN CEDAR  KEYSSHALOM PARK

GETTING TO PAINT ON LOCATION  IS   SUCH A  JOY. OCALA AND  SURROUNDING  AREA HAS  MORE  SUBJECTS  THAN I CAN  GET TO IN MY LIFE TIME.  BUT  I STILL ENJOY FINDING  NEW  AREAS  OUT OF  STATE.

HEAT AND  INSECTS  DRIVES  ME  TO WANT TO PAINT  IN A  COOLER  ENVIRONMENT LIKE  COLORADO   OR  ROCKPORT IN THE  SUMMER.

AFTERNOON AUGUST 26

HEAT  IN GARAGE GALLERY  DROVE ME INTO HOUSE . NOT  A  PRODUCTICE DAY. IN TERMS OF  GETTING  ALOT  DONE . BUT  THEN I DID  GO TO LOWE'S  AND  GET  HOOKS , WOODFILLER(WILL EXPLAIN LATER) ALL NEEDED  FOR  DER  ARTS  PRODUCTION.

GOT  A  NICE  CALL FROM A  TENNIS  FRIEND... WHO FOUND  AN PLACE  CALLED  PRIMARY OVEN  IN OCALA THAT  SHOWS  LOCAL ARTIST  'S  WORK. NOT TH E FIRST TIME I HEAR  OF  THIS  PLACE. I NEED  TO CHECK IT OUT. NICE OF HER  TO THINK OF  ME.

THE  FRUSTRATION OF  PASTEL AND MATTING IS THA TIT  SMEARS AND  MESSES  P THE  MATS  ..YES I SPRAY.. BUT IT IS  NEVER  ENOUGH..

HERE ARE  SOME OF THE  PAINTINGS  I PLAN TO BRING THAT  ALSO NEED MATING AND  SHRINK WRAPPING...THIS ONE  IS  FROM A  TRIP TO MAGGIE VALLEYNORTH CAROLINA IN THE  FALL .   WE  WENT TO MASS AND THE  CHURCH WAS  SET  IN THE  HILL WITH ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL FALL COLORS  SHOWING  THROUGH THE  WINDOWS THAT  MADE UP TWO WALLS OF THE  CHURCH. SOME OF THE  BEST  PHOTOS FOR  COLOR  WERE TAKEN ON THAT  TRIP.

ANOTHER  TRIP IN THE  FALL OF THE  YEAR  I RETIRED  FROM TEACHING. ALWAYS  WANTED  TO SEE THE  LEAVES  CHANGE, THIS  WAS A FARM IN PENNSYLVANIA.

I ESPECIALLY RECALL HOW  I PAINTED  THIS  WINE  VINYARD  IN ITALY. WAITING  FOR  EVERYONE IN MY TRAVEL GROUP TO GET UP AND  GET  MOVING, I WRESTLED  WITH HOW  TO GET THIS  PAINTING SINCE THERE WAS  NOTHING  FOR ME TO PLACE  MY LEGLESS EASLE  ON.. I FOUND A  DUMPSTER  AT THE  ENTRANCE  TO THIS  ROAD THAT  WENT  UP THE  SIDE OF THE  VINEYARD. ME AND THE  FLIES  PAINTED  THIS  ONE. THIS  STILL LIFE  WAS  INSPIRED   FROM  A  PAINTING I SAW OF  ORANGES  AND  BLUEBERRIES..THEN AN ARTIST FRIEND  SENT  ME  A  PAINTING  SHE  DID  WITH A  COLLENDER.  I PUT THE  TWO IDEAS  TOGETHER  FOR  MY OWN STILL LIFE.

WED 26TH OF AUGUST

GOALS  FOR TODAY ARE TO FRAME  ONE MORE PAINTING FOR SHOW AND MAT AND WRAP 11 OTHER  PAINTINGS .

PLUS I WANT TO WRITE UP A SHORT EXPLANATION OF MY THOUGHT  PROCESS  AND  WHERE  I PAINTED  EACH PAINTING  I AM OFFERING  FOR SALE..

I HOPE THIS  PROCESS WILL MAKE  ME  THINK ABOUT  WHAT  I PAINT AND  HOW I

COME  TO DO  THE  PAINTING   AS  IN WHY I CHOOSE  THAT  MEDIUM  . IT IS  OBVIOUS  I PAINT  ALOT. I SPEND  ALOT ON SUPPLIES AND  FRAMES.

WHEN I DO  THESE  SHOWS  , I AM PAINFULLY AWARE THAT I DO NOT  HAVE  A  "CAROLE "  METHOD  OR  "LOOK"

I TRULY BELIEVE IN GOALS  AS  A  WAY TO KEEP MOVING  FORWARD.

THE  PAINTING  ABOVE  WAS  DONE  WITH PALETTE  KNIFE  BUT  I AM NOT  SURE  WHY IT IS  NOT  WORKING. I SUSPECT  IT HAS  TOO  MUCH COLOR AND  TOO MUCH INFORMATION .. AS  THE   NEXT  PAINTING SUFFERS  THE  SAME  FATE.

I PAINTED  THE  MOUNTAIN SCENE FROM PHOTOS  OF A  TRIP TO COLORADO AND  THE  STREET  SCENE  IS  FROM  ANITALY TRIP.

AUGUST25 AFTERNOON

REALLY GOT TO FRAME a number of the  paintings I  want to bring to the  art  show and  sale at  DILLARDS IN OCALA.
I MADE  ALOT OF  PROGRESS TOWARD  GETTING THESE  PAINTINGS  TO HAVE  GOOD  FRAMES.
THESE  TOW PAINTINGS  ARE  PART  OF  MY GOAL  OF  FINISHING  A  PAINTING  I STARTED  .
THE  CUPS  ARE   FROM MY CUBBORD AND THE  STEPS  AND  WINDOW  ARE  FROM ITALY.
IN THE  VILLAGE  FALERNO THESE STEPS AND  BUILDING  WERE  PART OF  A  MONESTARY. I SAT  BY THE  CHURCH TO PAINT THE  SCENE. I REMEMBER THE  HEAT  AND  THE CATS . THEY KEPT  CLIMBING  IN AND  OUT OF MY PAINTS.

 TOMORROW  , MY GOAL  WILL BE  TO MAT  AND WRAP  MORE  UNFRAMED  PAINTINGS. I ALSO WILL FRAME  ONE  MORE  PAINTING,

DAY TWO

DUE  TO NOT  SLEEPING , I AM NOT  GOING TO PLAY TENNIS  THIS  MORNING.. I WILL HAVE  MORE  ACTIVITY THIS  AFTERNOON..SO I NEED  TO "WORK ON MY FRAMING " THIS  MORNING...

THE  ART  SHOW AT  DILLARDS SEPT.5AND  6  IS  MY GOAL TODAY.. TO FRAME  THE  RADISHES  , TOMATOES , THE ROCKS IN A  STREAM  AS  WELL AS THE ST.AUGUSTINE
BOAT DOCK..

MORE LATER

I PAINTED  THIS  FROM A BALCONY EARLY EACH MORNING  UNTIL

EACH BOAT  HAD  A PLACE...

..

AUGUST 24 FIRST BLOG

I  painted radishes  last  week alone  with

this still life of  tomatoes and bell peppers. I was  drawn to the  colors and  trying to be  true  to the  objects' shapes. http://www.artdrost.com/.

I  have  made a goal for this  year  of  completing  paintings  that I started  and  did not  finish. I tend  to bounce  all over the place and  lose  interest in the  subjects if I  can't  finish them quickly.