Out and About - March 2016

March 1st was the first of my 8 watercolor classes.  We spent it learning about the different ways to put the paint on the paper.  I was delighted to discover an old acquaintance I hadn't seen in 16 years was also attending. . .

That afternoon Ken and I had a playdate with Olivia. . . .

On the 4th winter let us know it was not ready to depart just yet. . . .

The next day was the baby shower for our second son and daughter-in-law's baby, hosted by their friends.  Alejandro is due on April 21st!. . . .

We got to see Olivia again the next day so her parents could attend their all-day refresher birthing class. . . .

My second watercolor class assignment was to do a water glaze, then add the different paint colors and hold up the paper and let the colors run together.  Then we were to add words to the page.  When I saw the yellow blotch in the center I saw the "O" in JOY. . . .

It was starting to warm up again.  I thought I'd better get Gabriel in for his bi-annual grooming so I could start the flea and tick preventer on him.   He wasn't as upset with me this time. . . .

On the 10th the Take Joy Society met for a Grandma Moses Painting Party.   Grandma Moses used oil paints, but we used acrylics since they dry faster.  I copied one of the Christmas cards I sent last Christmas. . . .

Finally, Spring arrived in the garden.   This was taken on the 11th.  I'd had my regular dental check-up earlier in the day and found out I needed some additional dental work done by a specialist so this bit of evidence of Spring helped lift my spirits. . . .

If you missed this month's Beatrix Potter & Friends post, you can read it HERE.  This was my watercolor for "The Tale of Samuel Whiskers". . . .

We had another playdate on the 13th.  Olivia loves her Lego blocks. . . .

In my third watercolor class we were given photos of balloons to paint from.   The assignment was about painting sky. . . .

On the 18th we drove up to Pennsylvania to have lunch with friends we don't get to see very often.  Marion had a lovely lunch followed by a St. Patrick's Day-themed dessert. . . .

Our youngest son was settling on his house that day, so the next day we went over to help get the place ready to move into.  The next Saturday we helped him move his furniture.  I had fun planting flowers in his window box which Olivia is admiring (having picked a flower which is what one does when one is 2 and sees a flower). . . .

It was a gorgeous Spring day so Ben's neighbor was out doing things in his yard and spoke to us.  He and his wife and son had come over the Saturday before with a bottle of wine to welcome Ben to the neighborhood and told him lots about it, having lived there 20 years.  While Ben and friends/family were carrying in furniture and I was planting the flowers using a cooking spoon a lady came up the walk with a Welcome Bag of cookies from the community church.  She asked if I was the new neighbor.  Honestly, I felt like I was in Leave It To Beaver!  At that point I wished I was the new neighbor.  It looks like it will be a wonderful, friendly place to live.

My fourth watercolor class assignment was to paint pears and a lace tablecloth.  I managed the pears, but the lace will have to wait for a little more practice. . . .

Because of Ben's move and our second son's weekend away before the baby arrives I did not host Easter dinner the next day.  So I was extremely happy to receive an invitation from Olivia's other grandparents.  Nani and Poppi (we are Grandmommy and Granddaddy) have a small farm that they only bought about 15 years ago when Poppi retired from the military.  They raise chickens and a few beef cows and have had turkeys and pigs on occasion.  I'm so happy that Olivia and her soon-to-arrive little brother (due June 2nd) will have a farm to visit as they're growing up.  I have such fond memories of collecting eggs, milking cows, and playing in the hay barn with the kittens when I was a child.  In the first picture Olivia wasn't too sure around the baby chicks after it had pecked her hand.  Photo 2:  coloring Easter Eggs outside because it's a messy job when you let the egg plop into the cup.  Photo 3:  Feeding corn and hay to the cows with Daddy's help because the cows were kinda scarey.  Photo 4:  Daddy, Olivia, and Granddaddy walking back toward the house.  Photo 5: collecting the eggs from the hen house--Daddy had to be the one to reach into the box--I was surprised how the smell of the hen house brought back my childhood memories.  Photo 6:  Time to hunt for Easter Eggs!  Olivia was running to get the egg in the grass before the chicken who'd come over to investigate it . . . .

              

My fifth watercolor class was to paint hummingbirds from photos the teacher handed out. . . .

I'm also taking a wonderful Craftsy class on watercolor painting.  It is on sale right now for only $14.99.  Here is the link for their watercolor classes.  The class I'm taking is Luminous Watercolor Mixing.  It is teaching me more about mixing color than I'm learning in my weekly class at the Community Center.  I'm going to sign up for Realistic Watercolors Step by Step while it's still on sale and take it after I finish the first one.  Once you sign-up you can access the lessons forever.  There are lots of other classes on various crafts, too, and they even have cooking classes.

YouTube also has lots of tutorials on watercolor painting.  Here is one I like called 13 Watercolor Techniques.

The last half of March has been very windy here, but seems to be going out as a lamb.  We are looking forward to our newest little lamb towards the end of the month, so there will be much to report next month!

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Take Joy!