WOO HOO! Official completed the first month. Thirty days. Thirty Mingus paintings. Whew! I am enjoying these quick sketchy pieces. Fun to see details that happen entirely without my intention. Like the shadows and light on Mingus below.
Having reached this milestone, I thought I would share a few of my favorites. To see a slideshow of all thirty, click the link at the end of the post.
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LYA Side Swaps
Sharon Lane, Houston Texas
It wasn’t the last! Two more awesome postcards arrived yesterday. YAY! I LOVE Sharon’s colorful cat. The childlike rendition just makes me smile. Pure fun! See more from Snap here. Oh that Owl!! On the back:
Happy is the home with at least one cat. Italian Proverb
Kate Lehman, Woodridge Illinois.
Kate found the sign for the Metra trains interesting, and so do I. Very historic, very European. Makes me wonder how many of these signs are in the city, and how long it took to install them. Mind boggling. Kate’s message was a wish for a happy Springtime.
Be sure to follow the link to Kate’s Facebook page. Both Kate and Sharon are sharing snaps of gorgeous flowers. Thank you Sharon and Kate, for sending your wonderful postcards my way! Made my day!
Back home after four days away. Four days without my laptop, or art supplies. I planned for only two days. Two hectic days. So, catching up again. Maybe that should be my official theme for the project. HA!
Keeping it simple to accelerate the process. I missed painting! I missed my brushes and colors and work. I missed being in the creative frame of mind. I missed Mingus.
For the next few pieces, I am going to just let the paint flow. Let it do the work. Or most of it. I am not going to pre-plan or labor for long on an individual painting. I will be heading back to Phoenix for a few more days and I am hoping to get ahead. And stay at least, right on schedule. It’s OK if you are laughing. I am too.
L.Y.A. Side Swaps
I came home to a nice surprise. A LYA postcard. Might be the last. Before I left, I received Deanie Houghtaling’s wonderful card. A warm sepia photograph of a street lamp in Paris. I LOVE the shadows, and the cracks in the wall.
Deanie Houghtaling, Phoenix, AZ.
You can see more of Deanie’s fabulous photos on her Instagram feed. As well as her furry, funny, feline friends. I love Deanie’s work, for the moods she can invoke. Deanie also features Phoenix , and gives interesting tidbits about the area. And if you are a science geek, or just a geek in general, you will find thelabscientist strangely appealing. If you need a laugh, check it out.
PJ Lawrence, Glasgow, KY
PJ’s colorful card caught my eye for obvious reasons. Her painting was created in Oaxaca Mexico during a FEARLESS MEXICO retreat in November. It is part of a triptych. I LOVE the colors, the warmth, the forms. The texture! Beautiful! You can find more of PJ’s terrific work on Instagram.
I have been fortunate to swap with both talented artists for several years now. Thank you Deanie and PJ for sharing your awesome work with me! Such a joy! I can’t wait until next year’s LYA, and hope to swap with you again. Until then, be seeing you on Instagram.
Getting ‘er done. Cringing a bit while I post this. But moving on.
L.Y.A. Sides
Dancing Clothes, Louise Mamet, Saint Cyr sur Loire, France
Louise Mamet is a long time L.Y.A. friend. Louise has such a gift, and shares it with us through her photographs. I look forward to receiving her card each year. I fell in love with this image the first time I saw it on the L.Y.A. group page. Check out her site for more. On the back, this wonderful quote:
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. Mother Teresa
Christine Brooks, Flagstaff, AZ
Christine couldn’t resist, she sent me another of her wonderful bird postcards. Nice one right!? I love it! Looks great with my sea shells. It’s obvious we share a love of the sea. Take a look at her Facebook page for more of her awesome work.
Cathy Hubmann, Little Rock Arkansas
Cathy Hubmann sent this hope filled card. Wonderful in its simplicity. You can see more of her wonderful photography by clicking the link. I love this quote by Emily Dickinson:
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all.
Chandra Lynn, Birmingham, Alabama
Chandra sent this gorgeous oversized card. It brought back memories of Loveland lake in Colorado. Hanging out with friends, and watching fireworks. My high school was right next to the lake. It was a part of daily life.
Chandra’s blog is always inspirational. If you aren’t already following her, take a look.
Dave Wolanski, Dover Delaware.
Dave surprised me with this funny photo. A test image on card stock. Can you read the last line? It looks to me like it may have been on the wall first. Follow Dave on Instagram for a daily dose of his thought provoking work.
Art is what you see, feel and do and shit.
Trang Kang, Sachse, Texas
Trang is like a ray of sun, after a stormy day. Her sweet art is a true reflection of her gentle spirit. Trang not only sent this delicate pen and watercolor postcard, she also included a tiny masterpiece, recycled from a gallery postcard I believe. Take a look below, and take a look at her Facebook page for more. Isn’t it pretty?
Lisa Compberry, La Porte, Texas
Lisa is always a favorite swap. I have probably said that about each of these today. But it is so true. Lisa posts wonderful views of her neck of the woods. Sunsets, sunrise. For a soothing dose of restful, take a look at her site, or follow her on Instagram. Lisa included this wonderful quote on the back:
There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
During the L.Y.A. Blog Hop, Kat Sloma gave away several prizes. I was blessed to receive a copy of her book, Art with an iPhone. I flipped though it as soon as it arrived, and quickly got caught up in reading through several of the techniques. Kat always creates interesting and intriguing works of art for her postcard contribution. Reading the book is a chance to know how her artistic images are created. You can peek inside on Amazon.
Thanks Kat for the blessing of your book! Thanks for bringing so many talented people together. For providing us the opportunity to share our creativity with others.
Thank you to the L.Y.A. artists and photographers who have shared their amazing talents and vision with me. I am so blessed, and so happy to have your works in my L,Y.A. collection!
