The Whole Family is Home!

At long last we have the whole family together.  Mom and I and Aaron and Libby and Jay.  It’s been forever since we’ve all been together.  The more I think about it maybe this is the very first time.  Weird.  ■  The drawing to the right is a pen & ink I’m doing of the church in which Libby and Jay were married.  It’s Christ Church in Irvington, VA.  I hope they like it.  They asked for it for Christmas.  ■  I did lose an old cap on a tooth and it’ll have to be replaced.  So I’ve got another dental appointment coming up in January.  Swell.  ■  Tomorrow I work at the guitar store.  I imagine we’ll close early.  Then it’s New Year’s Eve!  It’ll be a quiet one for us, but one new year’s day we’re hosting our 7th annual Bullfrog Family & Friends brunch.  That’s always a good time.  Lots of food, fun, and football and probably music.  ■  This tinnitus – the noise in my ears all the time – sounds like a flock of birds sitting in a tree outside chirping away.  It’s not too bad, but I wish they’d chirp a different song.  ■  It’s almost midnight and I need to get in bed.  Goodnight.

After Christmas . . . . .

This photo was taken Christmas night at our friend’s home in Crystal Lake.  If you’re wondering why it looks a little funny it’s because it’s a combination of 3 or 4 photos that were stitched together.  Great food that night – ribs, red beans & rice, corn something, and the list goes on and on – too much to remember.  ■  Yesterday I picked up our son Aaron from the airport.  While I was waiting I started chewing on a piece of gum.  I only chew gum maybe 4 times a year.  At any rate out came an old tooth cap.  So now I’m off to my dentist.  Lovely.  ■  Got to go.  Time to post.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

 

Here’s wishing you all a very merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve . . . . .

And we’re all just about snuggled in our beds.  At least Holly and the two dogs are all snuggled in – especially Abby.  Boy can she snuggle!  And when you try and get her off she stands up, turns in a circle, and lays down again snuggled even closer to Holly.  ■  The drawing of the house on the right I finished last night.  It’s a very nice house and really needed to be done in a larger size to do it justice.  ■  Had Christmas Eve dinner with our next door neighbors and their family.  Food was delicious.  Thanks Jean and Steve.  ■   I’ve been fed and now it’s time for bed.  What a rhyme.  ‘Night.

I’ve drawn this one before .. . . .

. . . and pretty much from the same angle, but it’s the angle that shows most about the house.  Drawing it from a front perspective would make it like any other millions of houses.  This is really the only angle to draw it from.  (Is that a correct sentence?)  ■  And this house has what I call “the dreaded pine tree.”  I think I really suck at pine trees.  What I should do it practice, practice, practice on pine trees until I get ‘em right.  They’re tought – at least for me.  ■  Tomorrow morning I’ve got to finish a drawing.  And with those words I’m off to bed.  ‘Night.  ■

Received a Christmas card today . . .

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but here it is again – every time I go to the bank (drive-up window) I take Abby and Zoe with me.  The tellers there sent out a dog treat for each dog.  I started giving the tellers a note card from Abby and Zoe thanking them and wishing them a great day.  This has now gone on for months.  Today when I made a deposit they sent out not only the usual dog treats, but also the card you see above.   ■  Still drawing.  Almost finished with the current one and one more to go after that.  ■

Getting towards Christmas . . . .

This painting shows snow in downtown Cary at The Tracks bar.  We don’t have any snow now, but apparently did this past weekend.  And where were we?  Up in Green Bay.  No snow up there – yet.  ■  I have two more drawings to finish before Christmas.  I’m madly working on those.  I also have one that I’ve completed, but don’t have a shipping address and my customer hasn’t answered my emails yet.  I’m hoping my customer is ok and not in the hospital, or something.  ■  This is going to make me alter my ordering procedures somewhat.  All I have for customer contact information is an email address.  I’m going to have to add a phone number and require a shipping address, etc. for future orders.  ■  It’s not very late, but I’m tired so it’s off to bed for me.  ■ 

Back to some pen & ink . . . . .

Back to some pen & ink drawing.  I’ve got 4 to do including this one.  My nose is to the grindstone for the next few days.  ■  This house is very interesting.  Lots of different roof lines; lots of different windows; and a pleasure to draw.  ■  Back.  You didn’t know I left, did you?  I’ve pretty much finished with that house above.  Just waiting for the customer to email me with the shipping address.  ■  I had the “dreaded pine tree” in this drawing.  I’m not good at drawing pine trees, but I’m getting better.  Now the drawing just needs a little “sitting time.”  ■  It’s way later than I had intended to stay up – almost 1:00 am.  ■  1 down and 3 to go.

My painting graces Christmas card . . .

One of my “paintings” is gracing the front of a Christmas card.  It looks great!  It’s fun seeing one’s works being used.  Very satisfying.  ■  I’ve got an eye doctor appointment tomorrow (Tuesday).  Just a regular eye exam.  I have had to go to a “larger prescription” of magnifying glasses for regular use and for drawing.  ■  I’ve got a number of drawings to get done soon.  They’re needed in time for Christmas and I have to take into consideration shipping time.  ■  Finally emailed the invitation to our annual Bullfrog Family & Friends new year’s day brunch.   It’s always a fun get-together.  ■  It’s late and time for bed.  ‘Night.

Backup and new card?

I’ve learned my lesson – backlup, backup, backup.  I know I’ve lost data, but don’t know what until I go looking for it.  Some of it’s there and some of it is gone forever.  That’s life – unless you backup.  ■  I keep doodling around on my brushes app on my ipad.  The drawing to the left  is a start of what may become a note card for my business.  We’ll see.  ■  It’s early – at least for me – and I think it’s about time to kick the pooches out of my bed and take my rightful place there.  ■ 

Love this painting . . . . .

This is a painting (digital) that I did for one of Holly’s co-workers.  It’s of their new golden Lab.  Ok, you can tell I’m not a real artist, but it’s one of my favorite paintings.  Love it.  ■  Looks like a good dog – her name is Cate.  Hi, Cate.  ■  My pc is back – up and running, but I still have a ton of stuff/programs to load and configure, but it’s good to have my pc back.  And, of course, it’s TFB.  ‘Night.

No PC!

The power supply died on/in my pc.  It's now in the pc repair shop getting fixed.  I thought I might have it back tonight, but no go.  I need it back tomorrow morning for sure. 

Not all of my subjects are buildings . . .

Sometimes I even paint dogs.  Mostly Zoe and Abby, but occasionally a different dog.  This dog is one of Holly’s coworkers new golden lab puppy.  I’ve still got a long way to go on it.  Paintings take time.  ■  It feels like a Sunday today.  Don’t know why.  Maybe it’s all of the football we’ve been watching.  ■  Did chicken on the grill tonight.  Yup – delicious.  We were making some mini Italian beef sandwiches this afternoon and Holly put 3 of the buns on the counter.  We both went upstairs – when we came down they were gone!  The culprit – Zoe.  After she scarfed a 1/2 of a salmon a few year ago you’d think we would have learned a lesson.  ■  The house painting in this post is for a customer out in MA.  Nice house.  It was fun to draw.  ■  Tomorrow is cribbage.  I’ve painted each of our cribbage friends homes.  I hope they like them.  ■  TFB.

Intentions are good, but follow-through is better!

My intentions were to try and post daily, but, obviously I didn’t make it.  My how time flies.  ■  I’ve updated my pen & ink website with my new paintings product.  Paintings done on my iPad.  The painting style is somewhat a combination of Grandma Moses and Family Circus.  Take a look at the paintings I’ve posted so far – I do have more to post, but that may take a couple of days.  ■  TFB

Oh, my website:    http://www.shrandahl.com/