It’s time for school to end and to get outside.   Like packing up a lunch and heading out for a picnic.  This is a wonderful time of year to visit a park and take a slow, casual stroll.    Vic and I strolled down the boardwalk along the river in Newburyport one evening last week (one of our favorite things to do).  With iced mocha coffee’s in hand we walked slowly and observed the scenery all around.  We saw two very young ducks clinging to a metal cable in the water.  They would let go and as the water carried them away they would paddle back to the cable and hop up, they were so cute.  A pack of colorful kayak-ers paddled down river following an instructor in the quiet low tide waters as beautiful boats gently swayed from their moorings in the middle of the waterway.  On the boardwalk a variety of furry characters passed us by heading in the opposite direction being tugged along by leashes.   I stopped to view a half finished canvas that was adhered to an easel.  The artist was dabbing her brush into paint as she evaluated the shoreline across the river.   I envied her.  To have the time and peace to quiet her thoughts, block out the activity around her, and create on-site.  I’d like to try that some time this summer; find a nice place, set up an easel & paints, and go-for-it.  I don’t know if I am brave enough to start out in a busy place, maybe a less visited place at first to get a feel for it, before I let others look on.   Even if the painting doesn’t turn out great, it will be fun to experience the freedom of fresh air and no line drawing.  

Aaahhhhh, the warmth of June and the joy of painting……Tracy

The good news is that I hope to continue to write on my blog and share thoughts, designs and ideas with you.  The bad news is that  I am going to have to put my Coffee, Tea & Me project on hold for a few months.   It is so discouraging to have to put it aside but I know I won't be able to give it my "all" right now.  I promise to get back to it in the Fall.   With the little bit of time that I have available for painting this summer, I will be working on a some designs for the Artist's Club and I am painting a series of "mini's."   I thought that the mini's would allow me to paint and finish some designs and keep me creative and inspired without involving me in anything too detailed or time consuming.  Remember the mini that I did while working out the colors for Coffee, Tea & Me?   I want to continue with some designs along that idea.   I like the mini's because they are simpler in design, don't take as long to paint, and are perfectly sized to group together.  (Quicker gratification - not instant, but quicker).  And for all of those reasons they make great gifts!    I'll keep you updated on how the mini's are coming along.

Changing the subject a little......aren't the flowers just fabulous right now?!  As I drive along hot pinks and delicate whites have been catching my eye.  Maybe it's the deep green backdrop that makes the color pop so much.   During a walk the other day we passed a large bush with yellow flowers (which looked like wild roses).   It was so pretty.  It amazes me how every season has its own color scheme.   We are entering into the summer season which will bring all sorts of bright colors, from purple pansies & eggplant to red geraniums & tomatoes, and everything in between.  

This summer keep your eyes open to the colors..........Tracy

I chose the base coat color and I mixed it with the sealer hoping to speed the process up, by allowing me to later eliminate one coat of paint. Once it was dry I sanded the surface once again to remove the raised tooth and was ready to base coat the board.  Now for the funny thing……I looked at the board and liked it the way it was!   Mixing the base color in with the sealer created an affect similar to pickling.  Only the color that I mixed with the sealer was Bahama Blue!   After sanding, it looked like a weathered board that had been used in the garden.  It turned into a light country blue-green.  I really liked it the way it was so I decided to leave it, and I transferred the pattern on.   (See background in photo below)

Once again I was exercising my artistic (or creative) license, and I chose to paint the design items in colors that work together, not the colors that they are in reality (because remember, I gathered the items from all around the house so they were in a variety of colors).   In my mind I had envisioned a turquoise/chocolate/white palette with a touch of pink for accents and I still intend to use this palette except I have changed the turquoise to more of an aqua.  I began by working on a tea cup that is in the design.  Many, many layers of colors have been built and I don’t feel that it is completed yet, but I’m going to move on to other elements.  I will return to the tea cup later to create more contrast and add some of the other colors used throughout the design to it.

I'm loving how things work themselves out……Tracy

Although I like my paintings to have a sense of reality to them I don’t paint realism, so I often exercise artistic license and change things to suit my will.  Speaking of artistic (or creative) license, I intend to paint the items in colors that work together, not the colors that they really are.   I still have to create a transferable line drawing from the sketch.  After seeing the way the items fit on the board, I will slightly change the final line drawing to make a more pleasing composition, moving just a few of the elements a bit.   So my next step, along with completing a final line drawing, is to decide on the color palette and get the surface prepped and base coated.   I hope to have a photo of the final line drawing for you next week.  Keep the coffee coming………Tracy

I said that I would blog my way through the design process and this was week one.  Since I had a very busy week meeting other deadlines I wasn’t able to get much done with this new project.  However, most times when I get something in my mind that I want to paint or am hired to paint, I begin by thinking about it.  Seriously.  While I’m working on other things, I mull the next assignment over in my mind, going from one thought to another and brainstorming about how I want things to come together.   The thoughts keep snowballing until I come up with a good idea of how I want to tackle the design. 

This is what I did during the past week, hoping to get to more concrete things in the coming week.   Here are some of the things that I pondered.  I decided to gather various coffee and tea elements that I have in my house and work from a real still-life set up; Items such as a teapot and teabags, coffee beans, mugs, a creamer & sugar, etc.   My first thought was to intermix the coffee elements with the tea elements so the two favorites weave together.   But as I continued brainstorming I envisioned a double raised panel board, one panel with a tea still-life on it and the other with a coffee still-life on it.  One board - two paintings.   Then during the week while talking with a friend that is an antique dealer, I told her about my design idea and she mentioned that she had quite a few antique items that are coffee and tea related.  She was willing to loan me some, so my thoughts went to putting together a still-life of antique coffee and tea items because her items are so unique.  But they are also rather primitive and mostly made of grey tin and I really wanted to have more color in this painting, since I would be sharing the process with you.   So I decided to save that idea and possibly design a different painting later using just the antique items.   That brings me back to a still-life design of mixed coffee and tea items.  So, this week’s assignment for myself is to pull my items together and set up the still-life.  If all goes well, next week I’ll be telling you about the final design sketch.    ........putting pencil to paper......Tracy

While writing my book called Paint Chips, I have had such fun thinking through each personality and the different life backgrounds that each one would have.  Some were "kinda" modeled after real people, but none are exactly any one that I know.   It was too much fun to dream up some of the personalities and combine them with ages and life stages.  I have hundreds more in my mind but I have to restrain myself from adding any more to the current story line.  If I add any more the Readers won't be able to keep up with who is who.  LOL    So far, there are already 7 women in the class, along with one teacher, each of their families and an outside friend.    And since the Readers can't sit and read the book all at once but instead have to wait between chapters, I'm sure that there is some confusion already.  But I have had so much fun putting this book together.   There were times when I sat and dreamt about things that I wanted to do or experience, or I considered events that others have told me that they went through and these things began to weave themselves into the storyline. 

Today I released Chapter Six of the book.  You can find it on the CLUB page of my website .    I hope Paint Chips is entertaining and that Readers are able to identify with one or more of the characters and maybe even some of their experiences.  Especially as we get further into the book.    Maybe it will make some think differently about their own teacher or cause someone to see beyond a hard exterior and reach out to a fellow classmate.  

Apply your creativity....use your imagination...........    Tracy

Basically, decorative art is creating on objects that are both artistic and functional, including (but not limited to) furniture, paintings, textiles, ceramics, silver and metalware.  Generally decorative art is used to "decorate" with.  A painted bench decorates a home, a piece of jewelry decorates an outfit, a sculpture decorates a foyer, etc. 

I began the quest to define decorative art because I wasn't sure of how to define who I am as an artist.  I call myself a decorative artist but I wanted to be sure that the definition really did apply to me.



At decorative painting conventions people have asked me if my paintings could be considered contemporary, but I don’t think that really defines my work.   To me that word says: simplistic, abstract or graphic; no that’s not my art.  I enjoy all subject matter and I like my subjects to look like what they are; if I paint a pumpkin, I want it to look like a pumpkin, I want it to have an essence of reality to it, not realism, but reality.  But I don’t usually paint one pumpkin sitting alone, instead I would put a basket by it, or 2 to 3 more pumpkins with it, maybe some berries, apples or leaves.  In one sense of the word I am contemporary and that would be because contemporary can be defined as belonging to the same time or of the present time.  Usually I paint subject matter of this age and time.  For instance, I paint things that I see in today’s world, not things from the past or from another period such as Renaissance or early American. 

I have no doubt that I started as a decorative painter but I have evolved since I first began.  When I started out, I painted boxes, chairs, canisters, etc.   Currently, I prefer to paint more flat surfaces for framing, as opposed to functional items. 



I began by painting cute, cartoonish type designs; they are great to learn with because they are basic. 

But now I can’t be defined as strictly a cutsie or country style artist, I prefer to change things up and paint what I am feeling. I do not paint ultra-realism or impressionism and canvas isn’t my favorite surface.  I really like to paint on masonite panels. 

I don’t paint in a primitive style or with extremely toned down colors. 

I love color!  From soft to vibrant, pink to orange, warm to cool.   I am not a traditional tole-ist incorporating alot of stroke work in my designs or Scandinavian influenced.

I have moved from calling myself a decorative painter to saying that I am a decorative artist.  The reason is that I really do consider myself an artist.  My artwork is all original in both composition and colors.  I try to keep myself from being influenced by other artists.  Yes, I do like designing and painting what is trendy or current, but I never want mine to look like someone else’s, I enjoy being unique. 



Maybe I fit into the decorative artist category because as with most decorative artists, my artwork is better viewed up close than from a distance. 

The more that I research, the more unsure I become that my art fits into any “pigeon hole” definition, the only real conclusion that I can come to is, I have a style that is all my own.

How about you....... how would you define my artwork?    

decoratively yours....Tracy

For the past few weeks I have been talking about painting from a pastel palette.  The above photos are of one of the designs that I completed in the new palette.  This is called "Eggs & Shamrocks" and it is painted on the tin roof of an adorable grapevine bird house.  Painting with these colors wasn't as difficult as I anticipated it was going to be.   I started out knowing what color I wanted for the background.   I had the color pictured in my mind, so once I mixed my way to finding that color, I just had to find others that would make good companions.  I knew that I wanted to work with pastels, so I found the colors that I liked and then added white to them to make them lighter.  As I said previously, this almost ended up under my painting desk, but I pushed through by adding more and more shadows and highlights and I'm really happy with how the painting turned out.      (Photos are never as good as the "real thing.") 

The pattern packet is in my webstore www.thepaintingrag.com/tracy.   The cute birdhouse can be found at www.paintersparadise.com.  

I can already envision this birdhouse in the middle of my dining table with a few colored eggs sitting next to it.  I better get going and paint the eggs, spring arrives this Saturday!    Tracy

Right in step with the springtime theme that we experienced in our weather, I painted with a pastel palette last week.    Although I love the soft candy colors, they are not my colors and so I don't usually work with them.  But I made the attempt and was pleasantly surprised at the results.   About half way through the new design I was ready to stop, call it a loss and put the painting under my desk.  (That is where the paintings go that I'm not thrilled about.)   But I persevered and in the end, I think the new design turned out rather pretty.   I'm still adding the finishing touches, but I will post a photo next week and hope to have a new pattern packet for it by then too.    You will have to let me know what you think.

The JB Wood Spring Festival is just a few weeks away and I'm looking forward to getting out and seeing people.  Last year was the first time the event was held and it was a huge success (alot of people seemed to be looking forward to getting out).    I can't wait to see what this year brings.   My new "pastel designs" will debut there at that event. 

Getting ready for spring.........Tracy

Sometimes that's all it takes to inspire a new design; a mood or a color scheme.  Sometimes it is something I have seen outside or taken a photo of.  And sometimes it is just an idea.  Sitting and sketching at night and an idea comes out of the lines that are being doodled out on to my sketch page.  

Vic and I went out to New York to visit our son at college last weekend for his birthday.  He just turned 21.  It just can't be!   Where did the time go?  It seems that I was just painting puppies and Batman for him.  Now he is officially an adult.   As we drove past the giant walls of rock through the area of the Berkshires, there was ice cascading down the wall faces.  Water had poured over the rock and it froze in place as it traveled down, leaving wonderful sculptures for everyone to admire.  The night that I spoke at the Bethany Church Women's group, I looked out the window as the sun was going down.  The sky was the most beautiful shade of purple that I had ever seen.  There were streaks of yellow splitting the purple and the trees in view were silhouetted as black.   Art is everywhere and God is truly the best artist!   Keep your creative eyes open to the beauty.

   

Pretty pastel wishes.......Tracy

The design below is called "Family Chalkboard."   I created this as an insert for a chalkboard (the chalkboard is the frame around the design).  It is a combination of things that I had on hand; a basket, candle and wreath.  However, I wanted limes in the painting, so I went and bought some limes to study while I painted.  I visualized them in the basket and drew them in.  I changed the flowers that were really in the wreath with sliced limes, not physically but visually when drawing them.   Sometimes you just have to get a little creative.

I hung this up and a fresh new look was added to my tired four walls.  The bright green gives the hope of spring coming soon and I can write messages and thoughts on the chalkboard as I walk by.  

Have a creative week......... Tracy

A few months ago I was invited to speak at a once a month event called "Women's Journey" at Bethany Church in Rye New Hampshire.   This past Monday night  I went and set up my artwork and told the one hundred and fifty ladies in attendance about my life as a wife, mother and artist/writer.   I was overjoyed by the WARM welcome and the response that I received from these ladies!  They were so friendly and caring that I felt more at ease than I ever expected.  A HUGE thank you to the ladies of Bethany Church, I love you all! 

Yesterday was one of those days when I needed to just take off and go shopping.  I needed a day away to unwind and not think about anything important........a "clear your mind" kind of day.   I tried clothes on and looked at the pretty pink lipsticks.  I even put a quarter in a gumball machine and chewed a gumball!   I can't remember the last time I chewed a gumball.  I felt a little silly with this huge hard wad of gum in my mouth.  I blew a bubble too!    Here I was a grown woman walking around in the Mall all alone chewing gum and blowing bubbles.  A few speed walkers wizzed by me as I strolled along popping in and out of stores.   I went home with a few new pieces of clothes after dressing and undressing a hundred times.  I usually end up with the clothes that I tried on in the stores that have "skinny" mirrors.   I don't want to buy something after putting it on in a tiny room that has a mirror that makes you look wider.  Don't you hate those mirrors?   What is with those stores anyway?  It only makes sense that we like to look thinner in a fitting room, not wider.  After all these years of big marketing strageties, you would think it would be obvious to the business geniuses, make the women look thinner in the store and more merchandise goes home with them.   Anyway, it was a relaxing day and the sales were fantastic!  

The next event that I am getting ready for is the JB Wood Spring Festival of Decorative Arts.  It will take place on March 20th and I'm sure that it will be here quicker than I expect.    I'm teaching a free Make It-Take It.  The photo below is a close up of the insert.  The outside frame is shaped like a star. 

Have a happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you feel lots of LOVE.........Tracy

I recently bought the newest colors (just released) by one of the paint companies and am looking forward to sitting down and playing with them.  Hopefully by the end of February I will be able to.  It's like being a child and getting a new toy, you can't wait to open it and start playing.   It will be a new look for me, they are not colors that I usually gravitate to, but are very pretty, so we'll see....

Sometimes a small break is all it takes to rejuvinate.  We had one nice day last week (one).  It had rained clearing away the snow in some areas and allowing frozen grass to be exposed in the yard.   The sun decided to come out and shine brightly providing us with a temperature somewhere in the high thirties.  In the late morning I went to the window and looked out into the back yard.  The exposed grass was covered with Robin's.  It was amazing to see so many Robin's working feverishly to find seed and other food while they could.   I would venture to say over a hundred birds were out there scanning the small area and others waited on wires and in trees for one to leave so they could swoop in and take it's place.  It was so good to see sun, grass and birds that I watched them for about fifteen minutes.  Then, break was over and it was time to get back to work. 

I'm hoping that you will find something in your week that lifts your spirits and gives you hope...........Tracy

Last week I was contacted about designing something for a publication!   This is unbelievably exciting for me!    I have been wanting to work with other companies but just haven't gone out of my way to approach them.   I can't give you too much information until the design is done and accepted, but I can tell you that it is a BIG surface - 17 1/2 x 24 inches long and it is a Summer/Americana theme.   It is a short deadline so I'll be hybernating again until it is finished.  I will let you know when it is being released once I am able to.   SO excited.....

Yesterday I made a molten chocolate cake that you eat as soon as it comes out of the oven with vanilla ice cream on it.   OH MAN was it good!   There is a cake layer and then gooey chocolate runs out and the ice cream melts all over.  I will pay for that one tomorrow when I go to my cardio class but I was craving chocolate and that really did the trick!    AND I didn't get any complaints from Vic either (until he walked around holding his stomach and saying how sick he was from eating too much.)  Good stuff in the middle of a dreary winter.  

Time to get painting, so that's all for now.  Have a great week....................Tracy

    

(Tracy is on the left and Marty is on the right)

Marty is a very friendly woman and an extremely talented artist...just a lot of fun to be around.   We have kept in touch through email since then.  In November of 2009 Marty and her husband came to Massachusetts and Vic and I went into Boston and met them for dinner.  We had a really good time and it felt like we had been friends forever.   Decorative Painting has allowed me to meet great people that I probably wouldn't have met if it weren't for conventions and classes and such.

    Hobbies connect us with others and allow us some common ground to make new friends.   In classes we sit next to others and conversations start up.   Sometimes the common ground is poking fun at ourselves for not being able to get a technique quite right..... In one convention class my friend Leesa and I tried a new technique and found that it really wasn't for us.  We enjoyed ourselves just fine but laughed through the class at our inability to master the new method of painting.   (BUT we didn't blame the teacher).   In other classes we may make friends by being able to help the person sitting next to us or it may be that they help us.   I have seen people become friends just by discussing thier tools.  One woman had a brush that she loved and she let her neighbor try it out and before long they were going to lunch together.   One year I went out to a National convention alone.   I got off the plane in a foreign city without knowing another person.  Later during the trip I met some other ladies and was invited along to dinner and shopping with them. 



I hope your hobby brings new friendships into your future.     Tracy

I'm happy to say that my office/studio is back in order.  What a great feeling!   It had become such a mess over the past three months that I couldn't do another thing until I took time out and sorted, cleaned, organized and started over.  So I did just that.    Things are back in the places that they belong, lost orders are shipped out and my desk has been rearranged to a more efficient set-up.   (I love a fresh start)  

The experience of ending THE PAINTING RAG as a newspaper was an unpleasant one.  I had to remain positive and move forward with the new Club and continue with writing and painting.  If you think that creativity easily flows when you feel low, I can testify that it doesn't.  It took everything in me to push through the feeling of failure and disappointment.   I pushed myself harder than I ever have and found strength that I really shouldn't have had (thank you God).   But working on the Paint Chips book kept me focused on something fun and positive and the response to my Club has been WONDERFUL!   The reason that I bring this up is because last week a friend of mine sent me an email and told me to read an article titled "10 Things Not To Buy in 2010" by Smartmoney.com.   One of the things listed was newspaper subscriptions.  Here is an excerpt from the article

"In 2008, newspaper advertising revenues declined by 17.7%, according to the Newspaper Association of America. Meanwhile, average daily circulation at 379 newspapers fell 10.6% from April through September 2009, compared to the same period a year ago, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Magazines haven’t fared any better. In 2009, more than 360 magazines shut down. During the first half of 2009, ad pages fell 27.9% when compared to the same period in 2008, according to Publishers Information Bureau."

to read more, visit  http://www.smartmoney.com/spending/budgeting/10-things-not-to-buy-in-2010/

Life as we know it is changing.  But that doesn’t have to mean for the worse.  Learning new things is good for all of us and if we push ourselves to overcome change and disappointment, we just may find out that things can turn out even better than before.   I’m a believer………Tracy

For some it was a year that they are glad to leave behind and for others it was a year that they wish would last forever.  I don’t know where you fall with those categories, but turning a new year over on the calendar does feel like a new start, just like Cheryl felt, a character in my new book, Paint Chips.  (Join my email Club to read it.)

I like to look at the New Year and feel anticipation for GREAT things.  You see, I don’t know what this year will bring so there isn’t any reason to think that there won’t be great things ahead.

I have enjoyed all the writing that I have been doing and just love sharing it with my website readers. 

And I’ve been painting too.  Some of my best work ever…. I do believe (oh, if I’m allowed to say that)

I feel a little like a recluse lately because all I want to do is stay home and work….and the weather has been accommodating me with that too.  We have had so much snow, wind and cold since December began, it makes it real easy to stay home.  Besides, when I stay home I don’t spend money..Haha.   

Today Church was cancelled because of the snow, so we took down our Christmas tree and decorations and packed everything away.  (I miss the warmth of the lights already.)  Then I sat and watched movies on TV.  You’ve got Mail was on, I love that movie!!  I’ve seen it dozens of times and although I know the ending, I still find myself hoping that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan get together.  And then I cry at the end…of course.  (Sap) 

My email Club is a hit!   Members are joining every day, which is just wonderful!    And for three months now I have had the chance to give prizes away….so fun.

I encourage you to look over both TPR’s website and my website; I’m changing things on them all the time.  I know I haven’t been so good at updating this blog regularly but my New goal is to post an entry every week.   Yikes!  I’m going to do it, and I’ll let you hold me to it.  ….hey, with this entry I already have the first week of January done.

Be cool, stay warm and keep happy.   Tracy

I'm keeping this short and sweet....I've got to get to those pies!    Below is the muffin recipe.  Enjoy!  Tracy

Giant Cinnamon-Apple Muffin

Muffin Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ cups white sugar

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup canola oil

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

3 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups diced apple or a little more (about 2 large apples)

Cinnamon Topping Ingredients



1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Either grease or line Texas size muffin tins.  If you want big muffins that spill over the top be sure to grease the top of the tin as well.  (Vic likes his muffins big, so he really fills the tins up and he gets about 8-9 muffins out of this recipe instead of 12.)  Mix cinnamon topping ingredients together in bowl until crumbly and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients for muffins (excluding cinnamon) in large bowl.  Make a well in the center.  Combine oil eggs and milk in a separate bowl.  Pour into dry ingredients and mix until blended.  Fold in diced apple and cinnamon.  Fill muffin tins with batter and top with topping. 

Bake 20 – 25 minutes - until done.   You’re gonna luv em!

And now you have probably read The Story of THE PAINTING RAG that is on our Home page and are feeling a little confused.  “You kept telling us that TPR was doing well and that it was successful” is just one of the things that may have run through your mind, and it’s true.  TPR was doing well and was very successful.  You see, I don’t measure success by money, don’t get me wrong I really like getting paid for what I do, but I have found that success is something more than money. 

During my time of publishing the newspaper there have been very few (less than I can count on one hand) negative comments given to us, and more than I could ever count of positive comments.  As I have met Readers at shows and shops they told me over and over how much they LOVE the paper and look forward to receiving each issue.  I’m told that many call it “dessert” and they sit and curl up with TPR and a cup of tea or coffee.  Still others read it cover to cover as soon as it arrives.   The newspaper has been a useful tool for finding websites and businesses, introducing shops & businesses that many didn’t know existed, giving  us an inside look at our favorite artists  and inspiring us to paint and grow as artists.  To me that is SUCCESS!   However, success or not, it takes money to publish and a lot of hard work to produce the newspaper.  A decision had to be made.   Honestly, I was very sad…….I mean after all the time and energy I have put in to it, but I can’t dwell there, I have to move on with optimism and keep trying new things.  And I will put more time into painting! 

I hope you will continue to visit this website and read the articles that I will be posting on it.  I would like to make the website a lot like the newspaper with photos and recipes and everything so keep checking back.   The Nov/Dec issue information will be up on the site until the end of December but that doesn’t mean that I won’t sneak a few things on during that time, so check back!   Better still, join the email club and you will be notified whenever something new happens.  …….and something new is going to happen in January for email club members.   (54 days to go)

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving this year.  My sister’s family will be coming.….remember my niece Brooke that was married in February?   She will be here with her new husband and my brother in law who made it through his bypass surgery, and my nephew Eric (my godchild) with his girlfriend Sarah who was featured in TPR, and MY SON!   I love it when my son, Alex comes home!

Happiest of Thanksgiving’s to you and your family!  Be safe, be thankful, be blessed…

I had so much fun researching and writing the last TRENDS article in TPR that I decided to take the “girl” theme to the paint brush and came up with quite a few “girl” related paintings.  I hope you can make it to the New England show and stop by to see me and my new designs, and as always, copies of the newest issue of TPR will be there available for free.  Also from the last issue of the newspaper….I want to thank those of you who sent in condolences on the loss of my sweet little Cole.  It seems that most everyone has an open heart to pets and so many could relate to my hurt. 

It is funny at how fast one issue of TPR is finalized and another is on the table.   We are working on the November/December issue now, with a theme of All Things Bright and Beautiful.   Our extremely talented cover artist has been in the Decorative Painting Business for a very long time and has designed a cute cover that will be right in season.       Sparkly, shiny, bold....what says bright to you?  Colorful, elegant, simple....beautiful can come in many forms too.  Bright and Beautiful is open to interpretation and it makes a great Christmas theme.     tis the season for painting.    ……Another great issue is on its way in November…..    Tracy

This issue turned out interesting.  There is a little of everything in it.   The Trends article is fun and fresh, I was thinking of a younger audience when I decided on the subject of fashion but I think it is a fun read for everyone.   It has been a long time since I really cared about what was new and “hip” in fashion trends.    Normally I go out and buy what fits and what my shape and age can get away with….so if it is actually fashionable, well, that’s a bonus!!!   But the new colors (deep blue, & apple green to name a few), the metallic accents and the deep colored, glossy patent leathers that are currently “in” just really caught my eye!    In fact,  I just bought my first-ever pair of red shoes.   But they certainly aren’t the kind to wear to painting class!    I guess my point is that the fashion article opened my eyes to the new bold color trend and gave me a youthful enthusiasm again.   Not only in my wardrobe but also in my painting;  I experimented with colors and techniques to reproduce some of the trendy looks and had fun just playing around with products for a day.  Then I pulled out a gallery wrapped 12 x 12 canvas and painted a wonderful sleek, contemporary RED shoe on it.   I liked that so much that I pulled out another 12 x 12 canvas and painted a RED purse to compliment it!   I felt like I was designing the style of paintings I had done back in college.  So you see, we can be inspired by many things…..hope the article leads you to new colors combo’s.   Some of my new designs will be on my website soon, and definitely at the NET trade show.  (www.thepaintingrag.com/tracy)

Now going in the other direction, in this issue of TPR I also included an article about my sweet Cole.  He has been the furry light of my life for over twelve years and I had to say good bye to him this summer.  I can’t believe how much I mourned over his loss.  He was a wonderful dog and family member and my days are very different without him.

This issue also has a great article on drawing.   Susan Boerman walks us through drawing supplies and some at-home exercises to help us develop drawing skills.   Once we have practiced and progressed a bit, she is working on a follow up article to bring us further along in the process. 

Artist Beth Wagner designed the Fall cover and we had a great conversation when I interviewed her.  She is so full of energy and it is contagious, so if you need a “pick me up” sign up for one of her classes.  But be ready to express yourself a little instead of getting hung up on your painting “looking like the teachers.”    

Marlena shares a family recipe with us once again and an endearing story about her Mom and husband.    Oh, and be sure to look for our new Readers Rewards in this issue!!   Each issue will offer Specials, discounts or freebies for TPR Readers only. 

For those of you who are planning to attend NET, please stop at TPR booth and say hi.  I am planning to be at the booth the entire time and I’ll be demonstrating my mopping technique.  You can check out the red shoe.  (the one on the canvas, not the ones on my feet!)  ………..Tracy

Vic has always wanted to try climb Mt. Washington.  One of his friends is an avid mountain climber and offered to escort him up.  I am not a big fan of heights, so that activity was not one for me but Vic can now scratch it off of his "bucket list".   They left our house at 3:30am, made it there at 7:30am and began the climb.   At 12:30 they were at the top and on the observation deck.  Here he is standing on one of the ridges.   He was dead tired and very sore by the time he made it home around 10:30pm.   He talked about it so much that our nephew says he went off to climb Mt. Washington and came back Rambo!

My nephew, Spencer, (on the left) came and stayed with us for five weeks this summer and my son, Alex, (on the right) is home from college.  (Vic was with us but is taking the photo).   We spent one day in Boston admiring the Tall Ships and stopped at an Italian Open Air Restaurant in the North End for lunch.  I love having the young ones around, they keep me moving.   I admit that I haven't gotten much painting done so far, but summer is such a short season, have to enjoy it while its here!   I hope summer is giving you some simple treats too.   Stay inspired...........

One of my most favorite places on earth is the beach (seashore) and I live about fifteen minutes away from three different beaches.   My husband, Vic, and I head off to the beach many times during the year.  During the colder months we pack up camera’s (mine the smaller automatic type, his, the professional kind with all the lenses) and drive to the shore finding various views and items for photographing.   Later we load them on the computer and debate over who took the best shots.  In the warm months we pack up fruit, an umbrella and chairs and head off to hang out for the day.  Being light skinned and light eyed, I marinate myself in sunscreen and my sunglasses go on when I leave the house and don’t come off until I’m home again.   We have a routine which includes getting there early for a parking spot, staking out a place in the sand and unloading our beach gear, and then we take a walk and buy an iced coffee.  (Heaven)  With coffee in hand we head back to our chairs and spend the day enjoying sun, water and observing people.



When my “boys” asked me what I wanted to do for Mothers Day this year, I knew it would be too early for sunbathing, but I wanted to go to the beach.  The day was cool and windy but still wonderful.   Vic took some photos and as we walked along the beach, I collected salt smoothed stones that the ocean water had carried up and abandoned and having Alex home and with us was the best part.   We finished the day by stopping for beach pizza and then headed home.  You probably think I’mnuts, but for me, that was a perfect Mothers Day! 

The theme of the July/August issue of the newspaper is The Wonders of Summer so my tendency was to fill the paper with all beach related ideas and photos.  But instead I sat and thought about summer and ALL that it has to offer and the beach is only a small piece and many of our Readers don’t even live near the seashore.  So I began making a list and found that there were a lot of things that held summer memories for me and I realized that being adventurous and discovering the wonders of summer was fun as a kid, and still can be.  It doesn’t have to be climbing mountains or forging new paths in the woods, just doing something that we have never done or haven’t done in a long time can be an adventure.  Check out what I came up with on my list below and try something new (or old) this summer.

1.  Go Yard Saling (better known as treasure hunting)



2.  Pick berries – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries



3.  Enjoy a free concert on the town green

4.  Go to a little league ball game

5.  Get your hands dirty – plant some herbs for cooking

6.  Wash clothes and hang them outside

7.  Play hopscotch, jump rope or decorate the driveway with chalk

8.  Pick wild flowers

9.  Eat corn on the cob (or off the cob)

10.Go to the movies

11.Make homemade lemonade

12.Learn something – visit a famous persons home (poet, politician, etc)

13.Buy popsicles & fudgesicles for neighbor kids (or a nursing home if they  allow)

14.Practice your aim – buy a pump up squirt gun and have target practice

15.Watch a parade or fireworks

16.Go to a playground and swing (or watch some kids swing)

17.Try bird watching –write down how many different kinds you see

18.Sit outside & write some old fashioned letters to faraway friends & family

19.Attend an outdoor art show

20.Clean an organize one closet

21.Find a shady place at a busy park and people watch

22.Host an ice cream social

23.Press & dry flowers in a book

24.Go for a bike ride

25.Look for a four-leaf clover

26.Visit a farm

27.Pack a lunch and go on a picnic

28.Invite a friend over and teach them to paint (if you have never painted,try it)

29.Play an outdoor game like horseshoes, crocket or throw a frisbee

30.When in doubt, compile a list of small unique shops and go shopping!

Enjoy your summer!   Tracy

But the thing that really impressed me was Andre Reiu's ability to make the audience feel like they were the best audience, an audience that he enjoyed like no other.  He travels all around the world so I know that the half filled Verizon Center in Manchester New Hampshire is not the best audience he has ever played for and yet he seemed so genuinely happy to be there as he interacted with the people down on the floor level.  Although I'm sure he has rehearsed everything that he said last night a few hundred times, it never sounded like a script, instead he sounded impromptu and honest.   One of the things that really struck me was when he said that he is often asked if he gets homesick with all the traveling he does.  His answer to them was (paraphrased) that he has the honor of being able to make beautiful music and it is an honor to make beautiful music and share it with others around the world.  He loves home but knows that it is always there for him.  It was the gratefulness in his words and attitude that meant so much to me.   I can only guess how tiresome it must become to travel from place to place and then play the same songs and do the same performances over and over and yet he made it sound like a great priviledge and joy.    Some may be thinking "well if I made his kind of money, I could be happy to" but seriously, how much money would it take to make you happy to do the very same thing night after night with a great attitude of service?   I would guess that the attitude of service and gratefulness needs to come first. 

I want his attitude.  I want to live in that kind of gratefulness.  I know that it is going to take some work to re-train my mind to find joy and gratefulness in all things, even the mundane and monotonous.     I am reminded of the famous saying "if you can't find anything good to say, don't say anything at all."   That really is good advice but it is more than that, it is the attitude of the heart that I want to have.  Imagine entering every day with the intent to make everyone around you feel good and special?   And what would it take for it to be genuine?    A new attitude of gratefulness......

As for me personally, I am still working on getting my website up and running.  There is more work than one would expect to getting a website accomplished, but I'm looking forward to being able to offer my designs via the internet.   AND I have finally been painting again!  yipeeeee   My church has a large ladies conference each year (over 1200 women attend) and I created a piece of artwork for this years conference that will reproduced on to note cards that will be sold and the money given to a missions ministry for women, called Sisters In Service.  I am just thrilled about it.  I have always wanted to do something like this and really enjoyed designing and painting the artwork.   I also managed to design and paint a fish decoy that I received from the St Lawrence River Decoys.  It was fun and it didn't take that long to paint.   The painting may be hard to see but it is a lake scene with a pier and a row boat attached to it by rope, floating in the water.    

A little still life with lantern, bucket and fishing pole is in the foreground.  These fish decoys have clear eyes and you paint them from the back which gives them a great, shiny look. 

I just found out that I had a project chosen to teach for the New England Traditions Convention in October, and I am very excited.   

I have many other ideas up my sleeve, let me see what I can get finished, I'll keep you posted.............Tracy

The centerpieces turned out nice, but we got so wrapped up in everything else that we forgot to take a photo of the centerpieces, so this is the only photo that was taken and you can't see the entire piece.    The trees are decorated with the wedding favors - glass icicles that hung from ribbon printed with: Jarod & Brooke February 14, 2009.   Everything was beautiful.

 I still owe the new couple a painted recipe box but it will probably take some time to get to it since I am just beginning to catch up on regular work now.  

The next thing to look forward to is the JB Wood Spring Festival on March 28.  It seems to be coming together nicely and should be an inspiring and fun day.    And of course, the next issue of TPR will be finished and mailed soon.  "Good Things" is the theme, be sure and get a copy.   Stay warm, dry and healthy.......   Tracy

Here in New England the winter continues to press on and this year has left us asking "what happened to a January thaw?"   Because of the cruel weather and the darkness of night closing in so early, I run out of quality working steam early.  So I have found myself just sitting and doing some drawing, I have painted some backgrounds to see how the color and affect will turn out, and I have tried to catch up on finishing some designs that were sitting on the easel (so to speak.)   My life doesn't ever seem to have an abundance of quiet time, especially as I get older, so I'm trying to see the winter as an advantage.   

The next issue of THE PAINTING RAG will have the theme of "Good Things" and as we have been working on it I realized that there are so many "good things" that it is hard to fit all that we want to in the issue.  Once you start looking, you can find the "good things" very easily.     So start looking........   Tracy

I'm currently painting in nice summery colors.....watermelon colors, but not a watermelon.  A new make it-take it for JB Wood's Spring Festival in Attleboro Massachusetts at the end of March.   Hope to meet some of you there.   Something to look forward to!

As you can see on the website, the next issue of TPR is finally finished.  It just printed and will be picked up today and the distribution will begin.  Thanks for being patient with us, this was a tough issue to get out, you can read about it when you receive your Jan/Feb copy.  Don't worry....we are already working on the next issue, hoping to finalize it much earlier....just in case.   Enjoy the winter (I said that?) and catch up on all the wood and patterns you bought at the last convention, and then you'll be ahead of the game on gifts for next year!    chillin out.....Tracy

My family has a big wedding coming up on Valentine's Day.  It is my niece, Brooke's wedding and she is the only "girl" on my side of the family, the rest of us had boys.  So it has been fun being a part of dress fittings and favors and all the other arrangements, I am thrilled that Brooke and my sister included me.  I am in charge of the wedding centerpieces (for 300 people - about 30 centerpieces) so once I get this next issue of the newspaper out, my life is going to be ALL about the wedding.  What a special Valentine's Day it will be....   As we say good bye to 2008, have a safe New Years Eve.  May 2009 bring happy memories and add richness to our lives.    With joy........Tracy

My family's Thanksgiving was very nice.  My husband Vic stuffed and roasted our turkey and as one of our guests put it "it was picture perfect!"   Why is it that although we can have turkey any day of the year, it always seems to taste so much better on Thanksgiving?     Only a few days after Thanksgiving Day, we had the opportunity to see the incredible sight in the night sky that is a once in a lifetime sight.  It was a bright and clear night when I saw the slivered moon with two bright stars dangling below it (Venus & Jupiter) and the three outshined anything else in the sky.    It is true, the best things in life are free.      It reminded me that there are a couple of painting patterns that have Santa resting on the slivered moon with stars hanging below.  If memory serves me, one was designed by Helan Barrick.     It's time for me to go back to resting.  Enjoy the time that remains until Christmas.   With joy, Tracy

I am very excited about having the new site finished.  I know, I know, it was time for us to have a website that displayed the same header that the newspaper has.  But there is more to it than just that, we have made many changes and additions so let me introduce you to a few of the major things to look for on this site. 

First and foremost, you can subscribe to the newspaper right from the website!   How exciting is that??!!   AND for those of you who love instant gratification, you can now receive your issues electronically!   With the addition of PayPal and our new secure site, payment can be made right here, online and you can have the newspaper sent to you via email or postal mail - you choose!   (don't you just love to have choices?)

Another great thing is on our advertiser/distributor page, we have included links so just click on the website address for one of our advertsiers and zooooom you are at their website, ready to browse and learn all you can about them.   What a great time to thank them for supporting THE PAINTING RAG.

Visit the NEW Artist submission page to find out how you can submit projects and articles for the newspaper. 

And then there is this page, where I have the opportunity to shout out to you weekly, daily or hourly if I like....as if you haven't had enough of me in the newspaper, now you can read my ramblings here as well.  But there is one difference, what I write here will not be published in the newspaper, it's for internet eyes only. 

Along with our new look and navigation also comes a learning process, so bear with us while we work out any kinks.  Let me know if you come across something that just doesn't seem to be right, such as clicking on a button and not seeing what you expected....LOL.    And as always, please send us an email with your thoughts, ideas, questions or comments.

Go ahead, take a look around and check back often.........

Paint the earth, paint the sky, paint the heart and watch love fly            -Tracy