What do you call a group of frogs? A leap? A fry? Nope an army of frogs. Spending the last day of the year and the first day of next year doing the same thing, painting. 
I saw my idea of paradise sold recently. I wish the new owner all the happiness I imaged I'd have there. The search for my little piece of paradise continues but what fun dreaming and imagining the possibilities. 

Working on prototype for a couple red frog designs. Hopefuuly these will end up on four inch silk hoops. Just the right size for christmas ornaments.

An interesting read showed up in my inbox today. Sometimes the message you need to hear comes from unusual sources. These past two months have been pretty tough, no support from management, constantly being second guessed, sniped at in front of other employees, having your income broadcast to all, it's just been tough. This email just reminded me everything is temporary, this will pass AND in the mean time make ART.

"The Three of Pentacles appears when our contribution is being supported and loved. Being supported in our learning is a precious gift. When angels, animals or humans arrive to encourage us for our efforts, we feel well-valued.
This Pentacles' consciousness is a warm, kind, supportive energy that envelopes someone who is learning and serving at the same time. Others commend the work and its value. This allows the trainee to feel good as they give.
This is a wonderful passage of an experience to enjoy.
An experience of this nature improves self-esteem, causes deep relaxing in the heart, and can easily improve health. Receiving constructive acknowledgement, compliments, and caring presence nourishes the soul of a human or animal.
When receiving this type of support, one feels very at home in their life. An angelic presence is often noted. Trust and faith in life grow.
This support can come at work, at home, or via an organization.
Are you finding yourself to be immersed in a productive activity that adds to others' work? Are you being valued by others as you go through this endeavor?
The goodwill of the Three of Pentacles energy has come into your life. You likely feel profoundly well. We would love to have these kind of experiences and feelings always! Give thanks for yours, asking that this become a common occurrence for you if you like. "Ask and you shall receive!"
If you are not experiencing the energy from the Three of Pentacles, interfering and melding people or other energies have disrupted your life. Your actions feel thwarted. You feel judged. Your brain feels kidnapped. Your body does not feel well.
You may need to change who you are spending your time with. You may need to leave a project or job after lining up a more harmonious place of participation. You may need to build new family skills in order to become a happier group."

I have not been feeling creative the last few months. Too much stress at work, foot surgery and a few other personal issues going on. Well silk started calling my name the other day. I played a little bit with leaves, flowers and some rusty bits and pieces. These four little hankies are the results. There may be a video of the process at some point. By doing something, anything it gets the creative juices flowing again. How do you get out of your creative slumps?

I have a silk commission piece to do and figured I'd better refresh my skills. Lot's of color and a little whimsy in this practice piece. I have to figure out a background for this but it's a fun start. I've forgotten the in's and out's of silk painting and its only been a couple years.

What a fun weekend. It started off Friday night with an awesome cocktail party on Dan and Donna's beautiful boat, great food and people! Then Saturday was busy with oil painting. Linda mentioned she liked the one I did of the waves rolling in so i thought I'd try another one for her. and today was silk painting. Still on the beginning end of the learning curve there but it's all fun. I tried the turtle logo that I see all over the islands. 

Huge learning curve again on the silk but I think I've got the answer to the black resist redepositing on the silk thanks to Daniel Jean-Baptiste who is very giving of his knowledge and experience. This is the first piece I've mounted to a canvas and I like it. I need to tweak the composition a little bit but not bad for a first attempt at exotic fruit and mounting a silk. I think this will look great in a plain black frame. Until I can find someone here to build me the open frames at a reasonable price I'll keep mounting the silks on canvas. 

I saw this awesome picture of tropical fruit on a couple different sites and had to try it in silk. So i dug out my silk supplies and am working on it this weekend. I hope to have the painting done tomorrow. I think I'll try this one mounted on a canvas or a board. I need to find someone to build me some frames down here. I really like them mounted in the open frames but I don't have any frames here so I'll try mounting this one. 

The rooster and heron are washed, ironed, stretched and in the frames. These are the open frames, perfect for hanging over a half wall or open stair railing. I'm really happy with how they turned out. They have that lovely glow that you can only get from silk. 

He's still hanging on the stretcher but he's done. The background turned out ok, now he just has to sit for a couple of days before i heat treat him and the heron. I darkened the background on the heron, not sure if that will stay or not but it looks much better. I love these silk pictures, they almost glow on the silk. It's really hard to capture with a camera. I hope to get them in the frames next week.