WIP - Yellow Earrings - 2

Okay, here is a little more.

The big black blob is neck and a little shoulder, and before it looks like a cow with hair on it there will be many, many layers of single strokes with the brush in many colors. I forgot to give the basic information with the first post ... This is a 9.5"x 9.5" watercolor painting. on Arches 140# cold press, rough, paper. I leave the sizing on when I'm doing animal hair and fur as it helps simulate the texture of fur, and the cold press rough paper helps also. Using a #4 brush.

One friend, at stage one, thought he was looking at a couple of squirrels or something because his eyes couldn't bridge that gap. I forget that some of my fans need more information, and cannot read my mind, and the photo didn't show the pencil drawing ... So, I have closed the white areas across the top of her head and under her chin so you can see the size/shape of her head.

Any comments or suggestions are welcome. ::grin:: no sense taking the blame all to myself!

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

WIP - Yellow Earrings

Okay, I'm back to start the work in progress for you. This is one of the paintings I'm entering into the Stampede Art Show, here in Greeley. (If I get it finished in time!) The show will be open to the public from June 24 through July 4th. This is usually a spectacular show with many interpretations of western art.

This painting will be titled Yellow Earrings. The earrings are ID tags that are put on cattle. I think I am going to leave the tags blank so should a rancher choose to purchase it I can put his own brand on the tags. So, here is the start....

I think this young calf is a cutie ...

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

"Biscuits and Gravy"

I've decided to change my header to cycle some old paintings that were published on a calendar. The first one is a favorite, "Biscuits and Gravy" with a couple of rascally raccoons that got into the chuck wagon. This was always a favorite, and I am planning a Gicleé print of it later in the year.

Next entry I'll start a work in progress of the painting I'm doing for this year's Stampede Art Show. The show will be open from June 23 to the 4th of July.

Back soon.

The First Day of 2010

I have already taken a tentative step into the first day of the new year. I'm in rehab for my back now, and, well, I'm in rehab for my back now ....

The most important chore is done and the new year should go smoothly now. ::grin:: You are not going to believe this story, but I learned from my mother-in-law many years ago that if you go into the new year, behind with your laundry, you'd be behind for the entire year. This lady was from southern Germany, and I don't know if this is a traditional German ritual or not, but she was adamant about it. And she should be. She was always behind with her laundry, and she would spend several days in her basement washing load after load. I'm sure the clothes all got dry, but am not sure folding and ironing made very much progress. Just before new year's eve she would appear again from her self-imposed dungeon, declaring that the work was done, and that the new year would be much better. Then, the week before the next new year, was an annual repeat in the same grand proportions.

In those days my husband and I ran the family bakery, on Staten Island, NY with the help of four very small children. So while I had a lot of laundry, I was never behind like my mother-in-law was. But for her sake I took on the hustle and bustle of getting everything washed before the new year. So here I am now, many years later, older and should be wiser, still remembering the most important of the new years rules, and throwing my two loads a week into the washing machine.

I wish for all of my friends and fans a wonderful 2010. Whether you are caught up with your laundry or not.

~J~

Time for the annual art show

Thunderbird Art Gallery

1309 E. 16th Street - Greeley, CO 80631
(One Mile East of First Avenue)
Phone: (970) 352-4397
http://www.thunderbirdartgallery.com/


HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Sat., Dec. 12, 2009 - 10 am - 5 pm
Sun., Dec. 13, 2009 - 12 noon - 5 pm

Featuring the following Artists in person:

Donald DeNoncourt, Julie Kramer Cole,
Judith Angell Meyer, Becky Johnson &
Donald Vann

Would love to see you all. The Thunderbird gallery is a wonderful place to display art.

Coming out party for an older painting

This painting is one that I did a long time ago. Title: "Spirit Woman" Size: 11 1/2" X 14 1/2". It is a self portrait.

Spirit Woman is sort of the Indian name I acquired over the years. For many years we enjoyed belonging to mountain man reenactment groups. A couple of portraits I painted for the guys were complimented by saying I had caught/captured their spirit. Of course this wasn't a good thing in the 1800's. At first Indians were very Leary of the photograph, and were afraid that their spirit had been captured.

This self-portrait is my interpretation of a more positive view. The view in the painting is of me laying on my back and looking up through the lodge poles. In the back of the lodge there are some drawings depicting part of my life. The fire is going, and the smoke is swirling upward through the smoke flaps and curling itself around the moon. The smoke vaguely resembles the shape of a woman spreading her wings as her spirit takes flight.

Enjoy. I'd like to hear what you think of this one too. ~J~

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer

It's about time, but I'm back ... sort of ...

Hello hello!!

I finally am in a much better place now than I have been since the surgery. The lumbar fusion went very well. Up and walking the same day as the surgery. The pain in my leg from the pinched nerve was gone. I came home on the 4th day. My brother-in-law was a god-send. It didn't seem like he was doing all that much, and yet I couldn't have gotten through that first week without him. Thank you again {{{{{Tom,}}}}} very, very much!

At about 2/3 weeks the pinched nerve pain came back. The Dr. fixed what was causing that and I began to worry that I had done something to damage the fix. Turns out, it would take walking out in front of a Mack truck to hurt the fusion. Since I hadn't done that ... Turns out that when I get that pain it means that I have been over-doing it. In response, the wound would swell up which put pressure on the nerves. Sure was incentive not to over-do!

After 3 days in a row with almost no pain or noticeable weakness, I started backing off the pain medication. Which is working out just fine. Now I just have to get through the next month of limiting my actions, and at that point I should be able to get a lot more active. I have already been given the script for rehab, so will be starting that for 2/3 times a week soon. Nothing like getting through the worst of the pain, and then go back (willingly - sort of), to push the pain back to the top. For the bone to show a good start at fusion will take about 6 months.

I want to thank you all for your help along the way and your notes, cards and prayers. I needed and used up every ounce of love you sent my way. Thank you, thank you!!

~J~

Just a quick note ....

I just wrote a nice note, and lost it. I'm too tired to remember what I said. Lets see. Everything is on schedule for surgery at noon today. Thursday 22nd. I'm expecting to be home by Monday 26th. Then the real adventure begins.

Can you imagine me doing nothing and at the mercy of my children to help? I'm grateful that my brother-in-law volunteered to come. Maybe he can keep them under control! :-) However, they have all been a big help so far. I'm a lucky mom.

Going to miss my Gizmo for the few days. Sigh ...

See you in a few days, or a week or two ...

~J~

Surgery update ...

Since I wrote the quote below ...

"Hey, I got the call back from the Dr's office. Looks like only one to two days stay at the hospital, and at home I'll be expected to be up and around, walking a little, just no heavy or strenuous lifting, bending or twisting. Sounds like I'll be able to handle it all with no trouble. (This is optimism speaking ... don't tell me any different!)"

I have been on quite an emotional ride! I downloaded the informational material from the Front Range Center for Brain and Spine Surgery, P.C. web site, the site my Doctor is affiliated with, and promptly started visualizing myself in the post surgery requirements. OMG! So I scheduled an appointment with my Doctor, and had a very specific heart to heart.

My thoughts had become a concern for having the surgery heading into winter. While I can get help with feeding the horses, I might still have to let them out. Then snow and ice and things do come up when you are alone. Now I won't be alone to begin with. But we are talking about a two month period that has to way toned down for healing to progress without incident. And no one likes me that much!! My thoughts are too graphic ... don't remember getting much sleep at all!

By the time the Doctor and I finished, I got Doctor answers and not "generic" post op instruction possibilities. Him knowing me enough to help me understand where I might be during recovery, and not the generic public. I will still have to mind the two months of really slowed down activity, but I haven't been all that active since the lumbar region of my back took over my life.

So ... pre-op consultation with an anesthesia nurse will happen on the 20th of October. And the Surgery will take place on the 22nd of October. I will be in the hospital between two and four days depending on my stubborn gauge, then home. The batteries will be dead on all my vehicles before I get to use them again, but I guess I can live with that.

I'll write after the pre-op consult. It will be the last time for a while that I'll be able to sit at the computer. At least two weeks me thinks. I'll be back and pretty sassy soon enough. Enjoy your vacation from that!!

~J~

Buffalo cows and calf

I cannot believe that I slept in until almost 9 a.m.! It was so dark in the room. The same darkness that comes just before the sun peeks out from the east and blasts the bedroom with its radient Good Morning! Only today there was no sun out blasting or anything else. The sun has come out this afternoon, which I won't complain about, but it is weak, and there is still a dark overcast look in the north. 45 degrees today, which is also better!

Here is the little 4" x 5" watercolor painting that I said I'd post yesterday. Sorry ....

"Sunday in Sage"

All art, poetry and writings are copyright & cannot be reproduced in any form without written permission from Judith Angell Meyer