For the Kids

Completed 2005

16"x20"

Acrylic

During the year I lived at home, between college and the real world, my nephew V. and I spent a lot of time together. Specifically, we spent a lot of time watching Shrek and/or Monsters, Inc. So for his 3rd birthday I painted him this picture of him and Sully. Stopping by their house this weekend, I was pretty happy to see it still prominently displayed in V.'s room. (He's older now, and I'm pretty sure he has moved on from Monsters.)

As I was leaving his room, this caught my eye...



Seems we have a budding artist. Win.

Since I was already poking around the kid's rooms I stopped into N.'s. Mostly I just wanted to snap some pictures of her wall. (I also delivered her picture this weekend. Not sure if she liked it or not because she gave me a look that said, "You're a weirdo.") 

 

 
Ignore the creepy doll

As you can probably infer from the pictures, mostly everything in her room is pink. So we lucked out when we chose the paint color! The flower-mural-thing was my baby gift to her.

I'm reminiscing as I write this post... and feeling really old.

By the way. When I asked V. what his favorite subject is in school he told me math. Double win.

Deep Creek in Pictures

This past weekend Mike and I spent a few days at Deep Creek, Maryland with his family. The tropical storm had made its way out by Friday afternoon so, despite the torrential downpour during our drive up, it turned out to be a beautiful weekend!

The opening NFL weekend also gave me some time to fiddle around with my camera. (Not that I dislike football. But I DO like to multi-task.) I found some great photography tutorials via Pinterest (wish I had bookmarked those) and learned quite a bit in three hours. I at least now fully understand the aperture and shutter speed relationship. Did I have my white balance set to incandescent while out at the waterfalls? Yes. Oops..

Lots of sunset pics. My overall goal in this one was to capture the duck.

What good fortune. A duck AND a boat!

Swallow Falls

I was really a fan of these tree roots, but I don't think this photo did them justice.

Mmm.... roasting hot dogs on a campfire.

Mike's Favorite Things II

Completed 2011
16"x20"
Oil

Lucky Mike gets another painting. He's been asking for a painting of a Colombian flag guitar forever. (See Colombian flag here.) So I've kind of owed him one. Well... "owed" in the way that a wife kindly does something for her husband occasionally.

I threw the Rubicon in the background as a tribute to his old Jeep.

...And now that I'm looking at the painting, I'm realizing there is something I need to fix.... oops. Hopefully no one sees what I see.