Vacation Plans Gone Loco

My family and I have had a vacation planned to go to Florida for two weeks since last fall. We were going to stay at the condo that we usually rent out on Sanibel, Florida and also go to Universal to the Harry Potter theme park. Well that all changed this week. We found out the condo had been rented out--even though we told them we were going to use it. Apparently the right person didn't get that information. I wasn't the one making the arrangements. So here we are a month before we are going to go and no place to stay!

I talked to my sister who lives in Michigan and they are going on vacation the same week and we decide we should rent a beach house together for that week! Sounds great! We both look for about two hours and then she hears from her husband that he can't take that week off now! No vacation with the sister!

Now I am trying to find a place possibly around the Savannah area and also in Florida. I have another sister in Florida that is trying to help me find a place. I should be painting right now and I am spending countless hours looking for places to stay! I also lost my sunglasses this week-end. I hope whoever found them is enjoying them but feeling guilty!

And the Winner Is!

And the winner is Azure Islands! Please send me an email with your address to dianeoneil3@yahoo.com. I hope you enjoy the card. It is easily framed. I will have more giveaways in the future so keep reading!

Card #36 Western Michigan Beach

This painting is from a photo taken when on a walk along the beach near Saugatuck, Michigan. It was a very cold fall day. You can see the edge of the dunes off to the right.

Giveaway

I am giving away this hand painted card! Anyone that comments on this blog entry between now and Saturday will be put into the drawing. I will draw a name on Sunday. Since I haven't had a comment in at least 6 weeks I am hoping that will change things! It is a great little painting of geraniums in a bright green tub.

Coming Soon to an Art Center Near You

I will be in an art show at Paint Creek Center for the Arts opening June 25th. This is a juried member show. It is the first time the art center has done this. The show will run until July 31st. PCCA is located at 407 Pine Street, Rochester, Michigan 48307.

Card #35 Back to the Beach

The beach is a fascinating place. The swell of the ocean. The sand under your feet. It has a delicate balance that man has messed with. I can't believe the oil spill is still going on and there isn't anything I can do from here to stop it. I am going to start to list my beach theme cards on etsy and all of my profits will go towards the oil clean up.

"Valentino The Last Emporer"

I watched the documentary "Valentino the Last Emporer" this week. It is all about the fashion designer Valentino and his last year of designing clothing. I found watching him go through his creative process very interesting. He does his drawing, drapes the fabric on a mannequin , the a model and then the clothing is sewn. He would ask everyone else their opinion. You would think he would be more sure of himself but he needed that reinforcement just like we do as artists. He had been a designer for 45 years! That is a long time to be in any business. His company was bought out by another firm and he retired shortly after that. He said he was interested in so many other things and wanted the time to pursue them. I can relate to that!

In my younger years my big dream was to be a fashion designer or an artist. I went to school in New York but I studied fashion buying and merchandising. I felt because I wasn't good at sewing I would be at a disadvantage compared to the other people and I would have been. My creative spirit never died and now I get to pursue that through my painting. I need Valentino's stick- to- it-tiveness. I didn't get back to my painting until I was 40 so if I stick with this for 45 years I will be 85 and a really good painter!