Clouds on the way home from Chicago

 

Luckily the rain was scant on our drive to and from Chicago.  I'm always amazed at the beauty of the clouds, especially considering that these were all taken with my clamshell cell phone and in a moving car!!

Weird Fruit at Hy-Vee

Hy-Vee is a new grocery store that recently opened in Madison.  The second photo shows a "jackfruit" priced at 39.99.  We can't remember what the name of the bright pink fruit in the first photo is, but it was very exotic!!!

First Try -Water

Two of Three Projects

 Using pastels, our first project was to take a shell and draw it.  It was a lot harder than it seemed.  This was an introductory class, but it was apparent that the participants had had previous training.

For our last project we blocked in the backround with turpenol/pastels and then added detail.  I'm only showing 4 of the nine works.  Guess which one is mine.  (I wish I could say that I did the water scene, but I did not!!)  You are not seeing the second project because mine looked like a third grader did it!!  Hint:  Jane, I used a photo you sent me to work from.

Teacher's Pastels

I took a one day workshop at Whispering Woodlands, an artist retreat in Verona, Wisconsin, today.

The teacher, Kay Brathol-Hostvet, used the pastels pictured above in her demonstrations. 

Sunlight in Tree

For Ava

Friend's Flowers

Better Photos

Better photos of our new car, a Subaru Impreza.  The 2nd. photo is the true color.  The top one is the color I would have liked!! 

Wisconsin's Natural Bridge State Park

 

Three Blocks Away

Middleton has a bike path thru the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and we can pick it up 3 blocks from our apt.  Now that the snow/ice are gone we try to walk after dinner. 

Finally

After extensive talking, researching, negotiating, searching the internet, etc., etc AND after renting cars from Enterprise for the past nine months every weekend we got a new car.  We're excited!!

Trip to the Zoo

I took the kids to the zoo and only got lost two times on the way there.  You can't tell from the photos, but it was packed by the time we left at noon.

My little Mountain Man

What makes a Super-Hero?

Goggles, of course!!

Kirsti and Pepper

This is the doll I gave E. for her 8th birthday.  She is well cared for & loved!!!

Yes, she has her own wheelchair because she was in a car accident!! 

Fountain inside DTW Airport

You never know what you will find in an airport.  This was FUN!!!

Stanford Cactus Garden

 

 

 

 

 

My brother took me to one of the coolest gardens I have ever been to.  It must be over 100 years old.

My 93 year old father says he walked thru it as a 20 year old at Stanford University.  Near the Mausoleum, it is one of the University's best kept secrets.  Wish I could be there when more flowers were in bloom.  Made me want to get out my pastels!!!