March still reminds me of those tragic events years ago, leading up to my husband's death. So, like most other widows, I quietly seek anything that will help how I feel inside. While looking for comfort on his death anniversary, I came across this beautiful poem by Linda Ellis. It helped me to think of his short life in a different way, so I thought I'd share with those who grieve and read this blog. 

I hope you can find joy again while you are living in your Dash. 

Kids art projects from school, what to do with them? How to display them in the home as interior design verses clutter?

Your children bring home art projects from school and they are too adorable to simply toss out with the rubbish. What can you do with those masterpieces?

My favorite thing to do with the 'most loved' art pieces is to turn them into tiles. You can google a company in your area that will turn kids works into tiles. I had the luxury of building my home, so I could incorporate my youngest's works into the kitchen tiling. However, a small section, like a blackspash, could be remolded to just hold favorite art work that you had made into tiles. Can you think of a better scene to look at while doing the dishes, or cooking? ;-)

 Some of Adler's art works:

 I just love kid's creative imagination!

This one is behind where I hang glasses. My little artist. ;-)

So, just what do you do with the little artist's work in your home?

Kid's are proud of their work. What better way to encourage them than to praise their efforts by giving their work a value equal to the other decorations in your home?

Of course you can frame it:

Or hang it in the form of a hotplate:

Or use as trivits (hotplates) at the dinner table regularly. My favorites are the ones the kids made; you can see they are well used:

These tiles, seen below, are an example of very large tiles, hung as pictures. The kids did not do these, but this is a great example of what you can do to preserve their art:

Or simply hang it "as is" when they hand it to you. ;-)My oldest daughter did this one when she was very young. I have kept it all these years. It is currently placed in a mudroom cubby:

I like to use their works to cover the backs of bookshelves (But you can do any cabinet, shelf, or backsplash to a desk, etc), like wallpaper:

Everyday, capture their wonderful talents on display situations like this one. I asked Meagan to do the menu for our last Crawfish Boil. It is so cute, we still have it up!

On the back of our laundryroom door, I painted magnetic chalkboard paint. Not only is it a good place to house messages to the kids, but to hold drawings, or messages that they feel like leaving:

For everyday projects that come home and need to be rotated; I have put artwork on clips, clipboards and magnetic boards before. I have even used diaper pens on an adorable rope line. Instead of looking like clutter, there is so much more one can do (besides the refigerator door) that actually suits your home. I love the ideas that an interior decorator came up with in this clip for this very reason:

http://gmctradesecrets.aol.com/decor/how-to-display-kids-artwork/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk1%7C68124

I hope you enjoy preserving their art and enjoying their creations as they grow into adults. ;-D

A shelf, dedicated to the kid's pottery art in my bedroom. This shelf has an ocean theme. ;-) Too adorable, and it makes me smile. If it makes you smile, isn't that the environment you want to create? Set up spots to "make your day", everyday as you pass by them. ;-D

The story and process behind the art work: "Humble Angel."

To those who have lost anyone to death, let me preface this publication which shows the stages of my representation of the celestrial with, "I hope that this angelic image comforts you as it did me."

I allow myself to be inspired by dreams that I have. This composition is my attempt to capture a dream that I had about Mike, my husband who died in 2007.

I began in acrylic (because it dries faster), painting a black backdrop; wanting to create an intangible background, the white drip technique was added. It is a portrayal representing the afterlife. A scene of magnificence that the viewer may fill in: Waterfall? ...maybe; lights or white brilliance? ...maybe. It is not concrete, but more abstract in nature.

 Stage Two is just getting my rough draft down on the canvas. I over emphasized the glasses angle to get the dimensions of the side view of the face in perspective first before getting the glasses set.

 With oil paints I begin putting in a base coat, or the low lights for hair. Continuing with oil paints, I begin adding brilliant color.

  This stage shows the work of creating a heavenly or spiritual body by adding loads of paint layers. This painting took about 3 months to paint because of the drying time between layers, as well as it was a very emotional one for me.

 More layers to create the body, and highlights added.

A splatter technique was used to finish the body.

I love this stage because it is the one that captures my attempt to show the nature of the painting: Humility. He is shrugging his shoulders as if to say, "This is me." The wings are folded down to show the opposite of conceit. A creature, so amazing in stature, folding his wings and shrugging his shoulders to send a message of comfort, "I am okay." 'Showing off' or boasting is not in his nature; a confident humility is.

Personification was needed. I wanted to make the face more human-lifelike, because in the dream, I had no doubt who I was looking at. The face was recognizable. Once I had a portrait of the face complete, I needed to make it more heavenly. You can also see that I have begun to highlight the hair too.

 In the last stage, I had to combine the human "flesh colors" to blend well with the pastel colors of the heavenly body. I added pinks and whiter shades to both the face and the body to make the human face blend with the newly given spiritual body.

The end result is: Humble Angel.

Stages of "Do You Think We Should Go In?"

The story behind this award winning painting. "Do You Think We Should Go In?" is a title and idea that arose at a neighbor's home.

Ping Pong was an activity that became a serious event with the men in my neighborhood. A Pool Table in the open area did not get so much attention. In the room with the Ping Pong tournament going on, there was a lot of motion. Two of my neighbor's kids were poking their heads into the door, as one looked back at the other; the grandmother of the child (with his back to us) took out her camera and snapped the shot of her grandchild with my next door neighbor's child.

She and I were discussing how it was as if the boy in the front, Samuel, was saying to the little guy in the back, "Judd, Do You Think We Should Go In?" Having to capture the "cute"... I wanted to paint the scene I had envisioned that night.

 I got my hands on a copy of that picture, changed the boring basement with the solitary ping pong table for a kid's enticing fantasy land, and shortened the door to a more "Alice and the Wonderland" feel.

The following are the stages of the painting and a "how to" guide. Stage One of:  "Do You Think We Should Go In?"

I sketched this one out in pencil first. Then did the fantasy background in oil. The red doorway has a medium added on top of it, to appear with a dull shine, like a real door frame paint would look. In real life it stands out as if a coating is on it.

Adding some flesh tone in oil to the boys. Stage Two:

Most of this one is in oil; I wanted a shine to the paint. As far as the steps go, I am using oil paint from here on out. The carpet is a neutral shade, so the rest of the image pops. Adding some highlight and lowlight skin tones. Stage Three:

Adding hair and more details to face. Stage Four:

Adding clothes for colors that compliment each other. Adding expression to the face. Giving life to the little toy car Samuel holds in his right hand. It is the underside of the car with it's black tires showing. However, you can see the red car sides. I felt including the car he was holding gave it some "realism" to this very "surrealism painting". Stage Five:

Adding some brightness to the painting, so it will pop. Stage Six:

Last touch ups added and "Do You Think We Should Go In?" is finished. That is the story behind the painting. Or should I use the quote, "And now you know the rest of the story?" ;-D

Art Award Nights, 2011 : Paintings, Artist.

Gallery Award Events for 2011; Jan, Feb, and April, (I did not enter anything the month of March: I am not usually as functional on the death anniversary of my husband; he died in that month).

Visit: http://lisakramerart.com/ , to see better quality pictures of the paintings listed here.
Last night we had an award night at Atlanta's gallery. For those that followed "Whimsical Affection", it won an award:

We spent some of the check on our dinner after the ceremony was over.

Here I am standing in front of "Should We Go In?"

"Should We Go In", won in Feburary. The subjects were my neighbor's adorable little boys. I thought putting them in the door of a kid's fantasy world would be a fun project. ;-)

"(Reality) An Ambrosial Metaphysical or Mortal Universe" won an Honorable Mention award:

I think the event was in late January. This is a painting of a dream I had. I do most of my work that way; I try to capture the dreams that I have. I keep a pen by my bed, so that I will not forget them when they come. To me, they are inspired works and I feel compelled to share. ;-)

 Here I am receiving a check from the President of the Art Association:

"Dreams" won the Cellar 13 contest in January. We had pictures of it hanging, but I cannot seem to locate the photos. Hee, he...They may have been deleted off the camera by someone who will remain ;0) un-named:

This is all the photos I have of award evenings. I will have to get better about taking a camera in future events. ;-D

The Cutest Thank You NoTe!

I just found the sweetest note in my mailbox!

Remember my friend who had the child who had sinus surgery and she asked me to make her Chicken and Dumplings? Well, this is how she said thks... too cute! Hope it makes you smile like it did me.

I have a feeling her daughter is the one who made the note. ;-)

Her daughter is doing well and has recovered. This is the follow-up from the posted chicken and Dumpling recipe. What a sweet ending to the story! http://lisakramerartlifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/02/chicken-n-dumplings.html

Snowman, 2011: Outdoor fun, Play, What to do with Snow.

What do you do with all that lovely white stuff?                      

How to Make YoUr OwN FrOstY; a Snowman how to... hee.

You will need:

Plenty of moist packing white snow

a carrott, or button

2 pieces of charcoal

a small curved thin stick, or several small rocks

2 large thin sticks with little branch outs on the ends

Hat

Scarf

Corncobb pipe, or a cigar

Instructions:

1. Roll the base into a large fat ball shape. It has to be larger than the other two balls you will make. The fatter, the better for stability.

2. Pack a second smaller fat round ball. Place on top of the base ball.

3. Roll a third, smaller than the second ball for the head of your snowman.

4. Place the third, and smallest ball on top of the other two that are now stacked.

5. On the top ball that is the head, push coal into face, fairly hard to get them to stay in place.

6. Make a small hole for the carrott nose, and insert carrott.

7. Use small rocks to shape a smiling mouth, or a curved thin stick will work. Pace the pipe or cigar by mouth.

8. Stick the longer arm sticks, with little branches on the end (resembling hands) into the middle snow ball.

9. Wrap scarf around the neck.

10. Place the hat upon his head... Yes, I am being silly.

;-D

The FuN Had to come to an end.

The remains of our SNowMan...