The total number of people who have attended my last THREE art shows to see MY art…………………one!

Now you know.

The “Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge September 2015” has come and gone.

The Lake Houston Area Artists Fall Art Show has come and gone.

Should I take a break or get…….

back to the drawing board and my cozy little watercolor corner?

This summer I was happily working on my “Art Project Summer 2015 Watercolor Journal” when I interrupted myself to take on the September 30-in-30 challenge. I promised my beautiful but odd journal that I would be back.

When October arrived with the completed  30-in-30 challenge, I began work preparing for the Lake Houston Area Artists Fall Art Show. It took most of my energy and discretionary time to select paintings, order frames, fill out forms, pay dues, attend the LHAA meeting, frame the eleven paintings I selected to show, and find room for all the incoming boxes of frames and stuff.

It was all fun…every moment of it…including the heavy rain on the day of the show. I almost ruined a really cute pair of shoes wading through the water. Even though I was carrying paintings and an umbrella, I made it into the venue back and forth without incident. I must admit David did most of the work. Our good friend, Melanie Bankston came to my show and helped us load the paintings back into the car in the afternoon. Many thanks, Melanie; for coming to my show and then helping.

I’ve spent the last few days straightening out my workroom, storing paintings away, hanging up the Ribbons for all to see and wondering if I will be ready to go through this all over again. My 8 paintings that won Ribbons are eligible to compete in the Lone Start Art Guild Convention early next year. I’ll rest up; maybe buy some rain boots, and hire someone young and strong to haul all the paintings in and out of the huge venue. I’m wiser now.

Hello, cozy little watercolor corner. I’m back!

Summer, 1951

I’m wearing a necklace David gave me that year  to celebrate our “going steady” . The silver pendant has my name on one side and David’s on the other. I still have it, of course.

October 17, 1952

Woodland Christian Church in Houston, Texas. My brother, Rev. Emil Bunjes Jr. officiated. It was his first wedding to perform as a new seminary graduate and preacher.

2015 and happier than ever.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Colossians 3: 15 through 17

‘Til He Shouts!

1 Thessalonians 4:16

I’m an artist and I hate glue-guns! There, I said it. I feel better already. With the fall art show coming up in a couple of weeks, I’m busy framing the paintings which once again includes gluing paintings into floater frames. No, I didn’t buy new floater frames; I’ve learned my lesson.  Since frames are expensive I used four I had not used before.  I do not see the purchase of more floater frames in my future….ever again.

A once trusted friend had told me that  a glue gun worked just fine with floater frames. Further she said to re-use a floater frame “All you have to do is pop the old painting right out.”  But she failed to tell me that the painting might “pop” out unassisted. That year four paintings fell out of their frames as I walked into the exhibit venue. Bad timing. Bad!

For the full story read my blog, Art Show Fall-Out

Pretty frame, isn’t it?

Back to work.  Today I got out my glue gun intending to try my hand with the glue gun once again.  Four of the eleven show paintings were waiting to be glued into a floater frame.  It was soon apparent that I had not developed a talent for using a glue gun since I last tried and failed.

Feeling empowered by the frustration I threw the offending glue gun in the trash (after it had cooled, of course) and got out the “big gun” of the glue family………

Warning: Before you use this glue, you must have firmly decided that you want the object to be glued to STAY in that place forevermore. It…will…not…come…unglued! A little later these four paintings were happily attached into their forever-home floater frame. Done! Note: I’m not being paid to advertise this glue; just thought you might like to know about it.

By the way, the art show will be on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at the Kingwood Christian Church on Lake Houston Parkway, in Kingwood, Texas, from 12:30-4. It is a come-and-go event.

The Last Paintings of the September 2015 “30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge”

The idea to complete the last paintings as postcards came to me when our Granddaughter, Emily, gave me a gift; a pretty little tin of  4 x 6 watercolor paper postcards. She had just returned from completing a year of study at the London School of Economics.

When last did you receive a postcard? I can’t remember when I did. Now I have a neat little collection of them hand-painted by………..me!

“A Postcard From Switzerland” –Switzerland

“Vermillion Sunset at Grand Canyon”   –Arizona

“Yucca Plants in West Texas”   –Near El Paso

“Indian Paintbrushes and Bluebonnets”   –Central Texas

“A Corner Lot in Texas”   –Near Schulenburg

“Okaloosa Island”  –Florida

“Okaloosa Island Beach”    –Florida

“Deep Woods Pond”    –East Texas

“A Summer Day in Vail, Colorado”   –Colorado

“Brothers”   –Galveston, Texas

“A Courtyard in Mistra”  –Greece

“Wide Spot in the Creek”   –Central Texas

“Chamisa By The Road”    –New Mexico

“An India Evening”     India

“Main Street”      –New Mexico

“Taos Blue”    –New Mexico

“A Texas Backyard”   –Central Texas

 I painted each of these from photos I’ve taken myself, except for two; I have never been in India or Greece. I asked and got the permission from the photographers in each case.

More postcards are in the tin waiting to be painted. I’ll get to them another day….or month. Maybe the next 30-in-30 challenge.

Me, after completing the 30-in-30 Challenge.

On the first day of October almost every year I remember my big “October Mistake”.

When our third child, Karen, was born, the first one, Kevan, was not quite 4 years old. Yes, that means there was one in-between, Keith. It was a busy time and continued that way for several years. I often say that our children were all born the same year, but that is not quite accurate. But close.

While grocery shopping one day late in 1960 I found this adorable calendar and bought it.  I wish I could give credit where it is due, but there is no mention of the publisher or the illustrator on the calendar. I hung it on the wall and talked  to the children about it many times. It was a lot of fun.

When Karen was about 2, I made my big mistake. It was October 1 of that year and we four turned the calendar to enjoy the new month. With great excitement I said “Look, Kids, it is Halloween.”

Immediately an enormous celebration erupted, as only a 2 year old, a 4 year old, and a 6 year old can create. Unbridled excitement broke forth!

After  their cheers, hopping, laughing, and all around joy died down a bit, they ran to get their costumes. Only then did I realize…….they were ready to Trick or Treat right away….today, tonight, right now…on October 1.

I struggled to explain and correct my mistake.

Therefore….for the next 30 days……every morning……they would come to me begging, “Is it Halloween, yet?”

 I’m happy to say that the actual Halloween Trick-or-Treating celebration was a success, even though it took  f. o .r. e. v. e. r. to arrive.

I learned a valuable lesson that day.

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