Memorial Day...

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Dedicating this post to my Dad, John E. Launius, and all our veterans ~ past and present ~ whose service to this country reminds us that our freedom isn't really free...

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The flight crew.

 My Dad was navigator (by the stars!)...

 Daddy told me about each one of the men on several different occasions; he remembered all their names and where they were from; what they did back "at home"... but they didn't all come home... He and tail-gunner James Cook (of Atlanta, top row, second from right) remained close friends for the rest of their lives, though; Mr. Cook (just "Cook", Daddy called him ~ and he called my Dad "Lonnie" ~ for Launius)  passed away a month before Daddy. He was such a nice man ~ my children and I stopped to visit him and his family a few years ago on our way to Florida...he sure did think highly of my Dad. Truly, the Greatest Generation...

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Here is my "painting spot" in the basement. I love it. You can't tell, but I have lots of light (I've always preferred painting in the wee hours), but in case I do venture down during daylight hours (as was the case today), there's a large window-well (required now in basements for an escape route) for natural light. It (the basement) will eventually be "finished", but for now I'm happy. It's "semi-finished" ~ I have a nice floor to stand on (and a nice bathroom nearby). Always did love playing in the basement...cool, quiet... bliss!

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Yesterday I went to Goodwill to look for white plates/saucers for my watercolors. I have a huge, heavy porcelain, multi-welled watercolor palette (filled with paint), but I always prefer using smaller, individual plates and fresh pigment for each painting...that way I can keep separate color palettes going for each painting. Much nicer. (And lighter!) And, I hit the Mother-Lode! I got a whole stack of orphaned white saucers, four of which have the coolest raised center ~ they look like the expensive specialty watercolor dishes sold by Daniel Smith ~ for fifty cents each! (YAY!!) I love Goodwill...



(I realize I'm probably much too excited about this...)



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They work perfectly! I put the concentrated watercolor in the middle, and am able to make lighter washes around the edge...



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Here is the start of my magnolia/hydrangea painting I'm calling "The Queen and Her Court" (kind of a play on the fact the the Magnolia is often referred to as the Southern "Queen" of flowering trees...and also on the chess table I've set the still-life up on). I've never attempted painting crystal like this, so I have lots of masking fluid saving my white paper...we'll see how it goes! (I've never had much luck with masking fluid, but now it's available in a very thin formula that is applied with a needle-like applicator.) Also, though it now has a yellow underpainting, the background will be dark.



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Here is the beginning of the first of two paintings I'm doing of some Oriental Lilies, called "After Eight"... SO pretty...similar to Stargazers...and they smell heavenly! They will both be on full-sized sheets of watercolor paper (22"x30"); and again, this one has a yellow underpainting to give it a nice "glow" ~ :^)



I think doing florals like these, in a natural setting, is my favorite painting subject matter...you can have some really abstract areas, and it still looks completely correct.



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Okay, I was about to brag that my kitties never get on things, that I didn't have to worry about little paint-y pawprints going across my paintings now...(yes, this happened often with my Angel-Kitties...and, yes, to have them all back I would welcome some ruined paintings, but...) ~ ♥

Then I came back down the stairs just a few minutes ago, and there is Leo, and I know what he's thinking...

Can't you just see it in his face?

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Don't do it, Weo-Weo!...(didn't I tell you about that name thing I have?)...I moved the paint-plates and water just in case...though Leo maintains his innocence...



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I hope everyone has had a safe and fabulous holiday weekend...school is behind us now, until August...I wonder what's next??

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Anne

Oh, I almost forgot...when looking through my art/clippings file for a dragonfly reference photo (that I may use in the "After Eight" lilies paintings), I found this postcard I've had...circa 1905, back when Memorial Day was referred to as "Decoration Day"...(my grandparents always called it that)...

A reminder of such a gentler time...



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