WELL ... I'M ON MY THIRD CUP OF COFFEE ...

Which means it's still early in the day!  :)  By the end of the day it will be at least a few more than that.  And then I wonder why I have trouble sleeping! :/

My knee surgery (at least this first one!) is slowly fading into the background.  That's a good thing.  Got enough work done for my Show Opening last week.  Another good thing.  Working on new pieces for the Coeur d'Alene Artists Studio Tour in a few weeks ... another good thing.  Even though I don't live in Coeur d'Alene (and my Studio is too far out of town to be included) I was asked to participate.  I agreed ... before I realized it was the same weekend as my Step-Sons Wedding.  It's the coffee, I'm sure. :(  By the time I realized the two were colliding it was too late to try and bow out of the tour gracefully. The powers that be were nice enough to get someone to stand in for me on the day of the Wedding but it's going to be a very interesting week!

For those of you in the area the Studio Tour is Sept. 12th and 13th.  I will be at the Jacklin Center in Post Falls along with Artist Sheila Beldsoe.

AND THEY HELD THEIR BREATH IN ANTICIPATION

12 x 12" Acrylic on Textured wood panel.

I'm working on trying to get a little looser in my work.  Above is one of my newest pieces I did for the upcoming Studio Tour.  

EARLY OCTOBER.  LATE AFTERNOON.

18 x 18" Acrylic on Canvas

Early October. Late Afternoon. was done abut 2 weeks prior to And They Held Their Breath in Anticipation.  I feel like I'm on the edge of where I want to be but just can't ..... quite ..... jump ..... off ..... that ..... ledge.  

The two pieces from my last Blog were sold.  

Thank you both very much!

           Evening on the Dunes              Summer Afternoon in Blue

"As daddy said, life is 95 percent anticipation."

~  Gloria Swanson

til next time ...

Charleen

WWW.CHARLEENMARTIN.COM

AND SHE SAID "I KNOW ... IT'S ABOUT TIME!"

I wrote in my last months (well, actually June) Newsletter  that sometimes Life gets in the way of Life.  That was shortly after my husband suffered a stroke.  That being one of the several reasons you haven't heard from me.  (He was lucky. He is doing very well now, Thank you!  If you get a moment, and didn't receive my Newsletter, you just might want to click on the  above link and read last months letter.  His symptoms were not the norm but definitely something everyone should be aware of ) The Best of intentions can be railroaded so easily can't they?  This month (well, actually July ... I keep forgetting it's August 1st!) I decided he'd had enough of the attention so in for knee surgery I went.  :)   The first of two, and this one was suppose to be the simple one.  Not quite as simple as we thought so the knee has been up, the pain pills out and the brushes 'almost' dry.  I did get some work done but not nearly what I had expected.  There will be another knee surgery, but hopefully not for another couple of months. Time to catch up.

In between all of this I had a birthday.  A BIG BIRTHDAY.  In fact, a VERY BIG BIRTHDAY.  :/  I thought I'd share with you the card that my grandchildren made for me in case you have never seen one of these.  I had seen several smaller versions of this that they had done for their friends in the past, but this one was quite the surprise.  A lot of work, a lot of imagination and ... a lot of calories!  It may be a little hard to follow in some spots but I think you'll get the idea.

Art in Flavors!  Just fun and the idea could be used in so many other ways :)  I'm a pretty lucky Grandma. 

NOW ON TO MORE SERIOUS MATTERS!  :)

EVENING ON THE DUNES

This is a 6 x 8" Acrylic on Textured Wood Panel.

More information on this Piece can be found by clicking HERE

I've been doing a lot of my work lately on textured Panels.  And, when you have a lot going on, Painting is much easier to set up and do than trying to arrange a gazillion small pieces of paper for one of my Collages.  

Here's another ...

SUMMER AFTERNOON IN BLUE

8 x 10 Acrylic on Textured Wood Panel

More information on this piece can be found by clicking HERE

Blue is such an inviting color and I find, an easy color to work with.  

"I think I have something to wear tonight that is not quite correct for Evening wear.  

Blue suede shoes."

                                           ~  Elvis Presley

til next time ...

             Charleen

DECEMBER SONG FROM THE IDAHO STUDIO of CHARLEEN MARTIN

DECEMBER SONG

This is another Piece that I did using a Brayer, Palette Knife and Brush.  It's a fun technique to do because there is still an element of surprise (for me!) to the finished piece.  

5 x 7" on Textured Wood Panel

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus

FROM THE IDAHO STUDIO of CHARLEEN MARTIN

“Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, 

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore."

Edgar Allen Poe  (The Raven)

GUARDIAN OF HISTORY

6 x 6 x 1.5"  on Textured Canvas

This is Texture, then Paint, then Collage and then the Raven painted on top.  The background has an irridescent glow to it. 

I love painbting Ravens.  There is just so much personality involved.  

For more information on this Piece Please Click  Here

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.

Michaelangelo

Charleen

FROM THE IDAHO STUDIO of CHARLEEN MARTIN

MUSHROOMS ANYONE ...?

Sorry.  These are the legal kind.  Or at least so I'm told!  I've been eating them for the last week and haven't taken any unexplained 'trips' so I think they are right.  :)

These are Morel Mushrooms.  A lot of you may know that already but I'd never seen, or had any before this past week.   I'd heard the name but that was it.  My neighbor introduced me to them.  They had gone mushroom gathering and she brought me some of hers.  I guess they are in abundance in this area and this is the season for picking them.  If you like mushrooms (and I do) these are delicious.  Sorry if you know all about these already but I figure there has to be one or two others out there like me who were not mushroom educated.  :)

I have a couple of small pieces that I've done that I will share today.  I do need to get on the stick and get a few bigger pieces done.  :/ 

MORNING ARRIVES ... FASHIONABLY LATE

5 X 7"  on Textured Wood Panel

This was a fun Piece to do and somewhat of an experiment.  I textured the wood, then used a Brayer to put on the initial background.  After that I used a Brush and a Palette Knife to finish up the piece.  I love how it turned out and I know I'll use this process again in the future.

For more information on this Piece Please Click Here

WHEN THE SUNSET IS IN AGREEMENT

6 x 6 on Textured Wood Panel

This is another Piece done on a Textured background and this is especially striking from a distance.  I also used a Brayer, Brush and Palette Knife on this one.  :) 

For more information on this Piece Please Click Here

You can't depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus ...

Mark Twain

A 'toast' to Wonderful Memories of those who have gone on ahead.

Have a Wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Charleen

AND THE NIGHT WATCHES OVER THE FIELDS ....

                                                WAITING.

'AND THE NIGHT WATCHES OVER THE FIELDS ... WAITING.'

12 x 16 Acrylic on Textured Canvas

For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

Have a great week!

Charleen

I often think that the night is more alive
and more richly colored than the day. 

~Vincent Van Gogh

THE APRIL RAINS STRUCK OUT ...

... at least here in Mullan, Idaho!

We had plenty of April Rains but there isn't much to see for May Flowers. A Tulip or Daffodil here or there but not much more.  I know that's probably because of our altitude (3278 feet) which means the Flowers will just be later in getting here and earlier to leave. :(  I tried to hurry things along last weekend by planting some Flowers in my Strawberry Pots just for some color.  Unfortunately that was an Oops! because the next day everything was wilted from the nightime colder temperatures.  It was 70 during the day (Now back down to the 50's) but it went down to the low 40's that night.  My impatience caught up with me.

I did a smaller Piece very similar to this a while back but only with two Trees.  The Trees were also 'in discussion' in that one.  It sold right away ... I think mostly because of the Trees conversation!  :)  I decided to do another, mostly because it was just a fun Piece.  Hopefully this brings a smile or two also.

 

THE SIBLING TREES:  "MOVE OVER!"

                                                           "NO ... YOU MOVE OVER!"

8 x 10 Acrylic on Textured Wood Panel.
For more information on this Piece Please Click HERE

Here's a little Gem.. Maybe perfect for the Sunflower Lover? :) This is a 4 x 4" that comes with it's own stand (as shown) for Display.

 

'A SUNFLOWER KISS'

4 X 4"  on Wood Panel w/Stand

For more information Please Click  HERE

Another landscape on a Textured Wood Panel ...

'THE EVENING SMILED IN ITS SILENCE'

12 x 12" Acrylic on Textured Panel

For more information Please Click HERE

Mothers Day is this coming Weekend.   I want to Wish, whomever wants to accept the Wish, :) a very Happy Mothers Day!

And then, I'll let Milton Berle finish up ...

"If evolution really works, how come Mothers only have two hands?"