Saturday

A Painting For Michael

This is Sidney, our Australian Shepherd. I know every dog owner thinks that their dog is the best, the smartest, the most wonderful dog that every lived, but Sidney really was. We lost him a few years ago and we all still miss him terribly. But no one more than his best friend, my son Michael. So I decided that the first portrait I painted would be of Sidney. When Michael opened his gift on Christmas day we all smiled and Rebecca and I cried just a little.



Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Friday

A Painting For Rebecca

This is a painting I did for my daughter Rebecca for Christmas. Rebecca, in her teens, was an avid horsewoman. She has a real gift. It's been her dream to return to riding some day. I thought this painting might help her keep focused on that dream!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Tuesday



"Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget."

With this thought, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, all the Happiest Holidays and all the luck the New Year could possibly bring to you.

May peace, love and prosperity follow you always


Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year.


Hugs,

Kathy



Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Monday

Ornaments On The Studio Table


This ornament has great potential. I was looking for something more dramatic than glitter when I found crystal vase fill for floral arrangements. I was amazed that it stuck to the gallery glass...but it did! It's been a week now and, once the loose ones were knocked off, the "crystal" has hardened beautifully.

I'm not sure what I'll do next, whether a photo or painting inside or a painting on the window. Any ideas?
The second ornament made it to the tree. Sarah and I worked on it together. She wanted to paint it like a wrapped present. I swirled paint inside the ornament first. On the outside I painted a ribbon shape with gold paint. That didn't stand out so we used FA Gems paint to edge the ribbon. Still not dramatic enough. I found some Liquid Beadz and tried those. Success!

Today I'm off to work for a while and then I need to find a frame for a painting that I finished yesterday. I'll share it with you after the recipient finds it under the tree on Christmas morning!

I'll check in with you tomorrow with my Christmas Card for you all!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Sunday

Oh Christmas Tree!


Every year, after the tree is trimmed and the lights are turned on for the first time, we all insist that surely this is the prettiest tree we've EVER had! It happens without fail. It's that eternal optimism that warms my heart!

This year is no exception. The tree glows with tiny white lights, newer shiny ornaments and old handmade ones. Two of my favorites were made by my children Michael (now 28) and Rebecca (now 25) when they were in grade school.

Michael's is a wooden tree laced with glitter and sporting his school picture, while Rebecca's is an angel crafted from an oyster shell.

Tomorrow I'll have a few more in the series of glass ornaments. I took the glitter idea to a new level...I need your opinion!






Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Saturday

Ya Better Watch Out!


"He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake!"


This jolly fellow stands in the corner opposite our Christmas tree. I painted him about 6 years ago and am embarrassed to say that I still have not finished him! There are some unfinished details on the right side . . . tactfully tucked behind the silk tree. . . that haunt me! Every year I tell myself that he won't take his postion again until he's complete, and then, well you know the rest! He is designed by Ronnie Bringle. We painted him in a class and Tami, my teacher at the time, had the wood cutter enlarge the pattern to make him about 4 feet tall.

Santa quietly watches everyone from this spot. My granddaughter Sarah loves to go stand next to him and compare her height to that of the little girl. It wasn't that long ago that they were the same size!

Christmas traditions evolve...they can't be forced. Many years ago, when my children were small, I asked them to tell me what our tradition were. Their list wasn't the same as mine. That's when I realized that traditions are very personal and that it's up to each of us to keep our traditions alive.

Tomorrow I'll have pictures of our tree and some of my favorite ornaments made by my children when they were in grade school!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Friday

This Year's Special Ornament


First, I have to apologize for the quality of the second photo. I took this with my cell phone and you can see the glare from the store window. I had good intentions of photographing it at home before I sent the two ornaments to my mom and sister....but you know what they say about good intentions! They were packed and in the mail when I realized that I had skipped that step!

I have to thank my sister, Patty, for helping me pull this one off. I couldn't find my copy of this picture of the three of us. Patty mailed me hers after delicately removing it from its frame. I scanned it into the computer and repaired a few creases and cracks.

The ornament itself is a larger 4 inch ornament. I really enjoyed working with it and hope to do more.

If you're interested in having me make you a Memories Under Glass Ornament please e-mail me. They make wonderful gifts for just about any occassion. I have a couple of options for displaying your ornament as well. After the first of the year I'll be formally introducing this new product, but I wanted to share it with you first!

Tomorrow I'll show you our tree and some of the handmade ornaments!



Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.comAdd Image

Wednesday

Another Family Treasure


This little tray is 10 years old. It's seen a lot of Christmas Cookies and its fair share of egg nog! I think this is a Jo Sonja design, but I can't be entirely sure. My apologies if I'm crediting the wrong artist!

Well, it's the home stretch now! Eddie and I, believe it or not, decorated the tree at 6:30 this morning! Now we're off for some last minute shopping and then I'll be working the rest of the day.

I'm looking forward to Cookie Day on Sunday. I'll tell you all about it later!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Sunday

Family Holiday Treasures

This little fellow is one of the first pieces I ever painted . . . twenty years ago! My children enjoyed candy canes he holds and now our grandchildren find joy in the same treats. When he makes his appearance every year it signals the beginning of holiday fun!

Over the next few posts I'll share more of our family holiday traditions and treasures.

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Friday

School Spirit Ornaments

Here in South Carolina when it comes to college football if you're not a University of South Carolina Fighting Gamecock, then you must be a Clemson Tiger! At least that's what I was told when I moved here 30 years ago. College football, and the inevitable rivalries, is HUGE here!!

I made these ornaments to display on a tree in our cellular phone store. They were such a big hit and people wanted to buy them so I let them!
Which is more popular? So far it's a tie!

They sell for $15 each or two for $25. They come boxed and ready to wrap.

For more information or to order yours contact Kathy:

Thursday

Ready for Hanging!

Almost done now . . . Here's a shot of the transparency after I painted it, and before I cut it to insert in the ornaments.

This time I cut the circles free hand leaving a tab where the neck of the ornament will be. I'd seen that tip on Carol Duvall and forgot about it until my painting buddy Lena mentioned it on one of our painting yahoo groups. It works great and is very forgiving if you've cut the circle a little too small!

Here is the finished ornament...a grove of trees following a winter snow . . . the nice fluffy kind. "Christmas Snow" as my sister Patty calls it. Please excuse the glare . . . I need to get better at photographing glass!

Patty called the other night from Vermont to tell me that she was looking out at the first "Christmas Snow" of the season. And here I was cranking up the AC with 80 degree weather!
I get soooo homesick this time of year!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Tuesday

Ornament: Step Two

It was a busy day with oil class and work. The eighty degree unseasonably warm temps make it hard to believe that Christmas is two weeks away! Here I am in a Polo shirt feeling more like early Summer!

I finished stage two of these ribbon window ornaments today. Notice that I left the loops of the Gallery Glass ribbon clear for a different look and feel. Tomorrow I'll paint the transparency with a winter scene and insert it. Stay tuned!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Monday

Ornaments In Progress

These little ornaments are heading to my Mom in Massachusetts and from there on to some of her friends for Christmas. These particular ones have the flat space on the front meant for a photo. I've outlined the edges of this flat section with gold Gallery Glass and added a bow shape at the top. In the center of the bow knot I place a half "pearl".

Tomorrow I'll glitter them and then after that I'll insert a transparency circle with a snowy winter scene. Stay tuned for step 2!


Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Thursday

Playing Dress Up!

I finished Sarah Mae's painting on Tuesday. Here she is playing dress up with those over sized long gloves and that straw hat that I painted. The photo isn't the best quality partly because the paint is still wet and I picked up some glare.

If you look back at the In Progress version earlier in the Blog you'll see a change that Joyce had me make to the bottom of her dress. I had it fairly straight across the bottom because that's what I saw in the photo. Joyce had me visualize her as a cylinder and encouraged me to round off the edges of her dress so that she wouldn't look so flat. Neat, huh?!.

This class is the best thing I've done for ME in a long time! Do something special for just YOU today!

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Wednesday

A Bit of Whimsy!

I'm a Crafter at heart....and proud of it! My new adventure in oil painting hasn't changed that. I love to make stuff....I look at everything before I toss it and ask myself that burning question, "What could I do with THIS?"! Have you been there?

This little piece of whimsy pays homage to a broken plate. I just couldn't throw it away! So now it sits in my studio enjoying new life in this teapot mosaic.


Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Monday

In Praise of the Scruffy Brush!

This piece is an oldie but goodie, and remains one of my favorites because it was so simple!

Sometimes, although we want to redo a piece of furniture that's seen better days, we get overwhelmed at the "where do I begin" phase. My solution here was to begin with a plan and a very large Scruffy Brush. That's it!

I removed the hardware and set it aside. It was pounced with FA Sunflower and White, as was the trim. The base was pounced with FA Bayberry and White; the top with FA Night Sky and white. The hardest part was the occasional cramping in my wrist!

I did clean the piece in advance, and, if I had it do do over again I might give it a quick coat of spray Kilz. But, the after piece was finished and varnished no one knew it wasn't primed....and, when all is said and done, it has passed the test of time!

So grab that Scruffy and start pouncing! My sister Patty did the walls of the flower shop with a large Scruffy. It's clearly the "duct tape" of the decorative painter!


Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com

Saturday

Rose Spray on Journal

This is a journal painted for an on line painting group exchange. It went to my painting buddy Keni in Virginia. The design is by Australian artist, Jan Fox. Jan is so very talented. I just love her style!

Hand made gifts are so special...for both the recipient and the giver. Whether it's something hand crafted or a special recipe made with love. The time, thought and effort expended are priceless.

At this time of year it's so easy to get caught up in the rush to the mall, or shopping on line or frantically leafing through the mountain of catalogues. Take a deep breath and step back for a minute. Consider something hand made instead!


"Success is the quality of the journey"

Contact Kathy At kathysweeney@gmail.com