New Year's Eve

The last day of 2005. Wow. Remember when it was so scary back in 1999? All the to-do about the Y2K bug? The pundits managed to do all that was necessary to prevent some of the chaos that could have ensued. Now we are five years down the road and have had a year filled with unbelievable natural disasters and some disasters caused by humans. What a year for hurricanes and tornadoes... and, of course, the tsunami and earthquake.

I am enjoying reading blogs. It is the new way for people to try their wings at publishing what they write. I have been introduced to a whole new world. Happy New Year, new world. I hope the new year brings good things to us all... good things mixed in with the inevitable sorrows. May God bless you all. vicki

Romeo and Juliet

I love this painting and have it hanging in my back hall. It is one of the first large wild mixed media I did on paper. I imagine the fish on your right being Romeo who is charging through a trap to rescue Juliet. I was explaining this to a little girl and she said, "Oh, no. Those are bulls in a bull fight." I immediately changed the name to "Fantasy." The story is in the eye of the beholder! However, I do have the right to MY fantasy, and while it is hanging in MY house, it is going to be Romeo and Juliet.

It is misty today and six inches of snow is predicted. I welcome snow for its beauty. Especially when the temperatures are rather mild. I also do not have to shovel. I must go and continue my quilting. vicki larson

Two Pair and a Spare

This is the fabulous painting! It is now sold and in someone else's hands. Hopefully hanging on their wall! One has a moment of mourning for a painting when it is sold. It is like moving away from an old friend. The friend is not dead, but will not be in your everyday life again. Which pear do you think is the spare? YUP. The one in the middle which is half yellow so it will fit in with those on the left, and half red so it can go with the ones on the right. Well, that is getting a little fanciful. Actually, that is getting a lot fanciful.

A cousin whom I had not seen for over 50 years visited today for lunch. It was great catching up on the news and touching base again. We went to the same college at the same time. His brother lives in the cities (Mpls/St. Paul!) and we will be able to get reacquainted with him the next time we hang out there. Chuck was returning from a trip to Antarctica and Chile. I kidded him that now he could check out the natives of Minnesota. I was pleased that he would take the time to drive a total of 5 hours to check us out. Thank you, Chuck.

Enough for today. I appreciate your comments. If you don't know how to comment let me know and I'll tell you how.

Explanation

I think a little explanation of how I chose the name of my blog would not be amiss. I painted a picture of five pears sitting in a row and my husband, George, suggested that it be called "Two Pair and a Spare." It seemed clever because of the sounds that are associated with the word pear, but never using the same word. Ah, yes. I just sold the painting this week, but I will reproduce it here later. While I was trying to think of a title for my blog, whatever I thought of was inadmissable because it had already been taken. Strangely this title was my own little unique deal. Thank you, George.

We are on the way to the funeral of a dear friend, Everett Nelson. So I will sign off now and get back to you later. vicki

Abstract

This is my most recent artwork. I am eager for your feedback. As you can see I do a variety of types of painting.

Christmas Eve. Naomi and Tony (daughter and son-in-law) are going to be here celebrating with us. We miss John, Beth, and Matthew, but we'll be seeing them in January. We miss our granddaughter, Hannah, as well.

Our grand-dog, John YaYa, is here for the festivities, but our other grand-dog, Piper, is in California.

I hope you are having a wonderful celebration around the birth of our Lord and Savior. We have to make sure not to get too taken up with the commercial emphasis that is so tempting. vicki

Coneflowers

This isn't the new painting, but I haven't gotten around to taking that photo yet! This is a watercolor of coneflowers. The very original title is "Coneflowers".
I am working on quilt tops for my great nephew and niece. Their father taught English speaking students in Singapore and Africa and passed away a few years ago. His collection of Indonesian cotton short-sleeved shirts are being used to make memorial quilts for his two children. It is such a labor of love. I'll try to include pictures of the completed quilts later.
For those interested in my work, I plan to post pictures of many of my paintings for your enjoyment (and purchasing!)
Christmas is coming and may you have a blessed time with your families and friends.

The artist and her work!

I am so excited to be introduced to the world of blog by my darling daughter Naomi. So far it has been great fun.

The painting that begins this page, Evening Tide, is entered in a show at the Lake Region Arts Council Gallery at Fergus Falls. I started painting rather conventional landscapes about 8 years ago when I quit teaching, but have now begun painting wild fluid acrylics and mixed media on paper. This painting is 27" x 35" unframed. It was painted to go in an exhibit called "Poetry/Visual Arts."

I am trying to find my voice as an artist. I think I will put in a picture of one I painted just now. I will add it tomorrow after I get it photographed, etc. and in due time it will appear like magic in this wonderful blog.

Hi to you all. I am excited. More tomorrow. vicki larson