Just Because

February 29, 2016 | JP Dawes Artist

I am so rich to have such a wonderful friend as Geri deGruy. We ‘met’ in the SAQA online critique group. I invited her to play along with the Arts in the Cards atc trading group and we got to know each other better as artists and people. Once in awhile there is that rare soul that you just make a connection with. Geri is one of those people.

Imagine my surprise when I received a box in the mail with her return address. Inside was a box with 6 of her wonderful small art pieces. Not prints, the real deal! And the best part, besides being from her, is they were ‘just because’. How cool is that to have such a wonderful friend! Click her link above or on the photos below to visit her website. I think you will be in awe of her talent!

A Little R & R

February 8, 2016 | JP Dawes Artist

Ron and I took a much needed weekend away. We hired a babysitter to spend the nights with our tiny pups and hit the road. We decided we needed to check out Springfield, MO a little more. They have a new boutique hotel Hotel Vandivort to explore. We used to take weekend trips like this quite often in our younger days but since we purchased a small motor home they became a thing of the past.

We made certain to plan our stay around a First Friday Art Walk. The weather has remained balmy so walking would be pleasant. We had no luck finding the kind of restaurant we wanted for dinner. Most of the offerings were the standard sandwiches and fried foods, maybe that’s what the hip people eat now and we were showing our age. We found a neat little place that looked upscale, nice interior, nice wait persons. Odd menu items but we decided to give it a try. Ugh! The best thing we ate was the salad so that should give you an idea.

A gallery was next door with mostly architectural offerings. They had many oriental rugs and we gravitated to them. Rather than show us, they said they had many in the basement and if we wanted to come back another time they would show them to us, but they were really tired from working all day ?????

We had a map of participating galleries. And found 2 open. Amazing, right? On our walk back to the hotel we stopped at a bistro market for ice cream. Next to the hotel the gallery we could see from our hotel window finally was open, all be it an hour and half too late. My arthritic joints were screaming by that time so a walk up 3 flights of stairs to see the art wasn’t going to happen.

Here are some photos I took that I think are more exciting than the non-existent art walk.

Tunic top Completed

January 24, 2016 | JP Dawes Artist

Love how this looks completed. It is perfect paired with black leggings and black shirt. I finished off the rolled neckline with a simple chain stitch hand embroidery. The sleeves are cuffed and the front is split. I used Sew Tina Givens Bloom Dress pattern with modifications. Nice to have something that flows over the hips!

Never Give Up

November 28, 2015 | JP Dawes Artist

this is a story about adversity. 5 years ago we bought a beautiful full holiday cactus. It bloomed for months. Then one day it started to wither. So it was pruned and repotted in fresh soil. It continued to wither so in the spring it was set outside and out of mind. In the summer it grew one paddle but the rest of it withered. When frost was predicted, it was left outside on the back of the porch. Of course I didn’t think it would survive. I was pretty tired of this sorry looking thing that refused to respond to my nurturing. But it survived, for 5 years it survived being left out in the cold, never growing. This year I moved it under the weeping pussy willow. Two weeks ago while cleaning off the porch I noticed a miracle. The ends were turning red. Then there were buds. This year as frost was predicted I brought this in by the kitchen window. And now I’m rewarded with 3 blooms. After all my harsh treatment this little plant is giving me some magic. The lesson learned is to never give up, we all bloom in our own time.