Hunters Rob Citizens of Paradise

One of the best things about living in Southern Chester County Pa. is the many pristine and beautiful Nature Preserves that make up a good portion of my 12 square mile township. Along with the cow farms, horse farms and wineries, these are the places that recharge me as a person and inspire me as an artist. After a hot, hot summer in which I did not care to go outside much to excercise but opted for the YMCA instead, I have started to really look forward to my favorite time of year- Autumn.

With the temperatures already beginning to cool, I have felt motivated to get up in the morning to head to one of my favorite spots to hike. White Clay Creek State Park straddles Pa. and Delaware with some trails beginning about 1 mile from my house in Pa. It is a spectacular place to walk along the creek as attested to by the many joggers, bikers, and dog walkers that I usually pass along my way. One of my other favorite places is Crossan Park in Franklin Preserve.

Recently I learned that I have to be willing to take my chances on having an arrow shot in my back or getting shot with a gun if I want to enjoy a walk in any of four Nature Preserves.(Goodwin, Banffshire, White Clay Creek Crescent, Franklin) Apparently, our local township supervisors have approved provisions for a private Hunting Club of about 30 members which puts local residents at risk.

Formerly limited to 2 weeks of archery hunting only, the gun club can now hunt for 6 weeks with bow and arrow and GUNS. There is no restriction on the hours and the parks will remain open.

The best part? They are allowing children under 18 to hunt!

Therefore, township residents who pay for these parks are restricted in their usage of them for the recreation of 30 people. The Supervisors who approved this are selling it as deer management even though they voted to dissolve as unnecessary the oversight group previously formed and set in place for that purpose.

I am glad to know about this. I was able to warn my daughter that she and her friends should not enter the woods near our local park. I know that I can't go in there. Uninformed people however, who may decide to go out for a walk at the wrong time could end up shot by by some 12 year old with a gun or an overzealous adult.

There is no other township in our county that allows such insanity in their township owned parks. I just pray that no one ends up hurt or worse before ours figures out that this is a bad idea.

Jesus Enjoying A Good Laugh-Video

Children's Book 35% off for International Book Giving Day

February 14 is not only Valentines Day but International Book Giving Day. The mission of International Book Giving Day is to get new, used, or borrowed books in the hands of as many kids as possible. Click on the link to be taken to a blog post with more information and ideas for giving books to kids at home and abroad.

In an effort to support this project, I will be discounting "Millicent and the Faraway Moon" by 35% ! in my etsy shop on Feb. 14 only. Use the code "giveabook" at the checkout for your discount. I will sign it and if you want it sent to someone other than yourself make a note on your order. Even if you don't have kids, think about one for your church library, a doctors office, daycare center etc. Leave it anonymously! Committing a random act of kindness leaves you with the warm fuzzies inside! Even if you don't get one of my books I hope you will participate by giving another new or used book :0)We need to keep our kids reading!

I Paint My Way through Strong Emotions

My one and only child left for college last week. These pretty much sum it up...

Empty Nest

Fly, Baby, Fly

Wow! Treasury Mania!

I guess I should go away more often. We went to Baltimore and DC for a little Birthday getaway and when I came home, I found I had been included in 3 treasuries! Thanks to you folks for including me in your awesome finds! Jesse at Frolicking Fiber, Dani Gates, and Carol M Pendergast Kimball.

Be Bleau

Moments in time with Mother and Child

Woof

Just featured in Another Beautiful Treasury!

This one is called Amour, Amour by MarilyndaGallery. and features my Mother and Child painting. Click on the image to check it out!

Adventures in Clay and Snow

Well, we got walloped with snow last night and lost power overnight. We had about 8 inches dumped on us which my oldest cat (Fluffer ,13) wasn't so sure he wanted to trek far into. And I left Buffalo? Doesn't feel like it these past two winters. Thank God for art. I had fun hand building to make these clay mother and child pieces. Sadly for me. the clay studio is closed today due to the snow and I won't be able to take them until Monday to get fired. I will post them again once they are glazed. Hope you like them :0)

How I Paint-Challenge #7

I got in the studio at a decent hour today and produced this little painting. I don't think it is done, there are a couple of things I would like to improve upon but I had to get off of my foot. I have had it in an air cast for the last week after having the dreaded steroid shot in my heel for plantar faciitis. It was feeling pretty good but I

guess maybe I overdid it, so here I sit- blogging

with ice under it.....I thought I would show you how I sometimes paint. Often my work is straight out of my imagination

but I sometimes need a prompt or reference like I showed you in the "Can We Play More?" painting. Here I will take you through the whole process of this

painting.

This is the clip art reference I started from

I initially envisioned it as a beach scene and started laying in color for sand and sky

Then I start painting in the children

I decided that it was too flat, that there was not enough contrast, so it became a lawn game :0)

So I added a few small details, like grass and polka dots on the ball and there you have it. Like I said, I think it still needs a little work, but a good exercise nonetheless.