ZZ The Lionhearted & Tuna Not

Since the twins were born, my creativity has been reborn through a desire to tell them their own little stories through their own little books. It isn't as easy as I thought it would be, and so far I have yet to write "The End" on more than anything longer than one page stories. But it is Esmes' & Bayas' reaction to them that thrill me. They are simply delighted by these silly paintings and stories, and so I shall try to upload them for you too. I like them, I am kind of childish myself, or maybe that is childlike. Sounds much better.

I suppose a green ZZ is no surprise to the poor confused things; in their nursery is a painting of me with solid red hair holding a truly purple cat. They were really little when Rebecca hung it there, but they knew right away it was their nana. Hm... Well what ZZ showed me that day was toddlers don't need a whole lot of words, but they really like it if you write about them. And happen to imagine that toddler, just as she is imagining herself. An actress. Why did that not surprise me??? A thousand examples, but I suppose mostly watching her play the crowds. Personally I think she'd do great in politics. She could sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, or nag you to death trying. And you'd never realize why you're even upset until the next day.

Now Baya is such a mystery to me. I always thought she was a perfect little angel, because whenever I am with her, she just cuddles with me and snuggles and is as sweet as pie. I have never seen a nasty look pass her gentle little face. But it isn't so, I am afraid. Baya is a little trouble maker, and pushes poor ZZ around with gusto. Oh dear, this wasn't what I thought at all, but it is time to accept things as they are. I just didn't know. Well I shall have to write a book about how littles girls who hit grow up to have pimples and cellulite, but unfortunately I don't think those threats are yet meaningful. Maybe little hitters get no pink popsicles forever and ever? The twins are into all things pink!

Just back from Leah Miriams' blog, "Maggies' Chronicle", and am so charmed by the new photographs. I keep thinking how these babies started out so beautiful and fascinating and have just grown more so everyday. I adore their antics. And that Maggie has such a smile, there is no describing it at all. She is so sweet and friendly and you can't help but smile back at her. I am not sure I like their new address in N.Walpole. I miss them a lot.

Dear little twins; siblings none the less. I guess they do have their little battles. However, they also make up very quickly, and are quite happy with alternative solutions. And love each other up and snuggle and kiss. I miss them every single day.

Call me Beet Red

Call me Beet Red

If you had any idea how hard I have been working to upload a decent sized image, then you'd probably either say, good job, Faye, or, you're totally nuts to keep at something that long. What purpose does it serve? None, but if you're like me and you've started something, you just want to finish it. In some kind of order that works. More or less.

This little sketch was a lot of fun for me because it is very much like what I have been doing with paper, paint, and watercolor pencils. In this piece, I used a different program for watercolors, and another for the pencil work. The surprising part to me, is how alike the finished pieces are. Very much alike. So I am happy to put up something that is large enough to see, even though I am not sure the technique I used is 'correct'. Blogger has its' own ideas about jpgs, and so forth. Anyway, working back and forth between the watercolor and the pencils was very time consuming, but much easier than using 'regular' materials for me. No clean up when I am done, and no start up either, for that matter. The hardest part is learning what I am doing!

This all started because I wanted to draw some funny pictures for Baya and ZZ, and they are so very easy to please. They love my fish with Maxxes' face, my ZZ drawn with a green face and a butterfly body, their imaginations fill in the pieces easily. No wonder we play so nicely together...

And oh, there is no such thing as 'the Apple Command Key'. Just don't ask. Poor me, poor Lucky, her wonderful lessons, and I blew it after all... well tonight I have been given off from learning anything else, and that is that. But thanks anyway, I still feel like I should have stayed back in 5th grade after all...

Luckys' Lessons

An Artists' Life

You guys are like the best. I mention I am having a problem uploading pictures of paintings, and Lucky writes me not one, but two long emails explaining why my efforts were going nowhere. We'll soon find out, because with me, Lucky has a way of understanding just how much detail I need. A whole lot. A very very whole lot. And then I finally have what she calls - and now so do I - the Eureka moment.

Here is a little story about that moment. For years I have been sending you all photos, one at a time. Because I haven't grasped the really easy way to stick them all on one email. This method, dear and patient Lucky described to me six different ways at least, never once losing it with me, and descending into the
awful level of calling me names (this has happened) or giving up on me (this has also happened - a lot). It is so easy that when I reached the "Eureka moment" I almost died of embarrassment. I mean, years. Poor Lucky has never given up on me, and now, I own this skill, and boy, are people going to get long strings of photos at the same time!

But all and all, I have to say, it is embarassing to take so long to not understand
WHICH Apple Control key Lucky was referring to; there is only one; or two if you count the one on the other side of the spacebar. It is exactly the same as the other one, if you are the second to the last person in the world to not know what that useful key is called. Or another thing it is good for, besides dramatic shut downs...