Pursuing The Dream

Yes, I’ve been busy and that dream has always been to pursue and improve my art, as well as to be able to share it by making it  available for sale.  I did follow through and put together a number of items available for Third Thursday in Rio Vista.  I set up a table last month.  Since this was the first one of the season, there wasn’t a whole lot of traffic.  I did sell a couple of packages of stationery (from my old  stock).  I did speak to the purchaser, who said that she would have paid double.  Maybe it will be better in June.

                                

Below are some new small paintings of places around Rio Vista.

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Another thing that I have been doing is attending some “Meet Ups” with the Sacramento Plein Air Painters Group.  We met up at one of the members home in Courtland, which is in the Sacramento Delta.  The property is amazing,   No matter where you look, it can be a picture.

 

I hope that you all had a great holiday weekend.  Mine was busy, as it was the first weekend that I actually took part in “Activities”.  Saturday began with a “Fishing Derby” for the kids.  There was to be a prize for the one who caught the “biggest fish” and one for the one who caught the “most fish”.  There were three families  (7 kids) that paricipated.  The boy below is the one who won the prize, but not for the above categories.  It was for the one who lasted the longest and for feeding the most fish.  No one caught any fish.

                                

Later in the afternoon, instead of doing a craft, we did face painting.  Most of the boys wanted their arms painted instead of their faces.  The kids love to have their faces painted.

                               

Then there was a movie at 8:30.  Fortunately one of the workampers took care of that. Then on Sunday morning instead of doing a scavenger hunt, I set up some lawn games, only a few kids showed up.  More face painting in the afternoon and another movie.  That was the extent of what I did over the weekend.

Yesterday, the holiday, the holiday campers left.  I didn’t have to work, so I went into Lodi to Staples to get some prints made of my original watercolors.  On the way we had to wait for a bridge to let a boat go by.  It just swings aside instead of raising.  It was interestong to watch and the first time since I’ve been here that I have seen the bridge operate. 

     

I’m now trying to build up my inventory again.  I did finish the tote below, so that will go to Third Thursday along with the things that I didn’t bring to Benicia, where I have rented space in an Artist’s Studio.  There is a lot of traffic there, so hopefully some of my art will sell.  Wish me luck!

                                 

That’s about all that I have been doing.  Hopefully I will have a productive summer and that you all have a wonderful one too.

Thanks for visiting

  I’m soooo comfy.

Susan and Angel

I’m Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

      

I have the best son, He came out to help me on Mothers Day.  He was able to fix my BR window that was leaking.  He also fixed the gemerator exhaust pipe that had fallen.  Then we took off for a road trip and ended up in Benicia on the east side of San Francisco Bay where we had lunch at Sailor Jack’s.  We had a 45 minute wait for a table, so we wandered through some of the shops and galleries.  I really like Benicia.  It’s a quirky little seaside town.  I’ll have to go back there when I can take my time and wander some more.

While I was out wandering throughout the Delta, I have made several stops to add to my art supplies.  I am mainly painting with watercolor and acrylics in addition to the needle felting. With all the money that I have been spending, I thought I had better try to recoup some of it by selling some of my work.

I have been trying to get out and involved, so have been going to the Senior Center in Rio Vista on Fridays.  There a few women that get together and bring their needlework.  So I bring some of mine to work on too.  Afterwards we haave lunch. It’s a $3.00 donation and I have met some other people too.  They have encourged me to check out getting a table to set up on “Third Thursday and try to sell some of my stuff.  That’s what I have done and I have been invited to do just that.  This coming Thursday will be the first time.  At first I didn’t think that I had enough inventory, so I just got to work and have been painting like crazy.  I need to finish the tote below to add to the inventory.

While I was in Benicia, at one of the galleries, one of the artists there, had done several small paintings and displayed them on a thread spool rack.  I thought it was a good idea, so I have done the same.  the four paintings below are quite small.  Maybe if I have more affordable art, I’ll be able to sell some of my things.

These are the first paintings that I have done to increase my invento.ry

                                 

This is the the most recent painting of the flags by the river just in front of the Rio Vista City Hall.

                               

Here’s an accumulation of the paintings that I have done in the last week.  Many of them are framed. (If you want, you can click on a pictue to enlarge it)

                               

                                                Wish me luck!

In addition to the paintings above, and the Tote ( hopefully it will be finished ), I will put out some Needle Felted items.

This past week has been quite pleasant and it looks like this coming week will be more of the same.  I hope that you all are having the same wherever you are.

Thanks for visiting

Susan and Angel

Happy Mothers Day and More Exploring

 

 

This is where I’m at now, Park Delta Bay.

 

At the end of this road is the levee road (Brannan Island Rd) and on the other side is the marina.  Yes, we are below the water level.

Below are some nearby views of the Delta.

 

 

A week ago I took a road trip to Locke CA, just north of here.  It’s a town that mainly Chinese lived in back in the early 1900’s. I have since gone back to paint.  I’m trying to get more time in doing watercolors.

 

Then last week I went over to the marina just east of where I live and used their dock to do a painting. There is a lot of subject matter here in the Delta.

 

 

Another trip was to Maridian Jacobs Farm where they raise sheep.  It’s the closest resource for wool roving that I use when needle felting.

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I have been keeping busy working on my various projects.  I have also set up another blog where I will be posting my creations.  www.artisticcreationsbys.alexander   There are paintings on it now, but will post other things later as I finish them.

In the meantime I hope that you are all enjoying Mothers Day as I am.  Ted came out to celebrate with me.  After fixing my window leak and generator exhaust pipe, he took me out for lunch at Sailor Jack’s in Benicia.  The food was good, but service was slow, but that was ok, after all it was Mothers Day.  That is one little town that I will go back to visit.  There are a lot of galleries and artist’s studios and it’s right on the water.  We also stopped at a roadside stand on the way home, where they have the best strawberries, yumm. 

Thanks for visiting

  I’m just checking on who’s out there.

Susan and Angel

Exploring Th Area and Still Waiting On Duties

This was taken while we were at the Spinaker Restraunt in Sausalito on our way back to China Camp the evening before we moved.

   

Here in the Delta there are many marinas and lots of boats moored in them. There are also stores and restaurants nearby for those that choose to frequent them.  Some people live onboard their boats and have cars or bikes to get around.

I've met a few people at the senior center in Rio Vista, the closest town.  On Fridays, some women meet to work on knitting and crocheting.etc.  I have been there a few times and then stayed for lunch. I've also attended another group that meets at a senior residential community just west of Rio Vista.  They also work on needle projects.  They seem to be a fun group.  One of the women has invited me as her guest, so I will probably attend there on Mondays.  I'm just trying to keep busy and get involved with other artists.

When not exploring the area, I try to get some painting done.  This one is of Angel not wanting to get up.  She likes to sleep in.

After being here for several weeks, they finally found something for me to do, painting signs with contact information to add to the signs by the road.  It has taken me a week to finish because they wanted to change them and I had to rely on others to get materials. 

For the time being I check in to see if there is anything for me to do. I've clean the restrooms (light cleaning) and made a Mail box for residents and  Workampers and cleaned the clubhouse.  That's about all that I've done so far.  They tell me that when the season starts, we will be very busy.  The season usually starts Memorial Day weekend and goes through Labor Day and into September.I will probably work every Saturday and Sunday.

As far as the weather goes, we have had a few storms that have gone through and had some rain.  Ted will fix my bedroom window that still leaks on one of his visits.  It's mainly the wind that we get here in the delta that makes me keep the awning in about half way so that I can still have a bit of cover coming through the door,  I hope that you all have been keeping warm and dry and been weathering any of those bad storms.

Thanks for visiting 

Susan and Angel

I’m CA Legal and Settled Into My New Digs

 

This past week before moving I had to get My Spot II legal in CA.  I decided that I would switch back to CA from to TX.  I don’t see me going back to TX anytime soon and in order to renew my plates there I would have to get the MH inspected before they would send me the new registration. A couple of weeks ago I started the process and found out that I would have to get the MH smogged before I could get the new plates for CA.  I just paid for everything so that I could get it done just before I moved, as far as my driver’s licence I was able to just get a duplicate. We all know how the best laid plans work. Ted came out Wednesday after work to help me get the MH ready to move and then we went out for  dinner before he went home.  I got everything inside secured so that I could leave early Thursday morning to get it smogged and then go to the Navato DMV to finish the paperwork.  So much for the plan.  The first place that I went, he wasn’t able to smog it, so I had to find somewhere else to do it. It turned out better, because the new place was cheaper and they gave me a coupon for a free “The Works” carwash.  It was a good thing that I called the DMV to find out how long it would take and found out that it was a state holiday and they were closed.  Great!  Okay, I would have to do it on Friday.  Fortunately the MH passed the smog test.  Yea!  It was back to China Camp for the night. Thank you Jim (the other camp host) for helping me get the MH backed into the space through the gate which is a real tight fit. In the morning I left early for the DMV and was lucky that I was able to get it all done and was back to the park by 10am. I’M LEGAL!  Jim helped me again. Later that afternoon I went into the city (SF) to get Ted, so that he could help me by driving the MH while I drive the Mini. We went to have dinner at the Spinaker Restaurant in Sausalito to avoid the rush hour traffic.  We shared an excellant meal. It was early to bed and we were unhooked and gone by 7:30am and pulled into Delta Bay RV by 9:30am.

  

 

From this                                             to                      this.

These are pictures of the park around my site.

 

looking west from the driver’s side                looking south from the front

 

my view from the front                                   the office

Ted taking a nap,  He worked hard getting me all set up.  thank you Ted!!!!

Later that afternoon I took him the closest BART station in Pittsburgh so that he could meet Leslie and then they would go back to the city.

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The Delta is beautiful.  This is nearby off Brannan Island Road.

I think that this will be a good place to spend the summer.  I believe that I will be working in Activities 15 hours a week.  I will see Kim tomorrow to find out what my schedule will be.  If there is anyone of you out there that is looking for a place to workamp for the summer she still needs more workers.

I hope that you are all enjoying early Spring.,

Thanks for visiting

I’m glad that Mom is finally settled again.

Susan and Angel