Hours and hours for naught.

 

Hours and hours of work

and nothing to show for it.

Broken pieces from large Mural.

I can't replace the broken pieces.

The background was hand mixed, it will never look right. 

On the same day, and at the same post office, I mailed 5 packages.  

Three packages had broken tiles, one package was 2 weeks late, but unscathed

and one package is still lost after 3 weeks.  

This has never happened.

What is going on at the Post Office?

Hope your week is turning out to be better than mine. 

Gina 

I have painted so many, many tiles

When you put two and two together

You get a mural

The countdown.

When I'm not vacationing or planting a garden, or putting up fruit and vegetables, or taking care of a whole menagerie of animals and birds. 

I paint.

More specifically, I hand paint ceramics.
The kind of ceramics which have been painted in Europe for more than 600 years. 

I paint because I have always admired this style of ceramics, known in Europe as Maiolica.

I paint whatever makes me happy.

Lots of tiles for kitchens and fireplaces.  
Tiles I will never see again.

I get to keep the rejects.
They are valuable, but only to me.  
I can learn from them. 

These little jewels I paint just for myself.

I paint a lot of practical ceramics just as long as they are also pretty. 

Some large murals take many weeks to finish.

Flowers and hand painted ceramics are a natural pairing.

An urn elevates and makes everything special. 

New but painted to look old.

A little gold makes it extra special.

A "Tondino"  is a very practical and large dish.  

Bowls are always the first to go.  
So why don't I paint more of them?  

You will see this happy bird all over Italy.

So many tiles I have stopped counting.

A favorite.

I can't stay away too long.  

Take care of yourselves.

Gina 

https://betweennapsontheporch.net/

We're coming up in the world.

We don't have many things.

But we have a new soda fountain and ice cream parlor. 

Scribbled on the blackboard is my motto

"Life is short eat desert first". 

The Ice cream parlor opened the same day the winners of the plein air competition were announced.  

Above is the  painting that took 1st place

and which garnered a $2,000 prize. 

2nd place winner $1,000.

3rd place winner $500.

There are many rules which apply and must be strictly followed by Artists who participate in the plein air competition. 

Rules require that artists paint outdoors. 

After the judging, all paintings are for sale. 
Friends of ours bought this painting for their country house. 

There was something for everyone.

My walking partner, Sophie Soprano, entered this painting. 

This Art Critique looks familiar. 

On the last day of the event, the Artist Studio Tour was part of the celebration.


 This bowl was the last piece out of my kiln and the first piece to sell.

It was a glorious day. 

Artists walked away, a few pennies richer.

Many visitors came and went.  

Our town is back to normal. 

I wonder if the ice cream parlor will survive.  

We stopped in and chose a BYU Creamery
 (Brigham Young University) 
chocolate ice cream.  

We will be back for more.  

Have a great week dear friends, 

Gina