Life Lessons


"Figuring out our gifts in life is part of our journey to becoming enlightened human beings.” – Allison DuBois

Friday, January 23, 2015

What's on My Easel?


30 Paintings in 30 Days - After Edward Hopper


So last night was our Bay Area Studio Artists reception at Chimney Rock Winery.  We had a great turnout and the winery poured some fabulous wine as well as having some great appetizers!

Unfortunately,  I was so busy greeting guests that I forgot to take some photos of the even!

Here are a few.....


It was a beautiful evening and we were able to enjoy the courtyard where Sue and Marcy presented several large pieces of work.  And inside we were able to set several smaller pieces around the tasting room!  So if you were not able to make it to the reception, the show will be up until the end of April!

Also, they will be having another reception for us in mid-April as well!



Before the doors opened Mr. B and I strolled around the beautiful grounds. This is their barrel tasting room.

And here is the inside of the barrel room - I just wish I had an option to do "scratch & sniff" on my blog because the scent in this room was heavenly!



 Looking out of the barrel room, along the trough fountain and courtyard and back to the wine tasting room.








Inside they were pouring their white wines and outside were their lovely reds.




After our reception we drove to downtown Napa for dinner at Oenotri and to our hotel across the street.

Oenotri is an amazing Italian restaurant run by a good friend Tyler Rodde.  We had a crab appetizer, and platter of house cured salumi (they were so good we ate them before I remembered to take a photo)!


For our salads, Mr. B ordered the Chioggia Beets with Avacado & Meyer lemon, Mascarpone and Arugula. 



I had the Red Oak Lettuce with Mandarin, Grapefruit and Meyer lemon, walnuts and Watermelon Radishes. Yummmm.......





Next we were treated to a Fegato pizza cooked in a pizza oven brought over from Italy.  On top of the pizza was cream, parmigiano-regianno, balsamico, shaved Foi Gras torchon and chives.  The California ban on foi gras had just been lifted 2 days ago!




This pizza had a light delicious crust and the topping was like eating something from another world - rich, heavenly, rich, delicious, rich, incredible, better than butter rich! 

Then our main courses came.  Mr. B ordered swordfish with fried potatoes, clams, mussels, garlic, onions and parsley and I had a comfort food pasta dish, bucatini alla carbonara, farm egg, pancetta, red onion and parmigiano!  Yum all over again.........

And in case that wasn't quite enough, we finished the night off with a Mandarin sorbetto - Prosecco Zabaglione and vanilla meringues.

We then limped our tired selves over to our hotel across the street!

Meanwhile back at home our little darlin' stayed with my parents.  She charmed them so much that my mom took several photos of her getting comfy on the couch!






I think she is pretty comfortable at their home, don't you?

Sweet dreams.....

Monday, January 19, 2015

Missing? Moi?

Trust me, I have not been missing in action!  I have just been posting at my art blog/website - jeanettebaird.com !

See what you may have been missing....

Day 14


After Sorolla


Day 15


 After Morisot



Day 16



After Georges de la Tour



Day 17


After Gauguin
 


Day 18



After Vermeer



Day 19



After Bonnard

Phew......


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Days 12 & 13

Oh my but I took a wonderful drawing class yesterday and was unable to paint or post my day 12 yesterday so I caught up by painting two today! 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Diebenkorn



Lemieux




You can read more about their progress on my blog/website - jeanettebaird.com

Thanks for hanging with me while I move on through this challenge!

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Day 11


Day 11 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days!  Original by Rudolf Tewes 1906

Check the progress out HERE.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Day 10 - Sorolla


Fisherwoman from Valencia (original by Joaquin Sorolla)

To find out more about this painting please go to my painting website/blog ......

http://jeanettebaird.com/


"I could not paint at all if I had to paint slowly. Every effect is so transient, it must be rapidly painted.” - Joaquin Sorolla

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

30 Paintings in 30 Days

This month I am participating in an artistic challenge of painting 30 Paintings in 30 Days along with about 1,200 other painters. Today I just finished my 5th painting in 6 days (I missed day 2 but promise to make it up!)


Day 6



It is a fun challenge and I truly am learning a lot about time management, my art set up and ways to improve my painting skills.  A biggie for me is that I seem to have trouble getting the shadow side of the face dark enough.  You can read about her nose & lips being off centered here.





Day 5

Yesterdays was the hardest painting that I have done in awhile.  I called it "Channeling Vincent". He kept his colors so clean and pure.  Vibrant color.




Day 4 






Day 3



Day 1


I have been trying to keep the paintings within an hour time frame.  It's been both fun and a challenge! But Vincent took me two!!!

If you would like to view more of my artwork please go to my painting blog/website.... 

Monday, December 29, 2014

Goodbye Light, Hello Thrive


 Song - Light you Up by Shawn Mullins


For the last few years, instead of doing a New Year's resolution, I participate in Ali Edwards - One Little Word.




 
The idea is that you ponder, meditate, journal, scrapbook on just one word for the entire year.  I have been doing this for the last 5 years and it is so much more helpful to me than to make a resolution, which often feels like pressure.

Here are my words for the last few years......

2010 - spirit

2011 - intention

2012 - balance

2013  - simplify

2014 - light


 
For the last few days of 2014, I have been spending time thinking about what has transpired with my word "light" so that I can let it go and focus on my 2015 word. 



 2015 - thrive


It's a beautiful word in so many ways.




I'm feeling inspired!


"The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been kindness, beauty and truth." - Albert Einstein



Tuesday, December 23, 2014

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Song - Dogs Barking Jingle Bells Song


.....when all through the house, not a creature was stirring except Mika opening her stocking stuffer 2 days early!





She had to sneak into our bedroom, go through several bags of goodies, decided not to take the toothpaste that was earmarked to go into the boys stockings and found her own little treasure.



I didn't have the heart to take it away from her as she won't know if her stocking is short one gift on Christmas morn!






Happy Holiday's to you and yours!!!

"It came without ribbons. 
It came without tags.  
It came without packages, boxes or bags.  
And he puzzled and puzzled 'til his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
--Dr. Seuss from How the Grinch Stole Christmas  


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

A Winter's Day

Song - I am a Rock by Simon & Garfunkel


Painting and prepping for Christmas has kept me indoors for the last few weeks.  But today I needed to drain some water from the swimming pool due to the amount of rain we have had lately in California!  On my way out to the pool I passed a few beauties....

Even though it is Winter, there is still activity in the garden this time of year.


My Sweet Pea's have begun to climb......


And fragrant Alyssum is growing everywhere!





Camellia's are budding and flowering.  I had just picked three beautiful flowers from this bush which is one of the few remaining plants from the previous owners.  Thank you Nancy!




There is one last leaf left on our Callery Pear trees.



The Rosemary is blooming.......




Mother Ferns are still growing baby ferns......




Lemons are ready for picking.......




The roses are making one final attempt....






My large urns of Salvia are beautiful this time of year......









The Primroses return year after year.....




My Daphne bush is ready to scent the entire garden!





Sweet little Forget Me Not's are blooming everywhere! Little darlin' - I won't forget you!



A few lingering Hydrangea blossoms....



A hopeful Geranium bud......





Time for some tea and garden lemons.....


I know you will find some beauty in your winter day today!

"Every gardener knows under the cloak of winter lies a miracle...a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dreams."
 -- Barbara Winkler
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