NANCY ROSE

  

Remember my friend Nancy?  I simply adore her.  She was my neighbor in Carmel, IN.  Oh. a side note: Carmel IN was recently voted the best town to live in right now.  Here to say they do not lie; it's an awesome place to live filled with lots of people like Nancy.  Anyway, her middle name is Rose and her birthday is July 5th.  Her favorite colors are red and blue and her style is country french.  I know all this because I was her interior designer.  The one area I never completed was a very cool cubby in the great room that needed just the right artwork so we just hung a blue and white plate up there....a few years ago.  But alas, I just painted this vase of roses for her birthday and hand delivered it to her.  I didn't actually have this coveted vase or the roses in front of me...just made it up.  

Yes, she is just as beautiful on the inside.  So I was able to accompany her to the framers but missed seeing the finished piece so she sent this photo of how it looks it it's new location.   

It took a few years but I finally found the perfect piece of artwork, right?

MISSING IN ACTION

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth and I'm not in a witness protection program.  I have been painting the summer away.  I have now painted the majority of the main level of the house from top to bottom while Tim has been installing the wood flooring, replacing baseboards and updating electrical, just to name a few projects.  The one thing I couldn't bring myself to paint, er... repaint, is the garage door.   Tim relieved me of the task and I avoid even looking at the "unofficial" clone tan by clicking on the door opener as I round the corner.  Up it goes, I slide in and close it behind me (it is a common practice here anyway).  And who says color is not emotional?

I have been painting interiors most of my life and must say it's getting old.  Truth is I do it better and cheaper.  Just when I thought I was ready to throw in the brush...I mean towel, I was able to escape an spend time with friends and family.  In May/June we met friends Jerry and Lisa in Kauai, Hawaii.  All the pics of Lisa and I turned out much like my past trip to Hawaii where hair is either in your face or blown straight upward.  Remember this past photo of me impersonating Nick Nolte?   Why was my hair glowing orange? Anyway I have plenty new Nolte look-alike photos that I'll skip for now.

I was able to get a few other shots that represent the beauty everywhere.

Hanalei Bay

Patchwork Farm

How Coy

How the birthday boy spent his day

Bike Ballet

View from our lanai

Below is a photo of the Lihue Lutheran Church which has special meaning to my friend Lisa; as one of her past relatives (a German immigrant) helped build in 1885.  The 6 month trip on board the ship around Cape Horn is reflected in the architecture.  The floor slants like the deck of a ship; the balcony is the captain’s bridge; the ceiling is like the hull; the lights are ship lanterns; and the pulpit the forecastle.  It burned to the ground and has since been rebuilt, trying to keep as much of the original.  

Lihue Lutheran Church

So as a gift for the invite and the MANY other blessings Lisa has bestowed on me and my family I painted this for her.  I usually prefer exaggerating colors and contrast, but made a decision to paint it just as we captured it that day.

Lihue Lutheran Church by Paula Prass

I find that I do much better painting what I see so this wasn't difficult, just detailed.  Abstract is still hurting my brain. I have been working in acrylics but am going to try oils soon...yikes!

Guess it's been way too easy to become reclusive here behind that garage door.  Promise to put the brush down to spend more time with you.  Thank you so much to those who have emailed to check on me.  It means more than you know, trust me.