Fracking Meeting

Here is a picture of a meeting our neighborhood group put on last night about the risks of hydrofracking and the environmental costs it poses. Our speakers did a great job and we had a full house! I hope we were successful in starting a conversation other than how much money you can make. One of our speakers is surrounded by wells in Butler county and as a result has contaminated water. She and her family have to go to their daughters house to get a shower. Have to boil bottled water to cook and wash dishes etc.. Is it really ok for this to happen??? And as the Industry claims it is not their fault, and people are lying about this problem all over the country, do you believe a corporation that stands to make billions or the people that just want clean water and air????  

        on another note, my artwork has been taking a back seat to my work on this issue but I have some orders to fill so I hope to get back to art real soon. Here is a picture of a state park near here that is due to have a well drilled starting in March--300 feet from the border. A Shame!!!

Playtime with Pappy

Here is a watercolor painting of my Dad and my son taken from one of my old favorite photos of them. This is still a work in progress but I haven't had much time to work on it during the holidays and with end of year tax work. I am also continuing to work on educating people on the practice of hydrofracking. My neighbor and I went to a township meeting to see how educated they were on the subject as the wear and tear on roads from the thousands of truck trips per well will definetly affect them. Sorry to say they didn't seem to be to aware of what will come, if this happens as the gas drillers hope . There did seem to be interest in finding out more about it and lots of concerns from all the people there. Encouraging!

   On a different note, I  have gotten some good photos of the birds at the feeders recently!! They are great for cheering up my day!! Here is one to cheer up yours!

Happy Holidays!!

Here are two gourd birdhouses that were ordered for Christmas presents. I finished them just in time! I am not in a very good holiday mood this year,due to the threat of hydrofracking to our part of PA. I feel like I am living in a nightmare since the beautiful abundant lakes , rivers, creeks, and groundwater here could be polluted with gas and a concoction of mostly unknown chemicals, of which the known ones cause cancer and endocrine disruptions. Since the oil and gas companies and their big money run everything in this country, this insane method of gas extraction goes on, unchecked!! Even though the EPA finally decided that hydrofracking polluted wells in wyoming. I have never been an activist in any other fight , but I feel I need to TRY to stop this before my place of birth and my home for most of my life is trashed and polluted by these methods. But how do you fight such big money??  We went to lovely Christmas cookie decorating party last night at a friends house  and some of us there will be trying to organize a public showing of gasland soon among other things. Everyone that lives here and drinks water should be worried about this coming danger.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

Here is my latest portrait of 4 dogs I have been working on, in colored pencil with a watercolor background. First picture was a work in progress pic and the second is a finished portrait. I must say it was a challenge to get all 4 dogs arranged nicely in an 8x10 portrait. I think it turned out very well.

Here is the finished product matted and framed. I delivered it today to the owner and was happy that he liked it. It was so important to me that it was recieved well because of the touching circumstances surrounding the family of the puppies, due to a recent loss in the family. I got to meet the pups in person and was impressed with their loving personalities! Too cute!! I am now a fan of the breed! I hope this portrait will help in some small way to brighten the holidays for this family!

USMC gourd

This is the most recent custom gourd I made for someone for a Christmas gift. I doubt if the person receiving

it will see this, so I think I am safe to put it on here now. I also made an oil lamp gourd that will be for sale on artfire.

I finished the painting of Chesley and here it is framed and matted.

Now I will be working on a 4 dog portrait in colored pencil that I am excited to get started on. I also have to finish cleaning windows which I started yesterday since it was a rare nice day and although not my favorite thing to do , it is nice to look out the sparkling clean windows!! Now I can see the birds at my feeders so much better!

Chesley and fall scenes

Here is my latest doggie portrait just about complete! It is done in watercolors and after setting it aside for a few days and then looking at it again, with fresh eyes, I will add the final touches. The weather  forcasters keep saying we will have a sunny weekend, but I am not seeing the evidence of that yet! I think we are overdue for some sun!! I wanted to get some more fall pictures before the colorful leaves are all gone! here are a couple pics I took before this last wave of rain hit us!

Swimming with Mom

Here is my new watercolor of some baby geese swimming with Mom. I took the reference photos in the spring at lake Wilhelm. This past week I took some photos there again. My daughter was here visiting and we had a glorious stretch of beautiful fall weather!! We took one of my dogs and hiked there. So here is a picture of my daughter and Shelby!