Happy Thanksgiving

 I don't know about you, but I keep wondering where the time has gone.  All at once, Summer has passed us by and Fall is in full swing and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  Oh yeah, and Christmas is quickly sneaking up right behind.

What are you thankful for this year?  Personally, this has been a challenging year or two with Covid changing our lives so much, sometimes for the better and sometimes not, and wondering if we're ever going to be "normal" again.

But for me, this has been a time to enjoy quiet time at home and less demands from meetings and other activities we thought we couldn't live without.  And for that, I'm grateful.  I've enjoyed working from home in our law office, planning my music for our church services, and of course, my art and framing business.

Art has been a struggle since shows have been canceled and galleries were closed for so long.  When Boulder Street Gallery closed Summer of 2019, I lost my gallery space.  So I've set up a gallery here at my home studio and am still painting and learning a lot through YouTube and online classes.

I've also been doing a lot of framing, by appointment, from my home framing shop.  I'm finding I really love framing and working with my artist friends to enhance their beautiful artwork with appropriate framing.  If you need framing, definitely give me a call.

So now with Thanksgiving approaching, I am thankful for my family and friends who have been there to support each other even when we couldn't see each other in person.  I'm also thankful for good health and good medical care we get here in our wonderful country.  How far we've come in the past 50+ years.

So here are a few photos of what I've been up to this year.  I've got a great selection of jewelry, hand painted ornaments, mini landscapes, notecards, tote bags, mugs, notebooks, and original artwork ready for Christmas.  

So instead of getting that China stuff this year, buy locally and support the arts.  Enjoy!

Necklaces featuring my photos of my art and original abstracts.

Hand painted original Christmas ornaments

Alcohol ink pendants with beading on leather cords

Some of the original art in my studio gallery

Mini landscapes of the Pikes Peak region

Notecards with photos of my artwork

Tote bags, mugs and lined notebooks with photos of my artwork

Here are photos of my frame shop:

Lots of standard size frames I've made up ready to go:

Some of the samples available to order for custom framing:

Keeping busy with new activities

 I hope all of you have been keeping healthy during this continued time at home during Covid.

After a long summer of painting for upcoming shows, which eventually were all canceled, I decided to learn something totally new - but still creative.  After making about 300 face masks that I gave away to all my family and friends, I realized how much I missed sewing.

So I entered into the magical world of quilting!  I've done lots of sewing over the past 40+ years, but had never tried quilting.  Several of my friends have quilts handed down from family members, but I don't think any of mine made quilts.  Lots of clothing, but no quilts.

So I decided that I wanted each of my 5 grandchildren to have one made by me.  So I started in August watching lots of YouTube videos and reading books.  And so the adventure began - another whole new hobby.

I had no idea how much was involved in quilting.  I really thought I could make all 5 for the grandkids, plus one for my mom by Christmas.  What a goal!  I finished two completely before Christmas - Yay!  But I did finish 4 tops and backings for the other 4 grandchildren, just not quilted and ready to use.

So the last 4 were wrapped as is with a promise to complete them asap after Christmas.  They were all so excited!

I just finished the last of those 4 a couple of nights ago and we are getting together soon to receive their completed quilts.  Whew!  Now on to the ones I've already started for myself and my husband.

I'd love to hear back from any of you who are quilters and hear about your quilting adventures.

Here are photos of my quilts:

For my mom, I love this "Midnight Soiree" line I found on ConnectingThreads.com.  This is the Disappearing Nine Patch design with ends and borders I added to get the size I wanted.  Plus, a matching pillow:

For my oldest granddaughter - front is pinwheels and owl border.  

Back is owls with half square triangle band across the back

Space/Universe theme for this grandson.  So bright!

Spaceships and animated aliens and robots for this grandson:

 

Fun whacky blocks on this grandson's quilt.  Designed the front after finding this awesome fabric for the backing.

And for my 2 year old grandson, an Eye Spy quilt with a racetrack on the back.  

He always has a car or truck in his hand.

 

Hello from Quarantine Central - painting for FUN!

Hope all of you are staying healthy, wealthy, and wise during this Stay at Home time.  That is, I hope all of you are healthy, hanging in there, and keeping busy or at least relaxing and enjoying some quiet time.

I've been in Louisiana since the first week of March to take care of my mom following knee replacement, so I'm been out of the artist community loop.  But now I'm back home and enjoying my own quiet time in my studio during this Stay at Home mandate.

Besides the usual fixing things around the house, cleaning and organizing closets, and other mundane tasks, I try to paint something or do something art related every day.

I haven't painted in a while, so as a warmup have started doing little 5x7 paintings for fun.

Here are two I finished this week:

This one is watercolor on Yupo paper, a plastic paper.

This one is of my favorite view of Pikes Peak through Garden of the Gods.
It is watercolor on Fabriano Artistico hot pressed paper. 

The plan is to mat each of these "Little Gems" paintings in a white 8x10 mat in a plastic sleeve, frame-ready.  Stay tuned for more painting fun.

Landscaping - in Winter?

Here we are just after our 4th snowfall in the last week.  Gotta say that winter is not my favorite season.

It used to be when we were younger and had kids who like to sled and make snowmen and we used to ski a lot.  But as the kids are all grown and we're older, I priorities change and I seem to prefer staying in my studio where it's warm with a cup of coffee or cocoa from my new coffee bar.

But I digress - I meant to update you on the last stages of the artsy yard remodel I last wrote about.  I finished phase one, the patio, that I told you about already in my last post.

Phase Two was adding stenciled stepping stones from the patio to the new side walkway that leads to my studio and wood chips replacing the grass.  So much work, but it looks awesome.  And fun that my daughter, Shelley, did all the stencil work for me.  Have you ever tried doing stenciled pavers?


This is before the stenciling and before the wood chips added:

The pavers (12x12) lead to my morning coffee bench on the left and to the gate on the right.

The view from our dining room window.

Shelley at work with the stencils

Stencils all done

This is after the stenciling was done and the wood chips added:

And finally, here is the new walkway leading from the front yard 

to the gate leading into the backyard:

Phase 1 and 2 all done.  It worked perfectly for visitors who came to my studio for the Pikes Peak Studio Tour in September.

And now - WELCOME TO MY STUDIO:

Landscaping as Art

Did you ever think of  yard work as art?  It's hard work and hot and something we all have to do, so why would you think of it as art?

Well, I started a huge back yard remodel mid-June this summer and it's turning out to be a lot of work.  I've been posting progress photos on my Facebook and Instagram accounts, and many people have commented that what I've done so far is a work of art.  Wow, I never thought about it that way.  All I know is it's a joy to my heart.

I've decided that if I can't be painting in the studio, I can be creating in my back yard.  I have this vision in my head, just like a vision I may have when I start a painting.  This project is quite a challenge and a progressing just like a painting, sometimes with a mind of it's own.  I have a general plan, but go with the flow and change my plan when I think of new ideas.  That's how art works.

So how did this all start?  Did you know that in north Colorado Springs, this is considered high desert, and if you don't water the lawn it will die.  And to water a big yard, you may be surprised with a $400 monthly water bill in summer.  Ouch!  That's what happened to us a couple of summers ago.  So, what do you do?  You let the lawn die and landscape so that there is NO GRASS!  I'll happily spend money to water vegetables, trees, shrubs, and flowers.  All these feed us, our family and neighbors, our honey bees, and all the birds and insects that now visit our back yard.

So next time you're working in your yard, think about what you can do to make your space a pleasant place to hang out and enjoy the outdoors.  Go on Pinterest and save ideas you like and think you may want to try someday in your own yard.  Then go out - and create ART!


Before:  The lawn died - and the weeds took over!





First Step:  Pull all the weeds and level the yard.  Well, that took days!

The initial plan was to add 2-3 inches of playground chips where the grass used to be.

That then made the concrete patio too low.  Solution?
Add pavers on top of the concrete and raise the patio.

Not that complicated, but wow - several days of more hard work.

But it was worth it - my new sanctuary in the evenings.  Right at the back door to my studio!

Lots more to come in the big project.  Stay tuned for the next stages.

I'm Back!

Life gets in the way as it tends to do.  But I have been painting up a storm lately.  So I'm Back!

I'm still intrigued by the watercolor batik process using various rice papers, hot paraffin, ink, and watercolor.

So I wanted to show you two of my newest paintings featuring water lilies.  These are painted on a wonderful rice paper with gold filaments built into the paper, one of my favorite papers.

I now own a framing business and the photos show the frames I built with mats for these two paintings so they match.  Hopefully someone will love and buy both of them 😀

Stay tuned for more photos of the process for these two paintings and some of my other new paintings.

If you're interested in these two paintings or would like to see more of my artwork, feel free to contact me at mpatinco@msn.com.

Thanks for visiting!

"The Lily Pond" 

 image size 10 x 25 

frame outside dimensions 18 x 32-1/2

"Koi Wiggle Dance"

image size 10 x 19-1/2

frame outside dimensions 18 x 27-1/2

"My America"

Every morning I get up and look out of my bedroom window at the most gorgeous view of Pikes Peak.  After 26 years here in Colorado Springs, I never get tired of that view.  Tired of the driving in the snow and scraping ice off my windshield, but never tired of the snow on the Peak.

I came across a really old copy of America the Beautiful in my stash of vintage music paper and just couldn't wait to paint the Peak and Old Glory.  

The title of this one is "My America."

The painting is done on an 8 x 10 canvas and mounted into a black float frame.   

I can't wait to hang it at the gallery. When you're in town, come by Boulder Street Gallery at 206 N. Tejon in downtown Colorado Springs and see my collection of vintage music paper paintings.