It takes a lot of work always being honest and fare.

I often think of Jake at this time of year as well as in spring, spring is birth and autumn is death.
I've been keeping myself sane by doing lots of paper bag art. The physical movement of applying the paint and rolling it out, then the crumbling of the paper with paint all over my hands, the tearing of the paper and the adhering the torn pieces of paper to the canvas. All so good for my soul.

Char & Hannah in Georgia this summer at Ritas for some ice cream

Hannah is doing well in her 3rd year of high school. No needing to come home sick :  ) No barfing at the front door. She continues to practice and play wheelchair basketball...go BULLS go...HUH! This year Hannah is learning some job training along with life skills courses. This summer she was in a 3 week work program at IKEA and did very well!  :  )  Go Hannah Grace! and as always I have to add on her behalf how much she loves scrap booking. Who knew we would turn out to be artists :  )

Mike is good :  ) Enjoying the new company he has been working for since January this year. A year ago at this time Mike was unemployed  : /  So glad we are not in that place anymore. I'm so proud of Mike and so grateful for him and all he does with us and for us.

Zackery now 22, decided to not go back to school this fall and has been living with us. I hate it! Sorry to just put it out there. I think because I see myself as a different parent to him now, I think he needs to see me/us different and give more respect to us. I need to come up with a contract of sort. That way its all on table.

Me...trying to do a self portrait :  )

Here is my 5x4 canvas

A few months back I had painted it red and green and then I "lost it" whatever it was that inspired me to paint it that way. So after this large piece has now sat around, I decided it needed some paper bag art on it.

This time I challenged myself to not use oranges, yellow and reds

Here I laid out the land

I have gotten my inspiration for this piece from the painting by Egon Schiele's painting Four trees.

At this point I will leave it for when I have a full day or two all to myself and put some trees on it or something. 

Here it stands with another paper bag art piece. I had made a piece exactly like list for the festival this summer and really felt the need to do it again. I only had it for four days...I made it and sold it...then I missed it.

I will be putting leaves on these 2 trees next.

Hope you are all well

Now I'm off to do some blog catching up.

Enjoy your day

Lisa D.