Countdown - Tomorrow is Go Day

My little art blog starts tomorrow.

This past week I have laid out my intentions and what I will be posting.

2010 has gone by so fast. My goal was to have 12 finished paintings and I think I have about 20 small paintings done. So, Yay Me!

At House of Shine we name our year. 2010 was the Year of Art. And, I want to keep that going. 2011's art goal is to keep painting so that I can keep this blog going all year. But, I'm going to pick a new theme for my year.

The Year of.... ???

Countdown - 2 Days Until Launch

Only 2 more days left and the I'm off to the races with my Art Blog.

So, what do we have here:

Saturday = Journal

Sunday = quotes + maybe a church story (Stop laughing! I might go to church.)

Monday = Music

Tuesday = Photography

That leaves us with Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Each of these days is being designated one of my painting themes. On Wednesday's I will share my Flying Heart series. Thursday's will show my guitar series. And Friday, will be my On The Fence series.

And, when I run out of paintings to share or make an abrupt change in themes because I experience ADD sometimes and can't stick with a theme then I'll throw something else in.

Countdown - 3 Days Until Launch

Only 3 days until this site gets to rolling.

Saturday's are Journal days.

Sunday's may share some church stories and favorite quotes.

Monday's are going to be Music Monday's.
I love music. It often inspires my artwork. I will try to include links to videos of the songs I love but I know I will not always be successful as some songs are not mainstream.

I am starting Tuesday's out with sharing some of my photography. It's not earth shattering, award winning photography but it's mine.

Countdown - 4 Days Until Launch

4 days until the action begins.

It will begin with the introduction or my beloved journal.

The inspiration that started it all.



Every Saturday will show a new page of my journal. I ramble on some of these days telling you what I was thinking or what music I was listening to the day I painted it. Also, keep in mind that I wrote most of these posts months ago in preparation for these daily posts.

I'm not sure what's going to happen on Sunday's. There may be just a quote that I like or could be a day of rest. I have tossed around the idea of visiting a different church each week but quickly dismissed the "each week" part of that thought. No need to be an over-achiever. Or, set myself up for failure because you know that's not going to happen. But, could I commit to a new church once a month?

Countdown - 5 Days Until Launch

Beginning on January 1st, this little blog of mine will have a post a day. Well, that's the goal. It may or may not happen but the goal is a post a day. If I get really good at it, then maybe more than one post a day.



My intentions for this blog is to have a place to put my art and random thoughts into the world.

Random. Easy. Simple.

Some days I may ramble on whereas others I may just post a photo or a phrase.

The End.

Bob Burridge Workshop at Wenmoh's Ranch

So seven months later, I'm going to share some of the Bob Burridge Workshop with you. This was my view at the Bob Burridge Workshop at Wenmoh's Ranch. I had a corner table. It wasn't the first table I picked but I didn't see the other artists belongings under my first choice so this was the only table left. And it was a good one. I was right next to the wall where I could hang my wet paintings.

I was very nervous about being at this workshop because frankly, I'm not a full time artist. I'm a full time Executive Assistant and part time blogger and part time artist though some day when I retire I will then be a full time painter. Speak it into existence. Thank you, Claudia.

You can see these three small paintings on my table there. They were an exercise in composition. We were only allowed to use black and white paint. Do you see that paper towel there on the right? That was my brush.

As the day progressed, we added color to our paintings. Or I did anyway. Everyone pretty much did what they wanted I think. Experimenting in their own styles and with their own content.

The red heart below has the foil from Kisses collaged on it. I won a little heart jar of Kisses at Karlie's CAbi/Mexican Train party. I brought my goodies to share with the others though I think I wound up eating most of the Kisses.

This Carmel Guitar also has some of the Kiss wrappers on it, including the little tail they include to help you open the Kiss. This one said Caramel Kisses.

Those are not the finished pieces though I think they're pretty close.

One of the things we discussed at the workshop is intention. You need to paint what you know. Well, I don't play the guitar and it was obvious when later Bob found a guitar at Dena's house. I put the hole of the guitar on the wrong side of the body. But, I do love music. I love it! I need it in my life even if it is just listening to the songs on my iPod whose name by the way is Randy. That's off topic though. Intention. My love of music spurred the decision to paint a guitar series.

I'll share those later.

Below, Bob discusses light. My demise. My enemy. I need to practice with the lighting. I'm so bad at it. Okay, well, I just need to plain old practice.

I wish I had taken more photos of the workshop. I have a few more that I may share. Or maybe not. Who knows. Bob is having another workshop in August, 2011 and I'm signed up for it. I wish I could go to the one he's holding in Abaco but sadly, that will not happen. I'll have to settle for the countryside.

George Eliot said, "It's never too late to be who you might have been."

I say, "It's never too late to be who you might have been and some day I will be a painter."

Love for Cate

You can read the full story about how this piece came to be at House of Shine.



Collage & Acrylic on 6" x 6" canvas board.

I used the collage technique that I learned at the Bob Burridge workshop at Wenmoh's Ranch in February. Hopefully I will have photos of the workshop up soon.

aka Cheryl E. O'Pry

This past week I attended a Bob Burridge Workshop at Wenmoh's Ranch in Cypress Mills, Texas.

Despite the cold (I could see my breath while watching Bob do a demonstration), the rain (you should have heard it pounding on the tin roof of the studio barn), the mud (the kind that you sink down in every step), the stopped up plumbing, the propane running out for a short period, and the water pump failing and not being able to take a shower Thursday night or Friday- I had a GREAT time. And, I learned so much. Too much to take in a five day period. I have so much more to learn. So much to practice.

I met some very interesting and fun people. My people!

I struggled with my signature. I do not plan to be known as Cheryl O'Pry forever and your signature is your logo so after much debate with my new friends and internal struggle, I will be signing all my art using my maiden name- Cheryl E. Wilson. Boring as it may be.

It's who I am.