New Years And Then Some....

Portrait 11x14 oil
We all know it ....we've all done it...what's that you might ask? The answer...the old get around... make a resolution......things will be different scenario.. Right? Right! Well, I am no different. I have made many resolutions in the past....some of them have stuck and some have not and many have been picked up again and again.
My basic New Year's deal, procedure, method or just plain ol' superstition, though, is this......What I do on New Year's Day is what I will be doing all year long....and...we eat black eyed peas for good luck! Sounds simple...right?... not always. I did paint on New Years Day...that was number one....the other thing was mental house cleaning which I often try to do. If I am being negative or some other awful characteristic I like to examine my life and see where it's coming from.....and try to exorcise that evil demon! So for me I spent time painting, reflecting, reading and some quality time with loved ones. If you rested on New Years Day then you probably needed it and deserved it.
The day started well enough....I put the beans on with the remains of the Christmas ham....took out my paint palette from the freezer and poured some coffee. Max woke up shortly after and we had coffee and talked about how much fun we had New Years Eve. Just a few guests, the adult kids and Inez's boyfriend and some drinks and food to nibble on. It was a great evening and we all had a great time. Wyatt came down stairs soon after and he and Max decided they needed to go to the mall. Wyatt had bought three shirts one of which they forgot to remove the anti-theft device ......and so off they went. I read for awhile and thought a lot. Mostly just thankful for all the good things in my life! Inez got up and then she was off and I had the house to myself. A little more reflecting and catching up on some mail, my calender, website etc. Then I finally painted for awhile and just about finished my piece. There was a small amount left around the eyes which I finished off this morning and now....fini! I was getting very nervous that I was not going to get to paint that day....but I did!! I will then begin another piece.....perhaps a landscape...maybe a still life...mostly waiting for the the preoccupation of the current piece on the easel to fade away.
As for resolutions.....I rarely make them at New Years. If I have a mind to do something I generally start very soon after the inception of the idea...if at all possible. Like smoking...we decided to quit....waited for the last cigarette to be smoked and then quit. Like painting everyday.....I got out of the habit and am now back to painting at least three days a week...not always a full day though...darn! Things are becoming increasingly organized and allowing me to paint more often than the last 6 months or so.
I had a good day New Years...things were going easy and working out as I had planned. max got home...and....of all things.. I had a present from him! You must know this about Max to understand. He is not a present giver on holidays birthdays or anniversaries. He told me that from the start and his kids told me the same thing. Now you must also know that I can have just about anything I want, anytime...within budget and reason....although I don't ask for much. So for him to come home with a box full of things (bath stuff and lotions) from Victoria's Secret was a very pleasant surprise. In fact it made me cry! It's not the first time he also bought me a present on my birthday and Valentine's Day.
So there is my New Years Day blah, blah......I will make an effort to paint more outdoors though and keep up the blog. I hope everybody is gonna have a wonderful year....I am!
Now...one more thing!! Here is the portrait I had to do for the Different Strokes From Different Folks Challenge. I hope the fellow can recognize himself...I gave it a real shot. We were all given a photo of someone else who had entered the challenge and then asked to paint them. We weren't supposed to labor over it...and I didn't. I probably spent 4 or 5 hours total.
Until next time,
Theresa