300 DAYS!!!

WOW!!! I was doing a little checking of the math and today is day 300! That means 300 paintings!

Somehow... that just doesn't seem possible, but it is! I want to take this moment to thank each and every person who has supported me on this journey... with encouragement, art supplies, purchases, poster making, display construction, offers of other help... you guys are all SO amazing!! Thank you! This whole thing has been a wild up and down crazy time consuming ride and I've loved it all. I think that it has given me a lot and I hope it will give those kids even more.

Words aren't quite enough right now... just know that I have a bit of a tear in my eye and it's a good thing.

Tonight's painting is called "Winter's Approach". Yup, it was a bit chilly this morning and the leaves are almost all gone from the tree in our front yard. As much as I dislike getting up early, it's such a nice moment between the front door and the car just to look around at our street with everything quiet and still and just be there for a second. Then the spell is broken and there's the mad dash to cram kids into their car seats and make the carpool commute to work and school. But for that brief moment it's a perfect new day. The painting itself is on a 5x7 board and is a mixed media painting. I used oil pastels that were given to me today as a thank you gift for some help I gave on our resume assignment. It was totally unexpected and very thoughtful so thank you! I don't like to mention names unless I get permission... but you know who you are and I'm really quite pleased and touched that you'd do that. :) Over top of the oil pastels (cool colours) I did a tree in black acrylic and then carved away some of the paint to show the colours underneath. I think it looks pretty neat and I'm going to attempt something sort of similar tomorrow... I have a plan!

I'm sure I could go on and on about general stuff... but I guess I really ought to go to sleep. I fell asleep sitting up on the couch at 7:30 when Chris took our son to bed. He came down and I woke up with a jolt! Weird... but I suppose that should tell me something!

OH... before I forget... hello to all of the international readers from the past few days... we have five countries show up on the map today... Japan is one of them and I think that's a first time for someone from there. Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Philippines were on the map recently as well. I love seeing the map turn all green! Hello to our friends in Sweden as well... I guess that means they're back home. We miss all of our friends and family around the world. Thank you for being part of this!!

And now... good night! Happy 300 Days!!