Monday, September 14, 2015

Work in Progress


16" x 20" Work in Progress 

Here is the still life I've been working on.  I'm going to let it dry and
come back in and straiten edges, define the edge of the table, etc.  I may
not get this one added to my website Mary Opat Art until I get back from vacation, but I'm
going to try to fit it into my schedule.  Until then...

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

Friday, September 4, 2015

Home Sweet Home


Me in front of the Palace in Madrid, Spain

Well, I'm back home long enough to catch up with the household duties
and pack again for another trip.  The visit with my son in England was fantastic.
  We were able to hop on the train system just a few miles from his house and get to 
London, eliminating a lot of frayed nerves on my part.  The small roads and fast speeds 
while driving on the "wrong" side of the road is not my idea of a good time!
We spent time touring London and saw all of the iconic sites in Westminster and
the surrounding area.  The underground "tube" made getting around easy.

  The north coast of England on the North Sea was a completely different feeling,
 again, accessible by train.   Sheringham and Cromer were my favorite seaside towns.  They
each had colorful beach huts between the sandy beaches and the steep cliffs.
Cromer was busy with people crabbing from the pier and playing in the water.

We decided to fly to Spain for a four day stay.  It turned out to be a wonderful trip. 
 Our hotel was just a couple of blocks from the underground Metro system 
and we were within walking distance of some great restaurants.  
We bought a tourist pass for the underground Metro and bus
system, so we could pop up anywhere and look around.  One of the stops turned
out to be the Madrid Zoo and Aquarium.  That was a nice surprise and a made for a fun day.

 I took over 850 photos during the trip, and I'll begin painting my 
way through them soon.  They're a combination of castles, cathedrals, shops and
seaside.  It's nice to be home, but I'll be taking off soon for Iowa and Minnesota to
visit family and help celebrate my nephew's wedding.  When I get back, expect to
see some new work here!

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!