Painting my Life

Fall is upon us....

2009-10-06T05:34:00.008-04:00

Wenn wahre Kunestler schlafen.......

Wie schoen, 4 zu sein.....

WHAT a riot at the Skitoberfest at Boyne Mountain....! Hier nochmal Geschwindigkeitsmalerei, diesmal Marilyn.

Marilyn Monroe Speed Painting Performance

Der Herbst kommt, alle Blaetter werden bunt und wir hatten schon den ersten richtig derben Frost. My yard is a sight of sadness...to say the least.

Johnny Depp....ohhhh my...!!!!!

2009-09-06T21:38:00.006-04:00

This was the best fun EVER!!!!
Und ich dachte, das wuerde 13 Minuten dauern - mit knapp unter 6 haette ich ja nun doch nicht gerechnet!
Wat'n Glueck, dass ich das geplant hatte,
denn die Auktion war ja nicht so dolle...!!!
We did make some $$$! And thus far, I have 3 offers on the Jack Sparrow painting.
This is another first for me, so I am weighing my options and doing my research.
Check out the whole thing on YouTube! Here's the link:

www.youtube.com/JohnnyDepp/aka/JackSparrow

More about my work, the girls' cruising around Europe for a month and Yannis' never-ending growing up soon!

The many faces of one woman......

2009-08-12T14:25:00.011-04:00

How can I keep from Singing?
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnClESui3Zw )

I am not entirely sure what is happening to me, but something so very profound and life altering is taking place that I can't wrap my brain around it. Ich suche weiterhin nach Antworten und finde sie auch....!

As the book of my life continues to be written, I come across situations that I thought long forgotten. And that leads me to know that those people I deeply care about who have touched my life will re-appear somewhere in time, just as the conclusion of a good book has its characters make sense of it all before the end....Warum nun das Kapitel nur so kurz war weiss ich nicht, aber das Leben geht weiter und ich darf meinen roten Faden nicht verlieren, despite all the sadness, How can I keep from Singing...!!? I can't! So I look at my life and the many facets thereof, I find a different woman everywhere! The Minuteman - how in the h*** did he do it?
Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever.... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything. Huh....!!!?
Ich bin voellig in mich gekehrt, es gibt nichts anderes als Heilen, nothing else matters and since last Sunday, after a particularly important event in my life - the flood gates opened! Sooo many unaddressed issues I neatly folded and put away are here and - das Beste von allem - after 35 years are being dealt with. Dang - I had no idea! So therefore I show many of my many more faces, all combined in me.

Our paths have crossed and taken a different turn for the time being, but I know deep in my heart that they will cross again when the time is right, nothing has changed but the obvious, all else is true and no word was spoken that has changed in its meaning....no regrets, just looking forward to what is to come...
Where are you this moment.....?

As new chapters are written....

2009-07-13T10:12:00.006-04:00

In the Case of the Lost Girls....... where are the girls????? Becoming teenagers, they are. Off and gone to do their thing! Das ganze Wochenende weg, Projekte mit der Schule fuer das Polish Festival. Yannis und ich haben die Gelegenheit ergriffen und sind zu Kevin und Mitchell gefahren! Allerdings haben wir erst Erbsen in unserem Garten geerntet. Them things are sooo yummy fresh from the Teepee! Of course it takes MAJOR concentration to carefully cut them off without yanking out the entire plant, so the scissors came in handy - as did the tongue.....

At the Fair......MONSTER TRUCKS!!!!

The excitement was great - at least for a little while! Them things are LOUD!!!! Wie kann man nur Autos kaputt fahren und das auch noch toll finden....?!! Aber es war doch klasse - nur gut, dass es nicht mein Auto war. Es sieht also so aus, als wuerden wir diese lange Fahrt nun oft und regelmaessig machen! Ja, ja, bei mir hat es geknallt...man sollte es nicht fuer moeglich halten! Da existiert doch tatsaechlich ein Mann, der mich wieder aus meinem Schneckenhaus gelockt hat! And with this, we began writing a new chapter in the lives of....! Und nun haben wir gleich 2 neue Maenner in unserem Leben! Yannis hatte viel Spass mit Kevin's Sohn. Eigentlich sollten sie sich noch gar nicht kennenlernen, aber erstens kommt es anders als man zweitens meistens denkt.....

Indeed, there may just be a summer afterall!

2009-06-12T00:45:00.008-04:00

Told ya! I think we were in the Caribbean...? ! Anyway, after the first trickle, the weather went to sh....BUT it is on the re-bound. I can't catch the girls swimming, 'their legs are too cheesy yet'....phewwww!!! They will swim the Lake again this summer though and right after, off to Europe! That ought to be a great start into Highschool - YIKES!!!!
It has been a good few weeks. I met Kevin. It is so good to have met him. I start teaching at NCMC Monday, Boyne and East Jordan later in the summer. Murals going up everywhere. Look out on M-75 S soon...!
Big one!

This one was fun as well. I guess I am now affiliated with 'Bartlett Home Interiors' out of Charlevoix.. ..hmmmm. Let's see where that goes.
Then there was the first annual 220 Lake Street Wine Fest. I met Nick. It is good to have met him.
The newest and latest BC Pizza....this time in Mackinaw City. Think it is #13, I lost count. There is so much going on, I can't think where to start! Life is sooo very awesome! Read into Quantum Physics, it explains it all. Or you can give it a different name, Ayurveda, maybe? There are many others, I call it complete and utter contentment and happiness!

So it has been a year...we cried and we celebrated!

2009-04-20T13:27:00.009-04:00

I had to paint it - it was bad! Never occurred to me that I am celebrating a new anniversary...! Painting took care of the bad stuff, one awesome cheesecake took care of the good! One candle this year, and I plan to plant at least 40 more on that cheesecake!

One day we went to Raven Hill and Yannis got to feed the tortoises! Not sure who fed whom though. Wow, them things are BIIIG! We also know how to fuse glass now! It was a good day as we went over to the Shaltz Farm to see all the new babies. Even got to bottle feed a few!

They really are cute when they are this litte.

The Easter Bunny came! Yannis was ready to go again the next day!...and disappointed when he found nothing in the yard! But finally the temps warmed a bit so we are outside all the time!
Work is overwhelming....I am not complaining. I would simply like to know where to start!! Business Expo is coming up and we have been busting some buttock! Hopefully I will have the light box done by then..wowie! Will add the movie on that one later.... Hence the update is completed for now.

Just not long enough......

2009-03-18T10:24:00.006-04:00

The kids with Oma and Opa - the obligatory 'Good-bye Picture'. We must have over a dozen of these already - fun to follow the time line through them. So - we are baaack - bummer! Unfortunately we had to leave Spring behind in the Old World and now are getting one heck of teaser here - yeah - rrrright - 66F in mid March - who are we kidding! Bracing for reality, to arrive tomorrow! Snow and rain in the forecast AGAIN!

Fuer alle Deutschen - ich hoffe, Ihr versteht das alles hier drinne....sonst sagt doch was!

On other fronts......another term of teaching for me is coming to an end - Georgia O'Keeffe was another success. Not sure what I will do next, subject wise, but I am sure it will come to me. Two more terms and the first year is over already!!! Wow...! And - 2 more schools have been added, as well as two other programs been expanded for the next year! This grant is awesome!

My website - oh #@$^%$&!!! I don't have enough time to breathe during the day, never mind working on the site....oh well, it is not like I am lacking any work - geeee!

The Boyne Arts Collective is moving! 3 months on Water Street are up, we are relocating to Lake Street in a couple of weeks! I like to keep things unexpected....hehe! Check out our website - new and grand things are coming (but are not yet posted), the mebership list is growing - yeah!

Back to work for me. I just need to steal the occasional few minutes to do something other than paint....not complaining, not complaining!!!

On another note - Michael died last week. The news hit me like a sledge hammer, even if it was foreseen....too many parallels, but this one I am not following pace! My thoughts drift in his direction often, my wishes are for his children. Continue what you have started, his death was not in vain.... www.MichaelVinecki.blogspot.com

#@$^%*%^%#^

2009-01-19T13:08:00.005-05:00

Alles weg! Mensch, da hab' ich wiedermal den falschen Knopf gedrueckt - so'n Mist aber auch!
Jetzt habe ich keine Zeit, das alles nochmal zu machen - I will have to try again another day!

...und ich muss Euch sagen, it's Christmas'ing very!

2008-12-22T05:56:00.006-05:00

Ach, als ein riesen Paket aus Einbeck kam - na aber! Volle Konzentration auf Zuckerguss...ich glaube, es klebt immernoch ueberall. Johanna war leider gerade nicht da, aber wir haben fuer sie mitgeklebt... There is nothing better than sugar at Christmas.....ok, maybe chocolate! The house is still semi-alive 2 days before the Big Day, good, huh!

And then winter came and then winter stayed! This is the first weekend of December. By now - 3 weeks later - WE ARE DROWNING! Allerdings muss ich sagen, dass es eigentlich recht schoen ist...so richtig weihanchtlich!

The School Boy und der Nikolaus....! Ach, und Frohe Weihnachten auch!

2008-12-07T18:23:00.007-05:00

When the snow falls wunderbar
And the children happy are,
When the Glatteis on the street,
And we all a Glühwein need,
Then you know, es ist soweit:
She is here, the Weihnachtszeit

Every Parkhaus ist besetzt,
Weil die people fahren jetzt
All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt,
Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt.
Shopping hirnverbrannte things
And the Christmasglocke rings.

Mother in the kitchen bakes
Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks
Daddy in the Nebenraum
Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum
He is hanging auf the balls,
Then he from the Leiter falls...

Finally the Kinderlein
To the Zimmer kommen rein
And es sings the family
Schauerlich: "Oh, Christmastree!"
And the jeder in the house
Is packing die Geschenke aus.

Mama finds unter the Tanne
Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne,
Papa gets a Schlips and Socken,
Everybody does frohlocken.
President speaks in TV,
All around is Harmonie,
Bis mother in the kitchen runs:
Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans.

And so comes die Feuerwehr
With Tatü, tata daher,
And they bring a long, long Schlauch
An a long, long Leiter auch.
And they schrei - "Wasser marsch!",
Christmas is - now im - A....

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,

Merry Christmas allerseits...

Und dann ist da auch noch der Nikolaus gekommen....Man kann ja wohl sehen, ob die drei artig oder ungezogen waren, oder nicht...?

Da ist, mein kleiner grosser Junge. Seit 3 Wochen ist er nun im Kindergarten!

Wir sind sogut wie eingeschneit hier! Und es soll noch mindestens eine Woche so weitergehen. Wieder eine Schneewarnung bis mindestens Mittwoch....

Cantemus Kinderchor

2008-10-25T20:21:00.007-04:00

Oh, and I made it into the paper again! Kewl....here is a pic they took while I was teaching in Boyne. Not sure why this one was chosen as the photgraphy guy shot DOZENS!!

Well, all of a sudden I found myself involved in hosting a bunch of German kids, here for a concert series, with no host families. Everyone pulled together and we had the most amazing few days in a long time! These kids are phenomenal!
Saturday morning we hiked to the top of Avalanche Mountain and the kids sang there, although only 15 of 56 were with us. The weather was incredible, the colors almost outrageous, their voices like angels.
Man, did we cry at the bus when they left.....I have a feeling lots of new friendships were created.
Life is back to the usual, and snow is in the forecast....bummer....it never lasts, does it...!

Getting colder in Northern Michigan

2008-10-16T05:52:00.003-04:00

Fall has arrived and is about to be over with already! I am guessing we are pretty much at peak with leaves raining at the slightest gust of wind. Frost is in the forecast for the next few nights. The pumpkins are picked and the yard needs to be raked. But I am not finding the time nor the energy to do much other than work and children. Teaching at the public school is going well, other than the occasional pain in the beeeeehind that a grant like this always brings with it - mostly disorganization.
Today, we are about to host 4 German kids, here for a few choir concerts. That is a whole new other story.... So the plan is to make their experiences memorable and fun, toting everyone around the area to see what this place is all about. The girls are excited to have German speaking peers around for a few days and Yannis has informed us that he can't speak to them... We'll see - he has a weakness for teenage girls in general.....
I will post a few new pics soon....still need to load the camera onto this here machine.
More later...and updates from the German side of things!

Reached completion...

2008-09-25T06:46:00.003-04:00

I finished my latest painting yesterday. Reluctantly it is now put up for sale, but I am hoping at won't sell too soon. I need to 'soak it in' first before I can let it go.... The next one is already solidifying in my brain and as soon as I reach THAT POINT, I will begin to put it on canvas....

The Super Hero!

2008-09-23T14:25:00.005-04:00

This time, he wants to be a fire fighter! He even got to ride in a real fire truck, one that is used for wild fires by the military.
It was an awesome day at the Firefighters Memorial, we even got to see a fallen semi being uprighted again.
A dip in Higgins Lake after the fun together with some pizza on the dock ended an incredibly beautiful fall day.

A summer in the lives of....

2008-09-18T10:18:00.006-04:00

Nun nochmal....habe ausversehen alles geloescht. An alle, die ein Interesse an unserem Leben haben, hier zieht sich der rote Faden!
Hier also ein paar Bilder vom Sommer....leider habe ich selber nicht sonderlich viel davon mitbekommen.
Die Maedchen sind wieder ihre 3km ueber den See geschwommen. Naechstes Jahr mache ich wieder mit!
Unsere Haengematte im Garten war ein grosser Hit. Habe viele Stunden mit einem Buch, haengend unter'm Apfelbaum verbracht. War ja sonst nichts zu tun....

Heute mal auf Deutsch!

2008-09-14T15:18:00.003-04:00

Ich dachte, auf diese Weise koennen unsere Familie und Freunde auf der anderen Seite vom Teich ja auch mal hier reinschauen und lesen, was wir hier so treiben.
Es herbstelt sehr draussen und die Temperaturen in der Nacht sind scharf and der Frostgrenze. Fuer die Kinder hat nun wieder die Schule angefangen. Noch ein Jahr, dann geht fuer Johanna und Teghan die Highschool los.
Im Moment sind wir dauernd auf Achse, zwischen Arbeit, Schule, Basketballspielen, Geigenunterricht,...
Yannis hat weitgehend seine Windeln aufgegeben und freut sich auf den Schnee.
Ich bin auch wieder mehr oder weniger auf den Fuessen und arbeite auch wieder vollzeit. Gelegentlich werde ich hier einige Bilder reinsetzen um den Fortschritt selber zu sehen.
Auch befasse ich mich mit dem Gedanken, eine Privatausstellung aufzubauen und den groessten Teil des Profits and die Krebsforschung (Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation) zu stiften....
Mal sehen, wie ich das auf die Beine bekommen kann.

Can't stop painting.....

2008-09-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

I am having SUCH a hard time getting my thoughts organized in order to get the images in my head out onto the canvas. There are soo many of them, they are all finished in my head and I struggle deciding which one 'gets to go first'!

I wonder what the last 4 months of my life have actually done to me. One would think fear, and it is there, but there is something else.... I truly follow my intuition of 'what wants to get done', can get it out each day and it comes so easily!

There are no coincidences in life, and all this had /has a reason. I will find it and it is somewhere in my work, or rather coming out into the open through my work. So perhaps if I become the audience of my own work, I will see the thin red line threading through it all.

I have entered the world of blogging....

2008-09-12T18:55:00.000-04:00

...thanks Nannette! It is all your fault and now I have to fight my way through yet another confusing maze of links, add-ons, post-its and what-nots. As usual, I will get used to it.
So this is it for today since I am really just trying to set this thing up for now. It will be fun to write what I am up to for the whole world to see - yikes!