Good time with long time friend and new projects

My long time friend Shirley came for a 10 day visit.  We have known each other for over 40 years and she has been here many times in the 19 years we have been in AZ.  Back in the day, we used to paint together.  In fact, she was in the first class I ever taught in 1976.  She hasn't painted in a long time so I decided it was time for her to try it again.  She had no problem getting back in the groove.  Here is a photo of us painting together and of her project.

I was able to get a couple of Mexican train stations done in the time we painted together. Here is what I did.

Before Shirley came I finished a couple of projects but didn't photograph them.  Here they are.

One of the things we did while she was here was to go to yard sales and I found this elephant.  I finished him today. He was a fun project.

I have a bowl ready to paint so that is what I will be working on next.

"Mare and Foal" AKA "The Queen and Her Prince"

This is my newest painting.  It is another version of the painting I did for the Double Exposure Exhibition last year.  I sold that painting so decided to do another.  This one is quite different than the first one I did based on a photo by Mary Nation.  The rules for the exhibition were to do a painting in our own style of the image taken by the photographer we were paired up with.  I tried to keep it as close to Mary's photo as possible yet still have it reflect my painting style.  For the painting above I decided to use the same idea but to glam it up.  I used a frame that I had refinished in gold and incorporated  lots of glitz into the painting.  It has such a regal look that I am considering renaming the painting "The Queen and Her Prince".  What do you think about that idea?

Here is the photo the painting is based on and the first version I did for the exhibition.  Both are much more subtle than the new painting.

I have a good friend from Ohio coming  for a visit soon.  We have been BFF's for over 40 years and I look forward to spending time with her again.  I probably won't get much work done while she is here but, on the other hand, we used to paint together back in the day so..... maybe I'll find a project we can work on while she is here.  Yes, I think that sounds like a plan!  I bet she will enjoy doing that.  It will bring back memories of the "good old days".