Work in progress - "Dark Cloud over Paradise Valley" C Caton

I don't normally post pictures before they are completed - mainly because I really hate cameras - But I have been working on this larger painting for a while now, and thought I'd share it's progress.

"Dark Cloud Over Paradise Valley" by C Caton - work in progress August 2014  One persons paradise is another's hell....

It's 24"x 36" and I'm not yet sure if it will be for sale anytime soon - may hang on to it for awhile.  I will post it again when it's finished!

"The Last One" By C Caton

"The Last One" By C Caton  - Just Completed August 2014.  This one is a "paint over" - reclaimed a previously unfinished piece.  While I would certainly never paint over someone else's work, I can't possibly waste all of the half-finished canvas I have laying about - so recently I have gone to work to turn them all into something I like.  Kind of adds a unique "texture" in some cases.

"Ozark Cabin" By C Caton

"Ozark Cabin" By C Caton  Completed August 2014

"Teddy Bear Lake" By C Caton

Lately I have been going through some of my unfinished pieces, to either finish them or paint over them.  I ran across this piece, and just finished it up.  I had abandoned it at the time I first started it, because it seemed that my lake looked like a bear!  It wasn't at all what I had wanted at that time, but on second glance, I decided that it was kinda cool to have a bear shaped lake - even if by accident.  So here it is at long last - "Teddy Bear Lake" 

Moonglow By C Caton

"Moonglow" By C Caton - Completed June 2014

A barren landscape with under the erie glow of an unseen moon - This is my latest painting, "Moonglow" - just finished.  The colors don't really come across properly in the photo, though I did my best - it has a lot of metallic paint in it and those are always difficult for me to photograph.  

A bit of a rant - taking pictures of pictures isn't much fun at least to me.  If you have wondered why I don't post as many these days, well that is why.  I hate it.  Really, really hate it.  I'd rather be painting - or even watching the paint dry for that matter.  After nearly standing on my head to obtain this one semi-accurate photo of this painting, I gave up for now.  Will try again latter when I'm in a better mood for such.  :)  

Hopefully soon....

Hopefully soon I will finish the two paintings that I actually began several months ago, but real life sometimes demands more attention than some of us really like to give it, and that is presently where I find myself.

I know that I am certainly not alone in my predicament, having at once children who while mostly grown are still just on that cusp of adulthood, and also an elderly parent who is now flying solo after many decades of having a copilot.    It's sort of a strange place to be, truly.   You become a sort of trusted friend role to your children, while becoming a sort of parent to your parent.

I'm adjusting slowly to my roles, and so are they I suppose.   But it does all take time and there is only so much of that to go around.   However much I may enjoy painting, it is the people in my life that matter above all else.

Another thing that I have perhaps been devoting too much of my remaining time to lately is trying to understand my DNA test that I had done a short time ago.   Confounded thing....really it seems like the more I pour over it and try to understand, the more confused I'm getting.  I do think it is time to stuff it in the closet for a while, though I do suppose in one way it has been good for me in giving me a "spare time" distraction in the middle of the night, when I'm too exhausted to drag out the painting stuff.   For the price of $99, you too can do it at 23andMe.com  - but be forewarned, if you really want to know more than the rather skimpy (in my opinion) information that they give you, it will take considerable time, effort, and many other sites "tools" to do that.   Even then, there is no guarantee that you will really understand it.  I do believe that the day will come when it will be more helpful, just not quite there yet.

But anyway, hopefully by this time next week I will have at least one of my paintings done......I hope.

Everyday Beauties

Friends along the way - This little butterfly accompanied me on my walk this evening.

Sneaky, isn't he?  Do you see him?  It's the same one - he was the only one about. 

And here is where I left him, enjoying the purple coneflowers.  Isn't he beautiful!  

This was actually the picture I was wanting to take, when I found my little friend.  The bee balm is beautiful this year!

Apples too!

One of the most gorgeous things in the world must surely be the sun-dappled leaves...This is just at the edge of my little woods.

Back up near the house to the coneflowers....and that's the end of my walk today!

**All photographs taken on my own property by C Caton