Painting Palettes

Last night Robin's co-workers took her bowling but I opted to stay home for many reasons. Yesterday was the first day I had to myself since Grandpa's funeral and the horrible trip to St. Louis and I was just enjoying the quiet. I was not in the mood to be social in the least. I wanted Robin to have a good time and not worry about me and I knew that If I were there that wouldn't be that case. Also, being on this awful low-iodine diet means that I can't eat out at any restaurants so that might have also created a problem. I really didn't want to sit there and watch people eat and drink while I sipped water. I missed her and felt bad for not going, but really felt it was for the benefit of everyone if I didn't go.

I spent my time doing something I've been meaning to do for a while. I haven't done anything with my Mother's things in a LONG time so this weekend I decided to photograph and inventory her painting palette collection.

I had everything in boxes, but unfortunately they were all in different places. Some were in the old art room, some were in the garage, some were in the spare bedroom... ugh. I really should have been more organized when putting them up. I know that I'm missing some stuff... I just need to locate everything!

After pulling out the several boxes of figurines and other collectibles I started the photographing process... all while Jake (my cat) supervised!

You would think that I was bothering him, or something!

The process took HOURS! Last night I did all the figurines and other collectibles and today I did all the jewelry. I remember buying my Mom a lot of these things, but dang! The woman was out of control with the painting palette collectibles!!

Now I need to figure out what to do with them! I was thinking of contacting her old painting group to see if they are interested in any of them. Maybe I'll inventory and photograph the rest of her painting supplies as well. I am so ready to purge this house and unfortunately it's not like any other person letting go of their parent's possessions. My Mom literally did any kind of craft that a person can think of and when she decided to "get into" something, she went all out!

During the photographing process I came across something which made me laugh. Whenever my Mom was painting she would sit in her art room and do her thing while Dad hung out in the living room watching football, Star Trek or whatever John Wayne movie happened to be on that day. One day I guess Dad got bored so he went to my Mom and told her that he wanted to paint, also. From what Mom told me later she said she looked at him and said "Are you nuts?" (or something to that effect) and he insisted. She let him pick his medium and materials and set him up and let him go to town.

This is the outcome of the only art session my Dad was involved with:

It's a good thing Dad stuck with his day job and let Mom be the artist of the family!

Dad was so proud of this that he actually brought it out into the living room and put it on the TV stand. My Mom walked out into the living room and did a double take and gave him a hard time and said it definitely was not being displayed there for long! After Dad died she had it sitting right in the middle of her painting palette collection until the day she passed away.

The pup is a little dusty right now, but I think I'll clean him up a bit and give him a new home on our bookshelf.