Mark your calendar for August 1 - 29 and come see my first ever all buspaintings art show. Russells Bakery 3339 Hancock Dr. Austin, Texas, I'm getting ready. Thank you for looking at my art, Kathleen McElwaine the BusPaintings artist

Behind the times & Keeping a smile! I chose this painting to share with you because she looks to be in her late 50s and behind the times and that is me today.
I think she might even have a few (pink) sponge curlers in her hair!
I woke up thinking I was going to write about my heros - everyone of them encouragers. Most were encouragers during the Great Depression. But no time for that - I have 7 emails from people trying to make a purchase. That should be a good thing but these are all telling me my Buy Now link does not work. I don't have a clue what I am doing wrong. It is true that everytime someone has purchased one of my buspaintings from my blog they have always gone to my Etsy Store or sent me an email but this is the first time I have been told the link does not work. So I'm identifying with this little behind the times lady! Hope you enjoy and thanks for looking. Thank you to everyone that was persistant enough to send me an email. Any help out there is appreciated.

20% chance of rain. . .

This little Original painting measures 4 inches by 6 inches. It is painted on Strathmore Watercolor 140 lb Cold Press postcard.
Artwork will be enclosed in a cello sleeve and sent in a flat sturdy board envelope. Painted on Capital Metro Bus 983 7/17/09.

20% chance of rain . . . $8.00 s/h $2.50



Etsy Store http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com
Web site http://www.kmcelwaine.com

I have been asked to do the illustrations on a children's book that teaches children about conserving energy. This is a character that I came up with in the process. We are not going to use him but I think he is a lot of fun and I wanted to share him with you. What do you think - should I try to license him to do info-mercials between cartoons teaching children about recycling and conservation? Thank you for looking at my art. Kathleen

Web site

by Myrtle Reed
She wrote an apology, then tore it up, thereby gaining comparative peace of mind, for, with some natures, expression is the main thing, and direction is but secondary.

Thank you for looking at my art. Kathleen
web site http://www.kmcelwaine.com
Etsy Store http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com

My grandson is attending Film camp at UT this week so we get to have him with us. I did this little painting of him this morning on the bus - he fell asleep and did not see the finish until this evening. It was fun to see how much he liked it. Thank you for letting me share it with you. Kathleen

3 - 7 x 5 Original Watercolor Paintings will be sent to you in a cello sleeve and mailed to you in a sturdy board envelope. They are handpciked by me ready to be placed in a triptique frame - Now this is a buy!

All 3 Frame Ready paintings $25.99 + 4.00 s/h

July's flower the Crape Myrtle 7 x 5 Original Watercolor Painting,white mat, in a plastic sleeve, $25.99 + 4.00 s/h

Do you remember the Golden Rule? I think it still works.

sold

I'll tell you who the paintings were of - http://www.judithhillmusic.com/
She has been discovered this week.
Thank you for looking at my art. Kathleen the BusPainting artist

I wrote the words below in a thank you email this morning to a person that has helped me with starting my art card business - I want to continue to live by this!
We all have a battle to do in the economic climate we are living but somehow I keep thinking that - Doing the best job I can do, at being me, is my contribution to economic recovery. You being in my life encourages me to continue with that hope.
Thank you for looking at my art.
Kathleen the BusPainting artist

http://www.kmcelwaine.com

I read about this very talented young lady today and saw a picture of her - I could not get her out of my mind. She said in her bio "I came back rich" I know what she means. I did both of these from memory about 6 hours after seeing a picture of her. Does anyone know who it is? Thank you for looking at my art. Kathleen

Daily Beauty

http://www.news8austin.com/shared/video/video_pop.asp?destlist=68366
Did you see me on the news?

Commission a painting?

All 3 are Oil paintings - 18 x 14 Kerrville Oakridge, and two 14 x 11 paintings of friends. It is good to have time in my studio.

Summers Flower

sf7029
I hope you enjoy yesterdays BusPainting. I am adding originals and note cards to my Etsy shop daily - I hope you will visit.

BusPainting? Whats that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYAQ05repw
http://buspaintings.blogspot.com/
http://www.kmcelwaine.com
http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com

To purchase: buspaintings.etsy.com

Would you like to see a painting of your dog or cat? No obligation! Send me a comment that includes your email address and I will reply with my email address and mailing address. You can then mail me the photo or send it to me digitally. Thank you Kathleen McElwaine

BusPainting? Whats that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYAQ05repw
http://buspaintings.blogspot.com/
http://www.kmcelwaine.com
http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com

Back on the bus! 3 paintings offered at Etsy $10.00 each

Everybody was so glad to see me back yesterday. What a good feeling that was! Thank you, Kathleen

Available at my Etsy Shop 3 trees $40.00

Three BusPaintings together at http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com Priced at $40.00. They look wonderful framed together in a frame you can purchase at Hobby Lobby for $29.00 full price 1/2 of that if you buy when they are on sale. I hope you will click over to my shop and purchase. I will run specials like this most of this month. I'm back to work this week so you will see new paintings. Yea!
Thank you for looking at my art. Kathleen McElwaine the BusPaintings Artist

Writing Notes and saying Thank you

In a nutshell, people need to be told they matter to you. My suggestion is go to http//www.buspaintings.etsy.com and purchase a set of 6 of the Allys Burroughs cards or a set of 8 of my other cards and start writing notes to the people you appreciate in your life.

Allys Burroughs, Elbows on the Table a 5 x 7 greeting card $3.50 each
They are in print! I'm excited. You have all read my occasional blogs about the Rich Ladies and I gave you all the words to Allys Burroughs snippet by my friend Lee Loden but now you can purchase the greeting card itself. This Rich Lady card and many Rich Lady cards in the future exist because I know how important the people that encourage me are to me. They make a difference, they keep me trying again, they move me forward in every way in my life. As an artist, as a pastors wife, as a mother, grandmother - in every aspect of my life I fight discouragement everyday. At some point today I will try to think I might as well give up. Well I don't let myself. The reason I don't let myself has a lot to do with you.
Thank you, Kathleen McElwaine the BusPaintings Artist

Follow the Clicks

Follow the clicks is where I have been all week building the best Etsy Shop and web page I am able. Then yesterday afternoon I received the phone call all my work had been preparing. My printer, my great patient, wise printer called and said my first edition to the Rich Ladies, Allys Burroughs and Elbows on the table were ready to be picked up. Please go see - I'm not sure how all my links are working but you should be able to click on Follow the Clicks above and it should take you to my Etsy Shop. Let me know how well it works. Thank you Kathleen

Mountain Pink

Traveling South on old 183 after my visit to Leander,Texas 78646 Post Office, PO Box 754 I saw a hillside with bright shoots of pink. I really could not be sure what I was seeing. I was convinced the pink had to be flowers but I had never seen anything like it. I could not get back for a few days but when I did I went trasping up the hill to check the pink splotches out. After taking my findings to a friend, Karen Thompson, who is also a Texas Historian and a Horticulturist living here in Leander she told me they are Mountain Pink scientific name is Centaurium beyichii. I could not wait to share them with you. Keep your eyes on the road but watch for a sight like this. This is the definition I found on google: Mountain Pink thrives on the barren, gravel-strewn limestone hills of Central Texas and westward. The flowers, which bloom in early summer, branch to form a perfect bouquet. Called quinine weed by pioneers, the plants were dried and used to reduce fevers.
To purchase the painting please visit my Etsy Shop.
http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com Thank you Kathleen

Are we there yet?

The heart touching comments I received from my blog yesterday will forever mean a lot to me. I will keep painting and posting BusPaintings I want to always be an uplifting presence in your life.

I'm off work this week so I am not painting bus paintings. I took the week off to prepare for my Grand Opening of my ETSY Shop. http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com
My shop has been up and running since December but I have not learned how to use it to its fullest. Boy has it been a learning curve week.
Thank you, Kathleen

Laugh Out Loud

This is a very Rich Lady. Today, she does not agree with me about her riches, but I know she is truly the Rich Lady. I can't be with her today on her birthday so I will spend the day reflecting and giving thanks for everyday of her life. To share just one of my favorite things about her. When I am down, even when I am missing my family in Oklahoma - I have a picture of her that I take out and look at - she is laughing out loud. I can hear that laugh in my mind and be uplifted every time. If you wonder who I am talking about Isaiah 11 will give it away.LYGFE

Hesitation

Hesitation is taken from a photo I took at a rehearsal dinner. She was very glad to see the person she was talking to but very hesitant to get very close. I feel that way sometimes. Thank you, Kathleen

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

I am posting this picture again because I have had several emails asking for details on my lap easel. The board is a 9 x 12 canvas board, the paper is Fabriano/Artistico 100% cotton, the pallet,a Winsor & Newton travel pallet that I bought years ago in London and purchase refills of the half pans, you could use any small set of water colors. It is all held together with velcro. I believe that imitation is the highest form of flattery and I am not afraid of being copied. Buy one of my originals and copy away. Since I have a copyright on all of them it is recommended that you don't try to sell your copy. If you have questions send me an email I'll answer as soon as I can. Thank you Kathleen McElwaine the BusPaintings Artist
to purchase http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com
see more art http://www.kmcelwaine.com

aceo Thistle 2.5 x 3.5 Watercolor

I don't remember if I have ever written about aceo's. What is an ACEO? ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. You might want to google aceo and read about them. The only hard fast rule about what a aceo is,they are trading card sized each being 2.5 x 3.5. Fit nicely into my buspainting backpack so I enjoy painting them on occasion. Thistles are showing themselves all over the place right now. Knowing how important they are to the caterpillar/butterfly I like them even more. Sorry daddy, the pastures will need to go through this stage. I wonder if we have more golf courses than pasture land - I wonder if there are less thistle for the caterpillar to eat? Thank you for pondering with me. Kathleen

A Grand Son

What a character in a story looks like is fun. It is adding discovery to creativity. This is one of our Grand Sons (that is not a typo). I'm not sure what I have him doing but he could be dancing, or carrying something that is not in the picture yet or maybe even putting up his dukes - does anyone remember that phrase?

I am now a partner in a greeting card company.
You will begin to see the name Ka-Lee Art Cards show up along with my name Kathleen McElwaine and with BusPaintings Artist.

Standing by 61809

Every so often I do a painting that I am not happy with but everybody else really likes it. This is one of those. I am looking at it as what I had wanted to accomplish in the painting and the viewer is seeing it fresh. I hope to paint these dogs again someday soon. Thank you for all the great emails and comments on my post yesterday. To everybody that mentioned my use of the term values - yes I was referring to values as an artist term. Tonal values or how light or dark something is.

A bit Liberated?

I took art classes when I was a child - my dad owned Dick Bardons a Sporting Goods and Pawn Shop. The arrangement was to pay the artist teacher with Nocona Boots. I took these classes very seriously and still to this day practice the drawing exercises he taught me. One of the things that I remember from his class is he would not let me have white on my palette. Oils, watercolor, even pastels. He used this method to drive home learning values. It is funny to me that I feel a bit of guilt when I use white still to this day. I confess, I used white watercolor in this little painting and people on the bus watched me do it! I'm not sure that I don't feel liberated!

Follow the lead!

What fun it is to ride the bus. As I was painting away yesterday, when we stopped at the second stop a friend of a friend of ours got on the bus and set in front of me in the seat that faces in. I was already painting her face, not really but in that place in my mind, I'm certain is on the right side of my brain. She spoke to me and I realized we had met before. In fact she had talked about me on her blog and that is how I found out we both knew Linda. Anyway, I don't often get to paint the people I see but it did not bother her at all so I painted her. If you want to sit in that seat and let me - I'll be glad to paint you.
PS I have heard from you and I am listening. I will start posting buspaintings more. Maybe Mondays can be my oil painting show and tell day, what do you think? Brian I have not heard from you in awhile, are you still reading my blog?
Kathleen

What an interesting world this is . . .

Recently I have been given an opportunity to illustrate a childrens book. I am working on discovering the main character during my buspainting time. The book is wonderful and the main character must be discovered first. I will show some of the pictures when I can but until then I will show you oil paintings you have not seen and on occassion I'll fit in a buspainting I can show you. Remember if you would like to purchase any of my paintings Oil paintings or buspaintings visit my web page http://www.kmcelwaine.com
or visit my ETSY shop
http://www.buspaintings.etsy.com
to see the available paintings. I am way behind on getting paintings posted so if you visit my blog and find something you would like, send me a comment and I'll see if it is available.
http://buspaintings.blogspot.com

Morning Reflections Guadalupe River

Robert and I went to Kerrville, TX for Robert to attend the Presbytery Meeting - I painted. This is a painting I did on the river early Saturday morning. The Kerr Arts and Cultural Center has a National Watercolor show going on - I saw my first Stephen Quiller original painting and we met a new friend for life, Hi Mike. Thank you Kathleen

Pet Portraits 12 x12

I immensely enjoy painting yet I always have you in mind. My hope each time I paint another painting is that when you view it, it can enhance your life, make you smile, increase the beauty that you see in yourself. Each painting to me is an expression of what I see in you. Somehow pet portraits show the love we have for one another and the world we all share. Animals flourish by our attention. Thank you for all the pet portraits I have painted for you over the years. Let me hear from you if I have not done one for you. If you are viewing this in an email just reply, or you can visit my web page, read more about pet portraits and send me a comment.

A Gift of Flowers 14 x 11 Oil on Canvas

I want to invite you to visit my web page to see the oil paintings I have available. http://www.kmcelwaine.com
Let me know if you would like to see any of them in your home.