Christmas #2

Christmas #2 was fantastic! Mom, Bob, and Sophie all loved what I got them. (Although the numbers on Sophie's calendar weren't as big as last year's, they're still okay.) Since it's no longer a secret, I can share with you what I painted for Bob:

It's a Morris Minor Convertible, the first car he ever owned. He had printed out a photo to hang in his "wine room" (the laundry room, where he makes wine). I snuck a photocopy of the photo, and then painted this for him to hang there instead. It turns out he likes it too much to hang in the wine room, though. *sigh* I tried... ;)

I am really happy he loves it, though!

I had to paint it really quickly, because I ended up only having one night at the art club to paint it. (I meant to start the previous week, but forgot to bring the canvas.) I had to paint it in one evening, since there was no way I'd be able to complete it secretly at home. I did put the varnish on at home, one coat at a time when it was safe, then setting it under my bed to dry.

I planted the amaryllis bulbs way late this year. To make up for it, it looks like this one is trying to bloom when it's barely out of the ground:

Of the other bulbs, four are too small to bloom (I think they are shoots off of the store bought bulbs), and the fifth looks like it'll bloom... but there's not much growth at all yet. They'd really do better if I'd water them more regularly, and fertilize them in the summer when they're in the garden, storing energy for the next year. I'm really bad about watering and fertilizing the garden.