Kitty, Pancakes, Healthy arting and eating!

"The Lovely Pancakes" 10x10 oil on canvas

This kitty is Pancakes, which is why I was compelled to paint pancakes as background for this portrait. It won the Patron's Mention award at the EBSQ Pet Portrait Swap '09 show last month! Not really a good photo of the painting though but you can still appreciate how cute Pancakes is :)

I wanted so much to do a DSDF piece but I am so busy and needed to take care of so many other obligations! But here are two of my latest pieces that I am donating for the fundraiser auction to help the Ozark Art Center.

"To Health!"
5x5 oil on canvas

"Healthy Life"
5x5 oil on canvas

Click on images to see bigger version :) Hope your summer was good. We are of course entering the fall season here in the Ozarks. Soon we will be surrounded but brilliant warm colors! And then we move right to SPRING!!! -- not!

Painting Mom for 2 hours and a cabochon pendant

Detail shot of Mom

With my Mom visiting for 3 weeks, I always go out of my way to devote me time with her and "sneak" in business as usual art activities :) Yesterday I excused myself for about 4 hours to do another jewelry piece. So this afternoon my trade was that she'd pose for me so I can paint her from life. I had envisioned 4 hours. But I didn't realize it was going to be like working with a kid LOL! Are you done? Can I see it? I'm tired, can I nap? After responding "No" to all of the above. I finally pointed out the clock to her that it hadn't been as long as she thought. Martha Stewart was after all still talking about Asian noodles on TV (I really thought the show would preoccupy her). After Martha I let her nap. She came back and I put on American Justice for her. Well the crooks had not been given sentence yet and she was done posing. So this was as far as I got -2 hours give or take. Maybe I can refine it tomorrow :)

Work in progress 8x10 oil of my Mom

I am happy with this pendant that I wired yesterday. Striped agate wrapped in sterling silver accented with wooden beads :)

DSDF 44-45 San Francisco, Mom's Art Class

"San Francisco Street" 6x12 oil on canvas

After a long absence from Karin Jurick's Different Strokes by Different Folks I finally got another piece painted! I'm so glad I did it because I really enjoyed painting from the photo with all it's colors and shapes and I now have a companion from my New York street :)

My dearest Mom is visiting us for 3 weeks so I am even happier that I was able to swing a painting because I usually love to devote my time with Mom when she's here. On this visit I thought it was time for me to introduce her to the joy of being an artist. She's practically a virgin at this lol! I really can't justify why I had never done art with her. But here is her progress work from day 1 and I must say I'm very impressed with her progress!

You can click on images to enlarge if you wish :)

The last one is "modified" blind contour drawing which is drawing in continuous line without lifting the pen/pencil. This is a concept that's always confusing to teach beginners; as you can detect Mom lifted her pen lol We're still at it lol I can conclude that one of the qualities an artist has to develop is STAMINA! I must really be well developed in this area because I last about 2/3 longer than Mom which is a BIG surprise to me!

Hibiscus Done! Peony my favorite!

"Nancee's Peonies" 9x12 oils

I painted this partly from life. I had to put it away to finish commissions and to take a break. I'm pleased with it :)

I have THE BEST neighbors in the whole world! Although my neighborhood is not the most wheelchair accessible place, I find comfort in knowing I love my neighbors as much as they love me :) One of my neighbors is Nancee who is a wonderful gardener (and an equally wonderful cook!). For the second spring she and her grandaughter have brought me cut peonies from her garden (and before that daffodil bouquet). As a matter of fact, Nancee has a special spot in her garden for my favorite flowers which are peonies! But the rest of her garden if full of botanical wonders! I can see why she aspires to be in the garden tour of our neighborhood. Her target date is 5 years. I tend to think she will be ready sooner than that!

"Hibiscus and Basil" 6x12 oils

And here is the finished version of the hibiscus. Incidentally, thanks to all the encouragement of my dear friends and readers, I now really like my gazebo painting and in fact am testing some merchandise with the image on it.

And I'm still happy on non-steroids yay!!! I'm not 100% painless on the new meds but I'm functional and keeping the smile on my face :)

Hibiscus Basil and Prednisone

My studio efforts for today is this work in progress hibiscus and basil ( 6x12, oils) set up. It's a nice grouping because the rootbeer bottle was from dinner out my husband had the other evening, the basil cutting from my girlfriend Lisa and the hibiscus from my garden. This still needs refining but definitely an excellent start for me and I'm so pleased!

My life has changed the last 15 days. My orthopedic doctor put me on Prednisone to help control the inflammation of my rotator cuff injury. I've been enduring the pain for TWO YEARS! Not realizing that it has taxed me not only physically, but also emotionally and mentally! I just finished 6 weeks of physical therapy which didn't really take, and that's after a cortisone shot. But I can't believe how much these steroid pills have turned me back to the Erika I used to know! I've been so enthusiastic, productive and happy because I've been void of pain!

Well today I took the last pill. These meds would cause more bad than good if the doc were to keep me on them. So I made sure I painted today so I can at least have a physical proof that I felt good today! And hope the non-steroidal meds I will be taking will keep me engaged to the Erika I knew well!