Roses and Caramel oil still life paintings

I wanted to finally finish a piece I started in the studio last year "Roses and Pears" 8x10 oil and it SURE FEELS GOOD! I sometimes worry when I run out of gas to finish a piece that I know I really was excited to paint! I'm so glad I took photos and the image was still farely fresh in my mind so I could bring it to a finish. I hope Alice Thompson will be proud that I finally gave the piece wings to fly :) Where are you Alice? I miss you and so do the rest of your blog friends I'm sure!

A sweet girlfriend sent me a 160z bag of gourmet caramel (Celtic Sea Salt flavor) and it was DELICIOUS! So I saved 3 because I wanted to try and paint them lol My husband has been bugging me to please paint them so he could proceed to eat the rest . Well here is my attempt at one of them. "Caramel" 2.5x2.5 oil on canvas.

I hope my blog friends are being safe from the rough weather. We in Arkansas have been subjected to frozen rain and snow. In my case, the roads are so bad that we hadn't received mail since Tuesday? I've been suffering serious cabin fever; I easily get claustrophobic when I'm surrounded by the same inaccessible surroundings for an extended amount of time.

Well today, we got mail and I was actually able to get to the mailbox because my dear husband was able to shovel a path for me. It's still so frozen so there's still about an inch or more ice left on the path which made my wheels spin a bit. We woke up to our lake somewhat frozen. I'm imagining those ducks' feet so cold!!! Well keep toasty and enjoy a safe Superbowl weekend!

Cat and bird portrait Van Gogh Starry Starry Night

"Fred and the Birds" 16x20x2 acrylics (I think) on canvas

Most of you loved Zoey's portrait so I thought I'd show Fred this time :) I'll try not to take it too personal that my readers like Van Gogh's backgrounds over what I usually paint hehehe. This is a portrait of our pets. Fred is a she. My husband didn't realize it was a female cat until after she was named. He had her forever, at least until she was 22 years old. I have since converted him to a bird lover lol These are 4 of our 5 cockatiels because we adopted the 5th one after I painted this. From the left: Blondie, Boo, Yellow Head (I named her Alexa but hubby wanted the other name sigh), and Pecker (so named because the bird bites like we never feed him). I do love the texture or brush stroke after Van Gogh's, it's so expressive and decorative. Each time I see this I plan to paint something completey my design in the same technique but shortly after I forget.

I've recently gotten some graphic arts orders and am about to start an architectural piece to do for the same client. I've been busy in the background with that. Sorry so busy!!!

Morphing 44 Presidents

I thought I'd share this since I am in the middle of creating art. Since I am also a graphic designer and have done some animation in Hollywood, I have great appreciation for the crafting of these kinds of productions. ENJOY!

God Bless President Barack Obama and America!

Good morning World!!! Here's wishing you Happy Inauguration Day and sending you blessings on this day may you always have hope in your hearts and joy in having your opportunities! Make it all count and may God bless each and everyone of you!!!!

I'm signed up at http://usaservice.org I hope you are too!

"A New Beginning" 5x8 watercolor

Jefferson Memorial at Night DSDF 19-20

"Jefferson Memorial Illuminated" 8x10 oil on canvas

This is Different Strokes by Different Folks challenge to paint the Jefferson Memorial at Night challenge hosted by Karin Jurick. It's a good day when my husband comes home and says "Wow!" lol I often get the half gaze notice which I interpret as not "didn't quite hit it". It was particularly good painting day because I literally feel my brain has been frozen by this weather so my pilot was not lit to be creative. Anyway, the painting has a little more deep purple that the camera doesn't pick up. It's not all totally blue. Well I hope this got me warmed up to get excited about my next projects :) Incidentally check out the February American Artist Magazine as Karin's work graces the cover along with an article of course! WOOHOO congrats Karin! You deserve it all with your talents and hard work!

I didn't even terribly mind that we woke up to this image below because it meant I didn't have to brave the temperature to do my grocery shopping since the volunteer drivers, that kindly transport me in their vans, don't run when during inclimate weather heheheh So I had plenty of chance to refine my painting and listen to Rachel Ray make Neopolitan baked ziti which I can enjoy vicariously even though my tastebuds are crying even as I type YUM-O! Anyway off I go to make a healthier meal! Stay safe and warm where ever you are! This is my view from my desk.

Hello from your favorite nun

Behold my 4 days old frustration. It's not done. I am painting my (younger self) as a nun lol Don't ask why because I don't have an answer that makes sense. But you're welcome to draw or paint your own conclusion. It is for 2 portrait challenges I'm involved in. I drew this and stared at it for 2 days because I was frustrated at the lack of good reference I have for the habit. When I composed it in my mind I also had charcoals planned for my medium but as it turned out the 2nd portrait challenge came up from my watercolor group (Watercolors Wet and Wild), so I chose watercolors. I grabbed a paper, drew on it, then I found out I don't favor 300lb coldpress so it's another obstacle for a smooth execution. But for now I'll put it aside because I know I will overcome this when I'm ready! For now, I wanted to show you this is how I will appear to you when I come to haunt you wooooooooooOOOOooooOOOo LOL!

Today I grabbed a canvas, drew on it and voila, I had a good painting day with my DSDF Jefferson piece which I can't wait to share. I'll have to refine it tomorrow then! So stay tuned!!!!

Watercolor Cat's Cradle Akiko Watanabe

"Her Cat's Cradle" 2.5x3.5 inches watercolor

This a deal that developed during the DSDF Portrait project. I have always admired Akiko Watanabe's work - it's nothing short of EXCELLENT. Her attention to details that is always done with such care and impeccable skills. Her love for animals is always manifested through each one of her creations. Here is her website http://www.akiko-watanabe.com/index.html and here is her blog http://artbyakiko.blogspot.com/ prepare to be knocked over :)


So I see Akiko as an angel, most especially cats. This is why I thought I'd paint her with wings. And a pair of hands with the cat's cradle string position to symbolize that cats find comfort with her. I tried with my limited knowledge of cat shapes to paint 15 cats on her shirt. This number symbolizes an important figure to her which I will let her own. It's a miniature piece of art, but it's the biggest hug I can send right now and made with love for dear Akiko xxx

By the way, a note to my email subscribers. I didn't realize the printing some text in blue in my previous post was not a good thing since it's hard to read oopsie sorry about that!

Nude Pastel Figure and Imagekind 2009

"Fatal Fetal" 9x12 pastels

I've been working feverishly updating my blog. It is now 3-column vs. 2- column blog. And through the process I managed to lose every gadget I had but I think I've recovered the majority and I've added new things as well. On the left are two websites where you can find some of my prints and originals. I still have to upload some items so when I am closer to show time, I will mention it again. Currently I'm still trying to recover from long hours of prettying up this blog a bit. It's also been so cold that I think my brain literally freezes so I'm just sitting here staring at my monitor lol

I've also added a section for a charcoal drawing I did for EBSQ and I will be adding more as the year progresses. :)

It seems Karin Jurick's Portrait Challenge in the Different Strokes by Different Folks blog got me embedded in portraiture mode for the month of January. I'll also be working on a self-portrait or two. Oh boy, more images of me for the wall! I thought for certain I had enough of those!

The cheerful pastel drawing above was done for an EBSQ show "Conversations with Dead Poets" It received Juror's Choice Award and it's also sold. This is how the piece was inspired:

This show exposed me to more poets than I've ever encountered in my life!
One of the first poets I responded to was the late Anne Sexton who lost her battle with mental illness and committed suicide in 1976 at age 46. My 9"x12" mixed media entitled "Fatal Fetal" was inspired by "Wanting to Die". The whole poem was powerful but these two stanzas were the ones that inspired my art:

"...To thrust all that life under your tongue!--
that, all by itself, becomes a passion.
Death's a sad Bone; bruised, you'd say,

and yet she waits for me, year after year,
to so delicately undo an old wound,
to empty my breath from its bad prison..."

The poet seemed alone and hopeless. The figure in my piece seems cold and appears to lack comfort from clothing or human contact. Taking the fetal position and her fingers in her mouth, she appears to be regressing into a dark direction like a deep depression.

I remember finishing it and planning to paint it in oils on canvas at some point. I still might. I was proud that I made up the figure lol Anyway, as I said this piece sold but I am selling prints in Imagekind where you can also order it in your preferred surface and even framed. Well Red, glad you brought it up since I never touched it since last year lol!

If you need a happy fix, let me show you a video of my bird Joey in case you haven't had the pleasure of seeing him! He's been quite popular on Youtube!

DSDF week 16-18 Portraits

"DSDF Portrait of Us Different Folks with Different Strokes" 8x10 oils

She's done! My humble portrait of the artist assigned to me by Karin Jurick for our end of the year challenge. When I received the email from Karin, she said "Just have fun with it". So I decided to go with my more

playful cubist style. I do really enjoy painting in this style because it's so unpredictable and always playful. She reminds me of Virginia Madsen, I wish I knew who she was. I've sleuthed aroun d the regulars but I failed lol This design reminds me of a happy beginning. As if she's telling the bluebird, "Change is upon us and it's going to be good!" Ok, maybe that's the oil medium speaking lol Please che ck out the wonderful display of varied talents in the DSDF blog! I've also added Janice Warriner's photo that she submitted to Karin which inspired my piece.

Here is one of my bigger cubism painting I've done. It's "Red Moon Over Bella Vista" 4'x5' acrylics. Based on the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel which is pretty much the touring spot in our little own. In the summer of 2005 we enjoyed a 2-week display of a red moon. It truly mesmerized me and I wanted to capture it but I was in the middle of wanting to paint the biggest canvas I've ever attempted, so this is what I ended up painting. I've sold a ton of prints on it but I still have the painting. The gallery asked to display it around Halloween and I keep telling them it's not a Halloween painting :p It's also a job and half to transport it, I always have to ask my friend Linda please give my painting a ride. And Miss Linda is always so accommodating, I hope she never sells her cute white pickup truck. She brought us some cheese wafers for Christmas which is what I blame for the 5 lbs I gained. heehee