Thursday, April 30, 2015

LOVE!

I'm taking a wee break from posting work from the class I've been taking. Thank you for all of the positive feedback, by the way!!!

During the class I've been using a number of canvases as paint trays. The main reason I do this is because I can't stand the idea of wasting any paint. But another reason I do this is that over time I've discovered that my paint tray canvases make the most amazing, spectacular, and unique backgrounds and I love to paint on top of them.

This one, titled "Love", was created out of one of the canvases I've been using in the last few days while I've been creating all of those faces. This piece was literally born out of that work and it's and expression of how much I've been loving the lessons, the instructor, the challenges, and the amazing group of artists who are also students. I'm being thrown thoroughly out of my comfort zone into a safe place to explore.

LOVE!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

My Lucretia

In this amazing class I'm taking we were given the lovely Lucretia, by Rembrandt, as inspiration. This is my version of that painting. It's not supposed to be her, just be inspired by her. I decided to give her some hair across her forehead...as a chick with a BIG forehead, er fivehead, I didn't want my painted lady to have to live with that. She gets to use the same trick I use, a bit of hair swept over it to lessen the vast acreage.
After much work I'm pleased with her, though I'd love to know what is on her mind.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Celestial Queen

I created a collage from my art work! I printed a color copy of the painting I blogged about yesterday.   I also printed a number of paintings I'd done previously, all of them with whimsical stars. I cut everything out and created this Celestial Queen on top of paper I'd done a watercolor background on. Her choker was also part of one of my previous paintings. And last, but certainly not least, I gave her a little color in her eyes. This was so much fun!


Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Monday, April 27, 2015

A Sideways Glance

This is the first whole face project for the class I'm taking. I have to say that I rather like her. While she doesn't look exactly like the woman in the photo I was working from, she could definitely be a relative.

I'd really like to know what she's looking at...I bet it would be something worth painting for sure!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Sunday, April 26, 2015

The Smell and the Taste of Things

I'm taking a wonderful online class and this was the next thing to work on...a nose and a mouth. I have this silly little inner voice that wants to pick it apart and be critical, but my awesome inner voice says, "Hey, you can actually tell it's a nose and a mouth!"

Yeah, I'm gonna listen to my awesome inner voice.

I'm super excited to learn more about drawing and painting faces!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Window to the Soul

I've just started taking an amazing online class from the beautiful Pauline Agnew. I'll be working on expressive faces and figures. So please bear with me as I will be posting my classwork on my blog. I'm super excited about this new artistic adventure, a little scared, too, as I typically paint in another style completely, but my excitement outweighs that big time.

Here's the first. I used charcoal.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Friday, April 24, 2015

Fabulously Adorable

On my birthday earlier this week we went out to eat for dinner. It was fabulous family fun. But the fun was not limited to our table. Nope. Because all of a sudden a straw wrapper flew through the air and hit my kid in the neck. All four of us turned to look where it had come from and there was this fabulously adorable curly-haired chick. She caught our gaze and put her head on the table.

Me: "Don't worry about it, I've totally done the same thing before."

She raised her head and smiled in relief. And then she giggled with her equally adorable boyfriend who had obviously been the target of that errant straw wrapper.

Young love...as delicious as the enchiladas I ate that night.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Twisted

Sometimes pure perfection happens.

I was in the laundry room, which just so happens to be a very tiny room, and my little guy showed up. "Twist and Shout" streamed out of his phone...and that precious kid of mine started to do the twist and sing loudly into a vacuum cleaner extension tube "microphone". Well, of course I had to join in! And the two of us twisted and shouted for the duration of that magnificent song.

Hanging in the laundry room has never been more fun!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Feels Like Winter

I cut Hazel's hair a week or so ago. Hazel is our big awesome dog for those of you who don't know. Ever since her haircut she's been a little shivery at night as she sleeps at the foot of our bed. So being the nice doggy mom that I am, who also happened to be woken up by Hazel's quivery shivers, I got up, pulled her up to my spot, lay her head on my pillow, got myself in bed, snuggled up beside her and covered us both up.

And I must say that it was the most delightful, cuddly, shiver-free night's sleep ever!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Birthday Bouquet

So today's my birthday. It's true!


Dave: "I thought about buying you flowers for your birthday...but then I didn't. Does thinking about it count?"

Me: "Totally. And, anyway, I'd much rather go out to eat than have flowers any day."


They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but that's absolutely goes for me, too. I think I hear some veggie enchiladas calling my name!


Here's to the start of another trip around the sun!!!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Monday, April 20, 2015

Thankful

Me: "You have beautiful blue eyes."

Little guy: "Uh-huh."

Me: "You should say, 'Thank you.'"

Little guy: "Why, you didn't give them to me."

Me: "It was a compliment, that's why you should say, 'Thank you.'"

Little guy: "Oh, I thought we were talking about genetics."

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Fuzzy Flitting

We love all of our chickens. We really do. They're adorable, they give us eggs, they eat bugs...they're awesome. Well, all but one of them lays eggs, anyway. One chicken, our sweet Fuzzy, does not.

Fuzzy is our little Silkie. She's smaller than the other chickens. She lay one egg...one!...several months ago. Her little beak is crooked and the top doesn't line up with the bottom. Her feathers came in all scraggly and that little one can't even consider trying to fly. And with all that she's decidedly our  most adorable chicken by far.

I sat in the chicken yard taking in Fuzzy and all her cute glory. I started to sketch her and she flitted here and flitted there. That girl flitted everywhere.

So I present Fuzzy, fabulously flitting of course!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Teddy Bear

And this happened...and it made me ever so happy.

I went shopping first thing this morning and as I was heading toward the dairy section to pick up some yogurt there was this guy. This most amazing guy. He was wearing pajamas, a T-shirt, and flip flops, and was pushing around a kid-size shopping cart. And this guy was not petite! I loved that he went shopping just the way he did.

Made me think I should bring my teddy bear shopping with me next time. Might just make someone's day like he made mine.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Friday, April 17, 2015

Behind

I had the oddest dream last night. I was a back seat driver. Now outside of my dreams, this is actually a bit of a reality...just ask my husband. I twitch, grab the elbow rest, and I "helpfully" offer suggestions.

But while I was a backseat driver in my dream, it was nothing like real life. I was, literally, backseat driving. As in I was the backseat of a car, all alone, yet I was in control of the driving of the vehicle. And I must say that it's a very odd thing sitting in the backseat of a car whilst controlling its every move. But that strangeness isn't what stuck with me. No. It was the odd wondering about how on earth I was managing to reach the pedals from the back seat with my short legs.

And I've been pondering that all day long.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Things Happen at Night

Sometimes I think I miss out on stuff by sleeping at night.

I woke up this morning to find that every single plate and every single cup and mug that we own had been used. And while there were tons of forks left in the drawer, there was only one spoon. So I'm going with the assumption that a soft serve substance, spoon and plate-worthy something that induced great thirst was on the midnight menu.

This delicious mystery must be solved...stay tuned.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Being Brave

I was brave today.

Not in the risk my life way or anything like that. No, I was brave in a hair way. The thing is this. I have tons of hair clips and barrettes. And I consistently put them in my hair in the morning. But I always, always, take them out before I manage to actually be seen by anyone outside of my family. Maybe I prefer to hide behind my hair. Perhaps I don't want anyone to know just how big my forefivehead is (big foreheads run in my family). Perhaps it a remnant from my punk days in high school.

Well today I put a clip in my hair and I left it in. All. Day. Long. Feeling like a superhero...and my fivehead appreciated the opportunity to see the sun!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Love in our House

What love is...


Me: "I just came in to tell you I love you." And I gave him a hug.

My big guy: "I love you, too, mom."


Me: "I just came in to tell you I love you." And I gave him a hug.

My little guy: "Making me a sandwich would mean you love me."


Well, reciprocal love is clearly hunger dependent.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Monday, April 13, 2015

I've Been Warned

It's not every day when you get two warnings for the same thing. I was at the grocery store and on impulse I picked up a small bottle of pepper sauce. I couldn't help it. I do so love spicy food and it was ever so inviting.


Grocery checkout guy: "Is this for you?"

Me: "Yes."

Grocery guy: "It's really, really hot. Be careful."

Me: "OK, thanks."

Grocery bagger guy who hadn't heard the checkout guy: "Is this for you?"

Me: "Sure is."

Bagger guy: "It's unbelievably hot. Use it super sparingly."

Me: "Wow, this stuff comes with two warnings."


Guess I'd better heed their advice...maybe.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Sunday, April 12, 2015

So, Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?

We've had chicken problems lately. Escaping chickens, that is.

More times than not, lately, I've arrived home to find several of our chickens hanging out in the front yard. This means they got over the fence in their chicken run and then over another fence to the front yard. While it's all fun and games for my chickens, this chicken mama was starting to fear for their safety...especially when the little guy and I were leaving on an errand and had to stop a bit down from our house because one of our chickens was, yes, crossing the road. So after breaking quite a sweat rounding her back home, completing our errand, and getting home only to find chickens out again, I decided we had to do something.

On the scene came google and "chicken wing clipping". After I sorted through a number of articles on cooking chickens, I found what I was looking for. And twenty minutes later our birds with the flight risk each had a lovely one-sided trim. Take that, girls!


So, if you're wondering why the chicken crossed the road...well, it's just like the joke always ended...to get to the other side.


P.S. While this painting is of Phyllis, she is one of two chickens who did not receive the trim. My favorite girl would never want to run far from home.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Saturday, April 11, 2015

A Moment of Concern

I trimmed our big dog, Hazel, today. Actually I started yesterday. With that much skin acreage, it's a two day job.

Our kitten, Tommy, ran in after I'd finished the haircut, took one look at Hazel, his eyes filled with concern for just a moment, and then he ran to her and rubbed back and forth along her legs.

No way a haircut can come between best friends.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Friday, April 10, 2015

Tricky Chicks

My chickens, they're jokesters.


"Gasp! She's dead!" I go through the gate with sadness filling my heart and walk over to check on my chicken who is on her side, legs splayed, eyes closed...surely dead as dead can be.


And every time they jump up and scamper off.

Who knew chickens played possum?

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Thursday, April 9, 2015

I Sigh...

The little guy and I are together in the car a lot. It's the nature of things when you are dependent on your mom for rides. Though to give full credit, the kiddo rides his bike tons of places. He and I often talk about how it will be when he starts driving. You know, things like how he'll likely share a car with me and have to go on errands for us from time to time and such. And he looks at me with full love and appreciation...and flicks a booger onto the car's carpet when a box of tissues and a tiny trash can were right there.


Me: "What are you doing?!?!"

Little guy: "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to."


This from the sweet kid who wants to share a car with me. I sigh...

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Phyllis Made the Graffiti Wall!

Phyllis has joined my graffiti wall and she's doing a little jig in celebration. And of course she's considering eating those flowers because that's how she rolls. Love my girl and my graffiti wall...such fun to watch them both grow.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Blue on Blue

I did some jean patching today. It's the sort of thing that's in my sewing skill set.

Dave loves his jeans. He loves them so much that he's rarely, if ever, willing to part with them. So when his beloved jeans get a hole in them, well, I patch 'em. And patch 'em. And patch 'em. One of the jeans is pretty new on the wear scene and it now only sports one patch. Another has two. But the current granddaddy has eight patches. Eight! And those patches are all different shades of blue. And those jeans are my husband's favorite.

And I love this about him.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Monday, April 6, 2015

Worth Stopping For

I was just looking out my window and a fella was riding his bike by one of my neighbor's houses. He stopped his bike, got off, walked to one of their lovely rose bushes, and took a deep sniff.

He has the right idea, my friends.


Oh, and much gratitude to my neighbors for creating such beauty!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Brushed Out

You learn something new every day, right? Well, at least I do.

Here's what I learned just lately. I was at a facial party thing with a bunch of lovely ladies. It was my turn to have a facial and the woman who worked with me cleaned my face, applied lotion or some such substance, and then she took out a teeny tiny tool that looked like a miniature baby bottle scrubber, and...what?!?!...brushed my eyebrows.

Yes, she brushed my eyebrows. Now maybe you've heard of this odd ritual, but this was a new one by me. I mean I never even knew there was a need for such a thing. My eyebrows weren't unruly. They weren't even tangled. I had no idea that there was a problem.

But she sent me home with not one, but two, eyebrow brushes. Clearly she detected a need. I hope you'll take a moment to notice my lovely coiffed eyebrows.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Out of my Fever Fog

I've been running a fever the last couple of days. I'm certainly way beyond caught up on any sleep deficit that I may have been racking up and I'm in a bit of a fog. Lucky for sick me I was invited to take part in a wonderful (and free) e-course. It's taught by the lovely and amazing Pauline Agnew.

I love abstract painting and I do a lot of it, but I find that I'm reluctant to leave them as they are and end up using them as backgrounds. So it was delightful to paint something with the intention of letting it remain purely abstract. So freeing. And what made it even more fun was exploring a variety of tools...many different paintbrushes, a sponge, a feather, wet wipes, my fingers, etc.

What a fun and blissful way to bring me out of my fever fog!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Where the Grass is Greener

Our chicken, Barry, has made a grand discovery. She prefers to be in the part of our back yard that is not the chicken run. She has managed to verify that the grass truly is greener on the other side of the fence. Know what the best part is? That girl, when she decides that the "grass" in the chicken yard is "greener" because that is where all her peeps are, is able to get right back over the fence to join them.

Chicken love!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Just Breathe...

...except I couldn't.

I wasn't sure why at first. I knew I'd been working out for a while and perhaps I was pushing too hard.  But it didn't feel internal. Nope, this was an issue coming from outside of myself. 

So as I was trying my best to keep my feet in the air as my little guy pushed my legs over in today's ab torture strength session, I opened my eyes just enough to realize that his shoes were directly adjacent to my head. 

His shoes...his stinky, stanky, funky shoes. His shoes that could peel paint. His shoes that could easily fumigate a small room.


Me:  "Oh, my gosh, your shoes!!!" 

Little guy: "What?"

Me: "I can't breathe...your shoes reek."

Little guy: "Oh, sorry, Mom."


He moved a bit away and as soon as I closed my eyes he moved right back. That stinky little turkey. 

Payback. Yup, that's what's on my mind.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

I Love my School

I was walking in the school where I work this morning when a child ran to me from behind and caught me in a hug. I turned around to see the most fabulous, bright, and sunshiny face looking up at me.


Me: "What do you have there?"

Kiddo: "A bunny."

Me: "What's its name?"

Kiddo: "I named it for you."


And another big hug.


BEST way to start the day!


Every year the school where I work has an amazing fundraiser. I always contribute a painting for the auction. Here is this year's. I love painting owls. Next to chickens they're my favorite animal to paint.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.
I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!