9-11, 2018

Wisdom, Focus, Freedom.   Time doesn't erase what happened on that horrible day.  We can only resolve to be watchful and see that it doesn't happen again.

Safe and Sound

My latest paintings to sell have made their way safely to Wisconsin and rest on the wall in a beautiful home of a new friend.  Thank you Terri for wanting these for your home.  They look wonderful in this setting.

Saying Goodbye

Well, after sharing my life with these three paintings for a year or so, I will be sending them off to live with their new family in Wisconsin.  Am I the only artist who forms an attachment to my paintings, who feels a bit of a loss when they sell?  That is the point of painting them in the first place, right?  To send them out into the world with the love that I've poured into creating them.   I need to paint three more very soon.

New Work

Several new acrylic paintings on canvas.  I've got summer on my mind. 

Prelude to Spring

I know it's technically still the middle of winter, but my local grocery store has rolled out the primroses, hyacinths and daffodils and the bare alder trees are getting that pinkish tinge before they sprout leaves....all really good signs of spring being around the corner.  Can't wait.

Summer in the Middle of Winter

                                                                  "Seedless"


Remember when watermelon was only available in the summer.  Remember all those SEEDS.  This is an 8" x 8" acrylic on its way to DailyPaintworks.com.

New paintings

Sometimes I have a nagging worry that the muse has packed up and left town.  Maybe not yet.  That's usually when I go out and buy fresh flowers and visit the Goodwill for props.

New For Spring

Ahhhhh - spring is upon us once again.  With the flowers comes a need to somehow express the beauty.  These are two of a series of abstract florals done in acrylic on canvas.  They'll be on display at the Bellingham Farmers Market that begins next Saturday, April 2.  Can't wait.

Another ArtStartz Adventure

The latest from our merry band of art enthusiasts.  They were given a complex set of instructions for four different approaches to acrylic painting and each one did a fabulous job.  It's such a privilege to see creativity pour from people when they're given the materials and a safe environment to play.

Dog portraits

It seems the more dogs I paint, the more dogs I'm asked to paint.  It always feels like a privilege to immortalize these gentle friends. They all have a sweet story.  This was Maggie.

In with the new

As predictable as an abandoned New Year's Resolution, once again, I'm looking forward to the turning of the last page on this year's calendar.  It's time to think of past successes, good times and the not so good, and planning for the coming year.  2014 was a good year for me.  Art sales were steady. There were some new venues in which to show my work.  Time to lay out a strategy and try to treat my art job like any past office job.  Best wishes to you all in your New Year.

"Shaken, Not Stirred"   This is an acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas, measuring 24" x 24".

Larger Than Life

Rhody Blossom - Acrylic on Canvas

The summer is absolutely flying by...as it always seems to.  My big goal is getting things painted for the October Whatcom Artists Studio Tour...enough paintings to fill my new 30' x 20' art workspace.  I got a big idea to "stage" interiors outside in my yard and photograph the paintings in natural light.  The problem that was quickly apparent was that sunny natural light creates too much contrast drama and overcast days have been few in number.  Not complaining...just saying.  This one is a little dark.  That's a birdcage next to the faux bed.  All in all, it was a fun photo shoot and I hope to keep dragging stuff out into the yard to set up the shots.  Wish someone would come over and put it all away afterwards.

Lifting Fog

I'm pretty happy with the outcome of today's hours of experimentation.  Clayboard with acrylic utilizing negative shape painting.  8" x 8" cradled.  I'll paint the sides black and it will be ready to hang. 

Frost on the Rose Hips

It won't be long now.  Winter's icy fingers are reaching out to wrap around our temperate weather days of late fall.  Like the old saying "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."  I've taken a LOT of foliage photos this late-fall season in hopes of discovering what can happen on Claybord when I focus on the negative shapes and paint deep into the thicket.  Still more work to be done on this one I'm thinking.

Harvest Moon

 As the middle of October approaches, things turn all black cats and pumpkins.  My 20-pound black cat, Lickerish, was the inspiration for this little acrylic card design.  What's not to love about a big black cat any time of year.   "Harvest Moon"  #218

Fate of the Forest

For most of my years, I have lived on family acreage backed by a stand of enormously tall evergreens.   Ravens, crows, eagles, and numerous smaller varieties of birds make their homes in those trees.  Deer, coyotes and rabbits make their homes among those trees.  I have the privilege of observing all of them from my kitchen window.  Those trees have just always been there and I can't imagine....I don't want to imagine.... the scenery out my back door any other way.  When I read the call for artists to submit artwork illustrative of the forest, my mind immediately went to work.  This is the painting that emerged.  Over 200 works of art have been received for the "Fate of the Forest" exhibit at the Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher and Old City Hall, June 17.  I don't want to miss it.

New creative energy

How time flies.  I never get used to how fast it passes.  Time to take stock of what has happened in the past 30-some days since I last posted.  Managed to create and ship the above acrylic painting in time to be included in the Northwest Watercolor Society signature members show being held at the Seattle Design Center in May.  I'm hoping for some double mileage out of that venue.  This painting is a result of numerous influences I've been pondering.....trying to reduce an image to succinct shapes in a large-for-me format.  I hope to explore compositions that have an iconic element, that shout from 10 feet away "Hey, I am really into the beach" or whatever.  Aside from that, it was therapeutic to set a creative goal, overcome the obstacles without cutting off an ear, and actually creating something I felt I could share.....with a couple days to spare.  Yeah me!

I will start the Bellingham Farmers Market next Saturday, April 30.  It's under the pavilion, away from the rain, for me this year.  Look for me along the wall with the windows. 

More creative stuff to write about later...hopefully not a month-from-now later.  

Deep End

In over my head....that about sums it up. I've bitten off too much. Seven projects and they're all coming due by the end of the month.

When I made the artistic commitments, it all seemed so do-able... months to plan and get stuff ready, but it will all work out, I keep repeating to myself. It always does.

This painting is called "Deep End" and was painted with acrylic on board. This painting is sold.

Also, here's how it would look as a rubber stamp.

Flying

I hate to fly. There, I said it. It's not so much that I have a fear of flying...it's that I have a fear of falling. I'm good with other people traveling as long as I'm not related to them.

This is a little collage piece I did last winter. The original painting was acrylic on hardboard.

Getting a Grip

Being a creative type, I'm always on an artistic tangent and with each tangent comes a boat-load of supplies. Once again this year, I will resolve to use up my supplies so I can rid myself of the guilt of not using up my supplies. I think I'm fearful of getting snowed in for a month and running out of things with which to entertain myself....like that's going to happen.

This painting was done using gouache, watercolor and acrylic on gold-gessoed illustration board.