Jan 30, Another Commission

 Thanks all- I'll write out a bit more of the story of Sunday January 8th later- maybe tomorrow-

Here's another commission~

Toby, 8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 29, 2023 A Commission

 I haven't posted in a while.

We had a house fire on Sunday, Jan 8th, which rendered our house unlivable and killed our three beloved dogs, and eventually killed our tortoise, Plato as well. We haven't found our cat yet, alive or dead.

We are doing okay, living across the street in our generous neighbor's spare house, which is better than you could ask for in this situation. Our garage is just fine and Duane's studio in it is functioning, and he's been doing a lot of archeological digging in our house, sifting through ash and debris to see what we can save. We'll be rebuilding inside, tearing out all the walls and replacing the wiring and plumbing and all, so really, it'll be a better house once it's done.

We are just really sad about loosing Bunny, Sally, Teddy and Plato, and we don't think Fatoosh could have made it out alive...

SO here is a commission of a sweet pup for your viewing pleasure-  I'll post more~

Franklin, 8x8 sold

Jan 5, March Lengthening Shadows

 Last March, I was awarded a Solo Residency at the Art Colony in Grand Marais, and I got stuck at my sister's house in Duluth for 2 nights, and the morning I finally went on up, these deer were in her backyard. I've got a few paintings from them- the light is fantastic!

8x24 acrylic on canvas

$385

click here for purchase info~

Jan 2, A Commission

 Alright! I believe I'm safe in posting these now- so there will be a few days of pet paintings for you! 

This is Peanut~ so fun to get those dark eyes dark!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 1, Otterly Content

 I hope you all are having a great start to your new year! It's a treat to be here on the west coast where the streets are softer concrete and there's hens and chicks on the volcanic rock retaining walls.... and there's palms and fluffy pines and moss, moss, everywhere. I love moss.  I should paint some moss.  Hmmm.

Also crows. There are crows everywhere!

Ah. So I wish for you, contentment.

12x14 acrylic on wood

$335

click here for purchase info~

Dec 31, Otter Wonder

 I'm in Portland, visiting a very close friend, and it is so weird to be somewhere else at this time of year!  We aren't planning much for tonight, maybe watch the New York fun if I can stay up that late, and I hope you are having some fun wherever you are! It is a great thing to be able to move on, to the next year, with hope and some anticipation. As I get older, I value even more those people whose love has been a part of my life for so long.

This is Otter Wonder, I like it. That is just such a great shape, that critter on the snow!  There's no snow here!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info~

Dec 29, Otterly Curious

 Here's a new otter painting for you, and it will be hanging at the Confluence Gallery at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge starting next Thursday and going til April! Duane and Max got some sweet photos at the zoo last week for me. I haven't painted otters just sitting on the snow for a while, and I was smitten with that negative/positive space interplay going on. They are just such wonderful shapes!

And I had to include a couple shots of us on our walk yesterday, with our sweet friends Julie and Jeff at the Wildlife Refuge!  This one is just at the end of American Boulevard by the Mall of America, and a great snowy walk!

I hope you are having a great holiday season, and enjoying some time relaxing and being with friends and family!

10x20 acrylic on canvas

$400

click here for purchase info~

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!!!

Dec 16, Maisy and Milo!

Alright!  I've been gloriously swamped under a beautiful deluge of commissions and I can't post most of them because they are gifts and I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I CAN post this one because it has already been given!

The photo was a bit blurry, and the larger dog is actually sitting in front of the smaller, so I had to do a lot more futzing with adjustments to get it appear that they are next to each other, and you know how much I love painting black dogs!

10x10 acrylic on wood

sold

 

December 7, The Light Through the Trees

 This is a repost, because I'm wanting to make sure I'm posting and I can't post what I'm painting right now which is an absolute storm of love! I have this amazing, glorious stack of beautiful creatures on my studio table that I'm working through, and I can't show you yet because they are all commissioned paintings as gifts for people. So after the holidays I can start showing you these!

And I also wanted to post this one because it will be at the Confluence Gallery at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington this January along with a collection of my paintings of other Minnesota Mammals and waters, especially OTTERS!

I have sold so many of my otter paintings, I have to paint more for this show! What a problem...

36x12 acrylic on canvas

$865

click here for purchase info~

November 30, WI Dane Co Blind

 This is one of the paintings from the first HOMEvember in 2017, and I still have it, and I really love it. I can't remember who sent it to me, but it makes me think of treehouses and Baba Yaga's chicken legged house... It's a good one!

I'm working on my HOMEvember book, and I am going to just be including this year's houses.  It's taking me too long to dig back and find my old photos of the past ones, sadly, and so that book will have to wait.

But this one is available, if you're interested!

8x10 acrylic on wood

$165

click here for purchase info~

Nov 29, Light Breaks Through

It's the end of November and I have been loving posting so often, and now I am immersed in a collection of commissions that I need to complete before Christmas and I can't post those yet, because they are surprises! So I'm pulling up some favorites that are still available!

I really love this one- it's from a photo taken in Duluth at the little road side stop on the north side of town- I think it's now called Glitch Gumee something... and the sun was shining through the trees...

This one is a weird size too- 18x14 and I entered it in an exhibition and needed a frame, and went looking at thrift stores. I found this one, with an old stained print of a caribou in it (not valuable, sadly) and I love the frame!  Oop-  I guess you can't see the frame- I'll have to post another pic with the frame!

Light Breaks Through

18x14 acrylic on canvas

$504 

click here to nab this, frame included!

Nov 23, The Corrigan Home

This is the house I grew up in. My mom sent me the photo, and I was surprised at how small it looks to me. This is from 1964 and I was born three years later, and I remember huge elms on the boulevard and I giant oak in the backyard. I climbed up those rain spouts onto the porch with my brothers, and danced on the wood floors. The large window to the left is onto the dining room where we would have our tree, I think... and do you see that wreath on the front door?

8x10 acrylic on canvas

spoken for~

 

Nov 22, Emily's Parent's Spooky House!

 Emily was a student of mine at St Mark's a million years ago, and I still remember the wonderful giraffe linoleum print she made! She asked me to paint this of her parents' house all dressed up for Halloween, and I thought it was pretty awesome, so I did.  Hope you like it!

The last home is tomorrow!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 21, Terry's Place

Here is my friend Terry's house!  She has chickens and made a beautiful tree house from the remains of a huge tree in her side yard- you can see it to the right of the house! And I tried to make sure I got most of those amazing plants in her yard!  It's so nice to see a garden right now, with most actual plants in Minnesota under the snow...

8x10 acrylic on cavas

spoken for!

 

Nov 20, Aisha's Blue Cabin

 I love this sweet place! So many blues, and the lovely garden in front- 

Everyone should have a chance to spend some time in a colorful cabin in the woods. That's what I think!

8x10 acrylic on wood

sold!

Nov 19, Zev's First Home

This is my friends' Zan and Dan and Zev's old house, over in South Minneapolis, and it's a sweet house and we had many a friendly warm soup supper there. And my son Max played endless video games upstairs and bounced on the trampoline in the back, and lots of food made in that kitchen!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

 

Nov 18, David's Neighbor's

 This was a bit of a challenge, and I'm not sure it's done but I really don't have time to keep going on it today!

David wanted this painted as a gift to his amazing neighbor's and he explains why~ and I LOOOOVE this!

The couple in that house help build and hold our community in the neighborhood.  One is a painter like you now after retirement. She also is writing a book. Eileen. 

Shelly… I do not know where to start…. She is a maker.  In the basement she has a wood shop to rival most. In the garage natal is the game.  She fabricates for so many people.  In the attic of the garage there is a small room which is dedicated to music. She has also a long history of photography. She has taken pictures of the people in the neighborhood for years documenting the changes.    

They have worked on the house for many years.  It stands proudly in the center of the block.  The nights are lit by the light on the pillars of their front stoop.   In the boulevard they grow chard.  The chard is delicious and there for the neighborhood.  

They are both curious and conscious of the the big and small worlds around them.  

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 17, Coffee John's Joint

 This is John's house in North Minneapolis, where I spent a ton of time, back in the day. John ran the Coffee Gallery, a coffee shop/gallery in Uptown in the 90's and I spent some time there.  He also had one of the first Food Trucks in the cities, the Coffee Wagon, which I got to drive around in the year and a half following his motorcycle accident and recovery, and I tell ya, THAT was an adventure!  In my years with John, I did a lot of motorcycle riding and hanging out with amazing people and doing really fun things.

John didn't send me a story for his house, and just asked that I add the flower box to the front that he's always meaning to put there!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 16, Arlene's Son's Cabin

 Arlene is a wonderful creative spark of a human, and I imagine her son must be as well!  Here's what she's written about this place~

When my cousins decided to sell their cabin—just a short walk from our place in Herbster—we were pretty sad. But they let us know when they set a price because we had “friends” who were interested. Those friends—our son and his sweetheart—are now our new favorite neighbors! 

10x8 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 15, Duncan and Sophia's Farmhouse!

 My friend Kat sent me this photo, and I was very hesitant about painting it because it is such an awesome photo and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get the people in there!  But I'm glad I gave it a try!

Here's what Kat says about this pair~

These are my dear friends, Duncan and Sophia. Duncan is a book binder by trade and Sophia is in IT, but is everything crafty. They bought a home in Wright, Minnesota a few years ago, and completely rebuilt this into a beautiful farmhouse that will stand the test of time. They have an apple tree that gives in abundance and now they use one of his book binding presses to make cider!

I don't know if this fits your criteria, but I thought it was a lovely picture, if you see on the porch, her mother is there, waving! :)

10x8 acrylic on canvas

spoken for!