Jan 13 Another Christmas Commission!

 Wahoo people! 

Dang- I do know I am lucky to work with kids everyday- and to work with art stuff every day- and I'm lucky to have my personality and all that, and I just thought I'd share a few more of my pieces I was working my tail off on in December!  I have a few more that I'm kicking in now-  and I also have been adjusting my Pet Portrait Price List, and at this point, with how nuts the world is, I'm just going to consider Tax As Included In The Price, which means any commission already has about a 10 percent discount...

Just saying!

Isn't this an amazing face?

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 3, Commissions!

I've been so lucky this winter to have so many holiday commissions!  It was nearly another "30 Dogs in 30 Days" kinda month!  Holy cow!

So thank you to all of you who asked me to be part of your holiday gift giving- it really means a lot to me that people find my paintings to be a comfort and a joy, and that they appreciate my representations of their beloved companions. I am so lucky!

Thank you!

9x12 acrylic on wood

framed, sold

 

Jan 2, 2022 Happy New Year!

 Wow! What a year~ thanks for being a part of it~ we've had fun and angst, joy and awful awfulness, and we've been there for each other.  I'm attaching my family Holiday Letter for you, because if you're reading this, you are a part of our family!

I'm getting some classes ready for this new year and we'll just play it by ear and see how we can do them together, aside from all of us making sure we're vaccinated and masked when together- I do want to make sure we have time to paint and a space to do that too, so let's do it together!

I've been so lucky to have dedicated painters like you all who want to keep painting and working together, and I know painting helps me keep a level heart and my mind fairly centered. That's why I call the classes Paint Love, though maybe it's time to change that...  let me know what you think.

And I'll be posting some more of my commissions done recently! Thanks for following!

Dec 27 I OTTER paint more...

We've been a bit nuts around here- and now it isn't any different. You know how you think things will slow down at some point and you can catch up with stuff, clean those drawers out, sort that closet, go through those old photos...? 

Yeah. That's gonna happen~

Technically I'm on winter break, but it isn't feeling a lot like a break.

One kinda okay thing is that my big Otter Show at the Convergence Gallery in Bloomington had been postponed to January 2022. Whew!  I'd meant to spend my break painting otters, bigger ones and more of them, for this event. And I've not had as much time as I'd expected.

SO here is a smaller 6x12 painting- I'm pretty happy with it!  And you can buy it now, if you like!

6x12 acrylic on wood

$165

click here!

 

Dec 15, Yup! Another Pup!

 So I'm a little tired today, because there was a storm happening last night, with a tornado watch until 11, so we sat up playing games and reading and finally went to bed just after 11. Wednesday is device-free day in our house, though that doesn't always stick all the way through. We did all play a game of Chinese checkers, which really needs to be renamed, and is also a pretty darn fun game of strategy and planning and has no killing or shooting or blood involved! Just marbles migrating across a board.

I've got a few commissions left that I am finishing up through the next few days, and I've also got a couple classes that I just scheduled, one for next Wed, 10-12:30, though maybe I'm too late announcing this one because no one has signed up yet- which is fine!  I can let it go!

We are also have a Studio Sale this weekend at the Ivy, in Studio #210! You'll want to come around the side of the building to the door next to the garage door facing the Greenway and the RR tracks on 27th Street! We're open from noon to 5!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 9, Another Commission!

 How lucky am I to be painting these amazing creatures for the people who love them?! Thank you everyone who has asked me to be a part of your gifts this season!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 6, A Commission!

Hmmm, it is tricky to post commissions right now-  I'm thinking I'm not blowing a surprise here!  I'm not sure my blog is that widely followed... or my Facebook page either!  I do love the eyes and eyebrows on Manni here!

Oh, and I also have to sadly announce that we are cancelling our Dec 11th Corrigan Eclectic Art Market due to a family health issue~

Pass that word around!  And I can possibly squeeze in one or two more commissions!  Or you can gift a gift certificate and I can get it done AFTER Christmas!  Wahoooo!

8x8 acrylic on wood

Manni!

 

Dec 3, Otter Dinner

 I couldn't think of a clever title for this one-  let me know if you come up with a better one!  We had a great time at the Minnesota Zoo the day before Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving eve?) with our little tribe of 12 year olds, and I love the otters, sea and river versions!  It's the water reflections I love the most...

This one will be with me tomorrow at Art At Ramsey!  Come see it and me!!! 1700 Summit Ave from 10-5!

16x8 acrylic on wood

$256

click here to buy!

Nov 30, First Snow Fall

 Wow!  It's been a busy weekend! I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving weekend!  It was restful and creative and full of 12 year old boys at our house!  I'm painting some wonderful commissions and getting ready for my three final events of the season- I'm sending a pile of work to the Bloomington Art Center for their Gifts in the Gallery event, Dec 7-21!  And this Saturday I'll be at Art At Ramsey in St Paul from 10 to 5 with a pile of other fine artists, and we'll have our last event of the year at Corrigan Eclectic in Rosemount on Dec 11th from 11 to 4!

Here's a deer painting I've not posted yet!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$165

click here to buy!

Nov 26, A Commission!

 Lucky me! Getting to paint these critters!  Thank YOU all for sending them to me!

You can still get in line for commissions, and I can possibly get them done by Christmas, though my deadline for guaranteeing that has passed, though I do have a Rush fee, if you really REALLY must have it!

I can also create a personalized gift certificate for you, if you want to gift a commission to a special someone~

Let me know what I can do for you!  Happy Holidays!

6x6 acrylic on wood

Spoken For!

Nov 23, NOT a Commission! "Otter Thoughts"

 Sometimes I'm able to paint for myself! I'm not always painting for other people- though really, I do realize how incredibly fortunate I am to be the person who LOVES to paint other people's pets!  It is something I'd wanted to do badly as a teenager, and I did do it badly! ha ha- no, I probably wasn't that bad, but as a teen, you do look at the minutiae and not the big picture so I was using pen and ink and drawing every last hair on those beasties, I tell you. I even went and sketched at the New Zoo, when it opened in 1979, drawing those sweet little Asian otters in the Tropics, getting all the hair but not a lot of the anatomy correct...

This is the river otter at the MN Zoo- no longer called the New Zoo, but I still think of it that way.  I'm hoping we get a chance to get over there this week!  I need to do some more larger otters, for my show at the Convergence Gallery in January!

12x6 acrylic on panel

$165 

click here for purchase info

Nov 17, Another Commission!

Oh, and there's a few spots left in my One-Day Painting Classes!  Sign up and bring a friend!  Limited to 8 people, and please be vaccinated and masked!  Wahoo! 

This is a sweet little kitty commission!  I've still got space for a few more!  But you gotta get em to me SOON!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

Nov 12, Charlie Girl, A Commission!

 We had Night On The Town down in Rosemount last night, and I sat at Corrigan Eclectic with my mom and my sister and some members of the Rosemount Area Art Council (RAAC) for a kinda open house thing amongst the local businesses. But not having done this before, we didn't realize it was more of a bar hop, with wine and beer and "20% off!" signs at the businesses- and we were also one of the only places that required masks, which was a bit awkward... unfortunately.  

We did get a few lovely people through, and I was able to talk to a number of them about the "Deer Friends" exhibit, and it was sweet to see so many people out and about!

And I'm hoping to get a few more pet portraits from this anyway...

This is Charlie Girl!  Did I mention I love black dogs?

I think she's heading to family in Ireland...

sold!

Nov 10, "At Lake Hiawatha"

So I'm a member of "Outdoor Painters of Minnesota" or OPM and every so often I like to put a piece in one of our shows, and so we have a show at Frameworks Gallery in Highland in St Paul right now and I just dropped this piece off last night.

I got to sit (well, stand really) at Lake Hiawatha this Sunday morning to paint this- and it is really a lot harder to paint outside somewhere than you might think.  First, OUTDOORS is BIG. Really big. So big that you might have a hard time deciding what it is that you want to paint. And once you think you've decided, your brain might work against you and decide it doesn't want to stick to THAT spot, but keeps moving your eye over until you realize you are painting something that wasn't in your original plan...

Anyway, it was fun, and I think it worked out alright, and its got a nice shiny gold frame on it so that's something!

At Lake Hiawatha

20x16 framed

$700

You can buy this at Frameworks or click here and I can ship it to you after the show comes down!

my setup at the lake~ can you tell?

Me and the painting!  Do I match?

Nov 5th, A kitten commission!

And here's another one!

I'm sad but kinda glad I'm not doing HOMEvember this year- I love having a daily challenge to paint something, and homes is a really fun topic. But this winter, with Corrigan Eclectic and our Art Markets and the "Deer Friends" Opening tomorrow, I'm a bit overwhelmed!

So send me your commissions!  I'm glad to do those!

8x8 acrylic on wood

and sold!

Aren't those eyes amazing?

 

Nov 4, And another commission!

 So, yes!  It's that time of year, and yes, I am happy to paint your pet for you!  Or your house, or somewhere you vacationed and had a great time! 

I love doing these! Just send me an email and some photos!  Here's my price list for you- it will be updated in January!

"Cinco"

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Nov 3, Deer Friends is this SATURDAY! 11-4!

 I hope you can make it on Saturday to come see our show and shop at our Art Market! I've really been excited about these deer and Gina's photos- they look so good together, and I didn't take any photos of the gallery when I was down there yesterday- poop-

Anyway, come on out! Here's a link to it for you~ 11-4 on Saturday at Corrigan Eclectic, 3065 145th St W in Rosemount!

AND I'm posting a few small One-Day Paint Your Pet/House Workshops at the Ivy~ you're among the first to know, so sign up now! They are great gifts for the Holidays and you can take a friend! More info here~

This sweet little pumpkin will be at Corrigan Eclectic for the "Deer Friends" show!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here!

Nov 2, A Commission!

It's Election Day! I voted this morning-  at my polling place, the local high school, there usually isn't too much of a line, and I've heard that in Minneapolis its been a record year of people voting early!  Well, we'll see what happens!

And this is a commission!  I'm having so much fun with these!  There's still time for you to get yours done!

6x9 acrylic on wood

$185

sold!

 

October 25, Backlit Doe

 I'm amazed at how busy I am, though yes, I do realize why. I'm doing too much again. But it's all so fun!  How do you stop? And it's getting to be the holiday season as well, which means lots MORE stuff going on!

Speaking of which, we will be having an Art Opening on November 6th at Corrigan Eclectic (3065 145th Street West in Rosemount MN 55068) from 11 to 4pm for the fantastic and much anticipated collaborative show we've titled "Deer Friends"!  The photos and title are by amazing photographer Gina Easley and the paintings are all by me, using Gina's photos as references.  I'm super excited about this show and have been painting these deer since 2019 and have been wanting a show of them for at least as long. But COVID and restrictions have made it difficult until now!  So if you are free and not far from us, please consider this a personal invitation!  We'd love to have you!  And this painting will be there~ though you can buy it now and I'll mark it sold but I'd still like to have it in the show~

16x12 acrylic on canvas

$385

click here!

October 20, Camp Road

 So this is a bit overlit in the photo, but this was my landscape demo last Saturday and you never can quite tell what it looks like until you get home later and look at it. So I really wasn't sure I liked it, until I looked at it today. And then I liked it!  but I don't think the photo is good... 

But anyway!  I still like it!

20x10 acrylic on linen

$400

click here!