August 30, "Grizzled"

Wow.  We had a heckuva time yesterday, and I didn't really have internet access to post at all, though I did try to use my hotspot.  Thank god for Duane and red wine!  I had to spend the evening recovering a bit from canoeing down the St Croix river with 80 6th graders in a downpour and thunderstorm... in aluminum canoes...
We had to hit the banks twice and get out of the river and away from the trees and stand on our life vest because of the lightning...  it was honestly terrifying all the way around and maybe we weren't in that much real danger but the kids were scared and I was scared and trying not to show it~  you know how that goes!

Anyway, I did have time to paint a little and this is a grizzly from the Mn zoo in July, sitting in his pool contemplating life~

6x6 acrylic on panel, available for purchase here $75!

August 26, "Perceptive Papillon"

So I am not sure I'll be posting for the next few days, as I am off to the wilds of WI with a pack of 6th graders!  I do plan on bringing my paints but I am not sure how much time there will be for that kind of frivolity, and I am also not sure about whether or not I'll be able to post... so there is the upcoming MYSTERY for you!

Also, you wonderful local participants of the "30 Dogs in 30 Days" project will be getting contacted by me about pick-up and delivery of your art!  I'll be taking the show down this weekend and will have the doggies ready to go home!

SO this pup is one I painted from a photo I took in July while sitting on Wabasha Ave for the Street Party, which was SO much fun and resulted in my meeting two of my former art students!  SO fun!  I just wanted to try to get this dog's attentive face and inquisitive and somehow knowing manner...  those eyes were tricky too-  had to do them over twice!

6x6 acrylic on panel, purchase here for $65!

August 25, "Schwoopity!"

Wowzzers!  Yes, it has been a good day and I wanted to paint an otter and I found this photo!  I think Duane took it at the Mn Zoo a couple months ago, and I am going through to find the ones I want to paint BIG.  I need some huge otters.  I just do.
So this guy appealed to me with his little toesies and that lovely negative space around him... you may notice I like painting the space around my beasties almost as much as the beasties!  I do feel that space informs the viewer as much as the interior space of the form of the subject... if you know what I mean!

Whew!

this is a 6x6 original acrylic painting, available here for purchase at $65!

August 24, "Baby Moose From the Zoo"

I asked Max what I should name this one, and that's what he said; "It's a baby  moose from the zoo!"  It is either Grant or Marais, one of the pair of babies that was found abandoned up near Grand Marais this summer...  they were just stepping across the field, their long legs picking through the tall grass~
I really loved painting the greens!  This creature is much more about the silhouette than the actual filling in of a shape~

6x6 Acrylic on panel, available for purchase here for $75!  

August 23, "Dark Gus Vader"

Okay.  I am  a bit tired.  But I did paint this today, at the Riverview, with an audience of three under ten year olds... and it felt GOOD!
So I'm listing it at auction for $35....

Have a go!  Get a dog!  click here to join the auction!  6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang~

Cedar Parkway, August 20th

Getting tough to paint this week-  school starts next week so this is all workshop time... still managed to sneak this in!  Great drive around the lakes this morning!

6x6 acrylic on panel, click here for purchase info!  $75!

August 18, "Summer Walk"

There are several pairs of orphan baby moose at the Mn Zoo right now, and this is either Grant or Marais, the male or female of a pair found near Grand Marais recently and brought to the zoo to be brought up.  These two were brought out by a sweet woman carrying a bundle of greens for them and they followed her down the hill on their gangly, wobbly legs, eagerly lifting their lips and their strangely graceless yet elegant heads...

So there are a few more pics to be painted from this series... I really love the silhouette against the water!

6x6 acrylic on panel, available for purchase here!  $75, ready to hang~

August 17, "Sorry, Did You Say Something?"

I couldn't not paint this one!  I mean, come ON!  Is this NOT the cuteset darn little face ever (aside from your own beloved beastie, of course!) and those EYES!!!!
I sure wish I had more photos of my crazy dog, Babe, who was a Boston Terrier/Chihuahua mix who happened to look more like a Tasmanian Fruit Bat Devil Dog...  noone could ever figure out what she was... I had her in the early 90's...
Anyway, here is this little sweetheart!

6x6 acrylic on panel, click here to bid or buy!  Auction starting at $35!

August 16, "Diamond Boston"

Yeah, I could work on coming up with more clever titles, I know...  this is a Boston Terrier whose photo I took while painting "Mercury" at Diamond's in July.  Clever and witty title, yes?

6x6 acrylic on panel, I want to get some attention so I'll set this guy up for an AUCTION HERE!!!

Starting bid is just $35!  Git yerself some sweet new art!

August 15, "Surface Reflection"

I am having a show of some of my otters at the First Unitarian Society up the hill from the Walker, from Sept 7 to Oct 12, so I am working on a few more... this one has a pink ground~  I like how it makes the greens pop~
They are SO fun to paint!

12x16 Acrylic on panel, available for purchase HERE at $315~

August 14, "Smiles Up!"

I am loving the weather lately!  Minnesota NICE indeed!  And here's a snappy little happy pup for you!  This is a little painting, 6x6, experimenting with composition a bit for a commission...

And whadaya call that kinda face anyway?  He's not exactly begging.... more like just reconfirming how much he LOVES you, and the fact that you are a predictably messy eater...

6x6 acrylic on panel, ready to hang, $75!  Click here to purchase~

August 13, "Gus Profile #7"

Yes, I had to paint my faithful muse again today.  I am just simply enamored with all the different expressions this dog can pull off!  I mean, really!  He is a total goof ball, but can appear to be quite intelligent and even noble... that's what I love about dogs!

And all those blues in the gleam too!  I'll have to give painting Teddy another try... it's just that she's so FLUFFY!

This one is a 6x6 acrylic on panel, available for $75 so click HERE to purchase!

August 12, "Young Moose on the Path"

This is from a photo I took at the Mn Zoo last fall, and I sadly don't know whether this is a male or female moose, though it was probably a female.  I do also know that there are now a number of young baby moose at the zoo, and they call them "Abandoned" although I think it is more likely they were orphaned...
I love the goofiness and elegance of these beasts!
Sorry-  I am also feeling very sad today at the loss of another person's elegant and generous goofiness- Robin Williams, I am so at a loss.

9x12 acrylic on panel, $215, click here to purchase~

August 10, Teddy!

Okay, this is NOT our Teddy, but I figured you'd enjoy him anyway!
SO one chunk of exciting news is that I am having some of my art featured on bags by Scrappy Products, a local eco-friendly textile company located in the same building as Diamond's Gallery over Northeast Minneapolis!  I don't quite have a link yet to the bags, but there will be three versions, featuring three breeds of dogs-  black labs, pugs, and I don't remember the third...
And the OTHER exciting news is that I am READY to start TEACHING PAINTING LESSONS again!  I have my new studio all set to go and am eager and excited to see what this new space has to offer!  I have some openings left in the Wed Eve classes and am also offering a Saturday Morning class as well!  Only 8 people per class!  See here for all the info and send me any questions you have!

I just love this guys' expression!  He kinda reminds me of James Garner as Rockford...  that casually suave 70's kinda thing....

August 9, Home Again! "Key West Palms" whew!

Wow-  it is amazing the profound thoughts that go through your mind when you've gone without sleep for a really long time... such thoughts as "would I really mind if the plane crashed because I would be too tired to notice?"  and "time is such a nebulous element, especially as expressed on airport departure times in Atlanta..."
So we left Key West on Friday afternoon, and by saying "left" I mean we got a taxi to the airport.   We then ended up sitting there (and I'll say the two rum-lemonades I was given helped my attitude a LOT) until after the airport closed (at 7pm, which would be early to most people but it IS Key West, the Conch Republic, and they do get to do things a bit differently there...) because our connecting flight was in Atlanta and there was a terrible storm moving through there. We finally departed around 8pm, lovely view of the clouds and the ocean, landed in Atlanta around 9:30, 10pm, and were on the plane til close to 11, blah blah blah you know how the story goes-  ended up running around to two different gates, trying to establish which would be closest to Minneapolis, watched the departure time continue to play games by changing every twenty minutes until 3am or thereabouts... I've lost track.

ANYWAY I didn't actually bring my paints with me to Key West, and I think I should have, but oh well-  so here is the first painting I've finished now that I am home!  Whew~  dolphins, octopus, iguanas, and parrot fish should be making appearances this week... then back to normal!  I have a lovely pile of commissions to take care of as well, which will happen once I recover from getting home at 5:30 this morning...

More news later!  Some great stuff happening!  My brain is just not working well yet!

Key West Palms!

August 2, Now what?

Thank you SO much everyone who came!  it was fantastic to meet so many people and so many dogs!  Even though it was stuffy and warm in back, the reception was great and I loved meeting everyone and it is always so fun to see who comes!  And especially when they bring their DOGS!!!  And darn it, I meant to take photos of the people and dogs with their paintings and I did do that for a few people on THEIR cameras... so if anybody has some great shots of dogs with their paintings, let me know!

So NOW I'll be catching up on commissions and practicing painting Max-  we'll be traveling to Key West for the next week so I'll be a bit out of touch- a much-needed family vacation provided through our puppet friends who live there and wanted to swap houses with someone in Minneapolis!  So they'll be us for a week, and we'll be them!  I'll be using pastels and watercolor, trying some new stuff...  we'll see what happens!
Oh and if you are interested in Painting Lessons at my new studio, I have info above on the Painting Lessons tab!  Just click to get the info, and if you want to sign up send me an e-mail and we'll get you on the list!  Only 8 places!
Wahoo!
And here are some not-so-great photos I took hurriedly last night!  Hopefully you can spot YOUR dog!