September 29, Max's Rockstar Haircut!

We ran up to Two Harbors on Saturday afternoon, Maxie and me-  he took photos out the windows of some of the fall foliage so I could paint it later.  He's such a good assistant!  And he loves sleeping up in the top bunk of the camper too~  this is from a photo of him goofing around up there- it took tip 9pm to get him to sleep that night!  He was SUPER excited!

I did have his hand showing at first, in the lower bit of the oval.  Still may need to go back into the eyes some... not sure they read quite right!  And it is crazy how hard it is to get his age right!  He keeps looking older to me...

September 26, "Woofstock Greyhound"

Yay!  Finally got a painting done from one of the photos I took at Woofstock!  I could not believe the dogs there!  SO much fun!  My mom came to help out too, and her favorite subject to draw as a kid and art student were dogs as well.... ain't that funny?
This is a lovely greyhound, I think she'd been a foster dog and her owners who were sitting for the Greyhound Rescue said they couldn't NOT keep her!  She was super gentle and just a bit goofy!  Great mix in a dog-  that elegant goofiness~  I can't remember her name though...

6x6 acrylic on panel, click HERE to bid ($35) or buy ($75)!

September 24, "Seeking Approval"

This is the painting of Gus I did last week for the Minnesota Artists' Association demo at the Bloomington Art Center, and I went back into and popped it just s bit.  Last night I was working on a few commissions and one is a rather blurry landscape with a child in it, and it is odd how tricky it is making things look soft and fuzzy when I'd rather make edges sharp.  One thing I love about being a teacher is you are constantly looking at things in a new way, and always looking at how to explain or do something differently.  I couldn't be the artist I am today without also being a teacher.  I need to experiment and try new ideas to keep pushing that creative edge...

I'll post the fuzzy landscape after it's been delivered!

This one is an 8x8 acrylic on panel, buy it now for $130 or start bidding for it at $50!  What a deal!

September 23, Paintings from Saturday...

Honestly, this really wasn't my best day of painting... it was too bright for one thing... darn.  Really, I need to learn that if I want my art to be worthwhile, I need to set myself up for it to work FOR me.  I moved back into the shade for the last few paintings, but by then I felt my rhythm was off.
Usually I can do these quite successfully, but usually I am under a tent with everything set up ahead of time.
Regardless, my high school cronies and my college, Carol, did an AWESOME job with THEIR paintings!

Yip.
Ten minutes or less...
And I always want to go back into them, but there's no time!  I did paint a LOT of stuffed animals this year!

September 22, Demo Cup~

Actually, I called this one "Dan's Coffee Cup" because I think it belonged to the King Of England and that my friend Ellen brought it along to me after he died, and at least for me it means a lot more than a coffee cup, even if it isn't one that he owned... because I associate it with him.  You know how that goes, right?  We instill a significance into an object, sometimes because of the previous owner, and maybe sometime later you talk to that person about that object and how much it meant to you and sometimes they really don't remember the object at all.  It's kinda like being a teacher too, when a student from your past comes up and says that one thing you said or did affected them somehow, and you kinda don't remember it but you do know that people pay attention at the least opportune moments.  This is why I try not to pick my nose while driving my art car...
I'll put this one on auction and see what happens!  I forgot my phone cord this morn so can't show you the paintings I did this weekend at the Blessing of the Animals... I forgot to take pictures of a bunch of them too, darn it!  I'll post those tomorrow!

6x6 acrylic on panel, auction starts at $35, or buy it now for $65!

September 20th, "Max on the Rocks at Brighton Beach, July 2014"

Yup, here's another shot at my own boyo~  it amazes me how many planes there are to a human's face!  There are so many many areas of different shades and colors and grays, especially when that human happens to be sitting near water...  I have so many more photos of my Maxie that I want to paint!
Today is the Blessing of the Animals at Breck so we are heading over to perform a puppet show Duane has been putting together-  he's made GORGEOUS cardboard puppets and he and Max and I will perform it with any kids we can corral into helping us!  I will also be spending a good bunch of time painting people's pets for donations to the Golden Valley Humane Society, and will post some of those later~  I do like making quick sketches of pets-  it is incredibly great practice!  The biggest problem is getting people to understand we have to stop at a point!

6x8 acrylic on cradled wood oval panel, not for sale just yet....

September 19, "Sunlit Bounce"

Been a darn busy week, this week!  This is from a photo I took when Max and I brought the dogs to the Airport Dog Park last week.  We hadn't tried bringing Teddy yet but she was great!  I was afraid she'd get distracted and run off without us but she stuck pretty close and actually listened better than Gus!  Goes to show you, I guess... she's a darn fine mop of a dog~

6x6 acrylic on panel, click here to join in the auction starting at $35!  OR click to buy at $75!

September 17, Gus through the MAA~

Gus was waiting for breakfast-  perfect pose, again...

September 15, "Brown and Greene Florists"

This is a commission that I hope the owners will like!  They had the signage redone after they commissioned me the first time, so this is the second version~
I like the lights and darks, and the reflections in the windows~

8x8 acrylic on panel~  Sold!

September 12, "Suspended Pause"

It is SO hard to come up with titles!  I kinda like this one because it is a pun of sorts...  and I had SUCH a great time painting this one!  It is 15x10, a strange size-  I think Duane must have cut the panel and left it because I'd asked for longer boards, but this one would have to be custom framed...
I like how the otter is obviously still, floating just at the surface...  and those extended toes towards the viewer just charm me!

15x10 Acrylic on panel, $300, click HERE to purchase!

Oh and perhaps I'll bring it along to my Opening of "Otters Underwater" at the First Unitarian Society this Sunday!  Sept 14 from 2 to 4pm!  Come on by if you are in town!  

900 Mt Curve Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403

September 9, "Moose Duet"

I've been just continually busy lately, with so much going on I keep forgetting things... I really DO need a personal assistant!  I had a great time at Woofstock this past Saturday, and thank you to everyone who came out to say Hi!  It was an incredible amount of eye-candy for me in the form of DOGS!!!!!  Wow!  There WILL be more dog photos coming soon, once I catch my breath and get organized~
In the meantime, here's a painting of a couple of moose-  I had so much fun painting their coats, the darks and lights, and figuring out how to indicate the background without subduing those lovely beasts...

"Moose Duet" 18x24 acrylic on canvas, available for purchase- click HERE for more info!

Sept 5, "Cooper"

this is a great day~  it finally feels like a real FRIDAY after this past month of insanity!  And despite the fact that I have a rather big fun day tomorrow at WOOFSTOCK (43rd and Upton Ave in Linden Hills!  Come see me!  10 to 3pm! I would LOVE to see you!  REALLY!!!) I feel confident enough with how to set up an outdoor event, especially with Duane and Max helping me, that I am relaxing a bit now before I go to bed...
Anyway, this is Cooper, a commission, so not for sale, sorry, but I really enjoyed painting yet another fluffy dog!  This was taken at a wedding and thus the tie, and I hope they don't see it on my blog prematurely but if that happens I'll give the wedded couple another painting for FREE!
Ha!

September 4, "Little Leaves"

I think the photo for this one was taken at the Mn Zoo as we walked around the Big Bugs exhibit just before the farm area...  I do prefer to paint trees to giant bugs... gotta admit that's NOT my favorite subject...
I DO admit that I love playing with negative space.  There are a LOT of artists who paint trees beautifully...
I'll put this one on auction as well... how exciting!

6x6 acrylic on panel, click HERE to bid!  Starting at $35!

September 2. "Camp Icagowan"

You know, despite the canoeing in a thunderstorm bit of friday, I did get some good shots of the landscape at camp!  This is one of them-  the place is on a peninsula shaped exactly like a spade (from a deck of cards) and is just beautiful... It was cool and comfortable, perfect for running around with the kids and not getting too sweaty!
This is the view just as you get onto the peninsula~

I like the lake being framed by the various vegetation...

6x6 acrylic on panel, click here to BID on the auction!  Starting bid at $35!

September 1, "Sunlit Grizzle"

Yup, I just love these bears!  And what's better for a Labor Day painting than a bear just relaxing in a pool?

Those squinchy eyes in the sun... and the glisten on that coat...

6x6 acrylic on panel, I am auctioning this one at $35!  Click HERE to bid!