November 29, My Dad...

I haven't posted for a couple weeks because my attention has been focused on my family.  My dad died incredibly suddenly on Friday the 13th of November, after seeing my nephew in a play at his school.  Dad had a good time with my mom and nephew and sister-in-law, and then headed out to the parking lot and got in the car and started it, and by the time my mom came around her side and got in, he'd fallen back in his seat, eyes closed, mouth open, not breathing-  paramedics came, took him to the ER, but they weren't able to keep him with us.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/twincities/obituary.aspx?n=donald-joseph-corrigan&pid=176527571&fhid=30081

http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/110340/?fullname=donald-joseph-corrigan

SO I've been a bit out of it.  Painting helps a lot, and so do all the wonderful, supportive, loving people we've been fortunate enough to surround ourselves with, including you all~  so thank you~

I'm working on commissions, because I have to keep painting, and I've been teaching and working with my adult painting students, who are also a beautiful bunch who help me stay focused on what I love doing...  wow, I am so lucky...

And there are mugs hanging at Diamond's too, for the Mug Shots Show, through January, I think.

 6x6 acrylic on panel, $65 click here to purchase~

And this weekend we have the Seward Winter Frolic and our studio (#210 at the Ivy Building!) will be open on Sat Dec 5 from 10 to 5, and Sun Dec 6 from noon to 5-  Duane will have a bunch of his crazy wooded critters there too, and we'll have a number of jewelers and painters and stained glass and music, so come on over, it would be great to see you!

November 13, Double Gingko

Yeah, and now I can't get enough of the gingkoes....  but I am painting dogs too!  More of those later, or come over to our 9th Annual Fine Craft Sale tomorrow, from 10 to 5 and say hi!  I'll be there with lots of great stuff!  And lots of great people!  And maybe I'll even paint, too!

"Double Gingko Leaf" 4x13 acrylic on panel, $98 click HERE to purchase!

November 11, Gingko #2

This one is a bit bigger, 8x8.  And I'm not sure whether I like it this way, which is how I painted it, or if it looks better upside down....
Opinions?
Tricky stuff, these monochromatic things~  I think I need to paint another dog...

8x8 acrylic on panel, $130 click here to purchase!

OR upside down?

same price!

November 10, Gingko Leaf #1

Seems these leaves are always a bit behind the others, which works out great for me!  Now they are yellow and on the ground with those interesting shadow bits under them, twisted and contorted...

4x13 acrylic on wood, $98 click HERE to purchase!

hanging system included~

November 8, Koto!

White dogs can be as much fun to paint as a black one, because there are those incredible mixes of value and shade in that foaming white coat!  This one is no exception!  And I loved this goofy up-close version of this sweet dog as well, rather than the standard Head Shot...  personality abounds!

8x8 acrylic on panel, $170, SOLD

November 6, Zeus!

Another lovely dog for you!  LOVE that face!  Wowzers-  and I am eating a careful apple, chewing mostly on my left side of my mouth, gingerly taking care not to jog my newly root-canalled tooth... is that a word?  So soon I'll have another gold tooth...  I can be a pirate artist, can't I? 

8x10 acrylic on panel, SOLD

November 5, "Oscar"

This is a third commission for this client, and is interesting to me because what she wanted was another version of the second painting I had done for her of Oscar, five years ago.  I'll post the originals later, because I can't quite cotton onto my photos at the moment, but I DO have this one to show you!  The fun thing for me was to try to match my five-years-ago style to my current style, which I didn't think was that different but it really IS!  It was an interesting challenge to have to pay attention to what has changed in my work.
The other challenge was in finding the same size and depth of canvas for these paintings!  The originals are on 2inch deep 9 by 9 inch stretched canvases, and I couldn't find any anywhere.  These were probably a set of four as a project from Michals, some time ago.   I did find my own groundhog paintings that I had done on the other two of the set of four, and gessoed out one groundhog so I could paint the new Oscar without having to pull the other Oscar off the other canvas...

I am pretty pleased with the little booger, and so were his new owners when they came by to pick him up earlier this week!
Yay!

9x9 acrylic on stretched canvas, $210 SOLD

November 4th, Double Yorkies...

You know, I seriously love painting dogs.
I can't help it-  and I've had people ask me what will I do when I stop loving painting dogs...  which seems a strange question, really.  Do you ask a basketball player when they'll stop loving to play the game, or a reader what they'll do when they stop wanting to read?  As if there's supposed to be an end-time to it?   Hmmm~  not sure why that becomes the question-  though I suppose it would be like asking me what I want to do when I am done with teaching, as if that's an option either...  when you are doing something that is really a part of you, that you really must do, then you don't really have an option. 
And it's been another of those weeks where I haven't had much time, what with getting ready for a few holiday shows-  I just put up a few things at Peggy's Boutique, which starts this Saturday and is on for a whole 9 day run...  I may (hopefully!) have to go restock around Tuesday.  Duane is putting up some awesome new bird sculptures he's been working on-  he's out in the garage right now varnishing them!  So come on by!  I hear it's a madhouse the first couple days, so you may as well wait because all the artists restock later in the week- it's at the Oval Skating Rink in Roseville~

And these are Claudia's yorkies, and I hope she doesn't mind me posting them~ 

10x10 acrylic on panel, sold~

November 2, "Northwoods Road" and MUG ACCEPTANCE EXTENSION!!!!

This is a 12x12 on a cradled panel that will be at the Edina Art Center for their "Up North" Holiday art show, starting this weekend!  Come pick it up there, or tell me you want it now and I'll pull it for you!  Ha!

AND I am extending the MUG SHOTS Show!  If you can get me your mugs by this Saturday, I'll hang them at Diamonds!  Well, Friday would be better, actually.... but get them to me!  It is Art Attack this weekend and I really NEED to have some paintings on the walls at Diamonds!

Wahoo!

12x12 acrylic on cradled panel, $275 click HERE to purchase!

November 1, Dusty Lilac Shadow

I didn't quite know how to describe this one... and my brain has been on half power for like a week due to too-muchness and colds and all that mucas that drains your sensible parts of your brain away...  so I think the shadow looks a bit lilac-y... not quite lavender-y...

so buy this one because it is REALLY nice!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to purchase!