Saturday, April 30, 2016

April 30, Annie!

Here is a commission that is heading off to Wisconsin for a lovely couple's anniversary present!  Yay Lisa and Donny!  Wahoo!
Such a sweet faced dog, and I had some fun getting the textiles around her to be subtle and backgroundy and not be too bright!
I am so happy with her expression!
Do let me know if you are interested in a commission!  I've got some time right now!
9x12 acrylic on panel, sold

Thursday, April 28, 2016

April 28, Otter Face for Art4Shelter!

I had a lovely crew of people show up at our studio last night for another Art4Shelter painting party!  You know, it has just occurred to me that I really should have encouraged anyone from outside of Minnesota to participate in this event as well!  Darn it!  Because we could have had art from all around the world!  Poop-
Well, here's a go anyway-  if you ARE someone who would want to draw or paint or collage something for Art4Shelter and you live outside of Minnesota, you could certainly mail your 5x7 piece of art work to me and I'll make sure it still gets into the event! The "deadline" is tomorrow, unfortunately...  and here's a link to all the info- make sure and click on "Donate Art" in the menu bar!
Next year perhaps I'll remember I thought this would be a good idea and I'll get started a bit earlier...
Anyway, HERE is an 8x10 otter I painted last night with my gang of artists who came to drink wine and get some paintings done!  Thank you so much everyone!

8x10 acrylic on paper- $90 available ONLY at the May 11th event!  Gotta come try and nab it!

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

April 27, Wedding Terrier!

I think this has already been given to the recipients, and so I am hopefully safe in posting it today-  I loved the color on this sweet dog's sleek white coat!  And that grin!  It was one of those commissions where my lovely patron sent me several photos, and then sent this one explaining that it is the couple's favorite of their pet.  When I see the photo that I know will work, I can feel it-  if I'm scanning through a number of photos, there will always be at least one that I pause at and have one of those "wow!  That's PERFECT" reactions, and I know I can paint it!

Yup.  I like looking at this one.  Sometimes they work just right!
And do check out my newest book!  SO proud of it, I am!

The Wedding Terrier, 8x10 $220 SOLD

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

April 26, THE BOOK!!!!!!

Whew kids!  I DID it!  Yay!
And I am sorry, but I only included this year's cats and friends.  I'll have to work on the other one this summer, from last year~
But SO EXCITING!!!!!
Take a look!  THIS link should work! ack~

Monday, April 25, 2016

April 25, Georgie, a Commission!

It was a bit of a busy weekend up here, in our now delightfully fresh, wet, green and leafy state of Minnesota~  gardening, pancake breakfasts, artist talks, and making maps of Madagascar seem to take all my time!  I did paint of course, but don't want to share those yet-
SO here is the adorable Georgie~

8x8 acrylic on panel, sold!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

April 24, Little Blue Mug

Here's another one for Art4SHelter!  It looks better in person-  the paper warped a bit right after being painted and will settle down once sleeved properly-  and I attempted a bigger one, on 8x10, but man! I didn't set myself up correctly at the start and it was that ineffectual struggle you get into where you started something without preparing well enough and so it was rather damned from the get-go, if you know what I mean...
Needless to say, I scrapped that one and will start over-  there WILL be some 8x10s at Art4Shelter, and I'll try to get a few done this week-  maybe Otters...hemmmmmm...

5x7 acrylic on paper, come nab it at Art4Shelter!  May 11th, 6-9 at the Meridian Downtown Minneapolis!

Friday, April 22, 2016

April 22, "Hunchback Apple"

Hello~  it's been a sad couple days-  Prince was found dead in Paisley Park yesterday morning, and it feels like everyone in Minnesota is mourning...  somehow his music was a part of your life if you lived here, and I was lucky enough to be in high school when Purple Rain came out, and have fond memories of a magenta cloche I found in a thrift store in Fargo which became my signature "Raspberry Beret"-
And of course, any new loss reminds you of that hardest one-  it's been 5 months since dad died~ ack.  Though it gets a little easier every day, to allow myself to feel that loss, and then go ahead and enjoy something for a bit.  Gotta say, the neighbor's trampoline really helps.  It is nearly impossible to be cranky on a trampoline...

And here is an apple.  A rather magenta-ish, purplish, royal looking apple...

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase~

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

April 20th, "Spring Hopper" AUCTION!

Bunnies!  Oh no!  They're multiplying like....

....RABBITS!!!!!!

I couldn't help myself!  Heee!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $25 auction!  Click HERE to join the fun!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

April 19, the Marauder!

Darn little bunnies!  my grama used to bemoan all the little rabbits that would overrun her garden, and once when we had a crazy english setter who nabbed a squirrel out from beneath the hasta plants in mom's flower beds, she cheered!  The dog squished the squirrel in half and grama asked if she could borrow him to chase her rabbits...

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

Monday, April 18, 2016

April 18, "Spring Munchies"

Yes, we all get the munchies, don't we?  And though the grass isn't all that green yet, I am sure it tastes pretty good with the sunshine and rain on it!  Though maybe you'd rather not have these little buggers in your garden...
SO fun getting all those tones in the bunny AND the dry-isn grass!  Yay!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to hang your own garden pest!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

April 17, "Slick"

And here is another otter for the Art4Shelter fundraiser!  Hope to see you there, Wed May 11, 6-9pm!  This is 5x7 on paper~  all 5x7's are $30!  Wahoo!
Yay!
Going on a hike to Minnehaha Creek!

5x7 acrylic on paper, come get this one on May 11th!  

Friday, April 15, 2016

April 15, "SchaWHOOP!"

This is another one for Art4SHelter!  Come on to the annual fundraiser for Simpson Housing Services on May 11th and see if you can nab this one!  All 5x7s are $30!  More info is HERE!

5x7 acrylic on paper, $30 at Art4Shelter May 11th!

Thursday, April 14, 2016

April 14, "Green Eyed Cat"

This kitty was a demo for my adult Painting class on Tuesday night, and I thought hey!  It's been a while since I've had an auction so what the heck!  If ya like it, bid on it and you might get it!
And if yer free tonight, come on out to the Minnetonka Center for the Arts and see the Menagerie!


6x6 acrylic on panel, $25 starting bid!  Click HERE to join in the fun!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

April 13, "Scratch"

Ever feel like you fell off the road a while back and have been stumbling to catch up for way too long?  Whew~  been another one of those days~  paperwork keeps coming back, requesting a different signature or account number, didn't get this in by the deadline, forgot to mention that to those people, you know, that kind of a day.  Sometimes you just wanna float underwater, and scratch...

That's me today~
Especially the big foot part...  love those pawpads!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase~

Monday, April 11, 2016

April 11, "Peek-A-Tail"

Ha!  How's THAT for a title?!  Clever, cute and correct!  Wahoo!  What a fun little bugger THIS one was to paint!  And I love that face, just coming out from behind that huge thick tail~  and those back FEET!  Flippers!
Love it!  Yay!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $95 click here to make this yours!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

April 10, "Soul To Soul"

Some new photos to paint from! Amazing how that can help!  I really like this one too!  He's got the greatest expression on his face, and it is just so thrilling to know that the creature behind the glass SEES you-  there's a connection there- soul to soul...

I WAS going to call this "Underwater Light" because I love all that light on his back and face, but those eyes are just so deep....

Maybe that would be a better title?


8x10 acrylic on panel, $160  click here to hang this otter on YOUR wall!

Friday, April 8, 2016

April 8, Pondering the Depths

Yes, maybe not the most creative name I've ever thought up... but come on!  YOU try it!  Tell me a better name!

And hey!  Did I mention I've got THREE otters at the Minnetonka Art Center for the "Menagerie" Exhibition?!  You should come see it!  Next Thursday, April 14th is the opening!  6-8!  Here's a link!  And the Facebook page...  I'm pretty excited about this!  Maybe someone in Minnetonka decides they have space on their wall for a 3 foot by 3 foot painting of an otter face!

And I have to say, I really really am happy with this painting-  the reflected light feels really true, and the angle of the face and everything-  it was a delight to paint this as my demo last night at my painting class, for demo-ing how to paint from a photo~  we were talking about the difficulties of mixing greys and browns...

Yay!

8x8 acrylic on panel, $130  click here to own this beautiful creature!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

April 7, "Considering (Rising Two)"

Though I think this is actually "Rising" number three, because I did a small version that sold almost immediately-  there's something about this otter's shape, the space around those relaxed front limbs, dangling there, in complete faith that doing nothing will bring the buoyant beast back to the surface with little or no effort...

If only I had that much faith!

9x12 acrylic on panel, this one is in Zumbrota at Crossings At Carnegie, if you are interested~  it's framed in silver wood~  $275

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

April 6th, "Earnest 2" 10x10

I've been enjoying painting from my beloved otter photos again, all of these of which were taken by my talented husband at the Minnesota Zoo of our river otters...  and I've painted this particular version at least three times now.  And I'm not sure if each time I should rename the piece, or if I should keep the original name and add a number...  I have a hard enough time coming up with original titles as it is.  So this one is "Earnest 2" though it's probably #3 or #4...  the 10x10 version~


10x10 acrylic on panel, $200 click here to purchase~

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

April 5, "Free Floating"

So I am feeling a bit better today-  I worked a bit more patiently at sketching this out, got a good feel for it, and I had painted it previously, at least a year ago, another painting from the same photo-  and it also seemed to help to clean out my stay-wet-pallet and start over with fresh paint-  it is amazing how sometimes a simple thing like a different brush can help you see things anew~
This one is heading to Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota tomorrow!  Let me know if you are interested in it-  and I'll be painting more, so stay tuned!


6x12 acrylic on cradled wood panel, $145 

Monday, April 4, 2016

April 4, "Whiskers Up"

This is so weird, but I am having a struggle with painting right now-  I'm not sure if it's because of the disruption of my studio space, and therefore my lighting is all off and I can't see right, or if I need to spend some time sketching again- I just can't seem to get what I want to come out of the work, and I feel like I'm working too hard-  which really sucks because I love painting otters...  and right now they are feeling extremely challenging...
This is Whiskers Up~  a 6x6 so I didn't have to feel too upset about it if it bombed...

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to own this fine specimen!

Sunday, April 3, 2016

April 3, for "Art4Shelter"!

I know these are supposed to be anonymous until you purchase the piece, but I thought I'd post this one that I painted last night!  If you haven't made it to an Art4Shelter Fundraising Art Event  yet, then make it THIS YEAR!  It is an incredible night of art and people and great catering as well, and all the 5x7 pieces are just $30 and they are fantastic pieces donated by artists all over the place!  As a matter of fact, YOU can submit art work as well, and then come to the Fundraiser to see who snags it!  I'm having a First Friday Painting Party at my studio (studio #210, the Ivy Building!) this Friday, April 8th from 6:30-9, and I'll have the 5x7 paper for you as well as the Art Submission forms-  all you have to do is show up and make ART!  Come on over!  This event raises TONS of money for Simpson Housing Services, which is a generous, well-run organization that supports homeless people including families, and helps them find permanent housing.

SO that's my little schpiel~  and here is an otter~  and some photos from yesterday's opening!  At which I gave an impromptu tour and talk, and sold a piece!  YAY!  And I just heard from my gallery in Zumbrota that I sold one there as well!  YAY!


Art4Shelter "The Intercessor-Small"


Me in front of "TickleChase" on Saturday~


Walking the group over to talk about "Otter Face: Heading Down"


Talking about the sweet pawpads on "Underwater Explorations"~



Saturday, April 2, 2016

April 2, Otterly Affections!

I hate it when I miss a couple days!  Shoot!  And it isn't like I don't have any paintings to show you-  not at all!  It's just that busy part of spring~  and the "30 Cats & Friends" Opening went great last night!  I'll post some photos later today-  I was too busy talking and drinking wine-  I think Duane and mom took some pics-
I wanted to post THIS painting today!  because today is the "Otter Reflections" reception at the Southeast Hennepin Library, 1222 4th St over in Dinkytown, from 2:30-4 today and I'll be there with snacks and otter cards and a couple smaller paintings too!  Come over and hang out for a bit!

This is that lovely pair of otters at the Minnesota Zoo, goofing around with each other- I love the negative spaces of the water around them, and the crazy light in the water...

8x10 acrylic on panel, $160 click HERE to enjoy this piece on your wall!