April 30, The Eye

This is a 5x7 acrylic on paper painting of one of the charming goats at the Farm at the Minnesota Zoo.  Maxie loves hanging out with the goats!
This painting will be at the Art4Shelter Fundraiser on May 10th at the Meridian Hotel on 9th street, downtown Minneapolis!  You should go!  It's a hoot-  really well catered!

5x7 acrylic on paper, $35 donation at Art4Shelter!

April 29, Seeking Below

I got to paint an OTTER today!!!  Duane and Max took some great photos at the zoo over spring break and I haven't had a chance to sort through them til today-  and I got started on this delicious shape~  it is the shapes that appeal to me, that curve and bend, the edges, the shapes. And then there's the colors... the blues and purples and browns, suggesting the strong muscles under the dense coat.  I am so lucky to be married to a patient man who loves to take photos, and who has a great eye.
Yay!

12x24 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

$650 

click here to hang this jewel on your wall!

April 28, Bearly On The Edge

Yay!
It's another bear!
Not that I don't love painting Max...  learning lots over here!
And if you aren't doing anything tomorrow morning, come on OVER and Paint Your Pet with me!  It should be a hoot!

This bear can be found at the Minnesota Zoo, probably wandering around looking very much like this painting of him.  Or her.  I am not sure how to tell.  Can you tell I love painting the background?

6x6 acrylic on wood, ready to hang!  $85 click HERE to make this YOURS!

FREE SHIPPING on this one!

April 27, Birthday Morning

You can tell it's his birthday because of the blue morning light... I'm much happier with this one- dang.  It is weird how scary it feels to post these, because I'm not popping them up to sell them... though if you are interested in any of them, do feel free to send me a reply!  It is challenging to be doing something I am not good at YET.  I have to put that YET in there or I might stop...
And don't worry!  I have some bears coming up again-  I have to paint things I am confident at too, or I wouldn't be happy painting at all!
Thanks for following!

6x6 acrylic on wood

April 25, Tickle Grin

Okay, so I have to admit that it feels strange to post a painting I have no intention of selling, and maybe not even keeping, but I do want to work more on painting people and that is a challenge to me.  I want to get better at this, which means I have to DO it, and I have to POST them too!  SO here is Max, being tickled by Duane, which makes for a strange facial expression to start with, and I had to move his lower eye in more because I had it too high up-  I am proud of the fact that I can draw fairly well if I am patient and pay attention and really look at what I am doing~  so the fact that I realized I'd drawn the eye too low means a lot to me.
And painting flesh tones is tricky- and so are teeth!  He's kinda biting his lip in this one...
That said, there is still space for this weekends Paint Your Pet Class!  Come and join me!

6x6 acrylic on wood

April 23, Black Bear Walk for Art4Shelter

Thanks all!  I get the nicest compliments from people!
So this is another one for Art4Shelter, which is May 10th here in Minneapolis-  if you are out of town and a painter and you'd also like to contribute some work for this amazing (and very respectful of artists!) event, the Art4Shelter website (link HERE) has a submission page with the info, and the deadline for submitting is this Saturday the 29th!  Send em in baby!
So you have to be there in person to make a purchase!  Sorry!

5x7 acrylic on paper, $35 donation at Art4Shelter!

April 22, Earth Day! And A Goat~

Or is it a sheep?  Actually, I think it might be a ram~
But Happy Earth Day anyway!  may there be many more Earth Days with some Earth to celebrate!  The Cub Scouts are all down on the River Road, cleaning up the river, I think...  we'l be doing some gardening and all today as well~  hope you find a sweet way to spend your day and get out into the fresh air too!
Oh and this is a piece for the Art4Shelter fundraiser on May 10th at the Burnett Gallery at the Meridian Hotel in downtown Minneapolis!  You can submit work as well~  all 5x7s are $35 which is the price of a bed at the Simpson's Shelter~  much more info can be found HERE!

5x7, acrylic on paper, $35 on May 10th!  Gotta be present to get it!

Max On Green

So, here is a painting of the boy-o...
I am rather happy with it.  Now I have to paint more.
I had a crown started yesterday and my mouth is still not happy-  I get the real crown in two weeks, which will be nice.  I was surprised at how fearful I was yesterday about the entire experience. I actually teared up sitting in the chair, and had to have the dentist sit me up a couple times.  I think it is all still anxiety connected to the sudden death of my dad, in November of 2015.  Today is the anniversary of Prince's death last year.  When that happened, not that long after my dad's death, it shook me again. I think I'm feeling that again, now-
It is amazing the journey grief takes us on.
SO I'll keep painting.  I love Max.  He's pretty great.

8x8 acrylic on wood, $145 click here to own~

April 19, Stalking...

I guess I coulda called this one "STALLING" because it is NOT a painting of a person.  But it IS a splendid little gem of a wolf!  I was a bit concerned about that position of the eyes, but it worked out so well~  and I had a more tropical green for the background at first that just took too much attention away from all that fluff and puff and huff, and I had to get back to it~
Ah, it just feels so good to PAINT!
Come paint with me! Here's a link to upcoming classes!

6x6 acrylic on wood, $85 click here to own this wild one~

I'll cover SHIPPING on this one!!!

FREE SHIPPING!

April 18, Tabled Kid

This is a goat, on a table.  I had a great time mixing up those browns, trying to slow down and pay attention.  That's what I really need from painting, is that chance to sit for a bite of time and put all my soul into moving color around until it approximates on the panel what I see in my head.

I want to try a kind of 30 In 30 Project painting people-  because I know it will be really hard for me. Got any pics of a human kid you wanna send my way?  I'll probably be auctioning them off if I think they are worth saving because I don't know that they'll work at first...

Oh, and after that vote of confidence in my ability, I have some NEW Painting Classes coming up, one-day ones that you can grab at this link here!  This summer is busy for me, so these are all before mid-June!

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

April 15, Bearish Profile

See those lips?  That extensive nose?  Those sturdy yet flexible ears? Dang!  What a package! There are few critters I love as much as bears for painting!
It's about time for another auction, I think...

6x6 acrylic on wood, $35 starting bid for the auction!  Click HERE to join the fun!

April 14, Bearly Awake

It's spring, even for bears, and it's time to be up and moving around.  This guy looks a bit stunned by the view, or the weather, or just by attempting to be more vertical than horizontal...
The shape of a bear is so appealing- roundish, shaggy, cuddly...
Yummy~
Why not an Easter Bear?

6x6 acrylic on wood, $85, click HERE to have this lovely as your own!

April 13, A Pear, Lying On Its Side

Yes.  This is a Pear. Lying. On its Side.

Do you like the capitals?  remind you of Winnie the Pooh?

Wahhooo!

6x6 acrylic on wood, $75 click here to make this YOUR pear!

April 11, Blueberry

This is a commission, that I really enjoyed painting, which happens more often than you might expect!

8x10 acrylic on wood, sold~

April 10, Tapir Pose

I was trying to think of a clever title for this one-  not so much~
I love painting tapirs!  They are such a great crazy looking creature, prehistoric in some ways, with that flexible rubber nose, and that eye with a glint of intelligence-  and those sturdy legs with the ballet-tipped toes-  and that lovely, rotund, fuzzy blue-grey girth!  Simply just a delight to paint~
Who wouldn't love a tapir?!

6x6 acrylic on wood, $85 click here to own!

April 9, Second Ave Church

This seems appropriate for Palm Sunday~  it's a church I walked past in New York back at the beginning of March when I was there for the Art Teacher convention and I'd just been at the Met with two incredibly sweet and funny art teachers from out-state New York and we were walking back towards the 2nd Ave Q Subway stop where the Chuck Close mosaics are and I took this photo.  It was great wandering around an art museum with two other art teachers as well as New York itself, because it felt much better snapping photos of everything and exclaiming "Oh that is so beautiful!" with people who understand!  I highly recommend it~

8x10 acrylic on wood, $180 click HERE to own this lovely structure~

FREE SHIPPING and NO TAX!

April 6, Lavender and Ochre Kid

Just can NOT get enough of these little boogers!  I mean, seriously-  doncha want one as your own pet?  Just to cuddle with and kick off the top of the fridge?
I loved painting the background on this, going back in while the paint was still wet to shape his lovely cheekbones~

6x6 acrylic on wood, $85 click HERE to make this goat yours!

April 3, Duke, a Commisson

Along with all my other critters, I've been trying to get some commissions completed~  this is Duke~  I love painting shepards... well, I love painting most critters but this was a good one!

8x10 acrylic on wood, sold