2/28 OFFICIAL LIST of "30 Cats in 30 Days" 2019!

Hi there people!  It is here!

The Official List for "30 Cats in 30 Days" March 2019

I've been working on this list for days, and the first thing I'll say is that it is a FLEXIBLE list.  

Because I am human and I have a life and I'm being more gentle to myself, I reserve the right to squeeze two cats into one day or swap creatures around or substitute someone for someone else. Of course, I will not do that if you have already asked to buy your painting or if you've told me a special date for your painting. I really really really will do my absolute best to not miss any days, because that is the point of this entire process, and I very much appreciate your acting as a cheerleading squad/dominatrix by making me responsible for my word. So please follow along here on my blog and yell at me!

And if you expected to see your name and pet on this list but it isn't there, please email me immediately and we'll get that straightened out.  Also, if you are planning on purchasing your painting, do let me know so I can mark it SOLD so someone else doesn't buy it out from under you.  

This has happened before.

I'm just saying...

Oh and I've left a couple days open near the end so I can do some juggling if needed.

And now, 

THE LIST.....

1- Waldo for Kate R

2- Blue for Sonya

3- Basil for Alexis 

4- Chimney Sweep for 

5- MiaoMiao for Bette J

6- Oswald for Barb

7- Leo for Jenneke

8- Ella for Lindy   

9- Pilar for Constance

10- Felix for Solveig M

11- Bear AND George for Harper 

12- Winnie for Harper

13- Tigger and Trixie for Robin N

14- Buddy for Kathy P

15- Zuko the Yak and Gideon the African Grey for Lois

16- Kitaro for Michaela 

17- Princess Peach for Kelly

18- Silly for Wanda

19- Francois the Tuxedo for Barbara S 

20- Isabelle for Barbara S  

21- Circe the Calico for Barbara S  

22- Flint on the tires for Anne W

23- Zoe the rag doll for Marcy

24- Angel for Judith Rae

25- Naldo for Joe L

26- Dreamy the Rat for Greta  

27- Sonny Boy and Stella Bella for Roxanne W

28- Dorian Grey for Robin W

29-Georgina for Theresa Moe

30- Freddie and Archie for Jenny B

2/26 Poppy Puppy!

This is from a Valentine's Day "Secret Cupid" thing we did at school, and I knew my secret person loves her dog and I didn't have a lot of time to go shopping so I snuck onto her facebook page and found this photo of her newest family member of a puppy and painted it and she loved it!
Yay!

4x4 acrylic on wood

taken!

2/25 Upcoming painting classes!

Okay, I just posted a bunch of new painting sessions on my Mailchimp, which you probably already get, so I'll just pop a copy of it at the end here-  and I'd also love to remind you that I am working on that list for my "30 Cats in 30 Days" project which is starting THIS FRIDAY!  Holy cow!  It's already MARCH almost...
Here's a kitty to be getting on with~

8x8 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info~

2/23 Mugging Spoon AUCTION!

I know, this was supposed to be posted yesterday but I ran out of energy.  I know, that sounds crazy because I have endless energy!  Not really~
This was a fun demo mug painting I did in my class yesterday morning, and I was so tired and my brain was a bit off, if you know what I mean, but my lovely students were incredibly supportive and amusing and possibly even amused...
We were working wit the idea of value and a change in color/gradients though I don't think I said that word.  And I also realized how important it is to really pay attention to your background shapes too! Negative space is really truly important~

6x6 acrylic on wood

"Mugging Spoon"

$45 starting bid!

click here to join the fun~

2/22 Best Foot Forward

Another lovely wolf!
I am loving those feet- those paws- shaped like trapezoids, and the angles and bumps on those long, long legs...  it would be fun to try an abstraction of this too~

I am realizing how being a creative person often means being your own curator, photographer, writer, advertiser, cataloguer, hawker, and all that... and I'm also realizing I may be needing some help with some of it. Not that I don't have helpful people and friends, and all that, but I think I may be in the market for a Virtual Assistant...

I'm starting my Pilot On-line Painting Class tomorrow, to see how that goes, and I've been having a great time learning something new.  I highly recommend it!

5x7 acrylic on canvas

$75

click here to purchase~

2/21 Wolf Pose

My son just got back from Cub Scouts and is filling me in on the exciting obstacle course race they did at the meeting tonight, where they timed each other going through a course made by putting folding chairs into a maze-like formation... creativity is key here!

And here is a wolf, who lives at the Mn Zoo, in his own kind of Obstacle Course~  I'm really happy with this one- it's a different material, canvas, and a different shape too~  and I'm liking the abstraction of the background, and that lifted front foot...
So fun!

5x7 acrylic on canvas

$75

click HERE to purchase~

2/20 Snow Day!

We walked over to Max's friend's house this morning, after the snow day was called and we'd already been up (me because I wasn't sure that my school had called a snow day, until 5am when it was announced) shoveling and playing, and so we all walked over, less than a mile, but wow!  it is so much harder walking through snow than you'd think.  Max popped under a couple different pine trees, and we talked about how animals need to have spaces like this, and how it is hard for everyone to get through deep snow, critters included, and so we need to be nice to them too.

What a treat!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$84

click HERE to purchase!

2/18 Puppy!

And here's another holiday present painting!
I'm really looking forward to getting in gear with this year's 30 Cats Project!  I'm getting a seriously beautiful pile of pussy cats to get my teeth into, and there's still time to send in yours if you want!

And I also have openings in the Paint Your Pet Class at the Phipps this coming Sunday, the 24th!  From 1-4pm, we'll be painting your favorite pet, just send me your photo ahead of time and $85 covers all materials!  More info and sign up here!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold~

2/16 That Kitty

Sorry for my absence yesterday!  I'm working the last few bugs out of the on-line class, and also getting the list updated of some up-coming one-day classes, if you're interested in that kind of thing~ and of course, I'm also wanting to get that list together for my 30 Cats in 30 Days project!  Thank you everyone for all the photos I've gotten so far!  I am happy to have more!  Wahoo!

This is a Christmas commission Kitty!

sold!

2/14 Happy Valentine's Day!

Ah!  What a great day!  It is funny how much a little sunshine can do to improve your mood!  SO here is a lovely commissions from the holidays!

This one was such a delight to paint!  You know how much I love black dogs!

XO

9x12 

sold!

2/14 Otter Up

I'm working towards some more rectangular panels... which means I'm talking Duane into cutting some for me~  I do love painting on squares, but those do seem best for portraits, and there's not a lot of drama you can fit into a square.  Something a little longer seems more able to suggest movement.  And this is an otter, who was standing on his haunches fiercely listening to something above his enclosure.  I don't know what it was that had his attention, but he was so focussed it was amazing!

I need a bit of that sometimes.  Focus, I mean.  Often, I sit down at my laptop to work and I can't remember what it was I was going to do.  I've taken to putting post-its onto the keyboard so I can make notes of what it was that I intended to work on.  Otherwise, I find myself floating around the net, shopping or art-searching, or cabin-drooling....

Which reminds me!  I just locked in camping at the Grand Marais Municipal Campground for the Summer Solstice Pageant, which is June 22 this year, and for the weekend of the 4th of July, because I'll be teaching a class at the Art Colony THAT weekend!  ACK!  I don't know HOW that's gonna go, because I don't know where people are going to stay if I had such a hard time finding a spot!  But if you're interested, I'll be posting that on my website soon!  Along with other closer classes and my on-line class too!

Wahoo!

6x9 acrylic on wood

$108

click here to own this fella!

2/12 Apple Light

Tonight is a bit late and I'm a bit tired so here is an apple~  I kinda like it~
oh and send me your cats! here's a link!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$75

click here

2/9 A Birthday Thing

I meant to post this yesterday!  Darn it- We had a GREAT class in my studio yesterday!  I'll post a couple demo paintings later- and really DO try painting fabric for a challenge!  It's tricky and abstract, and an exercise in paying attention.
Which is also what painting people is for me!  This is my friend's daughter, for my friend's birthday which was celebrated yesterday and was such a great time for all of us!  We are so lucky to have friendships with loving creative people who have kids of similar ages, and who are so in touch with their inner kid too!  We all had a great time- and I gave my friend a painting of her son several years ago and intended to get one done of her daughter someday...

That was the day!

7x7 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

2/8 Otter Portrait

Yup, another otter... just can't stay away from these guys!  And I don't know what they were doing, but the two of them were up and curious about something, looking way up above their enclosure for something. And I painted a few versions of this until I was finally simplified it to just the head, because there is something about the slant and that nose and that muscular neck that I love!

5x6 acrylic on wood

$65

click here to purchase~

2/7 Another commission!

A sweet double commission!  Those fun fluffy dogs- how to suggest curly hair with acrylic brush strokes... good question! I think it is all about looking for the shade and color changes, and trying to use the brush stroke to suggest the texture.  I'm pretty happy with the eyes, above all else!

A few glitches with the on-line class-  working them out-  should be ready to post by this weekend! Wahoo!

12x12 acrylic on wood

sold!

2/6 A commission!

So I'm trying to get more of this On-line painting class figured out, and I'm not having as much time to paint-  that's the bummer about this kinda thing...  not having time to learn a whole pile of new stuff about technology that I don't know!
So here is a lovely kitty from a commission in December, for your viewing pleasure!  He's just got one good eye~  i was so drawn to the composition of this photo, and yes, to that shiny black coat he's sporting!

And I'll post a note as soon as I figure more of this out-  I'm about ready to just invite some people to be guinea pigs and we'll run a session on-line and see what happens...

Thanks for all your enthusiasm and support!

8x8 acrylic on panel

sold

2/4 Another Orange!

This one was a demo for a catch-up painting class at my studio yesterday, and is on a 5x5 wood panel~  it was a quickie but I have to say I am really pleased with it!  Those oranges are just the greatest~ I mean the colors of orange!  And it was a delight to pop those little specks of white on the top for some bling!

And i've been a bit busy trying to figure out how to create an on-line painting class for people who don't live near me, and it's taking a bit of figuring out-  I'll put something out soon on my newsletter to let you know how it's going.  It's a big learning curve, trying to figure this stuff out!  And i'm not sure it's going to look at professional as I'd like it just yet, so this may be just the first iteration of it~
But I'm super excited about being able to try this for you!

And I'll just be pricing this one at $45 for the whole thing!  So no auction, just a reasonable price-  how's that?

5x5 acrylic on wood

$45

and it is YOURS! Click here!

2/2 Clementine Day!

And Happy Groundhog Anniversary to US!  It's our 11th Anniversary today!  Yay!  And this is the demo clementine I painted this morning, so I'll be auctioning it off for you, for a little starting bid!

And everyone knows a little vitamin C is great right about this time of year!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$22 starting bid!

click here to jump on the auction train!

12/1 Otter Logic

Yeah, that just sounded good as a title when I said it in my head...
So of the three lovely snow days I just experienced, I'd say two of them were spent dealing with a pretty ferocious cold, that I now feel I am somewhat on top of...  thank goodness.  And now the air is a bit more fun to breathe too!
SO here is an otter for the first of February!
I love their shapes-  those feet, that head, that sturdy strong muscle of a body!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$75

this can be yours! Click here!