November 30, WI Dane Co Blind

 This is one of the paintings from the first HOMEvember in 2017, and I still have it, and I really love it. I can't remember who sent it to me, but it makes me think of treehouses and Baba Yaga's chicken legged house... It's a good one!

I'm working on my HOMEvember book, and I am going to just be including this year's houses.  It's taking me too long to dig back and find my old photos of the past ones, sadly, and so that book will have to wait.

But this one is available, if you're interested!

8x10 acrylic on wood

$165

click here for purchase info~

Nov 29, Light Breaks Through

It's the end of November and I have been loving posting so often, and now I am immersed in a collection of commissions that I need to complete before Christmas and I can't post those yet, because they are surprises! So I'm pulling up some favorites that are still available!

I really love this one- it's from a photo taken in Duluth at the little road side stop on the north side of town- I think it's now called Glitch Gumee something... and the sun was shining through the trees...

This one is a weird size too- 18x14 and I entered it in an exhibition and needed a frame, and went looking at thrift stores. I found this one, with an old stained print of a caribou in it (not valuable, sadly) and I love the frame!  Oop-  I guess you can't see the frame- I'll have to post another pic with the frame!

Light Breaks Through

18x14 acrylic on canvas

$504 

click here to nab this, frame included!

Nov 23, The Corrigan Home

This is the house I grew up in. My mom sent me the photo, and I was surprised at how small it looks to me. This is from 1964 and I was born three years later, and I remember huge elms on the boulevard and I giant oak in the backyard. I climbed up those rain spouts onto the porch with my brothers, and danced on the wood floors. The large window to the left is onto the dining room where we would have our tree, I think... and do you see that wreath on the front door?

8x10 acrylic on canvas

spoken for~

 

Nov 22, Emily's Parent's Spooky House!

 Emily was a student of mine at St Mark's a million years ago, and I still remember the wonderful giraffe linoleum print she made! She asked me to paint this of her parents' house all dressed up for Halloween, and I thought it was pretty awesome, so I did.  Hope you like it!

The last home is tomorrow!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 21, Terry's Place

Here is my friend Terry's house!  She has chickens and made a beautiful tree house from the remains of a huge tree in her side yard- you can see it to the right of the house! And I tried to make sure I got most of those amazing plants in her yard!  It's so nice to see a garden right now, with most actual plants in Minnesota under the snow...

8x10 acrylic on cavas

spoken for!

 

Nov 20, Aisha's Blue Cabin

 I love this sweet place! So many blues, and the lovely garden in front- 

Everyone should have a chance to spend some time in a colorful cabin in the woods. That's what I think!

8x10 acrylic on wood

sold!

Nov 19, Zev's First Home

This is my friends' Zan and Dan and Zev's old house, over in South Minneapolis, and it's a sweet house and we had many a friendly warm soup supper there. And my son Max played endless video games upstairs and bounced on the trampoline in the back, and lots of food made in that kitchen!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

 

Nov 18, David's Neighbor's

 This was a bit of a challenge, and I'm not sure it's done but I really don't have time to keep going on it today!

David wanted this painted as a gift to his amazing neighbor's and he explains why~ and I LOOOOVE this!

The couple in that house help build and hold our community in the neighborhood.  One is a painter like you now after retirement. She also is writing a book. Eileen. 

Shelly… I do not know where to start…. She is a maker.  In the basement she has a wood shop to rival most. In the garage natal is the game.  She fabricates for so many people.  In the attic of the garage there is a small room which is dedicated to music. She has also a long history of photography. She has taken pictures of the people in the neighborhood for years documenting the changes.    

They have worked on the house for many years.  It stands proudly in the center of the block.  The nights are lit by the light on the pillars of their front stoop.   In the boulevard they grow chard.  The chard is delicious and there for the neighborhood.  

They are both curious and conscious of the the big and small worlds around them.  

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 17, Coffee John's Joint

 This is John's house in North Minneapolis, where I spent a ton of time, back in the day. John ran the Coffee Gallery, a coffee shop/gallery in Uptown in the 90's and I spent some time there.  He also had one of the first Food Trucks in the cities, the Coffee Wagon, which I got to drive around in the year and a half following his motorcycle accident and recovery, and I tell ya, THAT was an adventure!  In my years with John, I did a lot of motorcycle riding and hanging out with amazing people and doing really fun things.

John didn't send me a story for his house, and just asked that I add the flower box to the front that he's always meaning to put there!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 16, Arlene's Son's Cabin

 Arlene is a wonderful creative spark of a human, and I imagine her son must be as well!  Here's what she's written about this place~

When my cousins decided to sell their cabin—just a short walk from our place in Herbster—we were pretty sad. But they let us know when they set a price because we had “friends” who were interested. Those friends—our son and his sweetheart—are now our new favorite neighbors! 

10x8 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 15, Duncan and Sophia's Farmhouse!

 My friend Kat sent me this photo, and I was very hesitant about painting it because it is such an awesome photo and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get the people in there!  But I'm glad I gave it a try!

Here's what Kat says about this pair~

These are my dear friends, Duncan and Sophia. Duncan is a book binder by trade and Sophia is in IT, but is everything crafty. They bought a home in Wright, Minnesota a few years ago, and completely rebuilt this into a beautiful farmhouse that will stand the test of time. They have an apple tree that gives in abundance and now they use one of his book binding presses to make cider!

I don't know if this fits your criteria, but I thought it was a lovely picture, if you see on the porch, her mother is there, waving! :)

10x8 acrylic on canvas

spoken for!

 

Nov 14, Kamp Kritta!

 I guess this is the most appropriate one for today!  We've got snow here in Minneapolis, and some ice and some slippery roads. This is the deck of Angie's cabin in the snow, and I love love love the light on the snow!  There are SO many versions of white!

I don't exactly want to sit on those chairs, but I am happy to look at them through the window!

It was a lot more futzy to paint than you'd think, actually, but really fun to mix up all that variety of white and light~

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 13, Michelle's House!

 Michelle is a dear, beloved friend of mine, with whom I have had many painting and art adventures in Grand Marais, and I'm hoping we get to do that again this March!

This is her sweet house- I love how the light shines all the way through to the front door...

Just like Michelle's huge heart shines!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

spoken for!

Nov 12, Janis M's House

I'm a bit late with this one, but better late in the day than never! This is Janis' house and she sent this quick little blurb about it~

I didn’t send you a story about my house! I just moved in to it in July so I don’t have much history. My plan was to find one closer to my daughter and son-in-law because they are expecting their first child around thanksgiving! I saw this house and fell in love and ended it 20 minutes further away🤷‍♀️

I do think it has opportunities for a fairy garden so my grandma status should still be ok!

I love it!

10x8 acrylic on wood

Sold!

 

Nov 11, Jody B's House

 Jody has had me paint a few things before, and she didn't exactly send in a story about this house, but I appreciate what she DID write, so I'll edit it here!

I think you’re asking me if I have a picture of the house. 

  I was hoping to take one this weekend (in secret, so the homeowner doesn’t know. Wait, that sounds creepy. It’s my uncle’s house and also the house where I grew up. I want to give your painting to him for holidays. 

But I don’t have a current picture. 

When do you need it?

Also, I don’t care which day. 

And so that is why this house is today! And I apologize for posting TWO November 11ths... thanks for not nagging me about it!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

spoken for!

 

 

Nov 10, Elizabeth's Grandfather's House

This is a lake house built on Clearwater Lake in 1914 by Elizabeth's grampa, and we extended the painting to include the sweet barns and trees and that little set of turquoise metal chairs...

Here's her story (and she's a writer!)~

This is a summer lake home that dates back to 1914, when my great-grandfather Oscar Weiss acquired land on Clearwater Lake. Back then, he and his family would drive from Minneapolis, where he was a dentist and professor, riding in their 1906 Shoemaker car. The drive took about half a day (today it takes us a little over an hour). Imagine a dirt road about the width of a room, between huge patches of corn. Once, the Shoemaker got stuck in the mud and had to be pulled out by a farmer with a team of horses. Oscar constructed a small boathouse first (still standing today) and that’s where his family stayed as the house was built. His two sons hauled stones from Clearwater Lake for the fireplace, and Oscar (also a carpenter) made the home’s stairs and buffet. The home has outbuildings—barn, garage, and large henhouse that’s now a little cabin for people, not chickens, to sleep. And see those turquoise swinging benches? Years later, one grown son of Oscar (Raymond) used to sit on them with his favorite bantam rooster on his knee.

That rooster’s name was Doody. These days, a different Raymond—my dad—is the one who takes care of his beloved Cedar Ridge, as the property is named.

8x16 acrylic on canvas

sold

And Elizabeth says this is how her relatives traveled to the cabin back in the day!

 

Nov 9, Jay and Leslie's House

 I had fun painting this one!  The light is so wonderfully bright in it! It makes me happy just to look at it~

Here's what Jay wrote~

This is what the kids have always called the "yellow house". We also call it home. Since moving to Minneapolis in 2009 it has been where we center our little life.  It is over 100 years old and from the beginning we have always tried to honor the house as best we could by filling it with love and tending to its structural needs.  This photo was taken post Halloween fun and I like the color of the leaves and the bright yellow against the blue sky. 

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 8, Judy's House!

This one was a bit of a struggle!  The house color in my color copy was not the same as it looks on my computer screen, and I didn't quite have time to drive over to Summit Ave to take a look in person- there's also a LOT of little details that I'm not sure are quite viewable here!  Ah well-  here's what Judy says about her beautiful house!

776 Summit Avenue was built in 1901 and is considered an example of Queen Anne Rectilinear architecture.  I know this because the woman who sold us the house left us a book entitled "St. Paul's Historic Summit Avenue" by Ernest Sandeen and it is listed inside!  It originally cost $6000 to build and was designed by J.W. Stevens.  History aside, we purchased the house in 2021 when we moved back to St. Paul from the West Coast.  We've had a tremendous amount of work done - replaced all the storm windows, put on modern gutters, replaced rotten porch wood, steps, and railings, had the outside painted, some inside painting done, and added tons of landscaping to the back yard.  Next year, I plan to re-do the landscaping around the front of the house.  A friend of mine who lives a few blocks away likes to say that we don't own houses like this - they own us. There is ALWAYS more work that needs to be done.  It does have gorgeous woodworking inside and stained glass windows.  We love living on Summit!

10x8 acrylic on canvas

sold!

Nov 7th, Mom's Childhood House in Farmington, MN

This is my mom's house where she lived when her parents moved to Farmington after living in Fergus Falls, I think... I should really have her write this story, shouldn't I? She grew up the second oldest of eight children, three girls and five boys. I'm pretty sure they weren't all alive yet when they lived in this house... it doesn't quite look big enough for ten people.

I did like the leaves on the tree, and that fun diamond shaped window way up in the attic.  I wonder if the kids spent any time up there?

10x8 acrylic on canvas

sold

Nov 6, Beth Carreno's

I love the story with this one! It is so real, and sweet. From Beth~

" Neither my husband or I really loved this house when we toured it, but we both thought the other one loved it. So with each of us keeping a little secret, we moved into a house that was never quite perfect and was only supposed to be for a few years. 

We danced with our daughter in this house, sang at the top of our lungs with our son, survived a few health scares, loved our dogs and grieved their loss, decorated Christmas cookies, hosted dinner parties where the food was always served about an hour later than planned, hung stockings and waited for Santa, ate picnics on the floor, walked to the swimming pool, and loved our way through a few tough times. By the time we realized this wasn't the house either of us really wanted, we knew it was the home that we needed. We actually lived there longer than any house we've been in since then. It isn't the prettiest house in the world (that color!), but it was a great foundation for our lives together. I drive past this house every time I visit Topeka. "

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Sold

Nov 5, Julie's Dream Cabin in Port Wing

 Our friends bought a house on the south shore of Lake Superior a couple years ago, right when everything was getting crazy and lockdowns and all, and we've been lucky enough to be invited to hang out with them a couple times. Last time we were there, Julie showed us the first cabin they AirBnBed in when they were there, which is what made them want to live in the area, and this one isn't it but it is one that she pointed out on a walk as one that has always entranced her. It is small, sweet, and there's a toy sailboat in the window that doesn't show up in the painting.

I like this one.

8x10 acrylic on wood

$50 auction

click here to bid!

Nov 4, Trick or Treat!

 Here we go!  The first one is a photo my sister took while the boys were trick-or-treating on Monday last, and I really loved the light in this! It's that time of year when homes look so cosy and warm and inviting, and I love our neighbors and their generosity. Its a great excuse to go knock on doors and say hi!

This one is an auction, starting at $50, and all the money from this one will go right to Simpson Housing Services~

8x10 acrylic on canvas

$50 starting bid

click here to join the auction!

Nov 3, The OFFICIAL HOMEVEMBER LIST!

 Hi everyone!

Here's the Official List for this year's HOMEvember project!  I'll be posting daily to this blog and hope to include some sweet stories as well!

And all paintings will be displayed at Poppies on Grand just before Christmas!

I'm so excited and delighted to be starting on this project with you all watching!  I may even try to do a video or two of me painting the homes for you. And if you've sent a home, please send a story too!  Art is all about the story. Every home has a story. Or more!

All HOMEs will be painted in acrylic on 8x10 canvas (unless otherwise determined by you and me!) and will be available for $150 for THIS PROJECT ONLY! (Usually an 8x10 commissioned work is $300, and an 8x10 painting by me is currently priced at $180)!
Click HERE for more info and to grab your spot!

AND I'll be donated a good chunk of the proceeds from this project to my friends at Simpson Housing again, since there's always a need for more housing for folks!

Click here to be a part of this painting project!


AND here's the OFFICIAL LIST for you!

The list~
Nov 4th- The Trick Or Treaters
Nov 5th- Julie's Fav Cabin
Nov 6th- Beth C's family home
Nov 7th- Rita's farmington House
Nov 8^th Judy R's House
Nov 9^th Jay and Leslie's Home
Nov 10th- Elizabeth V's house
Nov 11th- Jody B's House
Nov 12th- Janis M's House
Nov 13th- Michelle M's House
Nov 14th- Angie K's Family Cabin
Nov 15th- Kat O's Friends' Farmhouse
Nov 16^th - Arlene W's Son's Cabin
Nov 17th- The House Down The Street
Nov 18th- Coffee Jon's House with Flowerboxes!
Nov 19th
Nov 20th
Nov 21-
Nov 22-
Nov 23-