June 29th, Murphy!

 I'm still looking for a few good dogs for this summer's "30 Dogs in 30 Days" Painting Project! This happens to be the adorable Murphy, whom I painted as a commission this summer already. I've got a nice line-up already of happy dogs, but there is room for yours too!

I also wanted to mention that Pompom was spayed yesterday and we were all a bit worried about her... we're a little sensitive to this little soul that represents all the pet juju in our house at the moment... back in April we went to Duluth and Pompom ate a grape that made her throw up and vomit for a day and a half, and for that little body, that's a lot of fluids going away, so we were all quietly freaking out... so having her spayed made us a little edgy yesterday... In April in Duluth we went to an emergency vet and she was giving IV fluids and anti-nausea meds, and she was fine.  And today she is absolutely nearly back to normal, silly little thing! Aside from the cone she has to wear for another 5 or six days, she's acting her regular self. We are all so relieved!  I actually dreamt about other dogs last night, as if we had three or four instead of just Pompom. One was a smaller greyhoundish dog but with more terrier like hair, and she was so great in my dream... I wonder if we'll find her sometime soon!

XOXO

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

June 14, Darks and Lights

 It's been six months since the fire, and I'm feeling anxious. When something is supposed to be temporary, an interuption, it feels unsettling when it continues for so long. And there's the knowledge that our house won't be Our House The Way It Was ever again....

I'm also finding myself really missing Bunny. When you love someone like that, when she's a part of your daily routine, there's a relly big hole. Part of me is also afraid of forgetting what it was like to love her. Ack.

Enough of that for now. I'll post something more later- we still haven't sprinkled their ashes or held a memorial service for all our pets.

This is a pallet knife painting from up at Bearskin.  I enjoyed playing with the knife like this- it's like the One-Stroke-Per-Color paintings sorta, because you don't have that much control so they end up being really loose. Which I like!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info

June 3, Sunset from the Front Steps

This one is also from the Bearskin Lodge Plein Air Painting Workshop with Dave Gilsvik we went to- it was SUCH a gorgeous sunset, and I was trying to get Dave and my mom to come out and see it, and they were being tremendously pokey!

But I got some photos anyway! 

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info!

June 2, More "Three Graces"- The Three Graces, Birches at Bearskin

 I got a little obsessed with these three....

This one is painted on the raw (sealed) wood, instead of my usual black gesso. 

Yup- its all about the contrast, baby!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info!

June 1, Three Graces, Birch

 So it is JUNE already!  I was listening to World Party on CD on my drive in this morning, feeling awake and rested, and entertained by my drive through downtown. I am so lucky to have choice in my drive to work every day. That's part of a creative brain, I think... pushing yourself to stay out of ruts.  Routine and habit are necessary for some parts of life, and create a sense of security in a sometimes chaotic world, but it is so good for your brain and your spirit to switch it up every so often!

That said, I spent a week up at the Bearskin Lodge a couple weeks ago, and that was a shift for sure- I didn't actually have a daily commute- it was more the switch-up of painting outside and painting what I'm looking at instead of working from photos. Also, I decided to play with Golden Open Acrylics instead of my usual Heavy Body Acrylics, and that was fun too, because it was more like painting with oil. They don't dry as fast. Still, they dry a heckuva lot faster than oil does!

These birches were SO much fun to paint!  I did a bunch of paintings of them. I'll post some more... maybe... if I can get my groove going!  I'll be painting dogs again in July as well, so go ahead and start sending me your dog photos!

Wahoooo!

8x10 acrylic on wood

$175 

click here to nab this one!