August 30, Marsh Grass

 Yes, I see blue and purple everywhere. I was doing a watercolor birch tree demo for my sixth graders this week and was showing them (with a photo!) that the shadows were blue and purple, and they had a hard time seeing it. Isn't that funny?  Am I just trained better to see it? Sometimes I don't think you see what's really there until someone points it out to you-

These are some gorgeous water reflections in the watery area behind a hotel in Two Harbors, Mn.

Love this!

24x12 acrylic on wood

$576

click here to purchase!

TAX INCLUDED!!

August 27, One Last Sunset

Good morning!

It's been a bit stormy here in Minneapolis last night and this morning. The storms woke us up with the strobe flashes of lightning and torrential rain. Last night the front came through with tremendous winds, blowing all the trees around in wild dances... it looked like a Harry Potter movie... one branch across the street and broke in our neighbor's windsheild.

And this is a view of sunset on Lake Pokegama in early August...

10x8 acrylic on wood

$165

click here to purchase~

 

August 21, A Commission

 I really enjoyed painting this one! When you paint a cat, there's so much going on- their eyes are rounder than a dogs, so there's more luminosity happening, and the facial structure, the anatomy is very different. And sometimes when I'm teaching a Pet Painting Class, people get caught up in the whiskers. You have to do them last. Very last. And you have to practice your quick, deft brushstroke first. It's a very light touch, just enough!

Oh and the dogs are up at Diamonds, in case you needed an excuse to pop by!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

August 19th, Evening Reflections

 Yeah, I couldn't come up with a better title.... those are hard! Any good ideas come your way, be sure to share them with me!  I'd love some help with more creative titles for my work...

It's been just gorgeous in Minnesota this summer. I feel a little bad for the rest of the world. It's a beautiful morning, just walked the dogs down to Lake Hiawatha, and Duane made me a spinach omlette for breakfast, and now I'm heading to school for our workshop week.

It's what a life is made of, isnt' it?  Those little moments...

I hope I'm painting some of them- and if you're interested in painting some moments too, come join me next Saturday for my Paint Love Sessions!  More info here!

16x8 acrylic on canvas

$256

click here to purchase!

August 18, Smooth as Glass

Sometimes the lake would be so smooth, you almost felt like you could just step onto it and walk right out. I'm sure it also might look like this is the winter when it's frozen, though you would not have the dock in the photo then, because anyone who has lake property knows you gotta bring your dock in. Unless it's a special one...

Around 8pm, I think, just gorgeous evening. I wish I had gone swimming, but I didn't. I did put my feet in, anyway...

8x16 acrylic on canvas

$256

click here to purchase~

 

August 16, Walter

Just so you know I haven't only been painting dogs!  I did get a couple cats done.  And I've got a few commissions I'm working on now~

And we will NOT be at the Carpenter Art Fair tomorrow- we have had a bit of a family emergency, and I have not had time today or will have time for the event tomorrow. But you should go anyway!

And this is Walter!

10x10 acrylic on wood

sold

 

August 15, Reach

 I still have room in tonights' Paint-Your-Pet Class at my studio in the Ivy!  We're painting from 6 to 8:30 pm!  Come on over!

And this is another horse from Camp Mishawaka- it was an extremely buggy early summer so most of the horses had full face coverings to protect them from the mosquitos and black flies... it was rare we were able to take photos of their naked faces! This was one of them~

12x6 acrylic on wood

$165

TAX INCLUDED!

click here to purchase~

August 13, Patience

Did I mention there were horses up at Camp Mishawaka?  This is our fourth summer there, and it is the FIRST year I was able to ride a horse!  My horse's name was Merle, and he was older and a bit clumsy, I was told. He was a delight to ride through the woods!  It's such a different experience, riding on another being... it wasn't a long ride, but long enough to feel like we were working together a bit, especially on watching for fallen sticks in the path and humping up the taller hills in the path.

So this is one of the horses! And I'm afraid I don't know exacly who... but I'll have this painting with me at the Carpenter Nature Fair this Saturday!  Duane and I will be together under the big tent again- come see us!

We're on the WISCONSIN side of the St Croix, just past Hudson, from 10 to 5pm!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$165

click here to purchase~

August 11, Dogs are DONE!

 Wahoo!  So I've completed all 30 dogs, we drove home Friday night and I spent most of yesterday getting the dogs lined up and varnished as well as unpacking and doing mounds of laundry (anyone who's ever sent a kid to camp knows this job...) and today I'm driving up to Two Harbors for a brief holiday with my two sisters and my mom and my youngest sis' sweet fiance~

No rest for the wicked, right?

I do have some spots left in this Thursday's Paint Your Pet class if you'd like to join me!

AND this Saturday August 17th I'll be at the Carpenter Art Fair at the Carpenter Nature Center in Hudson WI! This is a great little art fair with REAL artists and no crap, and music and beer and wine too!  We are on the Wisconsin side of the St Croix, so make sure you look at the directions!

And I still have space in my Paint-Love Six-Week Saturday Morning Painting Class!  This is an opportunity for you to hone those painting skills and commit to a six week daily (or almost) painting regime with me as your guide (and dominatrix if you need that!) I only do three or four of these Six-Week classes a year, so let me know if you have any questions!  We start August 24th, 9:30 to noon-

Thanks so much everyone!  What a beautiful summer we've been having!  I can't wait to see the colors of fall!

XOXO

some dogs and a couple horses!

August 8, Lillie Mae for Brent!

This is Lilli Mae~ and my dear friend Cindy asked for this portrait for her love of her life, Brent's birthday~

Lilli Mae is the sweetest most loving girl. She is a Shiba Inu American Eskimo Mix. 

On our way home from our lake place, we always stopped at our favorite little farm, for ice cream and puppy snuggles. On one of those stops, there she was. We ate our ice cream, had lots of puppy snuggles, and were on our way. It was so hard to leave her. 
We talked about her the entire week. She melted our hearts. 
The following weekend was our 23 Wedding Anniversary.  We decided, if she was still there it was meant to be. Happy Anniversary to us!

Lilli absolutely loves her treats! She learned “like a lady” because when a treat was offered, she nearly took our fingers with it. 
She loves car rides, walks, stuffed toys (especially bunnies), and travel adventures. 
She is NOT a fan of fireworks or thunderstorms. 
Her favorite food is licorice. She doesn’t care if it’s red or black, she’s just happy to share either with us. There is no sneaking it when she is near.  

We are so grateful she waited for us. Life would not be the same without her.  

sold!

August 7, Sir Winston

 I don't think it looks like it, but I spent a lot of time on Sir Winston here... the photo was a bit blurry and so I did my best but he looks a little muppet-y....  I'll see what I can do later!

Sir Winston passed away on July 28th, after a diagnosis of kidney failure and attempts at IV fluids and meds. He was a well known presence in our neighborhood, as he paraded the sidewalks and inspected our local flora and fauna. He loved being petted by humans and could be a little stand-off-ish to other dogs, especially bouncy little pups!

He will be missed~

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for

August 6, Luna

 This is a sporty looking dog, and I believe the photo was taken aboard a boat, with the spray in her teeth and her bandana fluttering in the wind... the dog of summer, perhaps?

Luna was a bit tricky to paint, and I'm still not completely happy with the shape of her head somehow... something seems off and I didn't have time to figure it out before I had to post this, so I may be adjusting as it comes to me!  I think her fluffy ear puts off the shape of her forehead, and the 3/4 view is also a bit weird...

But she does have a great smile!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250 (tax incl)

click here!

August 5 Pluto!

 Pluto is another one that I just could not NOT paint! I mean, really!  Look at that face! Open, loving, joyful, ready to lick all those worries away~

I also really loved the straight on gaze~ I love photos  where the dog (or cat or horse or cockatoo, whatever they happen to be!) is looking right at the viewer- its just a more fun one to paint. I paint the eyes last, the "bling" of the hightlights last, and that's when I know the painting is done. When I pull back and say "hello!"

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250 tax INCLUDED

click here to buy!

August 4, Gigi for Laurie!

 This is Gigi, who belongs to Laurie, who is an amazing artist and puppeteer and community member and I'm not sure she even knows I'm painting Gigi today!

Gigi looks like an interesting mix of dogs, and has such a gentle look in her eyes, I imagine she's a comfort and a cuddler. 

I just have a few more dogs left to paint here people!  I've been painting other things up north here too, so once the dogs end, there will be more paintings to see!

Thanks so much for following!

acrylic on wood, 8x8 inches

gifted

August 3, Andy the Worried

This is Andy. He has a very expressive face. And the main expression seems to be worry...

He is being fostered by Wendy, who helps a lot of dogs out and has a few foster fails, I believe. I do think Andy is available, however, and if you're interested in him, let me know and I'll get you in touch with Wendy!

He's a golden retriever, I think~

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250

click here to purchase!

 

August 2, Flurry

I don't often do dogs in profile, because I really love the connection that a full on gaze has with the viewer, but I was caught by the expression on Flurry's face!  That dog-joy is so obvious and present, and that looking into the future with excitement that dog's have- that's what I wanted to paint with this one!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250 

click here to purchase!

 

August 1st, Buddy!

And here is Buddy!  I had several photos to pick from, and thought I was going to do a different one, but this one just has the greatest expression- I love that wise, considering look...

Here is his story by Debbi!

 A little bit about Buddy.....his birthday was listed as Dec 13, 2019 (which was actually the date he was rescued off he streets in Texas).  It is also the day we had to put our previous pup, Maggie, down, so I felt he was meant to join our family.  We picked him up on the coldest day in January from Ruff Start Rescue.  He's a crazy little guy (thus his full name, Nutty Buddy) who likes his walks, treats in his Kong, running zoomies, and toilet paper!!  But at the end of the day, he likes to curl up in my lap and get some love before bedtime.

Aww, Buddy!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!