Feb 15, Smile In The Light

 Ah!  More dolphins!

And WE HAVE SNOW!!!  What a great Valentine's gift!  SO much!  Pom pom was beside herself last night and would have stayed out all evening if we'd let her! Her life with us started last January and there was SO much snow and she LOVED running around in the backyard chasing snowballs thrown by Duane- that was her delight!  And we haven't had enough snow this year for her to enjoy that again- but NOW we do and she did NOT want to come in!  And she was the first up this morning, barking at 6am so I had to take her out and run around the block and say GOOD MORNING! to everyone who was out shoveling!  She just LOOOOOOVES it!

And this is another dolphin painting!

10x20 acrylic on canvas

$400

click here for purchase info!

Feb 13, Waiting Below

 The dolphins in these paintings were our visitors from the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois.  And I only know this because my friend Merrit lives in Chicago and was aware of their visit to the Minnesota Zoo!  Isn't that fun?!

here's a video of their return to Brookfield!

I just always get a bit emotional about and around dolphins... when the Minnesota Zoo opened in 1978 we had them there, in the tropics exhibit where the tropical fish and sharks and skates are now. We also had beluga whales in another tank outside of where the interior wild bird shows are held. It was either that summer of 1978 or the next of 1979 when my brother Tom and my cousin Jim and I had a summer school class that dropped us off at the Zoo every other day at 9 when the zoo opened and picked us up at noon, and we were very unsupervised that entire time.

I can't even imagine that today!

One of the things we loved doing was playing hide and seek in the darkened nocturnal hallway in the tropics and running after each other on the Northern Trail. An amazing thing we did once (I'm not sure we were brave enough to do it more often, but I remember this happening at least once!) was we leaned WAAAAY over the railing of the dolphin tank and they came up with open mouths so we could scratch their tongues! I still can't quite believe we did that- we'd also play hide and seek with the dolphins below where the viewing windows are, running past the windows while they chased us, stopping quickly to hide behind the pillars... amazing to feel that this huge, beautiful, graceful water creature actually SAW me!!!  That made up for a lot of things in my awkward adolescence...

Waiting Below, 12x36 acrylic on canvas $865 click HERE for purchase info!

Feb 12, Wildfire Wolf

 I didn't consciously paint this as a wolf in a wildfire, and the background was different at first, but this is what happened and it seems to be right. Sometimes a painting tells you when to stop. So I stopped.

It's partially the wolf's posture, hesitant and considering his next move, and mostly the background colors. 

I like it a lot, and it makes me kinda sad at the same time...

24x12 acrylic on wood

$576

click here to purchase~

Feb 9, Wide-Earred Fawn

 Here is one I started several years ago, and parts just weren't correct, for me- sometimes that happens. A painting may be partially done and then has to sit for a while until it surfaces again, comes to my attention somehow and then I'll play with it a bit more. So now I think this one is done.

Really big ears, yes!

This one may be hanging at the Vine Arts Center in March!  you can come see it yourself on March 9th for the opening of Nature's Gaze~

Wahoo!

8x24 acrylic on canvas

$385

click here to buy!

Feb 7, Just A Breath

 Yes, I'm still painting otters!  I have a solo show coming up really fast at the Vine Arts Gallery in the Ivy Building where my studio is and I've been wanting to paint more otters anyway- and maybe some wolves and bears, and maybe turkeys...

I love the sculptural quality of this one- 

It seriously takes turning off your judging brain and letting your visual senses say what they are seeing- like "it's lighter here, it's darker there- that shape is more angled, that one more curved" kind of a thing. It's like meditation, really. With paint.  I love it!

24x12 acrylic on wood

$576 

click here for purchase info!

Feb 6, Mug Shot

Wow!  Thanks for all the comments on the dolphin painting!  There are more! Just not quite ready yet- so here is a mug~ kind of a study in white and a demo for my current painting class in the One-Stroke-Per-Color concept I learned from Carol Marine.

And I'll be sending out a newsletter later today to call for Cat Pics for this year's "30 Cat in 30 Days" Project! Send em on in if you've got em!

I'm also excited to announce that I have a solo show at the Vine Arts Center this March, with the opening reception on Saturday March 9th from 6 to 9pm!  

Please consider yourself invited!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$75

click here to purchase~

Feb 5, Soar

I'm painting in a little different direction at the moment- these are dolphin photos from the Minnesota Zoo last winter, when we had some visiting dolphins from California, I think- their home aquarium was under construction or repairs or something so we had them here for a while. It was amazing having them!  We stood below while the audience above watched the dolphins do their act, leaps and spins, glorious and joyful, and we got to see the under bits, the dives, the flukes stroking strong. I loved it!

10x20 acrylic on canvas

$400

click here for purchase info

Feb 2, Groundhog Day! And here's an OTTER!

It's our ANNIVERSARY today!  Yay us!  And yay all you people who helped us and who've held us and pushed us and are a part of the larger US that made us even possible!!! We wouldn't be here without YOU!!!

Thank you.

Really. I mean it!

And here's an otter!  I love mixing those browns and grays from my limited palette- two blues, a magenta and a yellow! Can't get more basic than that, baby!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$155

click here for purchase info! 

If you're local, let me know and we can refund shipping!

Feb 1, A Little Wolfish

 This is a wolf. I'm just not feeling clever this morning, and can't come up with a title. 

And then it just occurred to me that maybe AI could help with that- does that sound icky? Hmm. It's a weird thing, isn't it? I'm trying to think of it as a tool, and we're talking a lot at school about how to teach kids to use it. 

And I'm an art teacher. I teach creativity. I teach that you can learn to draw. I teach that your hand needs to connect with your brain to draw something and that you can do it when you pay attention and really focus. 

And here's another tool that "promotes" creativity.... 

I've got my work cut out for me, don't I?

12x6 acrylic on wood

$155

click here for purchase info~

Jan 29, Pom Pom Hanky Pants Says Hi!

Yes, she is our sweet little hero, our little bundle of whiney love, our hyper barking doorbell and the one who lets us know whenever anyone walks past the house. 

We took her along to the Sled Rally this Saturday, and that was fun even though there was no snow- cardboard was laid down the hill and the fantastic decorated sleds were pulled along by two helpers! It was an absolute hoot!  The John Deer thresher was wild and just about ran into the crowd, and Julian's life-sized semi truck was the most amazing sight, with smoke pouring out of the pipes and that "Watch Old Bandit Run" that Jerry Reed song playing- actually, all the music was pretty amazing, and it was lovely to get out and see people. The weather is messing with my head too, and I keep thinking it's spring and it feels lovely, but I also want some SNOW!

Ah well, we still have February and March! And probably April at this point...

12x6 acrylic on panel

$160

click here for info!

Jan 26, Reina from Winter 22

 And here's another one that I haven't posted yet!  Still working on those bubbles on my otters... I loved the face on this one!

Such an amazing expression! And that wonderful shaggy fur, and I think I did well with the fun grays!

Lots more fun grays around here today!

12x9 acrylic on panel

sold

Jan 25, Otter Pop-Up

 We went for a walk around 6:15am this morning, and there were areas of really slick sidewalk, and its foggy and murky here. Just in time for those thick heavy winter doldrums! Perfect weather for worrying about all the troubles of the world and feeling sorry for yourself! Ain't it great when the weather outdoors can match your internal weather? Yay Minnesota!

The radio is telling me that there is a Wolf Moon tonight, so I will probably need to post a wolf painting tomorrow~ did you know every moon has a name?

This one isn't quite done yet, but I started it under the influence of COVID this past week~ it needs some bubbles...

24x12 acrylic on wood

$576

when finished! Click here for purchase info!

Jan 24, Swoosh

 I'm realizing I didn't get the bubbles in here yet, so it isn't QUITE for sale yet- I really love the distortion of the water when you can see the otter both above and below. And that TAIL in this one!  SO great!

Duane took the photo- he's simply amazing with a camera. Somehow he snaps these images that capture the movement and poses of these animals better than I ever can, so these paintings are truly collaborations between Duane and me.

Isn't that fun?

It's our anniversary next Friday! Come celebrate Ground Hog's Day with us at Silverwood Park for the Midwinter Melt! We'll be there from 6-9, I hope to have Cake though I'm not sure we'll manage a cake walk.  Duane and I designed (well, mostly Duane!) one of the Footgolf holes, which you'll be able to play!

I'll post this again when it is ready for purchase~ it is a 10x20 so it's $400~- oops!  Nope it is an 8x16 so it is $256!

Jan 21, Such Patience

 This is our beloved little Pompom Hanky Pants, in a typical pose. She suffers our ignorance daily. Poor creature, to have to be strapped with us idiot humans.  I think Max was the first to notice her judgmental face. She does often seem to be measuring us up, thinking that perhaps we could be doing better...

Maybe that's a good thing~

I started this one last year up at the art colony in Grand Marais during my residency. I'm thinking of going back up again this March, but we aren't in our house yet, and it is hard for me to make plans without knowing where we'll be. 

40x30 acrylic on canvas

$2400

click here for purchase info~

Jan 20, Pearl

 Soooo.... you ever get the opportunity to stay home for 5 days with those you love and not have to/be able to go anywhere? 

Yup~ I made it this far without having COVID, but that's over now. We're a family on quarantine at the moment- and it hasn't been too bad. I think Duane had it the worse- we should be in the clear by Tuesday~

And I'm making sure we're taking it easy- we watched almost all the "Pirates of the Caribbean" on Thursday and we watched "Project Runway" and "Vax Machina" and "Magic For Humans" and "Captain Underpants" yesterday, and today we seem to be on a Clone Wars fix- I ordered Max a Star Wars lego along with some groceries from Target yesterday....

And I've been painting otters!  Not done yet- will post later-

This is a sweet kitty from 2022 Holiday season that I don't think I've ever posted~ I'll post the paintings I'm working on soon!

Oh and no third Sunday tomorrow, sorry!  Hopefully we can do a 4th Sunday!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan19, Kazoo!

 This is another commission from the holiday season, and I loved painting this sweet kitten! When I heard her name, I just about blew a gasket! Isn't that the BEST kitten name EVER?!? 

Seriously!  Wouldn't you love to have a kitten named Kazoo who loves to sit on your shoulder while you work? 

I can't WAIT until we are back in our house and we can get our own little kitten, and I'll have to come up with a name at least halfway as cool as Kazoo!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 18, Sami

 This is another commission from this holiday season- I don't think I've posted it just yet- and I appreciated the patron's comments to help me make this the best I could. She let me know the fur was a bit lighter at the top, and the color of the harness, and we also changed it so it says "Sami" instead of the brand...

And that the area Sami is looking at was brightly lit and had action happening, which is why Sami was looking that way~

12x6 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 16, Slippery Thought

 I spent part of yesterday submitting work to exhibitions for 2024-2025, and that always takes time to find the work you want to submit, make sure you have decent photos, write up your proposal and make sure your resume is updated.  It's all those things that you feel like if you were REALLY organized, you'd have them all ready to go and in folders that were easy to find...

Ah well. I came across this one that I love, and that sold at Sivertsons Gallery up in Grand Marais back in 2017, and I think I painted it in 2015-  thank god for my photos gallery because I can search in there by year and by location and find things... that is if I can remember when and where I took the photos...

I'm entering some otters and hoping for the chance to paint some more large works of them!

12x36 acrylic on canvas

sold

Jan 13, Standing Alert

 Here is another wolf painting- I've been working on a few larger ones too, and this is one that I really like. They sure know how to pose, those lovely beasts! 

There's something so regal about them, their stance, that mane, those penetrating eyes...

 I still wouldn't want to meet one while walking in the woods alone...

I have my firsting painting class of the year this morning at my studio!  I'm as excited as a kid! I'm so lucky to be able to do this thing that feels so natural to me- and I'm so fortunate to have people who want to learn along with me!  I call the classes "Paint Love" because that's what I believe we do. I know there are talented artists who are able to paint pain and war and anger with beauty and grace, and maybe I do that sometimes, but I think I learn best what works for me when I paint what I love, when I paint WITH love. Hmm....

Makes me think more big thoughts...

This class is FULL, but I will have some One-Day Paint-Your-Pet Workshops coming up in February!

Happy Saturday!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here to nab this one!

Jan 12, Penny

 This is Penny who happens to be a pug, like our Bunny... but it was okay to paint this one. It is fun how different animals are, even though they might be siblings or very similar littermates. 

I remember having a dream long ago about my beloved long-haired rescue tabby Toby- he was my first pet as an adult and lived with me in a lot of different apartments and houses. He was my sacred familiar and kept me sane and joyful in the stresses of my younger life, and in the dream I was worried that I wouldn't be able to pick him out in a line-up of similar looking cats. 

But I could!

And recently my friend Kat posted a photo of her and "a friend" and I responded how much it looked like our Bunny and how I miss her, and Kat replied that it was a photo from over a year ago, and that yes, it was Bunny~

And this is Penny!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 11, Beanie

 And this is Beanie~ she's the love-pup of Isobel, who adores her~ those eyes are just amazing!

It's feeling more like winter in Minnesota now- the temps are heading down and we're finally getting a pinch more snow, with a Winter Storm supposedly headed our way this weekend!

I do love the chance to sit inside while it's snowing outside... and I also like the chance to bundle up and go slopping around in the snow outside, knowing I can get back warm inside when I want to!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 10, Another Commission!

Good morning!

A third thru January now, and there still isn't that much snow but we're hitting sub-zero temps starting this Sunday so that will change the way things feel around here. I may need to wear my silk long johns. Every Minnesotan knows to drew in layers. Maybe that's why clothes are such a fascination to me- that we have to have more kinds than people in other temperate zones... right now I have a long sleeved silk shirt and a fuzzy vest on, and a cardigan to put on over that, with long thick-ish pants and warm socks and boots. Comfortable right now- and I've already gone out with Pompom for a trot around the 'hood and it wasn't too bad... we do like having snow on the ground because it makes the atmosphere lighter after dark.

And this is a lighter after dark kinda cat. This is Leo, who sadly left us much too young. Such an amazing face~

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

 

Jan 9, Bunny the Pug

I painted a little series of 6x6s of Bunny a couple years ago and found this one last night at the Vine Arts Gallery in the gift shop and reclaimed it. It's a good one that shows her sweet little nose and that glowing dark ear.... I miss that little fist of a face and those huge brown eyes, and her snores when she would sleep by our feet...

Happy Tuesday, friends!

6x6

NFS

 

Jan 8th, It's Been A Year...

 Today is the anniversary of our life-changing house fire. Devastating, horrible, shocking as it all has been, difficult and worrisome and all, we are here now. Not quite back IN the house yet, but we are here, at this point in time, and we are doing well. Which is a lot of thanks to YOU all, you know. 

The Rolling Stones were just singing " We All Need Someone To Lean On" which I haven't heard in forever and it struck a chord deep in my heart. We do seriously need one another. Thank you. I don't know where we would be without our generous neighbors and friends who are letting us live in their "spare" house, even though it means they can't begin their own long-awaited rebuild on their home, and we might not be back in our house (and out of theirs!) until February...

I've been struggling with how to honor our loss today... Duane has been cautioning me to not worry about it being a big deal, that just us knowing and taking a walk and talking about it is good. I did pull up some photos last night, and I was struck by how hard the grief can still feel. Fatoosh's green eyes met mine every morning. And Bunny would sit her fat little butt on my back as I lay on the floor to do yoga in the kitchen. Sally and Teddy were always excited at the foot of the stairs to "GO OUTSIDE!" and walk to the lake and back- shaking their shaggy little heads, Sally schnuffliing in the snow....

Oh my heart.

And now we have Pompom... 

Life does go on, my loves~

Sally

Jan 7, Finley!

 This is another commission from this holiday season!  I love how the holidays stretch across the years~ time.  What a concept!

Finley is wearing his good reading dog vest because he is an official Good Dog!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Jan 5th, By A Whisker

 And it's the first Friday of the new year! I hope it's a good one for you! Here's another otter painting- this one's nose appears to be comically big, and it's one of those things where it looks that way in the photo and I repainted it a couple times and this is the way it's gonna be!

The new year is a good time for retrospection, isn't it. It's really strange still being in a rental place and not in our home.  All those things I took for granted for twenty years of living in the same place are up in smoke, literally. I don't know where a lot of things are... we didn't get a lot of stuff out, but Duane did salvage some of my journals, which I've been keeping since the 8th grade. A lot of my dependable memory is in those smoke-damaged pages. So my retrospective-ness depends somewhat on what I chose to write down and how honest I am with myself. And this year I'm working to be more honest with myself in terms of what is it I actually need? For example, am I really still hungry or does my mouth just want to keep working? Or is this activity one that supports my goals or no? And how long has it been since I've talked to a good friend? Maybe I need to pick up the phone and arrange a good walk!

And thanks all of you for following! I appreciate any and all comments- thanks for being a part of my world!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info

Jan 2, Happy New Year!

 Here's another commission from this year!

And I wanted to let you know that I've updated my Pet Portrait Price List for the first time in almost five years! 

Though I DID leave the 6x6 at $150, for now- because...

 It was about time. It's just one of those things that's really hard to do sometimes... to increase your prices. It feels a bit.. self congratulatory? Grabby? So many artists I know have a really hard time with pricing their work, and commissions are essentially how I keep this business going. Plus I sincerely love doing them! Art is one of those careers that is thought to be easy, and joyful, and such a pleasure for the artist that they shouldn't have to charge for it and yes it is all of that, but it also takes hard work and practice and quality materials that cost money and continuing to work even when you don't want to and you aren't being paid for it (yet)... it's schlepping lots of displays and tables and art and setting up at art fairs and talking to everyone who comes through and smiling and updating all your technology so you can continue to contact your clients and let them know what you're up to...

It's a lot!  It's a life! And I am so grateful that it is mine!  Thanks for being a part of it!

Cinnamon

10x8 acrylic on wood

sold

And here's the link to my Pet Portrait Price List again!

Dec 28, Dash!

 Here's a commission from this holiday season!  I think it's safe to post, since it has hopefully already been presented to the new owner!

I have said it before and I'll say it again- I do love painting black dogs!  And cats, and bears, and squirrels...

Hope you are enjoying your In-Between-Week!

And it you are looking for something fun and challenging in the new year, sign up to paint with me! Saturday mornings, I may push the start date back a week to Jan 13, just an FYI!

10x10 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 24, Merry Christmas Eve!

 This is a pretty Christmassy kitty, dontcha think? Lotsa green in there, and a bit o red in her ears... I remember this one being a bit tricky with the tortoiseshell coloring and those glowing green eyes. I think the original photo was outside and the lighting was difficult to read. That's sometimes what happens with painting from available photos when the subject is no longer with us, trying to patch together parts and coloring so it works well.

I do hope you are enjoying your weekend!  We're listening to The Current this morning and they are playing some really fun and not widely know Holiday tunes!  It's pretty fun!

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 23, Another Commission from Last Year!

So now I'm getting busy with all that holiday stuff, running errands that I never do any other time of year, and it's all good and everything, though there is this weird frantic sense too of trying to get a lot of little things done. And I think there's the wanting to make sure everything is great for other people part too, the wanting to fulfill expectations, to make it as great as possible, and that just can't happen. Or at least you can't control what's going to happen. Don't get me wrong!  I love the holiday season!  I really do-  I love Christmas songs and holiday movies and cards and parties and all that fun stuff, and it's just that I need to remember to enjoy it myself and not feel like I have to take care of everyone else.

Is that familiar to you? So I'm sitting at the huge window at the lodge at Hiyland Hills Ski Place right now, watching my beautiful brave son snowplow down the ski hill... I love him so much!

I hope you are enjoying whatever you are doing today!

Sergio~

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 21, Mr Chicken

 This is a current commission and I know Monica won't mind me posting it, at least I think she won't mind because she knows she's got it coming!  Mr Chicken lived in Tavenier Key in Florida with our generous and kind friends and lived a long and luxurious life, and I love this image of him, sprawled in all his fluffy glory on the cool tiles in the Florida air.

It's just such a wonderful position, and makes such a great painting, with that lovely curl of tail and the way the cracks in the tile perfectly enclose him...

Travel on, Mr Chicken~

12x6 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 20, Charlie and Finn

 Sometimes someone sends me a commission request photo that makes me just go to jelly with gushy sweet emotions... and I HAVE to paint it!  This is one of those!  I mean, really!  Look at those FACES! And when the photo is taken and the two are miraculously BOTH looking at the camera at the same time, and with the same expression, this is a ONE in a MILLION shot!  I mean, just LOOK at them!

I painted it and I can't stop looking at those faces either!

I think it's the expectation of goodness, the hope in those eyes, their knowledge that whatever it is that they really desire will be given them.

I hope you have some of that this holiday season!

Thanks Chris for asking me to paint these two!!!

8x10

sold

Dec 19, Another Commission!

 It's been busy around here again! This is another pair of kitties for a commission last holiday season. It's funny how much I don't remember from just a year ago. I suppose dramatic events do that to a person...

The darker cat in the foreground is blind. I loved the lights and shadows in this one~

6x12 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 18, Pumpkin and Max, Another Commission!

I do love painting cats too, of course. And when people ask me to paint cats (or dogs) together, it is aways best if the photo has them both in it, with the same lighting and distance from the camera and all, so that everything reads as true as possible. Otherwise, I suggest two separate head-shot portraits. There are always those amazing photos of animals in a photo together though, that are just an absolute delight to paint and this was one of those! 

It is much colder today in Minneapolis! And it is windy as heck as well, which makes the cold all the more biting. Max has his Adventures in Cardboard "Yule Hunt" Camp today, and we need to make sure he gets as bundled up as possible because it is going to be chilly!

8x16 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 16, Bugsy, another Commission from last year!

 Good morning!

Here's another sweet face from last December! It sure isn't looking like December here, though... its raining and nearly 40 degrees, and smells more like April. I think the birds are getting confused...

I do appreciate being able to go for a little run without worrying about slipping on ice yet, though!

And I'll be at the studio from 11 to 4 today, working on Commissions for this year, so NO PHOTOS please, but come on by!  We'll have tea and cookies, and you can sit down and have a chat with me while I work!  I love it!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 15, Peanut, a commission from last year!

It's getting busy and I've really appreciated posting every day here, and at this point it may be a bit more sporadic because my winter break starts this afternoon and my schedule kinda goes out the window... 

However, I DID order some more panels from Blick because I have not painted all the wolves and otters and white squirrels I want to yet!  So there will be postings happening, just maybe not as frequently for a week or two.

I do need some time to paint and finish up the lovely stack of paintings on my easle at the moment!

SO I thought maybe I'd post some of the commissions I did last year because I don't think I've posted them! This is Peanut!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

 

Dec 13, Baby Wood Duck Wobble

 This is the cutest little wood duck ever, and I've now painted it five times, and I'll probably keep painting it because it is just so cute!

It is a glorious morning in Minneapolis, a little chilly, but sunny, and the sidewalks are mostly clear and Pompom is happy to go running in her little blue coat and greet anyone, human or dog, she sees in the neighborhood. I am so glad she likes other beings!

At school, we are wrapping up the kids' clay ornaments they all made last week. I usually have the 3rd graders make little clay birds to take home for the holidays as gifts, and this year I had the 4th and 5th graders also make animal head ornaments to take home. I thought it would be easier for them than it was, honestly. I have to keep remembering that something that takes me ten minutes to make will take a ten year old an hour.... I have a bit more experience and skill under my belt. Also right now, this week before the break, our kids' listening skills are not at their best...

Hope you are having some fun!

10x8 acrylic on wood

$160

click here for purchase info!

Dec 12, Another Wolf

 This wolf is at Artistry in Bloomington for the Gifts in the Gallery Holiday Sale, open most days (except Mon and Tue) from now to Dec 23rd! Check the link for hours- and I don't remember what I titled it but it is a lovely 12x6 wolf painting. I'll get some more rolling after I get through my lovely list of commissions!  Thanks everyone for sending me your loves to paint!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

at Artistryy....

Dec 11, Depth Inspection

 Good morning!  It's gonna be a busy week, my friends! And I was able to force some painting time in this weekend and get a couple otters in (along with a number of commissions started!) and that always puts me in a good mood! I like that this one is peering into that darker space and that the body attitude is of curiosity and not fear~ 

sometimes the dark is pretty interesting....

We went on a long lovely walk around Lake Hiawatha yesterday and that always feels good. I love being able to walk into a wild-feeling place from my front door, you know what I mean? And especially with friends, and with Max talking about MTG the whole time, and Pompom wearing her little blue coat and skipping merrily along. I was worried her tiny little feet wouldn't stand up to the cold well but she is a tough little cookie!

I hope your week is starting well too!

6x12 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info!

Dec 10, Stay Gold

 This is a very small painting, 9 inches tall by 3 inches wide, so I guess not tiny, but skinny would describe it better- one of the wolves at the MN zoo again, and I enjoyed painting the yellows around for the background which is why I called it "Stay Gold"- did you ever read "The Outsiders"? Cuz that's where that comes from.  Probably time for you to re-read it if it's been a while. And maybe you need to re-read "To Kill A Mockingbird" too, and "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn"- all good books. 

Did you know I also wanted to be a writer? I couldn't decide between being an artist or a writer in college, so I got a degree in art AND a degree in English in 4 years, and then because a guard at MIA for a while, which was an excellent place for an art education. Then I got a couple teaching licenses and then a MA, and then more credentials and stuff.  I like learning. Maybe that's why I'm a teacher...

And maybe this little blog is filling that writer's itch....

Anyway, this fellow will be with me next Saturday! Unless it sells before then!

9x3 acrylic on canvas

$60

click here for purchase info!

Dec 9, Another Commission!

 Yes, it is that time, a time of painting, a time of cosily gazing out windows at the steely sky as I push color around~ I love it! And I had a beautiful pack of people join me in my studio on Thursday evening for a Paint Your Pet class and we all had fun! I think we did anyway... at least, everyone left with their paintings and smiles on their faces, and there are two more chances to paint with me coming up! One is next Tuesday the 19th from 3-5:30 and the last one this year is Wednesday Dec 27th from 6-8:30! here's the link to sign up!

This is Lucy, my sweet, kind, generous friend Amy's parents' cat, who used to wait on the dock for them to come back from their kayak trips. She was their last cat, and I really enjoyed painting this one. Not that I don't love painting all my work, but this one, with the eyes, the tortoiseshell coloring, and the wonderful dimensions was a joy.

8x16 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 8, Begging For Yellow

 Every morning when I head outside for my little 20-30 minute run/walk, the moon has been waiting for me. It sits high up to my right as I head out the door, a couple stars accompanying it as it hangs there, in that brilliant white arc... I love the moon. 

Much as this sweet pug loves whatever she's trying to get at up on the cupboard all shiny and yellow...

Max still wants another pug. I just want more pets. We have to wait til we're in the house. Isn't it funny what we end up wanting the most?

12x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info

Dec 7, Deep Into Blue

 It's looking like we may have a brown Christmas this year~ I also am no longer holding my breath that we'll be back in our house by Christmas. At this point, I am hoping we'll be in before the end of January. You can read about our house fire (on Sunday January 8, 2023) in this blog post from February 7th~ warning- it's pretty sad.

BUT we are healing, with so much help from so many people and Pompom is helping a lot~

This otter painting was sent to Artistry for the Gifts in the Gallery Holiday Sale and may still be there! Good luck if you're loving it!

12x6 acrylic on wood

at Artistry!

Dec 6, Another Commission!

 Isn't this an amazing face? When you love critters like I do, you end up slightly falling in love with every one you paint!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 5, 2023 Lil' E

 This was a fun commission to paint, and it sounds like Lil' E was a much loved dog.  It was a largish group of friends who commissioned this one~ it's pretty cool when a group of people works together. I always love that. I think that's why I like teaching too~ because when it goes well, the art room is a cohesive bunch of like-minded people working together. That's why working on puppet shows with Duane and my other puppet friends is so fun too! I can think of many times I was on stage, puppeting some show with a crew around me, and I'd be just grinning my butt off, loving every second of it! Same thing for puppet parades anywhere in the world! A big group of people playing together and all unified in this crazy creative joy!

Anyway, this is Lil E!

You can get your own pet painted too! Here's my Pet Portrait Price List- it'll be updated in January!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 4, Sniffing The Air

 This painting actually sold yesterday, and this isn't the final version, and I didn't get a photo of it yet! Poop!  I have to see if I can contact the person who purchased it and have her send me a photo.... I am just SO professional!

Thank you everyone who came out this weekend to see us!  It was so delightful to be able to talk to and meet so many fantastic people. Even though it was grey and cloudy, it was lively and fresh inside!

and there's still space in this Thursday's  Paint Your Pet class if you're interested!

Today I am grateful for social media and how it keeps me updated on my loved ones' lives even though we don't live near one another~ thank you!

16x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Dec 3, Luna, A Commission!

 And this is Luna! Another commission- and Bec ordered it so she knows its there so I'm not ruining anyone's holiday surprise~ that's the tricky part about painting people's pets and wanting to share them with you all- I don't want to wreck someone's Christmas!

I am SO grateful for the amazing Artist Circle that run the Art at Hidden River show because it was just a fantastic event yesterday!  I count myself incredible lucky to be able to stand with my art all day and meet people and see them SEE my paintings with new eyes~ honestly, it is a gift to any artist to hear what you see when you look at their work. I had such a great day talking to people about my paintings and hearing their thoughts!  I've ordered more postcards too, because SO many went away this weekend! And all the business cards I brought along were taken as well!  I thought I had more than enough! That's the other thing I'm so fortunate about- because a lot of my work ends up being commissions, I don't have the pressure at a show of needing to SELL SELL SELL- the work tends to sell itself. And I LOVE painting it! So it's a total Win Win!

And another little aside-  I'll be updating my Pet Portrait Price List in January because I haven't changed it since 2021- or actually 2020 because of COVID, but prices of everything have gone up and it's time~ my point being if you'd like to get a portrait done for these prices, get on my list now!  I still have space to get commissions completed before Dec 25 if you'd interested!

Wahooo!

8x8 acrylic on panel

Sold!

Dec 2, Emily and Emmitt

 Here's another commission!  I'm heading out momentarily for my day at Art At Hidden River from 9:30-4:30 and I hope you come by if you're in town!  Duane and Max helped me schlep my stuff over and set up last night, because THEY are gonna be at our studio all day today for our Open Studio and the Bizarre Bazaar! That's from noon to 6pm! So lots of art places to get to today, my friends!

I'll be at our studio tomorrow, Sunday from noon to 6 as well, in case you are busy today and can't make it~ I have all my NEWEST paintings with me at Hidden River and things have a tendency to fly off my walls there- last year I had to call Duane to bring me more paintings because I'd sold so many! Here's to hoping we have that much fun again this year!  I think there was a lot more snow last year too...

And if you are hoping for a commission for the holidays, get your photos and info to me ASAP and I'll do my best to get them completed!

Oh and I have some room in my Paint Your Pet classes too! More info HERE!

Can you tell the difference? The bottom one is the final one! A bit more nose definition for the pup to the right, and their eyes feel more THERE to me...

Wahoo!

Dec 1 Galaxy Cat

 Today I am thankful for those people who set up Art Centers and who organize the Art Fairs and Festivals and Events and Exhibitions so that the artists like me have somewhere to show our work and get it out of our studios so we can make MORE! It takes creating things to get better at making them, you know! And creating stuff is SO good for your brain, and your heart. It does lead to STUFF, though... and that goes back to the STORAGE issue.

So come help out some artists this weekend and see us at Art at Hidden River tomorrow, 9:30-4:30 and at the Bizarre Bazaar at the Ivy Sat AND Sun from noon to 6!!!

This is a COMMISSION!  Isn't it great?  I wasn't sure Chris was serious when he asked for this kitten to be painted in the box as if she were soaring through the Milky Way... but darn it! This was sure fun to paint! I happen to be reading "The Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy" to Max at bedtime lately, so this is a perfect painting for that!

Still time to get your own commissions in!!  Just send me your photos and let me know! here's the price list! It will get updated Jan 1st so catch 2022 prices NOW!

8x8 acrylic on wood

SOLD