July 25, Matty

 This face was irresistible! And it's my darling brother's birthday today too! And he's always said the best gift anyone can give him is to take something out of his house- his dream is to be able to wander the world with everything he owns in a backpack... I love him!

Here is the amazing Matty's story, from Gennae!

Sir Mutty, the King of XENWOOD Avenue, passed away a few years ago, but not before he

neurotically burrowed his way into the hearts of many. Never has a dog loved to sleep-in more, wrapped in a duvet, taking up 3/4 of the bed with his 8 pound body, than Mutty. He believed himself to be human royalty, and was thusly treated. He excelled at car rides, lap sits, constant eye goobers, and silly antics that made people laugh. He started out black as the night, and quickly morphed into a silver fox. Well, dog...

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250

click here to nab this one!

July 24, Mabel!

 Here is Mabel!  Another fluffy puppy!  Isn't she something?

Mabel just turned one recently! And I think in this photo she perhaps had a bit of a messy chin, though I cleaned it up a bit in paint... can you see both her eyes?

It is chilly up here in the north lands today! Got down to 50 degrees last night- lucky I have two pugs and a husband to sleep with for warmth!

I hope you are having a fantastic summer wherever you are!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250

click here for purchase info!

July 23 Wallace

 Wallace is Kari's granddog, and she said he gives her this look all the time, especially when he's sitting on her shoes.

I've seen that look before. I'm sure you have too!

And this is the first black lab I've had this year to paint- I love painting black dogs!  Look at all that shine! Isn't he handsome!

8x8 acrylic on wood~

$250

click here to purchase!

July 22, Cooper

 And this is Cooper!  And it's Monday, and everything feels damp in our cabin right now- though it is cool enough to feel chilly... the humidity seems high!

And I have to admit I'm feeling a bit better about the world at the moment too- thank you Joe!

Here's what Arah wrote about her pup, Cooper!

He is our eight-year-old golden doodle. We adopted him two years ago when his owner, my mother-in-law, Mary, passed away from a esophageal cancer. She was living in Albuquerque, but when she got him, she was in Rochester, MN and we helped raise him from a pup. I even taught him how to go downstairs by crawling down them on my belly. He is a 70 pound sweetheart.

8x8 acrylic on wood

being held~

July 21, Penny!

 This is Penny! She is an Aussie-doodle who is the 4th in a family of lovely fluffy dogs, three of whom I've already painted. So Penny is to join the wall of dogs, and here she is!

And here is what Kate wrote about her!

Here's a bit about Penny:

Penny is a miniature aussie-doodle, and is our 3rd dog at home currently, but our 4th doodle. You painted our first beloved, now angel-doodle, in 2010. Penny's portrait will join a wall of portraits of the three paintings that have preceded her. Penny was love at first internet sighting. We were absolutely not in the market for another dog, but I saw her face online when she was about 5 weeks old and something about her spoke to me. Though my husband took his time warming up to her, her silly, loving, smart little personality won him over eventually. She makes us laugh everyday. She keeps up with her big sisters while running around our 15 acres, and truly believes she's a big dog. She shows her love with her tongue, frantically needing to lick us whether we've been gone an hour or a day. And has completed our little fur-family (for now anyway, since I seem to have a bit of a soft-spot for doodles).

I love painting fluff on dogs, it is so erratic and wild, going every which way all over the place, and making sure you've got the right fluff coming out at the right spot... Plus Penny has that wonderful intense gaze, probably because you are eating something she thinks she'd enjoy, and you may as well get it over with and just give her some~

And those little lips too~

Just so much!

15x15 acrylic on wood

being held~

and here's a photo of Penny in Progress!

July 20, Sequoia

Sequoia was an amazing soul whose spririt was as tall as the trees he was named after. He lived in Todmorden, near Halifax in the Calderdale Valley of England, and was a warm and welcoming presence at our friends Alison and Weston's home every time we were there.  Their house is a magical place too, with a swing upstairs and an incredible huge bathroom with high ceilings and a large white and blue porcelain vessel with fish and water plants in it, and beautiful arrangements of artifacts everywhere. They also had a small glassroofed  porch out back with a small garden, and it all felt safe and full and enveloping, with love and humor and acceptance.

I want to go back there soon-

Max, when he was first visiting England at the age of four, kept commenting on how different things were in "our world".  It does seem that way sometimes, though we are all on the same one!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

 

July 18, Dolly!

 Hello DOLLY!

here's what Claire writes about Dolly!

Long time fan of yours and so excited for another year of 30 Dogs in 30 Days! My family has amassed a collection of your dog portraits over the years including Doogan, Linus, and Cecil Huber - my parents’ and sister’s dogs. I am so happy to submit another Huber dog for your consideration for 30 Dogs in 30 Days: Dolly! Dolly is a little 11-month old mystery mutt rescue from Texas who has absolutely stolen our hearts!

As you can probably tell, I come from a dog loving family, but I waited up until my 30th birthday to get a dog of my own! My partner and I adopted Dolly in March 2024 and have been having so much fun ever since. There are so many things we love about Dolly but a couple traits rise to the top: her expressive ears, the way she greets you at the door by dancing around on her tippy toes, her barrel rolls when she gets excited, and the fact that she chases her tail for fun (I’ve never actually seen a dog do that in real life!). She is very protective of her family, but is in the process of learning how to make friends with other dogs and humans. She has found one good friend in my parents’ dog, Linus, who has the patience of a saint to put up with all of Dolly’s high-energy antics! We are so thrilled that Dolly is the newest four-legged addition to our little family!

Thanks for bringing joy into the world through your art - we love all of your work!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

July 18, Nacho!

 Do you know that joke? 

What do you call someone else's corn chips?

Nacho Chips!

Get it?

Well this is Nacho, and Dana sent her to me- she looks a lot bigger than she is, apparantly, because she looks like a Great Dane mix to me! And Dana says she's pretty darn sweet, having stolen their hearts completely~

I'll ask if she'll let me share a video she sent me!

8x8 acrylic on wood

$250

click here to purchase!

July 17, Cricket!

 Good morning!  This is Cricket! She lives in Wisconsin with my friend Rachel, and I love the enthusiasm and that little folded-almost-sticking-out-but-not-quite tongue!

Here's what Rachel said about her!

Cricket is a tiny Boston Terrier. She came to us after having a couple of litters of pups and living with a house full of dogs. Her name fits her as she is often hopping from one place to another, constantly exploring (except when napping) Her tongue is quite remarkable and gave the vet pause with its length. It was clearly meant for a much larger dog but she embraces it and flaunts it. She fits right into our little family and is the sidekick to Phyllis the Frenchie. They are reminiscent of Spike and Chester from cartoon fame!

Wahoooo!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 17, Zeppelin!

 Okay, who wouldn't want to paint a dog with that name?! Let alone with that FACE!

Here's what Kendyl says about her!

That little nugget is named Zeppelin. She’s named after one of my favorite bands and the Zeppelin Blimp because she’s thicker than a snickers. I got her during COVID so I was working home at the same.. which resulted in both of us have major separation anxiety being away from each other so she’s my other half.

I mean, LOOK at that SMILE!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

July 15, Alice for JennyLynn

 Alice's owner, JennyLynn, says this about this sweet creature~

This is Little Alice! She is my seventh dog and by far the most loving snuggly, adorable pup out of the bunch. She was found roaming, scared with no identification. I took her in with hopes of finding a loving home for her. After two weeks of hiding in a kennel, she finally came out to greet me. I put her in my lap and massaged her, letting her know she could trust me. Two weeks later, I found her a new home with another Chihuahua. The day she was to leave I just could not let her go. By then she was cuddling with me at night, glued to me like a magnet. I do believe she is an angel. She was and is just what I need. I look into her eyes and can see so much love, more than I have ever seen before. I hope my little girl stays with me for a very long time.🌹 

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 14, Momo Honeybuns!

 So yesterday was the St Kate's Art Fair, and it was just a crazy weather day all around! I'm so glad it was a one day show- because we are now up at Camp Mishawaka, and I'm realising how much stuff I forgot to bring along! Dang- I mean, it's not like we're in the middle of nowhere or anything, but this was a very full week, leading up to an intense Art Fair day, where I'm "on" all day long, chatting and smiling, and trying not to look like I'm worried about the torrential downpour or the lightning and thunder, while standing on an incredibly wet rug with muddy- feeted strangers, myself pretty well covered with mud from my knees down.

Really, people were super nice, and in great moods, and actually looking quite fashionable in their rain gear! So many people were surprised by the weather, having heard it was going to be a rainy morning and then would clear up by the afternoon- having heard that myself, and then continually checking my weather app, I kept seeing that it would be stormy at 1, but sunny by 2, and then by 1:50 it changed to stormy at 2, sunny by 3, and this kept up the entire day. Take-down was a bit damp, and the muddy rug is now splopped on our driveway to wait til we get back to clean up, and the tent and my artwork is all carefully sprawled around my studio...

Anyway, I DID get to meet the amazing Delia along with Becker and their delightful owner Alison!  I painted Delia the other day, and have painted many a rescued pup for Alison!

And I also got to meet the ineffable MOMO HONEYBUNS!! Who showed up with her effervescent owner Marti, and I got some sweet photos of Momo but have actually done her painting from the photo that Marti sent me, because I knew I was traveling today and thought I'd work ahead slightly- and NOW I need to repaint Momo, because this just doesn't do her justice!  But I don't have the time today, settling into camp (and finding out more of the things I forgot to pack- toothpaste, raincoat, towels, to name a few) and getting ready for the week ahead-

So here is the Momo I have ready to post today! And there will be another Momo later this week~

8x8 acrylic on wood

may be up for auction! Stay tuned!

July 13, Audrey

 This is Audrey! Isn't she a stunner? I think it's these straight-in-the-face looks that I love to paint the most, because then the creature is looking right out of the canvas at the viewer and there is a complete connection happening~

I'm still hoping for a story from Cheryl!

And I'll be sitting on the grass at St Kate's today, in St Paul, so if you're out and about and want to check out some absolutely fine art, come on over!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 12, Delia the Delight

 Delia is the rescue pup of Alison, and was rescued from an Amish puppy mill... I don't think of Amish as having puppy mills, but I guess there's a lot I don't know!

Alison lost Jax, her heart dog of years, and then found Delia, who happens to hold a heart on her forehead.

Can you see it?

Alison says she is the sweetest dog she's ever had~ she sure looks like it!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

July 11, Lula!

My friend Maggie rescued Lula in Arizona, and I know she'll have a great story for her!

" Lula is a sweet "baby girl" who has become Maggie's companion. In January of this year she was found near the Tucson Mountains with an injured leg that required surgery. Lula's surgery happened in April. She is now using all four legs on daily walks, making new friends and becoming her whole self in the safety of her new home. Cue the song "I'm every woman" with a switch to "I'm every dog," because: Lula has 11 different breeds in her history. She is "every dog" and she is 100% Lula."

I love this face!

10x10 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

 

July 10, Molly the First Dog!

And so we begin!

I have to admit, Molly's eyes were a bit tricky to get the right feel, because they are blue!  I think most dogs I paint have brown eyes, and it seems I have the skill for getting a dark eye to feel light, and that light colored eyes are trickier to get the depth in them~

I painted Amy's amazing cats for this year's "30 Cats in 30 Days" Project, Sunny and Shady, and here's what she said about the incredible Molly!

Molly is a mini Australian shepherd.  My husband wanted a dog and had not had one since he was a boy on the farm 61 years ago!  When, our cats, Sunny & Shady passed on, I told him he could have a dog!  Needless to say, she’s daddy’s girl… smart, loyal, extremely energetic and lovable! 

I think you can see why I had to paint Molly!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

30 Dogs OFFICIAL LIST for 2024!

St Kate's Art Fair is THIS SATURDAY 10-5!

This is one of my favorite art fairs to attend for many reasons, one being that it is juried and all the artists are ACTUAL working artists who make their stuff and know what they are doing, and some of them are friends of mine which makes it a super fun event!  It is also one of the rare art fairs that is ON GRASS instead of in a parking lot somewhere, and so even tho it may be a warm day, it always feels cooler in the shade on that campus lawn... plus there's ponds right there where you can play with the turtles and ducks, if you are so inclined.

I'm booth number 84 again, and I'll be there all day, and I'll probably be painting a dog for the day if not working on an otter or some other Minnesota mammal!

Speaking of the Dog of the Day! I've got almost all the slots filled for my 30 Dogs Project this year, though of course there is always wiggle room if you want me to paint YOUR dog!  

I'll be painting one dog a day from July 10 to August 8, and then we'll have them all hanging at Diamonds for a month or so, and you can follow along on my instagram (katcorrigan) or my facebook page too, and if you thought your dog was on this list and you don't see it, PLEASE email or call me and tell me!  I make mistakes because I am human!

SO here we go! The Real And True Actual Official List (subject to my swapping things around at my discretion!)~
 

JULY 10- Molly for Amy D

11- Lula for Maggie J

12- Delia for Alison W

13- Audrey for Cheryl WB

14- Momo Honeybuns for Marti S

15- Alice for Cindy R 

16- Zeppelin for Kendyl B

17- Cricket! For Rachel H

18- Nacho for Dana M

19- Dolly for Claire H

20- Sequoia for Alison D

21- Penny for Kate M

22- Cooper for Arah B

23- Wallace for Kari V

24- Mabel for Carol L

25- Fluffy Pup In Blue Sweater for Gennae

26- Hanky Panky for Carey

27- Pearle for Suzanne H

28- Nala for Nicole A

29 Zen for Sam thru Cindy

30- Miss Francie for Mary Sue H

31- Stella for Carol WN

AUGUST 1- Buddy for Debbie S

2- Flurry for Rita B

3- Andy for Wendy K

4-Gigi for Laurie W

5- 

6- Pup for Alaina L

7- Eli for Jimmy

8- Mystery Dog!

And as always, thank you for being a part of my creative community!
If you have any questions, just reply to this email!

July 8, Yes, A Beaver! "Northwoods Builder"

 My son Max took this photo when we bolted through the zoo a few weeks ago- it was rainy and cool and all the animals were out and dancing in the rain and the beavers were more active than I've seen them in a while! 

I loved this photo and did this painting, and those ready-to-go-into-action front paws just tickle me, as does the reflected light on his belly, and the GREENS!  This has been a lovely summer of greens this year!

Oh and I will have him with me at the St Kate's Art Fair THIS SATURDAY!  10-5, in St Paul at the St Kate's Campus in Highland!  Come see my new paintings and new batch of postcards!

10x8 acrylic on wood

$180

click here for purchase info!

NO TAX and FREE SHIPPING!

Happy July 4th! Duckling Rescue #3

 Happy fourth of July to you!  I hope you are enjoying yourself wherever you are- we are kinda loving this rainy day!  I'm not a huge fan of loud fireworks, so I'm appreciating this today, though I am sure our neighbors will be happy to shoot all their unlit fireworks this weekend, when it is't raining!

Though I imagine this little duckling doesn't mind the rain...

6x12 acrylic on wood

$165

tax included!

click here!

July 2, Slender Steps

 Here's another fawn, painted from the photos my sis sent me from her backyard in Duluth... she doesn't live far from Chester Creek and I think the wildlife like her area...

Those angles are such fun to try to get right!  This one is a tall narrow one, I love these unusual sizes!

And I am still looking for dogs, my friends!  Send me your pups! More info HERE!https://katcorrigan.blogspot.com/p/30-dogs-in-30-days-july-2019.html

24x8 acrylic on canvas

$385

tax is included!

click here to nab this one!

June 29th, A Little Deer

 Yes, I do love to paint everyday. And it helps to have something to paint!  And that is exactly why I love doing my "30 In 30" Daily Painting projects, because I KNOW what I'll be painting every day- makes it so great and easy, well, not EASY, but it makes the process so much more smooth because I have everything set up and I know what I'm going to be doing.

And so, I also love it when things like this happen, when my sister Colleen sends me many photos of the fawns hanging out in her backyard, and I am hooked on the images and shapes of them, and so I HAVE to paint them!  Just like the ducklings!  Not done with those either!

So here's a little deer~

It's for sale on my dailypaintworks website!

18x14 acrylic on canvas

$504

Tax included on this one!

Click here to buy!

June 28, Duckling Rescue #2

 I had a GREAT birthday, thank you everyone for all the wonderful wishes!!!  That is one beautiful thing about this connected world of ours- you can snap off a sweet note with not a lot of effort and really make a day!

This is another Duckling rescue painting~

And I'm still looking for dogs! My page with info is HERE! SO many of you sent me incredible photos on my birthday note!!!  And I want MORE! It's gonna be hard to decide with so many amazing faces- wow. Good dog!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$165

click here for purchase info!

June 26, It's My BIRTHDAY! And I'd like your DOGS!

Hi there!
yes, it's my birthday, and I'm not shy about saying I think it's a big deal and I like celebrating it and having people over and having songs sung to me and all that, though I can't eat cake unless it's gluten free so I might opt for potatoe chips instead!

SO if you're trying to figure out what might be a nice thing to send me, just SEND ME YOUR DOG PHOTOS!!

That's all I need!

 

Painting Victor 30 Dogs 2014

I was looking through my youtube channel to show my summer camp kids some videos of how I paint, because I wanted to show them how to use their brushes and not make big piles of paint... more on that in other posts!

And I just thought this was a kind of fun fast video showing how I paint!  I thought it was fun to watch, as badly edited as it is and all- and you can see just the top of 4 year old Max walking in, and you can see Fatoosh our cat, and beloved Gus the dog as he sits in the chair, watching me paint, and eventually collapses and naps, as I take looonger and loooooonger to paint!

I love seeing those creatures again!

June 17, Scented Atmosphere

 We were able to run to the Minnesota Zoo on Saturday, on our way to pick up mom to drive back up to St Brigit's Church off Dowling for Father Paul Jarvis' Retirement Party, which is a whole 'nother story!

And at the zoo all the critters on the Minnesota Trail were out frolicking in the rain! Well maybe not exactly frolicking but they were so much more out that usual-

This is one of the wolves!

Oh, and DO send me your dog photos!  Thanks everyone who has! Here's more info!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$165

click here for purchase info!

June 15, Pet Painting Class!

We had such a great time on Thursday evening at my studio! Thank you again everyone who came!  It was a hoot, and everyone worked so hard- SO many great pet paintings came out!

Here's all the fantastic pets~ so many expressions!

Isn't this a great group!!!

I love having a full studio!

 

June 11, Buddy, A Commission!

 It's crazy how busy the beginning and end of the school year are!  This is my first official week of break, and it's been lovely!  We also had a terrific housewarming party on Saturday and we are SO grateful for all the amazing people who came, thank you!

And this is one of a few commissions I've been working on- I'm hoping to get to some ME paintings this week!

Buddy

10x10 acrylic on wood

sold

Duckling Rescue!

 So we had an exciting morning on Saturday last weekend, when we found a momma duck quacking early in the morning and realized all her ducklings had fallen into the storm drain! A lovely local policewoman came out and used a special "kit" to rescue the babies- a net and a "no parking" sign, that she used to scoop the babies up and out, and we then gently plopped the babies into our soft-sided wagon and walked them down to Lake Hiawatha, escorted by kind neighbors, and all ten babies made it into the lake!

This is a painting of one of them~

12x6 acrylic on wood

$155

click here for purchase info!

May 15, Mo

I have been working on a few commissions as well as everything else, because that is how I keep my feet steady on this earth~

It's been busy!

Come see me at Art A Whirl this weekend! I'm in Claudia Poser's studio, #394 in the Northrup King Building!  I'll be there Friday from 6 to 8 and Sat from 2 to 7!

I'm planning a couple One-Day Paint-Your-Pet classes in early June, if you're interested!

And here is MO! 

May 5, Happy Mayday! Good Day Sunshine!

My family falls more into the pagan category than any other, or perhaps the religion celebrated by puppets and pageantry. Whatever that one would be- though we have all been baptized into Catholicism, and that's the rhetoric I most closely understand, and those are the prayers I repeat under my breath when I'm hoping hard that something will come true-

So today is our celebration of Mayday, the celebration of spring and the return of the sun! We will all be on the Sun Flotilla as it paddles across Powderhorn Lake, wearing red and blowing conch horns while we bring the sun back to the earth.

It is just so gorgeous here in Minnesota right now! The light through the budding trees is delicate, sparkly, and so luminous you can almost taste it~ after such a dry long winter, to have so much green and moisture is truly a gift.

I had a fantastic painting class yesterday! SO great to spend time in my studio with other painters!

I'll be offering several One-Day Paint-Your-Pet classes coming up in early June, so stay tuned for that and come join me! I'll post that info later this week~

This is a landscape painting I started as a demo~ love that morning sun! On the point in Grand Marais~

 

20x10 acrylic on canvas

$400

click here for purchase info!

April 28, This year's 30 Cats in 30 Days Book is PUBLISHED!

30 Cats in 30 Days 2024 A Daily Painting Project

By Kat Corrigan

April 26, Summer Paintings

 So, I have a lot of paintings in my studio, and planning for an event like this weekends Open Studio/Bizarre Bazaar means I have to decide what paintings I'll be hanging on my walls, and which will stay hidden. It's always an interesting connundrum. Should I hang MORE paintings out, in case one catches someone's eye? Or do you hang fewer works so there's more space between them and they can be seen more easily?

You never know what's going to hit a viewer just right...

And it's so fun when something does!

So come on over to the Ivy this weekend and see what we've got for you! My friend Kelly Newcomer is joining us too! And Duane has some of his wooden birds up too~

This is a painting from last summer up at Camp Mishawaka!

14x7 acrylic on wood

$195

click here to buy!

April 25, Another Otter, for Emma Norton

 Here is another otter I've painted for the Emma Norton Restoring Waters, and my understanding is that the clients get to pick what artwork they want for their space~

Hopefully, they like ducklings and otters....

And we'll be open at the Ivy this weekend for the Bizarre Bazaar!  12-5 each day!  It's supposed to be rainy and wet, so come into the warmth and pick up some cool new art for spring!

Hope to see you!

April 24, An Otter for Art4Shelter

 Here's another little painting for Art4Shelter!  Which is Friday May 3rd! At the Glass House over by the Farmer's Market in Downtown Minneapolis! All 5x7 artworks are $35 and all 8x10s are $75!

And do please come on by this weekend and say Hi at the Ivy Building!  I'll be in my studio, #210 upstairs and the lovely folx of Bizarre Bazaar will be downstairs around the side of the building, and other studios will be open as well as the Vine Arts Gallery and it's new show, InFocus: Injustice in America.

We are open from noon to 5, and I'll have a table set up for you to make your own art creation to donate to Art4Shelter too!

I hope to see you this weekend!

XOXOX

5x7 acrylic on paper

for Art4Shelter!

April 22, Earth Day! And Wood Duckling for Art4Shelter!

 Good morning!

THANK YOU everyone who came to Diamond' yesterday! It was a lovely mob, and I really hadn't thought that many people would come by because it was such a glorious day, so THANK YOU! Thank you Judy and Bella, and Julie and Jeff! And Rosemary and Ihore and Sheryl and Elizabeth and Linda and Joe and John and Lara and Pipi and Bergen! And Linda and Lori and your partners whose names I've forgotten I'm so sorry! I'm sure I've forgotten someone, oh yes Wendy and your lovely two youngster fashionistas! THANK YOU all!!!

Happy Earth Day!

This is that sweet baby duck I've painted a couple times already, and once more for Art4Shelter!

AND we are going to have an OPEN STUDIO this coming weekend, Sat and Sun from noon to 5 for the Bizarre Bazaar! My studio-mates and I will have paintings and glass and jewelry and cards for you, and the lovely bunch downstairs will have WAY more wonderful original unique items that you will NEVER find anywhere else!

We are in Studio #210 at the Ivy Building, 2637 27th Ave S, Minneapolis in the Seward Neighborhood! The Garage Doors directly facing the Greenway on 27th STREET will be open, so you can come upstairs that way, OR we will have our delightful son Max manning the door on the 27th AVE side and you can come up that way, elevator included!

It is always lovely to see you all!

OH And I will ALSO have a TABLE set up for YOU to make some art to donate to ART4SHELTER as well!!!  Come on up and paint or draw something!  I'll have all the materials you'll need including the forms! If you want to make something ahead of time and drop it off for me to take in, bring it along! Here's the Submission Info for you!

5x7 on paper

 going to Art4Shelter!

April 21, 30 Cats 2-4 TODAY and a Mug for Art4Shelter!

It is surprisingly fun to paint mugs!  In class yesterday, I made my poor students paint 4 mugs, each about 8x8 inches, in just over 15 minutes each... how's that for domineering? And they did great work, with the idea that we notice the planes of the shadows...

Art is all about observation. 

As an artist, I am constantly poking myself to make sure I'm paying attention. I try to notice things, like the light on a fender, the glint of blue in a brown eye, a pug puppy's dancing, flopping feet as she trots joyfully down the sidewalk. It's all part of one big painting I haven't done yet!

And today I'll be at Diamonds (1618 Central Ave NE) with the 30 Cats (and One Donkey) that I just completed! I'll be there from 2-4, you can pop by and say hi and see the work, and I totally understand if you find yourself outside in this beautiful weather and can't move from your place!  The work will be up through May 19th, Diamond's is open every day from 7 to 4, and you can always look at all the paintings on my blog here!

5x7 on paper

come to Art4Shelter on May 3rd!!!

April 19, A Large Woodduck Painting...

 I painted this duck for Art To Change The World because I was accepted as one of the artists to create work for the Emma Norton Restoring Waters Home and they asked for four pieces, by May 1st, so I have one more duck and a couple otters to complete. I'll be painting this weekend!

It's also my 30 Cats in 30 Days Celebration at Diamond's this Sunday from 2-4, if you're around and want to pop by!  I'd love to see you!

18x24 acrylic on canvas

teapot for scale!

April 14, A Plum for Art4Shelter!

We had a lovely day yesterday!  For me it started with my Paint Love Class at the Ivy in my studio, and  yes, we painted fruit, and then mugs, to get those brushes and painting muscles warmed back up again...

The fruit we painted on 5x7 paper for Art4Shelter, the Annual Fundraiser for Simpson Housing Services that I usually am way more up on and have painted more work for by now, but this year with packing and moving and unpacking and still setting up the house (I think it will be June before we are closer to "Settled"!) I have had to let a number of things slide.  Art4Shelter is one of those events that you SHOULD for SURE go to!  Especially if you love art and supporting people experiencing homelessness!

April 12, Asher, from 2022

 Here's another commission, from 2022~ I've been a bit too busy to paint the last few days, but I have a Paint Love class starting tomorrow so I'll be painting then for sure!  If you're interested, I do have a few spaces left and you can just come along and I'll set you up with materials for the day! here's the link with more info- $275 for 5 weeks of FUN with ME!

And of course I'm always happy to take on commissions as well!  Send me your critters!  I NEED to paint! 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

Salacious B Crumb!

  Yes, this is NOT a cat.

He is a Kaworkian Monkey-Lizard who acts as Jabba the Hut's court jester in several of the Star Wars movies that I am more familiar with because they came out when I was a kid...

Salacious B Crumb was selected by my 15 year old son as the pet he'd like painted for this month. He thought it was pretty funny to include him, and he was so delighted that he's been helping me wire all this month's 30 paintings with not much complaint!

Here is a link to the Wookipedia Site for our little friend!

April 11, A past Comm!

 This is Kylie, from a year ago- it is weird how our brains kinda shut out bad experiences (or maybe it's just me!) because I have to work to remember things well from last year, after the fire, which is making getting this year's taxes done rather difficult.

I also wanted to make sure an announce here that the 30 Cats in 30 Days Opening Party has been rescheduled to SUNDAY APRIL 21st from 2-4 at Diamonds! In several places I said it is this Sunday, the 14th, but that can't happen, so we are sliding it over to the 21st!

I'll be there with snacks and beverages and postcards and books and of course all the cats! The paintings will be up through May 19th, after which I'll get them down and get them to all of you amazing people who've purchased them.

Wahooo!

Kylie 8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

April 10, Mo!

 Whew!

So I'll take a wee break here, since I have to get all our tax papers in order for our Zoom appointment tomorrow afternoon- man!  Every year I tell myself I'm going to be more organized with this and I'll keep track throughout the year so this isn't such an ordeal, and then I don't do it. Mostly because I don't know how to use a spreadsheet, or how to simply organize the information. Maybe this year...?

This is Mo! Isn't he something? He's a bit of a pup yet, and is the companion of our now retired friend at school, Darryl, and I painted it for him for his retirement party. What a face!

April 7, Estrella for Joe and Charlie

I have painted Estrella a few times- she is an absolutely beautiful cat. Glowing eyes, full thick fluff, long elegant whiskers, what more could I ask for?

And I omitted the date of April 5th when I made my initial Official List... I wonder why no one else noticed that? Which means that tomorrow, Cranky Toph, is actually my last cat!  I do have a special request though, so there will likely be one more creature...

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for

 

April 6, Clark and Cleo

And this one took me a little longer too! I was a little afraid of it, with the darker shadows and bright lights, I wasn't sure I could get the back kitty to read well, and I'm thinking I did it!

There were a number of photos to pick from, but there is something so sweet about how they are lying together in this one- I love that Cleo's eye is juuuuuust slightly and slyly open....

Here's what Lori wrote about the pair~

They were littermates and were together for 18 years until our orange boy Clark passed away last April. We took lots of pix of them but this is one of my faves as it shows how much they loved each other! Cleo is still with us and hasn't lost her "tortitude" but she is withering away due to old age and the heartbreak of losing her bro.

6x12 acrylic on wood

sold

 

April 5, Beatrice

 My friend Cami is an irrerpressible optimist who is also a professional nanny and has lived and loved many children to adulthood. She is also an artist and one of my early art group buddies, and she sent me Beatrice to paint and I love something about Beatrice's glowing eyes and mixed grays and browns and that mysterious little chunk missing from her ear...

There's got to be a story here!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$150

click here for purchase info!

April 4, Sherlock for Bill!

Sorry this is SOOOO late!!!  I did get it started this morning, but I've been at an art teacher convention all day! I'm sure that puts a great image in your mind, doesn't it? The downtown Minneapolis Convention Center full of art teachers!  It was SUPER fun!  The main speaker this morning was Cartoonist/Writer/Teacher Lynda Barry who was just fantastic!!! SO good!  And I learned SO much and got to talk to all kinds of creative people, and THEN this evening I went to our local library, the Roosevelt Library to see local writer Lorna Landvik speak!!!!  She was SO GREAT!!!

And now I'm posting sweet Sherlock here, who Bill said lived to be nearly twenty, I think... and had some medical issues at the end that made it difficult to leave poor Sherlock alone for very long, which meant he and his wife haven't really had a vacation for a while. Such dedicated pet owners. What a face~

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for

April 3, Pete Wayne

What a gloriously dark cat!  Look at the shine on his fur and the gleam in that eye, and the luxuriously looooooong whiskers!

What a great face!

And here's what Charlotte says about this fella~

"Pete Wayne is a three year old Persian mix who our family just adores!  His special talent is snagging flies out of midair from any vantage point.  My boys named him; they couldn’t decide if he was going to be Pete or Wayne, so he’s Pete Wayne😊

Thank you Kat! You’ve captured him beautifully!"

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

 

April 2, Shorty!

I have to love a cat named Shorty! That sounds like a story in itself- and I believe this creature is also a Bengal cat, which leads to her amazing eyes and coloring-

My goodness! Only 7 cats left, people!

And I hope you can come by the Ivy this Saturday from 3-5 for my Closing Reception of Nature's Gaze~ I am so proud of this work!

Here is a little note Maryam sent me about Shorty, and I'm looking forward to a little longer one!

"Yes, Shorty is pretty special. She doesn’t seem to age!  I do feed her only the best (Royal Canin) and Fancy Feast. As well, living in a home that has 4 flights of stairs means she zips up and down quite often."

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

April 1! Charlotte and Bud! For Linda and Joe!

 Although it might be Bud and Charlotte.... am I being sexist if I think a cat looks more feminine and the other more masculine? I'm assuming Charlotte is the fluffier one, and Bud the darker one with the intense expression. Hmm. Am I wrong?

Yes!  I am wrong!  Bud is the more orangey one!  These two are siblings and Linda and Joe decided to go ahead and adopt them both and they are so pleased that they did. And I had to paint them together on this stool... they weren't placed there, they hopped up there themselves. TOO much!  I also had to paint them larger, and I will easily admit that I started this painting a couple days ago because I knew it would take longer, being a bigger one... and it isn't done yet!  I didn't get to the whiskers this morning!

I'm back to school today after a long busy spring break. I still don't have my clothes unpacked yet, and my jewelry is in little boxes on the floor of the bathroom, and we keep realizing we're missing something.... either packed somewhere else or never made it out of the house after the fire. We were living in the rental for over a year, and now are attempting to start all over again in the house I've owned for 20 years... it's a bit surreal.

I'm also not in love with our memory foam mattress...

14x11 acrylic on wood

spoken for