October 22, Chloee~

This is a completed commission, more to come!  And last night was my last painting class with my Fall group-  I gotta admit, I probably get as much out of teaching these classes as my students do!  When someone comes into a class ready to learn and wanting to try, I am always so impressed by the honesty and uniqueness that comes out!  Everyone has an ability to paint, truly-  you just have to be willing to be a bit vulnerable and understand that it takes some work to find out what you are capable of!
And you can sign up for the next session here!

8x10 acrylic on hardboard panel, sold!

October 20, Crunchy

Here is another leaf~  a few more out there!  Send me your mugs, people!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 19, Empty Green Mug and CALL FOR MUG SHOTS!

Don't worry!  There's a few more leaves up my sleeve!  Just had to paint a mug here because I need to send out a call for mug and coffee cup and tea cup paintings!  I am having a show at Diamond's Coffee Shoppe from November 3 to January 4th of ALL MUGS!  Send me your paintings!
I have more info HERE so check it out and pass it on and get your mugs to me NOW!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to purchase!

October 18, "Crinkle Leaf"

Does your smoke detector go off when you turn on your heat for the first time of the season?  Still loving the leaves!  And I'm noticing the light coming into our house again, that time of year when the light comes low and bright-  washing dishes in the afternoon can be blinding!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 17, "Squinting"

So here is a dog, instead of a leaf!  They've been loving sitting out on the back steps in the sunshine, our dogs.  Must be a basking kind of thing-

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 16, Fallen

It is amazing when you think of all the people you've met in your life who've touched you without even realizing it.  You know, the guy in the toyota who sees you wanting to cross the street and who stops at the crosswalk so you and the dog can go...  and the woman in the wrap behind you on 94 who easily lets you in to the merge, you give a wave and a short quick thank you prayer...
and all those people you live with at points in your life- your family, your classmates, your teachers, as you move further into your life you have roomates and college friends... I still feel like my best friends happened after school.  And I'd have to say I am one of those nuts who really liked school...
So here's another leaf~

sometimes I'm not very good at transitions!

acrylic on panel, 4.75x7.5 inches, $70 click here to purchase~

October 15, Sugar Maple Leaf #4

Even I have no idea how many of these Sugar Maple Leaves I may be inclined to paint... it is that mystery that draws us artists back.  You have to be comfortable with the thought of not knowing the answer sometimes.  Though if you know me well, you'll know that I am very uncomfortable with new situations and with not being in control of a situation, to the point of extreme anxiety attacks.  Not that I am a control freak, or a helicopter parent (at least, I don't think I'm that bad...  I may hear otherwise after posting this...) but that I feel most confident when I think I know what's going on.  Not that I ever do.  Current post a definite case in point...

This one is a 5x7 because I haven't gessoed all my 6x6 panels yet- and I'm making it a bargain price, if you are interested!

5x7 acrylic on archival panel, $60 click HERE to purchase!

October 14, "Sugar Maple #3"

I've been wanting to paint something on these for a while but couldn't quite figure out what exactly it was that I wanted to paint on such an unusual format...
But, like I said yesterday, I am liking painting leaves much more than I thought!  I had so much fun defining the leaf's skeleton and figuring out how to make it look like it was somewhat lying there, but with some chilly breezes rushing in to lift it off...

4x13 inches, $100 click here to purchase!

October 13, "Yellow Leaf"

It is always fun to paint in series, I think...  you get to know the subject better by looking at it in a number of different ways, you get to practice looking closely at it and seeing it in a different light.  And leaves are such strange things because they are flat but not really. And they are something I would never have thought I would be interested in painting.  Ain't life funny?

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 12, " Sugar Maple Leaf #2"

So I didn't post yesterday because I ended up getting caught up in the glories of the day and trying to catch up on a few commissions that I don't want to post yet because they haven't been delivered to their people!
I have posted the new Painting Lessons Session dates here if you are interested!
Loving these leaves!
The contrast of blue to the warmer tones is really fun to play with~  try it!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 10, "Sugar Maple Leaf #1"

Every year I look closely at the leaves when they fall, and every year I get completely transfixed at the variety of color and depth in them.  You should try painting one too!

Oh and I've got the dates figured out for my next session of Painting Lessons!  Starting Saturday November 7th from 9:30-noon, we'll go for six (or maybe seven) weeks!  Sign up HERE!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase~

October 9, Curious Ears!

 Okay, yes I got a bit too busy yesterday again~ dang it!  I really do hate it when I don't find the time to post!  I am still figuring out the waking-up-at-6-O-clock thing, because I am used to having a couple hours of free time in the morning before I go to work, and honestly, six is hard enough without trying to get up at four... maybe when I get older and develop insomnia or something, but at this point I like sleep too much!
At least I AM painting every day- I have a lot of commissions I am working on at the moment, and I hope that doesn't stop for a while!
Here is another view of my beloved Bingo~  SUCH a shiny dog!  And he's the first one I ever took to obedience training.  Which I think formed a huge bond between us- he was such a good dog!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click HERE to purchase!

October 7, "Ears Alert"

I am just so enjoying this fall weather!  It's a pity most of the leaves are turning color and falling off at the same time...  but the sunshine comes in at that certain slant and the days are lovely and crisp~
This is another one of that wonderful black dog of mine, whose seriously shiny black coat really did teach me about seeing black...

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase~

October 6, "Green Collar"

Wow~  sorry!  Had a bit of a crazy weekend and too many commitments and somehow didn't get any blogging done this weekend!  That SO does not happen!  I apologize to all of you who were expecting and hoping for some bit of color in your inbox!  Dang!
Here is a good old dog for you, my Bingo, the dog who taught me how to paint black.

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 2, Beaner's Sunflowers!

My sister lives in Brisbane at the moment, and I believe these are the sunflowers she raised from mere baby seeds~  and so she's sent the photo to my mom and me (and maybe my other sister too!) to challenge us to paint them so we can see what we all do-  so here is my contribution!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

October 1, "The Diver"

I do love working at painting water... it is abstract and real at the same time.  This is from a photo mom took of Max as he was showing off his diving skills in the Radisson's pool in Duluth when we were up for the Otters Underwater Opening.  He usually doesn't plug his nose, so this was odd but I loved the angle of his elbow and the diagonal line of his entire body underwater, except that bright warm foot kicking up above...

8x10 acrylic on panel, $160 click here to purchase!

September 30, "The Last Rose"

And here's another version of that lovely flower... they really don't last long~
I think I did a better job with the vase on this one, and I'm somewhat in love with the variety of subtle shades on the right side of the vase on the table...  though now I look at it, maybe the grey in the background is a bit flat...

Hmmm~

maybe I'll try auctioning this one~

6x6 acrylic on panel, $25 starting bid, click HERE to participate!

September 29, Mom's Yellow Rose

Mom brought these sweet baby roses up for the brunch on Sunday, and they are slowly fading but still smell gorgeous, so I thought I'd give flowers another try.  I think this one is a bit more successful than the peonies I did a couple months ago...
Hmm. Now that I'm looking at it at a distance, the petals look better!
I've been trying to get work together for the upcoming holiday shows, so stay tuned for all that nonsense coming up very soon!  And if you think you want a commission for someone for Christmas, best get moving on THAT nonsense as well!

6x6 acrylic on panel, $75 click here to purchase!

September 27th, More 10 MInute Paintings!

I thought I'd put up a few more of the paintings I did yesterday morning... of course, I didn't always remember to take a photo of the pieces when I was finished either- and then Max took off with my i-phone so he and his friend could play some dinosaur game on it, so I didn't have my camera....

Maybe you've seen this fella around!

Rosey is a wonderful pom-pom marionette!

Jerry is a VERY LARGE and quite handsome polar bear who took up an entire chair all by himself!

This is an actual dog!

And this bunny was SO realistic, I thought at first glimpse that it was real!

September 26th, The Blessing of the Animals

So we had a very busy morning, with a puppet show by Duane (with assistance from Max and me) at Breck for the Blessing of the Animals, and then my fellow artist and art teacher, Carol Grams and I sat with my fabulous upper school art students and sketched and drew and painted pets and people and stuffed animals for a couple hours!  Ten minute sketches~  funny how great it is to do these for the practice~
It was great!
Here's a couple lovely black dogs!

acrylic on 8x10 black stonehenge

8x10 acrylic on black stonehenge