Me on Pinterest

It is so neat to find myself on Pinterest!  Every so often, I check to see who has pinned one of my paintings and I came across this.  It's for one of my fabric designs of Lillies of the Valley, one of my favorite flowers, and it makes
me feel all warm and fuzzy to know it is on someone's wish list.

Another View

6" x 6"

Oil on wood panel

Brass Scissors on Patchwork II

Here is the other version of the brass scissors painted in oils completed about ten days ago.  I was encouraged by the gray version and decided to paint them again.  

When not to listen to myself...

Scissors on Patchwork

Watercolor on

8" x 8" Clayboard

Repeating this one in watercolor so soon after painting it in oils left me unimpressed.  It's hard to compete with the richness of color of the oils.  But I did have this sample of Clayboard by Ampersand that I wanted to try and do find it interesting.  For example it is easy to wipe back to pick out highlights that were lost.  But that does make it a bit tricky to keep it from getting muddy.  But all the while my conscious brain is saying I'm not enthralled my

subconscious is saying "I wonder if I have more of these boards to keep playing?".

I haven't priced this one simply because I'm not sure what my framing options will be.  For example, I've read about varnished watercolors but I haven't explored this possibility and now would be the time to try it since it's on clayboard.  This means framing without glass which is another benefit.  If anyone has experience with varnishing watercolors, I'd love to hear about it.

Happy Easter!

This was painted last Spring of 2012.  Not wanting to miss out on this year's

early Spring flowers, I've been photographing all the lovely Easter flowers that are around.  Happy Spring and Happy Easter to all of you.

Brass Scissors on Gray Fabric

Brass Scissors on Gray Fabric

6" x 6" Oil on wood

My favorite hand crafted scissors.  I posted a photo of a painting completed last month on a more colorful background but this time the gray background

enhances the brass.  Fun to paint but I really should do a grouping soon.

Side note:  I literally cringed when I posted this title but I figure it would take me forever to come up with something clever so I decided to just get on with it!

Working in a Series

6" x 6" oil on wood

$80

Scissors and Thread

I wanted to call this one "Needle Pulling Thread" but I hadn't painted a needle.  I am tortured by coming up with titles!  I painted a smaller version of this one last year (5" x 5") but wanted to do a series of three that had to do with sewing, so I'm using this one again.  Inspired by my hand made brass scissors, (will post that one later this week), I prepared three panels for this 

theme.  I'll likely do more for this series as one thing leads to another and I have ideas that I'd like to follow through on.

Waiting for Spring

Waiting for Spring

6" x 6" on wood panel

I think that expression says it all.  I thought painting a tabby with the distinctive marking would be harder than a long hair cat where you can let

the paint flow off the brush.  But this one came together fairly quickly.  I may

still tweak this one a bit more (my insecurity is showing). 

Pink Dahlias

Maybe it's that we changed our time this weekend (losing an hour...sigh) but I am thinking Spring, gardening, flowers, etc. and came across this painting that I did in June of 2011.  I had my fill of painting them then but I'm so ready to
paint anything floral again.  I hear that we're going to have a significant snowfall this coming week so maybe I'll start prepping canvases and go to my happy place : > ).

Revisiting

Generally there are so many photos to be inspired by, that I don't often do repeats but this painting was one of the first few I did when I started these small formats.  I was curious to see how it would compare to the first one done about a year and a half ago.  I didn't strive to make it different from the first.  This is simply how I painted it now within my comfort zone.  And lo and behold, it is significantly different.  I have adopted this more painterly approach after almost 100 small format paintings and am pleased to have evolved.  This was the point after all.

An Artist's Cat

This is Zoe.  She came to us last July through a local rescue organization and although she seemed to adjust quite quickly, I can truly say she is ours now.  We know her well after these eight months and she is quite comfortable being around us.  The photo I used for the painting may not have been the best to use as her eyes (which is what drew me to her in the first place) seem unnaturally wide.  But I know this won't be the only portrait I will ever do of her so I'll just move on. 

Channelling Spring

Pink Tulips

6" x 8" Oil on Canvas Board

$90 (framed)

I painted tulips while it looked like this outside.... 

I have a cheery yellow frame with linen liner to go with this painting and is included in the price.  Can't wait to do more.  I'm not sure if tulips suit my painting style or vice versa but they are a joy to paint.

Color combinations...

As I'm writing this, a chickadee just landed on the feeder outside my window,
re-inforcing the Spring theme for me this morning.  I love pinks and oranges so this painting was more about the color combination than the tulips themselves.  In the background is a painting started yesterday of one of our
newer cats (Zoe).  She has the widest, roundest, clearest eyes of any cat we've ever owned.   I'll post these as they're finished.

Re-arranging the studio space....

and found these in a drawer, looking up at me as if to say, "where have you been?"  At the moment I've been working mostly in oils but these two faces were done in acrylic on watercolor paper.  Somehow I'm going to make time to do more.  I had fun working with a mixed media approach, creating interesting backgrounds and working in layers.  These early months of a new year are great for experimenting and playing and if I'm really enjoying myself, some of the discoveries become part of my body of work for the rest of the year

My new interest.....

Enamel on Copper

5" x 5" 

I was going to say passion but it may be a tad early to say it with that much conviction.  Having familiarized myself with glass work and using a torch and kiln to create glass beads, put me in a good position to try my hand at enamelling.  I have experimented with small pieces to use in creating jewelry but this is the first time I have created this size (5" x 5").  I am intrigued and have plans for more.  I love this stage of learning something new.  A sketchpad is always close at hand to plan out ideas (although I seem to come up with great ideas in the shower)   .

Funny anecdote about this piece.  Because I create jewelry out of copper, I needed a small bit to make a clasp and sawed off a piece in the upper right corner.  This was before I decided to try my hand at an art piece.  When the
time came to look through my stash of copper sheets, I chastised myself for
hastily using a perfect 5" square sheet when I could have easily found something in my discard pile.  And that's when the idea came to me to add an embellishment and interest to the piece.  At first it was going to be a little copper bird but I decided on making a leaf. It is not yet fired in place but soon will be and I am now planning to do this to others as soon as I purchase my new kiln.  It does look like this could become a new "passion".........  .

My other favorite thing....

Scissors on Patchwork

6" x 6" Oil on Wood Cradled Panel

$80

Late last summer I drove to Kennebunkport, Maine and spotted these scissors in a little home decor boutique that was about to close down.  I only bought the one pair but now I wish I had bought several.  I enjoy sewing but I enjoy fabric shopping even more.  These scissors just called out to be painted as I walked past my sewing machine and enjoyed the look of the brass against the patterns of the fabric.  I'm sure they will make their way into more paintings in the near future. 

A new year and a new painting...

Daisy

9" x 12" Watercolor

$125

We are well into January already!  Those first weeks after Christmas I use to

delve into more new books, thumb through the magazines I didn't have time for before, plan new projects, dream my way through Pinterest (I love Pinterest), but all of a sudden I wake from this reverie and realize it's time to create!

Last year at this time I was just beginning to learn Adobe Illustrator and use more of my digital drawing apps (there are so many!).  Well I put my new found skills to good use and created fabrics from my sketches.  That was exciting and probably the hilite for me for 2012.  I have started to lay a foundation for textile designs and want to learn more, so I will be creating more fabrics for 2013.

But after all this I realize what I was missing were my paints and brushes.  I'm even thinking this image above may end up being printed on some cotton sateen!

Hello to a New Year!

My last post of 2012....

Thank you for your kind words and for new friendships.

I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year.

Farewell to Christmas 2012

This is my Christmas montage....from store windows in New York to our very own Main Street, the warmth of a kitchen in a baking frenzy and a single tree in our backyard at twilight.  It all goes by so fast!  Until next year.....

End of Another Year

I had a few really good Aha! moments this year, and I hope to keep the momentum up in the year ahead.  I'm just approaching my 100th small format painting!  I selected a few of these in my first ever 2013 Calendar available in my Etsy shop.

Picture Perfect Pets

It's funny, I never set out to paint cats in particular.  But they languish and pose so beautifully, how could I not?  Just a few of the cats I painted this year....with more to come judging from the growing collection of photos I've been sorting through.

Art to Stitch

...and this is why I haven't been posting paintings lately.  The art to fabric project I've been working on has kept me busy especially as Christmas approached.  Taking sketches of local places (beautiful Hudson on the Lake of Two Mountains), I created a "toile" design for fabric and have been happily sewing these into pillows.  The second image is of some teacups and florals

inspired by a favorite tearoom/florist here in town (Mademoiselle Clifford).

The design was adjusted here to reflect the favorite colors of two little misses by the names of Madeleine and Lily who are in to fuschia and purple and Alice in Wonderland.  I have so many ideas for the new year using these fabrics!

Ragdoll Trio

I do miss blogging at this time of year.  It gets so busy... but for good reason. Inspite of three power outages in three days, I managed to finish this trio of paintings.  My favorite is the one on the far right.  Long hair cats are a bit of a challenge and I am constantly switching between "brights" and chisel edge brushes. Delivery is tomorrow and then it's Christmas!

Ragdolls

No, not a mistake....the title is correct.  This is the first of a trio of "ragdoll" cats that I have painted this week.  I hadn't heard of this type of cat until recently.  Distinguishing features are their beautiful fur and blue eyes.

This one is 95% finished.

Ruby

6" x 6" x 1.5" Oil on Wood Panel

Commission

December 1st!!!

I worked on some new sketches to add to my fabric project.  I will likely add more new dog breeds like Yorkies and Dachsunds.  The ones you see here are
from the top, German Pointer, lower left, a Nova Scotia Duck Toller Retriever,
and a Boxer.

I can never get over how quickly time flies once November is over!.  It's already too late to add to my Etsy shop and shipping will be hard to predict.
Luckily my project is a local one and is doing well with more new plans for it in 2013.

This morning I prepped three new 6" x 6"'s too so I will start my day tomorrow by working on these oils...a commission to paint three beautiful
Ragdoll cats.  This is a breed I had only recently became aware of.  All Ragdoll
cats have blue eyes and beautiful long hair so they will be a pleasure to paint.

So I have dogs to sketch and cats to paint!.....and Christmas presents to shop for, baking to do, wrapping gifts, cards to wri.............

And as time is flying...I have added a link to my 2013 Calendar available in
my Etsy shop.  It is at the top of the list of links to the left.

Switching Gears

Well it has been a busy month and now it's time to switch gears.  This past month was sort of an official outing of my Sketchbook project which was exciting.  The response was terrific and many pillows were sold.  The potential
for expanding on this idea is established.  I am starting to miss the painting of the small formats though so I will be prepping sketches for that this week.

Pumpkin Times Two

When painting smaller formats, I rarely stray from the 6" x 6" size but thought I'd repeat this subject at 8" x 8" size on a deep stretched canvas this time.  I have one more 11" x 14" I'd like to do with pumpkins as the theme before I move on to other subjects.  I am enamoured of the colour orange these days.  Both are available on my Etsy site.

Would you prefer tea?

In addition to the calendar I prepared using sketches from my home town, I created more sketches with a tea theme to use in our local tearoom.  This worked very well as fabric for pillow panels and I'll also (eventually) make a repeat pattern to use on fabric which can be bought by the meter (or yard if you're in the U.S.)  Can you tell I'm having fun!?

....and now I'm thinking why not coffee?

Soon to be available on Etsy, details to follow.

Pumpkin Time

Fall Harvest

Oil on wood cradled panel

6" x 6" x 1.5"

$80.00

Okay, I'm getting my orange fix satisfied this month by painting pumpkins.  This little size was just to whet my appetite for a larger format.  I look outside and the yard is ablaze with golden leaves and the pumpkins on my front porch are being nibbled on by squirrels.  It's a good thing I've taken all my reference photos already!  

I thought the corn would be the most difficult but the corn husks were the real challenge.  There is a lot of color in these.  Everything from cadmium oranges to purples and corals and the color reflected from the kernels. But that's okay...I want to do it all over again!

2013 Calendar

2013 Calendar

5" x 7"

$20.00

I'm never one to get anything done ahead of time, but this was one project that I was too excited about!  I will have this 2013 calendar featuring a sampler of my daily paintings in my Etsy shop.  I love how it turned out.   Printed at 5" x 7" on satin finish card stock, the images can be framed when the month is over.

It's Fall and I Love It!

Fall means so many good things.  Apples and pumpkins and falling leaves and all those wonderful colors.  I took this image last year at this time and was longing to paint it and was just able to get around to it this past week just in time for the once a year studio tour (happening right now!).  This one is my favourite of the small formats.  It has the type of brush stroke I've been trying to acquire.

Apples on Blue

6" X 10" stretched canvas

$120

Getting Ahead

Here is a preview of my latest project!  The 2013 calendar will have a sampling of the "daily" paintings I've been working on, printed on a beautiful satin finish cardstock at 5" x 7".  The photo above shows the images displayed side by side but I will post more photos of the actual calendar soon.

The original March and October paintings are still available at $90 for October and $75 for March.

Available here, payable through Paypal or through my Etsy shop. (soon to be added).  The calendar will be $20 plus shipping.

Bowl full of cherries....

Cherries on Blue Cloth

6" x 6" x 1.5" Oil on Wood 

Sold

Although the cherries are certainly the subject of this painting, I've had it in mind to introduce more fabrics into my paintings.  I've seen beautifully rendered textures and patterns in oil paintings and I may start taking photos with that in mind.   Always wanted to paint cherries with all their little reflections and the delicious reds...........done!

Hudson Sketchbook 2013 Calendar

I've always wanted to create some calendars with my art work and this one came together as a by product of the fabrics I've been designing from sketches I've done in and around my home town of Hudson on the Lake of Two Mountains (half way between Montreal and Ottawa).  I enjoy the view across the lake as I drive home and am always inspired no matter what season or weather.  I've had this one printed on a cotton twill, finished the edges and added a dowel for hanging.  I'm enjoying this application of art to fabric

tremendously!

The second image below was designed for the Nichoir Bird Rehabilitation centre we have here to help raise funds to build a proper new facility.  Also

printed on cotton twill and finished as the one above.  If interested, please

email me.  The price is $20 plus shipping payable through Paypal and 20% goes

towards the centre.

Touching

I was asked by a friend of my son's to paint this painting from a photograph taken at her friend's wedding a year or so ago.  It was a very busy photograph with people in the background and these photographs are not usually suitable subject matter for oil paintings but I'm always up for a challenge.  The format is small at 6" x 8" but the only way to know whether I could do it was to just get started.

My beginning was pleasant enough and moved along and I was encouraged to continue.  The second photo is at 95% finished and I've decided to let it sit for a day or so but I'm already itching to correct and finish it.  I'd like to make the brushstrokes in the background less busy, lighten the bride's shoulder, finish the mother's hairline and a touch more on the glasses.  I'm so happy with the results so far and grateful to this friend for the opportunity to discover the things which I thought beyond my abilities.

And my title?.......a mother's hand and the gesture speak volumes but especially that I have just discovered that the mother in this image has just recently passed away.

Inspired

These little unassuming birds inspire me.  Last year I had made the necklace in the second photo.  Silver and my handcrafted glass bead dangles from a

copper focal piece that contains a resin filled bezel with a photo of this 

chickadee.  The painting was just completed yesterday.  I think it translated well in both mediums.  Simple enough to be reduced to a tiny size for the jewellery piece and fun to paint the 6" x 6" canvas of this chickadee on a snowy branch.