Wit's End Studio

The Gang of Five and More....

2012-01-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

Once more I find that I am playing catch-up. Weekends get busy around here, and this past one was no exception. I did take some photographs, and write some mini-poems--but I also spent a lot of time getting re-acquainted with my camera, and digging out some of my favorite poetry books. I finished reading Mary Oliver's "Why I Wake Early" and went back to reading the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. I am also working on some illustrations for a small book a friend of mine puts together each year for his friends. The pictures I'm including here were taken over the weekend--we had a lovely weekend weatherwise--a little windy, but sunny.
All of these photos were taken around my home, Wit's End. Above left is one of our cats: Eddie, whose real name is Oedipuss. Eddie follows me around the yard like a puppy! He's a real hoot when I'm trying to work in the garden--he likes to climb on my lap, or curl up in front of me--makes yanking up weeds a little tricky, and there's nothing like having a furry cat on your lap in 90 degree temps!

The next picture, left, is our pond. This view is near the dam. Every spring we have baby ducks and geese on the pond, and a great blue heron stops by every now and then. On the right is one of my favorite spots to sit and relax--the porch of our barn. From here I can see the pond, and a couple of my gardens, and both sunrise and sunset. A good place to sit and think, write, or sometimes even nap! (Cats and dogs enjoy it too!)

The last photo I took as sort of a visual for one of the mini-poems I wrote. I didn't have my telephoto lens, so it's a little hard to tell, but those little black dots are birds--I call them "The Gang of Five." They hang out in that tree every day.

And here are the mini-poems:

Friday, January 27:

High up in the oak

the gang of five--

sparrows--

survey their hood--

the empty feeders,

a moldy, cracked birdbath.

Not even the mockingbird scares them.

They watch squirrels and chipmunks,

look the other way at a fly-by

slaying of a rabbit,

maintain stony silence

when the cat approaches,

then harass a red-tailed hawk

who ventures too close

to their crib.

Saturday, January 28:

I nearly missed it:

coyote on the run,

under the fence,

into the woods.

Safe now.

But who is more frightened?

Tonight, I walk faster,

carry a big stick.

Sunday, January 29

The stray cat, unhappy

to share his meal with the raccoon,

waits impatiently behind the holly,

frowns at me as I watch through the window.

Sorry, little kitty.

Tonight, it's first come,

first served.

Monday, January 30:

January tricks the daffodils

into waking early. Fools the tulips

and forsythia, too.

I warned them not to believe her,

even as I tossed aside my coat,

and turned my face to the sun.

Birds

2012-01-25T22:24:00.000-05:00

I love cardinals. We have a lot of them hanging out in our yard. Last year, a pair of them built a nest in the lilac tree right outside the porch window. The nest was hidden from the outside, but I could clearly see the nest and, eventually, the babies, from inside. I tried to photograph them, but Mama would get upset every time she saw me coming near the window, and since I didn't want to cause problems for the babies, I decided to leave them alone. And then one day I peeked through the window: the birds were gone, the nest abandoned. Ah well...such is life. So today's photo is of a mini-painting I did a few weeks ago.

And the poem for today:

The red-tailed hawk dives from his perch

a kamikaze pilot on a mission.

I can't see his prey--only the rustle of weeds

near the pond's edge. High in the oak

a group of sparrows huddle

their shoulders hunched against the rain

like bystanders who watch an assault and do

nothing.

And now it's off to bed....

Why I Wake Early

2012-01-24T20:15:00.000-05:00

That's the title of a book of poetry by Mary Oliver--one of my favorite poets. So I decided to take that and see what I could come up with for today's mini-poem. I do like to wake early, sit on the back porch and watch the morning unfold. I like staying up late for the same reason. There's a peacefulness in both.

Today's photo was taken on my way home. I pulled off the road, but the little zoom lens on my camera is pretty limited, so the picture is slightly out of focus. I like the way the three silos stood beside each other, in the same area as the lone tree I photographed last week. I got a little creative too, and played with the color. To me it gives the photo an "old" feel. Might make a decent painting too.

And here's my mini-poem:

I wake early, step outside

eyes shrouded with sleep.

The Big Dipper hangs low

and another line of planes

head toward Cinci or St. Louis.

Three cows in silhouette

lumber toward the barn. A heron

screeches overhead, angry

at my intrusion.

A Mouse in the House

2012-01-23T20:43:00.000-05:00

Today's photo is of another 4-legged member of our family: Charlie. Yep, I'm a sucker for those big brown eyes! (Bet you thought I was gonna say a mouse--I'll get to that later....)

I spent the weekend painting, working on a portrait commission. It's not finished yet, but here's a pic of the work in progress. Still need to make adjustments to the eyes, etc. But it's coming along....

And here's the min-poem for today:

There's a mouse on the porch.
He drops clues on the bar--
a trail that leads to his favorite spots.
I should set a trap.
Catch the little thief--
make him pay for his crime.
The death penalty:
harsh sentence for petty theft.

Into the mist...

2012-01-22T12:42:00.000-05:00

Once again, I'm having to catch up with the photos and mini-poems. I guess that is a good thing, as it indicates that I'm busy, right? Or lazy. I have to admit, it's been a lazy weekend. Misty, cold, gloomy--good days to stay in bed or curl up with a good book. I have, however, been busy--painting, mostly, trying to finish a commissioned portrait. Even though I haven't been posting them, I have taken a photo each day and managed to write a few lines that may or may not one day become a longer poem. So the photo on the right is today's photo--my neighbor's barn, surrounded by the morning's mist. And the poem for today:

Mist slinks over the hill

wraps around the magnolia and pin oaks,

a thin shawl against the morning chill.

The next photo on the left is a work-in-progress. A mini painting of two little corgi pups. Not the best photograph, and obviously the painting isn't finished. I'm hoping to finish it today. This is Saturday's photo and below is the poem for Saturday:

Cows low in the distance

Chorus for the train whistle--

Midnight to Georgia

or Hank Williams' restless ghost.

Friday's photograph is of the latest addition to our family: Gracie. Gracie was a little kitten born on the grounds of the correctional facility where I work. Her mom disappeared, and Gracie started hanging out at the warehouse. We fed her, as did the inmates that worked there. For a long time she wouldn't come near anyone, but we managed to coax her into a crate one day, and I brought her home. She's now my studio cat, along with Eddie and another stray, Casper. And here's Friday's poem:

She escaped from prison

an inside job

no one objected

no parole or probation

only freedom.

And finally, the photo for Thursday (below) is of my art student with her self-portrait. It took awhile, but she finally finished it and I'm so proud of her! And to shamelessly promote myself, the paintings on the wall behind her are mine.

And here's the poem for Thursday:

A mockingbird in the flower pot

gives me a nasty look,

as if I have intruded on a private moment--

or caught him up to no good.

Morning Commute

2012-01-18T19:44:00.000-05:00

Today's photo is of something I see almost every day on my way to work--and more often than not, I am right behind it, plugging away at 45 mph, stopping at every stop until we reach the Shelby county line. It's become a challenge to me: if I don't reach a certain intersection by 7:15 a.m., I end up behind that bus. Sometimes I get to the intersection at the same time, and will the traffic light to stay green so I can get ahead. Sometimes I'm lucky, sometimes not so much....

And today's poem: Airplanes line dance across the sky,
                                an odd constellation whose stars break
                                east or west, a curtain of lights
                                parting to reveal the true
                                stars of the night.

Most of these mini-poems are not finished pieces. I plan to use them as starting points for longer pieces, or maybe they won't be used at all. The main purpose is to get me writing and paying attention more to what's going on around me. And hopefully, both endeavors will inspire my painting. One can always hope....

We're Not in Kansas anymore.....

2012-01-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

Weird weather the last couple of days....cold, snow, rain, warm temps, and today: tornadoes! Luckily no problems for us, but others in the area weren't so lucky, as you'll see in today's photo. Most of the roof was blown off this building--I pass it every day on my way to and from work. I hope no one was injured. There were several trees down in that area, too, as well as a kids' playset. The set was flattened, the slide tossed across the road between tree branches. It hasn't been confirmed whether it was a tornado that caused the damage or straight line winds, but at this point, does it matter? I'm sure to those families, the damage is done and hopefully everyone in those homes is safe and sound.

As for today's poem, here it is: Lightning slices the morning sky.
                                                   Leaves skitter across the walk and disappear.
                                                   A cardinal goes airborne. He knows:
                                                   Danger! Danger!

Trees and Petticoats

2012-01-16T20:03:00.001-05:00

Today's photo and poem are about trees. I didn't write the poem as a companion to the photo, it just worked out that way. This tree is located on the bypass I drive every morning to work. For some reason, it fascinates me--maybe because it's alone in the field, and though it's obviously taken a beating, it's still standing tall. One morning when I drove by, the top branches jutted out from a fog bank that hid much of the trunk--and I just loved it. I wish I could have taken a photo, but it was too dark, and I didn't have the right photo equipment with me. But ever since that day, I always look for that tree.

The poem for the day is also about a tree: this one the magnolia in my grandchildren's garden. Just a short observation that I might develop into something longer later on. Enjoy!

January 16: Wind flips up the magnolia's leaves
baring its silver underside like a caberet dancer
flashing her fancy petticoat.

Playing Catch-up

2012-01-16T00:10:00.000-05:00

So...haven't posted in a few days, not because I wasn't taking photos and writing, but because I had a problem getting the photos to upload from my camera. Finally got it--whatever "it" was--working....I think. Anyway, I'm posting a couple of photos and the mini-poems I wrote--and then hopefully I will be back on schedule! Above, left, is the picture for yesterday, and on the right is the pic for today. The cat is a stray cat who's been showing up at our doorstep regularly for the past several months. She, or he, won't let me get close enough to touch, but her timing is impeccable: no matter when I open the door, he/she appears, seemingly out of nowhere. The only way I was able to get a picture was to sneak up to the window beside the door and snap the picture as quickly as possible.

The next photo is Molly, my daughter's Scotty. She was trying to sleep. We call her "evil Molly"--she's very spoiled--but cute!

Here are the mini-poems written over the last three days.

January 12: A black-capped chicadee sits

deep inside the forsythia

near an abandoned hummingbird's nest--

barely visible even without cover of leaves--

while the cat watches

and waits.

January 13: Rain pelts the windows,

streaks down the glass,

puddles in mulch.

A chickadee seeks shelter

beneath the eaves, its feathers

wet, on end

like my hair after a shower.

January 14: Snow skips on the wind

swirls and circles before landing.

The wind whips whitecaps on the pond

reminding me of bleak winter days on the lake

back home.

January 15: I am startled to see

a young fox

poised to strike.

A beagle barks.

The fox retreats

and so do I,

relieved not to witness

a murder.

Hey, I never claimed to be Robert Frost!

Well, that's all for now, folks! Tomorrow I'll be back on schedule and back in the studio. The recent cold weather and snow made me want only to snuggle by the fire with a good book. Or take a nap.

Moonlight, Geese and Gnomes--Oh My!

2012-01-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

Didn't get a chance to post yesterday, so tonight's a two-fer. First, the photographs: the one on the left is my gnome door, in the back yard.  Some of us believe in "wee ones." On the right is a great dane statue we bought several years ago, in memory of our great dane, Daisy.

And the back porch poems for yesterday and today:

January 8, 2012:  Frost on the ground this morning.
                              A lone goose stands watch over the pond--
                              perhaps in search of a place to nest,
                              or a quiet spot to rest.

January 9, 2012: Moonlight masks the green pond scum
                               turns it into a shimmery lake
                              the geese a silent fleet of ships.

Back in the studio tomorrow--still working on the portrait commission!

Introducing Ringo, and another Back Porch Poem

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

So this is Ringo, another member of my family. Ringo was adopted from a shelter a couple of years ago and he is the sweetest dog! He's not too happy right now, as he was trying to sleep and there I was shoving a camera in his face! But he got a treat for his trouble, so that made him a little less annoyed with me. This is photo #7 for the year, and here's the next Back Porch Poem:

January 7, 2012: Moonlight colors the back yard now.
                              The church on the hill stands silent, constant
                              bathed in soft rose.  I close my eyes,
                              breathe deep
                              take in the night.

So that's it folks! 'Night!
.

Photo a Day and Back Porch Poems

2012-01-06T23:44:00.000-05:00

Today's photo is of the Clay Village Baptist church. It sits on the hill overlooking our property. I wish I had the patience to set up the tripod and photograph it at night, because there's something really peaceful and comforting about it then. It seems to glow, catches the setting sun or the light from the full moon. I've spent many a night staring at it from the back porch before I head to bed.

Meanwhile, here are the next two of my Back Porch Poems:

January 5, 2012:   They have names, but I know them only by number.
                                Friendly enough, they smile,
                                wish me a good day, or Merry Christmas.
                                Seems ironic to return the greeting
                                so I just say thanks, walk on
                                recite the training mantra:
                                Inmates are not your friends.

January 6, 2012: Clouds dance beneath the moon
                              their billowy skirts shimmer starlight
                              while the wind hums Claire de Lune.

Six poems, six photographs, 360 to go!

Fire and Water

2012-01-04T21:52:00.000-05:00

Had to build a fire tonight, as I was just too cold. Freezing at work today, cold on the way home and just couldn't warm up, even inside with my heavy fleece shirt and sweats! So glad there's a little warm-up on the way! Today's photo is the beautiful fire!

And the poem for today:

They bark at each other
across the pond

beagle to beagle

dog code warning: Intruder!

deer, coyote, or maybe

the stray cat,

finally come to eat.

Day Four: 4 photos, 4 poems, 362 to go. Stay tuned!

Happy New Year--and Two New Projects!

2012-01-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and my wish for you is a happy and healthy 2012. I have resolved not to make any new year resolutions, since they usually fall by the wayside by Valentine's Day--sometimes even sooner. I am, however, going to undertake two major projects, which I hope will rekindle my photography interests as well as my writing, with the added benefit of keeping the creative juices flowing regarding my painting and jewelry making as well.

The photo project is not very original: a photo a day for the entire year. Not of me, because that, in my humble opinion, would get boring pretty quick. I will be photographing something or someone in my life each day--could be anything, whatever appeals to me at the moment. The photo above, left, was taken January 1. I think it's appropriate: while cleaning out my desk, I found a blank poetry journal, which I intend to put to use. The photo on the right was taken January 2. That's one of my dogs: Tony. And for today, January 3, I took this:

It's the picnic table that overlooks our pond. I spend a lot of time sitting there, watching and thinking. In warmer weather, it's a great place to write.

The second project is to write a short poem, I guess you'd call it a micro -poem, every day, also for the entire year. I'm thinking of calling these my Back Porch Poems. I like to sit on the back porch and watch what goes on outside the windows: the neighbor's dogs, the various birds that nest around our yard, my gardens. The yard teems with action, and there should be plenty of triggers for a short poem, which may ultimately expand into a longer one or maybe a short story. Sometimes the poems may overlap with the photo of the day, but that isn't necessary for either project. At the end of the year, I might combine the two.  We'll see. So here are the mini-poems for the first three days of January:

January 1: Framed in glass, my daughters chase their dad
                    on a sandy beach, their smiles wide as the sea
                    behind them. Stark contrast
                    to this bitter, blustery day.

January 2: First snow of the year.
                    The stray cat's food sugared
                    with glittery flakes.
                    Not a pawprint in sight.


January 3: Moonset in Clay Village. 5 a.m.
                    The church steeple pink and somber against a navy dawn.
                    White light bobbing past--a lone farmer up early to feed his cows.

Meanwhile, I am still painting, working on a portrait commission (humans, this time, not pets) and creating new jewelry, as I managed to sell nearly everything I'd made before Christmas. Yay! Will post progress photos soon.

So there you have it. Three photos. Three mini-poems. 362 more to go. Oh wait, isn't this Leap Year???

When it Rains....

2011-11-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone out in Cyberspace had a nice, safe Thanksgiving. I did. Beautiful weather, which made for a perfect Jingle Walk with my daughter and her husband yesterday. Got to visit some really cool shops in New Albany, Indiana, and tasted some fantastic wine as well!

Last time I wrote, I told you all I had another portrait commission from the gentleman whose Pekingese I painted. Well, since then I've received two more commissions--one for two pet portraits (does that count as one or two commissions if it's from the same client????), and another for a custom-designed pendant. Luckily the portraits are 8 x 10's, so I should be able to get them finished in time for Christmas and the pendant shouldn't be too difficult either. Ha...famous last words. So..after recovering from an evening of wine tasting and yummy pizza, followed by leftover turkey and trimmings today--I actually managed to paint! First, the people portrait: My understanding is that the original color picture was destroyed in a fire, and somehow the client managed to come up with a black and white version, and several smaller photos of his grandparents, which I'll be using to get the correct skin colors and hair colors. The photos I do have to work from are fairly small, so it's difficult to see the eye colors, but the client has been very helpful in filling me in on that information. This is only an 8 x 10, so it's a bit of a challenge for me to fit the subjects in that small a space. I've opted to sacrifice the top of the gentleman's head in order to focus more on facial features. The photograph below shows my first pass with putting color on the canvas. Everything needs adjusting at this point. Lots of work ahead!

The next photograph shows the pet portrait in progress. The client provided some wonderful reference material, and again, this is just the first pass on the canvas--so I'll be posting both paintings as they progress. This piece is 8 x 10 also.

Some of you might wonder why I'm doing 8 x 10 portraits, when it would be much easier to do the larger ones. Well, portraits are expensive, and if an 8 x 10 is all a client can afford, I will do my best to make it work. Obviously you can't fit too many subjects on an 8 x 10 canvas if you still want detail in the faces, but I'm willing to do what I can! I think it works in this case....hopefully the client will be pleased as well!

So that's what I've been up to this holiday weekend! I'll post photos of the pendant when I get it started...I'm still working out some details and searching for just the right beads. The client was very specific about what she wants and I don't want to disappoint! Stay tuned!

Holiday Creativity Overload!

2011-11-16T21:46:00.000-05:00

So, we're heading into the holiday season and I am already running into creativity overload. I just finished the portrait of those cute little Pekingese, Lucky and Buddy--I have to say, I miss seeing their big brown eyes staring at me from the easel. But, like children, I do have to eventually let them go--and my client was thrilled to finally get the painting in his possession. And, lucky me, he has commissioned another portrait! Yay! I will be posting progress reports on that as soon as I can--hopefully this weekend.

In addition to working on the portrait, I was busy making jewelry for the Trims & Whims show held this past weekend in Shelbyville, KY. It was my first "jewelry only" event--although I did bring promotional material for my portraits. I was very pleased with the event, and made the biggest sales of my short career as a jeweler, and even got another pet portrait commission out of it! All in all, it was a very successful weekend for me. I'm beginning to feel ever more confident about creating jewelry, and look forward to experimenting with different metals and wire techniques over the winter. The necklace on the left is completely handcrafted, including the links. It is made with 18 gauge copper wire. The necklace on the right is also copper, and I made most of the links, with the exception of the small chain links. The earrings are copper and brown jasper.

And, of course, I had to make some Christmas earrings. The first pair are sterling over copper wire with sterling silver ear hooks and Swarovski red beads.

Next, a pair of free form sterling over copper Christmas tree earrings, also with sterling silver ear hooks and red and green beads.

Finally, a pair of copper wire Christmas tree earrings, also with Swarovski red beads. If you'd like to see more of my jewelry creations, visit my Facebook page: Wit's End Studio.

And then, the other night I decided to play around with different links made from copper wire, and the end result was the bracelet below. Again, all the pieces except the beads were handcrafted. I am really having fun, and hope to continue making beautiful jewelry and portraits!

And now, it's back to the studio. I have a lot of work to do before the end of the year. Check back when you can to see what's new at Wit's End Studio!

New Celtic Jewelry!

2011-10-09T20:14:00.000-04:00

Time has sure been flying by here at Wit's End Studio--it's been nearly a month since I posted anything. I've been busy, obviously--creating some new jewelry pieces for two Celtic shows, and continuing to work on the pet portrait commission. First, the jewelry:

The first piece on the left is made of coral fossil beads and copper wire. Next is a Celtic lace bracelet. It is made of sterling over copper wire and green glass beads. I may have posted a photo of the 3rd piece, made with antiqued pewter spacer beads and an antique pewter Celtic "knot" pendant. The 4th piece here is my favorite: made of green glass beads and copper wire, I also created a pair of earrings to match, along with a pair of Irish flag earrings, using Swarovski crystals in the colors of the flag and copper wire.

The final piece (below) can be worn as a kilt pin, or as a brooch. The pin itself is silver-plated, with copper and ivory-colored "wooden" look beads. I'm afraid I was in a hurry when I took some of these photos, so you can't see the small details in the beads. If you're interested in any of these pieces, or would like a custom made piece, just contact me at Sallison@insightbb.com.

The Celtic Fair in Eminence was a blast! Although the weather was a little "iffy" the first day, by afternoon the sun had come out and came out again on Sunday, so it was very pleasant. I had expected to see folks dressed up in kilts and Celtic costumes, but I was surprised at the number of people dressed in various Renaissance outfits, as well. There were even pirates! The food and music was great, especially a group called Mother Grove. Check out their website for some fine traditional and "kilt rock."

This past Thursday I participated in a small art show featuring fellow artists and Ireland/Scotland travelers Mary Yaeger and Sharla McClain, sponsored by the Failte Irish Imports shop in Lexington. The show was held at McCarthy's Irish Pub, also in Lexington. It was well attended and my only regret is that I won't be able to go on this year's trip to Ireland!

So now it's back to the studio. I'm still working on the Pekingese pet portrait, and once that is finished, I'll be concentrating on Christmas (ugh, I can't believe it's just over two months away!)--I've got some great ideas for Christmas jewelry as well as some mini paintings. So check back every now and then so you can get a first look!

Works in Progress....Progress

2011-09-14T22:13:00.000-04:00

Busy week here at Wit's End Studio. Spent most of the day Saturday at the Lifebridge for Animals Mutt Show and Rover Run and had a wonderful time. I saw some of the cutest dogs there--some available for adoption from the Shelby County Animal Shelter, others just hanging out for a good time, and the weather was perfect!

After that, I spent the remainder of the weekend working on the Pekingese commission. I decided to change up the background from the solid blue to a more natural setting--I think it works much better. There is still a lot of work to do before this piece is finished, but I think it's coming along very nicely.

I finished a couple of mini-paintings over the weekend too. They are 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 except for the beautiful blue-eyed kitty on the left--that one is 4 x 4. I enjoyed painting them all, but I think my favorite is the little piggies.

The next event for me is the Celtic Fest in Eminence, Kentucky. I've got to finish up some jewelry pieces and several Irish-themed paintings. I'll be posting pics of all that soon. Meanwhile, back to the easel!

Two WIPs and a Cat!

2011-09-07T22:21:00.000-04:00

Wow...the ol' brushes are really getting a workout these days. I continue to work on the commission of the two Pekingese, concentrating primarily on their eyes. The client wanted the dogs' tails more prominent, so that's what I'm working now. Here's a pic of the Pekingese work-in-progress:

Also on the easel this week are a couple of portraits I plan to donate to the Shelby County No-Kill Mission. The first one is Cheyenne, a beautiful kitten up for adoption at the Shelby County Animal Shelter. Isn't she adorable? Bet she'd be nice and cuddly during these chilly September nights!

And finally, still a work-in-progress, is Woody, also up for adoption at the Shelby County Animal Shelter. I'll post a pic of the completed painting as soon as it's done.

Meanwhile, if you're in Shelbyville this Saturday, September 10, I will be one of the vendors at the Lifebridge Mutt Show and Rover Run at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. Lifebridge is another organization whose mission is to educate young children about being good pet parents. The Mutt Show is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I will be stationed in Floral Hall, and would love for you to stop by and check out more of my work, and enjoy the other events as well! Admission is free!

Art for the Animals

2011-08-29T05:46:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile, but I'm once again participating in the "Art for Shelter Animals" project--a project where you create a portrait of a shelter animal and donate it to the shelter. They can do with it as they wish: give it to whoever adopts that animal, sell it or auction it, and keep the money for the shelter. I also sell some of the portraits, with a portion of the sale donated to the shelter. Since I can't possibly adopt all the shelter animals myself, this is my way of helping them--not much in the grand scale of things, but these days every little bit helps. This painting isn't finished yet, but here's what I have so far: lots of details still to add, but it's close to being finished. I'll post specific information about this cat when the painting is finished.

Meanwhile, I continue to work on the portrait of the 2 Pekingese--and I'm working diligently on my Irish paintings too. Sadly, Martin Driscoll, a painter of Irish scenery, whose work I recently became acquainted with and enjoyed immensely, died last week of pancreatic cancer. Check out his work at the link above--reminds me of my trip to Ireland and how much I want to go back!

What's on the Easel: Pet Portrait WIP Update

2011-08-24T20:05:00.000-04:00

Been working steadily on this pet portrait commission. The client sent me over a dozen photos of the 2 Pekingese, and I've been trying to create a piece that shows both dogs' personalities. I've been playing with the background a bit...not sure this is the one I'll keep. Mostly I worked on Lucky's eyes (the black dog). Buddy's eyes are blocked in but still need quite a bit of detail. I like to get the eyes done first; everything else falls into place more easily after that. I love painting portraits, animal or human, and working with the client to create a piece of art that captures the "essence" of someone very special to them.

I do have to work on some other pieces, though--getting ready for the Celtic Fest in September, in Eminence, Kentucky. There, I'll be showing not only my Irish-themed paintings, but some Celtic themed jewelry as well. For more info, check out their website!

Meanwhile, back to the easel!

WIP -- Pekingese pups!

2011-08-14T18:26:00.000-04:00

Took a break from playing with clay and beads to start this pet portrait of two adorable Pekingese: Buddy and Lucky. I'm using acrylics for this one, and I've just blocked in the images, not worrying too much about details yet. Painting a black dog is very challenging--if you really look at black dogs, they aren't completely black. This dog also has very dark eyes--but we also know, don't we, that black eyes do have color in them--ya just gotta look!

This is just the first pass with color. I'll be adding more details and have asked the client for his input--after all, who knows the dogs better than the owner? I want to make sure the viewer gets a feel for the dogs' personalities. I will be lightening up the background a little, too, so the black dog shows better.

It's good to be back in the studio. I have so many ideas for paintings as well as jewelry--I can't possibly do it all. I need to clone myself--several times!

Check back soon for progress photos and maybe some new jewelry pieces. I've been experimenting with the Millifiori technique with polymer clay. Will post photos soon.

I'm wearing cupcakes!

2011-08-11T22:36:00.000-04:00

The other night I was playing with my new stash of polymer clay, and ended up making these cute little cupcake earrings. Had to remind the hubby that, no, they are not little candies and eating them could be detrimental to his health (in more way than one....but I digress...) For the first time out, I don't think they're too bad, but the important thing is: it was fun! Now I've got all sorts of ideas for other types of jewelry--so check back soon.

One of my co-workers commissioned me the other day to make a bracelet for her niece's birthday. The niece's birthstone is the ruby, but since genuine rubies are expensive, we opted for red wooden and glass beads, and pewter flowers. Because I was enjoying myself so much (and being the generous person I am), I made a pair of earrings to match.

While I was making the cupcakes, I also made some more beads--swirls matching the frosting on the cupcakes, in round shapes. I tried to make milleflora beads, but they didn't quite come out the way I wanted. I went ahead and finished them, and someday maybe I'll use them in something....don't Japanese artists deliberately leave imperfections in their work because nothing in this world is perfect? Works for me!

I had to cancel my attendance at the art show in Somerset, Kentucky this weekend. I have a pet portrait commission that I need to work on, and the deadline is looming. And did I mention I have yardwork to do as well? While I've been playing, the weeds and grass (which is now mostly weeds) have been growing like...well....weeds! Time to put on my "rocket man" pack and spray! Normally I don't like to use chemicals, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm losing the weed war, and I hate to lose--and besides, watching me wander around the yard with a big ol' backpack full of poisonous liquid strapped on, I'm sure, is quite entertaining to the neighbors. Or maybe just plain scary.

Anyway, I'll be posting pics of my pet portrait in progress in a day or so. Stay tuned!

Hey, Mom--can I have an Easy Bake Oven?

2011-08-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

I always wanted one of those Easy Bake ovens....ah well. Now I get to play with the grown-up oven! Yep, tonight I branched out and experimented with making my own polymer clay beads. I wasn't content to make simple one-color beads--nope, I jumped right in and swirled two colors together (well, non-colors, actually--black and white), and made bicones and ovals, not just plain ol' round ones! And here are the results! Not bad for the first time out. I didn't coat these--just baked 'em and sanded them. (Caution! You might want to warn hungry hubbies that the cute little round thingies on the baking sheet are NOT special candies made just for him!) They're very lightweight, and easy to make. I have all sorts of ideas, and I feel like I'm really creating jewelry now! Still working on technique, but definitely making progress.

Good to finally get some rain here, which gave me an excuse to stay inside and play. I'll be starting on the pet portrait commission this weekend, and will post pics of the work in progress, so come back soon!

It's hot--and these earrings are hotter!

2011-08-02T22:25:00.000-04:00

These were fun to make--little swirls of copper hung from copper earring wires--like a little mobile. Very light--you won't even know you're wearing them!

So did that sound like an advertisement? I'm not a very good sales person--my approach is more like "would you like to buy some earrings? Oh. Didn't think so..." and that's it. I've never been very good at promoting myself--as an artist or a writer. I'm still surprised when someone actually says they like what I've done, and even more surprised when they buy something. I'm working on a better approach, but I keep thinking about how I feel when I walk into a store and a salesperson descends on me--and when I say I'm just looking, they shadow me, afraid I'll escape. I prefer to take my time and look--and if I want information or to buy, I'll find the salesperson. And that's how I feel about selling my art. No pressure, just enjoy!

Heading back to the easel tomorrow--I'm still trying to finish up some mini-paintings for the God's House fundraiser on Saturday. Wish me luck--40% of any sales goes to God's House USA.

Lots of Yardwork...and a Pair of Earrings

2011-07-31T21:40:00.000-04:00

I spent the morning working in the yard--cleaning the pool (something that never seems to end till after Labor Day), mowing, and other various chores. Had a brief argument with the pool vacuum head and pole--the head refused to stay attached, and kept disappearing into the deep end of the pool. Found another pole in the barn, and that seemed to work. For now. After a couple of hours doing battle with the pool, I came inside, and created another pair of earrings. I have a bunch of mismatched beads and it seemed a shame not to use them. So I grabbed these and some copper wire and voila!

I will be one of the exhibitors at a fundraiser August 6 at King Pin Lanes in Louisville (the Taylorsville Rd. location), 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., for God's House USA--a non-profit organization that serves as a sort of "Noah's Ark" for women/children in abusive relationships. I will be bringing some of my jewelry and mini-paintings, notecards and maybe a print or two. A percentage of any sales goes towards this worthy cause, so if you're free next Saturday night, come on by and say hello--you might find something nice to take home, too!

I'm still working on setting up my Etsy shop. Look for the "grand opening" announcement soon.

TGIF--and a Celtic Knot Pendant plus Earrings

2011-07-30T01:26:00.000-04:00

So I'm up late, not really enough energy to go down to the studio to paint, but not sleepy enough for bed--so I decided to finish a necklace and earrings I started working on the other night. This one is made with brown jasper stones, antiqued pewter lace beads, and an antiqued pewter Celtic knot pendant. I did a little experimenting--the figure eight links (near the top of the necklace) are made of aluminum wire--which is very flexible, even though I used 18 gauge wire. It might actually be a little too soft--but it was fun playing around with it.

Yesterday I received my John C. Campbell Folk School catalog, and oh how I wish I could attend one or more of their workshops. So much to choose from! I haven't given up hope--I'll be saving my pennies and maybe one day, I'll get to go!

Meanwhile, I've signed up to take an equine photography workshop in August, which I'm very excited about. I love painting horses, and photography is my second love....so what could be better? I'll get to photograph some magnificent horses, and eventually paint them too!

On the painting front, I just received a commission to do another pet portrait--this one of two ultra cute Pekingese. Can't wait to get started, and I'll post WIP photos when I do.

Looks like we might get some rain tonight. It would be great to have a break from this oppressive heat. I was about to do a rain dance!

Always after me Lucky Charms....

2011-07-26T22:05:00.001-04:00

Hahaha...I used to love that commercial for Lucky Charms cereal. So tonight, I was too hot (after spending an hour or so cleaning the pool) to do much, but in keeping with my Celtic themed jewelry, I made these: I call them my "Lucky Charm Earrings." Not sure how lucky they'll be, but I like them and had fun making them. These are green glass beads wrapped in copper wire. The ear hooks, 4-leaf clover and jump rings are also copper.

I really like working with copper--it has a nice warm look to it. I'll be adding a bracelet and necklace soon.

Meanwhile, check out my interview on the EBSQ blog! EBSQ is a really nice website for self-represented artists. They also have wonderful contests and I love their "artist of the week" feature. Lots of wonderful art to look at, too.

The Owl and the Daisy

2011-07-23T19:35:00.002-04:00

I took a break from jewelry making today and worked on a couple of mini-paintings. I finished the little owl that I'd started last week, and then moved on to a daisy. Whenever I see daisies, I am reminded of our beautiful Great Dane, Daisy, who moved on to the Rainbow Bridge several years ago. She was such a big part of our lives, though--just the word "daisy" makes me think of her! Of course, we now have another dane who is just as big a part of our lives: Max. But I digress....here are the completed mini-paintings.

The purple coneflower is an older one--actually, until today, it was the only mini-painting I had left. I'm not a big fan of making small paintings, mostly because it takes way more concentration and is definitely not good for the eyes! But it satisfies my need for "instant gratification" whereas a larger painting takes me so much longer to complete!

The gallery where I show most of my work was HOTHOTHOT today. Even with the a/c in the back and 2 fans running, the temp up front was 90 degrees! Yikes! Not very conducive for creativity, but if you're in town sometime, stop by and take a look at our art: 617 Main St., Shelbyville, KY. Or check out our website, Shelby Artists on Main.

On a side note, earlier this year I got hooked on CMT's Next Country Superstar, and the guy I was rooting for, Matt Mason, won. Here's the video made the night he was announced the winner. Keep an eye out--I think this guy is gonna be a hit!

Tags: CMT's Next Superstar 110 - Finale - After Midnight - Matt Mason, Matt Mason, Matt Mason Videos

Looks like the heat will continue here in Kentucky for a few more days...I hear the swimming pool calling!

Stay cool!

Dragonblood Jasper...not as scary as it sounds!

2011-07-21T23:35:00.000-04:00

I couldn't resist making yet another jewelry set--this one made of dragonblood jasper stones and sterling silver over copper wire celtic swirls. I apologize for the poor lighting. When I'm ready to sell my jewelry I will take better photos. But I was just so pleased with these pieces, I had to share. The beads are a little more green/brown color than they look in the photos, and the bale on the pendant is plastic. I was going to remove it and make one out of wire, but I was afraid I'd damage the stone--but at least the design of the bale matches the design theme of the rest of the set. I think my swirls are becoming more consistent--although I actually prefer the slight variations--I think that's what makes the pieces unique--they certainly don't look like they've been made on a production line.

I'll be taking a little break from jewelry over the weekend--time to get back to slinging paint. And speaking of painting--I will be featured as a Blogger of the Week soon on EBSQ, so be on the lookout for that! As soon as I complete the interview, I'll post a link to the article.

Playing with Copper

2011-07-20T23:04:00.000-04:00

I should have gone to bed early, but I was too excited about playing with the new wire I bought yesterday. So here's what I created tonight: a pair of 18 gauge copper wire flower earrings. I made the earrings, the jump rings and the earring wire. I was a little worried about making the jump rings--it's hard to make perfect circles, even using a mandrel--but I think I did pretty well. I made two pairs of these, just because I liked them so much! I can't wait to try wrapping pendants, or maybe doing a focal piece out of copper. Will post more pics when I do!

Thunder, Lightning...and a Green Glass Necklace

2011-07-19T23:31:00.000-04:00

The heat is excruciating, and now it's raining, so what better way to spend an evening than creating? Whether it's a painting, a necklace, or a poem--each of us has something we like to do to relax--and for me, tonight, anyway, it was making more jewelry. I've noticed over the years that I tend to go in spurts--for awhile I might concentrate on writing. Then I'll move on to painting, or gardening, or reading. It's impossible to do everything, although I'm sure there are people out there who manage to do just that. But me? I tend to dabble, putting all my energy into one form of creativity and then moving on to another. It used to bother me--trying to figure out how to find time to do all the things I love doing--painting, writing, gardening, photography--now making jewelry. I asked a fellow artist awhile back, who is a fantastic writer as well as a visual artist, how she handles the urges to paint one day, write the next--did she feel like she was neglecting one over the other? She told me to "just go with the flow." Whatever creative muse is pushing me at the moment, that's the one to follow, and don't worry about the others. They'll get attention when it's time. And so that's what I do now. If I feel like writing, I write. If the urge to paint is overwhelming, I paint. But I no longer feel guilty. Creative people just need to create, and I no longer feel I have to pick one and stick to it. Maybe I'm not as good at one as I am the other, but does that really matter? I think the point is to create, and be happy doing it.

So...tonight the urge to play with beads was greater, and since it was raining and of course I couldn't work outside--ta da! The result? A new necklace and earrings. This is from a pattern in one of the beading magazines I bought awhile back. I've made two versions: one with turquoise teardrop stones and the other with green glass teardrops. Easy to do. I'm planning to make matching bracelets later. Actually, I made a turquoise set several months ago, which my lovely daughter managed to confiscate. One of the perks of being family, I guess...

I received an order from Fire Mountain Gems today, and can't wait to get started with the new beads and wire. Lots of ideas, which I hope I can follow through on. I'm still learning wire wrapping.

I also bought some copper and galvanized steel wire--I love the warmth of the copper and I just wanted to experiment with the steel wire. Should be interesting!

So here are the two sets of jewelry I made--same pattern, different stones. Unfortunately, the photograph of the green bead necklace isn't as sharp as it needs to be. I need to work on better lighting.

Still working on mini-paintings, and several larger pieces to finish. Peace!

A Pair of Earrings and an Owl

2011-07-17T18:11:00.000-04:00

Copper-colored wire flower
earrings

It's too hot to work outside today (and besides that, I don't feel like it), so I decided to get creative. I'm getting some small pieces ready for a couple of shows coming up in August--will post more specific info when I have it. Here are the earrings I made today. I am still working on consistency with the wire wrapping and twisting, and I'm also teaching myself how to tie Celtic knots--which I plan to incorporate into my jewelry soon. I'm excited about this new venture, and full of ideas. Look for the opening of my Etsy store soon!

Owl
2 x 3 acrylics

Here is the mini-painting I am working on--it's nearly finished. I have several larger pieces in various stages of completion. I'm hoping to finish those soon. Just not enough time for all these creative endeavors!

I also need to get some sample pet portraits finished--I'll be doing a fundraiser in September for Lifebridge for Animals and would like to have some new work to display. Soooo.....back to the easel!

Tea and Lemons, Please

2011-07-10T12:14:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe I've missed the entire month of June! I guess time really does fly when you're having fun, though I can't say I've been having a lot of fun lately. Mostly I've been doing yard work, pulling those darn weeds that never seem to stop growing, even after soaking them in mega weedkiller! Ah well, it's just another challenge for us wannabe gardeners.

The White Teacup
9 x 12
Acrylics on claybord

In addition to my never-ending battle with the weeds, I have managed to do some painting. Not as much as I'd like, but here's the most recent one--just finished a few days ago. This is acrylics on Ampersand claybord.

I've also been working on my jewelry. Finished a couple of pairs of earrings and a necklace. I'm getting ready for a small fundraiser in August, where I'll be debuting my jewelry. Right now most of the pieces are made with inexpensive beads and wire, since I'm still working on design elements, etc. But I will soon make the switch to sterling silver and gemstones, so stay tuned! Here are a few samples:

I'm still learning about twisting wire and playing around with different techniques and design elements, which is why I'm using the inexpensive materials right now. But I'm definitely enjoying this new venue--I've actually made jewelry before, but really hadn't considered selling it. I'm hoping to make my own beads and pendants at some point, too. I guess that's what happens with us creative types--always moving forward and trying new things. That's a good thing, though, isn't it?

Well, it's time to move outside. The weeds are a-calling! Later!

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T19:33:00.004-04:00

Hope it's been a pleasant one for all of you, and I hope everyone took a few minutes to say a prayer of thanks for those who gave their time and lives in service to our country--and that includes the thousands of K-9's who have been used in wartime since WWI, I believe. Many of them didn't make it home either.

It's HOT here, and I've spent most of my weekend mowing. Ugh. But I did manage to squeeze in a little painting time. I finished one mini-painting, started months ago, and worked on a larger piece, also started awhile back. I'm slowly re-motivating myself to write and paint at least for a few minutes a day. Hard to do for someone like me, who wants instant gratification. I'm not a very fast painter, although I am working on that. So here's a pic of the mini-painting. This is a 4 x 4 acrylic.

Mini Kitty

Tomorrow I'll post another painting. Stay tuned!

Here's an interesting site to visit to get your artblog listed:
http://www.getblogs.com/directory/">GetBlogs Blog Directory

Shelbyville Area Writers Attend "Confessions of Working Writers II"

2011-05-29T11:54:00.000-04:00

Shelbyville Area Writers Attend "Confessions of Working Writers II"

Feathers Fly, and TGIF

2011-05-27T19:13:00.001-04:00

I admit it: I need one of those "I brake for anything" bumper stickers. In my haste to get home this afternoon (because it's Friday, and the start of a 3 day weekend) there is one less cardinal winging its merry way through Oldham County. Anxious to get home for the start of my long-anticipated holiday weekend, I drove a tad bit faster than usual. I saw the bird lift off from the ground and try its best to get airborne--and though I slowed down, hoping the little guy would make it, my left front bumper caught him, and in the rearview mirror I saw a flurry of red feathers. And I felt guilty--so much so, that farther down the road, as I came around a sharp curve, I braked for a lone vulture snacking on the dead racoon I'd seen earlier this morning.  He barely glanced at me, ungrateful buzzard. Maybe there's a poem in there somewhere....I'll post it for sure if I ever write it.

Since I'm home relaxing and thoroughly enjoying the start of my 3 day weekend, I spent an hour or so reading through writers' blogs, and found some good advice posted by Laurie Hulse Anderson. Most of it can be applied to painters, too, actually.

1.   Learn to live frugally and don’t get into debt.
2.    Write what you want, not what you think “the market” wants.
3.    Turn off the television.
4.    Don’t major in Creative Writing in college. Chances are it will drain the life out of your creativity.
5.    Never, ever criticize yourself during a first draft.
6.    Have the courage to revise your work.
7.    Read every night before you go to sleep.
8.    Do not pressure yourself by saying "I have to get this published by the time I am 20 (or 30, or 40, or
       80, etc.)
9.    Write the story in your heart.
10. Pay attention to William Faulkner’s wise words. He said “Don’t be ‘a writer.’ Be writing.”

Stormy Weather

2011-05-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

Spent another night listening to the weather radio, watching tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings roll across the bottom of the TV screen, but thankfully, we suffered only a few minutes of heavy rain, thunder and wind--lost a few more tree limbs, and I swear the weeds have grown another 6 inches overnight. While I'm grateful for our luck, my thoughts are still with the town of Joplin, Missouri, and those in Alabama who are still reeling from Mother Nature's recent rampage. I just cannot imagine that kind of destruction, and I hope I never have to see it up close and personal.

I'm looking forward to a long weekend--haven't had one in awhile, and I have plenty to do, yardwise, though I would prefer to be writing and painting. I'm hoping to make time for some of that, but unfortunately, mowing and weeding take priority, assuming the weather cooperates.

Thinking of Memorial Day reminded me of a poem I found some time ago. It was originally attributed to "Anonymous" or sometimes credited to an unknown Native American--but it was actually written by a woman named Mary Elizabeth Frye in 1932. It's called Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep. You can read about it here: Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep. Here's the poem:

Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Different subject: I don't know what's going on with Blogger, but all my Followers have disappeared! Not that I had that many, but I was grateful to have them, and now they're gone. Note to Blogger: Bring back my followers pleeeez!

Hump Day--ugh...

2011-05-25T05:49:00.000-04:00

Up early this morning, heading off to work soon. My computer was running soooooo....sloooooowwww last night. I'm thinking it might be time to trade in the old laptop for a newer, faster model. I bet I could get a whole lot more painting and writing done if I didn't spend an entire evening trying to visit various sites that take forever to upload. I did manage to get to a couple places of interest. Try these: Book of Kells and Coffeehouse for Writers. There are tons more writing and poetry websites, but these two were the most interesting that I landed on last night.

Pulled out a couple of my writing/poetry journals last night and found several promising entries. I think keeping a writing journal is a wonderful idea--write in it without worrying about whether or not anything usable will come from it--you'll be surprised what you'll find later on. Even if it's only a sentence or a phrase--you'll often find yourself thinking "hmmm...I can use that" and off you go! I've got a couple of little gems that might be the jumping off point for a poem or two. Now if only I had time to actually write them.....

Uh....I'm Still Here!

2011-05-22T18:14:00.000-04:00

So apparently the Rapture didn't happen...at least not for me, and I haven't seen any mysterious puddles of clothes anywhere (except those in my laundry room and closet, heh heh) so I'm guessing someone got the date wrong. Guess we'll have to wait till 2012 and see if the Mayans got it right. Meanwhile, I've been surfing the net, perusing various artist blogs, writer blogs, and websites. Lots of interesting stuff out there and it makes me wonder if it's really worth all the effort to set these things up. There are so many blogs and websites, seems to me that unless you've got something really unique, your site will be lost in the bloggers slush pile.

We talked about the benefits of having a blog at the writers' workshop yesterday, and visual artists say the same thing--that, yes, blogs are important venues for writers and artists. But frankly, I just don't have the time to spend hopping from blog to blog, and obviously I have a difficult time keeping my own blog current--I'd be getting a whole lot of writing and painting done if I just stayed off the Internet! And yet, here I am, filling up cyberspace, joining the blogger conga line. Reading other people's blogs is like peeping through a window to get a glimpse of how others' write and paint and think, and realizing that, yeah, we're all basically going through the same thing--wanting to sell, wanting recognition, or maybe just wanting comraderie.

I don't have any paintings to share today--I spent the afternoon mowing and managed to finish just before it rained. Maybe I'll get a chance to write or paint tonight....and I'll try to post whatever I do tomorrow. Stay cool!

It's Sooooo Good to be Back!

2011-05-21T21:18:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time, but I am finally getting back into my studio, and back to writing. I have several paintings in the works that are in various stages of completion. Last week I was able to spend a couple of hours in the studio, and couldn't decide which painting to work on...the portrait of Charlie, my dog, or the Irish landscape scenic, or the purple pansies...too many choices. I opted to work on the Irish landscape, but not enough so you'd notice. I'll post a picture when I've made more progress.

Meanwhile, today I attended a wonderful writing workshop, sponsored by Clear Creek Writers in Shelbyville, KY. "Confessions of Working Writers II" was led by author Annie Jones, with authors Ann Gabhart, Virginia Smith and Sherry Chandler conducting short breakout sessions throughout the day. The keynote speaker was Laura Resnick, who writes science fiction, romance, fantasy and creative non-fiction. It was a wonderful day, well attended, and I left with a new perspective on my budding writing career. Lots to think about, and you may see some changes in this blog, as I try to incorporate some of the things I learned from these talented writers. Here are some links to the writers and the two writers' groups I belong to. I highly recommend you check them out!

Clear Creek Writers
Green River Writers
Annie Jones or Dear Helen Hartman
Laura Resnick, Ann Gabhart, Virginia Smith and Sherry Chandler

Since I am still here on earth, I guess I wasn't raptured, so please check back in a day or so for more updates!

Catch-Up Time

2011-02-05T22:49:00.000-05:00

Been unable to update this site for a couple of months--family illness has kept me out of the studio. It's been a couple of months since I've even picked up a paintbrush, but I'm hoping things will get better soon and I can get back to some sort of routine. The last painting I worked on was a commissioned piece, an oil portrait for a friend's brother and sister-in-law. This painting was quite a challenge for me, as it was done strictly from photographs--several, in fact--and included 3 cats. But I like a challenge and after much maneuvering and discussion with the client, we came up with a composition that pleased everyone.
A couple of years ago I took a jewelry -making workshop with Carolyn Mallin of Fanciful Expressions. Since then I have, occasionally, made a few pieces of jewelry here and there--but because I haven't been able to spend much time painting lately, I started making jewelry again--it's something I can do while I'm fixing dinner, or watching TV and it satisfies my need for "instant gratification." I'm not giving up on painting--but with the current family situation, I really don't have the time to dedicate to the studio. I haven't given much thought to actually selling the jewelry--right now it's just something I'm doing to keep my mind off more serious matters and it comes in handy when I need a gift! So here are a few pics of some of the jewelry I've made--they aren't the best photos, lighting is all wrong, etc. I really like turquoise--it's one of my favorite stones, after amethyst, of course--purple is, after all, my "signature" color.

I'd like to make some pieces using amethyst--I have made a couple of jewelry sets using inexpensive imitation amethyst beads, but I don't want to go overboard with the purple thing. I'm also doing some wire jewelry -- nothing finished yet, but I'll post pictures of those when I can. I may set up a shop on Etsy specifically for my jewelry--will post that info when I do. Meanwhile, belated happy New Year!

Back in the Studio--Finally!

2010-10-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

The blast of cool air that moved in yesterday is a welcome change from the record-breaking temps of September and while I should have taken advantage of the cooler weather and caught up on some gardening, I chose to paint. I am trying to get ready for the Guinness to Haggis Tour Art Show at the Failte Irish Shop in Lexington. The show is one night only--Thursday, October 7, and is also a reunion for those of us from the Lexington area who went on the tour last year. I took tons of photographs, but so far have only managed to complete three paintings. I started the fourth one yesterday, but I'm not sure it'll be finished in time for the show. This is the work in progress: It is a cottage in Bunratty Village, Ireland.

WIP - Bunratty Village, Ireland
16 x 20, Acrylics

Sacred Stone Circle, Isle of Mull, Scotland
16 x 20, Acrylics

This second piece is of the sacred stones on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. I believe this is in Loch Buie. The upper part of the piece is a little washed out because of the lighting in the studio and the camera--I was too lazy to go upstairs and get my good camera, so this was taken with my cell phone. But you get the idea....I'm thinking I should have removed the stone in the far left, but I'll leave it for now. Not enough time to do that before Thursday.

I'm Ba-ack!

2010-09-12T13:03:00.000-04:00

Wow, where does the time go? This summer has flown past, and I'm struggling to catch up. I've been painting, but it seems like there's always something else going on that pulls me away from the studio, so what should only take a couple of weeks to complete, ends up taking months. I love summer, but I'm looking forward to cooler weather, and a chance to hunker down and PAINT, without feeling guilty about the grass growing and weeds taking over the gardens.

Lots of local arts related events coming up. The gallery where I hang my work, Shelby Artists on Main, is gearing up for the big 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, September 25-October 10. I'm also one of three artists who will be doing a one-day show on Thursday evening, October 7, sponsored by Failte Irish Imports in Lexington, featuring artwork created after our trip last year to Ireland and Scotland. For a sneak preview, Shelbyvillians will be able to see the work at the Shelby County Community Theatre on Friday, September 24. The two artists joining me are Sharla McClain and Mary Yaeger.

Ajax
8 x 10 Oil on Canvas

Just completed two pet portraits commissioned by Krysta Manning of Louisville, KY. Beautiful dogs--Luna and Ajax. Luna is the first blue-eyed dog I've painted, but I think I pulled it off.

Luna

8 x 10 Oil on Canvas

And here is what's on the easel now:

Sacred Stones, Isle of Mull, Scotland
16 x 20, Acrylics

This piece isn't finished yet. I am struggling with the greens. Whenever I am working on a piece that involves the color green, it seems I run into trouble. Green is NOT my friend--yet. But I'm not giving up. Till next time...scatter joy!

Catch-Up

2010-06-01T10:44:00.001-04:00

So it's been about two months now since I've blogged here. Time sure does fly! I wish I could say I've spent all this time painting, but unfortunately that is not the case. I have been working on several pieces, but nothing is finished yet.

The question on my mind these days is how to stay motivated to create when there are so many other things screaming for attention. How do you balance the everyday chores with the creative urges that, at least for me, seem to be in constant competition? Do I mow the yard or work on the portrait I started several weeks ago? What about weeding, gardening, cleaning the house? I try to prioritize, but those darn weeds don't seem to get it. It seems I am always struggling to find a balance between what I should be doing versus what I want to be doing. I know I'm not unique in that. I've tried setting a schedule, but something always pops up that isn't in the schedule. So what works for you? Or does anything work?

Well enough griping. Here's a piece I created awhile back. I got the inspiration one day while playing my dulcimer and spotting a painting by E. Hopper. This is a watercolor collage.

Brush Dancing

2010-03-31T12:32:00.006-04:00

What motivates you as a painter? Something you see? Something you feel? Often, for me, it's music. Maybe I'm an actor at heart, but when I'm listening to music, I am immediately transported to some imaginary place and I take on a character specific to the type of music I'm hearing. And sometimes that translates into my painting.

Music has always played an important role in my life. I love it. Everything from classical to jazz, rock and sometimes even rap. And yes, I often start dancing

while I'm painting. The two paintings above resulted from my listening to Jimmy Buffet's "Desperation Samba ( Halloween in Tijuana)." And no, I wasn't drinking margaritas--although one or two might have helped! My point is, there are all sorts of things that can get the creative juices flowing--music, a walk, or maybe just sitting quietly for a moment or two. Whatever works, do it!

Meanwhile, here's what's on the canvas now--I love purple and these flowers in contrast with the white pitcher and lace just screamed "paint me!" Not finished yet, and I'm still working on the portrait of Charlie....but sometimes a little diversion is good for creativity too! This is 8 x 10, in oils, using a reference photograph by Karen Barefoot, Holidaysburg, PA.

Ho Hum...

2010-03-25T22:27:00.000-04:00

Wish I could say I've been too busy to blog because I'm painting, but I haven't touched a paint brush all week. I have, however, been working on revamping my business cards and brochures, and redesigned my website. I didn't change the website significantly--just chose a different template, which gave it a more "sedate" look, hopefully drawing more attention to the paintings themselves. I've been reading a lot about artists' blogs, and optimizing search engines, etc. Some of it is still pretty foreign to me, but I'm giving it all a try. At least I'll be able to say I gave it my best.

I've been invited to display some of my work at a home decor show next month, which I'm excited about. I need to decide which pieces to use. I'll post more info about the show when I get it. This is another reason why I'm updating things--placing the focus more on my portrait art.

So what's on the easel these days? Still working on Charlie's portrait. I won't post another picture since it hasn't changed all that much since I posted the last photograph. Tomorrow I'll be sitting the gallery all day, so I should have time to work on it. Maybe even finish it!

Back in the Studio

2010-03-17T00:29:00.000-04:00

Wow! Last week was exceptionally busy, culminating in a three-day portrait painting workshop with Cincinnati artist Carin Hebenstreit and her husband, Bob. Carin teaches the old masters style of portrait painting, which was a completely new style for me. I was amazed with what I was able to accomplish in just three days. Since I wanted to experience the full benefit of the workshop, I chose to paint a copy of Vermeer's "Milkmaid." I wish I'd thought to photograph the painting in stages. But here's the nearly complete painting. I plan on finishing it and hanging it here at home. The photograph doesn't really do it justice, as I forgot to turn off the flash, so there's a little bit of glare and the colors are a bit washed out. I'll post another photograph of it when it's finished.

Also last week I finished the painting of my daughter's dog, Mollie, asleep on our end table. It's a small piece, an 8 x 10 acrylic. I wanted to portray the different effects the lamp had on the color of Mollie's fur. I think I got it... I call it "Knick Knack Mollie."

I'm also still working on the portrait of Charlie. This is in oils, and I have spent a lot of time working on the eyes. The eye on the right has been the most difficult because it's in shadow and in the reference photograph, you can't see much detail. I've also begun to add details to the nose and block in the fur. The lighting in my studio washes out the colors in the white fur--I'll try to get a better picture when the painting is finished.

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day! I plan on celebrating with a nice dinner of corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread. Yum! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2010-03-05T23:25:00.001-05:00

Wow! This week has flown by and I have been busy every single day. I started the week off with an art marketing class, taught by Paula Cundiff. With the economy the way it is, I feel like I need all the help I can get in terms of marketing my art. And I am not a good sales person, so this class is just the thing I need to get me motivated to do whatever I can to get my artwork out there and, hopefully, sell one or two...or three.... Paula has already given me some ideas in terms of revamping my approach to marketing my work, and you all will probably see some little changes here as I learn these new skills.

I have been working on several paintings this week, too--going back and forth between acrylics and oil. The portrait of Charlie is coming along--still lots of detail to add, but I'm beginning to like the colors and the "feel" of the painting. Since I did use a flash when taking the photograph--the photo was for a class I took in pet photography--I'm trying to soften the shadows so they don't have the harsh, border-like look caused by the flash. I'm liking the color of Charlie's fur and I've added a little more detail in his eyes. They're still not where I want them yet.

I finished the acrylics painting I started several weeks ago. This is a scene from my trip to Ireland. The paint around the window was chipping and yellowed, and that is what I tried to portray in my painting. I don't think I'll frame this one because the darker color around the window, I think serves as a frame for the whole piece.

And finally, here is what's on the easel now--a small piece, in acrylics, that I'm doing for fun. This is my daughter's dog, Mollie--who fell asleep on our end table. She seemed to fit right in with the other junk on the table, so I'm calling it "Knick Knack Mollie." Here, I'm trying to portray the way the light from the lamp has changed the color of her fur--from a warm, yellowish white on her body, to a bluish-purple on her face. Not finished yet, of course.

Tomorrow is the Shelby County No Kill Mission seminar with Nathan Winograd. I will be setting up a display of some of my pet portraits before the lecture. Maybe I'll get lucky and get a commission or two for pet portraits. Sheesh! No wonder I'm tired!

"King" Charlie

2010-02-28T00:29:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to do a portrait of Charlie, my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He's just the cutest little guy--and definitely has the "royal" attitude. I started this painting last night, hoping to finish it by Monday, but that's not going to happen, mostly because, once I started it, I decided to make it Charlie's "official" portrait. So, I'm taking my time with it. At this point, I've got about two layers of oil paint on it--still blocking in colors, not focusing too much on detail. I did spend a little more time on the eyes. I think if the eyes are correct, the rest of the image falls into place more easily. When this piece is done, it's back to painting shelter animals. I also finished a still life in acrylics, inspired by my trip to Ireland. I'll post that as soon as I photograph it. Meanwhile--here's Charlie!

Paws Daily

2010-02-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

Zora

9 x 12

Oil on Canvas Board

Contact Stephanie Allison to purchase

Website: http://www.stephanieallison.com/

"Paws Daily" is the name of my new shelter animal/art project. There are lots of these types of projects nationwide, where the artist or a group of artists creates animal portraits and a portion of the sales are donated to an animal shelter, humane society or some other animal welfare program. This is a personal project for me--something I'm doing to help the local animal shelter through the Shelby County No Kill Mission. My hope is to create at least one portrait of a shelter animal daily (although at the rate I paint, it is more likely to be every two or three days....). I will eventually have notecards and prints available for purchase, too--but right now I'm concentrating on the paintings. This is a good project for me as it is keeping me motivated and it's good practice. Trying to complete a painting a day--even if I don't actually finish--forces me to paint more loosely and concentrate on the "essence" of the subject, so the finished piece has more of a "free" feeling to it.

This painting of Zora is fresh off the easel--the paint is still wet, so you can see a little reflection from the studio light.

Still Life with Spoon - Daily Painting

2010-02-22T23:25:00.000-05:00

I usually try to keep Mondays free--sort of a recovery day from the busy weekend. Today much of the day was spent ordering art supplies and getting ready for a mini-seminar I'm taking on developing a business plan for my art studio. I did manage to finish the little painting I started the other day. I am not very good at choosing titles. If it wouldn't confuse everyone (myself included) I'd probably call every thing "Untitled." I suppose I could number them, but eventually I'd lose track and that would be even more confusing. So this one is called "Still Life with Spoon." It's 4 x 6, oil.
     Tomorrow it's another shelter animal portrait, and then on to a commissioned portrait. I love doing portraits!

Finally! I'm Painting Again!

2010-02-20T19:13:00.004-05:00

I've been in a bit of a painting slump these past few months, which is why I started surfing various artist websites, etc., hoping to get motivated. It's worked, and I'm especially enthusiastic about getting involved with the daily painting movement. I'm still struggling with actually completing a daily painting. But I'm definitely trying. It took me three days to complete this painting of Sammy, a dog at the Shelby County Animal Shelter, but it's finished now. My plan is to display it on March 6, when Nathan Winograd comes to Shelbyville as a guest speaker sponsored by Shelby County's No Kill Mission. If it's sold, proceeds from the sale will go to the No Kill Mission. Here is the completed painting:

"Sammy"

9 x 12

Acrylics on Canvas Board

Contact Stephanie Allison

I am also working on a small piece right now, for my daily painting. It's a 4 x 6, oil. After working with acrylics, I keep forgetting that it takes awhile for oils to tack up--so I keep pushing paint around--which means it's not going to be finished till tomorrow. So it'll be a painting every two days!

Wednesday = Hump Day

2010-02-17T23:16:00.000-05:00

Spent the entire day in the studio, something I should be doing much more often. But you all know how life gets in the way. However, thanks to the snow, I had a free day today and tried to make the most of it. I decided to start on my new project: Art for Shelter Animals. I still need to speak with the No Kill Shelter, but my plan is to do a series of portraits of some of the many animals housed at the shelter. I haven't worked out all the details yet, but I'm thinking I might give the paintings to the shelter, and let them do what they want with them. Sell them, auction them, or keep them. Or, I could have a show this time next year, and auction off one or two pieces...I don't know yet. But the other half of this project is to get back to daily painting--so these portraits will be small, nothing bigger than 9 x 12. I haven't had much success at completing a painting a day--two days is the record for me so far. But having a daily or semi-daily deadline forces me to work quickly and loosely--which is the way I like to paint anyway. Now I hesitate to post this, because it isn't finished, but here is the first shelter animal portrait work in progress.

This is Sammy. The painting is in what I call the "ugly" stage--everything has been laid in and now I'm working on details and fine tuning, adjusting the colors. The eyes still need work. This is in acylics, on canvas board.

I really love doing portraits--animals or humans. I've always been fascinated by faces. Doesn't this little buy look happy? It's a shame he's stuck in a shelter. Maybe by painting some of these beautiful creatures, they will find forever homes.

I'm hoping to finish this tomorrow and move on to the next one: a kitty cat!

Another Snow Day

2010-02-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

It seems like one snow day blends into another lately, and cabin fever has set in. I couldn't remember whether today was Monday or Tuesday. There was about a foot-high snow drift in front of my garage door this morning. Not a big deal for me, hailing from upstate New York--but it did require some shoveling to clear the area and keep the door from bouncing back up every time it hit a chunk of ice. I got to use my 4 wheel drive setting for the 3rd time this winter, though it took me a few minutes to figure out how to engage it, then disengage it. That's what happens when you don't use something very often. Unfortunately, after all that effort, I got to my destination only to find no one was there! So as not to make it a completely wasted trip, I made a quick run to the grocery store, then spent the rest of the day in the studio (yay!) doing busywork. Yes, I should have been creating but I am still researching marketing strategies and getting sidetracked by other things like learning to put a watermark on my photos and artwork. Watermarks can be added automatically through some programs like Photoshop, Picassa and Flickr. The latter two do it automatically when you upload to your web albums, but Photoshop--at least for me--is a lot more tedious. I suppose it would help if I dragged out the instruction book, but, being one who wants instant gratification, I opted for the "add text" solution in Picassa. Instant watermark--well, sort of.

I admit watermarking hasn't been a priority with me until recently. But a friend asked me about it the other day and I got to thinking that it probably isn't a bad idea, even if some of the images I'm "marking" can still be downloaded by anyone who wants them badly enough. At least I feel now like I've done what I could to protect my work.

So here are two of the sketches I did for the Shelby County No Kill Mission Cookbook, which will be sent to the printer this week, I believe. When it's available for sale I'll post a link where you can get a copy. I understand there are over 200 recipes in it (not to mention one or two sketches by yours truly...) I enjoyed doing these little drawings. It's nice to get away from the larger pieces and do something that's fairly quick and fun. I love keepin' it simple!

Valentine's Day and I'm Still Working...

2010-02-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is having a great Valentine's Day. I know some people think it's just another ploy to get people to spend money, and the pressure is on for folks (let's face it, mainly guys) to get out and buy something to give to their sweetie, significant other, loved one, etc. I choose to view it as another chance to tell the people who matter to me how grateful I am to have them in my life--and that costs me nothing! So forget about rushing to the store to get that box of candy or piece of jewelry--and give the greatest gift: love. And to all my friends and family: Happy Valentine's Day. I love you!

Okay, enough of the sentimental stuff. Sometimes, when you least expect it, a flash of brilliance strikes and leaves you wondering why you didn't think of it before. Well such flashes don't occur to me very often, but when they do I feel the need to run with them. This one hit me this morning, while I was surfing through various artists' websites and trying to come up with something I could do that would really keep me interested and motivated. I have always loved painting faces--not just human ones, but animals of all kinds. And I am also a big supporter of animal rights, the Humane Society and now, Shelby County's No Kill Mission. I haven't thought it completely through yet, and I need to talk to the powers-that-be at the shelter and the other groups, but what I have in mind, if it works out, would be an art related project that would benefit shelter animals, as well as get my artwork out more in the public. This is not a new idea--just new to me. Since I haven't worked out all the details yet, I will hold off posting all the "rough" thoughts here. But I think it might work. Stay tuned.

Here is a site I stumbled on that has a lot of solid information for artists looking for encouragement and marketing ideas.

I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion is for artists of all kinds. Painters, sculptors, ceramist, jewelers, photographers, and others will benefit from the easy-to-follow self-promotion practices in this book.

Author and art-marketing consultant Alyson B. Stanfield, of ArtBizCoach.com, focuses on sharing the artwork directly with potential buyers through electronic and traditional communication outlets—in a manner that is comfortable, not artificial. Artists match Internet marketing strategies with sincere personal skills to take charge of their art careers.

The book includes online worksheets and downloads.

Check it out!

Business As Usual

2010-02-13T22:57:00.000-05:00

I read somewhere awhile back that artists who want to be successful can expect to spend 80% of their time on the business side of art. Now I understand. I have spent the entire day researching various search engines, online artists directories, the pros and cons of listing with various sites, looking at other artists' sites and other artists' blogs. I am amazed at the number of artists out there, all trying to get themselves noticed. Myself included. It's clear to me how important a web presence is these days. That doesn't mean artists should give up on getting their work into galleries, but for me, realistically, I don't see galleries as big sales markets for portraits--which is pretty much what I paint. Few people want to hang portraits of people they don't know, unless they're famous. And let's face it, with the economy the way it is right now, even fewer people are interested (and able) to spend their hard-earned dollars on paintings. These days, artists have to be even more creative in finding ways to get their work noticed.

So I have been focusing on getting my website and blog updated and taking advantage of some of the free marketing tools like Facebook and Twitter. I'm not really sure how Twittering is going to help--I suspect it might be more of an annoyance (to those I tweet to) than anything, but we'll see. I'm thinking of giving the newsletter idea a try--but it seems a little narcissistic to send out a newsletter all about me. I'll have to think on that a little longer.

As for actually painting, I'm hoping to finish up the window scene I posted the other day, and move on to a commissioned portrait of a girl and her horse. I'd like to get back to doing small daily paintings, but with all this business stuff to deal with, that might not be too realistic.

On the lighter side, here are a couple of photos of the little drama that took place in our driveway the other day after the snowstorm. First, the Schwan delivery truck got stuck at the end of our driveway. The driver thought he would be better off parking there instead of backing all the way down. NOT. He called a towtruck to get him out, and the towtruck got stuck when it backed down the street to turn around. In comes the second towtruck, and it, too, got stuck. Luckily the second truck got out, yanked the first towtruck out and finally, the Schwan truck was pulled out--but now we have a nice nearly four-inch deep tire hole in our front yard. One more thing to add to my spring yardwork list.

More snow is on the way for tomorrow right through Tuesday. Maybe I'll get stuck inside and have nothing to do but paint!

The Business Side of Art: An Exhausting Endeavor

2010-02-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

I am beat. I spent most of the day searching the 'net, looking for ways to increase art sales. I've admitted this before: I'm a lousy business person. But my goal for the new year is to improve my business skills. However, tonight my head is spinning from information overload, I guess. There is a ton of advice and information out there and just clicking from link to link and reading about it has worn me out. I'm told you have to spend money to make money, but that is nearly impossible to do--for me, anyway. Get a website--with your own domain, etc., if possible; send out a newsletter, join arts organizations, run ads in local magazines...the list goes on. Yes, I do want to sell more of my artwork, but does anyone out there know what really works? Does anything? Sometimes I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels.

So I'm calling it a day. On a lighter note, I have some pics of this morning's adventure with the Schwan delivery truck and my driveway. Tune in tomorrow!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2010-02-09T17:33:00.016-05:00

Woke up to a wintery scene this morning and just couldn't resist grabbing the camera and taking some quick photos. Here's my neighbor's barn and a couple of my back and side yards.

At first the snowflakes were tiny and barely visible. Then they'd switch to big fat ones, and then it became more like sleet. Eventually, they were mostly big and fat again. Reminded me of my days in upstate New York. When I went out to shovel off my car, it seemed fairly warm, and the snow was nice and heavy--great for building a snowman or for a friendly snowball fight. Unfortunately I didn't have time for either. And now the weather has turned colder and much more nasty. But it was cool while it lasted.

So, with nothing else to do all day, I decided to spend time in the studio, catching up on things that have been set aside way too long. Like paperwork. Bookkeeping. Yuck. I hate doing that. I make a much better artist than I do a business person. Once upon a time I had a business plan, and kept meticulous records. Unfortunately, life has a way of interrupting things like plans. So today I sat down at my desk, opened every drawer, and dug through the junk that had collected there. It's amazing what can be found: notes I'd made to myself that no longer mean a thing to me. Little bits of papers with numbers, half sentences in completely illegible handwriting. Several months worth of magazines never read. My little shredder earned its keep today. And it feels good to clear the clutter. My files, while not completely in order, at least make some sense to me and are no longer crammed full of "stuff."

And at the end of the day, I have a new sense of direction. And dare I say it? Plans. Yep. We'll see how that goes.

Lazy Day

2010-02-04T23:10:00.004-05:00

This was supposed to be a "me" day--a day where I would catch up on things, like studio paperwork, updating my website, etc. I managed to do some of that--but I also thought I would paint today and that didn't happen. I am having trouble staying motivated for some reason. I have at least half a dozen paintings in various stages of completion, but I seem to run out of steam and they end up stuffed in a corner while I move on to something else. Setting my own deadlines doesn't work because, deep down, I know nothing bad's gonna happen if I miss the deadline! What to do? I've tried the "give yourself a reward" thing for setting a goal and achieving it. Doesn't work anymore. Sometimes I think it helps to just wallow in the lack-of-motivation pool for awhile. Sooner or later I'll get tired of it--I hope. In the meantime, I finished the pastel portrait (I did have a "real" deadline for that one!) and managed to add pics of some of my latest work to my website. Just a minor dent, though, in the ever growing "to do" list. Oh fiddle-dee-dee! I'll think about it tomorrow....
This is the completed pastel portrait. I hope my customer is happy with it.

New Work, New Year

2010-01-31T10:12:00.009-05:00

Well so much for keeping up with this blog. Since my return from Ireland/Scotland, things have been moving pretty quickly. I have two commissions to work on and lots of ideas for new paintings. Here's what's in the works right now:

This is a pastel portrait of a sweet little redhead. I've never done a portrait in pastels, so this is a learning experience for me. I still need to do some fine tuning, but I think I'm heading in the right direction. I love painting red hair--so many color opportunities!

I'm also working on another piece, this one in acrylics. I'm getting used to working in acrylics and finding that I like them very much! It looks a little bowed, that's because I was too close with my camera and too lazy to set it up right. But you get the idea....

And finally, here is the last one, finished a couple of weeks ago, also in acrylics. I call this "Harry Coo"--it's a Highland cow. The photo was taken on a farm on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. I waited patiently in the mist and drizzle, for this cow to stick his tongue out. The photo doesn't really do it justice. It's very colorful.

So that's what I've been up to lately, along with working on my poetry. I take a poetry workshop once a week with a lovely group of talented writers. I don't ever expect to publish anything, but it is fun just being around so many talented and creative people.

Guinness to Haggis

2009-11-05T21:44:00.002-05:00

Wow! I just returned from a two week trip to Ireland and Scotland. What a fantastic time! This trip was a dream come true--on my bucket list. Went to Scotland first--to Oban and the Isle of Mull. What a beautful place! After a few days there, traveled to Ireland--Galway, Ennis, Aran Islands, Donegal, Belfast, the Slieve Cliffs and Giants Causeway. I got to meet my family in Ennis--a fantastic group of people who made me feel so very welcome! My only regret is that I couldn't stay longer and get to know them better. All the more reason for me to go back!
I shot over 1700 photos--lots of reference material for paintings. Now that I'm back, I need to sort through them all and hit the canvas!! You can see some of the photos on my Facebook page, or on the blog here. And watch out for some new paintings in the not-too-distant future!

Yardwork

2009-07-28T10:15:00.003-04:00

I love working in the garden, but this year, for some reason, it's been more difficult for me to get out there. Just this morning I was thinking about how beautiful the gardens were when we first moved out here. They've been sorely neglected lately. So today, though my studio is also screaming for attention, I've decided to tend to the gardens.

In keeping with my "painting a day" theme (okay, so I haven't actually painted anything new today) here's one I did last year that won the People's Choice award from an on-line painting group. It's called "Hibiscus." It's a watercolor, which I honestly don't do much these days. I tend to overwork them. This one I did quickly, though, as you can see by the soft edges and the colors flowing into each other. In my opinion, that's the point of watercolors--fast and loose. I think having worked with oils for so long makes it difficult for me to resist the tendency to layer on color after color. In this case, though, I managed to hold back and it worked quite well.

Different subject: I'm sure I'm not the only one this happens to: while listening to some old music last night, a flood of memories were triggered by one particular song. Next thing I know, I'm scrambling for my notebook and began working on a poem. It's still very rough, but when it's finished, I'll post it.

Back to Work

2009-07-26T10:49:00.006-04:00

I'd really like to get back to doing a painting a day. I never have actually accomplished that, but I need to try. One thing that became apparent to me this past week, with the gallery's Christmas in July sale, and several of my paintings at the restaurant in town, is that my inventory is getting pretty low--and with the two newest pieces going to the fair for two weeks, I need to get some new work done. Besides, I'm sure visitors to the gallery are tired of seeing the same old pieces there month after month. Plus, it'll be my turn soon to have the front window, and I'd really like to have something new to put in there.

On a good note, I received notice yesterday that one of my prints sold at the July sale--so that's a good thing!

Meanwhile, here's something I did a couple of months ago for a friend.

It's a logo for a small (and I mean, very small) organization she has started called Joey's Memory Tree.

About a year ago, a lady came into the gallery and asked if I could do a portrait of her rescue dog, Joey, who had died. She had also decided to place a Christmas tree in one of the local feed stores in memory of Joey and had made all sorts of little pet-related Christmas decorations for it. She asked if I would be interested in helping, so I painted some decorations for her. The idea was that people could purchase a decoration in memory of their pet and, in its place, put a star on the tree with their pet's name on it. Well, this idea has sort of taken off, and just a few weeks ago she was invited to set up her tree at a pet adoption event in town. So she asked me to do a logo for her to be used on the promotion material and t-shirts. The result is the image to the left. And below is the portrait I did of Joey. Without ever having met this little guy, I fell in love with him, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to paint him and get involved with his legacy. ( I gained a new friend in Robin, as well...)

And now, it's back to the drawing board--literally. I need to paint.

Stormy Saturday

2009-07-25T14:46:00.004-04:00

Woke up to thunder and lightning this morning, with the Great Dane, Max, squeezing in between us on the bed. 176 lbs. of coward, that's our Max. The other two dogs, Ringo and Charlie, couldn't care less about storms.

The storms cleared and the sun came out long enough for the Jubilee Youth Sidewalk Art Contest to go on as planned. I was one of the judges for the elementary group entries, and we had a 3-way tie for 3rd place--so we ended up giving 2 honorable mentions. There are some wonderful budding artists out there and I think the little ones went away happy with their prizes.

Ever had so much to do that you end up doing nothing? I think that's where I am today. Yardwork, housework, artwork--all need attention and I am so exhausted from running around this week that I have no desire to do anything. I need to though--the weeds are growing, the dust bunnies are multiplying, and those paintings do not paint themselves. I have three weeks to finish my portrait entry for the state fair, and at least a week of that will be needed for the paint to dry. Should have done it in acrylics. Oh well. Then I'd have just kept putting it off and I'd still be rushing to finish. On the other hand, I think I do my best work under pressure.

Rain storms are moving back in. I think I'll curl up with my book: New Moon--the second in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I love this series! What about the work I have to do, you ask? Hmmm....I think a little book-time might be good right about now--besides, what better way to spend a rainy afternoon than curled up on the couch with a good book surrounded by my three furry friends? (And maybe my husband, too....)

Rainy Wednesday

2009-07-22T09:09:00.002-04:00

Woke up to gentle rain this morning. I like that. If the weather continues to be cool like this, Kentucky will break a record for low temps in July. So far temps here haven't gone into the 90's once. If the trend continues, it will be the first July ever (since they've been keeping records) with no 90-degree days. I can live with that.

No time to paint again today because I'm heading off to the library for a nice lunch with the Jubilee Youth Art Show committee members and the woman who is judging the show. We had over 270 entries this year and I had my first real good look at the work yesterday. We have some truly gifted artists in the schools. I hope some of them, at least, will continue to pursue their art. Lots of talent here in Shelbyville!

Speaking of talent, the gallery to which I belong, Shelby Artists on Main, is having a Christmas in July sale, so I need to haul out some of my older work and bring it in. I'm not a big fan of marking down artwork, but with the economy the way it is, people just aren't spending their hard earned dollars on expensive paintings. Actually, these days, prints and notecards are what's selling for me. But I need to free up space in my studio, so offering a discount on the older pieces might help move them out. Or not. (:-D)

Hope to upload pics of a couple more new pieces later today. Check back tonight if you're interested!

Is it really summer here??

2009-07-21T09:50:00.004-04:00

Wow, the weather here in Kentucky has been so wonderful this past week. Not humid at all, cool nights, sunny, warm (but not too sticky) days. My kind of summer!

Today, I'm off to haul artwork submitted for the Jubilee Youth Art Show to the library, where it will be on display for the next couple of weeks. We have over 200 entries, 2-D and 3-D. We have some very talented youngsters here in Shelbyville! I'm glad I'm not judging this one. I'll just stand back and enjoy.

Still haven't spent any significant time painting, but I'm hoping to get to it tomorrow--if I'm not exhausted from mowing, that is. Meanwhile, here's another painting I completed awhile back. It gets a lot of grins.

Time Flies

2009-07-20T08:26:00.003-04:00

Wow--I guess I've been neglecting this site. It's true, life gets in the way while you're planning your life. I have been so busy lately! Summer is flying by and I haven't had time to catch up. My gardens are sorely neglected (although I am slowly making progress with the weeding, and despite my neglect, the veggie garden produced some great turnips, onions and garlic so far!). I've done two art shows, with another two coming up. Two state fair entries--one is finished, the other nearly ready. Most importantly, I just spent a week in Georgia visiting my daughter and grandkids and had a wonderful time! Ashlyn and I made a fairy village out in her yard under a big pecan tree, and Jaden and I played soccer (well, I mostly served as the goalie). The week passed so fast!

This morning I'm heading off to a nice little restaurant in town called The Bistro, where they have chosen five of my paintings to hang there for awhile. Yay! I needed that little ego boost.

So...I better get off the computer and get my butt moving. Later I'll try to get some photos uploaded of new work.

Well I made it to The Bistro, got my paintings hung, along with paintings from several other artists at the gallery. The Bistro has been remodeled, and looks very nice--and the paintings from the gallery just add to the ambiance. Turns out the owners are artists, too, and some of their work is hanging as well.

Got a new cellphone today, so of course, instead of painting and/or doing yardwork, I spent the entire afternoon messing with it. I really need to get away from all this technical stuff--if it's not the computer, it's the camera or the iPod or something else. Imagine the work I could get done if I didn't allow these technological distractions! Ah well.

Here's a photo of one of my latest artworks:

This piece was used as a sample for a pet portrait gift certificate that was raffled off during a pet adoption event a few weeks ago. Another pet portrait gift certificate is being given as a door prize for the Jubilee Youth Art show this weekend. And, lucky me, I will be one of the judges for the Youth Sidewalk Art contest, which is one of the events during Jubilee week--which leads up to the Shelbyville Horse Show the first week of August. Isn't this puppy just the cutest little thing?

Busy, busy...

2009-03-03T15:19:00.003-05:00

Well so much for the idea of doing a painting a day. Not working. I've been caught up in the usual stuff--bad weather, running errands, fighting a nasty cold. I have two paintings that I'm working on at the moment, but seem to have lost all motivation. This happens quite frequently. I start a painting, get about 3/4 the way through it, and something takes me away from it and I lose the initiative to get back to it. All is not lost though--instead of painting, I've been writing, which is also something I love to do and for a very long time, it has taken a back seat to painting. A friend once told me, when asked how she finds time to do all the things she loves (which included painting, writing, music, gardening, etc.), to just go with whatever is nagging me at the present time. Sometimes it's painting, sometimes it's writing--but each will come to the forefront when it needs attention.

So that's what I'm doing, and right now writing is taking precedence over painting. With that in mind, here's a very short poem I wrote the other day--not going to win any writing prizes, but I like it:

The Artist

My brush, like dragonfly wings,

flits across the canvas in flocks of color.

I paint poems.

Ah...I feel better now....seriously, I am working on a novel and do write an occasional poem. I'd love to have one or two published someday. We'll see. Meanwhile, it's very cold here but the sun is shining and my tulips and daffodils are starting to poke their heads up. Spring is right around the corner and that means yard work. Ugh.

Long Time....

2009-01-14T20:37:00.004-05:00

So....it's been awhile since I've updated this site. I guess it's a good thing to be busy. So what have I been doing these past few months? Well, there was Thanksgiving, with the grandkids visiting, Christmas, a couple of commissioned artworks to do--oh and I'm still learning to play the dulcimer. I've fallen in love with that instrument and play it every single day, sometimes for hours at a time. Our group played for several organizations during the holidays, and although I was invited to play too, I decided to sit out until I am a little more proficient at it. I play a mean air dulcimer though!

Hmmm...what else is new. Well, my daughter is officially engaged now. And her fiance was just sworn in as a volunteer police officer. We're very proud of both of them. It's getting cold here--going down to about 4 degrees, windy--typical January weather. A few snowflakes, but nothing significant. I wouldn't mind a foot or so for maybe a day or two--then it would have to melt! :-)

Sad to say, but that pretty much brings us up to date! Here's my latest commissioned piece--a pet portrait in memory of my friend's beloved dog Joey, who crossed to the Rainbow Bridge last January.

2008-11-08T23:08:00.002-05:00

Just completed this, and boy, was it RIGHT ON! I love it!

And here's something for your amusement. Found it at http://www.turdbaby.com/.

Long time, No See...

2008-11-08T09:12:00.005-05:00

Wow! Hard to believe it's been over a month since I last updated this site. Sheesh! Well, maybe it's not so hard to believe. I've been busy. Unfortunately, not so much with painting, but other stuff. The weather here has been so beautiful, I felt compelled to work in the yard. This is the first year in several that I've actually been able to clear some of the gardens and get them ready for the winter. Usually, I'm out there in the spring, raking up piles of leaves and fighting through the weeds that grow, believe it or not, all year long. I didn't finish, but at least the front yard looks presentable.

Participated in an art show in October at the gallery. Didn't make a lot of sales, but enough to cover art supplies for awhile. Still practicing the dulcimer and getting better at it. Bought an autoharp, too--but I haven't had time to really mess with it. I'm hoping to do that now that the weather has turned colder and I'll be inside more. Of course, being inside I should be painting....ah well....

I've got some pics to set up on here, but wouldn't you know they're on the other computer. But stay tuned...

Monday, Monday.....

2008-09-29T08:51:00.007-04:00

Here's a little something to get you thinking today....

(PostSecret.com)

It certainly is a typical Monday. I consider Mondays my "recovery" days. Our weekends are usually busy, so I try not to schedule anything on Mondays so I can catch up on things. I had given up on the idea of having our driveway resealed, but just as I stepped outside this morning, there was a guy in a pickup truck, cellphone in hand, about to call us to let us know that he was here, ready to seal the driveway. He started talking to my husband, said something about having a heart attack and I wanted to ask him if he'd had the attack last week--which would explain why he hadn't shown up--but that would really be nasty, wouldn't it? Yes, little toads hop out of my mouth every so often. Instead, I went about my usual morning chores while the man and his crew got to work. I must say that, despite the fact it took them a month to get to us, they did a nice job. I take back all the mean things I've thought about them.

I did manage to do some painting this afternoon--continued to work on the painting a day, which has now become my usual "painting that takes forever." Actually, I am just about finished with it, and after a few little touchups, I plan on signing it and taking it in to be framed. I'll post a picture of the finished piece tomorrow. Or the day after....whenever....

I'm thinking about taking dulcimer lessons. A lovely lady in town teaches dulcimer and has a group of dulcimer players who get together and often play at various local events. The dulcimer is Kentucky's state instrument, I believe. Anyway, I've always wanted to play some sort of musical instrument. I used to own a guitar. I have a fancy keyboard that currently collects dust in the basement. I have watched this group play before, and sat in on one of the lessons. It just might be something that suits me. As if I need another hobby! Then again, I consider myself a perpetual student. I don't think you can ever learn too much. So stay tuned...maybe someday I'll play well enough to actually load up some music to this site. Ha!

Stood Up Again!!

2008-09-26T21:29:00.003-04:00

I don't know why I even bothered to give these folks another chance. I'm talking about the driveway paving company. Called 'em this morning, very polite, asked if they were coming today. Yep--apparently we were still #2 on the list. They were going to a job not too far from us, and then they'd come to our place. Well---once again, no one showed up. Should I take this personally? Do they just not want to do our driveway? The guy wasted no time getting to us when we first called and needed an estimate. I'm just glad we didn't have to make a down payment because I'd be wanting that back now and I'd probably have a heck of a time getting it.
Whatever happened to customer service?

So....while I was waiting for the no-shows, I should have used the time to finish the daily painting I started last night. Ummmmm....kinda got sidetracked. My darling husband came home with an aquarium, just for me. We used to have a huge aquarium back when we were young'uns, but gave it up after about the third relocation. But now that we're "retired" the interest has peaked again. My husband has a very nice set-up in his "communication room"--that is, the spare bedroom that has now become his office, but since he's retired and doesn't exactly need an office, the room is now filled with his fancy TV, big-a** computer and beautiful aquarium. Being the envious person that I am, I thought I should have one, albeit on a smaller scale, for my studio. And now I do. No fish yet, but we're going out Monday to get some. Ha! Just what I need...more mouths to feed.

I'll post a pic of the aquarium and the finished painting tomorrow night. I'm off to watch the Presidential debate and tomorrow I'm helping to judge a little dog show at the Southville Fall Festival. Should be fun.

Back in the Studio--Finally!

2008-09-25T19:49:00.004-04:00

A couple of years ago I took a workshop with artist Elin Pendleton, and learned that, at the time, she was creating a painting a day. I was amazed that anyone could start and finish an entire painting in one day. It takes me a full day just to get the idea going, the paints set up, and the initial sketch on the canvas. Then I learned that there are a whole bunch of people out there who complete a painting in one day, and there are several groups on the Internet where these folks showcase their work. Well, I was in awe, and vowed that I would get my act together and do a painting a day too. Well, that didn't exactly work out as planned. I made a valiant effort--but the first time out of the gate, I couldn't complete the painting to my satisfaction, let alone post it on the Internet anywhere. So I gave up.

BUT...I never completely gave up. In the back of my mind I kept thinking I need to work a little faster. There is some value, I think, in being able to work fast (maybe not THAT fast, but quicker than I usually work)-plein air painters work fast to capture the light, and you have to work a little fast with live models, to keep them from getting bored to death and walking out on you. But I digress.....so I decided yet again to try to do a painting a day. Well, maybe more like "almost" a painting a day. So here is a piece that I started working on last night. Unfortunately I had no time to work on it today, so this is not finished. I wonder if I could add up the hours from last night, with the time I'll spend on it tomorrow and call it "a day's worth of painting."

Anyway, here it is, and thanks to Sarah Lewis for the beautiful photo reference and permission to use it.

On another note, nothing bugs me more than when someone makes an appointment, confirms the appointment, then doesn't show up. I'm talking about a company we've hired to seal our driveway. Their office manager or whoever told us, in a sweet cheery voice, that they would be at our house Monday morning. Well, Monday went by--no pavers. Tuesday, Wednesday, nothing either. This morning we got a call with the same cheery voice saying they would be here today--we were "#2 on the list." So we ran outside, moved our cars off the driveway.....and waited....and waited. So far, no sign of them and it's dark. Heck, it's bedtime. How do people like that stay in business? And why are we (meaning my husband and I) putting up with it?

September Morning

2008-09-24T08:09:00.009-04:00

Woke up this morning to a beautiful, though extremely dry, autumn day, and I'm determined to get back in the studio and paint. I have several pieces in various stages of completion, but just haven't had a good block of time to work on them. Well today that changes! My errands are done, I have nothing on the calendar that needs my attention, so once I get the critters fed, I'm off to the studio (my critters include a Great Dane, Max, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Charlie, a border collie/jack russell mix named Ringo and, last but not least, Buddy Sue--a lab/cocker spaniel mix.) They're the cutest little pack! They are, from left to right, Ringo, the border collie mix; Charlie--the Cav; and Max--the Great Dane. My pics of Buddy Sue are on my other computer. I'll try to upload one later.

Been thinking about the upcoming presidential election, and for the first time since I've been old enough to vote, I am not sure who I'll vote for. I've always considered myself a Democrat, but honestly, I'm not too confident about Barack Obama. I'm not overly thrilled with John McCain and Sarah Palin either, but I'm leaning toward them simply because I feel slightly more confident about McCain. I can't bring myself to vote for Obama just because he's a Democrat and so am I. I guess I care more about the country than the party.

Politics...blah.

Okay, so I'm new at this....

2008-09-23T18:04:00.005-04:00

I subscribe to several blogs myself--my niece's and an artist whose work I admire. So I figured why not give this blogging thing a try. My life is not that interesting, but so many people blog every day and I guess it doesn't matter whether they are interesting or not. It seems to be a popular thing to do.

So I've spent some time adding things to this site that reflect my own interests--namely art, animals and writing. I hope someone out there finds them interesting.

Today I went gallery hopping with a couple of fellow artists from the co-op I belong to. Our purpose was to see how these galleries/co-ops display the artwork of their members. The co-op I belong to has been in existence for five years now--and we have gone through a variety of growing pains. Our biggest issue is getting people in our community interested in our art--more specifically, we would like more people to BUY our art. The town I live in is small, and let's face it: times are tough right now. People who come to the gallery are usually "just looking" and/or are killing time while they wait for a friend whom they are meeting for lunch at the restaurant next door. Most of the comments I hear from people visiting the gallery are that we are too expensive, or they "like the art but it doesn't match their furniture" or they like it but don't have room for it, etc. etc. Frankly, our artwork is priced a lot lower than most art in the surrounding area (Louisville and Lexington), but I guess that doesn't matter. People aren't going to spend money on original artwork when they are paying $5.00 for a gallon of gas.

Anyway, we visited a couple of galleries in Louisville and discovered that they're really not all that different from us--and their prices are definitely a lot higher. Visually, they're set up pretty much the same as we are. They just get more attention because they are located in the "art" districts while we are pretty much the only "real" gallery in Shelbyville--and since we are a small town the art seekers tend to overlook us.

So what did I take from this? Basically that all artists are the same in that they want people to like their work, maybe buy their work, and mostly they want validation for what they do. It would be great to be one of those few artists whose work is in high demand, but that's just not going to happen here in little ol' Shelbyville--but at least I have a place to show my work, and I have, on occasion, even sold a few. Guess I shouldn't complain.

Meanwhile, this is one of two commissioned pencil portraits I recently finished.

And this is the second one. It's been awhile since I did any pencil drawing. I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy drawing.

Finally! I'm here!

2008-09-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

It took a little effort, getting used to all this new-fangled stuff, but I've finally got this site set up, I think. I'll keep the first post short as I'm off to do "artsy fartsy" stuff. Check back later (if anyone is actually reading this) and I'll try to make this site more interesting.