A Basket of Fruit and a Jazzy Zen Cat!

Now I'm two days behind in the September 30/30 challenge, but I'm not giving up!  Unfortunately, I will end up even further (farther?) behind this weekend, as I see no, or very little, painting time until Monday!  Ah well....that's why it's a challenge, right?  So I did this mini-painting while sitting the gallery yesterday.

 And then, instead of painting another daily piece, I ended up playing with Zentangles(r).  I intended to just work with shapes, black and white, etc, but then I saw a photo of this cat and decided to see what I could come up with.  It ended up being the cover of a blank notecard.  I'm calling it "Jazzy Zen Cat." I know, I probably should have done another painting instead of the Zentangle, but this is considered art too!  In fact, I just received a set of Sakura pens and some samples of the Zentangle paper...can't wait to try them out.  So off I go!

Eye on the Prize: PAD #4

Well, for me it's day #4 in the Painting a Day challenge because, as usual, I'm running behind.  Maybe I'll catch up tomorrow...in the meantime, this painting, titled "Eye on the Prize" is in acrylics, on a 3" x 3" canvas. I started out trying to fit the entire horse's head on the canvas, but again, I gradually made the image bigger, focusing more on the horse's eye. I made several attempts to correct the size, but kept making the image bigger, until I finally quit struggling and let the painting go where "it" wanted to.  I actually like this composition, and as I painted, I realized that my recent discovery of Zentangles (R) was playing a role here because I was focusing more on the shapes rather than the horse itself.  Next time, I might even make the shapes more defined, creating a real abstraction.  That, for me, would be wonderful as I have always had difficulty painting abstracts.  I always try to make them look like something.  So we'll see how it goes!  Check back tomorrow!

Birds

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....

                                        



Into the mist...

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.



The Owl and the Daisy

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!

A Pair of Earrings and an Owl





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!