My Minions

"My Minions" 12x12 Acrylic on canvas

I dropped off 7 paintings to Synchronicity Gallery in Glen Arbor, MI.  A sure sign of spring, no matter what the weather is. (As it happens, it's quite nice and springlike here today)
Here's to new seasons!

hair-do ladies

"Red" 12x12 Acrylic and collage on panel

It's all about the hair.
I've been having the best time creating these portraits. Acrylic painted faces and collaged hair and brows using the paper I made with the Gelli Plate. Reproductions of them will soon be in a hair salon! Perfect, right?
Actually the series came about from a conversation with a friend of mine that owns a salon... he was looking for artwork after a re-model and had seen this older painting-

"Is My Hair too Blue?" acrylic and collage on paper (sold)

We decided that a series of "hair-do ladies" would be fun salon art... Can't wait to see it placed!

bursting

"Bursting" 12x12 Acrylic on Watercolor paper

This painting is a result of a process that I call... "Make a mess and then cover it up." I start with a mess of reds, and then negative paint (paint the background) with various whites.  I love the smudgy bits that show up in the white areas... mysterious!

gifts

I gave a gift... and received a bigger gift.
I painted a watercolor of our daughter-in-law's bridal bouquet for Christmas. She was absolutely delighted, and touched, which in turn delighted and touched me.
A happily tearful, big hug was one of my best gifts Christmas morning. :-)

Cristina's Bouquet ~ 12x12 ~ watercolor

black eyes with stripes

"Black Eyes With Stripes" 12x12 Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Acrylic Paper

And here is the second of the two paintings I painted live at Oliver Art Center's 'fun-raiser' last Friday evening. It was a terrific night. Lots of fun was had by all the Art Center Friends....And though it was a bit intimidating... I lived to tell about it. :-)

fun raiser

"Fun Raiser" 12x12 acrylic on acrylic paper

Last night was Oliver Art Center's Fun-Raiser. I painted live and donated the painting to the silent auction. I tend to say YES before I realize what I've gotten myself into. Let's just say it's a bit intimidating to be painting in front of a large group...and let's just add on the auction sheet sitting next to you... luckily I didn't have to wait too too long before there was some bidding. Aaaack! I worked on two paintings at a time, and the winner get's to pick their favorite after there are a couple of finishing touches, varnished and framed. This one is the first one dry....I'll post the other one tomorrow, and let you know which one they picked.

circus act

"Circus Act" 12x12 acrylic and oil bar on canvas panel

Repeating a subject pushes you into different places. I'll do anything to escape boredom.

wip (work in progress)

Can you tell that I'm way more excited about the one on the left?  Need an "about face" on the one on the right. Drastic measures are in order to keep me interested. :-)

here kitty kitty

"Here Kitty Kitty"  12x12  Acrylic and oil bar on Canvas Panel

I don't have a cat. I have never had a cat. But I do really like cats. How long do you think this bouquet will tempt him before he needs to swat it?

Add caption

Woke up this morning and decided that the kitty paws could use a bit of a shadow...and added a couple of dotty stuff on the far left to repeat the white dotty stuff... Hardly EVER go back once it's signed, but couldn't leave it be.

joyful noise

"Joyful Noise" 12 x 12 Acrylic on Acrylic paper

Lots of troubling news lately..... That's when I love to go to the studio and immerse myself in glorious color.

bouquet on dots

Bouquet on Dots ~12x12~ acrylic on canvas panel

I'll be painting bouquets for the next week. Practicing for a live painting event at the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort, MI next Friday night. I used a limited palette.... Quinacridone Crimson, Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Thalo Turquoise and white. (Mary Todd Beam's favorite palette)
I like painting these...Does it show? :-)

Just making things up

"July 4"  12x12 Acrylic on Canvas panel

Ok.... now I'm just making things up. :-) One of the pleasures of being a painter. See the cool and interesting trail I've created? Like how I've made it pretty easy to get past those hills? You're welcome.

(It's also a study in greens and aerial perspective).

orchard dawn

Orchard Dawn ~ 12x12 ~ Acrylic

It's been a while.... I just jumped in yesterday. That's how I have to go about it when it's been a while...

It's easiest to leap if I start on top of a painting that didn't work out...and that explains the strange textures here and there.

true confessions

Lake View 2 12x12 collage this is where it is at the moment.....trying to salvage. I'm not sure if I'm done or not...I'm mad at myself.

Where it was yesterday.... after I had the bright idea mid painting, to turn it into a landscape. Geesh.

One of my constant struggles in painting is having an idea or concept, and sticking with it. The smart thing to do when these "other" ideas come up is to write them down and try them on the next painting. Stay the course. But if I'm the least bit distracted.... I veer off course into another idea. 

The trouble with this, for me anyway, is 

1. I never complete the original idea...which is sometimes a good one.

2. Because the base of the second idea is on top of a different idea...it's not a good solid place to start.

I've been lazy. 

The best way to stop this flighty behavior is to actually write the concept down on tape or a post it...and have it right near my palette. 

To remember the WHY I'm painting this in the first place. 

Where's that sticky note pad?