Metals and acrylics workshop

I gave my metals and acrylics workshop today to an enthusiastic, talented group. I covered supports, various metals and metal substitutes, methods of attatchment, use of Tyvek, composition, collage materials, texture, methods of presentation, and sources of art materials other than an art supply store, e.g. Home Depot, scrapbooking store, Michaels, etc.
We had a grand time and many participants came away with some very clever, attractive creations.
I hope to now have time to really kick in the painting - after all, I AM retired.
REVISION: I HATE it when I do this. I don't notice flaws in this piece until I saw it on my own blog!!!! DUH. I noticed that this abstract, which has a strong geometric element, was not EVEN.
The horizontal black stripe was going across at a slight angle, instead of 90 degrees like I intended. What to do? The glue had set, and I couldn't reposition anything without totally destroying it. Fool the eye was the only option - thus the angled lines in the upper section and on the metal section in the middle below the tacks. I also painted the sienna corrigated paper black so it blended the error. Now it works. Only a ruler reveals the error, and I'm not tellin'.
For purchase information, please see my website.

Wig Shop Divas, 01609 mannequins with wigs

This painting was done from a photograph provided on the blog Different Strokes From Different Folks, where artists are encouraged to paint or draw their own interpretations. This is my first entry of a painting on DSFDF. The blog is hosted by Karin Jurick and I must say the photo we are all working from, a shot of the front window of a wig shop, is truly diabolical. There are no less than a dozen mannequins in the shot.
I picked these three because I liked the sunglasses on them - a nice touch. I think the one on the right reminds me of Michael Jackson.
This oil painting is on panel size 5.5x8 inches.
For purchase information please see my website.

Last Day/First Day

I am SO EXCITED. Today is my LAST DAY of working. Besides my painting, I have a "real job" working as a medical technologist for Kaiser Permanente. Tomorrow will be my FIRST DAY of being what I love: a FULL TIME ARTIST.
It's kind of like the life-altering feeling I had on the way to the hospital before the birth of my first child many years ago. It was a foggy 3am ride and I wanted to gleefully shout into the night "I'm going to have a baby!" That exuberance is what I feel now.
We don't get many days in our lives when our path makes an abrupt turn. Sometimes we don't even see the turns coming. I've seen this turn coming for a long time and now it's here.
I cannot wipe the smile from my face. :-)

Whooo, 01509, owl portrait

This is another version of my owl friend. This little guy is painted on a cradled 4x6 panel. I love painting on these panels. Their smooth surface makes it easy to put in the smallest details.

Valentine Meatloaf

How can one be artistic when the medium is meatloaf? My husband's favorite meal is my home made meatloaf, so on Valentine's Day, I formed it into a heart shape.
This year I found some hearts on a stick at the Dollar Store. I thought they accented the meatloaf nicely. Since they were made in China, I only put them in only long enough to take a couple pictures - we may get lead or melamine, or some other poisoning. LOL

Watchful Eyes, 01509, owl closeup

I like the reflections in these eyes. This original oil painting is on 4x4 cradled hardwood panel. For purchase information, please see my website.

Raucous Visitor, 01609, blue jay

A brilliant flash of blue and a loud, strident call - you have a blue jay in your yard. I always know when they're around. This original 4x6 oil is another in my bird series on cradled wood panel.
For purchase information, please see my website.

WORKSHOP - Acrylics and Metals

This is a reminder to sign up for my workshop on Feb. 28, 2009.
I will be presenting a workshop on working with metals in abstract painting. The workshop is sponsored by Blue Sun Productions, www.bluesunproductions.net.

Incorporating metals into abstract works makes a dramatic impact. I will discuss various metals, support surfaces, methods of attatchment, design and composition. Each class participant will work with a variety of metals and supports. Participants will bring their own acrylic paints and brushes, but all other materials will be supplied.

For information about this workshop, please see Blue Sun Productions' website and click on EVENTS.

Last to Leave, 01309, baby robin in nest

This baby robin is thinking of leaving the nest. His siblings have already made the leap. It's remarkable that there are as many robins as there are because the babies are so dumb when they first come out of the nest. They can barely fly and you can walk right up to them. A cat would have no trouble catching one.
This original oil painting is on a cradled panel. For purchase information, see my website.

Baby Hummers, 01209

Is there anyone who doesn't love these little dynamos? The nest is so tiny, there's not much room for these babies.
This original oil is painted on a cradled 4x4 panel with the hardwood sides varnished.
SOLD

Chickadee with Berry, 01109

Chickadees stay around our house all winter. They especially like suet and black sunflower seeds. Occasionally they will also eat berries, such as this one from a sumac.
This original oil is on 4x4 cradled panel. I would like to do a series of birds on these little panels, leaving the sides unpainted - only varnished wood. They look good on a wall, on a mini easel, or just sitting on a shelf.
For purchase information, please see my website.



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Sweethearts Puzzle

Sweethearts, 01009, bears in love

Tomorrow the theme on Daily Painters (http://www.dailypainters.com/) is Valentines Day. We are to post our interpretation of the day of love. I thought of heart shaped candy boxes, roses, stuffed animals and all the usual valentines expressions of love. I usually make a heart shaped meatloaf for my husband and he's happy as "a pig in slop," but didn't think that would make a good painting. LOL

This little figurine of two cuddly bears was made in China. I thought it somehow just that I painted it because the Chinese copy painters are painting our works all the time.

Follow the Sun 2, still life daisies

The same flowers as the previous post were the inspiration for this painting. I love the full range of colors in this piece. For purchase information, please see my website:

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