Number Kids Series

Number Boy No.9 - Alex 

6" by 6" acrylic on masonite

March 28, 2013

This is my 4th in the Number Kids Series.  I started calling them "Number Girls" but it turns out I need to add a boy or two!

Today's Number Kid is for my nephew Alex who is just starting his nine month adventure in Afghanistan.  I think I wrote about him a few days ago.

Anyway, today is Easter Sunday and the family is getting together for a lunch at 2:00 and Barbara, Alex' Mother wants us to have a card for him to put in a package she will send to him this week.  I painted a Numbers Kid for this purpose.  I've already painted one for myself, a 13 for Friday the 13th; one for my daughter, a 39 for her current birthday; and one for my sister, an 18 for the date she will be getting married.

Alex' number 9 represents the number of months he will be away.

Our Family Dinner today will be the usual 4, me, Mary Ellen, Ron and Barbara.  Joining us will be my LBFF - lazy best friend forever - Ann.  I have no idea how many Easters over the 20 years I've know her she has spent with us, but it has been plenty.  What a blessing to have dear friends and family that like to be together.

Mary Ellen will be bringing lunch today, Frogmore Stew which is boiled shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob.  We will eat outside on the patio, something we all LOVE to do.  Nothing like eating under God's great sky to enjoy a meal to celebrate His Son Jesus.  I can't say here how happy and grateful I am for all my blessings and love.

BTW, LBFF comes from the fact we talk nearly every day on the phone, but seldom see one another.  Our friendship couldn't be stronger, but being in person with one another doesn't seem important to either one of us.  We decided that we were just "lazy friends"!

Some Days Are Better Than Others!

Pretty Eyes Ponders the Meaning of Cherry Blossoms

10" by 8" acrylic on canvas board

March 27, 2013

Nothing new finished yesterday as I expected.  Today, I'm hoping to finish two.  Again, we'll see!

Blast From the Past 1889

Van Gogh's LaBorceuse Augustine Roulin 1889

10" by 8" acrylic on canvas board

March 28, 2013

This was a real surprise, a "found" project!  When I started my studio in 2009, I participated in many painting challenges.  This picture was selected for one and I had gotten as far as sketching a prepared canvas.  I must have done a good job sketching because it sure was fun to paint today.  I wish I could find more of these little gems!

Just for fun, here is the reference image I used.  I thought I did a pretty good job this time.  In fact, I think my girl is just a little prettier!

In addition to this painting, I finished two others today plus got four more preped for tomorrow!  Really good day in the studio!  Tomorrow I have an appointment in the afternoon and on those days, I seldom get much done in the studio.  We'll see how it goes!

Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea Sock Monkey

9" by 12" acrylic on gessobord

March 24, 2013

Tie Flies

Red King (Davie McPhail)

5" by 7" acrylic on canvas board

March 2, 2013

Dry Royal Coachman

5" by 7" acrylic on canvas board

March 2, 2013

And the answer is: NO, these are not the last of the flies!  I really like painting them.  In fact, my sister has a bag full of flies our Dad made and she wants me to look them over to see if there are any I can paint.  Wouldn't that be something, painting Dad's flies!  He was so talented.  He made shrimp nets and even cast the weights he used on them.  I worked in Radiology and once was able to get a large amount of lead for him to melt for weights.  He actually sold enough nets to buy himself several nice things, like a small fishing boat and console stereo.  Remember those?  A large piece of furniture just to hold your record player.  Do they make things like that to hold MP3 players?  Of course not, you strap those to your arm now!

What a Monkey

 

Oliver Sock Monkey

8" by 16" acrylic on canvas sheet

March 23 2013

I'm working on friends for Pretty Eyes!  If I had to explain why I love them so much, I couldn't do it.  Maybe I just need a buddy and who can resist a Sock Monkey?

Wire Hanger Series Completed

Things are going great in the studio.  I can't believe I'm continuing to enjoy painting every day so much.  Knowing my attention span, this won't continue for more than about six months if I'm lucky.  But I am so enjoying it now!

Wedding Dress No.11

11" x 14" acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 21, 2013

Wedding Dress No.12

11" x 14" acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 21, 2013

Wedding Dress No.13

11" x 14" acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 21, 2013

These are the last of the Wedding Dresses in the Wire Hanger Series.  I really am happy with the end results and really proud of myself for actually completing what I started out to accomplish - just one year ago!  Yeah me!

Studio Buddies

Pretty Eyes and Rat

11" x 14" x ¾" acrylic on cradled canvas

March 19, 2013

In case you haven't guessed by now, I love my Pretty Eyes!  I've had him most of my life.  I think I was about 7 or 8 years old when someone gave him to me.  I do remember thinking he had the prettiest eyes I'd ever seen - ergo, his name!

Recently I photographed him in many poses so I'm sure you'll continue to see him.  He and Rat, who came to live with us as a Christmas decoration about 4 years ago, sit on the drafting table that I work on.  I have two of them, side-by-side in my studio.  The second one has a table top easel which I used to use all the time.  For some unknown reason, I seldom use it now.  Makes me think, why not remove the easel and have the work space?  Great idea, now I know what I'm going to do tomorrow!

In addition to the great work tables, I have 4 art-quality lamps so when I paint, it is lit up like a football stadium!  I do have to say, thank you God for the wonderful studio I have to work in.  It is so beautifully stocked that I could probably paint for several years without having to buy additional canvas.  As far as paint goes, yes, I have a
wonderful supply, but that seems to need replacing either because of degrading or because it has been used.  What a problem!

I have bought canvas several times in the last year to get a specific type.  I am finding I prefer hard surfaces to cradled canvas.  Recently I found Cheap Joe's cradled hard wood surfaces.  I got a box of 10" x 20" x ¾".  They smell so good, like my Father's work shop, every time I get one out, I have to smell it!  That sounds ridiculous but I love painting on them.

Pretty Eyes, I love you!

Wire Hanger Continued

Here are a couple more Wedding Dresses.

Wedding Dress No.9

11" x 14" acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 21, 2013

Wedding Dress No.10

11" x 14" acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 21, 2013

 

Dad would have been 91

My Dad was nothing but good to me in my life, but we weren't particularly close.  I could give all kinds of reasons and ideas but that isn't necessary.  He's been gone 27 years, dying at the age of 63, one year younger than I am now!  He was born in 1922 at the age of... !

I'd like to share a few photos of him.

 

This is Dad in 1944, he was 22 y.o. had a wife and a daughter and was serving in WWII in the Navy.  He used the GI Bill to attend Purdue to become a mechanical engineer, while having another daughter.  After a couple of jobs, the family started out in Louisville in 1954.

 This photo was taken in 1958, still in Louisville.  Their third and last child, Bruce, was born in 1954.  Soon after this they moved first to Decatur, Georgia and then to Jacksonville, Florida.  I call this picture "Happy Together".  Aren't they cute together?  Dad and Mom were 36 when this was taken.

This is moving along now to 1978 in Tucker, Georgia where Dad had a heart attack then retired.  This was taken the year before his heart attack when he was still looking pretty good.  He was 56 when this was taken.

This is how I remember Dad in the last few years.  After they retired, they moved to Gay, Georgia where Dad really enjoyed himself.  When he died, he was serving as Mayor of Gay.  This photo was taken in 1983-84, a few years before he died.  He was about 61 in this photo.

He was a wonderful craftsman and could truly fix almost anything.  Boy, were we ever spoiled.  I can't tell you how many things I've thrown away knowing if Dad were alive, he could fix it.  He was an Eagle Scout and worked as Scoutmaster for many years.  His hobbies, interests and activities are so varied and inclusive, it would be easier to say what he didn't do that what he did!  Just kidding!  I have developed a very thorough time-line of his life on Ancestry.com which tells most of the highlights of his life.

It is clear to see which of my parents I looked like.  In fact, I've been known to see him in the mirror upon a really quick glance!  I miss this guy, especially today!  Don't know why this is a significant year, but it for me, it is.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Wire Hanger Series #7 & #8

Wedding Dress No. 7

11" by 14 " acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 20, 2013

Wedding Dress No.8

11" by 14" acrylic on Pannelli Telati panel

March 20, 2013

I have completed, at least for now, the Wire Hanger Series with 13 panels.  Here are the next two that I have not posted.  I didn't mean to do an uneven number like 13 but when I was done, and counted, well...

They actually turned out better I hoped for.  Maybe I can add to the series with dresses other than Wedding dresses.  Maybe!

It would be so nice if I had a way to sell a few.  Just to recoup the cost of the panels and a few tubes of paint would be wonderful.  I ordered 8 tubes, 2 brushes and brush cleaner the other day and spent $80.  Wow, it sure does add up.

On a Snowy Night

Munich Train Station at Night (2013)

12" by 16" acrylic on canvas board

March 14, 2013

This is another painting I've revived from the past.  The first one I painted is on a 6"x8" canvas.  I loved that painting and always thought it would do nicely in a larger format.  I was right!

However, maybe the tag line should read "You can't go back" because the first one is really better.  Again, I thought I was better, with wisdom, but not so.  I'm not going to re-post the first one, I really don't want comparisons!  Just enjoy this one and then this one doesn't look so bad after-all!

Babar Sher Familia

Babar Sher Familia

14" by 18" by ¾" acrylic on cradled linen

March 19, 2013

Another Babar Sher painting from a photo taken by Daniel Dolpire for the National Geographic Magazine in the Serengeti in Tanzania.  The father of three, from South Africa, snapped the three-year-old males, from the 30-strong Black Rock pride, during a trip around Tanzania and Kenya.

A friend indeed

401 N Poplar Street

12" by 16" acrylic on canvas board

March 19, 2013

I think I'm going to give up painting from Google Street views.  It is really hard to get a good picture.  This one was very dark from shadows and possibly the weather.  I had to guess at most of it.

It is supposed to be the home of a friend of mine.  I painted it to give to her as a surprise when I see her this spring.  Now, I'm not sure she will even recognize it!  Oh well, this is one of those "at least I tried" paintings.

Butterflies

Disney Butterfly #1

8" by 8" acrylic on canvas board

March 17, 2013

I spent all afternoon and evening in the studio and don't feel like I have that much to show for it.  I do, really, but I like to see more done, I'm getting spoiled!

I had to do a lot of prep work and even day 2 on a couple of canvas.  They will probably be completed in the next day or two.  Wahh, wahh, I'm whining over nothing!

Disney Butterfly #2

8" by 8" acrylic on canvas board

March 17, 2013

The inspiration for these two butterflies came from a Disney Vacation Magazine advertisement.  I actually found four photos including Day Spa from yesterday and a turtle yet to be completed.  Great luck finding these reference photos.  I have such a hard time finding original photos I feel I can paint.

I liked both of these paintings.  Number 1 is very unusual and Number 2 is just so darned colorful.  I've painted a number of butterflies and they are the first to go.  Everyone seems to like them.  I wonder who will ask for these and how long they will stay getting dusty in my studio?  Not long, I hope!

St Patrick's Day

It is fitting that I choose "Day Spa" to post today, you can't get much more green than that!

I just wanted to mention that today would have been my 23rd Wedding Anniversary to Paul Leone.  He died shortly after our marriage, but I remember the time we had together and I remember him.  He was a real character!  I can't help but wonder what our lives would be like today if he had lived.  I can say, it would have been a far different life.  You can't underestimate the power of one in a relationship.  Compromise changes everything.

I also can say we were very much in love.  I choose to think that would still be the case today.  So I warp myself in a sweet comforting embrace.  Happy Anniversary, Paul.

Day Spa

Day Spa

8" by 10" acrylic on canvas board

March 16, 2013

I can't think of a thing to say about this painting.  I found the reference photo in a Disney magazine.  I guess they want you to think of all the wonderful things you can do on vacation.

I'm ready and anxious to hit the studio today.  That is such a wonderful thing for me, to actually want to do something!

Lovely Afternoon

It was such a nice bunch of women gathered to celebrate the upcoming marriage of my sister Beverly!  The food was amazing and the room was perfect.  I was really impressed with the gifts.  Lovely Afternoon!

Mary Ellen, Beverly, Beckie, Barbara

Barbara with new daughter-in-law Jennifer

Bride-to-Be Beverly with niece Mary Ellen

Beverly with sisters Elizabeth & Susan, and friends Sharon & Kathy

Susan and Elizabeth are Bob's daughters.  Sharon & Kathy are long-time friends.

"The Core" Beckie, Barbara and Mary Ellen

The three of us are "the Family".  Barbara is my sister-in-law.  Mary Ellen is my daughter.

Beverly opening gifts

I'm so excited for Beverly.  She is one of the best people I've ever known, my sister!

Wedding Shower

My sister is the best friend I've ever had and I've had some really good friends.  I respect her and love her more than I can tell.  And now she is getting married.  She and Bob Benson have quite a story and they are so good together.  Their wedding date is May 18th and today, we are giving her a bridal shower brunch.  "We" is the core group of "Family", my sister-in-law Barbara, my daughter Mary Ellen and myself.

Mary Ellen has done all the planning and shopping and now, Barbara and I will go in and grab a little credit!  We have no shame!

Mary Ellen asked me if I thought I could paint something, so I decided to paint Beverly one of my "Number Girls".  I painted Mary Ellen a "39" for her birthday recently and I have a "13" from 2009 on a Friday the 13th.  Beverly's is an "18" for the date of her wedding.

The Bride in Black Slip

6" by 6" acrylic on canvas board

March 11, 2013

It is a lingerie shower, so she is supposed to be in a black gossamer slip!  It is one of those things you have to use your imagination for!  This little painting will be on a table easel.

I will take a couple of photos and will add them later this afternoon.

Re-Post

With just the addition of 6 lines and blunting the "go-nowhere" street, it is a little better.  I still don't want to hang it in my gallery, but at least I can accept it as finished.  I may sleep tonight after all!  Ha! Ha!


Wal-la:  A few lines here & there.

The Good, Bad & Ugly

Just when you think you're doing a good job, you reach dismal failure.  I can't help but wonder if any of the wonderful artists I follow ever have those failures?  I'm sure they did, but they have honed their craft and I suspect their waste can is full of dust now!

I, however, have not come close to honing my craft.  However, I will say of the paintings I painted in 2009 and repeated now, the former were the better projects and my cooking hasn't been all that great lately either.  What's up, is it just a slump or is the best NOT yet to come?

Here is what happened with this painting.

I wanted to paint something for the Virtural Paint Out this month.   The place is Vilnius Lithuania.  I spent about an hour driving around the country and picked out a couple of possibles.  I finally decided upon a trolly which is rather ironic in the first place.  A trolly is a trolly in any country.  But I was really not finding anything else.  Well, when it was completed, I hated it.  I told my daughter Mary Ellen, it was certainly destined for the burn pile.  She happened to drop by after work today and was surprised I felt that way.  I said, look, no one would want this painting to hang anywhere.  I still hated it.

My dilemma was in order to remain true to the map photo and qualify for VPO, I felt I shouldn't make any significant changes.  But since I don't want to post it, I can "fool around" with it all I want now.  OK, I know you're dying to see it so here it is ... but I'm sure you'll hate it, too!

6 Kalvariju gatvė, Vilnius, Lithuania

12" by 16" acrylic on canvas board

March 14, 2013

That is the Good - I'm willing to share my mistakes
That is the Bad - I'm willing to share my mistakes
That is the Ugly - I'm willing to share my mistakes

AND, I will NOT be posting this to the Virtual Paint-Out!

Butterfly to be...

Caterpillar

6" by 12" acrylic on canvas paper

March 13, 2013

Got lots of painting done today.  I only put about a quarter of what I post on my blog.  Then of course, there are other pieces in progress, too.  Busy, busy...

Live-A-Little

My daughter Mary Ellen and long-time beau Ron enjoy wine.  I never acquired that taste, it always left a metallic taste in the back of my mouth.  My pleasures ran to Tequila and Gin - that may be why I no longer drink!  Anyway, most weekends, we get together for a meal, good conversation and their wine ... my coffee.  Maybe I should write a post about how much I enjoy coffee!

Last weekend, we call it Family Night, they had a sweet little wine called "Live-A-Little" and they liked the picture on the label.  Ron asked me if I could paint it and this is what I got.  I hope he likes it!

Live-A-Little

9" by 7" acrylic on canvas board

March 11, 2013

An Elephant?

Klondike

12" by 6" acrylic on canvas paper

March 9, 2013

This painting is after a really beautiful painting by artist Julie Hill.  I didn't think mine turned out even well enough to throw in the fire, but my daughter Mary Ellen liked it well enough to ask for it!  You never know?

Keeping Up

I'm finding it hard to keep up with it all.  It takes a little while to scroll through Facebook, translate & read my friend Amina's Blog, and emails.  Then there is varnishing and packaging recent paintings, canvas prep for future paintings, selecting subject of future paintings.  Then there is photographing and scanning paintings and entering data onto computer and blogging.  Besides actually turning out a painting, there is a lot of behind the scenes work involved.  I don't know, when you write it down, it doesn't sound like that much, but keeping up with it all is a lot of work.  And just think, most artists have families and full time jobs on top of all that.  Upshot, it's been 3 days since my last post!

Fleabus

20" by 10" by 1" acrylic on wood panel

March 8, 2013

This is Fleabus.  Yes, I choose that ridiculous spelling because I wanted to "punch" the name.  In approximately 1958, my sister and I enjoyed attending the movies at the local theater.  It took 50¢ to attend with a box of popcorn and a coke.

At one apparently memorable movie, the cartoon was about this funny little guy that raised his hand and open and closed his fingers waving to his companion.  For some reason, that little wave and his name stayed with both my sister and myself all these years.  All I would have to do is give the wave and my sister will crack up laughing and say "Fleabus"!

I really like this painting and besides, the wood it is painted on is really beautiful.  It has the aroma of freshly cut lumber and is so reminiscent of my Father's wood shop.  It brings back really special memories.

Happy Bee

Happy Bee Approaches Mariposa Lily

11" by 14" by ¾" acrylic on stretched canvas

Marcy 7, 2013

I'll say one thing, I like doing bee's a whole lot better than I like painting flowers!  Will I ever find my niche?

I've been having wonderful days spent in the studio.  There is so much else to do than just paint.  It is amazing!  However, I have been able to get several paintings done in the last couple of days.

Problem, I left my camera in my daughters car last night.  The family, all 28 in toll, met to send my nephew off for a great adventure.  He is a wonderful young man and has many many people in his corner.  People come from South Florida, North Carolina and Oklahoma just to attend this dinner!  Now that is family love!

Alex leaving for nine months was the reason for me trying to complete his graduation painting.  What I did do was give him Pretty Eyes #3 as a going-away-card.  It has large arms to wrap around him until his return!  Both he and his wife Jenn seemed really pleased with it.

I know I haven't said where Alex is going.  There was some degree of privacy associated with this trip and I'm not sure if it is public knowledge, so, I feel I should say as little as possible about Afghanistan.  Alex is a civil engineer with the Corp of Engineers and with that, is going to north Afghanistan to help rebuild the country.  Boy, are we ever proud of this fellow!  They haven't been discussing it on Facebook but Alex told us that will be how he keeps up with his family and friends while he is gone.  That is why I thought it would be OK to mention it here and now.  He is leaving in two days.

OK, off to pick up my camera and then back to the easel!

Ducklings

I'm not proud of todays work.  I feel like I'm going from bad to worse!  And you know what?  I don't mind.  I mean, I still haven't thrown away my first 500 as Edward Gordon told me to do.  I'm beginning to understand why he said that!  So, since these are in the "throw away" count anyway, I don't mind that they aren't fine art, and only one step above kindergarten art.

Swimming Ducks

6" by 12" acrylic on canvas paper

March 6, 2013

Duckling and Lamb

4" x 11" acrylic on canvas sheet

March 7, 2013

ADDENDUM: I just realized I didn't give the lamb a mouth, no wonder he looks so pitiful!  Guess I'll have to fix that! 

I receive Blog posts from several artists.  Belinda Del Pesco recently painted a beautiful retriever on a 4" by 11" support.  I was really intrigued by the size and placement so I took a 16" x 20" canvas sheet and cut it into one 5" x 12" and three 4" x 11" sheets.  How darling they are!

Great Day in the Studio

Yesterday was a great day.  I prepped several canvas', varnished a few and painted two.  I just hope today is half as good!

Calliope Metal Mark Butterfly

6" x 12" acrylic on canvas sheet

March 5, 2013

Sheep Dip

In my early painting career, I painted this fun painting and hung it on my own wall.  A friend from work, Jackie Bridger, whom I have completely lost touch, loved it.  She asked me for it over and over and I realized that is when it is time to let one go.  I give most of them away now, but back then, I used them myself and giving one away was giving away my friend.  However, I've never regretted giving it to Jackie, I still believe that it was hers from the time she asked for it.

It has stayed on my mind though along with another I gave away under similar circumstances.  Maybe those first babies were just too dear?  So, I decided to repaint it, it has been 29 years after all!  The first one I painted was on a 16" x 20" canvas board.  This time, I want to paint it on a 20" x 20" x ¾ stretched canvas.  I will be giving Alex his painting soon (I hope!  If I can get that face on!) and I want to put the same size on that easel.  It has been nice as a decoration in the room.  But, I don't know, for practice or as another give-away, I first paint it on a 10" x 10" x 1½" stretched canvas.  It was pretty easy and I liked that!  Oh, by the way, the original I painted after was done by Sally Wildman and she painted it on a 42" x 48" with oil pastels.  Now that was a big undertaking!  I found it as a tiny clip in an art magazine.  I have not been able to find it on line although I have found Ms. Wildman.  She does not appear to have her own Blog but you can Google her and find a few paintings including mine!

Here is a bio about Ms Wildman (1939- ) :
Sally Wildman is a graduate of OCAD in the 1960's. The subject of her drawings are mainly everyday objects and animals seen through a whimsical filter. She is greatly influenced by a long love affair with rural environments in England and Canada. Using pastel, she finds there is a freedom to manipulate images by introducing a note of humour in a surreal narrative. Her work is included in many public and private collections including Dofasco, Xerox, Langdon Hall, Redpath and the Government of Ontario.

What I see in her work is much more detail and control.  They are beautiful fine art and I wonder why she would paint something as simple as this "Sheep Dip"?  Maybe, as her Bio stated, it was just a moment (on such a large canvas) of whimsey!

I'm going to post both my original and today's.  My observation is that my first one was better than todays.  I would like to think I've grown as an artist in 30 years, but it doesn't look like it.  I am grateful though, if could have been worse!  Always the optimist.  Here they are:

 Sheep Dip (1984)

16" x 20 " acrylic on canvas board

 

Sheep Dip (2013)

10" x 10" x 1½" acrylic on canvas
Sides painted Phthalocyanne Green (Blue Shade)

March 5, 2013

It's pretty nice ... and available!

Face Update

Well, I gave myself an idea in the first post.  His head is too big and that is where I must start.  Luckily, very luckily, I had not mixed the paint and had used Brilliant Blue straight from the tube with a little white knifed through.  I think it is good enough and maybe now, I can put a decent face on him and get rid of that goiter!

I mean, you can tell, if you know to look, but I think I can get away with it and move on.  His shirt collar is probably now too big, but I've actually seen men wearing them like this, and I suspect Kelly is a slight man based upon his sports prowess.

Back to work!  I'm stoked!

Difficulty with FACE

Well, I do have a couple I could post, but I'm struggling with a face on a large canvas.  This is a really special, to me, project.  I started it in 2009 when my only nephew graduated from college.  It has been sitting on an easel ever since.

I decided to finish it this week and all went well, really well, until I got to his face.  It is so bad, I have actually wished I knew an artist that could come over and paint in his face for me.

Finally, my wise daughter told me to slow down.  I didn't need to finish it this week, after all, it has been sitting on an easel for 4 years!

I'm going to show you my pitiful attempts at his face and you can see for yourself.

 

This poor guy looks like he is wearing a Freddie Kruger mask.  His nose has been amputated and his neck is enlarged with a goiter.  Oh dear, what a mess!





So, I got out the paint and tried again.

He is better, but just not something you'd really want hanging on your wall.  You know what I mean?

I wish his face was smaller, but I began the background 4 years ago and cannot rework that now.  Or can I?  Think I'll take a look at that!


This is when Mary Ellen said, slow down, Mom!
Hos did she get so wise?

I am going to continue to work on him.  Who knows, maybe something will work if I keep at it!  And maybe not.  There are no guarantees when it comes to painting and every artist has a barrel full of rejects.

Thanks for looking.

Babar Sher Desire

In 2009, I began a series of Lions I called "Babar Sher".  Babar Sher is an Urdu word for lion and I liked that.  This was to be the last of that series, but I wonder, when you let 4 years go between them, can it still be called a series?  Oh well, a series it is and if I ever feel like it, I will add to it!  So, here, without further ado, is #4 of a series of four.

Babar Sher Desire

12" x 16" acrylic on canvas board

March 4, 2013

I thought it would be fun to see them all together, so here are the rest.  The one called simply Babar Sher was not part of the series but was the "prototype" that started me painting them in the first place.

Babar Sher (Urdu)

Babar Sher Crimson

Babar Sher Grande

Babar Sher Fierce

BTW, today's Babar Sher's name came about this way.  I wanted to name it after my dog Stella.  That brought on the idea of "A Street Car named Desire".   I mean, what else could it have been?  I've always felt bad that the Blog is named after the other two, Erin and Annie.  I had had them about 6 years when I started the blog and they were already my faithful friends.  It was only after the Blog was started that Stella came to live with us and therefore, she was left out.  Frankly, the name of the Blog would have become a little awkward anyway, Ha! Ha!  So, there you go Stella, you have a painting in your honor now.