Walk Like a Babar Sher

Babar Sher Born To Wander

8" by 8" by ¾" Acrylic on Cradled Wood

April 8, 2013

Some you like, some you don't.  This one is definitely a like!  It's funny about this wood surface.  I actually painted an antique Christmas ornament on it and it was really lousy.  I scraped off all the excess paint, gesso'd over it and wal-la, a new Babar Sher was born!  You can't even see any left over brush strokes.  In this case, it took two times to get it right.

Babar Sher Moyenne

Babar Sher Moyenne

6" by 8" acrylic on canvas board

April 5, 2013

Another Babar Sher, remember that is Lion in Urdu!  I really like painting my Babar Sher Series, they may be the direction I am heading, at least in part.

I had a great day in the studio yesterday.  Got lots started and a couple completed.  I'm on my way to the studio now.  Let's see what today brings.

Pretty Eyes vs the Dunked Sheep

A double treat today!  The reason is, the first painting will look like you've seen it recently, and for that matter, in the distant past, too!  But this will be it's last hoorah as far as I'm concerned.  However, it gets snapped up quite quickly.  The 1st one, in 1984 was snatched off my wall.  The second one, seen for the 2nd time was also snatched up without a moments hesitation.  That tells me, this one, mine again, could possibly be at risk for "snatching".  You never know around here!  It is a rendition of a wonderful painting done by Sally Wildman which I covered in depth on March 5 called, appropriately, "Sheep Dip".  I can not find Ms. Wildman's edition of this painting on line.  I originally found it in an art magazine and snipped out the tiny photo.  Also, unfortunately, I do not know what year Ms. Wildman painted Sheep Dip.  I would estimate somewhere between 1959 and 1984 as Ms. Wildman was born in 1959 and I painted my first copy in 1984.  Brilliant!  I should be a detective!  Momma would have been so proud, Daddy would have been skeptical.  Here for your enjoyment is my last, I hope, copy of Ms. Wildman's Sheep Dip.

Sheep Dip after Sally Wildman

20" by 20" by 1½" acrylic on cradled canvas

April 4, 2013

About the three I've painted, they very in size quite significantly.  The first was done on a 16x20 canvas board.  The second, given to my dear friend Ann O'Reilly, was done on a 10x10x1½ cradled canvas and this one is done on the 20x20x1½ cradled canvas.

Pretty Eyes Tabled

11" by 14" acrylic on Claybord

April 5, 2013

I'm going to write something about this in the next couple of hours, but right now, I just can't keep my eyes open.  Say Goodnight Gracie!

Whew, I'm back and so is Pretty Eyes. Don't you love him?

Easter Sunday

Burro 

9" by 12" by ¾" acrylic on cradled canvas

March 30, 2013

This is loosely based on a painting by artist Jeffrey R. Watts out of El Cajon, California.  If they were side by side, I don't think you'd notice they were both Burros!  His is beautiful!

Our Family Night was wonderful, perhaps the best we've ever had.  We ate our Frogmore Stew outside, in fact, we spent four hours outside.  It was heaven!  Barbara made up a game where we all sang "Going Down the Bunny Trail" and passed eggs to win prizes.  You would have thought we were playing for the lottery, it was intense!

Just the wonderful time spent together was worth all the jellybeans in the world.  I love my Family Night group.  We all work together as a unit and everything comes together without any one person being stuck with doing everything.  And we get along so well.  I got to stop right here and give Ron kudos for being the only male and enjoying himself as much as any of us.  He and I smoked cigars this afternoon since he didn't have another male to share in the special right of passage.  I managed about an inch of the behemoth. 

Life is Good and this Easter was Wonderful.  What a day...

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...

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?

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!

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!

March is on My Mind

I'm so glad it is March.  I don't know why, but it just seems like it is a good thing, this March!  I'm looking forward to lots more painting.  I'm getting familiar with my studio again.  It is amazing what wonderful supplies I have to work with.  I'm excited every day to see what I can do!

BeeKeeper

Acrlic on 16 x 16 x ¾ on cradled wood panel

February 27, 2013

I worked on this one for several days.  It was such a joy to work with this cradled panel.  I really like painting on wood and would choose it over canvas any time.  As I replace my inventory, I will try to add more of these.

Here is something kind of weird.  I went to see my doctor today and while in the waiting room, picked up a photography magazine.  It had an article on beekeeping and guess what photo was included.  YES, one of my two reference photos on the same day I completed the painting.  Kind'a weird don't you think?  You know, why I sat where I sat and picked up that magazine, I had taken a book after all!  I was excited, maybe I could get a photographer reference but there was none.  Too bad that a photo can make it to the internet and be used in magazines as well without siting who took the photo in the first place.

Poster art

Piper

After Nick Orsborn

Acrylic on 11x14 Pannelli Telati panel

February 23, 2013 nfs

There are so many things I love and elephants are one of them.  A few years ago, I was perusing the internet for them and came upon this fun little poster by Nick Orsborn.  I just couldn't resist giving it a try!  This sweet little canvas is not for sale.

I can't believe I haven't been painting often.  It is so rewarding to accomplish a canvas.  I'm walking around smiling and my family is proud of me.  In fact, so am I!  I hope this lasts.  I've given most of my work away and I need a new catalog of good stuff so I can give that away, too!  Remember, I don't like to give something away unless someone tells me they want it.  That is who I want to have my stuff!  I'm hoping Amina tells me she'd like to have Stavanger, Norway piece.  It is still available!

Say good morning Beckie!

Days Gone By

Jacksonville Zoo - 1970

Acrylic on 11x14x¾ stretched canvas

Painted December 2011

Something for the girls...

Olivia's Baby
acrylic on 6x8 canvas board

Lambie

acrylic on 8x6 canvas board

Earlier this month my cousin Debbie told me she and her husband and three boys were vacationing with her two brothers and their families and her mother in Garden City, SC and if I got a "wild hair", join them. After a decent three hour delay from the time the offer was extended I called to accept. They were going for a week and as it was a seven hour drive for me, I determined the least amount of time I could go for was two nights and one day. I really did not want to horn in on any more of their time than would take for a really good visit. I learned a long time ago everything to be said would be done in four to six hours but with the long drive, that was not possible. She seemed really delighted that I was coming and so was I.

I had not seen Debbie and her brother Ted since 1986. They both live in South Carolina and I had never met their children the oldest of which just graduated from high school and the youngest was seven! The third cousin David and his wife were coming from the Dallas, Texas area and I had not seen them since 1993. I had not see their mother, Aunt Joyce, since 1995. It was definitely time for a visit.

Recently on Facebook I had seen a painting owned by Mary Ellen Bitner that her cousin had painted. I spoke to Mary Ellen about it and said "I wish my cousins would give me a painting"! Oh, be careful what you say because I immediately realized I was the one that needed to give my cousins a painting!

So, for the next 3 days, I painted 6 canvas'. I choose the largest and most detailed for Debbie, Ted and David. Then I wanted to do something small for the 2 little girls, Annabelle age 10 and Baylee age 7, Ted's children. I did consider painting something for Debbie's three sons, ages seven, fifteen and seventeen, but I did not really have time and honestly do not know anything about the interests of young men.

Finally, David and Sally have 2 grown daughters, Kathryn just got married and Kristina who is my Facebook friend. Again, I just didn't have time so painted a wedding photo of Kathryn and her husband Mark as a type of delayed wedding thought. Sally was so excited and said Kristina would also want a painting of mine. She was joining them at the end of the week but we missed each other. Since Kristina has been my FB friend for a long time now, I kind of know her anyway, and therefore will try to paint her something special.

OK, long story getting longer - but not much. I had a wonderful time. I enjoyed visiting with each of them. I really think we have reinforced our adult selves and they are now in my heart for the rest of my life. My Aunt Joyce is a real character and we had a grand visit. I'm sure she will find a little canvas coming her way, too!

The real surprise was my cousin Ted and his two daughters. I only met Ted as a young child, he is one year older than my daughter. He became a fine man and I completely enjoyed him and his beautiful daughters. The youngest, Baylee, adopted me within minutes - or maybe it was me who adopted her company. We shared a room, stories, cooking and even traded toothpaste so we could know what each others tasted like! I had not chosen which painting was for which girl but tried to paint two of my favorite animals and not make them completely childish. I showed them both to Baylee who was completely interested and when I told her I had a painting of a pig named Olivia she asked for the pig. Absolutely, if someone wants a certain painting of mine, it is already theirs!

Pretty Eyes and Mouse Go Fishing

Pretty Eyes and Mouse Go Fishing
acrylic on 8" by 6" canvas board

I've been painting, Mary Ellen wanted a couple to send to her Dad and Step-Mom for Christmas. I offered - told her she could consider them commissions since she does so much for me! This one I painted with her Dad in mind, he is a fisherman. But after it was done, knew "Pretty Eyes" wouldn't be his thing! It is mine, however! Pretty Eyes is my sock doll from my childhood. And I love mice, so lucky me! Also, in case you wonder, the green hangy-down stuff is supposed to be a weeping willow!

Think I'll try to paint a few more soon - and post too! I miss it! Thanks for looking!

Art Challenge #19: Beyond Boundaries

Mei Mei Meets a Piranha

acrylic on 24" by 20" Centurion LX linen gallery wrapped canvas

Available $495 plus $18 shipping

Contact me at beckielboo@comast.net

The write-up for this post was doomed from the beginning! At first I was just too tired to do it. I was falling asleep while I was awake and when I'd move to do the next task, I realized I'd just been asleep! Weird! Then, earlier tonight, I came in and edited it with a really really great write-up - and you can guess - I lost it! Must not have meant to be!
So, this is the 19th challenge of The Artist Challenge hosted by Vikki North, Beyond Boundaries. It was not an easy topic for me, I started with the very uninspired and progressed to some interesting ideas but I couldn't develop them. I couldn't really say how I ended up with this, but once I came upon it, I knew it was what I wanted.
I'm sorry I can not rewrite what was lost. I took it as a sign, it didn't need to be said!

Chickened Out!

Wings - Belted Kingfisher

acrylic on 5" by 7" canvas board

SOLD to Sheila $35 including postage

I painted this for the weekly theme "Wings On Things" from the site The Three Muses Challenge. I doubt a plain-old-bird was what they had in mind, but I just couldn't get a thought aout a fairy or angel or even a cow with wings. They suggested we "spread our wings and fly" - there I failed miserably! BUT, I did kind of like my birdy and since he does have 2 wings, I am entering him into this challenge. Perhaps if I continue to visit thier blog and participate, I will loosen up and have more "fun"!

A Very Good Morning to YOU!

UPDATE: I went to the site to post my link, but lost my nerve. Everyone's entries that I saw were - well, it's hard to explain. They appear to be collages, often victorian in style, greeting card appearance, very quaint - not a plain-old-bird on a canvas board.

Don't get me wrong:

• I really like their art, I just think it is a different form than I work in.
• I am very pleased with my Birdy!

You were not made from a common mold

Babar Sher Crimson

acrylic on 10" by 10" by 1.5" gallery canvas

available $60 + $8 shipping

email me for PayPal invoice

This is the 3rd of four lions I started a couple of weeks ago. I still have one more and I'm sorry to say, it has taken me a little longer than I had hoped.

This lion is painted in almost all iridescent golds, copper & bronze. There are touches of 4 other colors, I'm sure you can see black and white! Also, there is a touch of pink on his nose and a touch of yellow orange azo under his wiskers. For me, very minimalistic!

The background is so yummy because the sides of the gallery wrap canvas are slightly contrasted to the front background. The background is Qunacridone Magenta and the sides are Hibiscus. OOOww, this is a pretty combination!

I know you can't wait - ha! ha! - but I'll give you a hint, the next - the last - lion will be on a green/gold background. Maybe this lion will be green, too!

I thank God for the way he made you, distinct, special and unique. You were not made from a common mold.

~ Erwin W. Lutzer

I WILL see you tomorrow!

Art Challenge #12: June Bug

June Bug and the Bee

acrylic on 12" by 12" canvas board

available $60 includes shipping

email me for PayPal invoice

There are two challenges a month at The Artist Challenge - A Private Art Club and June Bug #12 is the last one this month. I say it each time, if you like challenges and haven't checked into this one, you are missing something. Vikki North, the site administrator, is always bringing in guest speakers, finding special additions and in general making it fun to be a part of The Pub!

I just read the best article about photographing your art work by Guest Speaker Randall Bellows III, Professional Photographer. If you're not a member of The Pub, this would be a good reason to join - and it's free! Mr. Bellows has three sites, a Fine Art Site, he also has a Fashion/Portraiture site and a Blog site. I haven't checked them out yet, but will be doing so very soon. His guest speaker topic was worth checking out further.

This painting is another one of my literal interpretations of the subject. I can't wait to see what ideas the other artists present. Wikipedia gives so many definitions of June Bug. You could almost paint anything and it would qualify under one of the definitions!

I got my two bugs from a wonderful bug site, North American Bug and Spiders.

My bee is a Halictid Bee - Augochloropsis sp. commonly known as a "sweat bee", who's elongated "polka dots" in the compound eyes are optical illusions, akin to the "pupil" in the praying mantis' eyes, photographed in the wild at Winfield, Illinois by Sean McCann.

My June Bug is a Cotinus nitida, one of many beetles also colloquially known as "June bug", Photo by Stephen Friedt.

I included the original images so you could see what they really looked like, especially the bee. My painting of the bee is so colorful you might think I embellished it. You can see I did not, nature took care of that all by itself!

It is better to be a young June-bug than an old bird of paradise.

Mark Twain

What a happy time!

Goodnight

Fierce, but never low or underhanded

Babar Sher Fierce

acrylic on 12" by 12" canvas board

Sold to Ginger $60 including shipping

This is another Babar Sher. I couldn't believe how fierce he turned out! I probably shouldn't admit that, but sometimes you just don't know where things are going. The background started with an iridescent gold. I wanted to put a dark blue wash on it, but it completely covered the gold. I used a palette knife to blend the colors. I wasn't happy with the result, but hoped it would work with the painting. It did!

This is the 2nd of four new Babar Sher's I hope to finish in the next week. I have the other two canvas backgrounds ready.

I may have been fierce, but never low or underhand. Ty Cobb

Waiting for a beautiful morning
Goodnight

I am sometimes a lion

Babar Sher Grande

acrylic on 11" by 14" Claybord

This is a larger version of Babar Sher, Urdu for Lion posted on May 20, 2009. I am attempting 4 variations of that painting as an exercise. This is the first completed one. I hope to finish the 2nd one tonight.

This painting has renewed my appreciation for Claybord. Claybord needs to be painted with thin washes of color layered upon layer. I usually paint with straight heavy body acrylics and apply them anywhere from thin to fairly thick. So, I got to practice using washes. I used 3 washes on the background. The first two were Soft-Body Pithlo Blue RS mixed with equal parts of blue interference and iridescent gel. The third coat was Soft-Body Iridescent Rich Gold mixed with equal parts of gold interference and iridescent gel. I love the result!

When the lion was almost complete, I decided it was too green, so covered most of the face with gold interference. That did it!

The one excellent thing that can be learned from a lion is that whatever a man intends doing should be done by him with a whole-hearted and strenuous effort.
Chanakya

The quote, if you are reading this, is mostly for my new friend James Parker. I take my painting very seriously. Nothing will stop me, as I do it for myself. If someone likes it, that is a gift for me! This will spill over to all other aspects of my life as I continue to grow.

I am alright! Thank you for caring!
Goodnight!