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?

Kate Shelley Bridge

Kate Shelley Bridge

11" by 14" by ¾" acrylic on Signature canvas board

April 4, 2013

I've been wanting to do a train for a long time.   What I found out was they are hard!  There is so much detail.  And the bridge was another story!  I actually scraped off the paint and started again, something I've done on several other painting since.  You can see remnants but, believe me, this is still better!

The bridge has quite interesting statistics. It is located in the Boone Scenic Valley 3 miles West of Boone, Iowa.  It is America's tallest Double track Bridge.  It is above the Des Moine River and 2, 685 feet long.  It was constructed in 1899-1901 and renamed to its current name in 1912.

No matter what, it is an impressive bridge and I'll bet it is a real beauty to see.

Shoo Fly, Shoo

Soft Hackle Fly (Maria Gonzalez of Mayfly)

6" by 6" acrylic on masonite

March 25, 2013

Captain Poinder (Davie McPhaill)

6" by 6" acrylic on masonite

March 25, 2013

These are the last of the fly's.  I don't have any plans to do more unless some pitiful man begs me too!  Ha! Ha!  That Davie McPhaill sure makes them colorful doesn't he?  Let's see, he might have a website?  I looked him up, but everything seems to be videos often on Youtube. They can be found by Googling in case you want to see more of his tying skills.

I just found out Maria Gonzalez is an artist with a Website called Mayfly Art.  I thought she tied flys.  That means her paintings are so realistic that they are mistaken for the real thing!  She does portraits in addition to the flys.  BTW, mine does not look a thing like hers.  Part of the reason is mine are painted on the black background which is quite dramatic, don't you think?

Well, good thing I'm out of the "fly" business.  Looks like it's pretty well covered.  Thank you both Davie and Maria for the inspiration you've provided.

Wonderful Days!

Babar Sher Beloved

9" by 12" by 1½" acrylic on cradled canvas

April 3, 2013

I feel like I'm beginning to find my niche!  Maybe not completely, but at least a start.  I have four series: Babar Sher's, Number Kids, sock monkeys, and Wire Hanger Series.  In addition, I'm finding I really like fields, vineyards and barn landscapes.  Maybe I will find out who I am eventually!

This darling little painting is of a Father looking at his cub.  Nothing else needs to be said!  And, it is a Babar Sher Series painting and that always makes me happy to add a new lion to the pride!  The dirt they are standing on is made using glass bead gel, one of my favorite tools I've used many times.  You may be able to see it if you click on the image and then again to enlarge it.

The day past was so successful, I couldn't help but smile while I worked.  I couldn't help but thank Our Father for all that He has done for me and for the gifts we can choose to use.  Life is good!

I'm now on Ebay!

Wedding Dress No.14

11x14 acrylic on Pintura canvas panel

April 3, 2013

Wedding Dress' No.15

11x14 acrylic on Pintura canvas panel

April 3, 2013

I showed my Wire Hanger Series to my Family last weekend and was surprised at how much they like the series.  I was encouraged to paint more.  However, the big news today is, I have put most of them on Ebay.  I am finally offering them for sale! 

I have developed a selling price list and an 11x14 would sell for $86. That is a price I have developed by looking for several years at what art sell for and that is a beginner price.  It is a more than fair price.  With that said, I am starting my Ebay auction at $20.  I do not expect to have any bids.  I do not have a following.  I do, however, have a good rating with Ebay haveing been a buyer for many years.  If one did sell at that price, the good news would be I would be covering the cost of materials, something I sorely need to do!

Passing Time

At The Creek

6" by 12" acrylic on canvas sheet

April 1, 2013

This painting is based upon a painting by Mark Kelvin Horton.  No matter how hard I try, mine always look like a childs marks on poster paper.  Remember that?  That is how I feel.  How will I ever learn to blend my colors, create shadows and control my brush strokes to take off on my own?  I keep trying. And I won't even talk about faces and noses.  Those are impossible!

I love, love, love Mr. Horton's work.  You must scoot over to his web site and take a look.  My favorite are of fishing with shrimp nets.  B-U-T-full !

Reaching into the Past

Sennelier - 3 Quai Voltaire, Paris

9" by 12" by 1½" acrylic on cradled canvas

May 31, 2009

This is still the photo you get if you Google Street Maps at 3 Quai Voltaire.  I painted it in 2009 as part of an art challenge for Virtual Paintout.  Sennelier is an art store in Paris and also a very popular paint brand.  I thought it was appropriate to paint an art store for an art challenge.  I Googled Sennelier to get the address, it is pronounced sen-nel-ee-ay.

I'm posting it today - again - because it is a favorite of mine.  I may bring back a few other of my favorites this month.

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...

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!