DAILY PAINTING: "Precious Pit Bull" 11-12-15 This is Took, named after the "Lord of the Rings" character by my daughter's fiance, Collin, who rescued this pit bull / lab as a stray puppy, who was thin, full of fleas and in need of a loving home. Took is a wonderfully affectionate, gentle kid whose mission in life is to show that pit bulls don't have to be mean & aggressive. He has certainly won his way into our hearts! I did a straight-up drawing of Took, and though it wa

DAILY PAINTING: beginning Pet Portraits 11-11-15 HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY and many thanks & blessings to our veterans & all of those who have served & kept us safe! I made a series of 9 x 12" canvas panels (see previous posts for details), and I've painted the backgrounds (as you can see). Just these 2 panels to give you an idea. I'm using acrylic & alcohol inks, which are such fun! You can see that there are some simple shapes & images embedded into the working background, and

DAILY PAINTING: COMPLETED "be-YOU-t-ful 3", 11-10-15 The whole series is finished! I'm very pleased with the results, and I appreciate you sharing the whole process with me, from start to finish, concept to completion. If you're interested in any of these paintings, either for yourself or as a gift for someone special, please visit my etsy site. Also, commissions are always welcome! I still intend to do the large, companion piece called "Billboard Beauty", but I need a b

DAILY PAINTING: "be-YOU-t-ful" 11-09-15 Here's the 3rd canvas in this series, well underway, with only the accent lines to go (tomorrow, perhaps), and possibly some minor color adjustments. When my adult daughter found out that I was painting this series, she was very pleased & supportive. It's an issue near & dear to both of us. During college, my daughter struggled with her weight & her image of herself. It was so hard to see her, who is so precious to us, go through a

DAILY PAINTING: COMPLETED "be-YOU-t-ful 1" Lots of life & energy! You can see the accent lines now (the paint dried faster than I expected, for once!). I made just a few, slight color adjustments and Voila!, it's done! I like it, I like the series as a whole, which is expressing the message as I had hoped. (Please see earlier posts in which I discuss my thoughts on the impact of marketing, the beauty industry & the risk of eating disorders). So I'm excited and energized

11-06-15 This is the first layer of "final" paint on what I think of as the "orange composition" in this series, just because of the starting background color. Some minor adjustments to the final canvas will be made, but this gives you a general idea. Later, accent lines will become apparent to futher emphasize the distortion, which is so important to the meaning we're trying to convey. (See previous posts for concept). Thanks for stopping by! I hope you continue to enjoy

DAILY PAINTING--NOT! Look what arrived for the studio today! This box has clearly been through some ordeal (hope what's inside is not broken!). And that big yellow sticker that says "HEAVY" is no joke. I feel sorry for the poor person who had to deliver it. I could barely heave it through the door. What is it, you wonder? My thoughtful & generous husband found this wonderful, all-wooden, 8-drawer cabinet on wheels, which he bought for me as a surprise! Did I find a good

This has really turned out as I had hoped, and I appreciate you sharing the creative process with me. The other two paintings continue to be under way, so be sure to see how they develop. Then there will be the companion piece to this series, the large painting called "Billboard Beauty," which will follow. See this painting & my other work on my etsy site. Thanks for the visit & see you tomorrow!

DAILY PAINTING: "be-YOU-t-ful" 11-02-15 This is the first of the full scale (16 x 20") paintings based on the "distorted" images. This particular composition was painting on a largely yellow background. You can see that the distortions in the drawing have created interesting opportunities for color and form, as we had hoped. This is just the first layer of "final" paint. There will be some linear elements that you'll see later in the week (when this paint dries). But th