Aerial #7...until I think of a better title....just finished, hot off the easel...11 x 10 inches
watercolor and casein....

The aerial image that inspired this one, is of Jackson's Point in Ontario...(I pushed the island closer to the land :) ) That is where I spent the weekend with some of my artist friends from WetCanvas. Lots of fun with a terrific group of people!

Step one of a new painting....30 x 20 inches.....Anyone recognize this aerial view? This is just the beginning stage...I'm sure it will go through many transformations before it's finished....but I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what's on my easel. Have a great weekend! I'm off to visit with some artist friends in Sutton, Ontario....about an hour north of Toronto....Hoping for good plein air weather!

"Turnberry" 24 x 40 inches.... acrylic on canvas

Poor Don....he's had to wait all this time to get his Christmas pressie....I think I'm finally done!!! Just needs varnished and the frame put together and he can take it to his office to remind him of why he's working...it's to pay for wonderful golf trips like this one was! LOL

Hundertwasser

"The Blob Grow in the Flower Pot", c.1975

I borrowed a book from my friend, Sue Galos a month or so ago.... It is about the life and work of F. Hundertwasser....I am smitten by his use of color and pattern. I'm finding that his influence is worming it's way into my current project (aerial views). Here is a link to more of his dynamic work... Hundertwasser

"I Got Ta Boogie" ...7.5 x 11.25 inches...mixed media on paper.


I started this one a really long time ago....And I would work on it a little bit once every year...I didn't wait that long on purpose, it just worked out that way. "I love the night life...I got ta boogie"..says she who's usually in bed by 10:00 at night! LOL

"You Are Here" 15 x 15 mixed media

Vertigo anyone??? :) Lots of depth in this one...lots of layers....lots of covered up misadventures! I resorted to slight humor in the end! It seems a calming globe-like piece though.

This little fellow (fellow??) has been visiting us occasionally. My son Andy, took this photo last week in our backyard....I named him/her Shawn.



I asked "Shawn the fawn" to please stay away from the flowers...but the weeds are fine to consume. He said ok....and so far so good.

I did a double dose of liquid fence after his first visit....but I did it after he was gone....no need to be rude!

As far as painting goes....I'm working on another in the aerial series...hopefully I'll have it to post next week.

"Aerial Spine" until something better comes to mind :) 10 x 10 inches....mixed media

I'm still experimenting with the aerial views in mapquest....loosely bases on maps of our subdivision....VERY loosely! This one was motivated by color mostly...then pattern. Any ideas out there for a better title??? I'm all ears! :)

"Aerial Citrus" 15 x 15 inches.....watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil

I mentioned last week about a new series of work using the aerial views from mapquest as inspiration...This one started with our neighborhood....There are a lot of ponds and creeks that meander through, that look really interesting from the bird's eye view! I just finished this one this morning...kinda wild! But fun!

"Mushroom Fairy" 7.5 x 7.5 watercolor (sold)

This is another older one...and the reason I'm posting it is because the moss that I painted this from is blooming again!....Delicate tiny white flowers cover the intense green of this moss....One of my favorite plantings! A great ground cover.... very flat....and walkable! But don't step on the fairies.... :)

"Pansies" ... 15 x 15 inches....acrylic collage (actual pansies collaged in)



Detail....

Detail.....

I finished this painting quite a while ago.....It's similar to the poppy painting from yesterday in that I used actual petals embedded into the collage. The Pansies worked much better than the poppy petals did....I didn't add any paint on top of them like i had to with the poppies.

Wowee... what storms came through here this morning! Glad I wasn't outside!!!

"Poppy Petals" 30 x 22....mixed media collage


Detail photo....

Here's a new collage... It has actual Poppy petals collaged onto it....Funny thing is...when the petals dried under the gel gloss (what I used to glue with)...the gorgeous orange-red turned to a ghastly light mauve-brown color! The black bits stayed as is...but I had to go over the petals with fluid acrylic....I've done this sort of thing before...using actual petals in the collage...But with pansies. It is interesting to watch the color change as it dries out....The pansies stayed the same color, but just less vibrant....I'll have to hunt up that painting and post it later this week...
Enjoy your day where ever you are!

"Duck Lake 2"... 7 x 7 ....watercolor and colored pencil





"Duck Lake 1" ...7 x 7 ...watercolor, colored pencil

Don't you wish you could fly?
I'm starting a new series of abstracted "bird's eye view" landscapes....I've always been fascinated by the satellite images of neighborhoods....So I'm starting with the one I live in. :) These two are sketchy, planning sort of paintings....a jumping off point so to speak.
I was sitting in the studio...watching the wind blow the water around in the pond behind our house...I love looking at water and the wildlife that comes with it....
I started doodling and "wa-lah"...I felt a new series coming on! :)....

John Singer Sargent... "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose"....Tate Gallery, London

This is one of my favorite Sargents...and it surprises me....Sentimental paintings of children, while lovely, don't often trip my switch. This one however, is all about the color and the mood for me. The interesting thing is...if you Google image this painting....you'll find a huge variation in color correction for the computer...some photos of it are very green...some warm...I would like to think that this one is the most accurate representation of the bunch. It's all about that magical 2 to 4 minutes when day turns to dusk....I guess I'll just have to get to London and the Tate to see for myself! I'm putting it on my to do list.

"Oxford Concrete" 8.5 x 13 watercolor and ink

This one is from a while ago....I always am drawn to industrial type settings....When Lapeer Road is too congested to contend with...I use the back way into town....Driving right by Oxford Concrete....The red truck kindly posed in the center of the blue ones...and I didn't even need to ask! :)

First Peonies! Finally!!! It's so hot here today...they will probably be short lived this year...this is a quick watercolor sketch from life....about 8 x 8 inches.



Yesterday...I went with 4 neighbor's down to the Detroit Institute of Arts .....What a great day! If you haven't been down to see the renovations....you really should!



Whenever I go to museums or art festivals I get what I call "sensory overload"....I need frequent breaks...there is just too much to take in! I find myself exhausted but also exhilarated....it was all I could do after I got home yesterday afternoon, to make a simple dinner!

"Brothers" 7.5 x 7.5 watercolor

This is an older painting from my year of painting series
It never fails to make me chuckle...accomodating older brother...pouting younger brother....
The photo I used was from the 20's if I remember correctly....

Go Red Wings!!!

This is my dog Ivan....He loves to quote his favorite movie, "ELF"

I'm draggin' this morning after watching our beloved Red Wings lose in a triple overtime game last night.....yawn...

"Midnight Tulips" 11 x 15 ...watercolor and ink

Another doodle from my visit to Sarnia...fanciful and fun.

Go Wings!!!