Somedays a pom pom is just too cheery

"Some Days a Pom Pom is Just Too Cheery"
7.5 x 5.5
Acrylic and ink on collage paper

Don't ask....because I have no idea where this one came from...
But it does make me laugh.


Have a great weekend!!!

Sunnyflowers

"Sunnyflowers"
7.5 x 5.5
Acrylic on collage paper

Been working on the February newsletter ALL morning and then into the afternoon. Once the template is all set up, it SHOULD be a piece of cake to get it written. Look for it in your inbox come February 1! (with any luck at all)

Striving for Luminosity...

7.5 x 5.5 inches
Acrylic on collage paper

I was reading "Color and Light for the Watercolor Painter" by Christopher Schink this morning. He has devoted a few pages on achieving luminosity that were inspiring to re-read.

Schink suggests that; "To create the illusion of glowing areas, paint your subject using light to mid-range values only --no pure whites and no darks." There are a lot of inspiring illustrations to motivate you in this wonderful book.

So here's my attempt, but in acrylic..... It was so very hard not to reach for the darks!!! This was really a stretch for me. I included the black and white photo to show that I really didn't go past mid range...



When might you use luminosity? When trying to paint lanterns, glowing windows at dusk, maybe candlelight... When the light is emanating from something, not shining on something. It would be a great skill to have in your arsenal... I'm going to keep practicing. :)

Art Critique Group

"Blast Off"
10 x 11
Acrylic on Paper

This morning I met with my critique group. It's just so much fun to see what everyone has been up to. (Though they usually know what I've been doing because of this blog.)
We bring our paintings that are finished...and the ones that we're stuck on...and even paintings that we absolutely are sick of. It's always an inspiring morning with creative ideas swirling around.

Dinner at the Whitney....yum!

"Dessert First"
12 x 12
Acrylic

This painting was done in 1999...I did a series of these with my favorite quotes surrounding them...I still sell the image on note cards, even though the painting sold right away. :)


Last night, Don and I met 3 other couples at The Whitney...a gorgeous restaurant in Detroit. Delicious and beautiful....even if I did have to wear "big girl shoes."

Valentine Bouquet in Watercolor

"Valentine Bouquet"
10 x 8
watercolor class sample (at JoAnn's in Auburn Hills)

This class will be available next week. Come join me and we'll splash some paint around!

I had the best time with my beginning watercolor class on Wednesday night. The ladies were just so much fun! I must say, all 3 of their projects turned out just great! (It was the Winter Trees class)

Have a great weekend!
I get to wear my "big girl" shoes tonight....Don and I are going out to dinner with 3 other couples...Wow! A date night!

Quote of the Day:
"The real study of an art student is more a development of that sensitive nature and appreciative imagination with which he was so fully endowed when a child, and which, unfortunately in almost all cases, the contact with the grown-ups shames out of him before he passes into what is understood as real life."
~Robert Henri (in "The Art Spirit")

Newest favorite iTunes buy:
"Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Back to Warm-ups!

"Teal and Golden Bouquet" (catchy title! LOL)
5.5 x 7.5 inches
Acrylic on fabric glued to watercolor paper.

I am still working on the High Road series...but did a few warm-ups today. This one has very unusual colors for me.... I really like painting on the batik quilt fabric (glued to the paper) What a dynamic under-painting! I would be more pleased if I had left just a bit more of the fabric on left side of the bouquet...oh well... I guess that's why they are called "warm-ups!"

Quote of the Day:
Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere.
~Erma Bombeck

Twin Climbs

"Twin Climbs"
Acrylic and pencil on paper
8 x 8 inches

Newest small experiment in my "taking the high road" series...
Unusual colors for me.....

Twin Climbs... sounds like Twin Pines.... A milk company that was in Detroit... They sponsored some kind of kiddie show on tv featuring "Milky the Clown." I think my sister was on that show once.
I was WAY too young and couldn't be trusted to sit still. he hee he.

i'm so glad I was a couch potato.

Last night I had decided not to go to Don's hockey game ...It was just too snowy...and the couch and a good movie were just too attractive to pass up. (He's an assistant coach @ Lake Orion Varsity Hockey...Go Dragons...they had a terrific victory last night)

Thank God I had decided to be a couch potato!

Around 8:30 our house alarm started going haywire! The keypad was telling me that
A window had been broken in the family room...
Our house was full of carbon monoxide...
And there was something wrong in the garage too...
Armegedon!

My pass code wouldn't shut off the horrific blaring of the alarm. The alarm company was trying to call...and our cable phone service decided to be intermittent ..spazzing out when i tried to answer.
...And to be quite honest...I had know idea what was going on!

And could i find my cell phone? Of course not! I had conveniently left it in the car.
...in the garage
...where the alarm system was telling me that something was wrong.

The house phone got it's act together, and I finally got hold of the alarm company. They informed me that the fire dept. was on their way....

By the time i got to the front door...the huge fire truck was there, lights blazing, along with all the pick-ups from the firefighters on call....The alarm company had sent all the big guns...

After asking me what was happening...They came in and checked everything...making sure the carbon monoxide detector was indeed malfunctioning.(it never quit beeping) Their carbon monoxide level reader told us that we were fine...so they disabled the detector for me......

And then.... of course.... the house alarm started going off again.
...and the alarm company was sending the signal to 911 again..
... luckily the firefighters knew to call and let them know not to send any more personnel.

After all...it was a bit crowded.

When everyone left...I sat down to calm our panicked dog....and realized that if i hadn't been home...they probably would have had to break into the house to see what was what.
Ewwwww.
I'm SO glad I decided to be a couch potato last night.
Occasionally it's a very good decision.

By the way... Our Oxford Fire Department is awesome...very professional and arrived here lickity split...even in a snow storm. Something that's good to know.... I'm also thankful that there wasn't something serious happening in the area while they were helping me with a spazzy alarm and a faulty Carbon Monoxide detector....That would have been awful.

Hoping your Sunday is a lot less eventful than my Saturday night. :)

Finding my way back to the High Road

Work in Progress ("Lil Help")
8 x 8
Acrylic and pencil on gessoed paper

I gathered my unfinished "high road" series paintings...and started back full steam... I have about 15 paintings going on at once... Some canvas and some paper. It really felt good to get back to what I want to paint. I'm thinking about neutrals against brights and how loud the brights sing against quiet color.... I like working things out in this small size...then trying to paint the same feeling on a larger support. It's quite a challenge for me to keep the same spontaneity when I'm painting something over again.

Have a great weekend!
We'll be having a heat wave here... might get to 17 degrees! whoo hoo! Party on Garth!

Sunflowers!

"Sunflower" (what a catchy title, eh?) 10 x 8 ~Watercolor class sample

I'll be teaching this class @ JoAnn's in February. I used a photograph from WetCanvas (taken by ottwork), in their copywrite free reference image library. (It's worth joining for the library, let alone the inspiration from all the great artists that post there)

What I learned today.... -10 degrees F is way too cold to go out walking in. (duh) Thank god for heaty thingy's for my mittens...or the 20 minutes I walked would have been even worse!

CD cover....

CD cover art for my son's new album.
(I put the black line around it so you could see the boundary)

I really like collaborating with other artists... and when it's your own kid, it's even more fun.

Quote of the Day:
"When you have a taste for exceptional people you always end up meeting them everywhere.
~Pierre Mac Orlan

More Valentine Patterning

Hearts Galore 5 x 7 mixed media

Just playing around with valentine motifs.... As I look at this on the screen...it would have been fun to hide a red and white striped heart. Then we could have played "Where's Waldo." :)
I framed 5 paintings today too....and worked on CD cover art for our youngest.
Quite the productive day!

Homemade Valentines...

Homemade Valentines... collage.

I love to make valentines.... I'm putting together a handmade valentine class at JoAnn's...(First week of February)

These are just some of the samples I've come up with so far. I use all kinds of papers...(note the victoria's secret shopping bag paper.) Costco had the best 12 x 12 stacks of handmade papers last year. I wonder if they still have them?

I've even re-cycled those musical cards, by covering them with collage. You just have to avoid the little pully thing that makes the card play music. I know...I know... You're probably thinking that I don't have enough to do. LOL.... The truth is though, I get some of the best ideas for paintings when noodling around with some of these crafty types of projects. I really just love to "make stuff."

So, why don't you try surprising your valentine with a handmade card.
I'll bet they'll be tickled pink that you made the extra effort. :)

Be Bold!

"To Ski or Not to Ski" Gouache ink resist ~ 11 x 11

Who has not felt like this at one time or another. LOL
Enjoy your Sunday!

Quote of the Day:
"Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozy, and don't be afraid to hit the ball."
~Billie Jean King

Sisters... Sisters... :)

"Sisters....Sisters" Mixed media ~ 8 x 8 ~ on paper

Ali and KT both want the same toy, but neither seem all that interested in a struggle for it. My aunt sent me the photo that I used for this painting... It made me laugh...their noses are squished together...

I like the pose so much that I'll probably do it a few times with different backgrounds. I started with all watercolor...then added sepia ink....then added acrylic around the dogs. I love the negative shape at the bottom of the paper....

It takes me a while to get in a painting "zone" after an absence...One thing I've learned though... Just paint...Just plod along and paint. It's awkward, and full of stops and starts...but after a few days I should be back in the swing of things.

Shared Joy...

"Shared Joy" Watercolor and ink ~ 8 x 10 ~ Class Sample

Somehow i lost the photo file of this finished sample for the watercolor class I'm teaching @ JoAnn's next week. (Doh!) So I did a re-do this afternoon. This beginning watercolor class will learn to have fun with the "salt" technique and some simple negative painting. Call JoAnn's at 248-393-8167 to reserve your spot!

Happy Happy New Year!!!

"Fun Floral" watercolor ~ 8 x 10 ~ class sample
January Class Information

Well my friends....

• The pork and sauerkraut is in the oven and stinking up the house. :)
• I'm getting ready to settle in to watch our Spartans take on Georgia at 1:00. (hear the pop of the beer bottle being opened...soon)
• My word "balance" for 2009 is feeling more and more like the right choice for me. (Look at yesterday's post if you want to know what I'm talking about)
• I'm filled with gratitude for so many things.....

Happy Happy Joy Joy (wow...a blast from the past....Ren and Stimpy)

Hope your 2009 is filled with many blessings!