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Don’t Butter Me Up
Buddy here is an interesting crab He is really big. Covered in barnacles and maybe tough and old! It’s so big that the crows and seagulls thought better of going after him. They were very much interested but he was too big for them to tackle. He was very aware they were nearby. Not sure how crabs hear but for sure they can see. He kept turning into their direction to keep an eye on them. From what I have observed throughout my entire beach combing experience is that crabs are really on this planet as a food source. So many things and especially birds want to eat them. Hence…
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That September Feeling in the Air
Ahhh, the scent of fall You know it. A slight crispness in the air. Freshly sharpened pencils. And new art supplies for a project! On the same line – one of my favourite memories is how excited my kids would get for their new “school suppiezes”. I think I know where they got it! Look at all these goodies Aquabord, Claybord and Gessobord. A fresh tube of white acrylic paint. I mean how did I ever allow myself to run out of white paint is almost beyond anything I can comprehend. But I did. And a replacement gray strippable pallet. With these supplies in my studio I can get down…
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I see you – painting of a sparrow
I See You is an 8″ x 10″ acrylic painting on Claybord of a white throated sparrow watching me from my apple tree. Luckily, I almost always have a camera on the ready within reach. On this particular day I was perched on my deck, hunkered down, camera focused on our bird feeders. The birds were so active. Swooping in for a sunflower seed and then rushing off with their treasure to peck it open. And then swooping back in for another. Over and over and over again. The only problem is how fast they move. Just as soon as I would get one little bird in focus, poof it…
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Two in their new home
Ever since I painted these two dahlias, my daughter Jenn has had her eye on them. We finally had the opportunity to get them out to Vancouver without the hefty shipping charges. How you ask? Out of the frames, off the stretcher bars, rolled in towels and placed in her sister’s suitcase. Although it is a bit risky to put valuables in a suitcase, it worked and they arrived safely. Although I probably would not recommend this by the way. Do as I say, not as I do My father had an expression that made me crazy “do as I say, not as I do”. And here I am…
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Duckie Duet and trouble with my easel
So today I had one of those days in the studio Everything I touched went wrong. Easel Troubles. The bottom support on my big easel dropped to the floor right through my fingers with a loud bang and a bad word. The ball bearings in the crank mechanism hit the floor and rolled all over the place. Unfortunately we were unable to recover all of them. Does anyone know how to reassemble a crank easel? The air in the studio has to be exceptionally dry this time of year with the electric heat going all the time. Because of the dry wood on the easel frame we couldn’t tighten it…
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30 Paintings in 30 days Finale
Wow. What can I say. I really did stick with the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. Only I painted 28. Really 27 as my last painting was finished today – after the end of the challenge. I am so glad I decided to do this challenge for a few reasons – it help passed this cold month and I wanted to use materials and subjects I do not always get around to. And I learned a lot. I learned that I actually do like acrylic paint. I just do not like to use it on canvas as I am unable to get the degree of detail I want…
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Icky ick ick ick
Icky ick ick This is an interesting photo I want to share. When working up close and personal on a bug painting there is a bit of a creepy factor with that level of concentration. It actually imprint on my brain! I still feel the disgust… As I was focused on this little painting, I almost jumped out of my skin. There on my drafting table was a dead roach of some kind between me and my palette. I stood up in disbelief, moved my canvas away and swatted at the thing a few times. It didn’t move. Then I squinted at it and low and behold – the creepy…
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The Naming of a Painting of a Raven
Naming the bird Here is my yet unnamed and unfinished painting of a raven. My friends at Google tell me that there are three names for a group of ravens. Unkindness. Conspiracy. Constable. When I embark on painting a series I do quite a bit of research on the subject, in this case ravens. I like to title my paintings with meaning whenever possible, especially if I can come up with a name that includes somme tongue-in-cheek humour. What’s in a name? I know ravens are important in the culture of First Nations (and I have this lineage on my mother’s side) so my curiosity is naturally piqued. An Unkindness,…
