Channeling ~ complete

I finally was able to get a decent photo of this piece finished. The differences are subtle and may not be as noticeable in the image as they are IRL but I'm calling this done. I'm including a quick sketch of my next collage. I'm going to call this 'Still Life with Drawbridge'.

This is a familiar scene in my hometown during the summer months. The bridge goes up every 1/2 hour on the dot so the boat traffic can pass and the vehicle traffic can plan around this. It still creates a huge bottleneck because the main drag is a state highway and traffic can pile up fast.

Feeling Flamingos

I feel like painting flamingos, that is. I've been mulling this idea over all week and finally did a quick line drawing. I found a few references photos on PaintMyPhoto and worked with those as best I could. My plan so far is to work on Yupo with alcohol ink and collage. I'll be making my own collage paper so I'll have to sort out my colors, etc. The birds will probably be done with acrylic paint similar to the cats on Lunch Rush at Chez Dumpsta'. 

I'll be posting updates so stay tuned.....

Kitty Kocktail ~ drawing

This project may be beyond my expertise as a painter but I want to give it a go anyway. I've never painted a clear glass anything before but there's always a first time.

I met this adorable little kitten this past September at the hair salon I frequent. One of the hairdressers had rescued him and brought him to work because he needed to be feed every 1-2 hours around the clock. He was so tiny he fit in the palm of my hand and he was such a sweet kitten. The stylist that was caring for him had taken a photo of him in a wine glass and she showed it to me on her cellphone. I never forgot it so when I arrived for another hair appointment last week I asked permission to use the image for a painting. Thankfully she still had the photo and gladly she agreed. I know I've drawn this too small already and need to enlarge it. I'm not known for my steady hand so we'll see how well I do. I may have to paint this more than once to get it right.

Silverbark at Sundown ~ sketch and wip 1

This is the beginning of my latest project. It's another birch painting done with acrylic on 140# Fabriano HP w/c paper. I have a few stands of Silverbark birch across the drive from my home so I have plenty of reference material right outside my front windows. I plan to use the palette from my color study (see previous post). This painting will be much larger, approx. 6 1/2" x 29". An odd size but I've always wanted to do a long and very narrow format because I love the look. I've been waiting for a sunny day to forge ahead and that day has arrived. It's been so terribly gloomy lately that I've left lights on all day long. Not ideal conditions to create subtle color variations.

Side note: After painting 'The Rusty Gate Post' I contacted the photographer responsible for my reference image. I wanted to know more about this gate and he gave me enough information to locate the gate on Google Map. It resides outside a charming little B & B in the UK. Here's the Coach House B &B (link) on A413 Brackley Road, Silverstone, United Kingdom. Seems I guessed the wrong finial. Ah, well....

Autumn Scene ~ color study

Autumn Scene is a temporary working title until I see how this goes. I just completed this color study with Prismacolor colored pencils on a thumbnail sketch, roughly 4 1/2" x 1 1/2".  I want it to be full of vibrant, unexpected Fall colors and blowing leaves. Lots of windswept action. I'm using a double complimentary palette here...yellows and violets with oranges and blues. Because these colors (yellows/oranges) and (violets/blues) are analogous, it should work. I want one 'pop' color. Not quite sure what that will be yet. Possibly turquoise or teal. Something blue-ish and vibrant.      

Crabby Cat is Back

Scary enough?

The first two Crabby Cats

After several inking failures I've been having myself a pout...a regular crabby cat, if you will. What better way to break the gridlock than creating another Crabby Cat. Since Halloween is the next holiday I've been doodling up an idea for the occasion. Just a sketch so far. Thoughts anyone?

Miss Willmott ~ sketch completed

A little confusion in the center but you get the general idea

Part deux

I completed the second half of my sketch and put the two together in a panorama using Irfanview. I used scanned images and, without the aid of Photoshop, I did the best I could to merge the two drawings. Not an exact match but I did my best. I have a palette in mind but I want to do a few color studies before committing to a larger painting.

Miss Willmott ~ pencil sketch

Inspired by Miss Willmott, I drew up this sketch while watching another rerun of Jaws on the telly this afternoon. I'd like to paint this in a long(wide), narrow format so I need to sketch more blooms. I just ran out of space on my paper. To be continued on another sheet.......

Fancy Gold Fish ~ paper sculpt WIP 1

I fell in love with a gorgeous fantail goldfish I saw online so I decided to use it has inspiration for my next attempt at paper sculpting. I had the brilliant (?) idea to use coffee filters for the long, flowing fins. I think it worked out fairly well but now I'm not sure how to tackle the body of the fish. This will take some more thought. I'm working on Yupo again, using gloss gel medium as my glue and sculpting medium. I did use facial tissue for the small side fins. I wanted them to appear more delicate.

I drew a simple sketch directly on the Yupo with pencil to guide me. I can still see the sketch through the layer of tracing paper I put down for my background (because I didn't want the background to be naked Yupo). That was a huge relief. Otherwise I would be flying blind.  

JUGGS ~ a commission



Just before Christmas I received a call from the gallery. Apparently a fella saw my Red Hat lady paintings and wants a portrait painted in the same style. His wife has three close girlfriends and they have formed a group called 'Just Us Gorgeous Gals' aka JUGGS. I love it! They usually meet at Christmastime every year (from what I understand) and he provided a few photos I could use as reference. Not the best images but I think I can work with one of them. I've just finished the drawing and my Strathmore 500 plate illustration board arrived today. It's not something I usually keep on hand but it's great for portraits. The colors stay vibrant, similar to watercolor on Yupo only you have much more control of the paint. It's also great for fine detail work.

My Mighty Mac ~ sketch

The sketch
I'm not sure how much detail I will include
 in the final painting. Better to have more detail
available than I will need than not enough. I can
edit easier than add. Notice I lowered the horizon
line in the background in the lower left.
Cecile Graven made that suggestion & I think it works. 

This is the altered image enlarged to 15" x 23".
 Notice the dark area in the upper right(storm clouds?)
 I love the lens flare in the upper left and the brilliant
patches of light which creates a stark contrast to the
silhouette of the tower.

I've been monkeying around with this since my last post. I decided to enlarge the altered image and use that for my drawing. It didn't yield a lot of visual info regarding many details so I had to wing those myself. The enlarged drawing is approx. 15" x 23" but I'd like to take it up to 22" x 33". I sent an email to Framing4Artists requesting a quote on a custom Masonite panel with a cradle depth of 1 1/2" and the price was reasonable considering the cost of matting and framing a piece that size if done on paper. I've never worked on panel before so this would be a new experience for me. It will have to be primed with painters gesso and sanded. Not sure if that's doable for a winter project because I don't have a basement or other appropriate workspace. For now I plan to practice on w/c paper at the current size to get ideas for the final painting on panel.

Btw, one thing the enlarged altered image did provide was an idea for the background. When it printed out the sky in the upper right corner looked like dark storm clouds rolling in from the east and looking (appropriately) ominous. I think I'll also keep the lens flare on the left side of the tower. I like that effect!

Clowder of Cats ~ composition

I'm currently working on the comp for a new painting. I'm doing it with my usual storyboard technique. Seems there are a few issues to work out such as certain subjects 'kissing'(meaning: barely touching) that don't work for me. I do like the loose, diagonal 'S' flow, though.

Back to School (fish) ~ sketch

I've started on yet another ink/Yupo project. This time it's a school of imaginary fish. I thought it would be fun to add some Zentangle patterns on the fish in place of scales. The sketch isn't complete yet but it's coming along nicely.

Something I've discovered about myself...I work better when I have the TV on and it's within view. While I don't have to pay attention to what's on I do love the distraction of the noise and the action. I know many if not most artists prefer no distractions while creating and if not peace and quiet, they at least like to have music playing in the background. Not me. I'm like a teenager that can't concentrate on their homework unless they have the stereo blaring and music videos running. Over the past several months my studio has gradually migrated back to my kitchen table so I'm closer to the TV set and I'm much happier! Go figure.

The Timekeeper's Cottage ~ sketch

While I was still working on Thistle Downs I began this sketch and completed it this afternoon. I've dubbed it 'The Timekeeper's Cottage' because I wanted to add an old clock and it kind of went from there. I also liked the idea of the oversized key and keyhole and of course I had to get a cat into the picture somewhere. Not sure how all that ties into a timekeeper but it's my drawing so I can add whatever I choose! Question: Has a pre-painting sketch ever told you what colors it needs (?) because this sketch is telling me it needs blues and purples. I'll have to sort out my palette and see what works best, though.

I was introduced to a new term recently....Zentangles. It's basically doodle art taken to an entirely new level. I discovered that various patterns have names and are typically done with Micron pen. The pattern I added to my crescent moon is a zentangle. It will receive more line work once I start inking my drawing on Yupo. I'll leave a link for anyone interested in experimenting with zentangles. I believe anyone that works with pen and ink could incorporate some of these patterns into their work to create added interest.

 http://tanglepatterns.com/tag/zentangle  

House on Thistle Downs Drive ~ WIP 2

Last night and today I've been tweaking my original sketch. Well, actually I drew an entirely new sketch and played with the angles and textures. I added a few whimsical touches as well. I'm not finished with it yet but I wanted to post an update and see it on the monitor. Mistakes can become glaring on a computer screen that aren't so apparent on the easel. I worked with a lot of charcoal and Micron pen to see what this might look like upon completion. While studying Lumila's work I noted that success with this style depends a lot on the right distribution of small(fine) and large(heavy) textures, variations of mark making and shapes. It's about throwing perspective to the wind and simply putting things where the artist wants to see them. This style suits me on so many levels. I love whimsy, I'm lousy at perspective and it should fit nicely into my goal of creating a consistent body of work. Win, win.

House on Thistle Downs Drive ~ sketch

Yes, it's my first house. "What?!" you say? She just posted about creating a consistent body of work! Trust me, there's method to my madness...I think.

I drew the sketch last night from a wonderful photo reference courtesy of Ted Duckworth of Charlevoix. I had already been considering doing a series featuring Earl Young's 'mushroom houses' (as they are affectionately named by the locals) but there was one on Thistle Downs Drive that I especially love but wasn't quite sure if it was a true Earl Young house. When I saw Ted's photo on Facebook I knew it must be a sign. It's a difficult house to photograph because of it's location which is on Round Lake where the channel empties into the harbor. The majority of the house spills down over a steep hill to a lovely yard and a run of boat docks, the main entrance is butted up to Thistle Downs Drive which is really no more than a short, dead end alleyway.

Today I did some research and discovered it was the original creation of Earl Young's daughter, Virginia Young Olsen who went on to design several homes based on the style of her father homes. My search lead me from the internet to a real estate agent to the local Historical Society and finally to the actual owners, Lowell & Sharon Blossom. I had a lovely conversation with Mr. Blossom and learned the house was built in 1957. The Blossoms purchased it in 1997 and the following year began to add on but not without talking Virginia (the original designer) into being the design consultant first. They wanted to keep the 'Mother Goose' (Lowell's term) sensibility intact while adding space. He told me he had to do a lot of convincing to get Virginia onboard but obviously the effort was worth it. The project was completed in 2000 and the result is spectacular.

Back to the consistent body of work now. I've decided to stick with the alcohol inks for a time and see where this medium takes me. I'm also a fan of the Russian artist, Ludmila Shambina http://ilemle.ru/shambina/text.html.  I love her crazy landscapes and buildings. If you follow the link I posted, scroll down to the third painting featured to see the work that has inspired me most. Her website is entirely in Russian and from what Bing translator gave me, I believe she works on watercolor paper and rice paper but I can see this done with Micron pen and alcohol ink, possibly on Yupo. I need to do some experimenting which is my next project. The house on Thistle Downs lends itself perfectly to such interpretation but I would rather not go quite that far afield in respect for this beautiful home and all the Blossom family has done to preserve it's integrity. 

Gizmo Sunbathing ~ sketch

I decided I should get back to the inks for awhile so last night I prepped some waxed paper with black ink for faux batiks. I treated the paper with Krylon's 'Make It Acid Free' spray this afternoon and while I was waiting between coats (btw, I only apply one coat to each side)I sketched my cat Gizmo sitting in one of the front windows soaking up the heat from the sun. She's black furred so she really gets hot in a short amount of time and it seems to send her into a Zen-like mode. Her eyes are barely half open but I know she's looking at nothing and she remains perfectly still until the sunbathing session is over which isn't long. I took the opportunity to scribble a quick sketch on a scrap of paper with a black ballpoint pen. Now to look for inspiration for my next batiks!

Studio Cat 2 ~ sketch

First sketch for Studio Cat 2. I wanted to include the same elements and shapes from the first painting but switched around. Working off a basic theme/concept but with a purely decorative intention is proving to be a challenge. The flowers will be on the vase, not in it. I wanted to keep the fan shapes from the tray and also the stripes. The fan shape has now become a Japanese paper fan, the stripes are on the 'wallpaper'. The cat has been stylized and will remain completely white. I borrowed the tea cup in the lower right corner from one of Shirley's pieces. Thanks, Shirley!

New Project, New Style?

For quite sometime I've admired the work of Shirley Trevena . Her style is colorful, expressive and delightfully/creatively free. She works a lot with watercolor but isn't afraid to mix it up a bit. I've spent the last few days studying her online gallery and I'm both inspired and challenged as a result. Last night I drew up a still life setting from imagination based on some of her works but today felt I should go through my photos and gather things that have meaning to me. I don't own gorgeous vases or have access to fresh flowers at the moment but I do have cats so they must be a part of my still life. I found a photo I took last Spring of Digby, my male cat catching some sun while I worked in my studio so I started a new sketch, using this image to begin.

Btw, don't pay any attention to that dirty window(photo) or the suncatcher that looks like a hubcap(sketch).

Sweet Tea (formerly 'Precious') ~ WIP 2

 Notice the title change? All the sisters have been discussing the final title for this family portrait and Holly won with 'Sweet Tea'. Congratulations, Holly!

This is also the final sketch (hopefully). I'm pleased with it but I will probably get some feedback as most of the women represented in this portrait are watching my progress via this blog.




Each little girl is represented by something she is either associated with now (as an adult) or as a child.

• Angie - the oldest at 12. She was the 'little mother' so she sits at the head of the table and pours the tea. She also loves grapes hence the bowl of grapes in front of her.
• Marie - 11 years old. One of the family artists so she wields the paint brush.
• Rita - 10 years of age. She loves bangles and necklaces and as a child, was the one that brought smiles and laughter to the others.
• Louise - age 9. She is represented as smiling and happy with bouquets of flowers.
• Holly - age 8. She was very close to Louise as a young child so she sits, picking flowers for her. There's a funny story behind the dragonfly on her hat but that will be left as a private joke.
• Katherine - age 6. She was the littlest because of health issues so she gets the most cookies.
• Eva - age 5. Poor little thing is trying to say grace at a tea party!
• Melinda, the baby -  Hand on the cat. What baby doesn't like the feel of cat 'purr'?
• The Cat - This kitty will eventually become a tuxedo cat. Black with a white 'bib'.

P.S. I've added the closeups to better show detail.