Barnyard Bowls

Max found these wooden bowls in the dumpster across the street. I have been playing with them, (when I should be doing other things). Having a new material to work with has lifted me from dark mood to a more playful inquiring mind. Not sure how to display these little things, there are four in all.

pomegranates

acrylic on wood
about 5.5 x 5.5 x 2inches each
One of the delights of winter afternoons is sitting and sharing a pomegranate with my son Max. He loves musing over the patterns, the tactics of peeling, and the rolling of the savory bits of seeds across his tongue. It ties in with memories I have of sharing afternoon, after school, pomegranates with a woman who helped rear me and is no longer alive. Her name was Mary and she died before my babies were born, but I feel her presence when I share a pomegranate and a few minutes peace with Max.

ABSTRACT on panel and on wall

drawing for inside the wall
sketched during construction lull
over fireplace mantle
This day started out well enough- I was so excited about almost having made 100 paintings in a row. But I also thought that there would be an IDEAL time to start this very last work-no idea what it was to be. Then the chaos of loving and living ensued, and I found no time at all- and no energy or will to try. Thoughts of bailing at this crucial end seemed to haunt me. I went twice to my studio and returned feeling miserable and blank. Then my sons, my wonderful sons, came to my assistance. Max cooked a fine original dinner meal and Kent and Ben took markers and started drawing on the wall of our under construction living room. They used a little paint. We painted a giant heart over the mantle to heal our family, and a pot with an earth flower to remind us to be stewards of the land, and a paint brush, and while we were at it we thought we ought to paint a little money jar as well. The paintbrush flows out of the jar...Then finally the ending. My 100th painting.

acrylic on wood
6 x 13 x 2 inches
The Ending. A sight for sore eyes...

Chair, map and flowers #99

SOLD
So now I am daydreaming. I have wanted to paint this chair for awhile. The pillows are maps of South Africa, and the flowers were from a postcard. This is most likely about luxuriating in the planning of a holiday. I am ready to take a short break from daily painting and start packing for our family safari. I can only afford to place one more picture on EBay this month. If you have any suggestions which one it should be, write me a note. Thanks for all the support!

Beer and Apples, December 7

Still Life with Beer and Apples
acrylic on wood
5.5 x 12 x 2 inches
This is painting number 98. I felt as though I could play around for a much longer time-placed layers of colors, scratched into the surface, ran it under water, repainted edges, repeated the process- the photo is a little glossy (wet paint) so you cannot see that the background has greens, yellows, blues and a final layer of reds. Through it all I was able to rub successive layers down to the wood grain and use the texture of the support. Not a life changing picture, but one that hints at all the fun I could have if I wasn't in such a hurry to get it done, to upload onto the blog, to get to the Xmas lists, to make dinner, etc...Also I had about, one, two, three studio visitors today. It was nice to see people and really nice they thought of shopping in my studio! Life is good.

What I've learned from painting a day

or...what I've learned about my Brush...
5.5 x 12 x 1 inches
painted on reverse side as well
acrylic on wood
This is my 97th painting and one of the things that has happed over the previous months is that I have fallen in love with my paintbrush- with THIS paintbrush.(Don't ask me to choose between my paintbrush and my husband). I look for the brush at the begining of each day. I love the feel of it in my hand and the way the bristles hold and let go of the paint. One day it slipped and fell into the emergency brake lever fringed opening. It was only through breathless skill I was able to extract it. I have come to believe that this brush determines the success or failure of a picture! From it's tip I have challenged myself to try new things and yet I have seen how chickens fall out of it...and, to a lesser extent, so do the swooping backbones of cows, the rounded jaws of cats, the handles and clasps of suitcases. This is a tribute to the brush that got me on my way to 100 daily paintings in a row!

family portrait

acrylic on wood panel
12 x 12 inches
December 5th
I am thinking of making a Christmas card- always the last minute! So this is a painting- I would say my 96th!-done in an hour using several different photographs. My father-in-law also lives with us and I am torn as to where to place him in the picture. So this ends up a picture of me and my boys, except one.

Painting number 95

SOLD
The Chicken Shed with Reo
acrylic on wood
5.5 x 12 x 1 inches
A friend asked me to try to paint the chicken shed down the road from our house. It sits across the street from my Dad's house. Eleven years ago, while instructed to stain the shed green, and while my dad and stepmom were away for the weekend, I painted a mural. It just flew out of my brush. I was pregnant (with Max) and my husband knew better than to try and sway me. Luckily my Dad and Betsy don't seem to mind. And now lots of people stop to photograph it. It is a warm and colorful surprise in the landscape. Today was no warmer than 32 degrees, but the sun was out and I sat in my car listening to Ladysmith Black Mambo. It was much easier to paint this scene than I thought. Sometimes-like cooking dinner- I am relieved to just have the suggestion of what to paint! This is my 95th daily painting in a row.

December 3rd

SOLD
A Small Miracle in the Barnyard
6 x 12 inches acrylic on wood
You can read anything you want into this. The holiday season? The next generation? The inspiration was the www.dailypainters.com call for art about the egg. I like the grain of the wood panel and the way it effects the layering of colors. The photo barely shows all the colors that are built up to create the dark areas. Enjoy!

December 2nd

SOLD
Chicken and Cat in a Perfect World
acrylic on wood
6 x 12 inches
Playing with paint and my usual suspects. I think I am starting to feel better. The antibiotics are kicking in! Tonight I'll visit some local gallery's and see what holiday work they have to show. The Muddy Cup opening in Poughkeepsie has been cancelled due to not getting a C.O. (still under construction)! They promise to open in March. Something to look forward to.

December 1st

Cat and Leaves
Acrylic on wood panel
6 x 11 inches
My 92nd daily painting in a row! I was searching around my studio for a subject since it was raining outside, and fiddling with my collection of leaves, nests, and moss balls, when I noticed my cat, Mr. Bojangles, staring at me. I had to work fast- but I must say he was a good model. I hope to try it again. I have been busy outside the studio- helping afterschool 5th, 6th and 7th graders finish a classroom mural, decorating a window on Main Street for the Indian Rock School Museum, and finishing details for my proposed mural for the Poughkeepsie train station.
Now isn't there a holiday approaching with a million details to attend to? How to do it all? My father-in-law wants to put up the lights today, my son wants to swap his old skates at the ski swap today, and my husband needs me to get his jeep to the dealer today...
It is no wonder that so much of my art is painted on my "to do lists".

november 30

Outside Looking In
acrylic on wood
5.5 x 12 x 1 inch


The title says it all. Still wet (was raining) when I photographed this.