Mable

I'm working on dozens of paintings but they are all valentines for February and I don't want to debut them until that month, so I am introducing you to Mabel, my sometimes model for costumes. Mabel is sporting a star lantern that I made for Luminara in Victoria years ago. Kirra put her paws through it when we moved but with white glue and tissue it was repaired. I would love to teach a workshop in making these.

Yellow Piece

I am working on an abstract piece that will be composed of numerous small abstracts working with Robert Burridge's color wheel and using yellow as my dominant color. I am really struggling with painting abstract and trying to invoke Burridge's concept of "intent"

Please check out a fellow canadian artist Liz Wiltzen. She makes marvelous mountain paintings among other things. You can click on the blog list link or go to: http://lizwiltzen.blogspot.com/

BAck to painting!

My Portrait

This portrait was painted by Noemi Gonzalez. I think it is great fun and a very good likeness. Thanks Noemi!! Her blog is Pintar a la Acuarela. I am having a crazy time getting this information on my stupid computer this morning. ARghh!!

Dan and Deloris skate

This was my second entry for winter sports. I apologize for the crummy photo, but it was dark outside, I was on my way to deliver it and I suspect the varnish wasn't 100% dry (it was by the time I finally got there on the challenging roads!)

Home: exploring Their Roots

This was my second entry for the House and Home show. When, I think of home (and Christmas) I think of my parents and the farmlands of my youth. They live just in my memory now, but what good memories.

In 2008, I took my daughters back to visit Illinois and their frail grandpa. It was a great trip and I'm so glad we went. They are not thrilled by the prairie (they are definitely mountain girls). My younger daughter made the comment that she didn't know people still lived like that (re: farmers..the US is still made up of lots of farmpeople, at least, in the midwest). Most Canadians seem to buy that TV crap that we all live like New Yorkers or are LA socialites.

I spent hours driving miserable winter roads in crappy condition so that I could deliver 5 paintings to a couple of galleries. I'm feeling hard done by so I'm going to work out and then walk the dog in the fresh snow.

BAck to Business

I think I already posted this but I am running it again for lack of anything else to put here at the moment. This was painted right after the Burridge workshop.

I am mulling over resolutions and ideas. I am going to review a lot of the books and DVD's I own and try to use the information that is in them. I am happy to say that I am journaling (whoopie-do 10 minutes a day, but it is more productive than not journaling). I also want to start warm-up exercises a la Burridge so that I play and experiment by painting on watercolor paper. That is the beauty of acrylics. If stuff looks terrible you can paint over it. And if you produce a gem, you can mount the paper on a canvas.

My word to reflect on this month is Enthusiasm. I am enthusiastic about beginning the year. I like New Years and the beginning of September (I was a student for 20 years) because there is so much potential in a new season. I also just read a biography of Dale Carnegie, a little mid-west farmboy who did well and valued enthusiasm.

Enough rambling, must go paint.

Clive and Cloris skate

This is a piece I worked on for the Winter sports show.