Your Dog Here

I have been doing a lot of drawing in my traveling journal.

Since I've been traveling a lot and unable to use paints.

I added a glorified picture of myself with my dog. Well, I do have blue eyes.

And I am working on Adam and Eve (the naked years).

I will try and paint at least one Adam/Eve picture (and then probably just laugh at it).

Raining Cats and Dogs

April Progresses

My friend Jan told me to make April cute because it is her birthday month. I asked her what she wanted and she said she had dogs. This is what she inspired me to do, I tried to do pets of friends I know, just for fun.  And since I love names, I will give you a list of the pets in the painting: KinKade & Nutmeg (cockers), Kipper (the black and brown dog), Belle (bichon), Tartan (westie), Leonard (black lab), Tandy (golden retriever), Morpheus (tiger cat), Rolly (black and white cat), Perky (gray and white cat),  Willy (welsh terrier), Ivan (black and white cat) Popcorn Pete (orange cat) and sorry to say I don't know the wiener dogs name. 

Is It Lost or just on vacation?

My first art class was 3 hours about value. I came home with 15 little 1" squares painted from white to dark blue, I don't know if it was such a good value for me. But, with that said, I can always learn. 

I applied the value lesson to the donkey I was painting and wasn't liking to well, and realized it was all the same value. So I tried to change it. I painted white over the orange backround. Which made it look kind of gray. Then I painted over the white backround in the same colors as the border. All an interesting experiment. It was lost, but now I think it may be saved. Time will tell.

                                                          

This week instead of doing the exercises in class she said I could go ahead and work on my own project. Which I did. The reason I'm taking the class is to learn new techniques and so far I am just out there on my own. I think I signed up for the wrong class.

Can you have your cake and eat it too?

Yesterday I had to take a break from painting to get ready for a birthday party. I realized creativity is in so many of the things we do. I decide to make a cake. Make the frosting. Mix the colors. Make the patterns. Set the table. Fix the flowers. Wrap the presents. All employ some act of creativity. It was completely enjoyable. (Now, if I could only make cleaning the bathroom creative I'd be set). So "Cheers" to making life a daily creative venture.

Do What You Love

This winter, Don Fisher died, he was the founder of the Gap. The man did what he loved and loved what he did. I work at the Baby Gap part time. They handed out a mini pamphlet with some facts about Don and the Gap, and a blue rubber wrist band with a saying on it, Do What You Love. I put it on as a little joke. Then it became real.  When I become discouraged, about wobbly stems, wrong colors and smudges that come at the very end of a painting, I remind myself of all those who have gone before me who have tried and failed, and then tried again. I say to myself "I'm doing what I love."  I hope we all take courage and do what we love (at least sometimes).  A daily reminder has been a good thing for me.

I

Done

I finished the stipey flowers. I feel kinda disappointed about the wobbly stems. Well that's the experiment, now I have two stencils and I could try it again. 

With Valentines coming up, I have to do a red and pink window for the little kid's shop I work at. I am thinking a simple scene, with a small child mannequin dressed in pink and red, and maybe including an easel and a painting. 

Finished February and March, now to get it on the website.

Getting There

I've been working on my 2010 Calendar and in between I've squeezed in some time for my Stripey Flowers "experiment". 

 

 I had to draw and cut a giant stencil for the flowers and now I need to do one for the stems. 

2010 Calendar

I created a "happy" calendar for Season's catalogue, for several years. Last year I tried it on my own. I didn't do it again for 2010. But I had so many requests for it I thought I would go ahead and paint it up and let people download it for free (supposing I can figure that out). So that's where I have been the last few days. Working on the calendar.

Starting Project #2

While I was waiting for my library book, for help, I started another project. My goal was to paint an object in a loose easy way.

I was thinking of a pink elephant bank from the store I work at.

I am interested in layering. I want this to be tonal.

Getting there.

Not sure.

 Now this little guy is sitting on my window just waiting to be judged.

 Do I do more? Do I leave it alone? Do I make the backround lighter?

All questions for tomorrow

How do I Do This?

January 5

Obviously take a blogging class AND figure out how to make cherry red.

I have to take a break and think about this for a while.

I will start my next project. BUT I will plan it out, 

something I don't usually do and am sorry for later.

I even did a color drawing.

   New Years Project

    I want to discover a new side of my art. I want to experiment with new techniques and styles that are different than my own. So this year I am going to blog my experiment. 

Getting Started.

January 4

1. Pick Artists with styles I like.

    100 Drine

    Alexander Girard

    and a bunch more I ordered from the library

2. Try it out.

Problem.

I don't know how to do it

1. Sign up for a class

   Done. But the class doesn't start until the end        of January, (Stop being a whiner).

2. Do something else, JUST DO ANYTHING