Day 254 & 256

Family Time

I think I missed day 254 and then I missed day 257. Who knew the holidays could be super hectic?

Day 253

Paint, Rinse, Repeat

Pink and Grey Blue

This one started out like this. Then I painted the circle green, HUGE mistake (but that is what I am up to making mistakes and seeing it they pay off). Then I couldn't stand it so I repainted it white and am waiting for another color to pop into my head.

Day 252

Pink and Green

(are you bored yet?)

But this is not about you, it's all about me, isn't that the point of blogging? A little (or a lot) of self indulgence. Anyways, today I am back at it AND caught up with my blog, and with the New Year, and all those New Year resolutions just around the corner hopefully I will stay on track and get tons of painting done everyday.

Now with that said, I have been thinking about New Year Resolutions and what I might do this year. I just watched Food Matters and am thinking about doing more raw this year, but that's boring and who wants to talk about food when we could talk art and projects. I definitely need to get organized and possibly think about staying on track with my thoughts and stop veering off subject. I am going to learn how to spell two word this year without looking them up every time, "definitely & restaurant" (yes I did just look them up). Back to art, I want to do big pieces, but I can't do one a day. I want to have a show somewhere and that requires volume and size. I want to get our (my sister and me) children's book published. I want to do do do and do some more. New Year's used to always be about diets, yuk and failure, it's so much more fun to think about bright and colorful opportunities and creations that await me on those big blank canvases stacked against my wall. April 10 is the end of this project, "everyday art" (one finished piece of art a day). I am going forward with my everyday art I might just change the parameters. I am having a blast of thinking of all the things I get to do this up coming year. Maybe I will post my list, or maybe I will even paint myself a cute funky check off list for 2012. Maybe I should add to my list that I probably need to learn punctuation and when to start a new paragraph, but I think I would like to have something 2013.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (Days 250 & 251)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Day 249

Westie Calendar Idea

I forgot my paints and paper for this project but got started sketching, hopefully it will be much cuter in real.

Day 248

Attempt in Pink

Well, the dry spell is over, or is it? Ewwww.

Day 241 - 247

Really Falling Down On The Job

(and not getting up)

I got too busy, too tired and too overwhelmed with the whole Christmas Season. I was worried about painting on Christmas day, but it was all the days before Christmas Day that gave me a run for my time. Now it's back to business.

But look at the joy from this handmade gift. The painting is of Maxime (the great dane) when she was a puppy, now she is about 6 months old and huge and going to get quite a bit bigger.

Day 241

Less Might Be More

I am going to get this right and this might be it. I really wanted something in pink, but I really like this orange and turq more minimalistic version of this piece.

I actually like the "Way Less" version too, but just couldn't quite go that far, well actually I could go that far, but chose not to.

Day 238, 239 & 240

Same Old Same Old

(just with more color)

Day 240

I keep working it. I thought I would do orange, brown and white and that didn't turn out so good so I added turq, lime and pink and I kind of like it.

I wondered what it would look like if I just took portions of it and called it complete, here's a montage of several sections of the painting.

I kind of like just

big face of the flower

These little segments are
interesting. Could I live with
a giant painting like this?

Day 239

was my breakdown day of do nothing

Day 238

I actually got up and got this color painted on the paper and canvas. Then I felt so tired from over work and under sleep, I went back to bed and then on to the Gap to put in a full day of retail sales. Ouch & Crash.

I thought this looked cool, but in retrospect it probably matched how I was feeling (only better).

Day 236 & 237

Ode to Norm

Champion Ski Jumping Grandfather from Norway

I had a big party on Saturday and I had to opt out of painting in lieu of decorating my house and cooking. Truth be told, the ski's are my mom's (and you really would not do those long high ski jumps on these skis) and the boots are my grampa's. I absolutely love the color of these skis and the coolness of the squared off toed boots, with the hand cobbled leather soles. This is what you see when you enter my front porch. Hopefully you might even think that I could be athletic. Next year, maybe I will do an ode to my dad, and create a cool vignette with hockey sticks.

My handmade advent calendar. (I learned to felt a few years ago and just did my designs in felt instead of paint, and I think it turned out really cute)

Believe it or not, I worked all week and still had to decorate the tree on Friday afternoon, I thought I would never be ready for the party.

I find I spend huge amounts of time (that I would really prefer to be elsewhere) in front of the kitchen sink. My theory is to try and have it as cute as possible. During the holidays I like pine boughs and pots of greens collected (for free) from my friends house, or just of the bottom of my christmas tree. Last spring I was so longing for anything green I went out one day and cut little sprigs of grass (right before it snowed again) and put them in teeny tiny little vases and it cheered me up immensely. In the summer and fall I always have fresh flowers from my own garden. Sometimes I just have bunches of green leaves. It makes washing dishes so much more bearable.

And the party was fabulous, if I do say so myself.

Day 234 & 235

Season's Greetings from North Shore Technologies Inc.

My first business card. I mean Happy Holiday Business Card. I'm surprised that people like these little kid like paintings as much as they do, they make me laugh. Maybe that's how they affect other people too. My sister used one for her after-wedding party, and I've had families want their pictures done and now my first company business greeting card. Maybe it's because I make everyone so thin and svelte.

Day 231, 232, 233

Walker Kids

Day 233

A cute little Christmas gift for Gramma. The photo I received was in an inside studio, I took artistic license and put the children outside with a nice pine tree back drop.

Day 232

I worked on the sketch for the Walker Kids.

Day 231

I did absolutely nothing artistic in any way shape or form. Well, maybe that's not true, I spent the better part of the day working at the Baby Gap putting together cute little Christmas combos for customers. After that I artistically folded and tried to clean up from the wild whirlwind of day we had at the store. Then I drove home, had a nice glass of wine and dropped into bed, still tired from the party I had thrown the day before.

Day 230

Warrior Girl, Thor's Daughter

This is in honor of my beautiful little mama (renamed Thor) who is headed into radiation treatment for the second time. Her father came from Norway and we grew up hearing the stories of bravery and daring. Now is the time for my mom to be full of the courage from her legendary ancestors.

This is an excerpt from a letter I sent out to my family:

And to our dear little Mama, remember your blood, it comes from the cold North Sea, it is full of heroics, adventure, daring and bravery, which you have exhibited your entire life. I could site examples from all of those categories. You are strong. You are courageous. It is in your blood. Not everyone is born a Viking, but you were, use it! And never forget, Vikings drink from the skulls of their enemies and when they die, it's with their sword in their hand! Skol!

Day 228 & 229

Mattie

(Day 229)

I like this picture on 12 x 12 canavas. Christine my friend wanted bright and fun.

Mattie Tester Painting

(Day 228)

When I do a painting for someone I do a little tester painting on a 5 x 5 , but I forgot to scan it before I did test painting for the name color. I got the colors down and I think I captured Mattie in "real" painting above.

Day 226 & 227

Abstract in Darker Pink

"Knock, knock"

"Who's there?"

Hello...it's me again.

"Don't come in I'm naked!"

I actually thought this one was sort of cool too, without the extra paint of the flower. But I am not that minimalistic....YET.

Day 225

Abstract in Pink

I want to see if I can do a cool abstract in a pastel color way. Since I like this one, here it is again in light pink and yellowy lime and greens. Also on a 20 x 16 canvas board.

Day 222, 223 & 224

Abstract

I really like how this turned out. It took me yesterday and this morning to get the base on this 16 x 20 canvas, and today I finished the painting. In real you can see thru thin layers of paint. The base is charcoal covered in several layers of different greens, then I tried a layer of magenta and finished with another coat of limey green. It looks rather olive with a reddish undertone. Cool. This was fun to do.

I tried to use a cool black frame from Ikea, but those Swedes never use any normal sizes, makes me glad I'm Norwegian.

Day 220 & 221

Happy Thanksgiving

I am hosting and instead of making stuffing and fixing the turkey, I am downstairs painting away. I hear little feet above me and I'm pretty sure the natives are restless. But, regardless of the fact that it is Thanksgiving and I have tons to do, I did my daily work, now I must go and be thankful.

This is my new space for the winter. It is much to cold now to work on the summer porch.

Day 220

Instead of painting, I went grocery shopping, I cleaned my house, arranged flowers and got the serving dishes ready for Thanksgiving. Then I remembered I did paint. I decided at the last minute to finish the mid century modern end table I had sanded a year ago. Just in time for guests. Hopefully the smell of stain will have disappeared by the time we eat Thanksgiving dinner. (I know this doens't really count, but could it please....?)

Day 218 & 219

Tempted by the Fruit of Another

Yes you have seen this before. This one is 16 x 20 and took me two days to complete. I've been working on larger canvases and can't seem to do them in a day. I think this super-duper fancy frame adds something to this painting.

I am thankful I still like to draw naked people and like a second grader I find it funny

When I was painting this picture, I couldn't help remember a time my dad brought home this extra pink paper from the school he taught at. I must of been about 6 or 7 and I remember being in the basement and getting the paper out of this green cabinet and Stephanie and laid on the floor and drew naked pictures of people, until I heard my mom's voice, "What are you doing?" in a very accusatory tone....I felt so "caught" and then embarrassed. But I can't help it, in the last few years I went back to drawing those same naked pictures of people, well, maybe they are a little bit different, but very kid like, only now I laugh. I think I am going to hang this one up in the beautiful frame for Thanksgiving.

Day 211-217

Cherry Tree

It took me 7 (well actually 6, I missed Wednesday) days to do this simple painting. And today, 2 days later I have decided it's still not done. Tomorrow I think I am going to add birds and some limbs with leaves. I just have to think, so what if I wreck it, I HAVE to do it, to satisfy my questioning about "what if". I spent at an hour to 2 hours everyday and still not done.

Day 210

2012 Done and on etsy!

It's going to be a cute year next year. Three hundred and sixty six days, yes, 366 days (leap year) of cuteness. I am so happy with all the months. August is probably my favorite because is includes dogs of my friends. Then there is January which I popped my parents in as the "couples" polar bears, and I also thought of my mom's friend Jill who was a big time skater. I love December, it is for my friend who has Swedish back round, and of course my family who are descended from Norway. 2012 is going to be a great year!

This is Bob. He has inspired me.He is the guy who took my artwork and made it all work out. He has been very fun to work with, and he is also a fellow artist and we have have some good conversations. He has encouraged me on my art and my commitment to continue to develop my style. He also told me to raise the prices on my artwork and stop giving my stuff away for free. I tried to explain my year long experiment, but he wouldn't have any of it and said to just price it at what it's worth. I'm listening. I think we are going to continue to work together on some other projects as well. I am very excited to see what we come up with.

Maxime

The art of the day. Another shot at this little pooper scooper. Still got to work on the nose. Flat haired dogs are more challenging, or maybe dogs that I have never painted before are more challenging, I'm not sure. I have her wood panel ready to go and I am really glad I didn't try to do the final, because I have to "get" her a little better.

Day 209

Coco Puff

All in pink and soft and sweet. Ready to float down the aisle. Everyone wishes they had their own baby flower girl, but I do. And I'm blessed.

Day 208

Maxime

My sister's baby Great Dane. She about 9 weeks old in the photograph I used to capture this image. Her coat is glossy blue grey and she has the bluest eyes, which sometimes they don't outgrow. Currently she is 4 months old and when she jumps up on you (because she is just a baby, albeit a giant baby) her paws almost reach my shoulders.

Day 207

Knutsons

These friends live in Washington State by the beautiful Columbia River. Their middle son Henry has this long red, dread locked hair which was fun to draw and paint. Such a cute family.

The real family.

Day 204, 205 & 206

Mia & Max

Two dog portraits done instead of three. What is happening to me? Next up on the list is a family portrait. That's tomorrow's work.

Today I finished up the two dogs, added their names and worked for quite some time on my little promo piece. I think I will send this out to the people on my list. It is not art per say, but it takes something for me, a non computery person to pull off.