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.

Day 203

Max & Mia

Today I worked extra hard to kinda make up for missing Friday. OH the Guilt! Anyways, my client wants her dogs done with a red border and sage back round, but I am getting ready to put together a little ad for dog portraits and I need some additional back rounds selections. I did a different position for her dog Mia, mistakenly named Max on the sample and I liked how she turned out.

Max is a Westie and even though I have had lots of practice drawing Westies, I still have some work to do. (I have a good friend who is a Westie aficionado, Westie rescuer, owner, and a patron of my art. She also is a stickler for the right proportions, so I know when there is work to be done.) I really want to capture the spunkiness of this little lad, and I have a ways to go. This one is my second try and is better than the first one.

Just getting started, first try.

Day 201 & 202

Max & Mia

Day 202

I am painting duo, Max and Mia, only thing I got the names wrong on the little samples, so this is really Mia. Good thing it's not the real thing.

Day 201

Sorry to say, I bombed out today. I was sick and tired and just plain got lazy and didn't do my work. Whoops, doesn't happen very often.

Day 200

The Next Gerbera

When ever something is not my favorite, that is when people seem to really like it. It happened in my business all the time. My favorite designs were not always the favorites among the buyers. This is one of those things. I already got a compliment on this piece. That is what I love about art, we all see and feel things differently.

I've been working on all these little square samples for backround combos for the dog paintings. These were laid out kind of messy and I just thought it was a really cute colorful picture.

Then I couldn't resist, I like this photo.

Day 198 -199

Gerbera Daisy

I tried a new painting surface, wood panel block with thin canvas on top. I really like it. I'm working small scale today for a 40" x 30" painting I will do sometime next week. The woman wants a funky flower. I have another panel started in a somewhat different layout. You'll probably see that one tomorrow.

Here is the side view. I love being back to work on my "Everyday Art".