Update

New work and of couse....new pictures of Rabbit

Here is a close up of little Rabbit's face...as close as we could get. She doesn't like to stay still very long and by the time Will took the shot she had turned away looking at something else.

And then she is with Blue on the couch. I can't believe they are already such fast friends but they Love each other already.















This picture is the absolute latest. Taken this afternoon while the dogs were out int he yard. Rabbit stretches out long, especially those legs and loves to show off her big kitten belly. This cat loves to eat.



















Here is some newer work. I have worked with the idea of conception and what happens afterwards since my niece Haley was an embryo. I followed my sister's pregnancy through a picture book I got in the library. I like to bring back old ideas on new forms and here is the first one.





















And a tile marking the beginning all the way to the birth.

More Painting

I was firing again today and because of that the studio gets super stinky with fumes. Thus I am forced out of doors into the wondrous sunshine with my palette and brushes in hand. I was puzzled by the arms and hands in the painting. Will actually modeled for this painting in the kitchen while I, armed with the trusty camera stood on a chair ( I am incredibly short and couldn't get a straight angle shot of him unless I climbed upwards). Because of this there was a weird tilt to the picture that came into the painting which made the image confusing. Trying to rectify that today, I changed the arms quite a bit. Now they are a complete mess that I can't fix until some drying occurs. But look what happened in the change. A tree grew out of Will's hand. The reference is positively screaming at you but I am okay with that. The thing that troubles me is the direction I want to push the painting and the fact that I am using the image of my husband. I am not exactly sure how to explain my thoughts. I like my paintings to go too far. I like loud color and big defined images. I like kitsch and if it is gold I could possibly swoon. I like to push peoples ideas and their limits. Choosing to paint a painting that suggests Jesus puts me on shaky ground to begin with. And then my mind is going wild with limit pushing and some really risky ideas. And then there is the fact that my sweet hubby is the model. I will have to think on this and maybe this will be a painting that stays in the collection of the artist and is never shown.

Picture update

In the middle of the fall season I rarely have time for anything but getting ready for show after show after show. This year I swore to myself that I would paint at least one day a week. Well, that went down the tubes after the first shows came to pass. I just can't keep up.
On the rare occasion that I do get a space to paint I am excited and thrilled.
This is the second picture of Will in the tree/heart series.
There are some major issues with the composition that will be changed next go round. But all in all it is getting there.
I think as the painting has its way it will mean bigger hands coming off the panel and water to the waist. The hands will be lifted slightly. There is a religious undertone to this painting. I have always done Madonna's throughout my career but I have never done a picture of a male religious figure. This is the first. And Will really does look like some images of Jesus.

It is like Christmas everytime.

Every time I open the kiln there is an excitement, a thrill at seeing just what everything looks like with a glaze on its surface.
Here is a group of face mugs and pot that are meant to touch on the old tradition of the North Carolina face jugs. The traditional ones are super grotesque and used to scare me as a child. Now I am kinda in love with them but at the same time wouldn't want to run into one in the dark. I try to make mine a less scary and maybe a little goofy. I like making the mugs because they are fun to look at in the morning with their grimaces and teeth bared as if to say," i understand that this morning thing sucks!"

This little picture here I have tried to delete but it wants to stay for some reason. It is actually the bottom of the face jug. And the picture below is the Christmas-like gift I saw this morning.

Paranoia

Sometimes, especially after watching a super scary show, I feel like there is something behind me watching. I have a great imagination and I let it run wild now and then. Today was such a day and hence....the eyes pot. Many, many sets of eyes staring and staring as I was carving. Towards the end of the carving I started thinking about evil eye charms I have seen through the years and decided this is an evil eye pot to ward off any lingering bad spirits or mojo in the air.

Just in time for Halloween!

The crows have descended on the truck for a crow convention. People have been bugging me to paint the truck for a year and I have procrastinated and procrastinated until Will (super husband) primed the truck for me and then painted it the green that I choose. All I had to do was make the stencils and spray on the crows. I am not sure if I am finished. I may put some words on the truck. We have had a great time driving around with the new paint job.

It was an Owl Day

Inspired by a local owl, and just trying to get in the mood of Halloween, I had an Owl day. Everything I carved yesterday was all about Owls. Here are 3 of my favorites. The bottle is actually a water bottle. You fill the bottle with water and put it in the fridge. I usually leave mine in the fridge at least 2 hours. When you put the bottle on the table, the water will stay cold all through dinner without ice.

More Rabbit

Rabbit was laying upside down on the arm of the couch with her belly up. So cute!

What is this little gift?

It is Rabbit the newest member of the family!
She is adorable and the light of the whole family's days. The dogs love her and would nuzzle her all day long but she swats them into place when she tires of all the attention. She is like a little rock star with the dogs and me and Will as groupies. Here she is after an exploration into the fireplace. What a mess that was!

I have been Critiqued!

Criticism
Here is the link to the article that was written about the show. All in all I was happy with it although I didn't agree with some of his thoughts.
It is really weird to be written about. But it is good also to have the experience.
Weird.

Trying to Paint

Here is the next in the series of Will paintings.
A larger version of the last with the same theme.
But an addition of water and probably also some small birds eventually. A cadmium yellow sky and ultramarine blue water. I wanted him in hi skivvies because they look like an old fashioned bathing suit that I may paint with red and white stripes. I can't wait to get started with the color but alas....I have carving to do before me and this lovely man go to the BEACH!!!! WOO ##***@!HOO!!!









Here is the finished ( but in need of last minute touch ups) painting of Will. I really am happy with the way the light and shadows of the tree turned out. I feel like I am able to paint again. After graduate school.......11 years ago I have been painting but sparsely. Maybe 10 paintings a year, and have felt stumped in a way I never did before school. But something has opened in me and I feel free again to paint without judgement. My own judgement.....and worry that others will judge as well. I do still have twinges but not out right fear.
I don't want to say much about because I really am scared of jinxing it but all I can say is I feel really heartened and light and blessed.

Gearing up for Fall

The show reception was last weekend and it went really well. Lots of people and lots of talking about art and Alice. I did better than I thought in sales and got a couple of new orders. So, all in all, I am a happy girl. After skating by with next to nothing in my back account, I am ready for a money infusion. Gotta feed that man of mine and the dogs need to go to the vet.

Here is an update on the painting I started at Janet's house. Up close you can tell that this round of painting was the laying in of the oil paint. It is building up to an impasto like surface. I will be adding more flowers to the right once the painting has time to dry a little.






And......here is the beginning of a series featuring my lovely husband.
A tree growing out of his huge heart. I am painting panels of wood. The last painting of the series will be of me and him back to back with trees growing up and out of our hearts and intertwining above our heads. The last one will be rather large and will be in our living room.

3 down the rabbit hole (the title)

The show is up and we are done!
Here is the layout of the room. It is darker in there than is good for taking photos so the images are a little to dark to get details... but you can get the jist of the setup.
Tiffany O'Brien and Millicent Greeson are the other wonderful artists in the show with me.
The title is 3 Down the Rabbit Hole and it is at the Theatre Arts Gallery in High Point, NC. The show was open to the public on Tuesday July, 17th but the artists opening is August 25th from 5-7. The end date is Sept 25th.

New Painting

This painting I started when I was at Janet's house. ( I posted about this down the page. ) We were on the back porch and Janet has all kinds of flowers and plants back there. She has been growing lots of orchids and also had this tall plant with spidery leaves. I had fun trying to paint just a little of what is actually out there. There was so much to look at that I was sidetracked for awhile but I think this is coming along.

Some pictures of the preliminary set-up

Reason's why I love Janet's house.....

A tree house and a swing set.
A balance beam that I can play on.
Skinny dipping in the lake.
Ducks and chickens wandering the yard.
Zula the dog quietly following behind.
Asia my favorite goatie in the world.
Sheep bahhhing in the backyard.
Fresh cherries, champagne mangoes, and chocolate for a snack.
Sharing ham and swiss sandwiches with Eric and Janet overlooking the pond.
And most of all painting with Janet on the porch.
I couldn't have asked for a better way to relax after finishing up the hanging of the show.
I am a lucky girl.

Last Pull and updated painting

Here is the final pull of the print of Alice and the Mad Hatter.
It is the artist proof and not yet on rice paper which always gives a print the little extra boost. I love rice paper and were it not so hard to store I would keep it on hand. I always seem to get something on it or crease it somehow and so I leave it to the stores to store for me until I need it.




Here is an update on the painting of Alice and Queen.
I am going to try and finish this morning before it gets too warm outside. I paint outside mostly for light but also because the kiln had been running non-stop for the last couple of days and man it is hot in the studio.
My arms hurt, my feet hurt and I am just plain tired. I sleep in fits and have been drinking way too much coffee and green tea. I cannot wait to put this show to bed. It is time for me to be done.
Only three more days to go.
WOO HOO!!

painting

Just started this one this morning and the progress has been a lot better since I found my pastels. I am using them under and on top of acrylic paint, the pastels making a sort of paste when combined with the acrylic. I love the smoky lines that I get from the charcoal and have a great time layering and then erasing with paint.

First Pull

Here is the first pull of a linoleum print I am working on. I like the way it is looking and amazingly will probably not change all that much. Usually with a print I make as many as 15 artist's proofs but I think that because I worked on this particular image so much that it has come a little naturally to me. It is a much needed break. I am running out of time and any extra hour or set of minutes is a God send.

the mean old crazy duchess

the mean old duchess screams in dismay as the baby turned pig sticks out of her chest.