Mixed Media Artist - daily painter of portraits, flowers, abstracts and birds
Afraid to Look
8×8 gouache portrait painting
Available here
New Chapter Has Begun
8×8 mixed media portrait painting
Available here
Blossoming
8×8 gouache portrait painting
Available here
Beyond Grief
8×8 gouache portrait painting
Available here
Clutter Free Mind
8×8 gouache portrait painting
Available here
More paintings are available in my shop.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend.
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There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen. Go against the rules or ignore the rules. That is what invention is about.
Helen Frankenthaler
I got impatient waiting for this two page abstract spread to dry. So, I closed the book, and smooshed the pages together to even out the paint a bit, so it would dry faster. When I opened it, I immediately saw two faces staring back at me. I added a little paint here and there, and voila!
☸️
What I’m reading:
I’m still working my way through Stoner and Jane Eyre. I haven’t had as much time to read this week. I’ve been photographing & listing antiques & vintage pieces – my side hustle, which is becoming more of my full time gig than art. I did have time to read a couple short articles tho.
Working With Your Hands Is Good for Your Brain – “Activities like writing, gardening and knitting can improve your cognition and mood. Tapping, typing and scrolling? Less so.” NY Times
Instagram is dead to us… so what’s next for creatives?
I’m wondering when sites like FB & IG are going to finally get a clue, and change? I’m going to guess never.
What I’m watching:
Why You’re Bored and Lonely: The Death of Third Places
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You can message me here.
Other places to find me online.
Follow me on IG for The 100 Day Project.
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Well Earned Attention
Gouache mixed media portrait painting
Work in progress
Most of my portrait paintings either start out with a story I’ve already made up in my head or it turns into a story as I go along. I like to amuse myself with silly thoughts, as I’m working, much like children do when they draw or paint.
I’m not sure which I enjoy more – the painting part or making up truths, lies, and all the drama going on in the lives of my quirky characters. They’re an interesting bunch of wack-a-doodle doos, I tell ya. 😆 But, I love each & every one of them – most of the time.
This girl came at me the second I had her sketched out on the page – demanding to be loud, colorful, and eccentric. She told me she wanted to stand out from the crowd. Oooh, I thought..one of those noisy extravert types.
Being a wallflower type of person with a closet mostly full of black & gray clothes, & no desire to wear jewelry (other than my wedding ring), I reluctantly agreed. The whole time I was thinking, girl, seriously? You’re gonna be like everyone else out there screaming at the top of their voice trying to draw attention to themselves.
She assured me that there’d be no loud tone in her voice, or nonsensical words parting her lips. Color alone was enough to bring her the attention she thought she deserved. Okay, okay, gotcha!
And so this colorful, attention seeking girl was born.
Er..I mean, created.
🤣 🎨 🖼
“Pearls, please make me some pearls to clutch”, she said.
After meddling into her history,
and asking more questions than I probably
should have,
I decided she most likely needed the pearls..
if not today, then tomorrow, for sure.
So, naturally,
I obeyed,
like an artist should
when their paintings speak to them.
I did crave attention,
but I refused to humiliate myself by asking for it.
Ottessa Moshfegh
Well Earned Attention
8.5×11 on paper
Available here
Ah man..I’m cracking up at myself now because of how crazy I probably sound in this post. In all seriousness, this was a fun portrait to paint, pearls & all. I hope you like it, and the story behind it. 🙃😉
***
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Video of Mr. ChewyBarka Boo Boo.
Sound up, so you can hear him talking sassy to me,
but consider yourself forewarned.
I don’t recommend watching if you’re prone to
any kind of cuteness overload.
Arf!
🐶 🥰🤣
K, bye..gotta go play wif himz.
If you’re a subscriber, and the video doesn’t show up in the email, you’ll have to click on over to view it on my blog.
PS: I have a million clips like this that I’ll start including in some of my blog posts if this one posts okay.
You Cannot Force Love
Bright colorful
8.5×11 gouache portrait painting
Available here
Thrift Store Sweater
8.5×11 Gouache portrait painting
Available here
She Moved Zombie Like
8.5×11 Gouache portrait painting
Available here
Happy Life
8.5×11 gouache portrait painting
Available here
More paintings are available in my shop.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend.
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Painting emotion with magenta
Gouache painting palette I used
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What I’m watching:
Kayenta – a unique small artist community, which is part of the Navajo Nation located in southern Utah. I’ll be honest, and say the landscape itself wasn’t visually appealing to me at first. As I kept watching, it began to grow on me, especially when I realized there isn’t any grass to mow. Not only that, but the individual homes are absolutely gorgeous inside, and I could definitely see myself being friends with all the artists living there. It was quite enjoyable to watch.
Brontë Sisters: The Tragic Lives Of The Literary Icons
Some Kind of Heaven on Hulu. It’s a documentary about a retirement community in FL. I really liked it. I watched this one a couple weeks back, I’m still thinking about the people who live there as I go about my day. The ending made me smile.
What I’m reading:
North of Boston by Robert Frost – April is National Poetry Month. I read this book many years ago, and I’m happy to revisit it now that I’m older.
The Lover: A Short Story by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
When the World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar
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You can message me here.
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Uniquely Her
Gouache portrait painting
Work in progress
Today is the last day of the 100 day project for me. I’ve decided to end it early because I’m just not all that into the project or posting on IG.
After posting daily since Feb 18th, I still don’t like IG. I tried, but it’s just not for me. I guess I’m stuck in the past, and prefer the old IG – before it was bought from FB – over what it’s become.
Life is too short to keep doing things you don’t like doing, so I’m going to stick with Pinterest & X, mostly Pinterest. Links are below if you want to follow me on either site.
It’s also feeling like summer around here – 93F yesterday. I’ve had my nose to the grindstone for months, working around the clock, and now I want nothing more than to take some time off.
Life can feel like it’s passing you by quickly, if all you do is stare at a computer screen all day. Like most everyone, I still have to work, but I don’t have to work 12 to 16 hours a day or 7 days a week, like I have been.
Cutting back on the amount of hours I work might mean less blog posts over the summer, also. At least, less wordy posts because those take the most time for me to create. We’ll see how it goes.
Uniquely Her
Available here
What I’m reading:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and Stoner by John Williams
This is a perfect way to kick off the upcoming summer season, imo. I have several more old classics lined up after these that I want to read or reread. I’m looking forward to it.
***
Purchase original art through me, and get free shipping.
You can message me here.
Other places to find me online.
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Wandering Around
8.5×11 gouache portrait painting
Available here
Well Earned Attention
8.5×11 gouache portrait painting
Available here
Connection
9×12 gouache portrait painting
Available here
Happy and Full Of Joy
8×8 gouache portrait painting
Available here
More paintings are available in my shop.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend.
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