These are two paintings I continued to work on after the Mark Mehaffey workshop. It was great! Stay tuned for more info on it! These are both available on dailypaintworks!

Canvas and Corks

As usual, it boggles my mind how great the artwork is that emerges from a 2 hour session. Some have never held a paintbrush! The group last night was just great! Enthusiastic, funny, and very talented. A very fun night at the Birmingham Community House!

Fervor

I picked up some beautiful pink tulips from the store the other day, and was determined to render them as closely as I could to what they looked like. But somewhere along the way, I got lost again (bright shiny object) and started heading into uncharted territories. It sure is a fun way to get lost though! This is 16x12" and has deep painted 1
1/2 inch sides. Ready to hang without a frame.
SOLD

Let's Start Something

Spring is here! I am anxious to get up north (Michigan), where I always feel at home. Not that this depicts Michigan....it is from memory of somewhere, but I don't know where. In other words, I don't remember where the memory came from. If you can figure that out, good for you!

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Also, I found some very amazing information on a blog recently of Keene Wilson. How incredibly generous of him to share all this good info and all the tips. I thought I'd pass it on!

 http://keenewilson.com/page/1399/for-artists

Today

I started this painting with a group of friends, and finished it the next day at home. I had a song on my mind again and sang it over and over while painting this. It's one of my all time favorite songs, and it's called "Today", by the New Christy Minstrels. It's all about appreciating the gift of today. In fact, here is a link to the song. If you just want to forget everything for a few minutes and listen, it's a real treat.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q65943s5AG4

This is on a 12x12 inch canvas with 1 1/2 inch painted sides. It can be hung beautifully without a frame. Available on dailypaintworks    

Click to Bid

Wait For Me

I took this photo near my house. I couldn't help but wonder what was the reason for his stop. I liked the composition! Available on dailypaintworks. It is 8x10 Acrylic 
Click to Bid

Saturday

I love Spring! People are out and about and there are lots of photo opportunities. I tried out a technique that I saw another artist do, which is using a small brush for most of the painting. It was actually really fun because it seems like you have more control and less room for error(?) because they're such small spaces. Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of room for error, but anyways, I liked how it turned out. This is oil, 8x10 on board  SOLD

Glee

I reworked this from a previous painting. I liked the original, but I've never (in my shortish experience with oils) seen anything fade like it did. It was originally sort of muted anyways, on purpose, but geez, the paint soaked into the canvas so much that it all seemed the same value, dullness, blah-ness. The only thing I can think of is that it was a cheap canvas and I should have gessoed it more, or just not used that brand of canvas. My paints and mediums hadn't changed, so it had to be the canvas, right? Anyways, I like this one better, and now I don't have to look at the other one feeling so sorry for itself! This is 14x11, oil (the same canvas but now sitting on layers of paint, so I doubt it will "sink" this time)!

One and Only

I saw this man and little boy in a park last weekend. It was just the perfect day here in Michigan! About 60 degrees, sunny, and a bit breezy. Everyone looked happy to see spring. Then yesterday it snowed! These two looked like they had a very special connection. There is nothing more powerful than the urge to protect our children. That's not a quote from a famous person....just me!  SOLD

Let's Stay Together

I have been in a slump. Just a real slump. Can't get inspired. So I decided to "just do it", and be free and just paint on a fairly large canvas. So, I did. It got me moving again! This is 20x16 and 1/2 inch sides are painted. Ready to hang without a frame, or can be framed. Available on dpw:

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/372849

Dogs, Kids, and Life

A good friend, Chris Lally, has a great blog. I was reading it yesterday, and as usual, it inspired me to think about things. Her blog always does that. But she REALLY had me at the dog part. Her comments, and the picture of Cobie were great.  (check her out at the art experience, chrislally.blogspot.com).

Anyways, I got to thinking about my boy, Wade, again (as I do 24/7!) (and his funny little crooked teeth!). We did our hospital visit yesterday (he's a therapy dog), and it never ceases to amaze me how these people respond to dogs. It is that moment when we ask if they would like to see a Therapy Dog, that you witness a face just transform into pure joy! Very rewarding for Mom, too! Then I got to thinking about my first grandson. I took this picture of his little shoes while he was napping at my house Saturday. I think they're the cutest thing I've ever seen! So for whatever reason, I thought these two photos should go together. The  beautiful generous soul of a dog, and the innocence of a small boy who loves not just dogs, but ALL of life!  I took him outside that day, he looked up, and immediately said,
"A BIRD!!", with excitement beyond belief. I think we grown ups need to remember to look at life that way whenever we can. Pure awe and joy in the everyday things. I believe we can learn alot from dogs and children! 

"In his grief over the loss of a dog, a little boy stands for the first time on tiptoe, peering into the rueful morrow of manhood. After this most inconsolable of sorrows there is nothing life can do to him that he will not be able somehow to bear".

James Thurber

Stand Up. We're On!

This was painted on a 10x10 cradled wood panel. The sides are 2 inches and painted. It is wired and ready to hang without a frame. Available on DPW:  http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/368465

And by the way, the jury's still out on the roofing nails. Not the dumbest thing I've ever tried, tho!

Vice Versa

This painting was redone around 5 times! It looks absolutely nothing like the reference photo I had taken. But it ended up that I liked it!
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She Thinks She's So Fancy

These women could be related to the Gossip Birds. If birds could be related to people, that is. They just aren't very nice. Especially the one in the yellow hat. She doesn't feel good about herself! 8x10 oil available on auction at DPW

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/366400

What Now, Honey?

I love watching ducks and geese. This pair was right outside our B&B in Saugatuk. The male was very bossy and quite a know-it-all. The title came after the painting, which is fun to do!
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Canvas and Corks March 19, 2015

This was a really fun night! We painted a recent painting of mine, and everyone did a spectacular job. It amazes me how people who may have never held a paint brush can create such wonderful pieces! I have to thank Jason for all his help (and we missed you Nevan!), and of course my beautiful daughter, Meg. It was great to see Brett again, and some other familiar faces. A great class! Thank you guys for making it so fun! And please check out, not only upcoming Canvas and Corks classes at the Birmingham Community House, but all of their wonderful and diverse classes.

Sunday Morning

This is a little different for me, but I kind of liked it.
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Side by Side

These people are excited about the evening. I think they've been waiting for this event for a while. I have no idea what it is, though. Any suggestions are welcome!

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"Inner Glow" and "Let ME do the Talkin"

With Inner Glow, I painted randomly and messily (is that a word?) with acrylics, wet them, and painted around the areas I wanted to keep that accidently turned out pretty cool (like the "glow"). And the next one was fun, and very easy to name after the fact. They suddenly looked like a bunch of pumped up women looking for a fight! Both available on dailypaintworks.

A Prayer for Carolena

This is an angel painting I did for a friend and relative's baby that is on the way. I did something different, and wrote a prayer/poem to go with it. I had it printed on transparent paper and put it in front of the painting. I found out the hard way that an inkjet printer won't do it, and it had to be printed with a laser printer. Anyways, I found what I thought was the perfect frame. It seemed like they loved it! I like the text on it, and I may do this again for special gifts or as a custom project. I have always loved writing poems, but never really incorporated it with my paintings.