Pelican Pressure

Pelican Pressure.

Any pressure?

As of late, I am feeling the heat and I don't mean summer!

God is so good to me, providing sales where there were none.

Lifting me up out of the depths, only to splash me with a wave of his love!

As an artist, it is hard to work day after day, hour after hour alone with our art.

I mean if you are not self-disciplined, you just simply will not make it as a professional.

Fortunately for me, God has seen fit to bless me with His favor.

I am blessed both in talent, and in income.

The income that helps me to help others.

I am so grateful, every minute of every day!

The day here started out quietly enough with me spending time with my Bible.

My first cup of coffee and my Father in Heaven!

What better way to start the day!

I went to church this morning, then grabbed a bite to eat for lunch even though it was only 10:30.

I then finished packing for our VBS set up at the main Sanctuary after the second service.

I was in charge, and boy were there a lot of people helping!

Even so, it still took 3 hours.

My head was spinning as there were constantly teens asking, how can I help?

I am not used to this amount of hands.

It was overwhelming at times.

But we got it all done with lots of hands working.

I am indeed grateful for the help.

I then headed home to work with my daughter on a Mardi Gras train for next year.

It's hard to think of Mardi Gras in the sweltering heat of summer.

Three hours later, and we have made lots of progress and have plans to meet again soon.

This train will be 15 feet of magnificent!

We ate dinner, worked some more, then we parted ways.

Grand had to get home as the parents are making him go to bed at 8:30.

School starts next week!

I then went back to the studio and erased and varnished the last of the 

paintings headed to the Audubon Center in Moss point.

It's going to be a beautiful show!

And now, I blog after painting today.

Long, beautiful, amazing, God filled day!

Pelican Pressure, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24

Day 34 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner?

Not so commonly called out around here anymore.

When we were younger and had small children.

The "What's for dinner?" was usually followed by, "do I have to eat it?"

"If you don't want to go hungry, yes you have to eat it." was typically our reply.

Otherwise, after sitting at the table stubbornly refusing to eat, the chorus of I'm hungry came from out of the mouths of our children.

I didn't let them go hungry, there was usually a peanut butter sandwich made before bed.

Ah Parental frustrations.

I don't miss them.

Oh wait, now our grand pulls the same stunt.

Thank God for peanut butter!

This pair of parents must work hard to feed their hungry mouths.

In most nests, the eggs are laid a few days apart.

Hence, they hatch a few days apart.

It's not uncommon for number one to become the only one because he was there first.

He's had a couple extra days to learn the routine and leave the sibling in the dust.

Or at least a hungry belly.

What's for dinner?, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40

Day 33 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

Nesting time!

As I write this, there are not one but two turtle nests hatching.

These little guys sure keep us on our toes with the Orange Beach team of Share the Beach.

The monitors are hearing waterfalls at H2.

This nest is the one the police, feds, and wildlife people 

were called out to write reports a few days back.

Fortunately, the vandals didn't reach the babies.

So, tonight they've decided to make a run for the water.

Another nest, possibly hatched while a rainstorm was happening, so it may already be empty.

The monitoring continues.

Anyway, I've been painting away to fill out my one woman show at the 

Pascagoula River Audubon Center.

It's called "My Nature Odyssey" and has many more birds this time.

The show is filling in very nicely now with lots of new works!

I am also picking up 7 pieces from my gallery in Foley called Big Fish.

Big Fish Trading Company is an amazing furniture store with beautiful art and accessories.

I also received an email  from the Audubon Center asking if I could hang earlier than August 3rd.

Apparently the outgoing artist took all his pieces today.

So, we go to Big Fish first thing Monday, then head to Mississippi to hang the show.

2 days earlier than expected, but I'll be ready!

Nesting time!, Acrylic on Shadowbox canvas, 12 x 36 inches

Day 32 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Toward the top!

"Toward the top!"

Sea turtle are some of my favorites to paint!

This guy is headed to the Audubon show in Mississippi.

He is one of a pair with the other turtle facing the opposite direction. 

I try to make each one unique, so everyone has an original.

I've painted so many turtles in this position though, even with different photographs, 

I pray they're not the exact same.

Today was interesting.

The day started innocently enough, with a dog barking at 1:30 am to go outside.

Unfortunately, my mind started racing as I tried to go back to bed.

Then my husband started snoring.

(I'm grateful for the snoring, it means he's still here!)

I tried to go back to sleep until 4:30.

I then gave up, read my bible, journaled and headed upstairs to the studio.

I worked until my husband got up, I thought why not?

I went back to bed and actually slept from about 7:30 -10:00.

Very unusual for me to sleep during the day.

I then took two dogs to the vet.

Then lunch.

I finally got back to the studio at 1pm.

Erasing, wiring, and varnishing took until almost 5pm.

We rode the dogs, ate a pizza, and I am back in the studio.

A repair to a painting, an addition to a painting, and a painting done in the failing light of day.

A long day, and so now goodnight!

"Toward the top!", Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 12 x 36 inches

Day 31 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Raptor Mania

Sometimes a photographic image is such that it does not need words.

This is one of those images I have been privileged with permission to paint.

I have taken photos of Osprey myself, but this one by Debi Parnell really caught my eye.

She is an amazing photographer, both of landscapes and animals.

If you want to see some more of her work, head on over to her website,

https://www.debiparnell.com

I feel honored to call her friend, fellow Christian, and Artist.

I am rapidly getting ready for my show which hangs next week.

I still have an incredible amount of erasing, varnishing, and wiring to do.

I will have to get some of that done before Friday as our daughter is coming here on Saturday.

We are working on the Mardi Gras Train for a local queen here in the studio.

Yes, sometimes Mardi Gras comes early on the Gulf Coast.

(At least the deadlines for them!)

I love working on these with my daughter, because it gives us quality time together while creating.

The creating we do is incredible, although it does lead to some creative differences sometimes!

Especially when Mardi Gras and a One woman show collide!

One step at a time.....

It's really all I can do at this point!

Raptor Mania, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40 inches

Day 30 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Onward and upward

Onward and upward.

This is where we should all be standing right now.

Our minds are on overload.

 There are shootings, mostly from mentally hurt people.

 There is upheaval in the stock market.

People can't afford to work, either because of gas or the cost of childcare.

The cost of simple necessities like bread and milk are going up faster than the cost of living.

Especially in foreign countries.

There is an unforgivable war raging as we speak.

Our children are afraid to go to school and parents are afraid to send them.

The covid pandemic seems to be going on forever.

In the midst of all this, we are complacent about mask or no mask.

Vaccine or no vaccine.

In the meantime, there is a variant that threatens to upset our daily lives once again.

I think we're all just tired of the daily fight.

I believe we should look onward, toward the future of Heaven on Earth.

Upward, we should look upward, toward our Father in Heaven.

Our prayers should be like incense, lifted up on the wings of our tears and fears.

I pray daily, constantly, fervently for family, friends, and foes.

Much like a sea turtle lifts its heavy body to the surface of the sea,

We should lift ourselves upward toward our Heavenly Father.

Onward and Upward, Acrylic on Shadowbox canvas, 12 x 36 inches

Day 29 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 SOLD

 

Lovely lady

For those of you who don't know.

I have a great affection for sea turtles.

Most specifically, Loggerhead sea turtles.

Known for their large heads, hence the name Loggerhead.

Their jaws are powerful, able to crush the shells of whelks and conch.

Also known as Caretta caretta.

They average 36 inches long, but can reach 4 feet.

They can weigh almost 300 pounds!

They live 47 to 67 years.

They are omnivorous.

Yellowish in color with shells leaning towards reddish brown.

The momma turtle will travel about 7,500 miles to nest on the same beach she was born on.

The males travel to their birthplace as well to mate.

Lovely lady, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24 inches

Day 28 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 SOLD!

 

Dinnertime!

We came upon this osprey while kayaking and photographing several years ago.

I talked Chris into being the paddle, and I took numerous digital photographs.

I photographed this Osprey, several Great Blue Herons, Pelicans, and even a Green Heron.

I tried to get him to go over to an alligator I spotted, but he drew the line there!

We paddled toward it, but before we could get close the alligator slipped into the depths.

I then spotted the Osprey having just landed and killing the mullet on top of a pole.

We headed toward him, but he took off, and I got this shot of him in full flight.

I have already loved this photograph and now I've finally captured him in paint!

The beauty surrounds us here on the Gulf Coast.

We only have to slow down, quieten ourselves, and open our eyes.

I will never cease to be amazed at the diversity and beauty that is South Alabama.

Dinnertime!, Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 36

Day 27 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Bring home Dinner!

"Bring home Dinner!"

These magnificent birds do eat a lot every day, up to two pounds of fish!

I've personally seen one swallow a baby turtle and an eel!

The Great Blue Heron is an amazing creature.

They can stand up to 45-54 inches tall.

Their wingspan ranges from 65-79 inches in width.

They can live for 15 years.

They live in a colony of up to ten birds, but only one breeding pair.

The thing I find most fascinating, is that they have specialized feathers on their chest 

that grow continuously and fray into a powder.

This powder can be used to clean off fish slime!

I know you've seen them, especially if you fish.

They can be very aggressive, taking fish off the line as you're reeling them in!

I am intimidated by their sheer size myself.

The most amazing thing is, there is one just like it in Zimbabwe, Africa.

I was teaching while on mission one day and saw a large bird out the window.

Turns out, this bird is called a Goliath Heron!

They are browner in color than ours here on the coast.

Isn't it wonderful how God works?

A bird exactly like ours shows up in Africa while I'm teaching on mission!

I'm still shaking my head on that one!

Bring home Dinner!, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40

Day 26 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Home for Dinner!

"Home for Dinner!"

This piece uses another of Debi Head Parnell's photographs.

When she posted this Belted Kingfisher, I asked to paint him.

This is one of several types of Kingfishers here in the states.

Interestingly, my friend in Zimbabwe Africa knew it was a Kingfisher.

Apparently, Africa has several types as well.

Some things I didn't know about Belted Kingfisher birds.

They are quite large, almost a foot tall!

The females are larger.

Their territory can be over 1/2 mile long.

The females are the ones with the ruddy chest while the males only have the blue band.

They nest in a riverbank.

Their feet are called syndactyl, meaning they have two of their toes fused together.

Their fused toes make digging into the mud along a river or lake easier.

Their nests can be up to 15 feet deep!

Sometimes swallows will move in and add rooms along the corridor of the nest.

Fun to learn about, even more fun to paint!

Home for Dinner!,  Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40 inches

Day 25 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Babies, babies, everywhere IV

Baby turtles IV

I am still shaking my head over this one!

When I posted the first one, I had an immediate response asking for size and price.

I had to tell her it was already sold, as well as the one I was posting the next day.

The birthday girl got her babies today and was totally surprised.

Her husband did a great job, contacting me for the commission and picking up promptly.

She commissioned one and said if I had two....

Here's number two for her.

She's on the share the beach team with me.

We have an obsession with baby turtles for sure!

Yesterday the orange beach team was in an uproar.

One of our nests had been vandalized.

My phone and Chris's too was blowing up all day with angry turtle people.

The police were called.

The Fish and Wildlife were called.

The Feds were called.

Yes folks, messing with an endangered species nest that is clearly marked is a federal offense!

Imagine having a criminal record permanently because you vandalized a turtle nest.

Fortunately, the eggs were not affected, as the vandals did not get to them.

Hopefully they will hatch soon and have a lot of happy turtle people.

Today's phone blow up was because a nest hatched earlier than expected.

We used to sit on watch 24/7 when it got close to the time.

This nest was checked at 9:30 and was pretty quiet.

These little stinkers decided 11:30 at night was a fun time to go to the water.

Problem is, some of them were found headed away from the water.

People were calling the hotline, saying they had turtles running everywhere apparently.

It was only a partial hatch, though.

There are more waiting to come up to the surface.

More excitement on the way.

Each baby turtle has about a 1% chance of surviving to adulthood to have babies of their own.

So, every single one is important...

Things are happening in the studio as well.

I purchased a couple dozen small wood rounds because they are easy to transport and paint.

Before I can paint on them, they must be prepped.

First a layer of Kilz, then white Acrylic paint.

It's a lot to do, but necessary work in order to create.

I did get upset a few years back when Baldwin County made me but a manufacturers license.

This is more expensive than a transient artist license.

I said quietly that I am not a manufacturer, I'm a painter.

"Mam you take canvas that is blank and paint on it right?"

I bought the license.

I don't always feel like a manufacturer, but today I do when I purchase so many supports ahead.

Then have to paint them.

Never a dull moment.

All this and the Covid bug has visited us again!

(Not me, Chris)

Wear your masks people, this new variant is getting past everything!

Baby turtle IV, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 12 x 24 inches

Day 24 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Butterfly and sunflowers

Butterfly and sunflowers is one of the photos I'm using with permission from Debi Parnell.

I am having an enjoyable time painting while using her references.

This one is small, but still took a while to paint!

Several hours in fact.

I still enjoyed the piece while creating for the Audubon show.

Small but mighty.

I try to have pieces for the beginning collector as well as the seasoned collector.

Both are wonderful in my book!

Butterfly and sunflowers, Acrylic on canvas, 4x12 inches

Day 23 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flight formation

The multi canvas pieces started several years ago.

It was in response to people asking, "Why don't you paint bigger?"

Big canvases bring big problems.

They can get scratched, dented, and worst of all, broken.

Our van is typically so full after the show equipment and art, we could not fit a large canvas.

Not even on top of everything else in the van.

So, I prayed and got an answer.

I started them about 5 years ago in the spring, painting two as an experiment.

Both of them sold rather quickly in the same show.

The pelicans are one of the recent results of my labors.

These guys measure 3ft tall by 5 1/2 ft wide.

The sides are painted, so they can be spread apart.

The best part is they fit into a relatively small bag.

My husband loves them, other than the challenge of hanging them.

They can be tricky to hang, especially if there is a wind issue.

Most of the time, I hang the multi piece paintings and he fills in with the rest.

And yes, I paint the fronts in one day!

Flight formation, Acrylic on canvas, 3ft x 5 1/2ft

Day 22 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flying jewel box II

Today I painted the female of the pair.

She is the same size as the other one, 4 x 12 inches.

While small paintings don't fill walls, they can sit on a shelf, in between doorways, or windows.

I love painting small.

The show for the Audubon center is filling in nicely.

I may need to bring additional pieces from a gallery that lets me remove works for shows.

She lets me remove them, because she knows I will bring new works back in to replace them.

Things have finally settled somewhat here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio.

We had a bit of a Covid scare where we had to quarantine a few days.

Everything turned out fine though!

We also finally got the part for my swimming pool that I ordered at the end of June!

It has been two weeks of dumping massive amounts of chlorine shock treatments because my pump was not making chlorine at all.

The part came in, I changed it out, and started cleaning the algae out of the pool.

The combination of rain and a non-functioning pump has been a nightmare.

Hopefully, now things will get to where I can just enjoy it, and not constantly worry with it.

All in all, I love my saltwater system.

I loved it enough to buy another one when the first one got fried by a thunderstorm.

The pump they include with these above ground pools are an absolute joke.

The pool we bought used, but I already had the pump from last summer.

How manufacturers expect a cartridge filter to pump an 8,000 gallon pool is beyond me.

Enough about the pool, hopefully we can now just enjoy it!

In the meantime, I paint!

Flying jewel box II, Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 12 inches

Day 21 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flying jewelry box

"Flying jewelry box"

I must first of all give a great debt of gratitude to Debi Parnell, 

the photographer that is allowing me to use some of her images for paintings.

She is truly a gifted photographer and someone I am glad to call friend!

Some of the imagery will be directly taken from the photograph, 

lots of them will be used as part of a larger piece of art. 

I am fascinated by these birds as I'm sure a lot of you are.

Their antics while flying are a sight to behold indeed!

We have a feeder outside the kitchen window.

 Invariably I see the one that decides this is his feeder and no one else's.

He proceeds to chase off anyone that dares to enter his space.

Not so when I was a teen in California.

We lived in Sunnymead, which is like a suburb of Riverside.

Our home had a large cover over the patio with an umbrella style clothesline.

The patio had four poles, each of which had a feeder on it.

The dining area had two large sliding glass doors.

Every morning, my father would watch the ensuing show put on by the local hummingbirds.

He would drink coffee and smoke a cigarette as the dawn came up.

Without fail, during the right season the show would begin.

We would have literally dozens of hummingbirds come to eat.

These birds would line up in their respective pecking order.

Yes, these hummers actually took turns!

Mind you, there were a few that were monitors of the line, but most actually waited their turn.

The monitors would knock back the ones that tried to cut in, zooming and 

chasing them to the clothesline or off into the distance.

It never failed to be extremely entertaining.

They also knew my dad would watch them each morning.

Thus, one morning early he found them hovering by the back door instead of the feeders.

Strange behavior indeed!

Turns out, they were hungry and the feeders were empty.

My father filled them, and the party ensued again.

They were a beautiful, flying jewelry box part of our California lifestyle.

Ruby male, Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 12

Day 20 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Crab trio

I have sold a version of this painting last year, at the Jubilee Festival (I think!)

This past year of sales has been good to me, allowing me to bless others and tithe to my church.

I can then purchase equipment needed to make the canvas stretcher bars.

Brad nail gun to put frames together.

Stapler and compressor, and thousands of staples.

The air stapler came about because I kept destroying electric staple guns, either burning them up or they just bounced too much leaving a staple sticking up.

The I had to pound them down using a hammer, taking more time and causing much noise.

Chris's solution was to get me an air stapler and compressor.

The compressor is really loud, but I wear ear protection while using it.

Then comes canvas to cover them.

I typically buy 6-yard rolls, so that I can get several canvases from the roll.

Each canvas takes an average of 30 minutes just to stretch it.

I then paint them white using acrylic paint.

Then they are carefully stacked with plastic in between to keep them from sticking.

I then select the one I want, draw and paint on it.

This typically takes a day.

The resulting artwork then has to be varnished and have a wire put on it.

It's a long, complicated process, that I could not do without my 

beloved husband and partner of almost 44 years.

This spring the shadowboxes even got an award in Florida!

The painting was of humpback whales, but the judges loved the uniqueness of the canvas.

I had Chris pose with me for a photo, because the award was as much his as mine!

These guys are fun to paint, albeit a little tricky.

The blending of the back of the piece with the front and the sides fascinates people and gives me a pain in my neck. 

I do love these canvases so much!

I really didn't expect them to last so long as a series.

But I didn't expect the sepia series to be going on ten years either!

Crab trio, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 36 inches

Day 19 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Babies on board! II

More baby turtles!

These are also on the wood panel, surrounded by the beachy wood edge.

I am enjoying the smaller panels, as they are easier to paint and transport.

They will also be a little easier on the pocketbook as they will retail for $150.00.

These are headed to the Audubon Center in Mississippi for next month's show!

I'm really having a good time creating the show, lots of birds coming up!

We finally got the part for my pool pump today.

With the combination of rain, rain, and more rain, my pool has not been happy at all.

Consequently, neither have I been happy.

I love to relax for a while in the pool, floating and looking at clouds, or the planes dog fighting overhead.

Yes, you read right.

Dog fighting.

I have seen them chase each other, roll, spin, and go into clouds.

I've even seen one go straight up as hard as he could, then stall the plane only to restart it as it was falling.

Scary, very scary.

These apparently are Navy pilots, practicing manuevers in prop planes, so they can build memory as far as the guidance of the plane. 

They learn in the slow ones, so they can handle the jets later.

This has gone on for years, they got permission when the area was not nearly as populated.

It's interesting to watch though!

I pray every time I hear them.

Babies on board! II, Acrylic on wood panel, 12 inches round

Day 18 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Babies on board!

Babies on board!

Literally!

Hobby Lobby has these awesome frames available and I love them.

This is a new size though. 

I have used the ones that are about 24 inches in diameter frequently.

They are some of my most popular pieces because of the beachy looking frames.

This size is only about 12 inches in diameter.

More baby turtles.

I simply love painting them!

We wrapped up VBS design today. 

It feels weird to have all the hard work done two full weeks before the event.

We hang and construct it after the second service July 31st.

I'm looking forward to seeing it all in place!

"On the Case" is going to be awesome!

Babies on board!, Acrylic on Wood panel, 12 inches diameter

Day 17 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Seahorses are some of my favorites!

I love painting seahorses.

They are just a fun creature to look at, watch while swimming, and seeing them bob as they wrap their tails around the coral or sea grass.

This one, I noticed after I painted him,

 has apparently given birth as his belly is sunk in afterward.

Such a delicate precious creature, the seahorse!

I spent another day at church working on VBS.

Things are progressing way better than I expected, with the major work being completed tomorrow.

I've never been this far, this soon before setup day.

We put everything in on July 31st.

This gives me a couple of weeks before I have to jump that hurdle.

In the meantime, I paint for my show!

Seahorses are some of my favorites!, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24 shadowbox

Day 16 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Babies, Babies, Everywhere III

Much to my delight, I received a phone message the other night asking 

about the baby turtles I first posted.

She wanted a price and size.

Problem is, they were already sold.

The first ones were part of a collection of pieces going to Orange Beach.

The second ones were commissioned as a birthday present for someone

that had lost out on baby turtles they saw at a show.

She will get her babies later this month.

I told the woman messaging me that I could get them done by next week.

That was a good compromise and we exchanged contact information.

Lo and behold, I got a bee in my bonnet and got them done earlier than expected.

Turns out she is on the Orange Beach Share the Beach team.

We have training and she will pick them up while there.

I am amazed that they are already sold, as they have not been cleaned, wired, or varnished.

God is so good to me!

He allows me to have income from something I love doing, and it makes people happy.

Speaking of happy, I am working on our church's Vacation Bible School.

Every year this is a challenge as it comes at a time when I am doing 100 paintings, watching a grandchild, normal household stuff, and getting ready for a one woman show.

It's always such fun to create the pieces needed for each year's theme.

This year is "On the case" and we are having a grand time making items guaranteed to 

amaze and make the kids think!

Crime "scenes", puzzles, evidence, and things to observe and report on.

I love giving the kids several areas they can have fun in while waiting to enter the main service.

It's so fantastic when the Holy Spirit starts throwing ideas at me in the studio.

Sometimes the ideas come at me so fast, I cannot process them all.

It is then when I ask the Spirit to slow down and allow me to catch up.

This year, I have a wonderful team helping me with the pieces needed to "dress up" our church for VBS.

These people helping are amazingly eager and we are getting so much done.

So much is getting done that I may not even need the second work week.

What a beautiful team of precious volunteers, young and old alike!

Photos will be taken during the event, and I will post.

Which brings me to the end of the day!

By the way, the blog started in 2009 and is closing in on 100,000 views!

Tell me what year the blog started on Facebook, and you'll get 5 bonus entries for the painting to be given away. Join as a follower, and share please.

I'm not Tik-Tok poster, but I would like to achieve my goal of 100,000 views this year!

Babies, Babies, Everywhere III, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24 inches

Day 15 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022, SOLD! 

 

Babies, Babies everywhere! II

Another incredibly fun one to paint!

Although it is rather intense as it involves small brushes.

My hands are definitely feeling their age as of late.

But with breaks, I can handle the smaller brushes for a while at least.

These little guys were part of another commission and are already sold.

They are a birthday present for one of my collectors.

They bought two paintings this spring and her husband wanted to add to their collection as they had seen baby turtle paintings done by me recently that were sold.

Have mercy they do sell quickly!

I will be painting more, for shows.

There is one more commission piece though.

Last night after I posted the babies on my FB page, I received a message asking how much they were.

I had to tell her that they were already sold and the price.

She still wants one for herself.

She is already a collector, owning three of my turtles so far.

She is also on the team with us for share the beach.

Incredibly, I am able to paint these little guys fairly fast.

They do cause a lot of tension in my back as it is lots of small details.

Fortunately, I went to the chiropractor today and things are in place.

I also exercise and ice in an effort to keep pain at bay.

Such a joy to spread around the area!

Babies, Babies everywhere! II, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 12 x 24

Day 14 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Babies, Babies everywhere!

I adore painting these little guys!

Baby sea turtles are just the cutest.

Their flapping flippers are so fun to watch.

Most of all, I love a boil.

The babies hatching are called a boil, 

because they do literally look like they are boiling to the surface.

They also have a blatant disregard for each other's space.

They will step on each other, push each other, and crawl over each other 

in their relentless march to the sea!

Once there in the ocean, they swim rapidly off into the water.

They are hoping to make it to the sargassum grass before they get eaten. 

There are numerous instances of babies missing limbs because some fish took a bite.

It seems everything is out to eat them.

Out of a nest of about 120 eggs, only one may survive to have babies of their own.

Less than one percent make it to adulthood.

It amazes me how God and Nature work to populate our wonderful world.

I have had the rare privilege of handling them at a hatching and I am still in awe.

Babies, Babies everywhere!, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 12 x 24

Day 13 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 SOLD!

 

Commissions and more!

What a year this has been indeed!

I have barely caught up from the spring shows, getting new works to the galleries that carry my works.

I finally managed to "catch up" in early June.

Then I got phone calls asking about commission works.

I have been able to get several done, with a few more in the works.

The octopus here is one of those commissions.

This beautiful soul saw my octopus at the Melbourne show.

When she came back to get the piece, it had already sold.

Melbourne was crazy with it being my best show yet!

I also took an award at the show for the shadowbox canvases.

GO Chris! It was as much his award as mine!

He works so hard building these beautiful stretcher bars for me.

I am so grateful he shares his talent for woodworking with me. 

Anyway, back to the octopus.

The collector called me and asked if I could recreate him for her home.

I replied that I try to give everyone an original so I advised her to go to the blog and find one she liked.

She came back with a very specific day from the blog.

Can you color the eye please? Yes mam.

Can you ship? Yes Mam.

A couple of weeks later, she asked if I was working on him, and I replied not yet.

I'll start next week.

Long and the short of it.

He is finished, colored eye and all.

Legs moved so she has an original piece too.

Varnished, wired, and shipped to Melbourne, Florida.

One down, several to go.

I am painting double time, so I can get enough for the  Audubon show that hangs in 24 days!

"My Nature Odyssey" is going to be beautiful!

That is, if I can get the commissions out of the way!

Octopus on five canvases, 3ft. x 5ft., Acrylic on canvas

Day 12 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Freely in flight

Not a real great photo of this one!

I promise it looks better in person.

The brown pelican has really made a comeback since the DDT days of the 70's.

You see the pesticide DDT was affecting the shells of their eggs.

When the birds would try and incubate them, they would break instead of protecting the baby inside.

As a result, when we moved here in 1976 pelicans were few and far between.

You would see a few here and there.

The numbers today have almost attained them nuisance status.

I love to see them in flight formation, each one using the wingbeats of the one ahead.

Our brown pelicans are the smallest and lightest of the eight different types of pelicans.

Then there is the diving.

The seemingly impossible diving they do for fish.

Did you know they always turn to the side to protect their esophagus?

They also close off their breathing, so they don't inhale large amounts of water 

as the open beak hits the surface to catch fish.

Their mandibles in their beak flex open sideways as well as up and down.

They actually can hold several gallons of water in the pouch, but they must squeeze it out before swallowing the fish.

They also bring the wings back so as not to break them while hitting the water.

They also don't breathe through their nostrils on the beak.

What we think are nostrils are actually glands to secrete oil to take care of their feathers.

Fascinating, funny, never changing pelicans.

Freely in flight, Acrylic on panel, 5 x 15 inches

Day 11 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022