Three days and end of 2022

I absolutely love painting whales.

This beautiful humpback pair of mother and baby whales are very simple.

They are on a 5 x 24 canvas.

The escapee.

Octopus are notoriously smart.

They have to be placed in special tanks so they cannot escape.

They can survive for a small amount of time out of water, but they must be in the sea to live.

They are beautiful creatures to watch while swimming.

Turtle Trio

The large series are still going strong.

Each time I paint a set, they sell eventually.

Sometimes, they sell before I can take them to a show!

I wish all of you many blessings for the new year!

When we wake up in the morning, it will be 2023!

New Year, new beginnings.

New works, new gallery in the late summer, new shows.

New creations from the Raccoon Retreat Studio in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama.

Bonding whales, acrylic on canvas, 5 x 24inches

The escapee, acrylic on shadowbox canvas 16 x16inches

Turtle trio, acrylic on multiple canvas 36 x 60 inches

Days 25,26, & 27 of the 100 days~100 paintings winter 2022 

 

She sells seashells

She sells seashells.

Mostly by the seashore for sure!

Most of my shows are on coastal areas.

I absolutely adore the sea, and always have.

This coming summer, I will be teaching my grandson to sit on my paddleboard to enjoy the water.

He is now 9 years old, and I purchased him his own lifejacket for Christmas.

His grandfather will also be readying the boat he's working on for summer adventures.

My coastal paintings reflect my love of the ocean.

I am constantly telling people about the sea while viewing my works.

This painting features shells from my childhood while living in the Philippines.

They were picked up by our bonka boat operator while I watched from the boat.

A wonderful childhood memory for sure!

A couple of shells are from a trip to Jamaica, brought home carefully in my suitcase.

Others were purchased at local shell shops.

I also have an antique nautilus shell, purchased at an estate sale.

Today also marks our 44th wedding anniversary!

Go Chris and Loran Chavez!

I love him so much!

She sells seashells, Acrylic on canvas, 5 x24 inches

Day 24 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 winter

 

Crabs for two

Crabs for two!

Two days, two crabs.

I enjoy painting these guys, their faces are so interesting.

Good thing I enjoy painting them, they are always sold fairly quickly.

Anyway, this pair is on another 24 x 24 shadowbox.

They make for a bit of a headache while painting around the box and edges.

I still find them fascinating.

I also painted several canvases today for 5-piece paintings.

The multi canvas works are a popular item in my booth.

I have sold so many I have lost count.

I am so grateful God gave me the idea a few years back.

They make for an interesting painting, and they are impressive to look at.

Most popular are turtles, then octopus.

The first one I sold was an octopus to a contractor for a house in Pensacola, Florida.

It is in the front door as you walk in the house.

It is absolutely gorgeous there.

I sold the turtles at the same show to a realtor from Gulf Breeze.

We love them, because they fit in a single bag, stacked together.

I have now designed a rather large octopus that will be available this show season.

Typically, the works are 3 x 5 ft. 

The new work will be 40 inches by about 84 inches.

It will be on 16-inch-wide canvases, with two of them having to be built.

The 16 x 30 are not available commercially, so they will be custom made.

The octopus will be impressive for sure!

This crab is on another custom canvas.

These works are on 5 x 24 inch canvases.

They are very interesting to create!

Normally these are 4 x 24, but Chris apparently measured the inside, instead of the outside/

This makes them about 5 1/4 wide.

I have a total of 7 to work on for shows.

It's definitely an adventure working with my woodchuck, Chris!

Chris and I have our 44th wedding anniversary tomorrow.

So many wonderful memories and things we've done together.

We've also raised three great children, who have families of their own now.

We've also built two houses together and renovated one too!

Not too many marriages can relate to building together, unless they've actually done it themselves.

Crabs for two, Acrylic on custom canvases, 5x24 and 24x24

Days 22 and 23 of the 100 dasy~100 paintings winter 2022

 

Three for one!

The first of the three days is a leatherback turtle baby.

Leatherbacks are almost black in color.

They have white stripes on their back.

They are the largest of the sea turtles and also the deepest divers.

Leatherback, Acrylic on wood panel, 24 inches round

Day 19 of the 1`00 days~100 paintings 2022 winter

Sea turtle pair.

These guys were fun to paint.

I always have a good time when painting turtles.

These guys are on a shadowbox built recently.

Sea turtle pair, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24

Day 20 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 winter

A beautiful pair.

Peaceful here, but not always!

These birds make the strangest sounds when startled or being aggressive.

Lovely birds, always interesting to paint.

A beautiful pair, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24

Day 21 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 winter

 

Great Blue!

I don't think God created a bird with more attitude than a great blue heron.

They are fearless around fishermen, stealing fish off the hooks before the catch can be brought in.

They are protective of their territory.

Swooping down on anyone hapless enough to be in the way.

I've been a near victim of one once.

I apparently startled him while walking for turtle nests at dawn.

He flew straight at me.

Needless to say, I ducked and covered.

I didn't want the beak of that bird impaling me!

Loud, noisy, rude, and inconsiderate birds they are for sure!

But oh how beautiful!

Great Blue, Acrylic on sewing machine wood, 5 x 15inches

Day 18 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 winter

 

Miniature blue

Today was a full painting day.

Several pieces started, and one finished today.

This one is on a portion of a New Home Sewing machine.

One of the most beautiful wood machines I think I've ever seen.

These drawers are different in that each one has a solid wood base in them.

This is one of these bases. 

I carefully taped off the edges and painted the white in several coats.

There was something in the finish that kept bleeding through.

It took two coats of Kilz before using the white acrylic for three more coats.

The crab was then transferred to the wood and painted.

So much fun to paint!

Miniature blue, acrylic on wood, 5 x 15 inches

Day 16 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022w 

 

Four days away!

As usual, this guy was fun to paint!

It measures 16 x 16 and is one of the shadowboxes recently built.

Day 11 of the 100 days 2022w

I love manatees.

They are such quiet lovely animals.

I enjoy painting them too!

It measures 24 x24 and is one of the recent builds as well.

Day 12 of the 100 days 2022w

Blue crabs are also one of the ones I really enjoy painting.

They are also good to eat!

It measures 20 x 20

Day 13 of the 100 days 2022w

Sea turtles are always a great creature to paint.

I love making the spots of each individual turtle.

This one is on wood panel.

15 x 30

Day 14 of the 100 days 2022w

Now that the paintings are out of the way.......

We have had a hard couple of days here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio.

If you have followed me for a while, you know we have a dachshund pack  of 5 here.

All of our fur babies are considered geriatric now.

Yesterday, our oldest Frida had her teeth pulled with the exception of her canines on top.

This was a necessary surgery, primarily because of her lack of eating because of pain.

While we were waiting for Frida to get done, our precious Tut showed additional signs of pain.

When placed on the floor in the kitchen, she simply sat with her head down.

We have been battling Cushing's disease since the beginning of September.

Ever since, she has had multiple infections, allergies worsening, and arthritis.

She had also gone completely blind and mostly deaf.

Yesterday afternoon after lots of prayer and tears, 

we made the heartfelt decision to end her pain and suffering.

We know it was the right decision, but for now it hurts and there is a huge hole in our hearts.

I think the other fur kids realize something is wrong, but aren't quite sure what.

I'm having her cremated, so we did not bring her body home for the others to see.

We are also concerned about our 18 year old, Frida because she is not eating like she should.

We must as animal parents have the strength to let them go when the time is right,

but it still hurts.

"Heaven is the place where all the animals you've ever loved come running to greet you."

Oh what a happy reunion it will be!

Run free, my Tut! Run baby run!

100 days~100 paintings 2022

Days 11, 12, 13, and 14 

 

 

 

Octopus and canvas

Octopus are always fun to paint for me.

I love all their legs and suckers.

Always interesting too!

Meanwhile, yesterday was a full day of stretching canvas.

Fortunately for me, Chris joined me in the labor required for so many.

I already had some that he had stretched before, but he had made more stretcher bars for my shadowboxes.

He made a bakers dozen, requiring me to stretch them.

He lent a hand, and we got them all done along with another 17 flat canvases.

So, one day 30 canvases stretched, later that day I painted a lot of them white.

I covered the table with canvases, waiting until the morning to do the remainder.

I cleared the way to put canvases in places to keep them safe as well.

A long day of making art!

Octopus and canvas, Acrylic on wood panel and canvas

Days 9 & 10 of the 100 days~100 paintings winter 2022

 

Bring in the clowns!

I simply love painting clownfish!

They really are a fun fish to paint.

The anemone, not so much....

Hours of tweaking and I'm finally happy with the anemone as well.

Long day working on this one folks,

This afternoon and evening I worked on the train some too!

I finally watched Avatar as I am curious about the new one coming out on Friday.

While watching Avatar, I worked steadily on the train, sewing down two boxes of rhinestones.

I am now tired and ready for bed after a rough night last night.

I don't sleep well at all, I'm a very light sleeper.

When my husband is quietly snoring and the dog answering, it made for a lack of sleep.

This was after another dog woke me up having an argument in the kennel.

Long day trying to stay awake and work as well.

 

Praying tonight is much better!

Bring in the clowns!, Acrylic on wood panel, 15 x30

Day 8 of the 100 days~100 paintings winter 2022

 

Days 5,6,&7

Wow!

Still painting, but the days got away from me!

Two are 12x12s the large one is on wood panel.

I really enjoy painting on wood, because it offers a smoothness that canvas cannot.

Unfortunately, that wood is also too smooth at times.

The paint just behaves differently, sliding around a little more than I want at times.

It is challenging my painting prowess for sure!

I am very deep into a Mardi Gras train as well, spending several hours a day sewing.

The main base is pretty well done, but much like a house slows down in the process of the finishes, 

the train is doing the same right now.

I am in the process of "icing the cake" so to speak.

Yard after yard of rhinestones.....

I never dreamt 2 years ago when I said yes of course I can do that, that my art would be doing so well.

I am enjoying it as much as I can, because this one is for a family friend of over 30 years.

This train will probably be the only one I ever create too!

I already have over 160 hours in it, with many more to come.

We've also ordered many yards more of the rhinestones that have to be stitched in place by hand.

I'm having a love hate relationship with it.

I am having to be very disciplined to do my painting, then work for several hours on the train.

It's the only way I can get it all done!

Such is life here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio, here in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama!

Blue crab mania! Acrylic on canvas and wood panel.

12 x 12 canvases, and 15x30 wood panel, Days 4,5,&6 of the 100 days~100 paintings

 

Marauders I & II

 I do have to apologize.

The winter version of the 100 days may look a little different.

 I may also not post every day because of the holidays.

Anyway, things are busy around here, as I'm sure they are at your house as well.

We are getting ready for Christmas while I'm trying to get ready for shows.

Thrown into the mix, are show entries, campsite searches, commissions, and ancestry searches.

I have purchased kits for testing but have already found a lot on an ancestry website.

For years we have searched for my dad's father, 

only for me to find out the name we had was spelled incorrectly.

More on this later, but I am excited to know there is some Scottish in our history.

There is also a rather large Mardi Gras train taking over my table in the studio space.

I committed to this train three years ago, not knowing that my business would be taking off so well.

I have made this bed now, and I must lie in it, or at least sew for hours on end in between paintings.

I have two shows in January, so I must get works completed to sell.

I have to be able to remove the train from the studio and protect it.

I have several canvases to stretch and paint white.

But, for tonight I relax.

We are going to a concert with the Gaither brothers in Pensacola.

We will also get dinner on the way!

A date night for just us.

I love it!

Marauders I & II, Acrylic on wood panel, 12 inches round

Days 3 & 4 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022w

 

Another 100 days!

This fall was an incredible season with over 50 paintings sold at the shows.

The sales at the galleries have not slowed for me as well. 

Now my inventory is very low.

A great problem to have indeed!

Then there's the "problem" of winter shows.

I have two winter shows coming up in January down in Florida.

Starting with March Arts & Crafts here in Fairhope, we have a total of 7 shows for Spring as well. 

I have also been waitlisted for one show. 

Spring show season was wonderful earlier this year, with over 80 pieces sold.

So, I begin again with 100 paintings~100 days 2022 winter version.

The plan is to blog and post every day until Arts & Crafts.

Once again, I'll be giving away a painting valued at $295.00 at the end of the 100 days.

Join me in this rocking, rolling, wonderful life we call art here 

at the Raccoon Retreat Studio in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama.

Middle bay lighthouse Day 1 SOLD, a crabby situation! Day 2

100 days~100 paintings 2022w Days1 & 2