Massive Octopus

This octopus is really big!

A couple of years ago, I started making the larger paintings using a 16 x 40 canvas as the center.

Chris makes two 16 x 30s and two 16 x 20s and then they are stretched.

Total width of this beauty is 80 inches.

They usually will fill a large wall.

I have been fortunate enough to sell several so far with different marine life.

They also are easier to carry as they fit into a single bag.

Massive Octopus, Acrylic on multiple canvas 40 x 80 inches

Day 78 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

This design says it all!

I have a small group at my church called Scripts & Strokes

We do paintings based on scripture.

This one is a design for a large class at a women's retreat next week.

I may be teaching up to 30 women during this class!

So much fun, and such a great experience because anyone can paint these simple flowers.

The lettering is done easily with paint pens after transferring to the canvas.

For tonight though, I am giving it to God and going to sleep!

Scripts & Strokes floral, acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14

Day 79 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

 

In case you don't know, I love octopus!

They are such fascinating creatures.

They have 9 brains, one in their head, then one in each arm!

As I said, amazing...

This one was painted while we were in India.

So, it is on a flat canvas instead of my typical shadowbox.

It found its way home in my suitcase!

"Follow the arms" Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24

Day 76 of the 100 days~100 paintings

These lionfish turned out really pretty.

I still love painting them although they're an invasive species.

They are just such a beautiful fish.

We had one in the Philippines for an evening stay.

My dad brought it home after a dive to put in our tank.

After acclimatizing it to the water, we added him to the tank with our other fish.

To our absolute horror, it started eating everything in its path.

My dad said nope!

Scooped it out and it went to fish heaven.

Fortunately, the invader only got a couple before it was dispatched. 

My dad was very proud of his tanks.

We had several while I was growing up.

"Invasion" Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24

Day 77 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

 

Cephalopod my cephalopod

One of my favorites to paint, a cephalopod!

Octopus are fascinating creatures.

If their beak fits, the rest of their body will go as well.

There is a really cool video that shows fishermen catching a large octopus.

It found the scuppers on the boat and slithered its way off the vessel.

Meanwhile, the wood is flying here in the studio.

We bought several pieces of lumber the other day to make new shadowbox frames.

Chris, my husband of almost 46 years is a master builder now of these frames.

I couldn't make my signature pieces without his help.

He has brought up 6 of each of my sizes, varying from 12x36 to 16 x 16.

All of the sizes sell well, and I am grateful for the frames he's built.

Now on to canvas stretching, which is a whole other day of hard work.

I already have the canvas here at the studio to stretch every single one.

Now, about the canvas.....

I bought canvas while I was in India.

I've bought canvas while there before, but this time was on another level.

I had our daughter order me two smaller rolls of 10oz.canvas before I got there.

I also ordered white paint and coated the canvas before cutting.

I was delighted with the canvas and started researching a larger quantity.

I found 10oz 84inch canvas, 10 meters long for less than $50.00, because they were on sale.

I ordered two rolls.

They were incredibly large when they arrived in their protective cardboard tubes.

I can only imagine these things being carried down the street on the way to the Banerjee residence.

I opened the tube that night and started cutting.

Chris helped me to take the canvas and cut it into 30 x 84inch strips.

30 inches, because they will fit into the suitcases.

We got a lot of strips that all made it home safe and sound.

Why so much?

The canvas I typically purchase here is 7oz and is a 73inch by 6yd roll.

This roll costs me just under $100.

I got triple the amount for about the same as one.

It took some creative packing, but we got them home allowing me to keep my pricing affordable.

Now, if I could just find some lumber in a dump box somewhere....

Cephalopod my cephalopod, acrylic on canvas, 5 x 24 inches

Day 75 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

 

Flying higher and higher

This one was started as a drawing while we were on the road back in April and May.

I did manage to paint another 5-piece (octopus) while on the road and it sold at that weekends show.

I always have the question, what do you call a five piece?

I had researched several times, and it was called a polyptych.

A polyptych is a hinged piece of three panels or more.

That worked for me.

I looked it up several times and got the same answer.

Just now I looked again, and they are actually called a Pentaptych.

And now, spell check is screaming at me to correct the spelling.

The word comes from the Greek word "ptyche" which means a fold.

Add the prefix "penta" and you have pentaptych.

Words are so interesting, but Lord now I have to learn how to pronounce that one!

It's always interesting to paint larger works while in a camper. 

I really have to break them apart after drawing them, then paint.

The pieces are then put on a table outside to make sure the edges match.

I am then able to paint the edges to complete the piece.

We love them, because are a large piece that fits in a small bag.

Always interesting to paint!

Flying higher and higher, Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 60

Day 74 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

 

My days are puppies!

This series is fun to create, but also challenging.

"Crabby" is 5 x 24 inches.

Some of them were painted while in India, some painted here after we got home.

I thank God every day I have a husband that thinks creatively too!

When I first made the series, they were in color and only 4 x 24.

Last year, Chris made them wider, and they are so much easier to paint.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

The dolphins are so much fun and so full of life!

"Dolphin party" 5 x 24 inches

"Pod Patrol" Humpback whales

5 x 24 inches

"Turtle traffic jam"

Shadowbox, Acrylic on canvas 24 x 24

"A Turtles eye view"

16 x 16 inches 

Acrylic on canvas

"I'm coming out!"

Octopus Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

I also managed to paint at church as well.

I teach a class called Scripts & Strokes on Tuesdays and 

we have a lot of fun doing paintings based on scripture.

This little guy is on an 11 x 14 canvas and was painted in about 2 hours.

Life here is crazy hectic.

I'm hoping to finish up my dad's estate soon, so I can put that behind me.

The Executor position is a large job taking many hours.

It also fills my brain with things I would rather not think about.

(Money, balancing checkbooks, insurance, and so much more!)

It has drained me frequently to the point of not creating.

As if that wasn't enough, we picked up TWO wire haired dachshund puppies last week.

I've wanted wire haired dachshunds for years and the opportunity for well-bred beautiful girls 

was just too much to pass up.

As I type, I hear our boy, Bandit (12 years old active senior) 

barking and the smaller yips coming from the girls.

We actually got the girls for him to play with.

Tootsie and Ruby are fitting right into our pack.

I am getting a frequent side eye from Divya and Trixie, asking "Mom make them stop!"

Fortunately, now they play hard, and sleep hard.

Puppy pads, puppy food, puppy proofing are all going on here at the Raccoon Retreat!

Oh, and in between running up and down the stairs to check on them, and play with them,

I am painting!

My days are puppies! Days 67-73 of the 100 days 2024

All works are Acrylic on canvas,

 

 

Lively living

Lively indeed!

We are living the lively life these days.

Chris (husband) and I are active seniors.

We came home from India early last Thursday morning and started into our routine here in Fairhope.

That routine included taking our new LIV camper back to Americus Georgia to get a replacement AC.

We really didn't want the rooftop, but the under-bunk unit that was ultimately recalled just didn't cool down enough.

We had made the appointment over 6 weeks in advance for the repair.

We left Wednesday to camp overnight and be at the dealership when they opened at 8:30am.

We were told that it would only be a couple of hours......

We left for breakfast and came back only to be told that there was an 

emergency repair that was ahead of us.

But we should be done by 4:30 we were told.

Okay, we hung out for a while, then got lunch and came back for the duration.

Turns out, not only was our AC replaced, but our axle was flipped as well, 

as the tires were rubbing the wheel wells.

We were informed every step of the way, even when the refrigerator problem we also

 had turned out to be a slight wiring problem.

Meanwhile I painted.

And painted...

True to their word, we were done at 4:30.

On the road we went to our next stop at Lake Martin.

Now Lake Martin is a bit tricky as there are lots of back roads and scenic highways to get there.

It was supposed to take up to 3 hours, but with rain and slower driving we were close to dark.

Our wonderful host met us at the top of the driveway and Chris decided on the better part of valor to not try to park the camper down a steep hill.

We put the camper on a flat land at the edge of the road with the van and locked up.

We were shown a lovely guest room with a claw foot bathtub in the bath.

The real reason we were there though...

Dachshund puppies!

Wirehaired to be precise.

I've wanted a wire-haired dachshund for years and another artist had a litter.

We've been in contact for months.

Months of anticipation and anxiety.

Are we ready for puppies right now?

Puppies are a lot of work to train and keep happy.

Chris and I are committed to raising them up right!

Besides, Bandit needs playmates as he's still a very active senior at 12.

We brought them home, and the girls are settling right into our pack, albeit a bit nervously.

Our three dachshunds are all seniors, but they are warming up pretty fast 

to the feisty balls of fur we brought home.

Now, though our Bandit seems to have injured himself, not because of puppies but old age.

We're keeping a close eye on him and crate resting him away from the pups.

If needed, I'll be taking him to the vet on Monday.

Such is life here at the Raccoon Retreat studio.

Dachshund Central in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama

Playful dolphins and angry crabs, Acrylic on canvas, each 5 x 24

Days 65 & 66 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

 

Transformations

Our world is a beautiful place, we only have to open our eyes to see it. I am amazed at the visual feasts presented each day. Sunrises, sunsets, trees movement caused by wind, wave action, horses running, birds flying gracefully overhead. Pelicans are a graceful bird while gliding, but have you studied their awkward gait on the ground? God definitely created them to be a part of the air and not the earth. Observe the world around you and marvel at its wonders 

Every morning I wake up, I thank God for another day. I study the sea in my dreams, listening to it's beautiful sounds and watching the parades of colorful creatures beneath my brush.

Graceful, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x24

Day 64 of the 100 days-100 paintings 2024

Faithfulness

Facebook has a weird way of bringing up memories from so long ago.

This group of 4 is from the early sepia series.

They date all the way back to when we lived in Mobile.

These pieces were all in shadowbox frames that I purchased from Michaels.

The frames were raw wood and required two coats of paint. 

One black, then one brown and quickly wiped back.

I literally went through dozens of them, ordering some from California at one point.

Peter Anderson had an entire wall of them one year.

The canvas all measured 12 x 12.

Anyway, that's when the sepia series began!

The year was 2010.

I never dreamed the series would last this long.

I apparently am on to something.

 I was neutral before it was popularized in 2013 by Chip and Joanna Gaines in their show, Fixer Upper.

I started the series after people kept telling me they loved my work;

"But I don't know if that color would go on my wall."

I literally was beating my head against the back of my tent at the National Shrimp Festival.

"I asked God, what am I doing wrong?"

He said, "Not wrong, go neutral."

That was the beginning.....

And so, I continue.

Several years ago, I mixed the color a little more blue than brown.

People went wild over it for some reason.

We hear "I love the blue" frequently at shows.

The color has stayed "blue" ever since.

It is a carefully mixed color of Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna.

I make large batch, put it into a jar, then pull it as needed.

I love this series so much and so do my collectors.

Many of them own several pieces as it is easy to add to their collection.

No more frames, bluer in color, still neutral after all these years.

 I am so happy to announce I have five shows this fall.

National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama October 10-13, 2024

Jubilee Festival, Daphne, Alabama October 19&20,2024

Mattie Kelly Festival of the Arts, Destin, Florida, October 26&27, 2024

Peter Anderson Festival, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, November 2&3, 2024

**Three Rivers Covington, Covington, Louisiana, November 9&10, 2024**

Covington is a new show for me and the first time we've gone into Louisiana!

So excited!

We've also just gotten back from a month in India visiting family.

It was a great month, with me able to put my feet in the Arabian Sea at Goa.

We also went to Bangalore and saw the Banerjee clinic there.

It is a lovely space, beautifully designed.

The clinic in Delhi is also new, with lots of space to see clients.

While there, we also had an epic Lego birthday party for both Neel who turns 6 on September 5th, 

and Dahlia who turned 3 on August 2nd.

A grand time was had by all!

I have not posted, but I have been intensely painting.

Not always for sale, as I spent weeks creating the Space VBS for our church before we left for India.

I also spent two days making LEGO outfits for both grandchildren, our daughter, and our son in love.

Always creating here at the Raccoon Retreat studio in Fairhope, Alabama

37 days until the National Shrimp Festival in beautiful Gulf Shores!

Lionfish on parade, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24 inches

Day 63 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024