Fantastic 4th!

The day began simply enough.

I knew in my heart of hearts I had to start cutting out the new series.

I had a Greek yogurt breakfast after Bible study and coffee.

The yogurt has plenty of protein, so I don't start out the day hungry becoming hangry!

The boys, Yoyo and grandson Archer took off on their bikes headed to the pier for a ride.

I began cutting in the peace and quiet.

Chris had gotten my scroll saw out and discovered the bed was a bit rusty.

He sanded and waxed it for me before going bike riding.

These pieces are a bit labor intense, but I am enjoying them immensely.

I am getting excited about seeing the wall of just them in the booth in the fall.

Fortunately for me, when Chris broke my other scroll saw the new one he got has a much longer throat and can handle larger pieces of wood.

It is also a Craftsman, a brand I am very familiar with.

My dad was a Sears guy and owned a lot of Craftsman tools.

Unfortunately, I need a new blade as the one I was using today has become dull.

Intricate cutting.

I jokingly told my husband that I was using a block of scrap to 

keep my fingers out of the "circle of death".

The scrap acts like a pusher and keeps the wood from jumping around too much.

He kinda giggled on that one.

I was serious!

I am very protective of my hands.

I worked on the sea turtle while waiting for fireworks on the bluff.

My son's sweet girlfriend took this photo just as the sun was going down.

Perfectly placed, it is a very lovely photo of the progress of the turtle.

Not to be outdone, Chris took a photo too of me while working.

I love this man of mine!

The almost finished piece.

I am pleased with the new works even though they are labor intensive.

My goal is to have 20-24 of the rounds at the National Shrimp Festival this fall.

The dinosaurs are coming along nicely, but I took the day off to do some art for me!

I cut out 6 of the new works today.

Helped fix a lovely steak dinner.

Also had some pool time.

Then we all scooted down to the bluff to watch fireworks.

It was while waiting for three hours that I painted until the sun went down.

We even got a video phone call from the Banerjees so they could watch the fireworks too!

Neel was VERY excited to see them.

Fantastic 4th indeed!

Silent swimmer, Acrylic on wood, 16 inches round

Day 4 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

A mothers love

Today is one of the discs for the new series.

I completed the painting, but I will have to cut it out and finish it tomorrow.

This particular one is 16 inches round.

I am currently researching the background for them.

I find this one very calming as it shows a mother's love.

A humpback whale will literally fight to the death for her calf.

Even after the calf may meet its demise, they grieve deeply along with the other whales.

An orca whale carried and pushed the body of her calf for 17 days attempting to keep it from sinking.

It was heartbreaking to watch the love of her life, finally being released into the deep.

A mothers love indeed.

Today found me in the barn, working on dinosaurs again.

We are getting closer to finishing the messiness of paper mache.

I have gone through 6 gallons of glue so far with a couple more to go!

I have a wonderful friend and fellow Christian named Sarah who has been invaluable in her efforts.

Her incredible helping hands have been an absolute Godsend, both in doing the wire and paper mache.

My husband, Chris, has also been my rock.

His stalwart working has given me stands upon which the dinosaurs are both supported and strengthened.

They are not terribly heavy so far, but they are extremely cumbersome in their size!

I have been ruminating on the torches for the gates.

I have landed on Gatorade bottles, tissue paper, tea lights, and cardboard boxes.

Strange combination I know, but they will be awesome!

It's really strange and wonderful how the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and brains.

I am frequently working on something else, and an idea comes in and becomes something wonderful.

I am tired of the heat, keeping puppies out of the glue, and soreness every night.

I wouldn't have it any other way!

God gives our talents for his Glory and I'm attempting to use them to the fullest extent.

Each year brings me such joy!

The sweat may fall, the prayers are lifted up, and we are closing in on the first step of many towards Summer surge at Celebration Church in Fairhope, Alabama.

If you're interested in your child going on July 28th, 29th, and 30th.

Please contact www.fairhopechurch.com and select Summer surge.

The cost is $30 per child and is from 9-4 each day.

A Mothers love, Acrylic on wood with wood frame 16 inches,

Day 3 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

What a day!

What a day indeed!

The day was filled with dinosaurs of course for the Summer surge at the end of the month.

We've been working hard to create them from a combination of recycled and purchased materials.

I purchased newsprint, and glue, (more glue donated from the shop, studios, and a friend as well!)

I also bought chicken wire to cover the frameworks.

I have been doing large scale paper mâché' ever since I was a young child.

My dad taught me how, using wire coat hangers to build frames for the chicken wire.

We soldered them together after careful wiring to hold the solder in place.

I became familiar with the smell of rosin and solder making a strong bond with the wire hangers.

We would then carefully cover them with chicken wire, 

wrapping the wire under so it wouldn't poke through the covering.

Then came hours and hours of flour and water, combined with torn strips of newspaper begged from every neighbor for the entire block.

The newsprint was of course printed and consequently left lots of ink on our hands as we molded the paper into place.

It was a messy, smelly job.

It also attracted hordes of flies because the wet flour smelled like food.

It was all in all a messy fun experience and a part of my childhood.

The first one we made together was a giraffe for me when I was about 11 years old.

We then built a bunch of them for trick or treating at Halloween.

My dad outfitted an entire Campfire girls troop with those.

Each girl picked out her creature, so dad built several different ones.

Mine was a "SNARK", a made-up creature with a really long nose and light up eyes!

I did the same kind of work building in later years as a costumer. 

I made a very large lobster costume for a business owner in Mobile, Alabama.

It was paper mache'd but also covered in fabric.

Envision if you will, a ten-foot-tall lobster.

I've also built a ram, Dalmation, and a buccaneer.

So fun to create!

The dinosaurs are different and yet the same.

I am using patterns to make skeletons of the dinos, then covering them in chicken wire.

The skeletons were made using the 1-inch foam from a church conference.

All told, there has been a total of twelve 4x8 sheets of foam used.

The paper is purchased newsprint on a large roll then we tear into strips.

The glue is just that! 

Glue!

I've never used glue before, but it is a game changer.

60% white glue 40% water and mix.

Very few flies and the smell is pleasant.

Although I am wearing gloves and long sleeves.

I don't like having to scrub glue off my arms and watch.

Now if I could just figure out my hair situation.

My hair is quite long, and the weather even warmer than normal.

Between the heat, the sweat trickling down my back, and my hair falling into the glue, life is interesting.

Oh well, such is the life of a Christian artist.

Using your talents willingly to further the kingdom of God!

Now, to today's work of art.

This is one of the rounds for this fall show season.

I am delighted with the process, although it takes a while to draw, cut, sand, paint the creature, and the background, then mount it all together. 

Somewhere in there, I have to varnish too!

This one is 16 inches and is beautiful to see.

Of course, photos don't do it justice, so you'll have to wait to see them at shows.

All in a day's work here at the Raccoon Retreat studio in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama.

Goodnight!

Octopus dreams, 16 inch round wood, carved wood, Acrylic paint

Day 2 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

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Another 100 days begins!

Another 100 days indeed!

I'm praying this year I can actually accomplish the task.

Last year, computer issues and just plain life got in the way.

I gave myself grace to not post, even though the paintings were completed.

Today marks 100 days until the set up at the Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

This year begins with preparation, preparation, preparation.

The sepia series is turning sweet 16 this year.

Most series do not last that long.

Either the artist gets bored, or the collectors stop collecting.

I am fortunate indeed that neither of these scenarios have produced themselves.

So, I keep painting them!

Which brings me to today's post.

Preparation.....

As you can see, this requires a lot of paint! 

Unfortunately, I can't seem to remember the mixture from year to year, and I always put out too much Burnt Sienna. This year I emptied the brand-new tube and had to scramble to find enough ultramarine blue to drop it into the color needed. Consequently, I have over 12 ounces of paint. 

Let me tell you, it is hard to mix that much paint at once.

It goes everywhere, your knuckles, your clothes, the table, the jar you're trying to fill.

My paint is ready for the next year of works leaving my studio.

Why mix so much?

I try to keep the mixture the same from year to year.

This allows me to pull from the large jar, keeping a continuity along the works for that year.

This also allows collectors to come back to add to their collection.

As you can see, it took a while to get the mixture correct.

The one on the far left is the last of 2024, for me to color match.

The plate was very full, once everything was mixed properly.

Two jars ready to go!

Preparation....

I am officially starting a new series this fall, 

to be completed for the National Shrimp Festival in October.

This series was introduced in the spring.

I did two paintings, and the response was incredibly positive to feature them in future shows.

I sold the turtles and still have the octopus.

They are labor intensive, requiring a lot of thought and work to make them beautiful.

They are works on round wood, much like the series that has been stopped because of availability of the round wood signs from Hobby Lobby.

Each round has to be painted white several times and them has a carefully drawn, cut, and sanded dimensional piece of wood mounted on the edges of the rounds.

They have such personality and depth!

I'm working hard to make an entire 10-foot wall of them in several sizes.

Today I laid out several of them which will require several hours of scroll sawing and dremel tool work.

I'm excited to show them to you this 100 days.

The plan is for a total of 24 of them ranging in size from 12 inches to 24 inches.

New series, VBS Dinosaurs and sets, grandson.

It's going to be a busy summer, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Another 100 days begins, Day 1 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025 

 

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