Whale songs

"Whale songs"

Humpback whales will always be a favorite of mine.

They are wonderfully fun to paint and always sell.

I've put them on shadowboxes, sewing drawers, small and large canvas.

They've also been a part of poured backgrounds, in color and in sepia.

They also are a favorite of judges, earning me a merit award and judges' choice.

I love to listen to their songs when on marine life programs I watch.

All in all, a beautiful creature.

Chris built the stretchers I asked for today.

I ordered 16 x 24 canvas with an 8 x 12 shadowbox opening.

He built six offset and then he gave me one unusual, angled shadowbox opening.

More on this one later!

Chris is always keeping me on my toes for sure.

"Whale songs" Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 12 inches

Day 47 of the 100 days ~100 paintings 2026

 

Kraken destruction

"Kraken destruction"

This one was a wonderfully neat one to do!

I may add some coral in the background later.

So many shadowboxes to paint!

I asked Chris for a 12 x 36 with a 6 x 18 opening centered.

He made EXACTLY what I asked for!

Problem is that I needed a 12 x 36 with a 6 x 30 inch opening.

He made the one I needed the next day.

It will go with my other sharks and will have a great white painted on it.

The other one will most likely have a blue crab created on it to take full advantage of the large ends with the claws and the crab body in the middle.

I also requested a dozen 6 x 24 stretchers for my elongated canvas pieces that are popular.

They are nice little pieces for in between windows or doors.

They can also go above doors and windows.

Chris heard something different.

I came outside to tell him I was going to the Dollar store for our lunch supplies.

He was very proud of the 5 12 x 24s he had just built.

I said great and fixed lunch.

While we were riding the dogs later, we were talking.

He realized that I wanted the long skinny ones not the 12 x 24s

He started laughing so hard.

I guess he heard 6 x 24 and thought I said 12 x 24 shadowbox.

At least I don't need any more for the time being.

Although I have sent him a text for the 16 x 24s he made earlier this year.

These have an 8 x 16 opening offset.

I wasn't sure about them, but we sold both of them in the spring.

They haven't been shown here in Fairhope.

We'll see what comes out of his shop tomorrow!

Always an adventure, life with Chris and art!

"Kraken destruction" Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24

Day 46 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

"Devil" rays

Oh, the beauty of the Manta Rays!

Also known as "Devil rays" they are present in the Gulf of Mexico.

They are absolutely beautiful to watch.

I've never been fortunate enough to see them in person.

With the exception of a very small one while paddleboarding one day.

The only way I've seen them is in videos online.

Giant Manta rays are typically found in coastal and shelf edge waters.

The highest amount of nearshore rays are found near the Mississippi River Delta.

They are most common from April to June and from October to November

They range in size from almost 7.5 feet across, with the adults can have wingspans up to 22 feet!

The scientific community has discovered a giant manta ray nursery in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

This is about 70 miles offshore from Galveston, Texas.

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary map.

Juvenile rays are cared for during their first 4-5 years here.

They then venture out into deeper waters as Adults.

They reach sexual maturity at about 10 years of age.

They only give birth to a single pup every 2 or 3 years.

They prefer warm nutrient rich water which is full of plankton.

They are filter feeders eating both plankton and small fish.

They sweep them into their mouths using their pectoral fins.

Fascinating beauty by our creator. 

I'm glad he gives us so many creatures to marvel about!

"Devil Rays", Acrylic on wood, 21.5 inches

Day 45 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Archers Lion

Today is Archer's birthday.

Archer is our first grandchild, and he is an amazing young man.

He turned 13 today.

I have a teenaged grandson.

It seems like yesterday when he was born.

I barely got to Mobile when our daughter and her husband rushed out the door because she was in labor.

We all went to the hospital and the waiting began.

I was glad I had a painting to work on while waiting.

I painted him a crab the day he was born.

Each year, he gets a new painting added to his collection. 

The first few years I choose the painting.

The last few, he has chosen what he wants for his painting. 

This year I had been working on the lion as a demonstration piece.

I asked Archer if he wanted it for his 13th birthday.

All his other paintings are on flat canvas.

This is his first shadowbox.

The paintings are supposed to stay with me until his 18th birthday, but they are starting to take over.

He mentioned he wants them in his room now.

Soon he will have all of them, ranging in size from 4 x 8 to 18 x 24 inches

I will help him hang them.

He has a wide range of pieces from a gecko to a sailfish, a rhino to a portrait of his dog.

They are all in sepia, so they all go together.

Each one has the date and the year on the back.

A funny aside today.

I asked for a 12 x 36 shadowbox with a 6 x 18 opening.

When I saw it, I realized my huge mistake.

The opening was too small.

It will make an awesome blue crab though!

I needed a 12 x 36 with a 6 x 30 opening.

He provided that today.

I also asked Chris if he could build me some 6 x 24 flats as they are a popular series and I am out.

I went to work in the studio, Chris went to the shop.

I worked for a couple of hours, then decided to fix something for lunch.

Tuna fish sandwiches with chips would do nicely.

No chips.

No sweet relish either.

I went out to the shop to tell Chris I was going to the store.

He proudly showed me 5 12 x 24 shadowboxes.

I said nothing, went to the store purchased the items I needed, then came home.

We ate lunch, then we went to pick up some art supplies I found online.

In our conversation, I asked if he could build the 6 x 24s now.

He started laughing.

I thought you wanted 12 x 24s.

I said no, I told you I had plenty of shadowboxes, I needed the 6 x 24s.

He thought it was so funny that he apparently heard 6 and 24, 

but thought I wanted shadowboxes 12 x 24.

The 12 x 24 shadowboxes have a 6 x 18 opening in them.

I now have 5 extra 12 x 24s.

More to stretch and stack up in preparation for more paintings!

And now I'm tired and ready for bed.

Goodnight!

Archer's Lion, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24 inches

Day 44 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

A very full day!

Well, the photos are backwards.

This one is actually the end of my day.

Painting several rounds and flat pieces with Kilz to begin the process for the rounds.

The wood has to be isolated to make sure things don't yellow from the glue in the wood.

So many steps to complete the rounds!

Speaking of rounds, I delivered the very special project to Paul today for his friend.

I can't wait to see the photos from that reveal!

I pray that his friend is successful in his swim of the English channel.

Headed to England next week!

I also took time out from my day early in the afternoon to rehang my space at Hello Gallery.

The Gallery is located at 18 S Section street in downtown Fairhope, Alabama.

Seven new works are on display, along with other pieces.

My morning started with getting everything ready for the many commissions.

I packed them up.

Called and texted the new homes.

One picked up today, one next week, and one the week after.

It's been a long day, but a productive one for sure.

Goodnight!

A very full day!, multiple pieces, acrylic on wood and canvas

Day 43 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

Oh! Another octopus?

 

It is getting late, so I'll try to be brief.

Maybe.

Then again, once I start the writing it's hard to stop.

Oh! Another Octopus?

Yes!

If you have not seen Sally Field in the Movie, "Remarkably Bright Creatures"

I highly recommend it!

It was only on Netflix though, kinda hard to get to see it.

I paid for a month, then unsubscribed and watched the movie.

It was wonderful.

It follows the book by the same name and was well done.

The studies the people did to perfect the octopus was fantastic.

Anyway, I've read the book twice and may read it again.

Marcellus is a beautiful creature, fully intelligent, and octopus are just amazing animals all around.

So yes, another Octopus.

Octopus and turtles are both popular in my sales and fortunately for me, I love painting both of them!

Another bit of history for the sepias.

People kept asking me, "Why don't you paint bigger?"

I used to tell them about all the equipment, tent, chairs, walls, and art all fitting in a PT Cruiser.

"I can't paint bigger."

Anyway, I prayed about it, and this is what came into my mind's eye.

Five-piece paintings, made from standard canvas that fit in a small bag.

March 11, 2017, I debuted this big boy!

This was the first weekend I ever had shown the five-piece paintings.

It was in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

I had this octopus and another five-piece that was turtles.

They both measured 36 inches tall and 64 inches wide.

Shortly after I opened the booth a husband and wife came in and 

took a few minutes to decide to buy this one.

They were designing and building a home for a television personality 

in the national newscasting network.

It calls home at Innerarity Point in Pensacola Florida home.

They also commissioned me to do a 4-foot x 5-foot Pensacola Beach sign!

Soon after the octopus sold, a gentleman came in and purchased the turtles.

He then commissioned a seahorse too. 

He left the five-piece with me for judging and told me he would pick up the turtles at Arts & Crafts the following weekend.

I was in complete and total shock.

Less than an hour into the show, and my entire weekend was paid for and then some.

God does that a lot!

He gives us so much more than we expect or could ever even think we could have.

This is why I listen when the Holy Spirit speaks, 

because he's got the plan and he knows what is best for me.

Nine years of multiples.

I have no idea how many have sold now.

I also designed and make a larger version that is 40 inches tall by 84 inches wide.

That size requires Chris to build 4 canvas to complete the piece.

Now that's a big painting!

And now I bid you goodnight!

God bless you for reading the blog!

Oh! Another Octopus? Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 12 x 24

Day 42 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

A Venus comb

Another day, another painting.

This one is of the Venus comb my parents pulled from the ocean.

My parents shell collection from the Philippines was extensive, 

because they went diving as much as they could afford.

I got to go frequently, swimming in the arm of the Bonka boat for hours on end 

while my parents dove below.

It was an idyllic life, watching my parents dive below me, 

bringing me things from the bottom of the sea. 

We would bring the shells home and place them in the ant bed that was near our front door.

The ants did an incredible job of cleaning the live animals from the shell while leaving the incredible remains for me to see.

Beautiful memories of childhood.

I got the collection when my parents both passed away and 

I was clearing the house for my brother to sell.

I now get to look at them, enjoy them, and even paint them!

More history about the sepia series.

This is about the shadowbox canvas.

They started the fall of 2015.

This is the first time I showed them.

I had seen the canvases at Michaels, but in my mind were too expensive and keep my pricing reasonable.

I had a really good National Shrimp Festival that year.

I went to Michaels afterward to pick up small canvas.

They had all of their shadowbox canvas on sale, clearance actually.

The prices were too good to resist, and I love a great sale.

I bought all 22 they had, asked them to call the Mobile store to see if they had more.

I painted all of them and took them to Peter Anderson in Mississippi.

We sold half of them that weekend.

Chris asked if I could get any more of them.

I told him I had been researching, but they were nowhere to be found.

We finished the fall season with some of them left over.

The following Spring, I was at another show in Mississippi when my husband came to me and said, 

"I think I figured out how to build them", I said "Good, I figured out how to stretch them!"

We haven't looked back since then.

Chris has opened the boxes, made different sizes, made custom sizes, 

designed offset boxes and so much more.

We estimate Chris has built over 500 of them so far!

I am so grateful to have him on my team.

My 12th year painting on the shadowboxes.

I still love them!

A Venus comb, Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 30 inches

Day 41 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026