I want to wrap my arms around you!

"I want to wrap my arms around you."

This beauty was started last night at Art Walk.

It measures 18 x 36 inches.

So many textures, so many little crevices.

This one was fun to paint. 

Every painting is fun to me because I love what I do.

God definitely created me to be a creator.

I truly love my 'job'.

I pray that I never lose the love of art and painting.

So many times, people tell me that the paintings I do are exactly what they have been looking for.

I never know what people want; I just want to create and keep my art fresh for the future.

That is why the sepia series has been going for so long.

The sepias came about as a result of multiple people coming into my booth saying;

"I just love your work, but I don't know if that color will go on my wall."

I literally was beating my head against the back of the booth and asking,

 "God, what am I doing wrong?"

I clearly heard, "You're not wrong, just go neutral"

Keep in mind, I was a very strong colorist at the time.

My oldest daughter did not think they would do well at all.

They started out in shadowbox frames that I bought from Michaels that were unfinished.

I had to paint them black, then brown and quickly wipe them back to finish them.

Then they had 12 x 12 canvases in them that were a trick 

to get one to fit as the frames were not consistent.

The first seven I did were a surprise with all of them selling in a reasonable amount of time.

I then made up my mind to have a bunch of them for fall shows.

Problem was, getting the unfinished wood from the store.

I had a really great manager from Michaels that worked with me and found 35 of them and had them shipped from California.

The next problem we had was transporting them.

They took up a lot of room in the van!

I ended up with an entire wall of them and had a spectacular show.

The show went so much better than I expected with several people coming back to get pieces, 

only to be disappointed when they were sold.

The year was 2010.

16 years for a series is unusual to say the least.

Most series for artists last 2 or 3 years before it becomes boring, 

or they've explored all they can or think they can.

I keep exploring, growing, and making the series fun for me and my collectors.

I am so grateful to God for the ideas and talents he blesses me with.

My work became neutral, before it was a trend!

This was also before Chip and Joanna Gaines became popular with their fixer upper series.

Their first episode was May of 2013 and started the neutral palette of colors for decorating.

God works like that, when you listen and act upon His guidance.

I was fortunate to have given my parents two of my pieces from that first year.

After my dad passed, I brought them home.

I'm still trying to figure out where to hang them.

Lionfish, who knew they would become an invasive species....

Apparently, I did, because I painted them way back then too!

Notice two things about these guys.

They are browner, sepia toned if you will.

My signature had not changed by then.

That happened in 2013.

I always considered myself to be a Christian Artist, but that year my signature started showing it.

They are still beautiful to me, and I hope to you as well.

God bless, I bid you goodnight!

I want to wrap my arms around you, Acrylic on canvas, 18 x 36 inches

Day 40 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

"Painting" with fabric

Our son is building a camper.

Well, Chris is building it, Jere helps when he can after work and on weekends.

I got pulled in to help with the cushion covers for the seats.

These will be in the dining area that converts into a bed at night.

My daughter in love and I went to a local shop to purchase the fabric for the seats.

I ordered the cushions and gave them to her for her birthday.

I finished the covers today as they are less than two weeks away from actually using the camper.

I'm excited for them and glad to help with this small part of a labor of love for them.

I pray they all fit in the camper as my measuring skills seem to be lacking lately.

She wanted a combination of the two fabrics on the cushions with the 

bottom ones different from the top.

I 've also made two pillows for the back seat area as well.

I then went to Artwalk tonight and started a painting but couldn't finish it!

There were so many people fascinated with watching and asking 

questions that I couldn't paint half the time.

Such is Artwalk, old customers, new possible collectors, old friends, and students.

It was a great time!

Until tomorrow, Goodnight!

Painting with fabric, upholstery material,

Day 39 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Epic goals

I am in awe of people that have epic goals.

I know that God places us in amazing circumstances that sometimes we don't understand.

This is one of those circumstances God has chosen to place me in and bless me through.

I was contacted by a gentleman on July 29th about a very special piece.

 This man in the painting is a good friend and business partner.

He is also apparently an incredible athlete and deeply faithful man.

His friend here named Paul had apparently called one of my galleries and they recommended me.

Over the course of our first conversation, this piece became visible in my mind's eye.

I told him of my idea and he loved it.

It took a lot of work to make it come close to the actual coastline on the front pieces.

The piece is relatively small, only 16 inches round so it will fit in his carry-on luggage.

There are also some of the channels and deeper regions near the coastline.

The photo he provided didn't quite give me what I needed, so I lifted the arm out of the water slightly.

It also had a tight timeline, due to Paul traveling to England.

 He will be in the support boat while his friend swims.

It also has a verse written on the outer rim of the painting.

I am so honored to have done this piece for him and his friend.

His friend lives in England and is about to embark on swimming the English Channel.

The swim can take anywhere from 13-14 hours on average.

The swim can be completed in 7 hours.

It has also taken 27 hours or more.

It all depends on the swimmer, the tides, changing weather, and the swimmer's personal stamina.

The shortest distance in a straight line is 21 miles or 34 km.

The actual distance is often 25 to 30 miles due to zig zagging, tides, and strong currents.

I'm sure God will be on both their minds as he does this epic feat.

This is the verse around the painting.

Psalm 137:7-10

7 I can never escape from your spirit!

I can never get away from your presence.

8 If I go up to Heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,

you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me. 

Epic goals. Acrylic on custom wood round, 16 inches

Day 38 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Turtle babies

These little guys are always fun to paint!

I am so delighted I managed to get these canvases from marketplace.

The woman advertised 18, but when I got there, the number was 20!

They were a really great price and give me small canvas that I can hold and easily paint.

Finishing up on a commission which should post tomorrow.

I am currently working on cushions for our son and daughter in love's camper.

I always love a good sewing project, but wrestling these cushions into the covers is a marathon.

I feel like an octopus with an arm stuck inside the casing and another pulling the plastic bag out that helps me put the cover in place.

I love that they are letting me make my contribution to their first camper together.

It is small, very small but oh so cute.

We are rapidly headed to the finish line of completion on the trailer.

 Then Chris will likely help our oldest daughter with her new shop conversion.

Next in line will be repairs to the tiny house, as we've had some rather bad leakage around the windows that has caused rot in the wall. 

I just pray it's only one wall and will be easily fixed.

Never a dull moment around here!

One project to the next, and the next.

Maybe the commissions are done for now too!

Friday night is Artwalk night in Fairhope.

6-8pm at Hello Gallery, 18 South Section Street

I'll be painting live on the next Dead men tell no tales!

Come and say hello!

Turtle babies, Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 12 inches

day 37 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Dead men tell no tales V

I love it when someone gives me free rein to do a commission.

Pretty much all he told me was like this one and sent me a photo of Dead men tell no tales IV.

This is it below.

This is the one painted last month, that calls home with a marine biologist.

Her parents wanted it for the newly graduated daughter who actually worked on a pirate ship doing tours while she was in school!

Any way I was contacted by this gentleman, and he said we have several of your works, but he wanted to commission a pirate piece for his wife.

When he showed her the one I posted last month, she fell in love and said fingers crossed she still has it at the Shrimp Festival.

That's when he decided to commission the piece.

Apparently, it is a wonderful birthday surprise.

I pray she loves it, both for the work and the sentiment behind it.

Dead men tell no tales V is all new.

New blunderbuss, and a really cool sword with shell details.

Both are actual pieces of armory and are beautiful in their details.

The pieces of eight are new as well, with actual "pieces of eight".

They would cut them apart in halves, quarters, and eighths.

There is also a Venus comb peeking out from under the banner.

This one took a solid two days just to design it.

Then it took several days to paint it, and now it's revealed today!

Fortunately for me, I can simply reverse the design and use it again for the next one!

I can also create it in different sizes.

Whew it was intense!

I am also working on a really neat commission for a local gentleman that is for his business partner. 

It involves swimming, the English Channel, and both a map of England and France.

He is presenting it to him after he swims the channel from Dover to Calais.

Another really cool presentation and gift from a thoughtful person.

I love being able to bring dreams to reality.

Thank you, Lord, for the talent you give me!

Dead men tell no tales V, Acrylic on wood, 

day 36 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Octopus in my hands

I love the smaller format!

Not only are they much easier to paint, but I can also hold them in my hands while I am painting.

This makes this size portable and affordable for collectors.

It's been a long day of intense creating on the latest Dead Men tell no tales paintings.

Lots of cut work, lots of detail, I will finish it tomorrow.

I also got a confirmation for the latest commission, so it is a go now.

It combines several things that are memorable to the recipient.

It will also include a Bible verse.

Intense

Incredible

Interesting

Life here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio here in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama

But for now, Goodnight!

Octopus in my hands, Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 12 inches

Day 35 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Turtle and Pelican

The best part about being a professional artist?

People wanting and collecting your art!

 I am so fortunate to have collectors that continue to add to their collection.

I was contacted this week by someone who has several pieces of my work in their home.

He was inquiring about something that still blows my mind.

Last year, I started the rounds in earnest and opened the National Shrimp Festival 

with over 25 of them on display.

I sold half of them in just the first day!

I was in shock but shouldn't have been.

You see, I had prayed about the new series and the Holy Spirit revealed to me that the rounds were the next big thing in my art career.

The Sepia series was the beginning, over 15 years old and 

before Chip and Joanna Gaines became popular.

I was right on the edge of a new decorating trend of neutral tones.

The first ones were in shadowbox frames purchased at Michaels, painted, and distressed.

There were 12 x 12 canvases in the frames.

The frames were fragile, hard to carry, and difficult to obtain.

I then prayed again and started the deep edged canvas and no frames.

Still white backgrounds, and sepia toned paintings.

I loved wrapping the edges with the sea creatures I created.

The next big thing came as an accident, but also after prayer. 

I had glanced at the shadowbox canvas at Michaels, 

but had dismissed them as too expensive for me to invest in.

Lo and behold, I went to Michaels again after a successful National Shrimp Festival 

and they were on clearance!

I couldn't believe the price, and I had the money to invest in them.

I bought all 22 they had on hand.

I painted them all and took them to Peter Anderson in Ocean Springs, MS.

We sold half of them that weekend.

My husband asked, can you get any more of these?

I said no, they're discontinued and no one else makes them.

(I had been looking ever since I purchased them.)

We still had a few left in the Spring and my wonderful husband came to me and quietly said,

"I think I can build them."

Such joy!

I told him, "I just figured out how to stretch them."

My precious partner in art has built over 500 of them so far and has innovated the designs, 

pushing me to greater works of art.

This year will bring new pieces on unusual sizes and offsets.

I then prayed again about a question I kept getting asked at shows.

"Why don't you paint bigger?"

This was when the multiple canvas works were started.

They are several years old and still going strong.

I then started the rounds, and I have been so amazed at their reception.

Which brings me back to the collector's request.

Another round.

Another Dead Men tell no tales.

This will be the fifth one in the series!

So fun to paint, but such a headache to cut out with all of its openings to the background.

Still incredible to me!

I've also been commissioned to do an extremely customized round that will go to England as a special presentation gift for a friend and business partner.

More on that one later!

Yesterday's piece was this turtle.

I love painting turtles and hope I never have to stop.

I'm really happy too as our area is finally seeing the results of so many years of protecting turtle nests.

There are over 80 nests this year on the coast of Alabama alone!

I painted this one today, in between church, cooking and designing the new works.

It's an amazing time here in the Raccoon Retreat Studio, here in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama!

Turtle and Pelican, Acrylic on canvas, 4x12 inches 

Days 33 and 34 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026