Super Mario Chronicles

If you have been following the blog, you know I have the opp"art"unity to create sets for our VBS at Celebration church.

If you have not been following, now you know.

I LOVE using my talents for God's glory.

I thank Him every day for the talent He has given me.

Anyway, I make large sets with the help of a lot of people for our three day VBS.

This years theme was Super Mario.

It was an incredibly fun set to build, with numerous parts and pieces.

The Pastor also used part of the sets for his series at Kids church.

This is part of the Mario and Luigi scene.

It had an additional part added to the top made of foam.

This has been removed in preparation for the next series.

Kingdom Chronicles.

The scenery I was asked to create was from the Chronicles of Narnia.

Today was the day.

I had a doctor's appointment that was scheduled a month ago this morning.

The office called because the doctor had a personal emergency and had to cancel.

I tried, really tried not to be irritated because it threw a glitch into my plans for the day.

I called to reschedule.

Next week on Wednesday at 9 am.

Wednesday is set up day for the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores.

You know how to make God laugh?

Tell Him your plans.

I also wrote in my journal today about adjustments.

Those are the little things that get in the way of what you have planned for the day.

Proverbs 19:21 You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail.

I changed out of my going to the doctor clothes and put on paint clothes.

I gathered the paints, brushes, ladder, and my brain to go to the church and began painting.

First step Kilz and beginning of the trees.

I would discover that the trees were not big enough to cover the space.

Hours number one and two.

Additional layering of background of the sky using gray, sky blue, and a deep rich royal blue.

I then added more trees in both foreground and back behind the path.

Hours number three and four.

I took a break, going to lunch with Chris at 2pm.

I came back and started adding the snow on the trees.

I was loving them at this point.

When I first started adding the snow, I was just incredibly awed by the talent God has given me.

It reduced me to tears in gratitude.

Hour five.

More snow on blue foreground tree.

Then came the part I was dreading.

The light post.

I used a piece of paper as a makeshift ruler to sketch the lamp post in place.

I then used the dark gray to lay it on the canvas.

I put white in the light area, but it just wasn't enough.

As I walked over to the church, I realized I was crashing the steak night for the men.

Too late now!

I'm trying to finish a job today.

I went into my paint box for some yellow paint.

It was the finishing touch to the light.

I them added more white to the path, making it disappear around the corner.

I'm incredibly happy with the way it turned out.

Not bad for 6 1/2 hours of work.

Thanks GOD!

Narnia Chronicles, Acrylic house paint on canvas, 8 x 12 feet

Day 94 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Lights and Great Whites

This was yesterday's painting completed while teaching a small group at my church.

The small group is called Scripts & Strokes and is celebrating it's13th year!

I really enjoy teaching both the Scripture and the painting class.

This one is today's piece.

It features Great White sharks on a shadowbox canvas.

This one is large, 12 x 36 inches.

Incredibly interesting to paint too!

The Shrimp Festival will find us set up by this time next Wednesday.

Set up is always a grueling day because of my nerves and the pure work of setting up.

We will be putting up two tents and one with the french wall opening at the back.

I am mildly nervous about the show because of the current economy.

Art is definitely a luxury and not a necessity.

I am leaving it in God's capable hands though.

He always takes care of this artist!

I also erased yesterday and varnished today.

There are paintings spread all across my big table, with no room for more currently.

Hopefully I can pack them tomorrow and get them off the table.

Vendors for the festival also got emails today about parking and set up times.

We hopefully can get there early enough to avoid the chaos that is the 

Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Fortunately for us, we don't have to worry about parking.

We park the van at the campsite Wednesday after unloading at the show.

We then ride our bikes back and forth to the show.

The weather looks like it will be good for the show.

We have several days of rain ahead of us, then a cooling just in time for the show.

Unfortunately, this means cloudy days ahead at the show.

I have lights, but we bought an additional set of lights that can plug in to the shrimp festival electricity.

This show is different in that it gives everyone power to run lights and frequently fans in the booths.

The lights I currently have are battery powered and are great, but with possibly cloudy days into the nights, I felt I needed plug in lights as well.

Lights and Great Whites, Acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14 and 12 x 36

Days 92 & 93 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Costumes and Completions

I tried, really tried to post this last night but there was a glitch in my internet service.

I was able to download one photo, but the other one no dice.

So, I decided rather than fighting with it, I would post today instead.

Obviously, I'm "painting" with fabric again!

My daughter in love, Jenna wanted a costume that was a carousel.

Little did I know it would challenge my engineering skills!

This one was fun to design with Jenna, and she's jumped right in to help.

She has gotten the majority of the carousel animals colored in and cut out.

She also helped pick out the fabrics from my stash.

Adding in some trims from my daughter Jessica and we're going to have a really cool costume.

The only things we've had to purchase were two hula hoops, and pom-pom trim for the hat.

Everything else has come from the fabric stash or the scrap heap.

I love it so far.

We'll be finishing up hopefully this weekend.

This is the skirt that hurt my engineering head!

It has really turned out just as I hoped.

It has a good bit of finish work to do still.

Together they look so cute.

I can't wait to add the carousel animals and work on the hat too.

It's going to make an amazing one-of-a-kind costume for sure!

Just precious.

Today I did the completion work on both of the five-piece Octopus and Turtles.

This involves a lot of work.

First, I covered my tables with the vinyl pieces I purchased from a yard sale 16 years ago.

They actually were cushions that I recycled into my banquet and the Gypsy wagon we built years ago.

I cut the edges off, and have used them as table covers.

They have a lot of history on them!

I then cut strips of tracing paper to trace off both edges of the canvases.

Each five piece has four seams, but eight edges to paint.

After tracing, I took apart the painting and transferred the drawings to the canvas sides.

It then took a couple of hours to paint the sides on both pieces.

Sixteen sides total!

A few years back the Holy Spirit jumped into the fray and gave me the perfect way to do these transfers.

I used to spend hours trying to draw the sides while looking at the painting next to it.

This way is so much easier and effective!

This one would have been especially difficult because the octopus has suckers that are right on the edge.

It would have taxed my brain trying to duplicate them on the sides without this new method.

I love when the Spirit speaks and gives me fantastic ideas.

I did fuss a bit though, because He let me struggle for a couple of years 

before making me see this method.

I guess I wasn't ready until then.

The completed octopus.

As you can see the painting marches right along, even on the sides!

Here are the completed turtles.

Chris helped today by putting the d-rings on and the wires.

A lot of cleaning up to do and erasing.

Then, varnish and in a couple of days, packing them for the show.

I also got a notification yesterday that one of our favorite shows for Spring has been cancelled.

This show, in Melbourne Florida is hands down one of our favorites.

The director had to step down because of family and I agree with her priorities.

The board then lost a sponsorship and no one wanted to take the reins to run the show.

The board voted to cancel the show.

Just makes me sad.

Of course, this show is in the middle of two other shows we do in Florida at the same time.

So, I scrambled to try to find a replacement show as I'm sure many other artists will be doing.

I've put in for two shows, hoping one will accept me.

One is near Amelia Island on the St. Johns River.

We've done the show once before and it was nice.

Hopefully it won't be as windy as it was that year.

The other show I applied for is a newer one.

This is only their 7th year.

They are already ranked in Sunshine Artist magazine in the fine art section at number 11 out of the 100.

They drawback is they are 12 hours away from Tallahassee.

It would also be a new state for us as the show is in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Right on the Atlantic coast.

Near the Ocean I love so much.

We would then head to Amelia Island.

I have also applied for another show on Mother's day weekend in Greensboro, S.Carolina.

This would be another new state for us to foray into.

God's hand is upon us and on these shows.

We'll see what happens.

I always remember Proverbs 16:33-"We throw the dice, but God determines where they land."

Every time I put in for a show, I'm throwing the dice.

God then plans the trip for us!

I hope you've enjoyed this bit of the Raccoon Retreat Studio behind the scenes.

Another day, another work of art!

Costumes and Completions, Acrylic on canvas and fabrics, 

Days 90 & 91 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Traffic jam

"Traffic Jam"

This one still needs to be traced off, transferred, painted on the edges, erased, varnished, and wired.

Still a lot to do before I can pack this one away!

I have started following a wonderful group of divers on Facebook that leave 

cameras in the ocean and just swim away.

They retrieve the cameras and they have wonderful action videos made by all the fish, whales, dolphins, and of course sea turtles.

I had forgotten how noisy the sea was until I started watching.

Whales calling, fish chirping, coral eaters crunching, shrimp snapping their claws are all things you can hear underwater.

Turtles don't make any sounds though.

They communicate by touch and sometimes by attempted bites.

A noisy, beautiful live action film!

I love to see the sea turtles come into the cleaning stations to have the 

fish remove dead skin and parasites from their bodies.

They actually get upset with each other if someone cuts in line.

So fun to watch.

I love the ocean and hope you do as well.

I really want to go snorkeling somewhere that I can immerse myself in the noisy activity of the sea!

I want to see the live corals, hear the fish and whales, but most of all I want to see my beloved turtles.

Maybe I can go there in my dreams tonight!

Traffic Jam, Acrylic on multiple canvas, 36 x 60

Day 89 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Pelicans and Cephalopods

Last night got away with me!

Actually, I had a long day of painting and I was simply tired.

I pray you'll forgive me for not posting yesterday.

Any way you look at it, this painting is so full of life.

Watching pelicans on the coast is a favorite pastime of mine.

Diving and dipping, fishing and eating so much they cannot fly.

I love to watch them while Chris is driving along, and they are flying so gracefully.

How such a gawky looking bird can glide so beautifully.

Only God knows.

Pelicans 24 x 24 inches

This is the painting for yesterday, day 87.

I made the photo for this one extra-large, so it is easier to see the details.

The five-piece paintings are still doing well.

We love them because they are easy to pack in a single bag, but they still have a big impact.

This one is 5 12-inch-wide canvases, ranging in size from 12 x 12 to 12 x 36.

36 x 60 inches

It makes an impressive work of art, especially when in a booth at a show.

This is what I call a showstopper.

These types of paintings bring people into the booth as they want to see the detail and the price.

Sometimes the price makes them run away, other times I'm told it's not enough.

Then there's the third option, I'll take it!

I've found the price that makes me happy with the amount of work they take.

This one was painted in one day, yes one long day for just the fronts.

It was a hard day's labor, and it is why I was tired last night.

It still has to be broken apart, traced off, and painted on the sides as 

this is what makes them really unique.

They then have to be erased, wired, and varnished.

So, a few more hours to go on this one!

The sides are a continuation of the front painting, allowing them to be spread apart, 

yet still have a complete piece of art.

People love to get next to them and look down the side to see the continuation.

It helps that I love to paint them!

I've got another one set up to paint that is the same size.

I'll reuse the bars then to make a really big one 

that measures 40 x 80 inches.

I'm still trying to decide if I want another pier on that one!

Another day, another painting, another day closer to the Annual National Shrimp Festival

in beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Pelicans and Cephalopods, Acrylic on canvas, Pelicans 24 x 24, Octopus 36 x 60

Days 87 & 88 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

Great Blues

"The Great Blues"

So many paintings are in my head and coming out from my brush.

This pair was incredibly fun to paint.

I always enjoy the process of these Shadowbox paintings.

It can be a challenge to make sure everything fits without looking totally weird.

Great blue herons are extremely territorial and because of this innate 

behavior can be really entertaining to watch.

Take for example the two we witnessed on the beach the other day.

Both were males, but I believe that one of them was the son and one was the father.

The dad was having none of the son encroaching on his territory.

We watched as he chased the other one down the beach and further away.

I don't know the exact area they defend as their own, but they do defend it rather exuberantly.

They do this with the most annoying sound too!

I would call it almost a growl of sorts as they fly through the air.

The son beat it pretty quickly as dad chased him down the beach.

I've also witnessed bluebirds in our own yard do this same dance.

We have one male that has his chosen box at the end of our pool, and he defends it rather heartily.

One year, the mated pair had three babies and all of them were males!

Woe is me is all that one of them could probably say as dad chased him from the favorite box.

Such flashes of blue beauty flying through the trees!

All three sons eventually found their own territory and happiness ensued.

I love to watch them sitting on top of the house, looking for their next bug filled meal.

I even leave fruit outside to attract the bugs for them to hunt.

We also give them meal worms as that is their favorite!

I absolutely love birds and painting them.

I pray you enjoy looking at them as well.

"Great Blues" Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24

Day 86 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026

 

A little honey please.

"A little honey please."

This painting was an absolute delight to paint with my small group tonight.

We talked a good bit about honey and it's many uses in the Bible.

So many things are good for you in honey.

We had a great time painting this one!

"A little honey please" Acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14

Day 85 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2026