Flying jewel box VII

I don't know if I'll ever tire of painting hummingbirds.

However, unless commissioned to do more this is it for the series.

Such beautiful little birds, so fun to paint!

I am forever in debt to Debi Parnell for the use of her photographs.

Today was turtle walk day.

I like many others walk the beach looking for sea turtle nests.

I found none today.

Our beaches seem really quiet as far as turtle activity is concerned.

I have probably decided not to walk next year.

I have patrolled for 10 years this year.

We have to get up at 4:30 am in order to get on the beach and patrol before sunrise.

It's a lot of hours out of my day, even though it's only twice a month.

I also painted a lot today.

Getting works done, now I have to varnish and wire again.

The Audubon show has already sold pieces and I need to replace them.

I will be bringing smaller works to fill in when I go to the reception tomorrow.

The dog is hanging in there so far.

She seems brighter and happier as well as more active.

She started her liver medicine and homeopathic therapy as well.

That makes me happy too!

Flying jewel box VII, Acrylic on Wood panel, 5 x15 inches

Day 44 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flying jewel box VI

So much fun, and so much beauty in a small package.

I love to watch them.

Now I love to paint them too!

Today was a good day.

The laundry got done.

The dogs behaved themselves for the most part.

That is except for the phantom puppy pooper in my bedroom. 

The poop that was found by my robot vacuum cleaner.

Cleaned up that mess.

Cleaned the vacuum cleaner that sucked up said poop.

Cleaned the stove where I cleaned the vacuum cleaner.

Cleaned the sink after I cleaned the stove and the vacuum cleaner.

Such is life with senior dogs.

I just pray the vacuum doesn't find poop or pee again!

The dogs may have to stay outside for a while during vacuuming.

Studio time was good, I got a lot done today.

I put a couple of coats of Kilz on the latest sewing drawer projects.

The color kept seeping through, so another layer of Kilz.

Finally, I was able to put white acrylic on them to prepare them for artworks.

I also painted today for several hours.

Dog feeding time, then the afternoon ride.

Dogs are happy, husband happy.

Laundry done.

Dinner cooked and cleaned up.

Time spent with husband in early evening.

Then lost myself into the studio for a couple of hours.

Going to be now, 4:30 am comes quickly.

(Walking for turtles in the morning.)

Such is the artist life here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama!

Flying jewel box VI, Acrylic on wood panel, 5x15 inches

Day 43 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flying Jewel box V

Incredibly beautiful these little birds are for sure!

I am looking forward to taking them to the Pascagoula River Audubon Center later this week.

Thursday is the reception, and I am so excited to hang them at the gallery.

They have already sold 3 pieces at the show!

I hope to replace them while there as well.

So many things happening here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio in Fairhope, Alabama.

Chris has built a stack of shadowbox frames for me to work on soon. They still have to be stretched, painted white, and sketched then painted.

It's a never-ending cycle of wonder here.

I wonder how I get it done.

I wonder if I'll get it done.

I wonder when I'll get it done.

I wonder if people will like them.

I wonder if people will purchase them.

I wonder most of all at the talent God has blessed me with!

Flying Jewel box V, Acrylic on wood panel, 5x15 inches

Day 42 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flying jewel box IV

I know the names are cheesy.

I've never thought of them as anything other than Flying Jewelry boxes.

These birds coloring is a sight to behold.

That something so small, so incredibly shiny, so fast.

God made a lovely creature when he made the hummingbird.

So fascinating to watch, and so fun to paint!

I will forever be in Debi Parnell's debt for her allowing me to use her gorgeous photography!

Today being Sunday, started with us going to church.

I am so grateful for my church family.

Our Pastors are pretty incredible people as well.

Such a great place to call home, Celebration Church in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama.

I am still fighting with my swimming pool.

I thought I had figured out the problem.

The pool is still turning green even though the pump is running regularly.

I just don't have time to figure it all out.

I wish I could find someone that knew about saltwater systems and could fix it.

I'm really tired of wanting to swim but I am having to scrub for an hour to remove algae.

Every stinking time.

I just want to be able to relax for a bit.

We've also had a 16 year old dachshund not doing well.

After having a tumor removed.

Finding out her liver numbers are sky high.

Her gall bladder is very enlarged and possibly causing high liver numbers.

We did find out through an abdominal exam that she does indeed have Cushing's disease.

I have another one with similar symptoms.

Unfortunately, this is common with older dachshunds.

Ours are 18, 16, 14, and 10 year old siblings.

Five times the fun, five times the vet bills.

Five times the love as well.

Painting, painting, painting here in the Raccoon Retreat Studio in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama!

Flying Jewel box IV, Acrylic on wood panel, 5x15 inches

Day 41 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

 

Flying jewel box II

Today I painted the female of the pair.

She is the same size as the other one, 4 x 12 inches.

While small paintings don't fill walls, they can sit on a shelf, in between doorways, or windows.

I love painting small.

The show for the Audubon center is filling in nicely.

I may need to bring additional pieces from a gallery that lets me remove works for shows.

She lets me remove them, because she knows I will bring new works back in to replace them.

Things have finally settled somewhat here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio.

We had a bit of a Covid scare where we had to quarantine a few days.

Everything turned out fine though!

We also finally got the part for my swimming pool that I ordered at the end of June!

It has been two weeks of dumping massive amounts of chlorine shock treatments because my pump was not making chlorine at all.

The part came in, I changed it out, and started cleaning the algae out of the pool.

The combination of rain and a non-functioning pump has been a nightmare.

Hopefully, now things will get to where I can just enjoy it, and not constantly worry with it.

All in all, I love my saltwater system.

I loved it enough to buy another one when the first one got fried by a thunderstorm.

The pump they include with these above ground pools are an absolute joke.

The pool we bought used, but I already had the pump from last summer.

How manufacturers expect a cartridge filter to pump an 8,000 gallon pool is beyond me.

Enough about the pool, hopefully we can now just enjoy it!

In the meantime, I paint!

Flying jewel box II, Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 12 inches

Day 21 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022