I "Arted" more today!

The youth were all working hard today.

We will be ahead of the game by tomorrow evening.

I'm so proud of the kids, taking instruction, following through, and completing tasks.

They are an amazing team to have.

Of course, today we started painting the dinosaurs.

The kids are very excited to work on them.

But before dinosaurs, we worked on more leaves for the jungle atmosphere.

I am buying a container and storing these leaves for future use.

Not going through this again!

We've gone through almost 1400 feet of wire, several rolls of tape, and two large rolls of green papers.

Resorting to standing on a chair to reach the long neck's upper reaches.

The kids are excited to see them come to life under their hands.

By the time we're finished they will have several layers of paint on them.

The belly is worked on while the dinos were on their sides.

Several teams working at once.

Sometimes you have to get under the dinosaur to paint!

I think they're having fun!

Although I know we're all tired of leaves, wires, and paint.

Sets this big are a lot of work.

The stage is 10 separate pieces with a working door on one side of the stage.

Each alcove is 4 pieces X 2, the large alcove under the balcony is 8 pieces.

There are two reserve pieces for whatever we need.

Of course, the set dressing on Sunday will pull it all together.

I painted too.

 Really, I did!

I painted the upper parts of the set, to look like palms are peeking up out from behind the wall.

I set up and painted leaves by the dozen, changing them from flat to fabulous.

I then handed over the leaf painting to another team.

I also directed a lot of kids in their works.

Our total today was 78 more hours.

Go team KOTC!

I went to the hardware store to get more wire tonight as well as more green paint.

We have large palm branches to spray.

Multiple panels with palm branches and plants to paint for backgrounds behind each of the dinosaurs.

Gates looking more like stonework paint.

Greenery to assemble with several hundred leaves.

Really hectic, really head hurting (me trying to paint, while being asked "what's next?"),

 really fun, fun, fun!

I Arted more today!, Paint on multiple canvases, (including dinosaurs)

Day 22 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

I'm "Arted" out today!

Each of these VBS builds are different and yet the same.

What an incredible day at Celebration Church.

The Youth and adults we have are amazing and wonderful.

I painted some, but the youth got an astounding amount of work done today.

Uncomplaining for the most part, they dogged until they were almost completed with 

Every

Single

Panel!

Sixteen to be exact.

I am so grateful for them.

There also was an amazing team of ladies cutting hundreds of leaves.

Several bunches of leaves had wires attached as well.

We have some purchased leaves that did not have wires.

Hopefully we can save all of them this year, instead of having to make them again.

If you remember, there were leaves two years ago too!

It's a lot of work!

The boys at the table were cutting wire for the leaves.

They cut wire ALL day!

I've also had to go buy more wire to put on the larger leaves.

It's going to be a jungle out there.

The guys also started the build on the "Gates"

There are two sets, one for the entrance into the sanctuary, the other is for the stage.

We also removed lights from the galaxies from last year, and taped the holes.

Two will be painted for the stage.

I'm not sure yet what will happen to the other two.

We also used scraps of paper from the leaf cutting to build "rocks".

Sarah is also there; I just didn't get a photograph of her working.

She painted 9 flats for the stage today.

I'm sure she's tired of the gray paint!

My right-hand woman for sure.

I can always count on her beautiful smile and generous laughter.

The youth are extremely excited to paint dinosaurs tomorrow.

Anyway, it was a full day of working together.

We were there from about 8am to 4:30 pm

20 people x conservatively 6 hours each

120 hours!!!!

Did I paint?

On sets, yes.

Did I get a painting a day done?

Technically, not really.

Space and Grace for me today.

I truly am "Arted" out.

Goodnight!

I'm "Arted" out today, No painting, just hard work!

Day 21 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Yin-Yang turtles

This is the really large canvas with 5 pieces making a polyptych.

Greek for the word poly meaning many.

This is the beginning of the work, layering in skin wrinkles and outlines.

I also had painted the eyes, but they still needed shadowing and highlights.

The multi canvas series is several years old now, but this is the first time I've done one in color.

It is made with a canvas in the center that is 16 x 40 inches tall. 

Each one of the side panels is a 16 x 30 and a 16 x 20 on each end.

The entire piece when displayed is 7 feet wide.

I love the colored turtles; this piece puts me one step closer to the set up for the National Shrimp festival.

The show is 19 days away now, and I hope to complete several more paintings before the big day.

Each piece makes me happier than the one before.

I am grateful to God for the talent He's given me, and the ability to complete the tasks before me.

This second photo is while in progress.

I had started to add the colors to the flippers and the back of the shells.

There was still a lot of detailing at this point, although they look finished.

So much fun, making rapid decisions for color, detail, and shading.

So large I cannot photograph it in my studio, because I cannot put a back board behind it.

So, we took the beast downstairs and hung it on the fence to take a photo.

I love the combination of the weathered fence and the color of the turtles.

It makes a lovely presentation.

I took a photo of myself with the painting so you can see how big it really is in person.

And yet it seems small.

I have "maps" of the walls for the show, placing each piece where it needs to go.

It also gives me a good idea of how many more I have to make to have the look I want.

The show is really getting closer now and I am on hyper drive at this point.

I tell Chris, I am in "show mode."

This discipline is the only way I will have enough pieces to display, sell, and replace works that sell.

After we photographed the turtles, we took it apart while outside making it easier to take back upstairs.

I then spent a couple of hours painting the sides of the canvases.

This is so when viewed from the side, you still see a completed work.

I'm really excited to see what people think about them!

Yin-Yang turtles, Acrylic on canvas, 40 inches tall 72 inches wide.

Day 55 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

 

The Mechanics of Elephants

Yes, this is one of my paintings.

No, I did not paint it in one day!

This is one of my new steampunk pieces for fall this year.

People don't believe I do this art form after looking at my other pieces.

Why steampunk?

I enjoy painting rust, metal, wood, and just putting them together.

The complexity fascinates me, driving me further and further into their realm.

The steampunk started several years ago when I was painting public metal sculptures.

The first show I took them to display, several people said "I like your steampunk!"

Frankly, I had to look it up myself.

Turns out, it is an artform that has been around since the late 1800's.

(Think Jules Verne 20,000 leagues under the sea.)

The word steampunk is attributed to a reporter in the 1980's.

Anyway, after starting to display the paintings of public sculpture.....

I was called out by an artist and asked to stop.

I thanked him for the opportunity to grow as an artist.

I then started building them in miniature and on paper.

I built one miniature piece (a seahorse).

Then I decided it was too much trouble to do that.

I then started "building" them on paper.

Each Mechanics piece starts out with a simple line drawing.

(The entire series is called The Mechanics of...)

I then start pulling out all the pieces of metal that I have in the studio.

I have old tools, sewing machine parts, cooking utensils, springs, wheels and other things.

I also have photos of architecture, engines, farm equipment, car parts, and machinery.

I photograph them after laying them all out on the outline.

I then manipulate photos into the sizes I need them to be, transferring them to tracing paper.

Lots of tracing paper.

Each drawing takes anywhere from a week to two weeks.

Then it is transferred onto the canvas.

Sometimes I do a sepia underpainting, others I just dive in!

The painting can take another two weeks to complete.

We took them to five shows this spring, two of the shows awarded the steampunk a prize.

This year, I will have a separate booth at the National Shrimp Festival of nothing but Steampunk.

(Don't worry, I'll have my other marine life as well!)

I love them, and I hope you do as well.

The Mechanics of Elephants, Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30inches

Day 72 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Wonderful Blue!

Wonderful Blue!

Crabs are so much fun to paint!

My mother once asked me if I would ever get tired of painting them.

I told her no way, I love them!

This is a show stopping piece measuring 40 x 40 inches.

I still need to break it apart and paint the sides as well.

Why large pieces?

For years I had people ask, "Why don't you paint bigger?"

I would answer that "Everything I bring fits into a PT Cruiser."

"Tent, walls, chairs, artworks, show box."

"I can't paint bigger."

God stepped in and showed me how by breaking the paintings apart.

It would allow me to fit large scale works into smaller bags.

Larger paintings can get broken, dented, or scratched because of fitting them into a small space.

The first two I painted were an octopus and sea turtles.

Both paintings sold in the beginning of the show.

I was astonished.

Since then, I have created several multi piece canvases.

Every one has since sold.

Sometimes the sale of one leads to another sale.

Last year, I had a four piece crab at the Audubon show.

The piece sold almost immediately, but they left the artwork there until the opening reception.

There was a couple that wanted one, but the crab that was there was too big.

(It was on 4-24x24 canvases)

They wanted a slightly smaller version, the same size as here.

There are 4 piece crabs in restaurants, a bank, private homes and businesses.

I will never tire of painting them!

Wonderful Blue!, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 40 inches

Day 70 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

What's for dinner?

What's for dinner?

Not so commonly called out around here anymore.

When we were younger and had small children.

The "What's for dinner?" was usually followed by, "do I have to eat it?"

"If you don't want to go hungry, yes you have to eat it." was typically our reply.

Otherwise, after sitting at the table stubbornly refusing to eat, the chorus of I'm hungry came from out of the mouths of our children.

I didn't let them go hungry, there was usually a peanut butter sandwich made before bed.

Ah Parental frustrations.

I don't miss them.

Oh wait, now our grand pulls the same stunt.

Thank God for peanut butter!

This pair of parents must work hard to feed their hungry mouths.

In most nests, the eggs are laid a few days apart.

Hence, they hatch a few days apart.

It's not uncommon for number one to become the only one because he was there first.

He's had a couple extra days to learn the routine and leave the sibling in the dust.

Or at least a hungry belly.

What's for dinner?, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40

Day 33 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

Raptor Mania

Sometimes a photographic image is such that it does not need words.

This is one of those images I have been privileged with permission to paint.

I have taken photos of Osprey myself, but this one by Debi Parnell really caught my eye.

She is an amazing photographer, both of landscapes and animals.

If you want to see some more of her work, head on over to her website,

https://www.debiparnell.com

I feel honored to call her friend, fellow Christian, and Artist.

I am rapidly getting ready for my show which hangs next week.

I still have an incredible amount of erasing, varnishing, and wiring to do.

I will have to get some of that done before Friday as our daughter is coming here on Saturday.

We are working on the Mardi Gras Train for a local queen here in the studio.

Yes, sometimes Mardi Gras comes early on the Gulf Coast.

(At least the deadlines for them!)

I love working on these with my daughter, because it gives us quality time together while creating.

The creating we do is incredible, although it does lead to some creative differences sometimes!

Especially when Mardi Gras and a One woman show collide!

One step at a time.....

It's really all I can do at this point!

Raptor Mania, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40 inches

Day 30 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Bring home Dinner!

"Bring home Dinner!"

These magnificent birds do eat a lot every day, up to two pounds of fish!

I've personally seen one swallow a baby turtle and an eel!

The Great Blue Heron is an amazing creature.

They can stand up to 45-54 inches tall.

Their wingspan ranges from 65-79 inches in width.

They can live for 15 years.

They live in a colony of up to ten birds, but only one breeding pair.

The thing I find most fascinating, is that they have specialized feathers on their chest 

that grow continuously and fray into a powder.

This powder can be used to clean off fish slime!

I know you've seen them, especially if you fish.

They can be very aggressive, taking fish off the line as you're reeling them in!

I am intimidated by their sheer size myself.

The most amazing thing is, there is one just like it in Zimbabwe, Africa.

I was teaching while on mission one day and saw a large bird out the window.

Turns out, this bird is called a Goliath Heron!

They are browner in color than ours here on the coast.

Isn't it wonderful how God works?

A bird exactly like ours shows up in Africa while I'm teaching on mission!

I'm still shaking my head on that one!

Bring home Dinner!, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 40

Day 26 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Flight formation

The multi canvas pieces started several years ago.

It was in response to people asking, "Why don't you paint bigger?"

Big canvases bring big problems.

They can get scratched, dented, and worst of all, broken.

Our van is typically so full after the show equipment and art, we could not fit a large canvas.

Not even on top of everything else in the van.

So, I prayed and got an answer.

I started them about 5 years ago in the spring, painting two as an experiment.

Both of them sold rather quickly in the same show.

The pelicans are one of the recent results of my labors.

These guys measure 3ft tall by 5 1/2 ft wide.

The sides are painted, so they can be spread apart.

The best part is they fit into a relatively small bag.

My husband loves them, other than the challenge of hanging them.

They can be tricky to hang, especially if there is a wind issue.

Most of the time, I hang the multi piece paintings and he fills in with the rest.

And yes, I paint the fronts in one day!

Flight formation, Acrylic on canvas, 3ft x 5 1/2ft

Day 22 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Commissions and more!

What a year this has been indeed!

I have barely caught up from the spring shows, getting new works to the galleries that carry my works.

I finally managed to "catch up" in early June.

Then I got phone calls asking about commission works.

I have been able to get several done, with a few more in the works.

The octopus here is one of those commissions.

This beautiful soul saw my octopus at the Melbourne show.

When she came back to get the piece, it had already sold.

Melbourne was crazy with it being my best show yet!

I also took an award at the show for the shadowbox canvases.

GO Chris! It was as much his award as mine!

He works so hard building these beautiful stretcher bars for me.

I am so grateful he shares his talent for woodworking with me. 

Anyway, back to the octopus.

The collector called me and asked if I could recreate him for her home.

I replied that I try to give everyone an original so I advised her to go to the blog and find one she liked.

She came back with a very specific day from the blog.

Can you color the eye please? Yes mam.

Can you ship? Yes Mam.

A couple of weeks later, she asked if I was working on him, and I replied not yet.

I'll start next week.

Long and the short of it.

He is finished, colored eye and all.

Legs moved so she has an original piece too.

Varnished, wired, and shipped to Melbourne, Florida.

One down, several to go.

I am painting double time, so I can get enough for the  Audubon show that hangs in 24 days!

"My Nature Odyssey" is going to be beautiful!

That is, if I can get the commissions out of the way!

Octopus on five canvases, 3ft. x 5ft., Acrylic on canvas

Day 12 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022