Pelican piling

I think this may be the last of the hardi bord series.

This pelican is on another poured background too!

I will kinda miss them!

They have been fun to paint.

Today is the launch of a new thing for me!

Jena Freed, with Freed souls design is carrying some of my work on her website.

She has so many things that my images can be put on!

Prints, pillows, and purses to name just a few!

Check out her etsy site,

www.yourdecorhome.com

I am so looking forward to our partnership.

If you are looking for an awesome graphic designer look her up!

We went to church this evening as well.

Masks on, greeting others with elbows instead of handshakes.

I despise this new world we live in.

I'm a hugger!

Pelican piling, Acrylic on Hardi bord, 11 x 14

Day 66 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2020

 

The wisdom is in the eyes I

Today's painting is a requested one from a gallery I am in that is a wonderful handmade furniture store as well. Big Fish Trading Company came to my booth at the National Shrimp Festival a few years ago, and both of the owners loved my works. They said my pieces would be perfect with their furniture as it too has a coastal theme. As an artist doing outdoor shows, we hear this quite frequently from small shops to galleries wanting to display our works. I took their card and really didn't pursue the lead until 7 months later after all my spring shows were done. From the moment I walked in the door, I saw what they were talking about with regards to my works fitting right in to their beautiful style. 

It has been a wonderful working relationship ever since. 

If you want to see their beautiful custom furniture go to bigfishtradingcompany.com

I can promise you won't be disappointed with their custom works in their showroom at

21860 Hwy 98 in Foley, Alabama

Anyway, Amy told me she had sold the original sea turtles with colored eyes 

and wants more in the store. And so, here we are with "The Wisdom is in the Eyes I"

In the meantime, a tale of two sets of money.

Last night we discussed with and gave a check to Gib Leonard.

 He is one of the main founders of Buy A Brick.

He runs the Foundation, building schools, clinics, and sinking wells in Zimbabwe, Africa. He also has provided internet to schools, feeds children, and done countless other projects.

The foundation is in their 17th year..

 We were supposed to go to Africa in August, but the pandemic is preventing that journey for now.

We really wanted to go, as we had projects to work on, and classes to teach.

The people in many parts of Zimbabwe are hurting, hopeless, and hungry.

Interested in donating?

buyabrickfoundation.org

I can assure you that the money is spent in Africa and not on a corporation in an office.

Gib and Leigh Leonard are boots on the ground, hands open and honest, as well as some of the hardest working people I know. I am honored to call him and his wife Leigh friends.

This Foundation works! 

Anyway, I digress.

We gave Gib a check for the money we raised at a yard sale in March before the lockdown started.

This money has been intended the entire time for our trip to Africa in August.

It was a large check and we were happy to give it now to Buy A Brick.

We asked that part of the money go to Alfred to help him with rent 

to keep a roof over him and his family's heads.

Our personal goal is to eventually start building homes with land over there as well.

Today I stand as a strong witness to the power of our Lord!

Remember we gave a check just last night......

You CANNOT outgive God!

This morning,

A new gallery I am in, is called the Stewart Heath Gallery.

This morning, barely 2 weeks after I joined forces with Stewart Heath,

She sold two large pieces.

 (She had sold two others previously within 48 hours of joining.)

The total of the two pieces is almost the same as the check we wrote last night!

Again, You CANNOT outgive God!

If you want to see my works at the Gallery, 

it is located Eastern Shore Center, Spanish Fort, Al Suite 713

Alfred is having internet problems so he was not able to send his work for today.

I texted back and forth with him during spotty internet coverage.

I am also leading him gently in the ways of our Lord.

He is seeing more and more the hands of our Father protecting, providing, and guiding him during this pandemic. He is now lower than low, finding it hard to get motivated to work in his studio.

He is getting better with prayer and praise for what he has, not what he doesn't.

He also told me today that Moses and his family sends their love. 

Moses, whom I know as Samson is another beautiful soul that is a musician and artist. 

I wanted one of his pieces last year, as he had started a new process with wonderful texture.

I pushed him with color when he attended one of the classes I taught at IRoCK lodge.

Anyway, an exciting day here at the Raccoon Retreat Studio.

The day began with a walk at dawn looking for turtles. 

None spotted, we went home and began our day.

Me painting in the studio, Chris woodturning out in the shop after cutting the grass.

Ending the day with a violent thunderstorm, heavy rain, wind, and flooding.

Peaceful now, ready for night with the rain gently hitting the roof.

Sweet dreams to all!

The Wisdom is in the Eyes I, Acrylic on Shadowbox canvas, 24 x 24

Day 3 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2020

Turtle walks and Fisherman talks

Well day two is here. 

Blogger keeps trying to push me over to the new view, 

but I cannot find where to create a post in the new format. 

I am very pleased with this sea turtle today.

The day has proved long though, as I did not sleep well last night.

I awakened at 1:30 and could not go to sleep until 3:30.

Being awake has it's perks though, I was able to have a conversation with Alfred in Zimbabwe.

The situation there is not good, and there is no end in sight with the virus in tow.

I am encouraging him to create in spite of the world surrounding him, crumbling government, lack of money, but hopefully not food. Clean water is probably a concern as well. 

I have not seen Alfred's new home, but he says there is space to create. 

I am just trying to get him on track long distance. 

As artists, we are greatly affected by the environment around us. 

At least I am for the most part. 

I try not to watch the news, instead listening to 

Pandora with it's wide variety of music that I have selected to listen to while I paint.

My world is full of sea turtles, octopus, seashells, mermaids, and other sea life that is contained in my most loved area on this big blue ball we call home.

Today I offer a hawksbill turtle.

While not in our part of our gulf of mexico, 

they are still an important part of the species that is sea turtles.

I am trying to stay optimistic about shows for the fall this year.

However, I read this evening about one being cancelled in Birmingham, Al for mid September.

I do not have a show there, my first one is not until the end of September in Daphne.

We also don't have as many cases of Covid here as in Birmingham.

Just praying the shows go on with safety as a priority.

However, we artists still have not heard from a major show in our area for mid October.

Ominously quiet...........

Trying not to think about it too much!

I am pushing forward as the galleries are open, and they're starting to sell!

The fisherman by my friend Alfred will be beautiful, I'm certain.

He and I had an extended conversation today, long and late into his night.

He was still texting after midnight his time about various things. 

I was just trying to nudge him in the direction of completed pieces.

Alfred has a wonderful opportunity, with a collector wanting virtually everything he could create.

Oh if as artists we all had that problem!

He has told me he will be painting, but he does not think 

he can get more than one done every two days.

I told him that was fine, he just needed to discipline himself 

to keep working despite the situation in Zimbabwe.

He was so focused today his daughter told him, 

"now you can buy us a house, you are so serious"

Get this, a HOUSE in Zimbabwe can be purchased for under $10,000!

Can you imagine buying a house here for that!

Goals for Alfred, goals for me.

I must get to bed, I have to get up at 4:30am to walk for the sea turtles!

Day two is done!

Turtle walks, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24

Day 2 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2020

A Teaser

Tonight a teaser for the finale!

This guy is a 12 x 12 sepia on canvas.

At the Jubilee show, I was approached by a gentleman that had one of my shadowbox turtles

He had a vision for a grouping of paintings to go with his shadowbox.

I could see what he was talking about and we agreed on a price.

After set up tomorrow we deliver the final pieces to go with his turtle.

Because of this sale, Jubilee will no longer be a zero show!

I love the final product!

You however will have to wait until tomorrow!

Day 99!

We set up for the biggest Shrimp party on the Gulf coast tomorrow!

Thursday the show begins.

October 10th~13th 9~6pm

Booth A18

A Teaser, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 12

Day 99 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2019

Sea below

Yet another poured background is the basis for this piece.

I am praying they will be successful when we start actually doing shows.

This one was the main painting poured, with several smaller ones coming from the excess paint.

I am trying to be a good steward of my supplies, so I don't want to let any paint go to waste.

Consequently, I have a lot of backgrounds poured already.

Small and large some in between.

The studio is filled with them and shadowboxes!

I can barely move in my space to work.

Today's piece, "Sea Below" is a testimony to my favorite animal, the sea turtle.

See the Sea Below the beauty.

We need to take care of our seas, they provide a lot of oxygen, and tons of food.

Unfortunately, our seas have become a place of toxic wastes.

Runoff from fields going into streams, causing algae blooms that kill the animals that live within.

Excess garbage, that is carelessly tossed, ending up in our oceans.

The amount of plastic in our seas is staggering, almost incomprehensible in it's sheer volume.

We are using more plastic than ever. 

BTW, every single piece of plastic ever produced is still on our planet in one form or another!

8 million pieces of plastic end up in our oceans every single day.

Take that in folks!

Two thirds of it comes from land based sources.

Litter dropped in cities, industry spills, badly managed garbage sites or flushed down the toilet.

The rest is fishing gear or containers washed overboard from ships.

What plastic that is not floating is resting on the bottom.

Microscopic particles are finding their way into our food chain.

1 in 3 fish caught for human consumption now contain plastic.

Kinda sobering to me.

I teach kids about plastic recycling and making art from refuse instead of simply tossing it.

My precious husband is also becoming more recycle conscious.

I have started small, refusing straws as much as possible.

There are about 390 million straws used in the US every day.

The next step for us, will be refusing foam food containers as they will never degrade.

I plan to start bringing my own containers when we go out to eat.

I have also started using Norwex products, in an effort to make a chemical free home.

Small steps now, becoming larger steps later may begin to turn the "tide".

Eco friendly containers may become Christmas presents this year as well.

Sea Below, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

Day 75 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2019

Three for one!

Today was interesting to say the least!

I started the day with coffee and Bible study, then on to the day!

We had an appointment to go to an artists studio that has gotten older and has moved closer to family.

The studio was left pretty much in place with large amounts of tables and supplies of all types.

The family has moved the artist, but given them 

supplies to still be able to create.

The rest is being given to a few select artists and I am fortunate to be one.

I am saddened by this artists turn of life, but I know we all will be in their shoes someday.

Looking through and touching so many items this artist touched, held,

destroyed and created with had me in tears.

I  have items from several artists that have passed on to a higher plane,

and I thank them every time I use their brushes, tools, or paints.

This artist has such an abundance, that I could never use it all.

I will be taking items to gift to other artists, as well as things to use with children, and my seniors art. 

Nothing will go to waste in my studio.

I have been able to teach for months, nay years now from items I am cleaning and clearing out of my own space.

There will also be lots of seniors benefiting from the generosity of the family that so graciously called me.

I thank them with a grateful artists heart.

We went home, with plans to come yet another day next week.

My plans were to help another artist with a major project.

This artist is our oldest daughter and I am helping here with a huge project she has very little time to complete for a child's birthday party tomorrow.

Grabbing my high heat glue guns and glue sticks. 

I started out for our daughter Jessica's home about an hour from here.

Once I arrived, I was immediately placed on clam duty.

Our daughter has this grand plan for a mermaid themed party, and making a little girls dream come true.

I soon confronted the clam she had worked so hard upon, trying to figure out how to attach

 it to a chair and make it safe.

Basically I didn't have a clue, and neither did she!

I tackled the lower portion first, figuring out how to make the shell pieces appear like she is sitting in the shell.

I used parts from my grandsons old easel, combining zip ties and drilled holes in the cardboard with a wire running between them to keep them from destroying the structure. 

The bottom of the chair finished, I moved on to securing the heavy, cumbersome, large upper structure.

After some thought, and a lot of prayer, I had a plan!

I took large pieces of cardboard, cutting them in a curved shape that would lift the shell above the chair.

I glued pieces with the cardboard running in two directions.

Then I sandwiched the shell structure between the two double pieces using hot glue.

The hot glue was not enough, it kept popping out of place and not holding together at all!

I used the glue as a temporary hold, then drilled and zip tied the structure to my pieces.

Once assembled, it became strong and actually stood above the chair safely!

Thank you Lord for my artist's/engineers brain!

My daughter will be painting it tonight, with me going to the party and helping assemble it in place.

I promise there will be photos tomorrow!

This party will be epic!

I then headed home, 30 minutes later than I wanted to be on the road.

The time spent with my daughter is priceless though, and I would not take anything for it!

The interesting part is the two of us side by side, sometimes butting heads, always enjoying the process!

Anyway, headed home I called my husband and he was cooking dinner!

Thank you Lord for this man of mine.

I was going to have to cook, clean up and go to artwalk in Fairhope.

Now, I just had to eat and get ready.

I am so grateful for my artist's life!

Yes, I did find time to paint early this morning too!

Three for one! Acrylic pour and paint, each 4x4 inches

Day 67 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2019

Pride and Pours!

Well, I've done it!

I've allowed myself to "play" and pour!

Celebration Church located in Fairhope, Alabama had a Pinterest group meet last Saturday. 

I don't know the exact count, but I think there was at least 25 to 30 women there interested in learning how to paint pour.

I was one of them.

I went really and truly to learn what all the hubbub was about this method of applying paint.

I am not an abstract sort of artist, and at best I hoped to have something that might be pretty to look at, 

but not really something to add to my painting process.

I was proud of my process in laying paint with brushes on canvas.

I helped others with their pieces, thinking carefully about the paint colors I wanted to use on mine.

A couple of the ladies had also made too many cups of the pour mixture, 

so I grabbed them and  used their excess to mix mine.

It is a very interesting process to see unfold, the paints flowing and spilling over the edges in beautiful ways. Once I finished with helping, it was my turn to turn my cups into something, maybe something beautiful!

Carefully mixing my colors and layering them into cups, I took a deep breath and flipped them onto the canvas. I then tilted the canvas to cover the edges, making a mess with the excess paint. 

(I am very concerned about the amount of paint wasted with this process, 

and am thinking very hard about how to do it differently.)

Once I was satisfied with my piece, I carefully transported it to the garage with the others.

We filled the garage with our pieces, laid all over the place on pieces of cardboard. I could not stand to see the leftover paint all over the table and asked for another canvas to try and create another background.

The garage was an amazing display of beautiful abstracts, in a gorgeous array of colors and neutrals.

I had to wait like the others for it to dry overnight. After church, we went by the house and picked up the canvases. Taking them home, they were still very tacky and 

I put them in my studio and turned the ceiling fan on. 

I could not wait until it felt dry.

I knew what I wanted to paint on the top of this abstract watery looking background.

The turtle you see is the completed work!

I could not be much happier than I am right now.

Look out, I am hooked, and there will be several pieces in the future, 

once I figure out the process without the silicon oil.

I also have a friend that is going to coat several canvas using this process.

"Incredible beauty" , Acrylic pour and painted canvas, 16 x 20

Day 49 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2019

Leatherback babies

These little guys were just fun to paint!

They are both from the book that Chris bought me about Sea Turtles from the library sale.

I could not be happier with how they turned out.

While mentioning turning out, I must say as parents we have given our all these past few days. We have both put forward our best help possible. Helping with moving and watching the grand while they were between homes. We are all tired. Some of us are injured too!

Our son in law bruised a tendon when a barbell landed on his arm. He had an x ray and nothing is broken. I managed to put a bruise on my back, coming up under the table saw while working in the shop on the grands furniture. Several fingernails lost in the midst of the melee as well, some false, some real. I think they are out of the apartment now,and starting the process of long days of straightening , unpacking, putting away, and wondering why did I pack that. I spent the day at the new house, scrubbing overspray off the new cabinets and lining the back with contact paper in a lovely marble pattern. I must say, the cabinets now are looking rather elegant!

The two baby leatherback turtles are for yesterday and today of course.

I was worn out from too much activity and forgot to post after painting.

I guess my age is catching up with me, The mind is willing but the body is weak!

They are in their tuxedo pattern, which helps to protect them from some of their predators. 

The leatherbacks are much more textured when they are babies, as opposed to when they are adults and have their much smoother skin and shell.

 Good luck little guys!

Leatherback babies I & II, Acrylic on canvas, 8x8 inches

Days 38 & 39 of the 100 days~100 paintings Spring 2019

Elephants and fish?

WHAT a crazy week this has been!

Mind you I'm not complaining, just still shaking my head over the things 

that have occurred this week!

God has shown up in a big way multiple times!

First, last weekend was a huge surprise to my bank account because 

I did so well at the Jubilee festival.

Second, I shipped a painting that was ordered while I was in India to Georgia for a birthday gift!

Shout out to Develyn!

Thirdly, I went to church on Wednesday, and wrote my check for my tithe and donation to Buy a Brick foundation. I had not even put the check in the box before I received back a quarter of what I was donating from a painting sale. 

Fourth, Painting arrived in Georgia, I got sweet message from the her cousin 

inquiring about two other crab paintings. I shipped them today to North Carolina.

Hey London!

This sweet lady is also considering a third painting.

Fifth, As you can see from the above photo and the two Fish paintings, I am finally able to reveal that my artwork has been chosen for the backsplash at the main restaurant at Gulf state park convention center and hotel in Gulf Shores, Al. (Two years in the making!)

I have retained the print rights and people are already inquiring about prints!

Gulf Fish I

Gulf Fish II

Finally you see this big guy here!

Are you seeing double? 

Perhaps.

I painted the elephant again with the trunk and body reversed because I wanted it to go with the giraffe and zebra. However, this one may be sold as well!

As I said, NOT complaining!

I guess what I AM saying is you can't outgive God!

I am infinitely blessed, beyond all measure!

Elephant reversed, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24

Day 96 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018 

Juvenile Sea Turtle

Another long day for me!

I'm used to them though, the long days that is. 

What I am not used to is a day spent at my sewing machine. 

I was a professional seamstress before I started painting. 

I made good pocket money while working from home and I enjoyed being my own boss. What I did not enjoy were overly picky customers, (you just cannot please some of them!) People who thought I charged too much, (I tried to make $5.00 an hour) I also did not enjoy the time it took away from the kids during the summer. I worked in a factory where they tried to slow my speed by giving me the garbage jobs, but I always figured out a way to increase my speed. (Our pay was based on output, and they did not like that I could always increase my pay.)

I was also a seamstress for a local bridal shop, and made Mardi Gras costumes for several months with two different companies. Needless to say, I sewed a lot! Chris even purchased a heavy duty Pfaff that at the time was already 20 years old probably. The beauty of this machine is the chain drive. No belt, this thing is a beast, doing an average of 1500 stitches a minute at full speed. It also has a 1/3 horsepower motor, and a knee lift pressure foot. I LOVE this machine!

The sewing came to a screeching halt February 3, 1993.

We were hit in the rear of our van by a drunk driver while we were at a dead stop.

The story is long, but we were all in the van. Myself, Jessica, and Christina were all taken to the hospital by two ambulances. Chris drove himself and our son, Jere to the hospital himself. After 5 1/2 hours on a backboard, I was pronounced with just whiplash. The girls fared better, Christina was just scared most of all, but Jessica was tall enough that she had a mild whiplash herself. 

What I did not know at the time, was I had two herniated discs and nerve damage in my right arm from the seatbelt. I was almost useless as a mom for a few days, and totally unable to sew because I could not look down easily.

Out of all this adversity, God had the perfect plan in place.

About 8 months after the accident, life was almost back to normal except for me.

My right hand had two fingers frequently going numb, I still could not sew,  and I was bored out of my mind.

For my birthday, I asked for Oil paints and started painting, which was something I had done as a child. I enjoyed painting and started going to a class to be with others and to learn. I paid for classes by working in the frame shop and it was a good fit. Working at the frame shop next door to Alabama Art Supply, I was asked to help out for a week and it ended up becoming part time job as well. 

It also introduced me to a world of better art supplies and books of techniques that I devoured.

A few months in, I sold my first painting and 

Brushstrokes & Brilliance was born at an Arts Alive.

I've now been painting for 25 years and I really LOVE where God's plan has led me!

Juvenile sea turtle, Acrylic on Canvas 12 x 12

Day 48 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018

Wisdom of the sea

I absolutely love painting sea turtles, but this guy almost did not happen!

We've had a long day, helping friends from church paint their new home for a few hours, then going home to our own project. We are still working on the panels for shows, and boy are they going to be worth the time spent! Chris used a router on the edges of the frames, while I made the straps with recycled webbing and double sided velcro. We are painting them black so they will blend with the gray covers better. I may also have to make some skirting for the bottoms of the frames. Finally one of my pet peeves will be taken care of! (I cannot stand seeing things under the mesh sides showing.)

I can hardly wait to set them up, photograph the booth, and let you all see!

Most of all, here's hoping that I get into the show I am trying to enter in Florida.

Regardless, they will be an awesome addition to our show equipment, 

making the booth look more like a gallery setting.

I may even paint the grass carpet we bought in the spring on the reverse, so I'll have a "rug" on the floor of my booth. Wouldn't be the first time I've painted a floor!

Wisdom of the Sea, Acrylic on canvas 8 x8

Day 41 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018

The juvenile

My mind is racing these days. 

There is so much to do, and very little time to do it all in!

I really just want to throw up my hands and forget it all, but then I realize that there are people depending on me to get things done. 

And so I do what needs to get done.

Cleaning up the studio, putting away art camp supplies and examples until 

the next round of kiddos crosses my path. Setting up, hanging and photographing a tent, 

then putting it all away. 

Going through box after box of  items for the coming baby in India.

Starting to pack for my trip to India. There is so much to bring for the baby, 

Christina, and for me clothes to wear. 

I will be there for a month, hoping to make it in time for the birth. 

I am supposed to be two weeks early, but Christina seems to think the baby will come earlier. 

Here's hoping I make it in time!

I'm beginning to wonder if there are advantages to being a turtle. 

Carrying your home with you everywhere you go.

Never a change of clothing needed because it is all with you. 

No need to change.....

Hmmmm......

Could be kind of boring too, wearing the same thing all the time.

No chance for individuality. 

The things you think about when you are folding a mountain of baby clothes.

The Juvenile, acrylic on shadowbox canvas 16 x 16.

Day 27 of the 100 days~100 paintings  

Commander of the sea

Well today was a  first! Lisa (Our share the beach coordinator was confused) When she called to bring the team to the water, she didn't know if they had one nest or possibly two! 

Apparently there were a LOT of turtle tracks. 

I could not go and help as I am teaching full time at the Mobile Museum of art this week. My week has been interesting to say the least, with preteen boys and girls in tow. We've gotten a great deal of work done, but we still have an incredible amount more to complete.

 Me and my grandiose plans!

 I always have dreams of everything going perfectly and that is never the case! 

We have two days to finish two rather large steampunk projects.

 At least the Acrylic and watercolor class are going swimmingly.

Commander of the sea, acrylic on canvas 12 x 12

Day 10 of the 100 days~100 paintings

Watercolor turtle winner

11x15inches

Bonus painting for day 10

Swiftly, silently

One of my bucket list things to do is to swim with turtles and photograph them underwater. 

It would be absolute heaven for me! 

I have learned a lot about turtles over the years, primarily while working with share the beach. www.sharethebeach.com  My husband and I are part of a large group of people that volunteer their time to walk 22 miles of Alabama Beaches every day from May until the end of August. Each person is responsible for either a mile or half mile walk while looking for nest activity. Share the beach has also been instrumental in getting the ordinance passed in Gulf Shores to help our momma turtles get to the sand easier to lay their eggs. Just a short time ago, I would have to drag chairs, umbrellas, shower curtains and just plain garbage out of the surf in Orange Beach, AL. The walks are pleasant now, because the people are required to remove everything from the beach in the evening. Anything not removed by the owners are confiscated by the night time beach patrol. 

I have seen the area where the tents, toys, chairs and other assorted items are 

piled to the heavens it seems! 

Why have we become such a careless, throw away society? 

There are people that think if I throw it down, it just disappears. 

We are on track as humans to have more plastic than fish in our oceans by the year 2050. 

We are already eating the by products of plastic that have found their way into our food chain.

We need to train ourselves and our children to take care of our earthly home.

It is after all, the only one we've got! 

Thankfully though, we no longer trip over as many items left on the beach 

while making our predawn walks.

There are less nests on Orange beach this year in our section. I don't know if it is global warming, the amount of people on the beaches at night, or some other unforeseen problem waiting to raise it's ugly head.

In the meantime, we do our small part, waking at 415 in the morning twice a month to 

walk the beach , looking for nests..... On average each nest has about 100 eggs. Out of that, 

one, 

yes just one

 may survive to adulthood and a nest of their own. 

Swiftly, silently Acrylic on canvas 12 x 12

Day 7 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2018

Playing at the gulf

A few months ago, I cleaned my palette off on to a canvas. I am not one to waste paint, and there was just too much to throw away! So, I coated the canvas with the leftovers and waited to see what would inspire me to complete it. This little girl was totally perfect. I added the shoreline with wave action to the all blue canvas. Some, sand, some waves, a little girl playing in the water. 

Just makes me want to go to the beach!

I also worked on this Lichtenstein inspired piece. I completed it today with my Atelier class at the Eastern Shore Art Center. The parents are having almost as much fun as the kids when they see their wonderful works of art completed during the class.

Playing at the Gulf, 16 x 40 , Acrylic on canvas

Day 93 of the 100 days~100 paintings

Playful Dolphins

Playful Dolphins is another of the multiple piece series started this spring. 

This one is actually for a client that was disappointed recently when Big Fish Trading Company sold the set she was originally looking at to purchase. I assured her I could paint another equally as lovely, but not the same pose. I try not to recreate the same pose over and over, thereby keeping my work as fresh and new as possible. We made arrangements to meet and I brought the Dolphins with me for her to have them in her space. After I toured her gorgeous new home, we unpacked the dolphins. She loved them, but wanted her husband to see them as well. I left them at her home on approval overnight. 

The next afternoon, her husband had some questions, one of which was,

 "Do you ever paint in color?" He also wanted to know if I was on the same page as far as hanging them. Additionally, we discussed the color to be added that would remind them of their honeymoon. They also have the cutest photograph of them with dolphins in the Florida Keys!  There is a  beautiful teal blue green cabinet that is near where the painting will hang.  This couple already have a collection of art that includes a wonderful mosaic piece done by a friend.  

This is Playful Dolphins with color added. I have done this with several of my sepia paintings, sometimes by request, others on my own.

I hope they enjoy them in their home as much as I enjoyed painting them!

Playful Dolphins, Acrylic on canvas, 2 16x20 and 1 24x24 canvas, 

Total piece measures about 5ft by 2ft

Day 13 of the 100 Days~100 Paintings 2017

Baby Loggerhead

   

       This year found me doing a lot of firsts. I was "gifted" a project late last year by a fellow artist. She was well aware of my love for sea turtles, and had a project she had been asked to create by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. She was not able to do the piece and graciously gave it to me because of my "expertise" in painting sea turtles. Intrigued, I contacted the Sea Lab and talked with the person that wanted the project completed.

       The project was to be a 3D sculpture of a nest of Sea Turtles! More specifically, a boil of baby turtles. (If you google Sea turtle boil, you will be fascinated as I was.)The DI Lab had borrowed and used a similar piece that was currently in use by both Weeks Bay preserve and themselves. Getting the sculpture back and forth with time constraints included was becoming an issue. The DI Lab proposed and won a grant to get one completed for their use both at the Estuarium and on the road. He already had me excited about the project when he told me it was to be used as a teaching tool both at the lab and on the road. This journey began in November with a meeting that gave me a scope of the piece. Marching papers in hand, I went home and realized the task before me. First, they wanted a "nest" about 15 x 15 x 30 inches. They needed it to be lightweight, durable, portable, and pleasing to the eye. This nest would be encased in an acrylic cover and needed a base for it to mount upon. Second, and the most fun to me was the baby turtles and eggs themselves!

       Over the course of the next month, I managed to make a push mold top and bottom from wood, and found a clay that could be used to make the babies. Once each turtle was made and baked, they had to be hand painted. The first few were a process in learning how to manipulate the clay, getting a curvature that was lifelike, then bake them to preserve them in their various positions. Then came the task of painting them to resemble the little babies. Still not under contract, I already had several days work under my belt when I went back to the lab and showed them what I had accomplished. Nervously, I carefully unpacked the first 6 little fruits of my labors. When they examined them and broke out in big grins, I knew I had made the grade! They loved them, and were very pleased at what had been done, and we agreed on a plan of timeline, payment and completion. They contracted for the acrylic while I was to do everything else.

       The holidays came and went, and I turned my studio into a crazy mess of clay turtles, sand, paint and foam for the nest. I had an absolute ball completing the project, setting fire accidentally to one of the clay pieces when it slid off the form and hit the burner in the oven. That was a setback that had the husband telling me to no longer leave such a thing unattended again. I had to rebuild several of the babies as they were a bit toasty and unusable. Lesson learned. I also had to turn my attention to the "eggs". The eggs from the other project were made from ping pong balls and mine would be as well. You can manipulate them by heating them with a heat gun to become wrinkled and lose their round shapes. Take care though, they too will catch on fire if heated too quickly. I found this out in my husbands shop one afternoon while playing with the first ones. My beloved glared at me and asked that I please not do that again! No worries there! The nest proved another task, building the layers of foam and manipulating it with a wire brush. Then I moved on to the coating of practically bomb proof paint that is a mixture of sand, glue and paint used for drywall priming. This was painted onto the foam and then I pushed sand into the wet mixture for more texture. The nest looked very heavy when completed, but is relatively lightweight, and yes, practically bomb proof. I then began the task of mounting the completed turtles, eggs and additional sand to complete the look.

       This piece gave me a great deal of growth as an artist. It made me learn, experiment, and complete things I had never done before. Push molds, sculpey clay, three dimensional work, and a bag to carry the piece in for transport, it all stretched my imagination and made a learning curve I will not soon forget. By the time I finished the project, my love for turtles was complete and I felt as though I had been through a college course with my final being the nest.

 

The completed project before mounting to the final base and acrylic.

Now, back to that painting at the top! This is a baby loggerhead just emerging from his egg and painted in sepia acrylic.

"Baby Turtle" 12 x 12 Acrylic on canvas Day 7 of the 100 Days~100 Paintings