Great Blue II and a birthday too!

The day started simply enough.

My Bible and Coffee, journaling, and messages around the world.

Well at least London England, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe Africa.

Each day I send messages to people that have requested them about Jesus's love for us.

They also receive my journal entry for the day.

We got a birthday call from London this morning!

Bappa, Christina, Neel and Dahlia all said happy birthday!

Somehow, we managed to play hide and seek too!

Such a fun call from the Banerjees!

Shortly after 9, we headed to Celebration Church to repaint the backdrop for CK kids.

It started out as backdrops for the dinosaurs, who have now found 

temporary homes at the Spanish Fort Library until next summer.

I was going to do it alone, but Chris tagged along to help.

It's my birthday and he wanted me to get done quickly.

Don't let Chris fool you, he enjoys helping me. (At least I think he does!)

I worked on the bottom, and Chris worked on the top painting leaves.

We both worked quickly and got the backdrop done in about 2 hours.

It was easy to add color to the wonderful work the youth did back in July.

This is the backdrop after.

Not a bad job!

Once the mural was done, we headed to lunch as we were both hungry.

I also received a phone call from Bangalore, India saying happy birthday. 

Dr B called me along with his wife to wish me happy birthday.

I then came home and finished this guy!

Another 6 x 24 ready for the shows.

I have a lot of varnishing to do this weekend for sure!

We then completed the day with a birthday dinner with the kids at a local restaurant on the causeway.

My brother, Ben Thomas wanted a photo of the three generations.

He thought it was funny we are ten years apart.

I turned 65 today, Ben turned 55 in March, and Jessica (our daughter) turned 45 in June.

I graduated high school in 1978, Ben in 1988, and Jessica in 1998.

It is kind of neat, this 10-year difference between us.

My birthday also falls on the same day as Ghandi, such a beautiful soul.

We had a lovely meal together as a family.

Sean, Jessica, Archer, Jere, Jenna, Lorene, Ben, Allison, Chris and myself.

Turning 65 has been fun so far!

Great Blue II and a birthday too! Acrylic on canvas 6 x 24 inches

Day 94 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Great Blue I

 Oh, today was different to say the least. I started my day as usual with my coffee and Bible. After finishing the readings and sending messages I got ready to go to the Chiropractor. Chris went to a doctor's appointment. I got home from my appointment then the dog groomer showed up to trim, wash, and clip. While the groomer was here, Jere (our son) called and wanted to go to lunch. I said sure and Chris joined us for Mexican food. After arriving home, I put in some studio time and painted this guy.

I also got a shipment of several yards of netting for Jessica's dress, flounce, and train. Of course, when it arrived, I was trying to carefully unpack it. She texted and said Fed ex just delivered. I explained it was a difficult package to open but give me a minute as I was already in the process of opening it to tell her it had arrived. 10 yards of pink and 30 yards of White. I had to unroll the pink onto another roll in order to see the white. (It's a good thing I save my rolls from canvas!) We are both happy with the products and now have another step in the process to begin the building of her Queen's ensemble.

I finished my painting for today and went with Chris to take the dogs for their afternoon journey in the car. Both of the Wirehairs were so fluffy and sticking their heads out the window blowing their top knots back from their faces. I've never seen a dachshund that loves wind as much as Ruby. She will stick her head out at 40mph and barely blink. Bandit can barely handle 25. So funny to watch!

We then came home for Chris to watch TV for a while, and I headed back to the studio. I started another painting and then it was time for church in the evening.

We attended church with my brother Glen joining us. We also had a meal of potato soup, and I had the leftover cut up vegetables as well.

All in all, a good day. One day closer to the Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Great Blue I, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 24 inches                                                       Day 93 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

King of his domain II

 Another great day in the studio. Another day closer to the Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. This guy was fun to paint after a day with my daughter working on her Queens ensemble.

My daughter Jessica will be Queen of the Phoenix organization early next year. There is an incredible amount of crazy work to do in the meantime. I was a professional seamstress for years until a drunk driver changed the landscape of my body. I have two herniated discs in my neck, and nerve damage in my right arm. I am herniated on the right side but have found relief with a wonderful product called "Huggterra". This device is an incredible invention that vibrates, has heat, pressure points, and electric stim therapy. 15 minutes a day, and I am loosening up more and more. The Huggterra and Chiropractic care are helping a great deal. There are still days though.... Some days are diamonds and some days are dirt. 

Anyway, back to my personal Queen. She has designed her dress with help from another designer, and I am doing the main build of the dress, skirt, and train. To say it's complicated is an understatement, but that is typical of my daughter. She has the most spectacular ideas and expects me to execute them. I pray a lot, and the Holy Spirit answers a lot, allowing me to do things I never imagined. It's a lot of engineering, sewing, hand work, and prayer on my part. This design will be spectacular on a lot of levels. 

I am so grateful for the many talents God has given me. He allows me to do things I never dreamed of when I was younger. I've also been asked to do another mural at a condo in Fort Morgan. That's already on my schedule for January of next year along with getting ready for shows in the springtime. 

Painting, camping, showing, spending time with my best friend Chris! This is our artists life here in Fairhope, Alabama!

King of his domain II, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 24 inches                                          Day 91 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

King of his domain

It is so good to see the pelicans make a comeback. I know they can get annoying with the messes they make, but they are so beautiful in flight. They were at the edge of extinction as a result of the use of DDT. This pesticide made their eggshells so fragile that when they went to sit on the nest, they crushed the eggs. This species has truly made a roaring comeback. They are found along the West coast, but they are more yellow in their head area. They range from Oregon to below Mexico into South America. Their range is also Southern covering the Gulf Coast down into South America, Cuba, and the Bahamas. They also go up the Eastern seaboard as well. Most of the time, our pelicans stay locally for the most part. Some of them fly South for the winter. On the Pacific side, they leave the Gulf of California after breeding.

They eat small fish for the most part including menhaden, herring, anchovies, mullet and sailfish mollies. They fly and dive from up to 65 feet high. They tuck and twist to the left to protect its esophagus and trachea from the impact. Their throat pouch expands, trapping the fish with up to 2.6 gallons of water. They are typically found within 12 miles of shore. They can also feed from the surface of the water if it is too shallow and muddy to plunge. They will also steal from other birds and scavenge dead animals. 

Pelicans are awkward on the ground but are strong swimmers and powerful fliers. They are susceptible to oil spills as they nest near shipping channels. They are also still hunted and eggs are eaten on Latin American and Caribbean coasts. They are also endangered by fishing lines and lures. There are an estimated 700 birds that die from this alone. The birds themselves weigh about 8 pounds. Their wingspan is about 7 feet. They have no teeth either, their stomach does all the work digesting their fishy catch. They have two stomach chambers, the first secretes acid that softens bones and scales. The food then moves to the gizzard which further grinds the food into smaller pieces.

Now you may know more about Brown pelicans than you want to know. These guys are such a comical goofy bird on land, but there's no denying the grace with which they fly just above the water.

Kind of his domain, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 24 inches                                          Day 90 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

Not what I expected!

 Today was not what I expected. I was planning to paint more shells, but time was getting away from me, so I switched to the pelican for today. This guy was a pleasure to paint after the intensity of the shells the past two days. I love painting the detail of the shells, but they put such tension into my neck. Small details do that of course, but sometimes the little details are what counts big!

I've always loved painting pelicans. They are becoming quite the nuisance bird though, leaving their bird splatter everywhere. They can also be rather aggressive when seeking food from the fishermen on the dock. Don't even think you can toss a piece of a fish, it must be the whole thing, or they will spit it out. Where they congregate, they make a mess. Just look at the pilings they sit on. They are a beautiful bird though, especially in flight.

I went with Chris to Foley today to see the new thrift store that opened. I love that Chris enjoys thrifting, and he especially loves the books. I perused the clothing, not finding anything I really had to have. This store is new and particularly crowded, so we decided on going to lunch instead of shopping. I went to Hobby Lobby to get double sided blanket binding for my octopus themed pants. 

We came home and I went to the studio. I managed to add the border to my octopus print pants, put Velcro on the curtains, and hem a pair of shorts for Chris. I also finished the painting for today. It was then I realized I had forgotten to get something else I needed from Hobby Lobby. We had a dinner get together at 6:30 so we left early for me to go back to the store to get paper rolls to lay out the queen's train for Mardi Gras. I ended up buying three rolls because they were reasonable and I don't want to have to try and get more later. I will tape it all together to get a sense of the scale of the elements of the train and sketch it all out. 10 feet wide and 15 feet long is going to be one rather large piece of paper!

We finished dinner and here we are back home after driving through a heavy rainstorm in Daphne. It was not even raining in Fairhope when we arrived home. Unloaded the car and here I am posting for today.

A busy, not so busy day. Another day closer to the Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Twelve more days until set up. I'm in full blown show mode now! Making lists, checking them off and starting to pack clothes, items for the camper, artworks, and equipment. This will be my 16th year of the festival!

Not what I expected, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 24inches                                                                                   Day 88 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

Great blues, a map, an ice cream, and an astronaut!

Two great blues today!

I didn't post yesterday because I was just tired and went to bed.

The day started at 3 am when one of the dogs woke up everyone in the house.

Once awake, I usually cannot go back to sleep, so it threw my whole day off.

I was just worn out all day and couldn't catch up, even with a nap!

Anyway, it was a long day made even longer by Art Walk in downtown Friday night.

I stood by my space and talked for two hours straight to people looking at my work in its new space.

It was fun, but so tiring.

It's like when I'm at a show, the show must go on, but I may have had a bad night.

We go out to the show, and I smile and chat like I'm fresh as a daisy.

This is sometimes with a heat index of 122 degrees and the sweat running down my back to the point I wonder if my pants will look like I've had an accident in them.

Or the extreme other direction, bitter cold.

I was shivering so bad one show that one of my collectors bought me a hot coffee to warm up.

Be kind to us out at the shows please.

Not necessarily with a hot or cold drink but understand we may have a bad night the night before.

Both these beautiful birds are at the Hello Gallery in downtown Fairhope.

18 S. Section St.

Unfortunately, I have not been a good Yaya.

Each year I want to do a painting on the grandchildren's birthdays.

The ice cream is from Dahlias third birthday, painted today.

She got a unicorn this year!

This is Neels fourth birthday painting.

He had a fascination with maps at the time.

Come to think of it, he still collects maps when he goes anywhere!

This is his seventh birthday painting.

I was just too tired yesterday to complete it on his birthday!

He is so smart and can tell you so much about the planets, rockets and space!

So much for today. 

Tomorrow, I work on Neel's sixth birthday painting.

A Lego octopus!

Great Blue II, Round and rectangle, Acrylic on wood, 24 inches and 12 x 30

Days 67 & 68 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Great Blue I

I am really bummed that Hobby Lobby won't be selling these rounds anymore.

They have been a staple in my shows for several years now.

I thank God for a husband that can actually make these now using his router and 3/4-inch plywood.

Maybe not as inexpensive as the Hobby Lobby pieces but cost effective, nevertheless.

This one is another of my revisits to a sepia that did not sell.

I love the beauty of color added to the sepias.

Today was interesting to say the least.

I managed to paint in the morning after my Bible study and messages sent.

Chris was up at the church working while I was in the studio.

I had an appointment for our 17-year-old mama dachshund at 3pm.

Chris came home; we went to lunch and grabbed a quick nap before the afternoon tasks.

Never underestimate a quick nap!

I had talked to Chris about taking mama dog to the vet for her yearly exam 

I also wanted the vet to look at a sore on her side that was a small cut. 

Much to my alarm when I checked on her, the cut had opened to the size of a nickel.

I called the vet, and they said to bring her right away.

He was concerned too and took a slide and pressed it against the wound.

He also found a small tumor under her foot which was causing her to limp.

She's been limping, but we checked and nothing was apparent.

We thought maybe she had pulled something.

The slide showed a lot of white cells in the wound when stained.

Doctor prescribed antibiotics and a spray to treat the two spots.

Cone of shame too!

Fortunately, we have a blow-up collar which should keep her from licking the areas.

Separating her from the puppies in the kennel.

She's not going to be happy at all.

We're giving it a few days to check again.

She has an appointment on Tuesday at 8am.

Possible surgery to remove both areas.

Praying it just goes away and it's not cancer.

After we got home and her settled in, I went to the gallery to rehang my wall.

Much to my surprise, my space has moved to the back wall behind the check-out area.

A very nice space indeed!

The rehang, checking in, and marking all ten pieces I brought in took almost an hour and a half.

I did take 6 of the new dimensional works to the gallery as well.

I have enough to spare from the shows and am looking forward to Artwalk.

Which by the way, is tomorrow night!

Great Blue I, Acrylic on wood, 24 inches round

Day 66 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Great Blue and a turtle!

I have told you all before, I am not above revisiting paintings in an effort to salvage them.

This is one of those pieces.

It is painted on one of the wood framed sign blanks from Hobby Lobby.

I am very pleased with how it turned out.

He only needs varnish and a companion.

Another Great Blue in the works, facing in the opposite direction so they can be a pair.

I love painting the herons.

This is also from a photo I took several years ago while on vacation in Orange Beach.

I took my grandson home to Saraland after a weekend with Yaya and Yoyo.

I brought him home as our daughter was working hard to get her bedroom 

together after painting this weekend.

I then stayed and helped her with going through bags and boxes.

I came home with eyeshadow palettes, lip gloss, and bronzer, as well as hand cream.

She also gave me a red jacket.

Hmmm. 

She said I know you don't typically wear red, but it is a cute jacket.

I took the things after two hours with her and we got a lot done.

I also brought home a taboret she has had forever, still in the box.

I unboxed it at their house and put it in the car.

Came home, ate a late lunch, took a little nap.

Headed to the studio, for a few stolen moments.

Then the dogs wanted their ride, and I needed a break.

I put together the taboret, photographed it, and put it on marketplace.

Hopefully it will sell, as it probably won't work in my studio.

We ate leftovers for dinner, and I again headed to creating.

I'm thankful for leftovers, it makes for a quick dinner and clean up!

I also managed to paint this little guy today too!

He is a small part (about five inches) of a 24 by 24 shadowbox.

I'm trying to find my groove in painting the shadowboxes again.

It will take a bit of thinking as their set ups are so very different from the new dimensional rounds.

This piece will have three turtles on it eventually.

I may try to paint the colored heron as well tomorrow.

I'm needing to change out my space at the gallery downtown before Artwalk this Friday as well.

So, lots of paint slinging tomorrow!

Goodnight from the Raccoon Retreat Studio in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama

Great Blue and a turtle, Acrylic on wood and canvas, heron 15 x 30

Day 63 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Pelican line up

What a day!

Not that it was hard, but it was intense.

Chris is happily using up scraps in the shop now.

He cut up the Luan-plywood I bought the other day into smaller pieces that are easier to handle.

This bad boy used up a scrap that was rather large, as this round is 24 inches.

I was cutting it this morning on the scroll saw and I saw Chris photographing while I was working.

This sawing takes intense concentration to make sure the piece doesn't slip into cutting off something you want to keep! (Fingers, pieces of wood, etc.)

I heard him behind me working on something as he revved up the screwdriver as he was walking toward the front of the shop.

I kept happily working.

Out of the blue I heard a loud snap as something hit the floor.

Unfortunately, I let a "Damn!" out of my mouth before I could stop it.

I checked the saw first then quickly turned to see a piece of lumber that had hit the floor.

Chris was happily screwing a piece of plywood to the wall for the radio.

I didn't say anything at that moment as I was mulling over my response.

I finished cutting, and I quietly asked Chris to come over.

I then asked him, "remember my childhood?"

He shook his head not really.

I then asked if he remembered the movie, "I can only imagine"

 where the dad hits the kid in the head with his plate.

He again said not really.

I then told him, when the wood hit the floor, it elicited a trauma response in me.

As a child, (NO I don't hold it against them! AND I have forgiven them!)

my father's favorite way to discipline was to hit me upside the head.

My mom let him.

As if that would knock some sense into me....

I told Chris when the wood hit the floor, I ducked as if struck.

I wanted him to know I love working with and around him, but I need some warning in the future.

Getting older is definitely slowing us down, becoming more thoughtful in our actions.

Also, more thoughtful in our words, I hope.

Years ago, I would've blown things way out of proportion and been yelling at him instead of calmly explaining, hey please don't do that again.

I've also found a groove this year.

The paintings are coming fast and furious.

I already have the next two cut out and ready to begin.

Do you have something you want to see in the rounds?

Please tell me soon!

Pelican line up, Acrylic on wood, 24 inches

Day 18 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

A pelican parley

Oh my!

These guys were so fun to paint!

Well, I guess they're all fun to paint for me.

The hardest part of these paintings is finding a way to make the upper wood piece fit on top 

and actually, make sense.

There is an incredible amount of wood pieces going into them.

This one however, was from a scrap of wood from another piece.

Waste not, want not.

I thought I needed to buy more wood to use, 

but I think I'll be okay as far as the upper parts are concerned.

I'm still trying to find a source of the 20- and 24-inch rounds though.

This makes me nervous as I really want the big ones as well.

I have two 24s already and are working on the designs for them.

I also worked on the VBS today for a bit. 

I painted the brackets for the torches on the gates both for the front and stage.

We also picked up more masking tape, screws, and found a gallon of Dark blue paint to mix and make sky blue for the flats behind the dinosaurs.

The sets will be amazing for the kids.

Hopefully their imaginations will be set on fire for the majesty that is the creations of God.

Very hot, very busy, very close to completion for the church at least.

Each day is a day closer to the Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama in October.

A Pelican Parley, Acrylic on wood, 14 inches

Day 17 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

 

Wild ride today!

 

These days are running by so fast now!

I am just hanging on for the wild ride to the end of the 100 days by the

 beginning of the National Shrimp Festival next week.

I am very excited to be able to paint these miniatures framed by the 

drawers from vintage sewing machines.

The first set of 28 was because of a neighbor who wanted my husband Chris 

to take her machine base and make a table.

I asked her what she wanted to do with the drawers, and she just said get rid of them.

I didn't want to just throw them away.

Chris figured out how to cut them in thirds and they make perfect little shadowboxes.

The backings are thin wood panel from a recycled skateboard ramp.

Our son uses the machines to make steampunk lamps as well. 

They are recycled, fun to paint, and affordable too!

I also must apologize because the photos are not edited.

My phone is acting the fool these days, and my husband dropping it a few minutes ago doesn't help.

Anyway, tonight is 10 paintings total.

Not all painted in one day, but I can paint several in a day!

I love painting miniatures.

Enjoy the menagerie!

Here's looking at you!

Sandpipers central!

Octopus escaping!

Pelican Piling.

You can see my messy easel and some collected art too.

Seahorse with coral.

Notice this one has the lock mechanism still in the drawer.

They just are lovely to look at, and so fun to paint!

Wild Ride today! Acrylic on recycled wood, each about 5 x 15 inches

Days 70-79 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Pelican parley

I love painting these guys.

They are so incredibly interesting to create.

So much to do, so little time left before the big show starts next week.

The 50th National Shrimp Festival in Gulf shores, Alabama.

I have all the paintings done to fill the double booth and am now working ahead.

I am really excited to see how the booth looks with it going from sepia to full color in one space.

Tonight was Artwalk in Fairhope.

I was painting live while it was going on from 5:30-8:00 pm.

I actually worked on two miniature paintings for the sewing machine drawers.

They make a really great presentation for the paintings, giving them the shadowbox effect.

Two whales done, lots of people chatting about my works.

Hopefully conversations lead to sales.

I also spent time setting up the rest of the sewing drawer paintings.

So, I know what to paint.

I have the patterns ready to transfer and then just create!

Our pelicans here are an incredible work of God.

To see such a gawky bird fly so gracefully is beautiful.

They dive so hard, going after fish.

It's a wonder they don't die with how hard they hit the water.

You always know when the fish are in the bay, because there will be pelicans sitting on the water.

They're sitting because they can't fly because they're so full of fish!

Pelican Parley, Acrylic on Shadowbox canvas, 12 x 24

Day 69 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Great Blue too!

Great Blue too! 

I say this because this is a "mate" to the other one that was already done.

I picked up another Great Blue Heron from the gallery this week.

Frequently, but not always folks want a left and a right of a particular creature.

So, here he is, ready for the show!

I am moving along now with the paintings completed, today is number 62.

I am behind because of our mission to Africa this summer.

38 more paintings to go!

I will not have the 100 finished by the Shrimp Festival.

I am however, going to continue to post and complete the 100 days.

When finished, I will draw for the winner of the painting valued at $295.00.

This will most likely coincide with the Peter Anderson show in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

First weekend in November will be the drawing.

I pray everyone understands.....

Great Blue too!, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 16 x 16 inches

Day 62 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Pelican Parley II

I am having an incredibly fun time!

These "happy accident" canvases provided a challenge because of their small opening.

It was interesting to try and fill the space and yet maintain the feeling of not being too crowded.

They turned out better than I ever imagined they would.

Challenge accepted Chris.

On to the next works.

Below you will find the two canvases together.

They will be a great pair or can be sold individually.

I think they look nice, don't you?

Creating is definitely in my blood.

My mother was a fantastic knitter, making fishermen knit cables, honeycombs, and bars.

She even knitted in genuine wool.

I really wish I had one of those sweaters now.

My dad created with me when I was younger, making some of the most fantastic Halloween costumes.

He once even helped my Camp Fire Girl group all make some.

It is a good memory from childhood.

Pelican Parley II, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24

Day 40 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Pelican Parley I

This is number 3 of the "happy accident" canvases.

Once I set them up, it's fun to paint them.

The set up is the hard part.

Getting in a groove now towards shows.

I have figured out the set up for the 2 new 15 x 30s and the 30 x 30.

Caretta carettas , they will be awesome!

Today has been a good day in the studio.

I was confirmed for another show in Florida in January.

Las Olas, and Del Ray Beach here we come!

But first, Fall shows.

50th Annual National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores, Alabama

October 12th, 13th, 14th, & 15th

Jubilee Festival, Daphne Alabama

October 21st & 22nd

Mattie Kelly, Destin, Florida

October 28th & 29th

Peter Anderson, Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Nov.4th & 5th

WAIT LIST Three Rivers, Covington, Louisiana

Nov11th & 12th

I was wait listed last year for Three Rivers, didn't get in.

Fingers Crossed!

Pelican Parley, Acrylic on Shadowbox Canvas, 12 x 24

Day 39 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Too many days to remember

 Too many days indeed!

These paintings represent several days of work.

Works done, but not posted as of yet.

Today I take care of that situation!

Lots of things happening here, making me tired at the end of the day.

Too tired to post it seems!

This big, bad, boy was an incredibly fun to paint bird!

Great blue herons and Pelicans are two of my absolute favorites.

May I never tire of painting them.

This gorgeous creature is on an unusual grouping of canvases.

The center canvas is 24 x 24, the two outer ones are 18 x 24.

This makes him a rather large 6 foot heron.

I just need to break him apart, then paint the sides.

Day 18 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

Every year, I attempt to paint something on Archer's birthday which is August 12th.

He is double digits now!

10 years old.

Now I feel older.

He's old enough now that I ask him what do you want for your birthday painting?

This year he said a monkey, a capuchin monkey to be precise.

I love this little fella!

He a precious 8 x 10

Day 19 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

Occasionally I get asked for commission pieces.

I'm not a big fan of them, as I find what I think the client wants is not always the case.

Hopefully this guy makes the grade, and she loves him!

Otherwise, I have another piece to sell.

This one is 16 x 16

Day 20 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

Another commissioned piece from the same collector.

She is finishing a wall of pieces using sea turtles.

I pray this one finds a home with her as well!

She went to the blog and chose this pose, but of course I have to change it some 

as I want everyone to have an original.

This one is also a 16 x 16

Day 21 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

This little guy is not so little!

This shadowbox is a 12 x 24.

It is the last of the commissioned works that will hopefully grace this woman's home.

I cannot wait to see it in place with her other turtles!

Day 22 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

It is only by God's grace that I have a husband who wants to please me.

God placed us together as we are the perfect mix of stable and goofy.

He loves to build my shadowboxes, and today he also helped stretch them!

I had already stretched 9 of the last group, so he came and helped with the other 17.

We also stretched 2-16 x 20s, 2-16 x 30s, and a 20 x 24.

More about these canvases later!

We work well together, actually not even talking much.

We have a sense of what the other needs and it is provided.

I bought him a new staple gun, as his electric one had given up the ghost.

Two compressors, two guns, the dachshunds did not appreciate the racket at all!

Although they slept through most of it.......

Day 23 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

Last but not least, more turtles.

I will never tire of painting them I hope!

These guys are already sold as well, I'm afraid.

Day 24 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

More canvas ordered~I love pro-packs from Michaels!

I also spent the evening painting multiple canvas's white.

I also have ordered a gallon of soft body Liquitex white from Alabama Art Supply.

Hope it makes it here before I run out!

I have become desperate before and bought several jars at Hobby Lobby, 

adding a tube of Golden Titanium White to make it more opaque.

Hours of preparation are coming together into a beautiful show.

That is, if I can paint fast enough!

Thank you, Lord for the talent, stamina, and beauty that surrounds me.

Tomorrow is another day!

To many days to remember, Days 18-24

Of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023