All I've got...

All I've got...

This is all I managed to paint today.

I spent all day in the studio with the exception of a lunch break.

I have "set ups" for several paintings, including the one with the baby turtle pictured in my hand.

As you can see, it is small.

Because of its tiny size, it was a challenge to paint.

The set ups take a while to draw because they have to fit within the framework of the painting.

So, an entire day of drawing, researching my swipe files, and drawing.

After lunch, I needed a nap because I woke up at 4 am.

After the nap, we went on a dog ride because that's what they do every day.

I went back to the studio for a bit, then realized it was time to cook dinner.

Dinner cooking and clean up took two hours.

I was happily going to the shop to cut out the wood pieces I designed today.

A text from India changed that in an instant.

When are you coming to India?

Have you booked tickets yet?

Chris and I took the time to book the tickets for December.

I finally went to the barn at 8:15.

I happily cut pieces until I came back in at 9:21.

I

Painted

One

Whole

Baby

Turtle

Today.

That's it, because life gets in the way.

Well life, and children, and grandchildren.

We've bought tickets to India!

All I've got..., Acrylic on wood, 3 inches

Day 39 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

 

Flourish's, missing parts, and a unicorn!

Today is Dahlias Birthday in India.

She has turned the big 4 today.

Each year, each grandchild gets a painting for their birthday.

My hope is someday they will cherish the paintings that are pieces of their lives.

Archers birthday is next on the 12th of August.

We got the delivery of the new Flourish sides yesterday.

The brackets work beautifully with the Extreme X6 tent.

I now have proper Sta-bars for the tent.

I also have the wall parts for both a 7 and a 5-foot wall.

This gives us a beautiful doorway with no visibility to the back of the tent.

We had lots of "discussion" while building the walls the first time on Friday.

The heat was unbearable and the sweat rolling down our backs 

did not make for terribly polite conversation.

It definitely was a challenge as the paperwork sent was not very helpful.

It was difficult to determine which part was which and getting a correct count of brackets and poles.

We adjourned for the day as I painted at Artwalk last night.

We tried and conquered on Saturday as you can see.

Just as I imagined, the pieces look spectacular against the black.

They really pop!

I am sending our feedback to the company.

We are also missing a male pole that belongs to the Sta-bar for the second tent.

That was a part of the problem.

Photo showing the missing pole.

We also have to come up with some sort of storage system for the large number of pieces and parts.

These poles are heavy to say the least because they are made of steel. 

My other Sta-bars are aluminum and much lighter.

Chris wants to build a box out of wood. (more weight!)

I would rather have bags.

This will be our next "discussion".

We don't get angry, but we both believe we are right.

 I try to explain the pros and cons of my point, Chris just says let me build it.

Box or bag?

Both are viable options.

Flourish's, Missing parts, and a unicorn! Acrylic on canvas, 6x6

Day 33 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Just clowning around!

Theres no clowning here for sure!

Just a lot of good old fashioned hard work.

I have been fortunate to be able to create several sets for the Vacation Bible school at Celebration Church.

I am so grateful for the talents God has given me, allowing me to help Him further His Kingdom.

Yes, it's a lot, yes, it's exhausting, yes, it's fun.

We painted

A
LOT 

TODAY! 

Palm branches got sprayed, two sets of flats had trees, 

and palms added to the backgrounds painted yesterday.

The stage is getting detailed and so are some backdrops we used over 10 years ago.

The stone gates are looking amazing.

The kids are really starting to see the whole picture coming to life.

It all will truly be beautiful indeed.

I am always amazed at the end result myself.

We also had an emergency run around while the youth that were helping were eating lunch.

Sarah and I brought our lunch to the CK building to eat and have some quiet time.

I heard thunder, then when I heard louder thunder, we both jumped up and ran outside.

We scurried around, picking up and bringing in all the items 

that were laying on the ground drying outside. 

The palm branches were not quite dry, so we propped them up against the fence.

We got everything in just as the rain started to fall.

Then the bottom fell out.

I prayed the palms just painted that morning were dry enough to hold their paint.

Heart pumping action for sure.

The KOTC had rehearsal for the VBS.

So, we packed up everything for the night.

I headed home, took dogs for a ride, ate dinner, got ice cream!

I then headed to the studio to paint as I have been itching to get back to my easel.

This "Just Clowning Around" is a small piece (11x14).

It is the demonstration piece for Hello Gallery.

I am teaching how to paint this little guy September 9th from 5:30 -7:30 pm.

It will be a fun class for sure!

It is now hot shower time for me!

I bid you Adieu!

Just Clowning Around, Acrylic on canvas, 11 x 14

Day 23 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

Two days later!

Two days later!

Still painting, but life is catching up with me.

I completed the whales today, with sanding, fitting, and painting the background.

I think the third whale was the perfect touch.

A quiet background, fitting for these majestic creatures.

Yesterday was a full day of "dinosaur-ing."

The last one we're building is large, probably 10 feet long.

While they are not life sized, they are large and impressive.

Sarah helped again yesterday, wiring and wrapping vast amounts of paper around the frame.

My grandson and her son played hard in the pool while we felt the sweat trickle down our backs.

We will visit this dinosaur again on Tuesday together, probably to finish the main paper mache.

Chris and I then went to a function last night for a family member, so I didn't get a chance to post.

Grace and Space for me.

I also managed to make a reservation at two campgrounds while at the computer this weekend.

One in Covington, Louisiana in November for the Three Rivers Show in downtown Covington.

This is an excellent show, very well run and a stellar artist dinner Saturday night.

We are looking forward to it!

I also reserved a site on Little Talbot Island, Florida for a show next May.

Yes, you read correctly May 2026.

Turns out it was the LAST site available for a trailer camper.

Problem is, I don't even know if I'll get into the show on Amelia Island the first weekend in May.

Once you get caught up for the next round of shows, the following season comes calling!

I typically have 5 in the fall, and up to 8 in the spring.

Needless to say, as an artist you are on pins and needles wondering if you'll even get accepted.

You see, all of the shows I enter are juried.

This means you submit photos and a jury fee.

You have about 30 seconds to catch up to three judges' attention. 

They then score you on your works and booth shot, sometimes reading your artist statement as well.

Most of the time, I have been fortunate to get into the shows I apply for.

Although Mainsail is one show I just cannot seem to get correct in my application.

I'll keep trying.

It took me three years of applying to get into Mattie Kelly in Destin.

It's now one of my favorite shows in the fall.

I am still waiting to hear from Mattie Kelly, Peter Anderson, and Jubilee in Daphne.

Jubilee is a given, as I took an award last year, but I still had to apply.

I'm also needing to rehang my space at Hello Gallery in downtown Fairhope.

It is in serious need of a refresh!

I also painted this one entirely today.

I took a full day in the studio to get something done.

Unfortunately, it means a mess I have to clean up. 

I sanded the pieces today that I am currently working on.

Sanding means a LOT of messiness.

Sometimes life is like that, creating messes that we have to clean up.

I'm so glad we have a Savior to clean up our messes from our sinfulness.

That's definitely not my department! 

After cleaning up, painting edges, finishing fronts, and then gluing down the works.

We have to put a block of wood behind them to make them sturdier.

Of course, these pieces will have to travel before selling,

 so, they have to be able to withstand some movement during transport.

They will also be brad nailed, filled, then touched up before varnishing.

Finally, they will have their hangers added.

So far, I have four completed of the 24 I want to show at the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores.

I am also praying for the many victims of the flooding in Texas.

It is heartbreaking to hear of the death toll climbing.

I pray the families have closure soon.

I cannot watch the news about it, as I am a visual artist and cannot get the scenes out of my mind.

The enemy knows just where my opening would be easiest. 

So, I shield myself from watching the news for that very reason.

Going along swimmingly, acrylic on wood, 13 inches

Days 5 & 6 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025

 

My days are puppies!

This series is fun to create, but also challenging.

"Crabby" is 5 x 24 inches.

Some of them were painted while in India, some painted here after we got home.

I thank God every day I have a husband that thinks creatively too!

When I first made the series, they were in color and only 4 x 24.

Last year, Chris made them wider, and they are so much easier to paint.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

The dolphins are so much fun and so full of life!

"Dolphin party" 5 x 24 inches

"Pod Patrol" Humpback whales

5 x 24 inches

"Turtle traffic jam"

Shadowbox, Acrylic on canvas 24 x 24

"A Turtles eye view"

16 x 16 inches 

Acrylic on canvas

"I'm coming out!"

Octopus Acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24 inches

I also managed to paint at church as well.

I teach a class called Scripts & Strokes on Tuesdays and 

we have a lot of fun doing paintings based on scripture.

This little guy is on an 11 x 14 canvas and was painted in about 2 hours.

Life here is crazy hectic.

I'm hoping to finish up my dad's estate soon, so I can put that behind me.

The Executor position is a large job taking many hours.

It also fills my brain with things I would rather not think about.

(Money, balancing checkbooks, insurance, and so much more!)

It has drained me frequently to the point of not creating.

As if that wasn't enough, we picked up TWO wire haired dachshund puppies last week.

I've wanted wire haired dachshunds for years and the opportunity for well-bred beautiful girls 

was just too much to pass up.

As I type, I hear our boy, Bandit (12 years old active senior) 

barking and the smaller yips coming from the girls.

We actually got the girls for him to play with.

Tootsie and Ruby are fitting right into our pack.

I am getting a frequent side eye from Divya and Trixie, asking "Mom make them stop!"

Fortunately, now they play hard, and sleep hard.

Puppy pads, puppy food, puppy proofing are all going on here at the Raccoon Retreat!

Oh, and in between running up and down the stairs to check on them, and play with them,

I am painting!

My days are puppies! Days 67-73 of the 100 days 2024

All works are Acrylic on canvas,

 

 

Lively living

Lively indeed!

We are living the lively life these days.

Chris (husband) and I are active seniors.

We came home from India early last Thursday morning and started into our routine here in Fairhope.

That routine included taking our new LIV camper back to Americus Georgia to get a replacement AC.

We really didn't want the rooftop, but the under-bunk unit that was ultimately recalled just didn't cool down enough.

We had made the appointment over 6 weeks in advance for the repair.

We left Wednesday to camp overnight and be at the dealership when they opened at 8:30am.

We were told that it would only be a couple of hours......

We left for breakfast and came back only to be told that there was an 

emergency repair that was ahead of us.

But we should be done by 4:30 we were told.

Okay, we hung out for a while, then got lunch and came back for the duration.

Turns out, not only was our AC replaced, but our axle was flipped as well, 

as the tires were rubbing the wheel wells.

We were informed every step of the way, even when the refrigerator problem we also

 had turned out to be a slight wiring problem.

Meanwhile I painted.

And painted...

True to their word, we were done at 4:30.

On the road we went to our next stop at Lake Martin.

Now Lake Martin is a bit tricky as there are lots of back roads and scenic highways to get there.

It was supposed to take up to 3 hours, but with rain and slower driving we were close to dark.

Our wonderful host met us at the top of the driveway and Chris decided on the better part of valor to not try to park the camper down a steep hill.

We put the camper on a flat land at the edge of the road with the van and locked up.

We were shown a lovely guest room with a claw foot bathtub in the bath.

The real reason we were there though...

Dachshund puppies!

Wirehaired to be precise.

I've wanted a wire-haired dachshund for years and another artist had a litter.

We've been in contact for months.

Months of anticipation and anxiety.

Are we ready for puppies right now?

Puppies are a lot of work to train and keep happy.

Chris and I are committed to raising them up right!

Besides, Bandit needs playmates as he's still a very active senior at 12.

We brought them home, and the girls are settling right into our pack, albeit a bit nervously.

Our three dachshunds are all seniors, but they are warming up pretty fast 

to the feisty balls of fur we brought home.

Now, though our Bandit seems to have injured himself, not because of puppies but old age.

We're keeping a close eye on him and crate resting him away from the pups.

If needed, I'll be taking him to the vet on Monday.

Such is life here at the Raccoon Retreat studio.

Dachshund Central in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama

Playful dolphins and angry crabs, Acrylic on canvas, each 5 x 24

Days 65 & 66 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2024

 

Octopus and herons

I am at the end of a long day.

I started in the studio at 9 am, erasing and varnishing over 20 works.

You see, the art is starting to attack me as I walk through the studio.

 It slides to the floor or just falls over and hits my shins.

I did have lunch with Chris and our son Jere', then later took the rotten dogs for their daily car ride.

I then ate dinner and went back to the studio in the evening.

After answering email, and soon to be sketching off a rather large multi canvas piece. 

I will call it a day about 9:30 pm

I love it, my back and neck however do not.

Ahhh blessed relief when I hit the shower and the bed tonight!

These guys are for sewing machine drawers.

I have an absolute stack of them in the studio, awaiting my brush and creative spark.

They are always a popular piece of art, affordable, and can be hung on a wall, or placed on a shelf.

I love painting them!

The octopus is another in the series of color on the shadowboxes.

They are a challenge to create, with the corners and edges making me turn the canvas every direction.

I'm really enjoying the challenge of painting them.

Octopus and herons, Acrylics on canvas and wood, Herons 5x15 inches, Octopus 12 x 24 inches

Days 51,52, & 53 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Flying high!

Today I chose to complete something for my grandson Neel in India!

This airplane is for his 4th birthday.

Never mind, his 5th birthday is in about a week.

I really must get better about completing the paintings for the grands in India.

Happy birthday a little late?

Happy birthday a little early?

Anyway, Happy birthday Neel!

I spent almost the entire day cleaning and rearranging the studio.

I could not hardly move for the canvases.

Anyway, they are all painted white, stacked, and ready for my brushes.

I spent almost the entire morning yesterday paint the last batch white.

There are over 40 of them now!

Sheesh!

  

Flying high! Acrylic on canvas 6 x 6

Day 36 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2023

 

Crabs for two

Crabs for two!

Two days, two crabs.

I enjoy painting these guys, their faces are so interesting.

Good thing I enjoy painting them, they are always sold fairly quickly.

Anyway, this pair is on another 24 x 24 shadowbox.

They make for a bit of a headache while painting around the box and edges.

I still find them fascinating.

I also painted several canvases today for 5-piece paintings.

The multi canvas works are a popular item in my booth.

I have sold so many I have lost count.

I am so grateful God gave me the idea a few years back.

They make for an interesting painting, and they are impressive to look at.

Most popular are turtles, then octopus.

The first one I sold was an octopus to a contractor for a house in Pensacola, Florida.

It is in the front door as you walk in the house.

It is absolutely gorgeous there.

I sold the turtles at the same show to a realtor from Gulf Breeze.

We love them, because they fit in a single bag, stacked together.

I have now designed a rather large octopus that will be available this show season.

Typically, the works are 3 x 5 ft. 

The new work will be 40 inches by about 84 inches.

It will be on 16-inch-wide canvases, with two of them having to be built.

The 16 x 30 are not available commercially, so they will be custom made.

The octopus will be impressive for sure!

This crab is on another custom canvas.

These works are on 5 x 24 inch canvases.

They are very interesting to create!

Normally these are 4 x 24, but Chris apparently measured the inside, instead of the outside/

This makes them about 5 1/4 wide.

I have a total of 7 to work on for shows.

It's definitely an adventure working with my woodchuck, Chris!

Chris and I have our 44th wedding anniversary tomorrow.

So many wonderful memories and things we've done together.

We've also raised three great children, who have families of their own now.

We've also built two houses together and renovated one too!

Not too many marriages can relate to building together, unless they've actually done it themselves.

Crabs for two, Acrylic on custom canvases, 5x24 and 24x24

Days 22 and 23 of the 100 dasy~100 paintings winter 2022

 

Great Blue!

I don't think God created a bird with more attitude than a great blue heron.

They are fearless around fishermen, stealing fish off the hooks before the catch can be brought in.

They are protective of their territory.

Swooping down on anyone hapless enough to be in the way.

I've been a near victim of one once.

I apparently startled him while walking for turtle nests at dawn.

He flew straight at me.

Needless to say, I ducked and covered.

I didn't want the beak of that bird impaling me!

Loud, noisy, rude, and inconsiderate birds they are for sure!

But oh how beautiful!

Great Blue, Acrylic on sewing machine wood, 5 x 15inches

Day 18 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022 winter

 

Miniature blue

Today was a full painting day.

Several pieces started, and one finished today.

This one is on a portion of a New Home Sewing machine.

One of the most beautiful wood machines I think I've ever seen.

These drawers are different in that each one has a solid wood base in them.

This is one of these bases. 

I carefully taped off the edges and painted the white in several coats.

There was something in the finish that kept bleeding through.

It took two coats of Kilz before using the white acrylic for three more coats.

The crab was then transferred to the wood and painted.

So much fun to paint!

Miniature blue, acrylic on wood, 5 x 15 inches

Day 16 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022w 

 

Marauders I & II

 I do have to apologize.

The winter version of the 100 days may look a little different.

 I may also not post every day because of the holidays.

Anyway, things are busy around here, as I'm sure they are at your house as well.

We are getting ready for Christmas while I'm trying to get ready for shows.

Thrown into the mix, are show entries, campsite searches, commissions, and ancestry searches.

I have purchased kits for testing but have already found a lot on an ancestry website.

For years we have searched for my dad's father, 

only for me to find out the name we had was spelled incorrectly.

More on this later, but I am excited to know there is some Scottish in our history.

There is also a rather large Mardi Gras train taking over my table in the studio space.

I committed to this train three years ago, not knowing that my business would be taking off so well.

I have made this bed now, and I must lie in it, or at least sew for hours on end in between paintings.

I have two shows in January, so I must get works completed to sell.

I have to be able to remove the train from the studio and protect it.

I have several canvases to stretch and paint white.

But, for tonight I relax.

We are going to a concert with the Gaither brothers in Pensacola.

We will also get dinner on the way!

A date night for just us.

I love it!

Marauders I & II, Acrylic on wood panel, 12 inches round

Days 3 & 4 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022w

 

Babies on parade

Babies on parade.

Today was an interesting day for sure!

I painted this early this morning. 

We then headed out to pick up the show in Mississippi from the Audubon Center. Chris and I stopped to get lunch on the road, then fought the gauntlet of travel that is I-10 West bound. I have no idea what has gotten into people, driving like maniacs with no manners whatsoever.

We got to Mississippi in one piece, and I settled into the gallery space, chatting with people as they came in. The garden group put on the refreshments, and I grabbed a cookie. There were no more people coming into the gallery, so we started packing up at 2:15. We finished and loaded up in 30 minutes flat. It sure is faster taking down than loading into a show. I've also been asked to come back again, much to my delight. Next year's show will be in August and September again. Only this time, there will be three artists hopefully. (Keeping it all in the family of course!) I am excited to put into plan the next show. It's going to be epic!

On the way home, I wanted to rehang my space at the Hello! gallery here locally. My sweet husband said that would be better than trying to do it in the morning before leaving for the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores. I had planned to meet the gallery owner at 9:30, rehang the space in time for artwalk, then head to the show. It really was much easier to do it tonight and I have two crab paintings in color to take to the show.

Tonight I have to load in inventory for the gallery, so I guess I'd better get at it!

Babies on parade, Acrylic on canvas, 4 x 24 inches

Day 99 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

Turtle mania

So, over the past few weeks you've seen a LOT of sea turtles!

The reason is, I simply love painting them!

It also helps that people collect them.

I don't think I'll ever tire of painting them.

My mother once asked me if I got tired of painting crabs.

They are another sea creature I love to paint.

I told her no of course; I'll never tire of painting them.

I sure do miss her enthusiasm when I sold in her presence.

You could see the pride on her face and the pure love.

I almost didn't have 2D art as an income and pure joy.

You see as a child I painted in oils.

I absolutely loved creating, especially paint by number kits.

I was working on a large one in my room one day.

I closed my turpentine, put it in my drawer on the desk and shut the door.

My youngest brother went in my room, opened the desk, and the turpentine spilling it in the process.

My parents were horrified, thinking he had drunk the turpentine.

They threw everything in the garbage, and I was forbidden to paint after that.

I still drew a lot, and then the art went into another direction altogether.

I joined band, playing flute, piccolo when I could, and eventually Bassoon.

I also participated in theater at the high school level.

I learned how to sew and took to that like a duck to water.

I both performed and helped with costumes in theater.

I sang in choirs and joined a speech class as well.

Then after graduation, I met the love of my life.

We got married six months later.

I used my sewing skills to make money for several years both before and after children.

I got back into theater as well, making costumes for local performances in Mobile.

I also became a professional clown for several years.

Life was good, very good as my home-based business allowed me time to be a mom as well.

I worked with a couple of costume companies making Mardi Gras costumes too.

It was while making costumes at Mardi Gras time that I worked all night 

long and into the next morning to meet a deadline.

I came home took a nap and got ready for a birthday party that afternoon.

Got home from the party, cleaned up, and cooked dinner.

We ate pigs in blankets and french fries, the kids favorite and an easy dinner.

We decided to go to a Mardi Gras parade that night.

We got hit by a drunk driver that evening February 2nd, 1993.

I was turned sideways in the passenger seat talking to my husband when we were rear ended.

I checked everyone in the car, then I went to check on the driver of the other van.

I realized she was drunk, so drunk she was trying to leave.

Fortunately, other people at the scene prevented her from exiting the accident.

I went back to our van and realized my shoulder hurt like crazy 

and my right hand was somewhat numb.

Our two daughters and I were transported on backboards to the hospital.

My husband drove himself and our son to the emergency room to get checked out.

The kids and Chris checked out sore, but pretty much okay.

Not so much for me.

I have a side-to-side neck whiplash.

After a couple weeks went by, I finally had an answer.

2 herniated discs in my neck.

I also discovered several years later I had nerve damage in my right arm.

But God.......

I started back to painting about 6 months after the accident.

I started taking lessons, then teaching and working at the frame shop and art store next door.

I sold my first painting later that year.

Thus began the journey that is Brushstrokes & Brilliance.

You see I should not be able to paint the way that I do.

Some days are diamonds, some days are dirt.

All days I am grateful that we are all still here as a family.

I thank God every day for the little things in my life.

Most of all, I thank God for people that read this blog to know my story.

For that, I am eternally grateful and humbled.

Turtle Mania, Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 16 x 16 inches

Day 83 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Incredible turtles!

They really are an incredible species as a whole.

We are working hard at Share the Beach to have as many as 

possible to survive hatching and get to the sea.

As hard as Share the Beach works, there are many things at play to prevent sea turtles from growing to maturity and possibly laying eggs of their own.

There are many organizations that work for the common good of sea turtles.

Too many to mention in fact.

Just know our own Share the Beach group here in Alabama

walks 47 miles of beaches every day from May 1st to August 31st.

We look for the nests.

We try to protect the nests.

We watch the nests at hatching time.

What we cannot do is protect them from predators, both human and animal.

We cannot protect them from plastic entering our oceans.

We cannot protect them from fishing line carelessly thrown from a dock while fishing.

We need to pay attention to our oceans and their beautiful inhabitants.

It is after all the last frontier on our big blue ball we call home.

Incredible turtles! Acrylic on shadowbox canvas, 12 x 24

Day 82 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Crab II

Looking very similar to yesterday's crab, this one really is different.

More face, claws moved, legs changed.

I didn't realize they were so alike until I put them side by side.

Oh well, I'm sure someone will want them.

Just maybe not as a pair.

Today was interesting.

I painted of course and set up canvases for future pieces to be completed.

The studio is a real hub of activity these days.

Lots of paint, canvas, wires, and varnish.

I am also being more or less forced to stretch canvases that are waiting.

I have two shadowboxes left, and 24 to be stretched.

I am also getting commission works lined up for after show season already.

Fortunately, people are patient and willing to wait for their works.

One of them may not wait though.

I may have a large shadowbox piece 48 x 60 inches going to Cape Coral, Florida.

A glorious octopus!

The couple is driving from Colorado back home to Florida and may want to pick up on the way.

The kicker is, they will be driving through our area about the 3rd or 4th of October.

They are measuring their vehicle to see if it will fit.

Sure would help me if the piece will fit in their car.

I would not have to bring it to Florida in January when I come for a show.

Carrying all the equipment we carry in addition to a huge canvas is not a good combination.

Fingers crossed on that one!

I also took three steampunk pieces to my printer today.

She is going to photograph them, print proofs, and then get me ready for the National Shrimp Festival.

Two booths!

What was I thinking?

I've been planning this adventure for 3 years now.

The steampunk has been shown, taken awards, and generally had very good reviews from people

I've also sold both prints and originals.

It's just so different from my other works that people almost don't believe I paint them.

This will be the first time they won't be just on an outside wall.

They will have their own booth.

This is going to be interesting folks! 

22 days until set up day at the National Shrimp Festival in beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Crab II, Acrylic on wood panel, 12 x 12 inches

Day 79 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Crab I

Oh the mighty crab!

Delicious and hard to clean.

I love eating crab when the opportunity arises.

Of course I love the local blue crab, but my favorite is Alaskan King Crab.

I also have beautiful memories of King crab and my mother eating them with me.

The memories are the best part, reminding me that she is still with me if only in my mind.

Her ability to shell and eat them was legendary.

Funniest part of all was her long, extremely clean fingernails scooping out the tiniest of bits.

I did not get the grace of those nails of hers.

God gave me paper thin, easily broken, fingernails.

Hers were able to be used as screwdrivers!

I can still close my eyes and see those red nails flashing when she was talking.

I miss her so!

Crab I, Acrylic on board, 12 x 12 inches

Day 78 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022