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

 

Turtle IV

Today was another busy day in the studio.

I started packing up some paintings because they are starting to take over the studio.

It will give me room to move around.

I also got a few ready for delivery to a gallery that has had some sales.

I've also paid jury fees for several shows in the spring of 2023.

I'm also clearing the way for a day of stretching canvases as well.

Checking equipment for repairs and additions for the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores.

So much to do, time is wasting away rapidly toward the fall show season!

Turtle IV, Acrylic on wood panel, 12 x 12 inches

Day 77 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Turtle II & Turtle III

Turtles again?

Yes of course!

I love painting them.

Apparently, people love collecting them too.

These are on wood panels that are 12 x 12.

I am starting to get things together for the shows as well.

Checking equipment.

Finding out zippers will not place nice together, so we will have to Velcro the back shut for security.

This is for a double booth we will have at one of the shows.

Oh well, it will all be okay.

The new trailer will be an amazing tool for shows after Chris worked so hard to lift it up.

The equipment will fit, as well as some artworks.

Still needing to check on poles for internal walls, cover a wall, and lots of other items on my list.

Times a wastin'!

Working hard toward the shows for fall!

Also, two for one today!

Turtle II & Turtle III, Acrylic on wood panel, 12 x12 inches

Days 74 & 75 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Turtle I

Turtle I is a new size for me in a square panel.

These panels have a lot of preparation to make them come to market.

They are then sketched and painted.

I am really tired tonight, so I'm turning in early.

Goodnight!

Turtle I, Acrylic on Wood panel, 12 x 12 inches

Day 74 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

Whale songs

I am just so amazed that I get to have fun and then make a living while doing it!

I pray everyone finds a job they love, and then get paid for it as well.

I never dreamed I would be teaching and selling art.

God is so good!

I thank Him for the talent he gives me and the opportunities.

Whale songs was painted tonight while teaching a class.

I prepared and expected 12, but ended up with 14 in the class.

After 2 hours of solid running around and encouraging the class,  

14 people went home with a painting they love.

I painted these as a demonstration on a larger canvas.

Then, as a bonus, a gentleman taking the class bought two of my paintings as well!

It has been a long, successful day.

Goodnight for tonight!

Whale songs, Acrylic on canvas, 15 x 30 inches

Day 72 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

The Mechanics of Elephants

Yes, this is one of my paintings.

No, I did not paint it in one day!

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

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

Why steampunk?

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

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

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

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

Frankly, I had to look it up myself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I then started building them in miniature and on paper.

I built one miniature piece (a seahorse).

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

I then started "building" them on paper.

Each Mechanics piece starts out with a simple line drawing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lots of tracing paper.

Each drawing takes anywhere from a week to two weeks.

Then it is transferred onto the canvas.

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

The painting can take another two weeks to complete.

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

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

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

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

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

Day 72 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022

 

A Dahlia for Dahlia!

A Dahlia for Dahlia.

I pray someday my grandchildren will cherish their paintings painted for their birthdays.

Our oldest Archer has several already as he is nine this year.

Neel just turned four yesterday.

Dahlia became the big one year old last month.

They are all characters in their own way!

This year though, Yaya was so busy she forgot to paint both Dahlia's and Neels painting on their birthdays.

This one is Dahlia's of course!

She truly is one lovely flower of a child for all of us!

Purple dahlias in particular represent royalty and dignity.

I love painting for them every year!

A Dahlia for Dahlia, Acrylic on canvas, 6x6 inches

Day 71 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2022