Looking for the Best Cup

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Hey all, sorry for the total radio silence! I've been sewing again. Apparently it's an addiction. I'm addicted. I'll try to paint again someday.

Meanwhile here's one from a few months ago. I tried several times to paint this striped cup, and this was the only one that worked out. I didn't realize it would be so hard! Also got this cute little square cup.

Join the Circus

 

Click Here to Purchase - $200 - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I bought the little stripey cup on Temu. It's my only purchase using the site, and I wasn't crazy about it. But the cup is fine. It comes with a matching saucer, and I've tried painting them together several times, but it never works out. I'll get it eventually.

Speaking of bad purchasing experiences, if you enjoy sewing and are considering purchasing patterns on Etsy, beware! Apparently there are a bunch of pattern scams, and I fell for one with my first purchase. After many frustrating hours, I realized the pattern was physically impossible to complete. Here's a video I found about how to avoid these scams. Us makers have to stick together!

Supporting Cast

 

Click Here to Purchase - $300 - 6x12in. - oil on panel

My husband built me a set of amazing shelves to hold all my still life "stuff". They take up an entire wall of my studio, and are shallow so that I can see everything at once (nothing is buried). They vary in height, but the ones for cups are short enough that the one above sometimes casts a shadow on the ones below. I have wanted to paint something like it for years.

My easel is in a pretty fixed location (because of the light), so I recreated the scene in my shadow box, using my new stripey cup as part of the supporting cast. The bounced light was quite a challenge.

Tigerific

 

Click Here to Bid (8x8in. - oil - starts at $100)

I've had several people ask for a tutorial about painting animals. This is something I'm excited to get started with, but I'm wondering if you have any specific questions or things you'd like to know. Any input would really help, and I thank you in advance!

Lines and Dots

 

Click Here to Bid (6x6in. - Oil on gessoed hardboard - starts at $100)

Here's another Pixabay find, on gessoed hardboard. The cat is on a tiny, polka-dotted couch! Once again I completely changed the background.

Thank you all for your feedback re: making panels! I compiled a ton of ideas. Now it's just a matter of trying them and hopefully landing on something I like. But this will take time. I am having complications with my recovery from neck surgery, and am in the process of trying to figure out why and what to do about it.

Don't Be Caught with Your Pants Down

 

Click Here to Bid (5x5in. - GOUACHE - starts at $75)

I don't know why, but this one makes me think of getting caught doing something embarrassing. Like he was in the middle of changing his (striped) underwear. I have experience doing embarrassing things, so I know what it looks like.

You Cut Me Up

Click Here to Bid (6x8in. - starts at $100)

Here's the same striped fabric as in my last painting, still a challenge, but not nearly as much as when it's rumpled. This time the hard parts were the slices, and the glow they emitted.

I haven't actually been able to paint for about a week (I've been sitting on this one and a few others I did before the holidays). I've had issues with my upper-back/neck since my 20's, but due to the recent work getting our house ready to sell, often tasks involving holding my hands above my head for periods of time, my dull aches have turned into acute pain. Which bites, considering we have a deadline! And because it now hurts when I paint. But my husband is a champ and has stepped up to take over my chores. I wonder if maybe I should start teaching him how to paint pictures... At any rate, I am working on a plan to get better, and will post what I've got left until then.

On the Edge of Blue Stripes

Click Here to Bid (5x7in. - starts at $100)

Let me just say, if you've never experienced the joy of painting striped fabric that isn't laying flat, try it. It's super fun. And after you've wiped the third painting, and your tears, and yourself up off the floor, and you think maybe you'll give it one more go and if that doesn't work you'll toss all your art supplies, well that's when you'll understand what I'm talking about. Because number four might not be completely terrible. And by the way, I hope you all had happy holidays and are looking forward to more art grief fun in the new decade!

Lilies of the Striped Vase

sold

The thing about these lilies is that each one wanted to be a star. It was incredibly difficult to pose them so they worked together. They are not team players.

Like Lemmings

Click Here to Bid

Sometimes I ask my husband for title suggestions. This time I totally didn't get it. When I inquired he said, "They're like lemmings because they're all about to jump off the edge." ... Okay ...

Simple, Stripey Love

Click Here to Bid

There are a lot of folks in Colorado who are losing their homes because of the fires there. My heart goes out to them all in a big way. I know it's a small gesture, but I will be donating the proceeds of this painting to the victims in Colorado.

Escape From Alcatraz

Click Here to Bid

Another fabric from Spoonflower, this one stripes. Any votes for a stripe challenge on DPW?

Empty Pool - SOLD

The pool I've been lazing around this afternoon was, thankfully, NOT empty. But there were stripes on the towels. : ) Tomorrow is the first day of my workshop here in Sedona. Updates soon ...