Clever Like a Fox

 "Red Fox"

by Michelle Burnett

9"x 5 1/2"

colored pencil on paper

This is my contribution to James Parker's sketchbook for his wildlife theme. If you know James, you know that he is a amazing artist and has a wonderful sense of humor. What you may not know (or maybe you do!) is that he is a very talented and clever writer and poet as well. 

This is the last sketchbook for me to complete and I have thoroughly enjoyed being apart of this project throughout the year. It's been a great experience with a wonderful group of artist that I am humbled and honored to be a part of. I thank each of you for their contributions to my sketchbook and cannot wait to see it in person. A big tremendous THANK YOU to Dominique Eichi for starting the project and inviting me to participate.

On Vacation

What a great way to spend a quiet Sunday...PAINTING...something I haven't being doing much of lately. This is for Sheila Tajima, for her moleskin book. She requested everyone paint something that they love. Well I love, love, love figure paintings and of course trying to paint them myself. I wasn't sure what to do for her at first, then found this cool photo that I took of a group of Japanese tourists. Thought Sheila might get a kick out this.
oil on paper 7 1/2" x 7 1/2"

James for Vern

Wel-l-l-ll, after disappearing for a while, I finally found a long enough extension cord to plug myself back in. I have had Vern's and Dean's moleskins since around the turn of the century (it seems) and have sat on em. I semi-explained in my blog but there's really no excuse.....I just went thru a down time.


Anyway, Vern's subject was "artist's option"...anything we felt like. So I attempted a desert scene with a vast expanse of open spaces dissected by a ribbon of highway that gets an average of 4 pick-up trucks of traffic a day. My first impulse was to paint a squooshed armadillo in the foreground and title it "Bad Timing" or "Notsolucky, the armadillo". But I changed my mind, and, since my paintings are somewhat cartoonish,... put the "bluebird of hippiness" in there. Beep Beep.

And All That Jazz: for Edward

 

8" x 22" mixed media

So I started out with the rose. I was going for a representational piece for Edward Burton's journal. Rose, sheet music, instruments. But I was listening to Yo Yo Ma's "Abrigado Brazil," bopping, and busting the occasional tango move solo in the studio, and, well, the pages morphed.  It's odd and unwieldy, but that's true to my life these days. I humbly offer my riff on music, and the book's jetting to Banji tomorrow.

Teddy Bear for Angela

5 x 7 oil on canvas

Angela Elledge tells me she likes this bear painting I did a few weeks back, so I have decided it has her name on it. This little guy has been on our Christmas tree every year 'since who laid the chunk' as my husband's small town grandmother used to say. In other words, for a whole lot of Christmases. And one morning I saw the sun hitting it just so from the side and decided it would be a cute little painting. I thoroughly enjoyed myself on this one, maybe that shows; I most definitely didn't agonize over it like I have on some of my work here. And Angela, if you ever have a super student who deserves a fun present you've got my permission to gift this to them if you want to. I hope you (or that student) enjoy it, and it is headed your way along with your very cool moleskin, woohoo! Lots of beautiful work in there, enjoy:-)

Rehoboth Beach for Liz Holm

5.5 x 7.5 oil on canvas
Wonderful Liz Holm has agreed to let me give her this piece I did two years ago which is entitled Rehoboth Beach and which was done for the Different Strokes for Different Folks challenge site, put on by artist Karin Jurick. Liz tells me she used to go to this very beach years ago and has happy memories of it. I don't usually paint in this style but I know Liz does some abstract work and I think the colors are in the ballpark of some she uses for her abstracts, so I would love for her to have this painting. I got her permission first and she was game for the plan, so that makes two happy artists, between us. Liz's book will be headed Angela's way soon...