February 28 Aubergine

Hilary wonders if this represents a longing for the growing season. On this last day of February, I think she's right. So many Minnesotans are in Mexico, Jamaica, Florida, Texas, and other warm places. The temperature got above freezing today here in mid-Minnesota and high temps this coming week are to be in the snow melting range. No where near spring planting, yet, but I can dream of bountiful farmer's markets where aubergine is queen.

11" x 14" $590

February 27 Chocolate Chip Cookies

I baked chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. They're soft and rather thin in the middle with the chocolate chips poking up through the flatness. Ron and I both noticed how the edges have somewhat concentric circles, appearing a little like ripples of molten lava. Tastey, too, in spite of the visual scrutiny.

Since I've been working with thick buttery paint, I opted to paint chocolate chip cookies using this method. I put equal amounts of red and green paint on the hardboard, spreading it to the edges and in the process combining the colors to make a dark brown like my older baking pans that have had many many batches of cookies baked on them. Then I put dollops of creamy tan batter paint in the pattern that we always use to make cookies. My mom always put three, then two, then three, two and three across the pan. I don't know if everyone does it that way or not. I'm gonna have to ask around. Anyway, I applied the paint in dollops, swirled the edges and dabbled dark brown chocolate chips into the cookies. I worked with the hardboard on a flat surface and don't dare stand this one up until it's dry. Gravity would not be kind to these cookies.

8" x 10" $580

February 26 Mary had a little lamb...

Sometimes I'm the most surprised one of all as to what happens at the end of my brush. For a little while, I thought this was going to be a fat woman but then it changed. Ah, the beauty of living serendipidously.

Karin Nauber wrote a lovely article about my daily painting challenge in this week's edition of the Independent News Herald. Take a look to learn a little more about the project. Thanks, Karin! You write beautifully. http://www.inhnews.com/year10/feb/feb24/leasman.html

8" x 10" $570

February 25 Ice Dancer

The winter olympics have been a great source of entertainment these last couple of weeks. The ice dancers are favorites for many. This is my tribute to the ice dancers, using my relatively new style of two colors and very thick paint.

8" x 10" $560

February 24 Triptic

It's a trip, getting a painting done every day. This is also the third, tri, of three companion pieces, Feb. 18, Feb. 23 and today. Busy days. Short on time. Happy nonetheless.

5" x 7" $550

February 23 Companion

I made it! With and hour and a quarter to spare, scrificing a social evening at the VFW to get er done. This is a companion piece for the one on the 18th. A few more strokes for the companion folk.

5" x 7" $540

February 22 A cherry colored cow

In honor of George Washington, I have painted a cherry colored cow named Genevieve. Genevieve was utterly excited at the prospect of kicking her crimson heels up in the snow.

8" x 10" $530

February 21 It seems there was an unfortunate incident as the tomatoes paid homage to the squash

I guess this one's self explanatory. Don't ask me why. Sometimes art just happens. Sundays seem to produce some quirky stuff.

16" x 20" $520

February 20 Hibiscus

It's hard to believe it took fifty paintings to get around to painting flowers. Check back, but I don't think you'll find any. So, I did em up big to make up for that little oversight. Hibiscus are lovely bright flowers. One sits on my window seat and blooms periodically.

The detail of the bud shows how the paint melds to produce minute beautiful bits.

16" x 20" $510

February 19 A Wall of Angus

I was driving north of Motley today to visit a home up by Walker for an article for Lake and Home Magazine. When I looked over my left shoulder, I saw a wall of black. At first I wondered what it was. Then I realized it was a large herd of angus cattle. You don't often see large herds of cattle anymore. I see more collapsed barns than herds of cattle.

This composition of black and white is a result of seeing that herd this morning. The painting method used yesterday was employed again today: a thick layer of background paint topped with a single color applied in loose brushstrokes. It took a few more strokes than yesterday. I tried to use only enough to suggest the cattle's shapes.

8" x 10" $500

February 18 Different Strokes

This is a great little painting. I loaded the buttery background on- one solid color but thick enough to drip. Then 30 strokes of black paint created the man, his dog and the bird. Very satisfying little painting.

5" x 7" $490

February 17 Pepperoncini

Certain members of the fam like hot, hot, hot peppers. As peppers go, pepperoncini aren't that hot. But they're lively and deserving of a lively stance. Notice the little bug escaping the heat of the moment.

8" x 10" $480

February 16 Another Winter Morning

Clouds make the color. In life and in skies. This morning had no clouds and therefore no brilliant color. The days are getting longer; the sun is up a little earlier each day and stays in the sky until later every evening. I haven't talked with a Minnesotan in the last two weeks who wasn't hankering for spring.

8" x 10" $470

February 15, Toying with Food

I admit I had no idea where I was going with this one when I started. I put the hardboard on a flat surface and dribbled black, red, blue and green paint on it. Next, I used a two inch brush to push the paint around, leaving some fairly thick spots. Then I left it to dry; ran upstairs for supper.

When I came back, the thickest parts hadn't dried completely but I set the hardboard up on my easel anyway. The paint dripped thickly.

My intent was to make a stack of tomatoes but I wasn't sure how. So, it just happened. I suppose it isn't proper to play with food. Expecially when you personify it and then skewer it. Sorry, but some of the best food I've had has been skewered. I thought of titling this "Frost Threatens in the Garden of Earthly Delights" or "Threats in the Garden" or "Tomato, Tomato, Tomato."

There's a good chance that some comments will result in a new title. So it goes.

16" x 20" $460

February 14 One, Two....

Happy Valentine's Day! But, no sweet little heart paintings from me. Following yesterday's attempt to fill bottles, here's another one. The brown eggs come from my hens. The method for getting them into the bottle is a secret. ....oh my....you are persuasive....OK, I'll tell you....I paint them in.

11" x 14" $450

February 13 Ketchup

I wasn't really playing catch-up today. It was a real stay-on-schedule day: a speaking engagement in St. Cloud at 9:00, an interview in Little Falls at noon, sell tickets at the door for a local theatrical production at 6:45. In between, I made brownies, chatted with a couple of people on the phone, read a few pages of the next book club title on my kindle and did the daily painting.

The idea for this painting has been rattling around in my brain for a while. The tall format was perfect because I'm out of hardboard except in the 20" x 24" size and I wasn't up to that today. My hardboard cutter is out of town until tomorrow. This piece was laying around in my studio so I apologize for the non-standard size.

10" x 14" $440

February 12 Crack of Dawn

I guess this fairly well represents the crack of dawn; the pink sky beyond the clouds bursting through a narrow opening between cloud and land. This was the sky I faced on the morning easterly drive. A large field covered the expanse between the road and the distant hills. Many shades of gray were shared by both the land and sky. The narrow band of pink sky cast its light on the snow near the horizon. Another unique morning.

8" x 10" $430

February 11 Coffee With Crane

One of the cranes from last night's painting is still in the picture. It flew into a quick little composition that took about 30 years and 15 minutes to paint, and became part of the duo: Coffee with Crane.

8" x 10" $420

February 10 Paper Cranes

Whenever Savannah and I go out to eat, she makes tiny paper cranes. She uses whatever paper is available: the paper napkin bands, place mats, napkins. She tucks her miniature flocks in with the creamers.

We went to Gene-O's tonight. She had her favorite, alfredo pasta with shrimp. I had a taco salad. She left three cranes in the creamer bowl.

When we got home, I had her make a larger one to use as my model. Inspired somewhat by the white birds of yesterday's painting, but more so by Savannah's little peace message to the world.

8" x 10" $410

February 9 Flight in Pink

Five Wings Arts Council director Mark and I were discussing the color scheme for a website. We had chosen a jump off the monitor combo and then realized that it might be better to choose more neutral colors since colors schemes go in and out of style. I made the comment that pink won't go with our color scheme but artworks, which we will highlight on the site, rarely are in pink. That must have been the stimulus for my pink painting today. That and the flying birds I saw on my way to Staples this morning. As they flew away from me they looked just like the white ones on this painting.

8" x 10" $400

February 8 Reading in the Trees

With a winter storm cancelling activities today, I had a little more time than usual to paint. Portraits always take more time so tackled a portrait. When Hilary was about twelve, she liked to take her pillow, climb into the tree out by the pond and read. I had a photo to work from since Hilary is almost 21 and the tree had to come down when it threatened to fall on the shop. Making a painting to commemorate that time was perfect use of my time today.

16" x 20" $390

February 7 Trompe l'oeil Scene

I rather liked the color scheme of yesterday's painting. I used the same colors today on a much larger winter scene. This is an out of the ordinary shape which called for a painted frame since it would be difficult to find one to fit. I've done trompe l'oeil on walls in homes around the area; including mine. It's a fun wall treatment but since this one is on hardboard, it's portable. The detail shows a segment of the "frame."

Approximately 27" at the widest by 30" at the peak. $380

February 6 Farms in February

This looks mighty strange for a teapot and cup. That's what I was going to paint until the first stroke of paint hit the "canvas." After warping the brandy glass yesterday, I was going to warp up a nice tea pot and cup. But then I dipped the brush in the paint and that first stroke laid down such a nice streak of colors that I just ran with it from top to bottom and then decided how to develop it. Nice little winter landscape.

8" x 10" $370

February 5 Apple Brandy

An epicurean friend of mine travels the world, sampling the cuisines in remote corners and popular spots alike. He shares his finds by cooking up culinary delights and uncorking bottles of interesting vintage. He shares a recent experience. "A close friend of mine used to make an apple brandy. Pretty powerful stuff: 112 proof.
He no longer does that and I have not seen him recently. However, last night (my wife)and I shared the last of our cache of apple brandy.

"I served it over ice in a tall tequila glass. The alcohol content was so high that the lower half of the glass was all frosted. On first taste, the brandy was warming (to say the least). After the first blush, there was a strong but slowly emerging taste of green apples."

My friend suggested a painting.

"The image we have to offer is the glass, bottom half frosted, tendrils of smoke rising from the glass, and a green apple floating in space above the smoke."

My intent was to do a fairly straight forward rendition of my friend's idea. As it developed, the effect of the apple brandy called for movement in the glass and effervescence rather than smoke. So, I went with it.

The painting was the quick part of the process tonight. Earlier today, I was marveling at the wonders of technology. Tonight my camera wouldn't transmit my digital photos to my computer, not by cable nor by card reader. I tried Ron's camera but my card reader wouldn't read his either. I finally resorted to cranking up my laptop which has a memory card reader, transferring the photos to a file and then e-mailing them to my desktop computer. Blather ugh. Not my idea of a good time. I'm hoping that a full battery charge will help my camera's transmission problems but am lacking confidence that that's the problem.

8" x 10" $360

February 4 No.1 and No.2

Oof da. Well. It would seem that this thing has become an obsession. It would seem that way. But....damnable cat....crawling where he shouldn't. Sorry. Where was I? Ah, yes, obsessions. Today, I have produced not one but two paintings. Dangerous precedent.

Nearly every painting has a white underground; painted on several at a time so they're ready when I need them. I didn't have any ready today so painted three 8" x 10"s with a 2" brush. I put the brush in water while I prepared the palette. I took it out and blotted it on a paper towel. When I layed the color on the first "canvas" it was too wet and streaked. I applied more paint but the brush was just too wet. So, I opted to spread the paint and wetness out on "canvas" two.

The plan for today's painting was a representation of this third morning in a row of sky variations. This morning was a gray blanket, devoid of color. With two "canvases" already going, I decided to experiment with slight variations in shades of gray. Harold got a little involved on the one and it leans toward purple. So, here's the result: February 4 No.1 and No.2 for the third in a series on the 4th. Got it?

Guess these go as a twofer. Two for the price of one or half the day's price each.

Two 8" x 10" for $350 or $175 each.

February 3 Infinite Variety

The sky is never the same twice. Yesterday was soft, muted and lovely. This morning was a riot of gold and copper trimmed cloud ridges. Yesterday the trees stood out in stark contrast. This morning, the branches were frosted and sparkling.

As we drove home from volleyball at midnight, last night, there was fresh light snow. It sparkled like it had been sprinkled with diamond dust. Oh, and no, we didn't play volleyball until midnight. We played until 9:30 and then drank Coke and ate pizza at the VFW until midnight. Great exercise program, that. A fog must have rolled through along with the snow to create the hoar frost that decorated the trees. I drank Coke. Other beverages were also served. Flat beer, apparently, judging by the complaints of the locals. I wouldn't know since I enjoyed my frosty glass(es) of Coke while nature took care of the trees.

8" x 10" $340

February 2 February Calligraphy

The morning drive to town is a regular source of inspiration. This morning, I noticed the upper branches of a single row of trees. They were silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky of bands of blue-gray and pink.

I painted the sky quickly with a large brush. It's necessary to lay it in rapidly when using acrylics. Otherwise, the paint dries too quickly to get a smooth effect. Working in haste, I managed to knock my palette off the easel's ledge. It landed upside down on my foot with a dollop of paint hitting the base of the easel. Amazingly enough, the paint missed the carpet. I finished the sky and then removed my sock to rinse out the paint before it dried. I haven't taken the time to put another sock on. I feel a little like Diddle Diddle Dumpling's son John. Now, let's stop to analyze that little ditty. No, let's not.

16" x 20" $330

February 1 Tea Pot and Cup

Into a new month.

Influenced by the bamboo and bowl yesterday, my eye caught this Asian influenced tea pot among my collection of tea pots. Since it desperately needed dusting, or rather washing, I had Savannah get it down from its spot high on the shelf.

As I was scumbling paint into the background, I raised my brush and found a wooden nub at the end of the handle as if someone had amputated the bristles. The metal furule and bristles lay on the palette. This was an old brush and it must be time to replace it; or give it a squeeze with the pliers to secure the furule to the handle for a little while longer.

11" x 14" SOLD