April 30 Twin Cities home

I had to depart from my usual acrylics on hardboard routine to do a commissioned piece. What a week: painting on walls, a cream can and now, of all things, paper. With a time crunch I have to make the most of painting time. This painting is in the whimsical style I've worked in for about ten years, producing over 300 images. You can see more at http://www.whimsyhomedesigns.homestead.com/. It's pilot pen drawing with watercolor. I've scanned the image and will also make note cards of it for my customer.

I judged the Rotary Art Show in Staples today. Lots of great work from 4th grade through adult. Photography, sculpture, wood work and fiber arts as well as all forms of painting.

Tomorrow there will be three art shows in Staples: the Rotary Art Show, a display of railroad related art at the Historic Depot, and one by 2009 grantees at the Five Wings Middle Ground Gallery.

8" x 10"

January 23 Orange Tea Kettle

I was dusting the furniture today and noticed that the orange tea kettle and the silver tray upon which it sat both needed to be washed. After polishing them up, I knew they would be the subject for today's painting.

Ron gave me the tea kettle several years ago for my birthday. I collect tea pots but had wanted a hand bell or a dinner bell. Ron got me a bell shaped tea kettle. But it's orange. Orange is my least favorite color, next to yellow tulips.

Beth gave me a stuffed red squeaky toy chicken for that same birthday. The chicken and tea kettle sat on the silver tray in the coffee nook. The chicken became a mood indicator. I'd position the two artfully. I'd come back and find that Savannah had put the chicken's head in the kettle. I'd reposition them and come back to find the chicken in the kettle. It got to be a joke as to what position the chicken would have in relation to the kettle.

I didn't paint the chicken with the tea kettle because of the time constraints. Perhaps there'll be a series, including the chicken with the tea kettle.

On another note, after painting warped whimsical scenes for nearly a decade, Whimsy Home Designs, I seem to have trouble painting shapes as they should be- at least the tea kettle looks a little warped to me. I did consider going the whimsical route with this. So, once again, it is what it is.

16" x 20" $230

January 14 Attacking the Tomato

Maybe I should just quit buying winter tomatoes. If I bought them for beauty and to paint, they'd be perfect. Since I'd really like to savor the flavor, I'm usually disappointed.

This tomato has been sitting on my counter top for about 3 weeks. It's still beautiful. But no matter from which direction you attack it, it has no juice and therefore no flavor. I placed it on a paper towel and stuck the forks in from four directions. Watching from above, not a single drop of juice wet the paper towel. I've painted it from a design perspective, looking down on it from above. The message is simple: bad tomato. Oh, and don't get any strange ideas that I'm punishing it. No, just showing there's no juice. That's all.

11" x 14" $140

Count down to day 1

One more day to the beginning. Enough pressed hardboard is cut to last the first couple of weeks. The paints are ready. The easel is poised to accept the first "canvas." The blog is set and I have my first follower. Yay! Ideas run rampant in my right brain and I'm eager to start. I actually will apply the first paint today; prepping the hardboard with a first coat of white. Some artists are happy with that; white on white. Having painted very colorful whimsical scenes for the last decade and marketed them at Whimsy Home Designs, I'm not inclined to abandon color. But for today, white on white.