Starry Night

One our our good friends has a birthday on Christmas Eve. In the middle of all of the Christmas rush we wanted to do something special as this was her 40th birthday. Luckily my husband supplied the photo he took last year of one of our sons (our friend's godchild) and her son watching fireworks over the river. I was able to quickly put this together for her--

More of the same -- 'cept different

I've had the best time this week and last on these new paintings! Have done about 11 in the last 7 days. They're pretty small but I'm thinking of going bigger. More colors to come!

Renewal

I don't know if it's just the new year thing, or being tired from all of the fall holiday shows, but when I went back to my studio this week I was sort of lost. I puttered for a day or two, cleaned out my desk, straightened up, trying to decide ... now what to do?

And then, on Wednesday, Epiphany, I had an just that: a new idea, a new set of paintings. Kind of similar to what I started last year, experimenting with color; last year's had a bunch of birds and sort of told a story (exhibit A) and this week I feel the need to delve a little deeper with color, I don't need to tell a story, but just do some stream of consciousness things, and I did 7 paintings this week as a result (would I be accused of being manic?...). Red+White; Turquoise+Red; Cream+White; Khaki+Red; Green+Green+Green; Turquoise+Orange+Reddish Purple+Yellows; Pink+Blue+Yellow+Taupe+White...Tricia Guild's decorating books are endless inspiration, I just want to eat her color combinations...

I can't believe it's been so longed since I've written, since I've checked in with myself. I've done 6 holiday art shows and have 2 to go...

I saw this paper a year or so ago and have had it "on preserve" since then -- red + pink is one of my absolute favorite color combinations; vary it a little with some orange and I'm like a kid in a candystore... so a few other paintings with this combo are here too. Happy Holidays ya'll!

Cake Love

Here are a few new cakes I've done, one is a sample to be displayed for brides to consider.  I always decide on colors first, then figure out the shapes and sizes, and think of the details as I go along.

For Gee

My friend Missy commissioned me to do a dress painting to honor her grandmother, whose house she bought after her grandmother's death. Her name was Gee, and I met her several times while we were in college. Missy brought me her wedding dress to see if I could do anything with it --a gorgeous navy blue velvet number with a fancy tie at the neck. She got married in the 1920s, and this choice was not unusual.  I just happened to have some navy blue glittered floral beauties that I had picked up in Paris years ago and saved; they were perfect! Here is the dress and the detail of the neck.

Getting Scary!

These Halloween cards were so much fun to make! As usual I've taken scraps of this and that and cobbled them together. The vampire is my grandmother! At least these old photos aren't in a drawer somewhere gathering dust. Happy Halloween!