White Rabbit
Here is a little sketch I did yesterday of a girl dressed as bunny. Maybe Easter is on the brain or maybe it is last week’s ballet recital (Imogen was a bunny). Anyway, I thought I’d share it ’cause I thought it was kind of pretty.
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In The Moment
Here is a new 8″x10″ mixed media canvas that I did today.
Capturing a moment. Mid giggle.
Usually I gravitate toward the static , moody pose but occasionally I like to challenge myself with this type of image. Not unlike ‘Joy’.
Spring Dreaming
This is another mixed media drawing that I did today. She seems to be in a meadow. I wish I was in a meadow. A way from this frigid cold. I am so done with winter. Perhaps I have spring on the brain. I wish spring would sprung already.
Also, you can read an interview I did recently about blogging and my art by checking out this fabulous blog : Art of Humongous Proportions.
Drifting In And Out
I finished this painting today.
The title refers to the way our memories fade in and out. Some memories are so clear while others are foggy and transparent. The memories that are clear are not always the most important, often we wonder why we have held on to that memory at all. How can we remember things so vividly from long ago but barely remember things that happened to us last week?
The memory can be selective and often distorted. What is really true, what is fabricated, what is embellished? I often wonder these things. And I often worry what memories I am creating for my children. What are they going to remember? Mommy keeping the house clean? Our walks to the library? Ballet class? Our endless photo sessions? Watching too many Barbie movies? My limited patience? My reclusive tendencies? How will my choices effect them in their adult lives? Did I give them a feeling of entitlement?* And on and on. It sure can be exhausting.
I remember somewhere I heard/read of a woman ( I think it was some film star) saying she had absolutely no memory of her childhood. It was like she didn’t exist before a certain time. I wish I could remember if I had read it or heard it on TV but there you go, my memory fails me. I found that idea fascinating though. No memories of being a child. That would be so odd. I wonder if she ever had children of her own. What kind of Mother was she? How would she relate to their childhood? Surely the memories of our own childhood shape the way we raise our children. For good or for bad. Isn’t that why we hold on to traditions? To try to relive our childhood through our children’s experience of the same things we did when we were children.
I’ll stop now, I could go on and on.
*I am currently reading ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell
This painting is available on etsy
IF ‘Breezy’ – Girl With Red Balloon
Every time she held a balloon she couldn’t help worrying that it just might blow away.
I did this 8″x10″ painting this morning. She looks to the future, I see the past. Somehow we both have to try to enjoy our moments together right now without letting these thoughts get in the way. Somehow, as a Mother, I need to teach her these skills so that she can be content and happy with what she has right now.
Available on etsy.
Painting In Progress
I haven’t posted anything lately. Life gets in the way sometimes.
Here is a new painting that I am working on. This was my party dress from when I was five.(It also has a Holly Hobby pinafore that goes over top.) Now Imogen wears them for dress up. Once again, the past and the present intertwine into one.
I think that I am almost finished this one. Almost. It is harder to know with some paintings.
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IF ‘Instinct’ Little Red Riding Hood
Little red riding hood knew she shouldn’t have strayed from the path. Her mother had told her not to. It was just that she wanted her grandmother to feel better and knew that the sight of wild flowers would put a smile on her face. But now, it was getting dark and she had the strangest feeling. You know that feeling. Like she was no longer alone. Like someone was watching her.
Little red riding hood stopped picking flowers and stood up straight. Standing silently she listened for movement in the dark woods surrounding her. She moved the freshly picked flowers up toward her face. ‘Maybe their sweet smell would calm her’, she thought to herself, but this feeble gesture did nothing to ease her increasing feeling of dread. The harder she tried to listen, the louder her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She was all at once being taken over by a horrible sense of foreboding. Like she was being devoured, body and soul, by fear itself.
ACEO Easter Bonnet #2
This is a new 2.5″x3.5″ mixed media painting I did today.
This piece is available on etsy.
ACEO Easter Bonnet
This a new painting I did today. It is a 2.5″x3.5″ mixed media painting on 100% archival rag paper.
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Scarlett and The Blue Hydrangeas
This is a new painting of Scarlett in Nanny and Grandpa’s backyard. Kind of reminds me of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, which really, when you think about it, describes Victoria perfectly. It truly is a wonderland.
This is a 16″x16″ mixed media painting on a 1″ deep wood stretcher. The sides are painted red.
Circus Girl and Lion Study (ACEO)
This is an ACEO study I did today of Circus Girl lying against the lion’s mane.
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ACEO Beijing Meow
This is a study of our cat, Beijing Meow.
Circus Girl and The Newsprint Flowers
Here is a new Circus Girl painting. This one is large, I really felt like painting a larger version of her … she is almost life size.
This piece is a 24″x30″ mixed media painting on wood.
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Jacob – Portrait?
This is Jacob, my nephew. I did this a while ago but just realized that I never posted it because it was a surprise Christmas present.
Portraits … they are a love hate thing for me. I love painting children but portraits, not so much. To me, this is more of a painting, though it does look just like him, it catches something more. His gentle, compassionate side. His shyness, his intensity, his kindness. He is a wonderful boy, he is so caring with Imogen and Scarlett, not to mention his two younger brothers.
AND he is my biggest fan! (Hi Jacob!)
Here she is. What can I say ? She was so amazing! Look at those lids!Audrey Bride
This is an original mixed media painting of Audrey Hepburn wearing a bridal veil. Who wouldn’t want to look like Audrey on their wedding day?
She is my all time favorite, I’ve always loved her.
This painting is is 3.25″x5″ on 100%rag paper
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Jean Harlow
This is an original mixed media ACEO of the fabulous Jean Harlow. She was the original blonde bombshell and died way to young. Isn’t she amazing?
Boy am I ever having fun with this new series. I am loving the research. So many of these great stars did live long lives (not always happy.) But some, like Jean didn’t even make into her thirties and yet, look at the impact she made on the world! People still love her to this day.
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Creating ACEOs With Planet Norwood
The other day I volunteered at Planet Norwood, an after school care program that my daughter Imogen attends. We created ACEO (art collections, originals and editions).
I was a bit worried at first.
I really resisted telling them what to paint. I wanted this project to be about creating there own ‘thing’ but the initial blank stares made me panic a little. (I admit, I started to sweat ). But then, the light went on for one and then another and then another until they were all working away on their tiny little works of art.
It was amazing, they all did totally different things. Pencil drawings, paint, collage, you name it. Many children that don’t even do crafts, worked on this with me, cool huh?
I also brought plastic sleeves for them to put their final piece in. That really got them excited. They all worked extra hard to finish what they were doing just so they would be able to put in a plastic sleeve. It made me realize that, like framing art, it took the art that they were doing to another level. It raised it to something more precious, a keepsake, something important. I don’t know if I have ever realized how important that is to a kid. Oh, the power of one plastic sleeve!
This is an ACEO that my five year old daughter Imogen did. 
Garbo Deco Harlequin
This is an original 16″x16″ mixed media painting on wood of Greta Garbo in the classic silent movie ‘Torrent’. I love painting from black and whites stills! The sky is the limit (colour wise).
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ACEO Torrent/Greta Garbo
This painting is of the wonderful Greta Garbo in the silent film ‘Torrent’ from 1926. Don’t you just love the black and white striped fur coat? So art deco! It is kind of a sad tale, giving Garbo lots of reason to lift those heavy lidded eyes to the heavens. This still is of the final shot in the film.
This painting is available on ebay
IF ‘Climbing’- Watching The High Wire Act
Even climbing the ladder gave Circus Girl butterflies.
Zasu Pitts
This is a new 24″x24″ mixed media painting on wood of the silent film star Zasu Pitts from the movie ‘Greed’.
I took this image with Chris’ iphone. I have always wanted to paint stills off of the TV but until now have never been happy with the results. This was such a great still, such a powerful image. I just had to paint it.
I will admit, I had no idea who this woman was or what movie the still was from while I was painting. Perhaps this is a good thing. I think if I had know, I would have used a darker palette. I was able to paint without any prejudice.
Comments are always appreciated.
A limited edition art reproduction is available of this painting.
Original SOLD
