ACEO Circus Girl Study
This is an original mixed media ACEO on 100% rag paper of Circus Girl . I am in the process of writing a Children’s book about circus girl. This is another study of her. She really is one of my favorite characters to paint. The more I paint her, the more I know her and, the more I love her. I hope that you feel the same way.
ACEO The Ballerina
Monday morning, I always like to wake up to someone including me in a treasury on etsy. It just makes the day start out right. Especially when it is with a group artists that are so amazing. In fact, most of them were already favorites of mine on etsy! Anyway, the piece that was included is called ‘Red Guitar’ (available) and the treasury is entitled ‘Little Women’.
The above ACEO is called The Ballerina.
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ACEO Folk Festival
This is an ACEO of Imogen at the Folk Festival this summer. It was so beautiful at this moment, magic hour. She loved it but as always, then she gets contemplative.
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ACEO Joy
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I’ve been feeling rather joyless lately about my art. Not for very long, just a few days but none the less, I started to think about why this last year I have been able to find such joy in painting. So much so that I couldn’t wait to get back to it. It has not always been like that. I used to torture myself throughout the process of doing a painting. I really never found much joy in the process, only the result. These last few days, I have been feeling like that again and it all has to do with that nasty old ego. It has stepped in and is trying to take over.
“Go away ego, I will continue to paint for the joy of it and if someone likes it along the way then that is just the icing.”
I did these two ACEOs tonight and it was fun. So there.
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IF-Balloon
‘She liked the argyle socks, but what she really wanted was a balloon!’
OK, I know this is a bit of a stretch but, having a latex allergy, I really can’t bring myself to paint these things. I also know that it is extremely hard to explain to a two year old that they can’t have a balloon because mommy’s lips will swell up like a blowfish!
Opinion – Illustration Friday – I Talked To A Crow Today
I never met a crow that didn’t have an opinion about one thing or another!
This is a piece I did earlier this year.
The following poem accompanies it.
I talked to a crow today,
or rather, he talked to me.
I’m not sure what he was going on about
but he did go on and on and on.
I talked to a crow today,
he had an awful lot to say.
“Mr. Crow,” I said politely, ” will you please let me get a word in?”
But he wasn’t even listening.
He went on and on and on.
That is the way it is with crows,
and sometimes with people too.
Not really interested in conversing,
but rather in the sound of their own voice.
I listened to a crow today,
he went on and on and on.
Just Too Young
It is hard to be two. Everyone knows that you can’t teach a two year old in a ‘do what I say environment’. Don’t even try! To a two year old ‘do what I say’ means ‘do anything BUT that!’ and, make sure you pout your lips so they are touching your nose, cross your arms tight across your chest, and on occasion, throw yourself on the floor in a heap. Is it any wonder that ballet classes are offered to 3 and up? The problem with this is that a two year old sees themselves as ready and the idea that someone might even suggest that they may not be is insulting, to say the least!
UH OH … cue the lips and arms and ONE… TWO… THREE… dissolve in tears to the floor!
This is an original 12″x12″ mixed media painting on a 2″ deep wood panel.
Ring Around The Rosie
I did this illustration for the December issue of our community newspaper, The Rat Creek Press http://www.ratcreek.org/. This issue’s focus is ‘good Neighbors’.
This original mixed media painting is available here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17177061
The Red Beret- Mini Canvas
This is an original mixed media painting on a 2.5″x2.5″ mini canvas that I did today. It is available here
Another Red Accordion
This is an original 8″x10″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas.
I did an ACEO of this same image a few days ago. I am just loving this new character and colour palette! Music is very much a part of our house. The girls just love to give Chris and I a concert. They both love applause. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Not me, Chris. I can’t play a note.
My Red Accordion
This ACEO is an original mixed media painting that I did today.
I love this new character. She is a harlequin musician. Here she is playing her red accordion. I plan on doing a larger version in the next couple of days.
My Red Guitar
I love my red guitar
It almost looks juicy
I could just eat it up
It makes sweet music
That fills me up
It makes me feel happy
It makes me feel content
This an original 11″x15.5″ mixed media painting on 100% rag paper.
This painting is available here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16864305
The Girl With The Magenta Hair
Hey! I was added to another treasury today! It is called The Little Red Coat http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=18359
She stood silently in the winter night. The cold air touched the tip of her nose and flushed her cheeks. She wiggled her nose to stop the tickle in her nostrils. She liked that feeling, when the hair inside her nose began to freeze. It was an odd sensation but it meant winter was really here.
The snow sparkled in the moonlight. How could she think it so beautiful and hate it so much all at once? It was hard to explain but standing there, in the moment, with the snow softly falling around her, it was undeniably breathtaking. And for right now that was all that mattered. Perhaps that was the key to it all, not resisting it so much. Not anticipating the months to come, but instead, just taking pleasure in the beauty of the present moment.
This is a mixed media 12″x 16″ painting on wood stretcher. It is 1″ deep and the sides are painted magenta. This painting is available here http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16805934
The Thinker
It is amazing to me how children become who they become so early on in life. Imogen has always been a thinker. Very compassionate and sensitive. When she was less than a year old, you could not sing certain songs to her because they would make her cry. Really cry, like her little heart was going to break. Two of these songs were My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean and Momma’s Going To Buy You A Mocking Bird. As she has gotten older, it hasn’t really changed. She basically doesn’t like songs sung in a minor key. This kind of rules out lullabies. Maybe that is why we didn’t sleep for that three month period when she was first born! We thought we were comforting her but we were actually distressing her! I have since asked her why she didn’t like the Mocking Bird song and she said because the mamma kept taking everything away from the baby.
My friend took this picture of her and it seems to capture her in a moment of deep thought. Who knows what she was thinking about at the time, she could have just been contemplating what she wanted to whine about next! A five year old’s prerogative, you know.
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The Albino Girl
Another circus image. Step right up and see THE ALBINO GIRL! I thought her ghost like appearance was fitting giving that it is almost Halloween. I think she is beautiful, even if she is a little bit spooky.
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The Painted Lady
The painted lady. My fascination with the circus continues.
This is a 8″x10″ mixed media painting on a wood stretcher.
Scarlett Plays The Piano
I did this 8″x10″ mixed media painting today. It is of Scarlett at the piano. She really takes her playing quite seriously. My five year also takes Scarlett’s playing quite seriously. When Scarlett plays, it SERIOUSLY bugs her!
The Green Corduroy Coat
I love this coat so much. I just took it out of Scarlett’s closet so I could pass it on. Most items of clothes go through this process with out much thought but this outfit (there are matching pants) was worn by both of my girls and is a reminder that they are growing up way too fast!
This is a 8″x10″ mixed media painting on a Paulowina Wood profile strecher frame.
Blowing Kisses 101
The title pretty much says it all. Both my girls love to blow kisses.
They especially love it when you catch the kisses they’ve blown to you.
This is an original mixed media ACEO on 100% rag paper.
Victoria Rain
This is an original 2.5″x3.5″ mixed media piece on 100% rag paper.
I guess Victoria was on my mind today. I miss it, what can I say …
rain and all.
The Orange Peeler 2
This is an original mixed media piece on 100% rag paper.
I had this little painting taped down for ages. I needed the the drawing board so I decided to finish it and I am glad I did. Poor little neglected painting.
This painting is of Scarlett peeling oranges. I have done several versions of this subject and am working on a large canvas of 5 Scarletts peeling oranges in a row. I call it The Orange Peelers or The Orange Peeler Factory. It all started when I discovered that by giving Scarlett a bowl of tiny oranges to peel I could buy myself at least 20 – 30 minutes of free time. This was an event to remember and to even document! HA!
