what's black & white & wooly?

I've been experiencing a slow period, creatively speaking, but I've managed to eke out a few paintings. It seems that when my muse is off on holiday, I revert back to my comfort zone and for some inexplicable reason, that seems to be crows & seagulls (with the odd sheep thrown in). Here's a few that fit the above criteria. "Symbiosis" "No Parking" "Family Tree" "Fall Guys"

I can't resist a dog in a sweater...

I met a lady once with one of those little naked hairless terriers. She explained that he needed a sweater for all seasons; in the Summer so he wouldn't get sunburned & in the Winter to keep warm. He was a nervous little thing, but she allowed me to pet him. He felt like warm rubber. This is a series of 8x8 acrylics.

Delicates

You can't rush the sun. Might as well relax and have a cup of tea while you wait... Acrylic, 12x16

Food for Thought

I remember the first non-picture book I read as a kid. It was called "The Green Grass of Wyoming" and I curled up on the sofa and got lost in another world. Now I need those glasses that are perched atop the pile just to see the pictures. Acrylic 11x14

Door with a Red Coat

I like doors - especially old ones. This painting was done as a study for a larger piece. The larger painting hasn't happened yet. I'm hopeful that it still It might. Acrylic 20 x 16 inches

Hens

I love to visit my friend Marion's chickens. I think they may be the best fed chickens around - Marion's chicken run is right next to her greenhouse and sometimes the produce goes directly to the "girls". They are certainly healthy and each shows her gratitude by laying a lovely brown egg everyday. I'm lucky to be the recipient of some of those eggs. On the day that I shot the reference pictures for these paintings, the ladies proudly fluffed up their petticoats and strutted their stuff for the camera! Pas de Deux, 8x10, Acrylic Steppin' Out, 8x8, Acrylic One Singular Sensation, 8x8, Acrylic

Still life...... goes on

Time for an update. Here's a couple of still lifes that may resonate with the baby boomers out there. "Childhood Retrospective" is a collection of my husband's old toys. I was going to call it "Ex Box" but thought better of it. 20x16, Acrylic I don't know how far the game of Tiddledy Winks goes back - amazing how universal it was though! I wonder what the kids of today would think if we took away their electronics & substituted a game of Tiddledy Winks? 10x10, Acrylic

Local Attractions

Here on the "Sunshine Coast" we expect Paradise... but sometimes the sunshine is liquid. There have been myriads of paintings done of Molly's Reach, our most famous local attraction. It was the cornerstone of a long-running television series "The Beachcombers". Many people recognize the building still and it's not often one would wander around the village of Gibsons Landing and NOT find someone taking a picture of Molly's Reach. My version shows Molly's on one of those less-than-picture-perfect days. Acrylic, 12x12 inches I've always been a big fan of a good fish 'n chips feed. There's not too many coastal towns that don't have a local fish shop. A pretty good feed can be had here at Gibsons Fish. Acrylic, 16x16 inches

Sunday Morning

This one would fall under the category of "seemed like a good idea at the time". By the time I got to "Betty" I was beginning to doubt my bright idea. I'm glad I persevered though, as I was pleased with the final result. I admit that I still seek out the comics section of the Sunday paper. Along with some home-made jam on whole wheat toast and a glass of orange juice, I'm good to go! On cradled wood panel, acrylic, 20x24 inches.

Welcoming Committee

Well I guess it's obvious that I'm turning over a new leaf (for this week anyway!) since this is my second posting in almost as many days. Now that I've gotten over the excitement of my new computer, I'm back spending more time at the easel. While I'm in the process of musing over my current painting, I'm also realizing that there's still quite a few that I haven't posted here yet. I'm still irrationally fascinated by glass bottles of ketchup and after failing to find any in the supermarkets, I was quite beside myself with glee when I found one in a local corner store. Subsequently it has been the subject of, or taken a cameo role in several more of my paintings. This is a scene from another local cafe, "Truffles" in Gibsons Landing. I confess that I dubbed in the glass ketchup bottle as it was so much more aesthetically pleasing than the plastic one being offered. This painting is acrylic and also 12x24 inches, which has come to be one of my favourite formats.

Cyber Envy

I've been checking out some other blogs recently and have discovered that some other folks have been kind enough to give my little blog a shout-out. I'm so impressed with some people's blogs; their obvious skill at spinning a yarn and their ability to make the blogs really interesting with all sorts of eye-candy. I feel totally incompetent in that respect. What you see here is basically all my feeble mind knows how to do. Well, on the bright side, it's not too confusing. I do wonder how people find the time though. In the past I have avoided the computer, because I know that as soon as I engage in the World Wide Web, I might as well say goodbye to several hours of what could be most therapeutic painting time. Recently, however, I bought myself a lovely new imac with a 24 inch screen, and this has made resistance completely futile. How can one resist images in brilliant colour that can be seen clear across the room? I'm ashamed to say that I have convinced myself that I do it in the name of research for my next artistic endeavour. And I wonder why my carpal tunnel is suddenly resurfacing... Alright, I'd better follow that up with something colourful. As an homage to the latest cyber-craze, "Twitter" I have come up with this. It's called "Tweeters" and is 24x12inches, acrylic. This painting was an antidote to one that I had been working on, over which I had been encountering a great deal of difficulty with perspective issues. Incidentally, I have attempted to "tweet", but again have been stymied by my lack of cyber-skills.

Buoyant!

In these troubled times when it becomes increasingly clear to me that becoming a "professional artist" just might not put food on the table, I felt like doing something to lift the spirits. So I created a lady who doesn't care about all that. She's in her moment and has managed to find her bliss. Ahhhhhh......

there's something about condiments...

I've done a few paintings based on this same scenario. I'm rather pleased with the outcome of this one. The person reflected in the teapot may or may not be me.... 12x24, acrylic on canvas.

Oils

I've wanted to give oils a try for ages. I love the rough blend & soft edges that oil allows. And it feels so lovely & buttery. My first efforts are small - 8x8's, and the subject matter is small too - tchotchkes that I've found around my house (most of which found its way here from my in-laws). The little donkey cart amuses me - seems like every 50's family had one. I like the piggy penny bank too & admit to slipping him into several other paintings. "Space Dog" was a childhood toy of my husband's. I gave him back his eyesight which had fallen victim to the younger brothers many years ago. I also thought he'd appreciate being put back in his natural environment - hurtling through space. He does seem to be enjoying himself. "Spacedog - Back in Orbit!" 8x8 oil on canvas

"Tchotchke (Meiji Dynasty)" 8x8 oil on canvas

"Pearls Before Swine" 8x8 oil on canvas

Afternoon Tryst

Ah, my apologies to anyone who's still checking in. My posts have been few & far between. Truth is, I'd rather be painting! Anyway, I'll try to be more current with my posts henceforth.

I'm still in my retro phase - fascinated with objects from the past - intrigued with their sense of history. This is a 24x24 acrylic still life with three objects from the same era. It has a tropical feel for me. Perhaps a couple has just come in to get a break from the afternoon heat and well, one thing has led to another...

Secret Keepers

I'm very drawn to items and articles that imply a history. These bags and boxes more than fit that bill. They are all containers that were found in my in-laws' house after the passing of my father-in-law. They each held memories in one form or another; photos, greeting cards, children's drawings, baby clothes & toys, pressed flowers, certificates, letters, and even some rock-hard candies from a Christmas long past. The sifting process released a roller-coaster of emotion - what to keep and what to discard? Were these things kept deliberately, or were they simply stashed and forgotten? How do you discard a greeting card from soldier to girfriend all those years ago? The process itself is a journey back in time. I knew I wanted to paint these pieces and tried many different configurations before I decided on the one that I found especially pleasing. In the end I even cropped that image as I felt that it contained enough information to tell the story. Acrylic, 12 x 24 inches.

Three Bags Full

I felt that it was time for a little fun. I've always wanted to try painting sheep, not only for the challenge, but because I have very fond memories of one particular sheep - Baaabara. She was a childhood friend and I raised her after I found out that the neighbour farmer was going to do away with her because she was too small & fragile. I begged my dad to let me keep her and with a whole lot of TLC she thrived and eventually became an enormous (and very smelly) ball of wool. She would come running when I called her over the fence, bleating loudly in staccato rythm as she trotted towards me. She was the only sheep on our farm (we had mostly cows) and Baaabara had a bit of an identity crisis. She wasn't sure if she was cow or human. These three are practising line dance. I think that's Baaabara in the middle - the confident one. The one on the left is Shona - she's a young sheep concentrating very hard, and that's Jennifer on the right. She's adding a "tush push" to the steps. (She's like that). Acrylic 12 x 24 x 1.5 inches

When Uncle Arthur Came to Stay

Well this is my most challenging painting to date and I must say, I'm rather pleased with the result. It's a compilation of several images actually. The chair is one I've had for years, the door is from my daughter's house, the hat is from an elderly friend, and the suitcase belonged my inlaws. The light is courtesy of the sunshine and the window shadows are from my imagination. That was the trickiest part by far. The scene is intended to provoke thought; Who is the visitor? Was he unexpected? What kind of reception is he receiving? Acrylic, 18x24inches.

Gibsons Gulls

This summer a curious seagull became a frequent visitor to our deck. He must have heard that I am rather fond of painting seagulls because he seemed intent on posing for me. In fact he was more than willing to share his many attitudes at a mere arm's length. All this he did in exchange for meagre tidbits from my kitchen (although he made it clear that he prefered baked goods to more healthy choices). We had somewhat one-sided conversations in which I told him what a fine feathered creature he was and I grew to look forward to his daily visits. Eventually, however, my model vanished without a fare-thee-well. I've done a few more gull paintings, but somehow it just doesn't seem the same since my muse has gone. Perhaps he felt that he was being exploited... Here's a sampler.

Molly's Condiments

Molly's Reach is an iconic establishment in beautiful downtown Gibsons Landing. The cafe was once a set for Nick, Relic and the gang who made up the cast of the long-running CBC television series, "The Beachcombers". It has now been reincarnated as a thriving little restaurant (I'm particularly fond of the breakfasts). The cafe exterior has been photographed and painted a myriad of times. Instead I chose to paint the condiments on the table. I know these could theoretically be any condiments on any table, so you'll just have to take my word on it! I confess however, the vinegar jug is a substitution for the existing sugar tray. I wanted all of the objects to be glass (because I love torture!) and because it was much better compositionally. The painting is acrylic, 24x12