Coming up for air!

Whoa! Somebody needs a blog update! Here is one of the paintings that won a ribbon at the Clallam County Fair last month. Meantime, I will get with my webmaster and see about updating the website and linking to the blogs.

Spring thaw

Well, the weather is mild enough here that we don't worry too much about thawing. Not like we did in Alaska, anyway. But as the days warm slowly and the newborn calves and lambs discover their running legs, we also see the profusion of daffodils and primroses. Trees are beginning to bud. Giving myself a sabbatical from painting to draw and enjoyed sketching this calf at the pasture last week.

Happy New Year!

A new year, a clean slate! I always think on January 1st, "What can I do to make this year better than last?" Do more for others and live my faith better come to mind. In terms of purpose, the answer may be a little more evasive. It has been a little over three years since we left Alaska for Washington state, and I've been floundering around trying to figure out what to do with my art. Bottom line, what do I love? Answer, illustrating stories. I have a cool commission from a magazine to create four paintings to illustrate a story which will be published in the spring. As a result, I have left the Blue Whole Gallery, a co op, to focus more on creating better art in more of the areas that mean the most to me. I love painting airplanes, I love painting Alaska! I'll comment as the paintings progress but the illustrations will have to wait until they are published in the magazine before I can show them here. Still, there will be others to share. Keep watching! This site is one that I share primarily non aviation paintings on, while airplane pieces will appear on Skywriting. Meantime, off to the studio so spend the first day of the year having fun!

Merry Christmas!

It is Christmastime and we stop to reflect and celebrate. Friends coming for dinner tonight, then we'll attend candlelight church services. Planning a quiet day tomorrow. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas with all the blessings that only this most magical of seasons brings. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our troops serving around the world. Thank you!

New paintings!

Here are a couple of new paintings that I did just for fun- in between aviation and Coast Guard pieces. The dancer is from reference photos I took while at a Moroccan restaurant in Savannah last summer. The teacup will become one of a series for the EBay store. We unpacked a box of grandma's teacups and they make great still life studies.

Holidays!

It's holiday time and soon we'll be into a new year. I will be leaving the Blue Whole Gallery in Sequim at the end of this month and planning to start an EBay store. There is also a website that I will be joining as soon as I provide my information to the webmaster. It has been a busy several weeks with the chorus singing at many places, we've enjoyed some company over Thanksgiving and I have a commission from a magazine for four paintings which I'll start soon.I'll try to get postings more frequently. Meantime, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and all the best in 2010.

Did a demo at the Audubon Center this morning. Worked from photos since I wasn't sure how to gauge the weather when I signed on for this. Well, it was sunny! The painting will hopefully be finished in time to display at the Blue Whole for September/October.