Day 10 - Gentle Companions

In case the word Coo is unfamiliar to you, Coo means cow in Scotland. (so cute..) The cow pictured below is a Coo and in my opinion, the highland coo is one of the most entertaining and fun animals to paint.  They have adorably expressive faces and shaggy fur, plus the horns... which are just the icing on the cake. This friendly lady has an aura so sweet and gentle that butterflies and ladybugs can't help but flit about her as she dons chicory blooms in her hair. 

Some color talk:

Recently, I have been exploring different tones for my backgrounds.. Many of my paintings have very light backgrounds. A favorite straight-out-of-the-tube color of mine is called Warm White (manufactured by Gamblin). I love this color as it always imparts a warm glow and I like my paintings to have a light and airy feel to them.  

I recently purchased a tube of phthalo turquoise.. (phthalo is pronounced Thalo.. why is there a phth?  Dunno..) and have been using pops of it here and there in many of my recent paintings..  Today, I made a puddle phthalo turquoise and mixed it with a tiny bit of indian yellow and burnt sienna (two colors complimentary to phthalo turquoise).  This helped to knock it down and neutralize it a notch...phthlao colors are intense.. After mixing it, I thought that this shade of "warm" turquoise could potentially be a pleasing variation to the warm tones that are in the Coo and insects so I used it for my background.  And that's my color story.  I think it worked out nicely.. :)

Sometimes paintings are dense with philosophical meaning (my last two were...) and sometimes paintings are simply designed to make you smile. This is one of the latter kind, and I am just as happy with these kinds of paintings as the ones that are laden with symbolism.  I think there is room for all kinds of art in this world and joyful art definitely has a place.  That said, I am very happy if you do find meaning in my paintings. Art is for everyone and is a unique experience for each of us.

"Gentle Companions", oil, 10"x10", click here for purchasing details

Day 23 of the 28 in 28 - RhinOlive

 Ok, so this is not the smartest title in the world... I am typing this one at around 11 p.m. and my title brain is not functioning at optimal levels.. Be that as it may, I do love painting jars of olives. The muted greens and pops of red are saweet and painting them all squashed into a glass jar is even better. Add to the mix the fact that this was my first foray into painting Rhinos and this proved to be an all around fun painting to do :)  I can't say why jars of olives call for an animal atop, but I've painted them before with zebras, horses and even ducks, and it just makes sense to may aesthetic.  I'm not going to question this one.  Just let it be.

Check out the detail below for one of my favorite parts of the painting.
 

RhinOlive, oil on panel, 10"x10"
to purchase, please click here

One of the reasons I love painting is my ongoing love affair with color and brush stroke.  Sometimes magic happens and the color just zings and the juicy brushwork sings.. and that is what keeps me coming back for more.. ♥

Day 21 of the 28 in 28 - Delicious Monster

 Today's painting is the latest in my Hawking's snail exploration series where a precocious snail has found the pleasure of choice...  Today's shell choice is vase with a few stems of one of her favorite plants, the Monstera Deliciosa, or, the Swiss Cheese plant.  I prefer delicious monsters, myself and titled the painting as such... :) Either way, the shapes are luscious and the color... same. ♥♥♥

Delicious Monster, oil on panel, 8"x8"
to purchase, please click here

According to wikipedia,  "The specific epithet deliciosa means "delicious", referring to the edible fruit, while monstera means "monstrous", in reference to the size that this plant can grow to, over 9 m (30 ft) in many cases."

Day 12 of the 28 in 28 - Shell of a Cake

I haven't paid snails enough attention.  This shortcoming should be remedied as I explore a new series of Hawking's snail.. who is on a bender creating contemporary shells for herself.. Today's experiment is a cupcake.. I do love the spiral shell that snails always sport, but the question occurred to me last week, what if snails could change out their shells, and if they could, what kinds of shells could they choose from.  Turns out the selection is just about endless.  So many possibilities.. I don't think the bender is going to end soon...

Shell of a Cake, oil on panel, 8"x8"
to purchase, please click here

detail of Shell of a Cake.. yum.

Day 2 of the 28 in 28 - A Smile is the Beginning of Love

 This loving little painting is here to help fill you with warmth and tenderness because sometimes all we need is just a whisper of love.  Sweet nothings and gentle words... the little things said that mean a lot... Today I will make a point to be kind to a stranger, say something nice to a friend and tell my family I love them. <3 

It is interesting to note that when you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress.  Then dopamine and endorphins are released too to help relieve pain, alleviate depression and make us happier.  Which came first the smile or the happy?  Try smiling when you are feeling down... maybe especially when you are feeling down.  A smile is the beginning of love :)

Thank you for following me through out the month as I paint a painting a day.

A Smile is the Beginning of Love, 9"x12", oil on panel, $295
to purchase please click here

Day 24 of the 30 in 30 - The Moment Before

 Once again, the Red Balloon has made an appearance in my painting.. I didn't intend to continue the exploration of this theme, but here it is.  Another unexpected thing, I didn't expect the presence of a balloon in my paintings would create such tension. But again, there it is. 

I titled this one "The Moment Before" after I sat and just stared at the painting for awhile, trying to figure out what is going on here.. Is the bird going to pop the balloon? Is this the same bird from the last red balloon painting?  Is the cat going to jump for the bird? Are they friends? Why is the balloon tied to the cat's tail? Are they playing a game? Is the cat trying to trick the bird?  I honestly don't have the answers.  I just painted the image, but I don't know what is going to happen or how they got there. Your guess is as good as mine!  So, this painting is about the moment right before we find out... it is an image frozen in time that is so full of questions, and tense with what will be.

Moments Before, oil, 10"x10", click here to purchase