Does This Lipstick Make My Butt Look Big???

This was so much fun to do!!! I have been wanting to do a series of "Up In Smoke" images in honor of my Daddy, who smoked up to and on the day he went to Heaven!

I used old newspaper for the cigarette,ashes and the round tree shrubs. Then I used matches that I lit and burned, then glued on the canvas for the tree trunks. I actually lit a candle and tried to burn the cigarette end to get an ash look, can't really tell from my scan. The rest is painted with acrylic and finished with a clear protective gloss.

This one is for you Daddy!!!

"A" is for "Anna's Hat"

As I promised, I am starting an alphabet series of ladies and their hats! This is the first, and I was experimenting with color. That explains the colors of blue and purple in her face, but I really liked the result! So, here is Anna and Her Hat, which matches her flower brooch. (That is sooo me, I love the way women dressed in the 40's, all the fab accessories...I collect and wear them all)...I punched out flower shapes from old newspaper and glued them to the canvas. Then, I added some paint to add color and dimension.
She is painted on an oval shape of wood that I will use for the series..I found out I absolutely LOVE to paint on wood!!! And I added some glitter nail polish to her flowers, but it does not show up on my scan of the painted piece.

Me and Scooter Boy

Had to share this photo, taken by me at my Mom's house last weekend. Her dog Scooter is a real boy in doggy clothes, I swear!!! I had just picked him up from the doggy beauty parlor and he was too cute. He is a Yorkie/Shih Tsu mix and the light in her world!

My Current Work Table Projects

I have been so busy at "the drawing board" and thought I'd take some photos to share with you. I am working on some new sculptures of my characters that I paint. Here is a head for what I think I will title "Bird Brain". She will have a bird's nest "hat" with a sculpted birdie nesting in it.

The top photo shows some jewelry ideas using utensils and collages of my art and a photo of me at 6 yrs old... I will show more later, when completed. I am just experimenting with some ideas I had! Fun stuff. I am also painting and collaging paper mache boxes to go with the jewelry and larger boxes for gift ideas.

Chirp!

I love hearing the birds singing and chatting in the wee hours of morning! I know Spring is finally here! I was inspired to paint this piece and sorry about the quality of my photographic skills. A bit on the blurry side.

This was painted on a wooden board and framed. I painted the frame with the little birdie sashaying across the bottom and saying "Chirp". He is collaged from old newspaper pieces. The words are cut out from newspaper also, and the piece is finished with a clear protective gloss. Hey, a bird is singing out there right this minute!!! How cool is that!

The Bunny Suit

Just in time for Easter!! I just love that outfit! And that look on her face...What is she thinking??

This cutie is painted with acrylics on a 4" x 6" canvas board. I am going to make greeting cards with the prints from this little painting. I decorated the "Egg Trees" and she is holding an "Egg Flower".

New Project

I have been asked to design and paint a mural for an area of Marietta, Ohio, called Harmar Village! They liked the earlier work I did for Marietta, Ohio, Washington County Convention and Visitor's Bureau. I will have the opportunity to work with art student volunteers helping with painting the mural under my direction. I will also be painting it. If there is a paint brush, I have to use it... This is to be started in April and hopefully well into production for the town's first 2009 Artist Walk in May. Too Cool!!! What an awesome experience for me and something I can give and donate my time to. I am touched to be asked and love giving to the community. I will be posting pics as it progresses once it is started.

This Life...Bruce Springsteen

And a million stars
cresting where you stood
the beauty in the neighborhood
this lonely planet never looked so good.

This life, this life and then the next
with you I have been blessed
what more can you expect.

This life, this life and then the next
I finger the hem of your dress
my universe at rest.

from "This Life" Bruce Springsteen

I'm a bit behind

I'm a bit behind in posting! I was without Internet and phone service for a while!! The phone company had problems in their phone lines...wow, it really makes you realize how much you can become dependent on those forms of communication! I missed my daily ritual of visiting blogs while I enjoyed my cup of morning tea. I will be posting new work in a day or so! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Have a lovely weekend!

Well, last night I went to an opening at our Art Center and loved the work!!! How inspiring. I need to do this more often. I had to go and write a critique for one piece for a class assignment. Too hard to pick just one to write about.

Anyhoo, there was great live music and the awesome jazz guitarist asked me if I would be on his new CD cover!!! Well, hecks yeahhhh....the photoshoot will be in about a month. He has a great company he works with.

Well, I am working in my sketchbook this weekend on ideas and watching basketball play-offs. Have a safe one!

FiFi Sees the Light

This is an acrylic on 8" x 8" canvas board. I cut out the words and pasted them on. Finished it with a clear protective gloss.

Bunnie's Hat

This painting was a lot of fun! Notice the egg trees in the background... I painted this piece on a block of wood in acrylics. Then I sealed it with a nice gloss varnish.

I got this idea for a series, let me know what you think!! After I painted "Miriam's Hat" and "Bunnie's Hat", I thought I should go through the alphabet with names and each character is wearing their hat, The Hat Series. I also want to do a Cocktail Hour Series with the characters enjoying their fav cocktail, and the names of the cocktails would follow the alphabet also...

Kreativ Blogger Award!

A big thank you to Cris at

Mommy's Midwest Mountain Folk Art

for giving me this award, it is truly appreciated !!!!

I have to list the 7 things I love and then 7 other people who I think deserve this award...

1) My family, friends and pets

2) Creating art

3) Thrift shop finds and vintage anything

4) Learning new techniques in areas of design and artwork

5) Decorating

6) Travel (unfortunately, I don't get to do that very often either!)

7) Thai Food

Now on to the 7 people (in no particular order) I think deserve this award, these are all blogs that I visit regularly and whose work always makes me smile.

Jenn at I'm Still Me (just better!)

Linda at LINDA CARDINA

Kaili at Billy and Button

Kim at Once Upon A Blue Crow

Donna at *heart* Life

Julie-ann at Heavenleigh Art

Kimberly at Soggy Dog Studios

Miriam's New Hat

I love her face, it speaks to me. And that red auburn hair! Totally electric.

Miriam's flower brooch and flower on her hat are cut from a decorative paper that I glued on. I used a cute flower punch. Love those things, makes life so much easier and saves a bundle of time!!

Painted this gal last night and could not wait to post her.

Title Change

OOps! I had an epiphany while trying to fall asleep last night...I was thinking about my paintings and I came up with a better title for Crows Anyone, which I posted a couple of days ago. Now it is titled Something to Crow About. Does anyone else have those moments when you get an idea for your art at the oddest times??? Ideas pop into my head when I am driving, exercising, trying to meditate...I guess that is why meditation never relaxes me! I can't ever seem to relax my mind, those wheels turning constantly sometime gives me motion sickness! Creative minds never sleep, I guess.

Flower Girl

I really like how the colors turned out in this 8" x 8" acrylic painting. I am trying new things with the colors, something I have not done and enjoy the results. Of course, she had to have her nail polish match her lipstick. Just like me, I love to wear red!! Who do you think she is offering her purple flower to??

Secret Box

This was an old recipe box I found at a local thrift store. I finally decided what to do with it. I painted the box and layered colors of black and red. Then I added scraps of paper for my design. I painted the inside of the box black and will line it with some pretty paper.

The top of the box is lush in color and I used a crackle finish that worked perfectly. I used a rubber stamp to get a soft pattern in the background surrounding the woman. I like pearls and gave her a matching set!

Something to Crow About

This was fun to experiment with. I tried a different style and used a crackle finish on this piece to give it a bit more character.

Red Balloon

This is a new style I am trying out. Having lots of fun experimenting...

"Red Balloon" is painted with acrylics on a small 4" x 6" canvas board. I just painted her today and would like to use this character in more paintings.