Doggy Paddlin'

"Doggy Paddlin'"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on clayboard)
$275

I finally finished this little painting yesterday so that I could hang it in a local exhibit at the Palmer Library in Palmer, Massachusetts. It is part of the Library's Community Collaborative "Rivers" Art Exhibit. A reception is scheduled for Wednesday night from 5:00 - 6:30 pm with a poetry reading event following from 6:30 - 8:00. You can find more information here if you are interested in attending. It should be a lovely event.

Have a great day!

Flying By The Seat Of My Pants

Happiness is . . . a vintage Fisher Price toy collection!
(Although for all you purists, this is the Playskool McDonald's)

I tend to like routine and plans but for a little over a year now I've had some life things get in the way. Nothing bad, just the way things go sometimes. I'm sure you all understand. And in the midst of tending to unexpected life events I decided I still must focus more on my art career and not let the momentum I've worked so hard to achieve, slow down. That means staying consistent . . . which can be really difficult when life gets in the way.

Part of that consistency includes marketing and consciously setting time aside to devote to just that, something I've never really done. (While I have a love affair with routine, I often have a tough time sticking to it). It takes loads of discipline, something I've always struggled with.

And part of my new marketing plan is a new instagram account: "Real Housewives of Fisher Price." (There really is a method to my madness, even though this seems completely random!) 

I've created a crazy cast of characters with storylines a la "Real Housewives" and have been posting little "episodes" for a couple of weeks, I hope you will check it out. I've also created a new Facebook page for the #RHOFP which you can access here. It's fun and challenging and different. But most of all, it takes time and while I try to stay disciplined and ahead of the game, somedays I still find myself flying by the seat of my pants! 

Another Day at the Office

"Another Day at the Office"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on aquabord)
$200

Click here to purchase.

By the time you read this post, I should have my Little People calendars in! I'm excited to see them. It's a little late, but at least it's still January.  (yikes) 

In the meantime, here is one of the paintings in the calendar. For busy flight attendants, a trip to a foreign destination is just "another day at the office."

Enjoy your day!

Little People Prints

Looking for some art for your baby or toddler's room?  Or maybe you're just a vintage Fisher Price fan like me.  I've recently uploaded these images onto my imagekind.com gallery.  You can access it through my website here.  At Imagekind you can choose your size and whether you want a stretched canvas print or one on paper.  They will even mat and frame for you!  

I'm hoping to upload some more images in the near future and am presently working on a new desk calendar for 2018 so stay tuned!

Part Two

"At CCD"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on cradled aquabord)

This is the painting I did for Sister Angela who has taken another position within the Diocese after 30+ years serving the people of our church. Together, Father and Sister were a team and built a beautiful and loyal community within our Parish. It is very sad to see them go.

These two folks have great senses of humor, so I'm hopeful that Sister "schooling" Father at CCD will be well-received.  :)

More Amsterdam paintings to come this week, so stay tuned . . .

Taking Risks

"Watching the Red Sox"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on cradled aquabord)

I took a little detour from my Amsterdam paintings to work on a couple of gifts. While I haven't yet delivered them, I'm pretty sure the recipients don't follow me online, so I think I'm safe. And yes, that's a priest.  :)  Our dear Parish Pastor, Father Fitzgerald, has retired after 30+ years and we are all sad to see him go. He and his loyal sidekick, Sister Angela actually look a lot like these Fisher Price people -- Father and Sister are the cutest, most adorable little people I know . . . and one of the great teams in history. 

Anyway . . . I did a painting for each of them . . . this one is for Father. But there is a painting lesson in here that I wanted to share with you. Take a look at the version of this painting mid-way, below:

It's horrible! The reference image had the background darker, and in shadow, so that is what I aimed to paint. And if you are familiar with the Fisher Price toys of this era, the blue on the walls is a weird, almost dirty looking blue. Too often I succumb to being a slave to the photo -- something I am really striving to avoid these days . . . but alas, I was sucked in and my painting was lifeless and dirty looking.  There was no way I could continue it like this. I would either have to do something drastic or start over.  So I went "drastic" and decided to wash off the background. (This is one of the perks of aquabord.)

To the sink I went . . . and carefully holding the board under the running water, only where I wanted to "erase," I began to get rid of the majority of paint in the background. The Winsor blue is a staining pigment so I knew it wasn't all going to wash off, however, I wanted to leave a ghost image so I knew where to re-paint. 

Luckily, it worked like a charm and I could revise the background.  I brightened it up, making new decisions about what the painting needed as opposed to what the photo was showing me.  

So I validated two valuable lessons here (I say "validated" because deep down I know these things, I just don't always apply them):

1)  Let your painting speak to you . . . and be sure to listen. It will tell you where to go and what it needs.  Don't just paint your reference photo.

2)  Take a risk on a painting that isn't working. The worst that can happen is you start over . . . the best is that you salvage something that would never have worked in the first place.

Thanks for popping by.  Tomorrow I will share the painting I did for Sister Angela.  :)

Who's Jumping on that Bed?

"Jumping on the Bed"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on cradled aquabord)
SOLD

Those crazy kids are at it again!  Jumping on the bed .... oooh they're naughty!  #3 in my series.  I'm so grateful for my clients!

It's In The Mail

"Mailing a Letter"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on cradled aquabord)
SOLD

The second of four in my commissioned family series.  Hope you are having a lovely week!

Little Peoplepalooza

"Family of Four"
8" x 8"
(watercolor on cradled aquabord)
SOLD

I'm done with one of my commissions -- the four Little People paintings.  "Family of Four" is the first in the series.  I'm excited to share the rest of them with you!

Thank you for checking in.

The Gentleman Farmer

"The Gentleman Farmer"
8" x 8"
watercolor on aquabord
SOLD

I can't remember if I ever posted this all completed -- but here it is.  And it's sold!  :)  Thank you CK -- I hope you enjoy it -- it's on its way.

Have a delightful day!

No Cavities!

No Cavities!
11" x 14"
watercolor on cradled aquabord

Click here to purchase.

I'm continuing to finish up some older paintings that have been sitting around the studio, while making small steps in starting some new small ones. I had some issues with the floor in "No Cavities!" I would paint it, then scrub it out . . . paint it again, then scrub it out. I think I finally got it.  The colors in these Fisher Price paintings are sooo much fun.  I'm finishing up the wheels on "Gentleman Farmer" so hopefully that will be up soon.

Thank you for continuing to stop by to see what's new.