Vernal Equinox is Here

There's nothing I like more than to be out walking the dogs in the spring. My eyes are searching for buds on trees, lilac bushes (Spokane's know as the 'Lilac City'), bulbs, bleeding hearts and chutes everywhere. It keeps me BELIEVING! Oh yeah... this painting needs to be finished.

Hey, did you see that big old moon last night? Wow... it was beautiful. Wish I had photographs to share. Happy Sunday :)

Finishing up and A Botany Question

I've been spending the past few days whooping it up in my studio... finishing the unfinished. Here are my honey and I in San Francisco about 5 months before we were married. I'd wanted to give it to him in June. Didn't happen :) There are 2 others being 'wrapped up' as well. These are larger paintings on canvas that I'll probably keep.

Does anyone know the name of this 'flower'? I bought it at a little market with fresh cut stems... the girl said is was called (and I spell phonetically) ''Pressia". (I did a search and didn't find anything) Anybody??? I'd love to learn more about it. It's quite large and the zig-zag leaves are so unusual! (planning on drawing/painting it)

Happy Friday everyone.

PS I've updated the etsy shop and will add a few more prints Saturday... check it out here!

Sniffing a Daisy

Here's a new woodblock started today!! It goes with the same theme as the paintings/winter madness/ only-spring-will-make-it-right. I like the way it's going... this is actually going to be a triptych.

We've had wind, sun, hail, snow and thunder showers all in one day! Pretty moody weather :) I'm banking on the theory of transitional weather is a sign of sunshine as the season changes.

Hope y'all had a nice Easter... we did. I baked an apple pie and my brother cooked the real food, just the way I like it!

Painting and Violets

This unfinished lady is part of the Winter Madness series (must come up with a better name). She loves daffodils (or 'daffs' as the Brits say - love their sayings) and is proudly showing them off. Hoping to finish her sometime this week and make her face/skin more interesting and textured. It actually hit 70 degrees late yesterday afternoon. All these extreme temps are so very baffling. Half afraid to plant some flowers in the ground but will be brave and do it!

Gotta love these unusual violas... (I prefer to call them Violets!) Peach and purple, an unlikely combo and so beautiful!

Monday Monday

Wow, I've been listening to a lot of 'oldies' on the radio and it shows in my posts today! We've been so occupied lately building trains, high bridges and play-dough pizzas... and holding our cat I have not had much of a chance to get online. My sweet 14 year old cat suddenly got very sick... turns out he has lymphoma and won't last long which is tough to take.

Here are some paintings I worked on this weekend... the bottom 2 are still in process but getting closer to being done. The lady on top I just sketched out this am. I really felt like doing a face today and voila! Might paint her in the grisaille (spelling?) method if I have the patience for it :). Hope your Monday is going well.

Making Progress

The Kite Shop at the Beach

Arles Cafe

Perfumed Hilltop

I'd rather be posting completely finished pieces today... but 'life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.' (Thank you, John Lennon... such true words in 'Mommyland'!) Today I will finish up and perhaps Sat. The Kite Shop is done, though and I'm really happy with it. It's a good sign when you really just want to keep it for yourself! These will probably land in my etsy shop sometime next month.

For fun today, my daughter and I are going to the annual quilt show here in Spokane. It's a yearly ritual for me and now for her since she's gone with me her whole life! I'll be hoping to get a bit of new, brightly colored wool felt from the vendor section.... hooo-haa! Have a happy Friday.

A Hint of Blue

My little collaborator wandered over to my painting station while I was getting the mail! Now look at my drawing that I was about to paint with gouache :( Whah! Well, now that it's shot to 'H' (as we say around here) I may paint it anyway for fun and see what happens... with unlikely colors... get a little Fauve!

Odette

Preliminary crayon rubbing on woodblock.

This lovely lady is the latest mini print I've been working on. She's looking a bit serious and of course she's in progress. I'm getting close to printing 3-4 new images and will post them soon!

Christmas in July Prints

Practicing Debussy

Cannery Row

Here are some new prints I'm working on for a show that celebrates Christmas in July. I've never been in this particular show before, so I really want to have some brand new things to bring. It will be the 3rd weekend in July... They also have a 'real' Christmas show in November. I love having new deadlines - it lights a fire under my bum and gets me generating new work... love it.

New Carvings

In the drawing stage...

Here are some of my latest woodblock carvings - the start of a series inspired by the beach/ocean. I'm going to print these in layers... probably using light-colored inks. I may experiment with colored paper too... just in the mood to do something completely different than the usual. I'm running low on wood and need to place an order, which will set me back about a week or less - wish I had ordered earlier, I like to have it on hand when I'm ready to work!

Test Print

Here's a test print of Barefoot Friends in dark blue ink. I have more carving to do now!