Chick, chick,

Chick, chick, 5x7 pastel on hand- made paper
Emilie, gets chicks each spring and I have painted her older chickens several times but these are new ones just fresh from the hatchery, what fun, I remember getting hundreds of these at once time and having to dip each beak in water and food before placing them  under the heat lamp to stay warm and secure. As they become teenagers they become kind of ugly with funny feathers sticking out all over and this happens within several weeks; so this is the cute stage for sure.
This is done on a hand made paper that I have left exposed that I won as a first place winner in a show awhile back. The package of paper had five sheets and was wrapped in gold metallic tissue; too precious to use and got brave and did this on the first sheet I have used.( this was at least 15 years ago). I am at a stage in my life where I think I need to enjoy these  papers and not just leave them tucked away.

Perenial Bachelor Buttons

Periennial Bachelors Buttons 5x7 pastel on panel
These delightful flowers go by another latin name but they are  wonderful, they have a kind of lanky and graceful movement when the breezes hit them in the garden and withstand most of the elements of dryness, rain or wind. They have a freedom in them that the more formal flowers in the garden lack. I was fortunate to get these from a wonderful gardener by the name of Bev. I have recently moved and will miss these constant reminder of a free and beautiful spirit. Thank you Bev for the garden flowers we shared.

Little Bird

Little Bird 6x6 in. on LaCarte paper

Photo reference for Little Bird. It is obvious from this photo that  much needs to be done to create a painting from it. I will many time choose a photo that leaves much to my imagination, it seems to get my creative juices flowing. Since I have been away from my easel for several months, this was a fun challenge.

Further challenges besides the photo was that being absent from the easel I broke my cardinal rule, NO FIXATIVE. You guessed it , I used fixative and it spattered spots all over so had to go back to square one.  In spite of my mistakes I am happy with the  piece and will try to post on a more regular basis. 

Open House

These are a few photos of my new studio/ gallery as it was set up for my Open House, thank you to all who came to make it special. I have met so many new artists and people interested in the arts that I think this will be a fantastic place to be for the classes and gallery. My Family is greatly responsible for all of this to happen in  the 9 weeks since we have moved here. The Lord has richly blessed us.

Open house

New studio/ gallery
Open house Art and  "Chocolate, How Sweet it Is" Nov 1, 4pm -8 pm;Nov. 2 ,10am-6pm; Nov 3 9 am-5pm. This is an outside view of the studio and I will show the refurbished inside in the next post. Thank you for your infinite patience, Unpacking, painting , installing a hanging system and arranging for the Open House has kept me busy. Would love to see you at the open house and you can see it all in person.

Back at last

The last I wrote in this blog, we were moving and we are now in our new home in  Alexandria, MN.. I haven't been at my easel for a very long time. Getting a bit settled while teaching has taken a bit longer than I would like.
The new studio had to be totally emptied so the floor could be refinished, then needs to be painted and this is where the glitch of the century comes in. I messed up badly in choosing my paint color and after two days and two coats it was as bad as it can get. Sooooooooooooooo tomorrow off the the paint store and a new batch of color or "non-Color" as it will be a neutral and will start again. In the meantime my Granddaughter , Mahlet, will have a gallon and a half of paint for her room, in her favorite color, but certainly not her Grandmas.
Drapes are ordered and then the unpacking can begin and yes...................I will be painting again soon, I hope, but first DO need a studio. Thank you for your patience.
The new home and community are wonderful. We are very blessed.

Stay Tuned

Please be patient with my non-entering of new paintings. We are moving to Alexandria, MN, selling our farm and packing. We will be in our new home after the 22nd of August. and it will take awhile to set up my fantastic new studio and gallery. So PLEASE stay tuned for more exciting news on this big move