Framed

Bought a bunch of cheap frames at the second hand store and at the dollar store.  Paid full price for a couple too but in the end it is worth it.  I like the paintings much better framed

Default Art

 One of the artists I most admire is Nora Kasten.  Her wonderful Ruby Gem painting has been like a salve to my soul - I look at it and just sink into the beauty.  So it is only to be expected I guess, that some of my work should be somewhat along the same line.  Nothing is even remotely a copy - I could not copy her work for anything (I am not nearly good enough!) but the colours, the general flow - those are influenced heavily by Nora's painting.  At this point, working with these colours and this flow is my relaxation.  I have done several paintings - more than I have photos of even! - and have found every one to be a source of tranquility to me.  Each is different, yet the same.  The top one is the largest and Colin's favourite.  He says it seems Egyptian to him somehow.  I am not sure that I see that but do like it too.

 These next two are slightly smaller than Colin's favourite.  Rhys likes the light on the one above and I like the lower one - somehow it looks like a teapot to me

This last one is tiny - about the size of a coaster - and remains one of my favourites too.  I keep wondering how I can protect it and make it into a coaster at the same time!  Maybe a frame and glass over it.

Experimenting

 So my daughter told me that I do all unrecognizable things so I am experimenting a bit with some other styles.  The top is a postcard sized painting of the bridge to the island in Stratford.  The blue one - there is a bridge in there too.  I was working from a picture collage that another friend had done.  The bottom three were just fun to do.

Toe Art by Colin

I wish I could find the photos of when Colin painted my nails for Christmas one year.  He did a great job on them too.  The toe art was done as a summer joke - so I could have Wedgwood Toes.  I loved it. 

Playing with texture

Colin bought me some modeling paste to try out.  I have used different things to get texture into a painting - salt, pepper (yes pepper), crumpled paper, paper towels with embossing, even paint scrapings but the modeling paste is a whole new (and interesting) world for me.  I can make paint that is thicker or I can put the paste underneath and *sculpt* into it. 

Feeling Cross

 I did these crosses over the last few weeks - since Easter.  Some are hidden and some are clear.  I was also experimenting with texture which can be seen a bit on a couple of these.

Work space

My workspace at the moment - not much room at all.  We are hoping to expand here and turn one small bedroom into a small studio but right now it is all just crammed around my room!

Land and Sea

an impressionist moment - not likely to be repeated soon but fun

second painting I did - very rough

This one and the next are heavily influenced by the work of Michel Keck.  If you check her work - make sure it is through her own website as she is having trouble with some copyists at the moment

Another Day

 Rather an interesting one for me - we went to my home town and one of the stores there, that caters to local artists (to sell their stuff) and to the tourist trade (to sell to) took nine of my paintings to sell!  Of course I won't know how well it has gone for some time - but if they sell it is a start!

The nine paintings are three different sizes, ranging from six by six to ten by ten.

 Wish me luck!