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Today’s art attack was inspired by reading the beginning chapter of St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell – author of Swamplandia.
Here is an excerpt:
“…with mosquito-blackened sills; a tin roof that hums with the memory of rain. I love it here. Whenever the wind gusts in off the river, the sky rains leaves and feathers. During mating season, the bedroom window rattles with the ardor of birds.
Now the thunder makes the window glass ripple like wax paper. Summer rain is still the most comforting sound that I know… In the distance, an alligator bellows…”
In the studio
Deep in the Forest, mixed media, 10 x 11"
Here is a postcard I made recently to accompany a residency application to Elsewhere in Greensboro, NC. Check it out, it looks like a fabulous place. Oh, and wish me luck!
Here is the front of my postcard:
Elsewhere, mixed media on paper, 5 x 6"
And here is the back:
Back of postcard, mixed media on paper, 5 x 6"
How would you like an escape from Wednesday to a balcony in Bakewell, UK? I’ll be having a cream tea…
Bakewell Balcony, acrylic and india ink on canvas, 8 x 10"
While in Cambridge, UK this summer my husband punted my new in-laws and I down the river Cam on a sunny day. A sunny day in England… imagine that! Well, we were strangely lucky and had plenty of sun when we were there and I took many photographs. It is quite likely that these pictures will end up in painted form one day or another and here is the first example: a playful painting of a café near where we docked our boat.
Cafe on the Cam, acrylic on canvas, 8 x 10"
I haven’t posted in a while but there are plenty of new works (and some old ones too) posted on my website! Go check it out. I’ve added some new galleries as well as some new works to some of the existing galleries.
Below is a snapshot of my new “Commissions” gallery on my website.
I do many pet portraits, house and property portraits and any other sentimental still life or landscapes you can think of. The majority of the commissions I do are for friends or family of the purchaser. They make great thoughtful gifts.
Commissions, various media
This is my second foray into the world of pastels. The result is much more abstract than what I create in other mediums but this makes the practice even more valuable to me. It is my hope that sketching in pastel will provide some great inspiration and source material for paintings in the future.
(Side note: it did not rain today… this is from a downpour just over a week ago. Maybe this post will work some magic and bring on another downpour soon? Here’s to hoping…)
Rain in the Yard, pastel on paper, 8x5 x 11"
I’ve decided to try and refrain from painting on weekends to give my body a rest. I will share with you on those few days a week my more elementary practice of sketching. You’ll see more experiments, more works in progress and more simple observance or records of the life around me…
Blueberry Bagel at the Do Drop In, graphite in sketchbook
This first sketch is a true testament to my dedication. You cannot imagine how much I wanted to scarf the remainder of this blueberry bagel with cream cheese. But I resisted… just long enough to record it and then it was gone. Inhaled like kibble at a labrador’s schnoz.
Do Drop In, graphite in sketchbook
This is the exterior of the cafe where said blueberry bagel was consumed with gusto. If it seems a little hastily recorded, it is because the morning was quickly heating up and I was eager to retreat to the air conditioning and rest my eyes from the bright sun of a New Mexico morning.
Waiting for a sandwich, graphite in sketchbook
This light sketch was done in just a few minutes when this man grabbed a paper and sat down to wait for his sandwich “to go”.
Here is another morning landscape study. One of these cows gave his neck a good scratch on this fence for fifteen minutes before joining the others for a snooze under the shade of the trees. I was pretty tempted to join them.
Snoozing Cows, oil on canvas, 8 x 10"
I visited Nelson, British Columbia last fall and must say I could really use an annual visit to such a vibrant, unique place. The autumn was an especially nice time to visit as I got to experience the colour and the warmth of the town as it transformed into the crispy white of ski season.
Nelson they say, is a place that either sucks you in or spits you out. I was sucked in for a decent chunk of time and imagine I will always feel it tugging me back. What I miss most are the walks I took up and down the steep streets. They provided endless views of eclectic houses lined above the lake with a backdrop of bulbous clouds caught on the mountain tops.
Walking Nelson's Streets, watercolour and ink on paper, 7 x 9"
It’s about time I share with you some pictures of a series of interior murals I did for a retail on-premise wine shop Splendid Grapes in Sackville, New Brunswick. They run a truly great shop, are wonderful people – and I made wonderful batches of wine with them to cater an art exhibit reception!
Murals are such a great way to bring a space to life with your personal inspiration. If you’re interested in an interior mural for your business or children’s room please contact me through my website so we can discuss the idea! As a business owner you’d be supporting the arts and reflecting your values to customers. As a parent you’d be providing your child with an imaginative vibrant space in which to play and grow up. Our surroundings are more important than we realize and murals are an really fun, special way to brighten up your life. I can work with any theme and bring my own ideas to the table – or rather, to the wall 
Splendid Grapes
Grapes overhead
Giant wine glass
Steve, one of the store owners busy at work
