Friday Giveaway!

Happy Friday everyone! Per Maisie's request...I am giving away one of my 2010 Abby Creek Calendars. Just leave a comment and Maisie will pick the lucky winner next Tuesday. The calendars are still available for sale in my Etsy Shop as well. They make great stocking stuffers!

My brother is coming to visit for a few days so I'm very excited about that. Just wait until Maisie nudges his door open in the morning and jumps up on his bed to snuggle. Surprise!

Hope you all have a great weekend. See you Tuesday!

The Dogs of 2010 (with a bunny and a pig)

Juicy Fruit

"An Apple a Day"
12" x 12" acrylic and fabric on canvas
available in my Etsy Shop here

Here's a new Still Life...apples and pears are my favorites to paint. I think I'm feeling a fruit painting frenzy coming on!

Below is a picture of my little snow baby from yesterday. This is a rare shot when her face isn't buried in the white stuff. Sweet girl!

Miss Maisie

Here Kitty Kitty...

"Dexter"
12" x 13" acrylic on canvas

Hi everyone...just finished this commission yesterday of Dexter the Cat. He's a handsome fellow with those big green eyes, isn't he? Dexter belongs to Diane Silveria of Diane's Mixed Art. Go check out her blog, her beautiful cats and birds and her wonderful art. Thanks for having me paint your sweet boy, Diane!

Back soon with another new painting. Have a good Thursday!

Last Holiday Card

Holiday cards available in my Etsy Shop here.

Here's my last Holiday card for the year. This is a reproduction from a painting I did last year of a little cozy house on a cold winter night. You can purchase 8 of these with 8 envelopes in my Etsy Shop for $12.00 with free shipping until November 15th. Remember also to buy your Abby Creek Dog Calendar before the free shipping ends!

I'm in the process of finishing a Cat Commission and a new Still Life so stay tuned for those. In the meantime...check out this article by Rita Mae Brown titled, "Animals Make the Perfect Humans". She's also written a new book that's getting good reviews. Might be a good holiday gift for an animal lover in your life!

More Holiday Cards!

Holiday Cards available in my Etsy Shop here.

Hope that you all had a fun Halloween! Seems amazing to me that it's November already...so I'm adding a couple more Holiday Cards to my Etsy Shop this week. It seems like the Holidays come at warp speed after Halloween so I usually get caught in the blur and end up sending out MY cards around December 24th!! I'm hoping that by adding these to my shop early this year...it will help me with my own "card slackerdom".

Of course, I HAD to post this embarrassing photo of Morticia Maisie in her Halloween attire. You can tell by the look how thrilled she was and you can probably guess just how long the wig stayed on. I'm surprised the wig survived at all!

Happy Halloween!!

BOO!!!

I'm a Guest Blogger on Craft for Health!

I'm so honored to be a guest blogger on Craft for Health today. If you don't know about this blog yet...go visit it because it's so motivating! Design expert Kathy Peterson and Nurse Practitioner & RN Barb Dehn collaborate to share empowering and inspiring stories about the therapeutic benefits of art. Thanks Kathy and Barb for letting me share my story!

We're having quite the snowstorm here! I think we've had at least 15 inches so far. Here's a pic from yesterday of our gate that leads to the backyard. It's cold here but it's beautiful. Hope you're warm and cozy wherever you are.

One more Christmas card!

Cards available here in my Etsy Dog Shop

Here's one more new Christmas card for 2009! Rosie, the Black Lab just screamed to be a Santa this year...so here she is. You can purchase cards of this sweetie pie in my Etsy Dog Shop. Shipping on holiday cards and my new calendar are still free until November 15th.

It's snowing like buckets here in Boulder today! Time for some hot soup!

New 2010 Calendar!

Abby Creek 2010 Dog Calendars available HERE!

My new 2010 Abby Creek Calendars are now available for purchase! You can head to my Etsy Dog Shop to see the whole calendar including each month. The design is just like last year...but all the images are different. There is also a December pig and an April bunny added to the line-up. Shipping is free until November 15th.

What are YOU doing this weekend? James and I will be painting our guest room and guest bathroom. We've been doing some home improvement projects the last few weeks...Maisie has been supervising of course.

See ya next week! xox

New Christmas Card!

You can purchase these cards here.

Here's a new Abby Creek Christmas card...for all you Puggie lovers out there! You can purchase these in my Etsy Dog Shop...with free shipping until November 15th.

Hey...have you seen this great new book, "To the Rescue"? Check out some of the photos here. I think this would make a wonderful gift for someone this holiday season.

It's a beautiful, soggy Fall day here in Colorado. Winter is coming early this year though because the leaves are dropping fast. :(
Why can't it be Fall all year long?!

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
~ Albert Camus

Party Animals Auction is Live!

Hi everyone...happy Friday! Hey, remember the Party Animals zine for sale that I blogged about last July? Well, the auction is now live on EBAY with 22 of the original works of art from the book for sale. Just click here and you can bid on one or many of the fabulous pieces up for auction. All proceeds will go to Bernie Berlin's, A Place to Bark to help animals in need. There are so many dogs and cats that need your help out there...so please bid bid BID!

The painting of my very own Mardi Gras Maisie (below) that I created for the book is for sale as well so click here and you can bid on my party girl Shepherd! Hurry though...the auction ends on October 19th.

Bid on this painting here!

Have a beautiful Fall weekend...I'll be getting back to work next week so see you then!

Crackers the Cat

Mom and Crackers

Hi everyone...thanks for all of your wishes for a good trip to see my Mom. We had a wonderful time together.

I have a very sweet story to tell you about her cat, Crackers. Over a month ago my Mom was driving Crackers to the Vet for a check-up...but when she stopped for gas he somehow got out of his box, jumped out the window of the car and ran away. My Mom was heartbroken. She posted "lost cat" signs all over town and hoped someone would call...but he was miles from home and after three weeks, she had lost hope of finding him again.

I returned from a walk one morning while I was there, came in the house...and my mom had an astonished look on her face. She asked me if I believed in miracles because there on the back porch...sat Crackers. Poor baby was tired and thin but he had found his way home. The sweetest part is that he came home on my Mom's birthday. What a wonderful gift he gave her that day!

So hope you're all doing well out there. I'm taking a little more time before I delve back into work...but I'll be back soon. Looking forward to catching up on your blogs and what you've been up to! xox

Leaving on a jet plane

Here's the entrance to my studio...with Miss Maisie's ghostly image appearing lower right. How does she manage to be in EVERY photo I take?!

Anyway...I'm taking a little break to head out to Petaluma, California to see my mom for a few days. I'll be back blogging the week of September 21st.

Enjoy the last bits of summer this weekend because I think Fall is fast on it's way. Yay! Our trees are just starting to turn. Makes me quiver with excitement.:)

Take care everyone. See you all soon! xox

A Fabulous Frenchie!

"Woodford"
13" x 16" acrylic on canvas

Here's my latest commission...of Woodford, the French Bulldog. He's sitting on his purple blanket...looking up with his big beautiful brown eyes. What a perfect name for a perfect Frenchie too, don't you think? It was a real joy to paint this little man!

Below is the bounty I collected from our vegetable garden last night. It looked so beautiful in the bowl that I had to take a picture for you. Most of it will be gone soon...hot off the grill...heading for my stomach. Grilled organic vegetables and fish, some good bread and a chilled glass of chardonney...doesn't get much better than that!

Have a wondeful Labor Day weekend!

A message from Maisie

Being the poser that she is...Maisie has been a little upset that she hasn't been on the blog for awhile. So...she wanted to pop in today to say hello to everyone!

She also wants you to read a good article she found online today, one about the myths and misconceptions of certain dog breeds AND a video about Max, the senior of all senior dogs! I wish Max could tell us all the secrets of just how he reached that ripe old age. You go Max!

Hope any of you living through those fires in L.A. are doing ok. The smoke has made it's way to Boulder today...it's very hazy here.

Have a good Tuesday!

Another Abstract Friday!

"Drink It All In"
15" x 18" acrylic and collage on canvas
available in my Etsy Shop here

Happy Friday out there! This is a new abstract I just finished yesterday. It was inspired by an Artist I have always admired, Raymond Saunders. Raymond is a faculty member of the California College of Arts and Crafts which is where I was accepted to receive my MFA many years ago. Life took me in a different direction though and I went to work for LucasFilm instead.

Speaking of amazing Artists...I watched another HBO documentary called, "In a Dream". Those of you who love mosaics (Manon and Rebecca!) will want to watch this. It's about the life of Isaiah Zagar and his passion for tile and mirror mosaic work...a fascinating film.

Have a great weekend everyone! Maisie says hi!

Senior Dogs are the sweetest!

"Arcea"
10" x 12" acrylic on canvas

I was inspired by Melissa's post today on Pugnotes about senior dogs. Go check it out because she writes very eloquently about how older dogs can teach us wonderful things about life and about aging. Dogs don't care about a few gray hairs and some crinkles around their eyes...they just care about enjoying every day as it comes and embracing things that smell good! The painting above is of a very special senior dog I painted a couple of years ago. What a beautiful old soul he was.

One of my favorite rescue organizations that helps aging animals is SAINTS. They take in and care for seniors that have nowhere else to go. SAINTS provides a warm home and three beautiful acres in Mission, BC so that they can live out their days in a nurturing, loving environment. They have an auction coming up very soon so if you'd like to donate something to help raise funds for them...go here.

Back soon with a new dog portrait!

Abstract Friday

"Fill Me Up"
mixed media on canvas
available in my Etsy Shop here

Here's a new abstract painting to end the week with. Have a great weekend everyone!

What art offers is space-
a certain breathing room
for the spirit.
~John Updike

Two dogs, a book and a movie

Kiva the Shepherd Mix

cards available in my Etsy Shop

Hi everybody...sorry I've been kind of a blog slacker lately. Just been trying to focus on too many things at one time! Anyway, these are two of my earlier dog portraits, note cards of each are now available in my Etsy Dog Shop.

JAX the Border Collie

cards available in my Etsy Shop

James was back east at a rowing competition last weekend...so Maisie and I did some reading and movie watching together (aside from our daily 10 miles of walking!). Augusten Burroughs is one of my favorite Authors so I've been reading his latest, "A Wolf At The Table"...very dark but very good. Also, if you're looking for an excellent documentary...there's a new one on HBO called, "Boy Interrupted". Wow, this one packs a punch and is so moving and profound.

What book or movie have YOU liked lately? Huh?

I'm Back with a Bunny!

"Nana in the Moonlight"
8" x 8" acrylic on canvas

Hi everyone...here's my latest. This is a sweet bunny named Nana that belongs to a very good friend of mine in California. I did this for her as a wedding present because she and her husband LOVE bunnies! Maisie wasn't very happy that I was choosing to paint a bunny over a dog...but I think she's over that now. Too many other bunnies in the yard to patrol and think about!

Mixed Media Mutts

"Briar"
original is mixed media on paper
print now available in my Etsy Dog Shop

Hello on this hot Colorado Tuesday! I don't know if many of you remember the dog drawings that I used to do like these two? I used Caran d'Ache crayons, pen, pencil, paint and collage on watercolor paper. I still do them occasionally and really enjoy the process plus I tend to bring in my abstract work in the backgrounds a bit more.

These are two of my favorites that I did a few years back. I especially enjoyed working on Briar, the Service Dog for the Hearing Impaired...plus I've always loved Cattle Dogs!

Back soon with a portrait of a .....? Can you guess?

"Three Sweet Dogs"
original is mixed media on paper
print now available in my Etsy Dog Shop

Snuggles the Shih Tzu

"Snuggles on the Sofa"
8" x 8" acrylic on canvas
print now available in my Etsy Dog Shop

Here's my latest commission, of the most adorable Shih Tzu...just finished yesterday. My dear friend, Ruth Welter had asked me to paint Snuggles as a companion to the other painting I recently did for her of another one of her Shih Tzu's, Dudley. Ruth did a very special post about Snuggles today so head on over to her blog and read it...I couldn't have said it better. Snuggles was a wonderful, sweet dog and I'm so honored to have been asked to paint the little man. Thank you, Ruth!

Chihuahua Land

"Rico the Chihuahua"
Original is acrylic on canvas
You can purchase a print here

I couldn't let the week end without a loving and appreciative nod to Gidget, the little Taco Bell Chihuahua that just passed away. Didn't you just love her? I have to say...she was one of my all time favorite TV dogs and gave me lots of laughs over the years. Besides Taco Bell commercials, she also appeared as Reese Witherspoon's sassy companion in "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde."

So in honor of her...I just added one of my earlier paintings of Rico, the Chihuahua to my new Etsy Dog Shop. Thanks for being such a bright star, Gidget! May you rest your paws in peace.

And speaking of peaceful paws...here's a shot of Miss Maisie in my studio this morning...enjoying an unusually calm moment. That's after a walk and a dog park of course!

Have a great summer weekend!

New Shop on the Block!

"Family"

Original is mixed media on paper
You can now purchase a print here

Just wanted to let you know that I've opened a second Etsy shop called, Abby Creek Dogs! I decided that my Dogs needed a separate venue from my Still Life and Abstract work for sale...so now they have their very own storefront.

I'm going to be adding lots more to the shop this next week, including some earlier works like mixed media dog drawings that I used to do. Be sure to check back to see what's new!

Below is a pic of Maisie taken this morning with her favorite toy, the stump. She brought this stump from our old house when we moved and it's still her favorite thing. She tries to bring it through the dog door which is a pretty hilarious thing to watch. My 89 year old friend, Miss Dottie now calls Maisie, Calamity Jane. I think that fits!

Calamity Jane and her stump

Imagination Highway!

"Lollipop Highway"

5" x 7" acrylic, collage and ink on canvas
available in my Etsy shop here

Happy Monday out there! Here's the latest in my Abstract Landscape series. I started out with a collage piece taken from an old drawing of mine...and this is what I ended up with. The piece of paper I used is underneath the pink part of the painting. It looked like an asphalt road with white divider stripes so that sparked the idea.

Here's a quote that made me laugh today...

"Those of us who aren't artists
must color things the way they
really are or people might
think we're stupid".
~Jules Feiffer

And here's another Artist Blogger I want you to know about who continues to inspire me and makes me laugh. She makes me make hungry too!

Working on two dog commissions. Back soon!