New Painting...New Movie

"Finding Space"
15" x 18" acrylic and collage on canvas

I'm heading off in a bit of a different direction with this piece. The two paintings I'm currently working on are turning out to be very similar. It's a real joy to watch something completely different emerge from the creative brain!

By the way...I watched a pretty amazing movie over the weekend..."Exit Through the Gift Shop". Here's a brief synopsis..."This is the inside story of Street Art - a brutal and revealing account of what happens when fame, money and vandalism collide." It'll give you great insight into a whole different side of the art world...definitely worth watching!

Back soon!

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?

New Art and a New Movie

"Reaching for Sun"
11" x 14" acrylic and collage on canvas
available here in my Etsy shop

Here's my latest...a landscape abstract titled, "Reaching for Sun". Part of the abstract process that I really enjoy is allowing a painting to unfold without putting too many restrictions on myself. I start out with a line drawing...but if the painting isn't happening with the initial concept...I just let myself go. I keep adding layers of color, line and collage until that magical thing happens...it WORKS! Makes it worth the sweat every time, doesn't it?

Hope you had a good weekend. It was beautiful here with lots of cooler weather and some nice thunder bumpers. By the way...James and I went to see the movie, "Away We Go" and we loved it. Go see it!

Three more mini prints...

Happy Friday to you! Got any big weekend plans? Think James and I will be doing some "spruce up the house" thingies, go hiking with Maisie and take in a movie.

We've been on a mission to see as many movies as we can before the Academy Awards although we've made a pretty wimpy attempt so far! We've only seen "Milk", "The Wrestler" and "Revolutionary Road". They're all fantastic movies though....the "Wrestler" being my favorite. We're thinking of seeing "The Reader" next...any opinions about that one?

I just added these three mini prints below to my Etsy Shop. I've got a new dog painting in the works too...so hopefully will be able to show you that early next week.

"Red Door"

"Glass of Milk"

"Egg"

And one more thing!...the little treasure below is something I bought for myself this week on Etsy. If you haven't seen Vintage By Crystal's Shop...you've got to check it out. She makes the most amazing little cotton spun creatures. I just love them!

Spun Cotton Vintage Style White Rabbit Figure
Vintage By Crystal

Movies!

One of the most talented movie stars of all time...no not Elizabeth Taylor...but Lassie! You could add Rin Tin Tin and Hooch of "Turner and Hooch" as well but I think in my book...Lassie gets the Oscar.

So I have been tagged by my lovely friend and wonderful Artist, Kathy Weller to reveal my top 25 all time favorite movies. This was not an easy task...and I had another 10 or so (mostly dog movies...big surprise) that I wanted to add but in the spirit of THE TAG...here we go...

Out of Africa
Elephant Man
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
The Miracle Worker
Frida
Edward Scissorhands
House of Sand and Fog
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Chocolat
Napoleon Dynamite
Capote
Forrest Gump
Little Big Man
Schindler's List
A Beautiful Mind
Dances With Wolves
Driving Miss Daisy
The Bounty
Splendor in the Grass
To Kill a Mockingbird
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
The Straight Story
Cinema Paradiso
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Romeo and Juliet (1968 version)

And now I would love to tag YOU to see what your movie list is like!...Kate, Kim and Melissa!

New Abstract Painting

"Sprout"
6" x 7" acrylic and collage on canvas
available at my Etsy Store

I felt the need to head back to some abstract work for a couple of days so the above piece is a result of that. (Hey Ro...I used your paper again here!)

I really enjoy the variety of switching back and forth from painting dogs...to still lifes...to abstracts. There is something about it that really works for me. What I learn each time from doing the abstracts helps with the dog art which helps with the still lifes and so on and so on. It also gives me the chance to express myself in three very different ways. I sometimes wonder though if I stretch myself too thin by doing this ...and that maybe I should focus on one specific subject matter to produce a more cohesive body of work. Then again...maybe this is just the way I need to work to get where I'm going.

On another subject...I have a Halloween movie recommendation for you. If you haven't seen "Freaks"...it's the perfect creepy movie to watch! We're taking it over to some friends to watch on Wednesday night after all the kiddies come. It's a classic and surely one of the strangest movies ever to come out of Hollywood. Get it!

Sweet Princess Abby

Well, wouldja look at THIS! I just received this Abby Doll from my sweet friend, Kimberly Wlassak of Garden Painter Art. Kim was so helpful to me after Abby's passing...and this is just another dear thing she's done for me. She titled it "Sweet Princess Abby" and totally captured Abby's girly, fun loving spirit here. I can't thank you enough, Kim for this little treasure. The doll itself is just beautiful...but the added bonus is that the arms, legs, and wings all move. Abby can dance, fly, wave...or anything else she desires. I love it!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. By the way...if you're in the mood for a really good DVD movie, watch "The Painted Veil". I wished we'd seen this one on the big screen for the incredible vistas of China. Beautiful!

Frolicking Fruit

"Bananas In Love"

10" x 20" acrylic and collage on canvas

This is my latest fruit painting incorporating more of that beautiful collage paper I found. I had started it before Abby passed...so just finished it up a few days ago.

Hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was good. Yesterday, we went to see the movie, "Year of the Dog". It was great and all you dog lovers out there should see it! It wasn't fluffy or cutesy...instead, it was a very moving story about a woman losing her dog and how she deals with the aftermath. Of course it was sad in many parts (and I cried like a baby when her dog died) but it was uplifting at the same time...especially the end.

The movie really made me miss Abby...but just seeing the faces of all the sweetie pie dogs on the big screen was enough to soften my heart.

Have a nice Monday.