New acrylic on paper

"Safe and Sound"

8" x 8" acrylic on paper

2013

Safe and Sound

Streaks of red,

Paint the sky,

Pink, orange, and gold.

Before the sun,

Falls from the sky,

And everything goes cold.

Indigo returns,

As do the stars,

A bright, shining light.

Guiding you back,

To your safe haven,

Away from the frozen, dark night.

But you want to begin again,

Stop feeling so small!

So you wait away,

For the light to peek around,

To make your new start,

This time, safe and sound.

~poem by JustARose

Paper and Poetry

"Windswept 4"

acrylic and collage on paper

8" x 8"

It's a warm and a breezy afternoon here in Boulder. My studio door is open, Maisie is laying in front of it...soaking in fresh air and listening to distant bird songs and dog barks. Seems like winter is a long lost dream now.

After the Winter

Some day, when trees have shed their leaves

     And against the morning’s white

The shivering birds beneath the eaves

     Have sheltered for the night,

We’ll turn our faces southward, love,

     Toward the summer isle

Where bamboos spire the shafted grove

     And wide-mouthed orchids smile.

And we will seek the quiet hill

     Where towers the cotton tree,

And leaps the laughing crystal rill,

     And works the droning bee.

And we will build a cottage there

     Beside an open glade,

With black-ribbed blue-bells blowing near,

     And ferns that never fade.

~Claude McKay

"Windswept 2" 

8" x 8" acrylic and collage on canvas

2013

Here's the sister painting to "Windswept"which you can see if my previous blog post. This one is also available in my Etsy shop here.

A friend turned me on to the daily online "Writer's Almanac" recently. Check it out...it has some fantastic poetry and other juicy good tidbits.

Dogs and Poetry

Here's Miss Maisie, on duty in front of my studio this morning. This is one of her many favorite sidesaddle poses.

I'm working on two abstracts right now but won't have them finished until I return from my second trip of the month to California. James is coming with me this time...we'll be helping my Mom again with some things around the house and property, including taking care of the queen of the farm, Lulu the cow.

I'll leave you for now with this awesome poem from Delights and Shadows. See you soon...maybe while I'm there I will post some pics of beautiful Petaluma!

A Box of Pastels

I once held on my knees a simple wooden box
in which a rainbow lay dusty and broken.
It was a set of pastels that had years before
belonged to the painter, Mary Cassatt,
and all of the colors she'd used in her work
lay open before me. Those hues she'd most used,
the peaches and pinks, were worn down to stubs,
while the cool colors - violet, ultramarine -
had been set, scarcely touched, to one side.
She'd had little patience with darkness, and her heart
held only a measure of shadow. I touched
the warm dust of those colors, her tools,
and left there with light on the tips of my fingers.

~Ted Kooser

A Place to Rest

"A Place to Rest"

30" x 30" acrylic and collage on canvas

Here is the latest in line of paintings I'm doing for the show. I found a poem in one of my favorite little books that seemed perfect for it...

It doesn't take much
to hold the tiny weight
of a song sparrow,
any little twig will do,
or a sturdy weed in a field.

Why do I think my fledgling ideas
have to wait for a thick branch
or a secure landing place
before I set them down?

The wisp of a fleeting dream
can rest for a while
on a small extension in my soul.

If I never let these dreams land,
they will not gain strength
for the long flight into fullness.

All it takes is a little twig
to rest a great dream on.

~Joyce Rupp

Art Sanctuary

"Sanctuary"
30" x 30" acrylic and collage on canvas

February 2011

ART SANCTUARY

I would always choose to be the person running
rather than the mob chasing
I would prefer to be the person laughed at
rather than the teenagers laughing
I always admired the men and women who sat down
for their rights
And held in disdain the men and women who spat
on them
Everyone deserves Sanctuary a place to go where you are
safe
Art offers Sanctuary to everyone willing
to open their hearts as well as their eyes

~Nikki Giovanni

*Would love to have you as a friend on my Abby Creek Studios Facebook page. Just click here!

Spring in the Summer

"Peaceful Rain"

24" x 24" acrylic and collage on canvas

Prints available on Etsy or at Imagekind.com

Feeling a bit loopy this morning after Maisie woke us up at 4:30am barking her pants off at a family of raccoons. It seems this little family of six has taken up residence near the creek behind our property. Fortunately, we have a fence but Maisie is determined to shout out the "no trespassing" bark anyway just to be sure!

The above painting is the next addition to my new series. I think this is also a transition piece because it seems very different to me than the previous ones. I like the way things are going though so I'm goin' with the flow!

I found this sweet poem today that seems to go very well with the painting.

Have a good one!

Rain

Peaceful, calming, reassuring,
thunder rolls on by,
dancing is the rain,
sky white with lightening,
I dance,
for I am at peace,
the rain oh so soothing,
it pours down my face,
I run free and wild,
while I sleep,
I have no fear,
my dreams peaceful,
I thank the rain...

~Jennifer Dott

The Bodhi Tree

"Under the Bodhi Tree"
8" x 8" acrylic and collage on canvas

*Prints available online at Imagekind

Spring has finally come to Colorado! The colors, light and magic of the season inspired this new painting and makes me feel like a happy Buddha. Hope you enjoy it!

"This mind of the bodhi tree always produces medicinal
branches of compassion, leaves of understanding, flowers of loving
kindness and fruit of realization, which understands the truth.
~ Patrul Rinpoche

Painting - Poetry Friday!

"Night Bloom"
13" x 16" acrylic and collage on canvas
available for sale in my Etsy shop here

Just finished this new abstract painting yesterday. I absolutely love using red lately...this color happens to be Liquitex heavy body cadmium red medium hue. It really packs an emotional punch for me.

By the way...since we're heading well into 2010 now...I just reduced my Abby Creek Dog Calendars 25% in my Etsy Shop...in time for Valentine's Day! I only have a few left so head on over there now if you would like one for a special someone in your life.

And lastly...this poem came to me the other day so thought I would share it with you. Hope you like it. Have a great weekend!

A creamy dusting of snow
covers already shivering ground.
Soon, tiny birdtracks
leave silver indents.
My dog's paw prints
are everywhere.

What I like about winter
is that you can witness
where dear ones travel.

~Linda O'Neill

My new Public Relations team!

Ruby and Emmett

Could I have a better PR team than this? How lucky can I be...to have Ruby and Emmett grace my new testimonials page! Thanks, Shennon for taking such a wonderful photo of two of my very favorite people. I don't think I could come up with a better advertisement for Abby Creek Studios than this!

The new site is almost here...I can taste it! Keith and I are doing some final prep and fine tuning...but everything should be ready to go by Friday. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the meantime...here are some beautiful words by one of my favorite poets to keep you in the mood for spring. The flowers are poppin' around here!

Green sings
like no other
color.

Green rings
my heart round
with the starlight
of laughter,
the dance
of enthusiasm.

Green brings
vibrant shoots
of energy
laced with passion.

Green flings
bouquets of dreams
meant to come true.

~Joyce Rupp

Snow Day!

We finally got the spring snowburst we've been waiting for yesterday...about 16 inches! I took this photo this morning as the soft, sweet sun was rising. The sky was glowing like a big cottonball. Our flowers beds are now drunk with happy moisture!

My friend, Mary (Maisie's Auntie)...sent me this lovely poem the other day. Seems fitting with spring unfolding...

Poem on a Line by Anne Sexton,
'We are All Writing God's Poem'

by Barbara Crooker

Today, the sky's the soft blue of a work shirt washed
a thousand times. The journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step. On the interstate listening
to NPR, I heard a Hubble scientist
say, "The universe is not only stranger than we
think, it's stranger than we can think." I think
I've driven into spring, as the woods revive
with a loud shout, redbud trees, their gaudy
scarves flung over bark's bare limbs. Barely doing
sixty, I pass a tractor trailer called Glory Bound,
and aren't we just? Just yesterday,
I read Li Po: "There is no end of things
in the heart," but it seems like things
are always ending--vacation or childhood,
relationships, stores going out of business,
like the one that sold jeans that really fit--
And where do we fit in? How can we get up
in the morning, knowing what we do? But we do,
put one foot after the other, open the window,
make coffee, watch the steam curl up
and disappear. At night, the scent of phlox curls
in the open window, while the sky turns red violet,
lavender, thistle, a box of spilled crayons.
The moon spills its milk on the black tabletop
for the thousandth time.

I'll have a very different dog painting for you to see next week. I'm working on a collaboration with several other Artists who are all donating original paintings for a dog rescue auction. All I can say at this point is Maisie is involved in a mardi gras kind of way. Stay tuned!

Have a nice weekend! xox

Winter through the windows

"Windows #2"
8" x 8" acrylic and collage on canvas

Available in my Etsy shop here

Here is the sister painting to "Windows" (from my previous post). I seem to be having problems uploading anything to Etsy today though...so it will probably be tomorrow before it appears for sale in my shop.

As for the photograph below...I took it the other night outside my studio when it was almost a full moon. It looked like the perfect winter moon so I had to try and capture it.

"Winter Moon"

To end the week on a wordy note...here's a beautiful winter poem to keep you warm. Have a great weekend!

Winter birds
have their ways
of survival.

They fluff out
their feathers,
fend off the freeze,
find food
in secret sources.

The winter bird
in me,
she, too, fluffs feathers,
finds food
in a season grown cold
and barren.

Blessed be
that winter bird
in me.

~Joyce Rupp

Autumn is Awesome!

Our maple tree in full glory

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly above the earth
seeking the successive autumns." ~ George Eliot

Have a beautiful autumn weekend!

A simple beauty

Thanks for all of your congrats on the new house...you guys are the best! We won't be moving in until mid-August though...so everything you saw inside the studio is not mine (dang it!). It belongs to Netti Penman, an amazing Colorado Artist. Nettie is moving north of here and is building a new studio for herself. I got the chance to meet her the other day and thanked her for leaving such wonderful energy for me. The first time I stepped in the new studio...I knew there was good juju.

The above photo is of our new backyard. The house sits on an acre so Maisie will have plenty of space to chase bunnies and mice and probably dig to her hearts content. There was a quote in our local newspaper this morning that struck me and made me really appreciate the fact that we will have some beautiful land around us.

Hope you enjoy it too. Have a great weekend! xox

"The best remedy
for those who are
afraid, lonely or
unhappy is to go
outside,
somewhere where
they can be quiet,
alone with the
heavens, nature
and God. Because
only then does one
feel that all is as it
should be and that
God wishes to see
people happy,
amidst the simple
beauty of nature."

~Anne Frank

Watch Dog

Maisie looking out our window

March 31, 2008

"'Tis sweet to hear the watch dog's honest bark
Bay deep-mouthed welcome as we draw near home;
'tis sweet to know there is an eye will mark
Our coming and look brighter when we come."

Lord Byron

First Dog of Spring!

"Boomer"
10" x 11" acrylic and collage on canvas

This is Mr. Boomer...the ONE dog painting I was able to work on and finish while "The Maisenator", our new name of endearment for Maisie, was recovering from her broken toe. Boomer belonged to some wonderful friends of ours who live in Priest Lake part of the year, right next door to my Dad. Boomer is no longer with us...but I can imagine what an amazing dog he was. He was an Airedale Terrier...a very smart one who had personality plus and a heart as big as Idaho. Thanks, Bobbie and Jim...for having me paint your special boy.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Before I go...here's a beautiful little taste of spring...

Spring flowers
preach the gospel:
we who have died
are alive today.

We who risked winter
now raise our heads high
to the glorious sun.

Delicate petals,
daughters of resilience,
they call to me,
encouraging the heart
of true believing.

~ Joyce Rupp

Little Mary Christmas

I was rummaging through some old family photos yesterday and I came across these two of my mom. They felt so sweet and Christmasy so I wanted to share them with you. You can see where I get some of my adoration for dogs from...little Mary Ann had a dog on her purse even then! A Boston Terrier, three English Bulldogs, Labs, Mixes, Shepherds...and a Partridge in a Pear Tree later...she still has two and loves them with all her heart. And that's a big heart.

The picture below is of teeny tiny Mary Ann in the Iowa snow. I think she was the cutest baby ever.
I finally finished my work for the holidays yesterday...cards, prints, paintings all done and shipped. Yay! Time to sit back a little and enjoy the season...and most of all...Miss Maisie! By the way...thank you all so very much for your emails about Maisie's surgery. She's doing really well and thanks you for your kindness and concern. xoxo! She's definitely getting her sass back!

It came without ribbons,
It came without tags,
It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
Christmas can't be bought from a store...
Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.
~Dr.Seuss

In Limbo!

"Goat Daze"

Roy DeForest 2005
60" x 80" acrylic on canvas

Oh joy, James and I are in real estate limbo! We still don't know the outcome of the house...so our brains are floating between here and there. In order to get my mind off that this morning I thought I would show you the works of a couple of great artists.

I love the paintings of Roy DeForest, who unfortunately passed away last year. We studied him a lot in school as he was a very prominent Bay Area Artist. He loved animals, especially dogs and he incorporated his own dog in many of his pieces. The whimsical child-like quality of his work is a joy to look at.

Another great painter is Agnes Martin. She is a Canadian-American Artist who is a Minimalist. The painting below is probably one of her most unusual and colorful pieces. Get your Tivo set because tonight on PBS there is a special on her life and work. Looks really interesting.

"Untitled" 1952
Agnes Martin
watercolor and ink on paper
11 3/4" x 17 3/4"

Guess that's about it for now. Time to get down to the studio to try and finish a dog portrait commission today. I'll let you know if we hear anything about the house...but don't hold your breath. Geez!

"I can see humility

Delicate and white
It is satisfying
Just by itself...
And Trust
absolute trust
a gift
a precious gift
I would rather think of humility then
anything else.
Humility, the beautiful daughter
She cannot do either right or wrong
She does not do anything
All of her ways are empty
Infinitely light and delicate
She treads an even path.
Sweet, smiling, uninterrupted, free."

~Agnes Martin, 1973

Meet Bianca...the Boxer Puppy!

"Miss Bianca"
12" x 13" acrylic on canvas

From the earlier "sneak peek"...here is the full finished painting commission of Miss Bianca, the Boxer Puppy. Bianca's Mom, Donna had mentioned to me that the day the photo (I worked from) was taken, it was snowing and it was the first time Bianca have ever seen snow! Being that the name, Bianca also means "white" and "pure"...I though a snowy background would be perfect for this sweet little girl!

And speaking of snow...the end of summer is coming fast, isn't it? The days are getting shorter and the nights cooler. In Colorado, you can tell the season is changing when the Black-Eyed Susan flowers are blooming everywhere and the Geese fly back to town. It's a bit melancholy...but beautiful at the same time.

Summer Sleeps

Flowers close their
tired eyes
and dream of
soft winds
and golden horizons

Winter starts to bloom
with somber flourish
in all her
icy grandeur

Don't forget though

She is just as beautiful
as her cool arms
cradle parched meadows
yearning for a first
drink
of release.

-Linda O'Neill

Still Life and Steamboat Springs

"Three Apricots"
6" x 8" acrylic and collage on canvas

Just finished this painting today. I saw these apricots at the store the other day and had to paint them. They just looked so perdy and plump. This painting is available for purchase at my Etsy Store here.

James and I are leaving tomorrow for three days in Steamboat Springs. We've lived in Colorado for 11 years now and have not been to Steamboat yet. That's shameful for a Coloradan! Aside from the San Francisco trip to visit family (and we don't call that vacation!)...we haven't been away for some r&r since Abby passed. I could really feel it this week; unmotivated, tired, cranky and bored with the normalcy of every day. We are in the midst of planning a big trip for Oct/Nov...but decided we'd better run screaming out of the house and up to the mountains this weekend to save our sanity!

I will leave you with this "appropriate for the occasion" poem from my favorite little poetry book and wish you all a very nice weekend. Be back on Tuesday!

Flowers last
a long, long time
if they have
what they need.

Why is it
that I neglect
myself?

I need to feed
on beauty,
walk more often
under starlight,
listen to the wind,
and rest my weariness.

Then my flowers
will last
a long, long time.

~Joyce Rupp