So there I was.. cleaning the studio, getting ready for the new year... and I couldn't help myself... I had to paint something. This little carved wooden bird was sitting on my window sill demanding attention... so I set him on my easel and went to work.. he is happy.. I am happy.. it's all good! :)

My New Year's resolutions are to live, love, laugh and paint more!! And I wish the same for all of you! Happy New Year!

Two paintings from my trip to New York. My daughter is home for the holiday break and had a hard time sleeping the first night because it was too dark here. It never really gets dark in New York... I thought about that when I was painting these.. It's funny the things you get used to... These are Grand Central Station and Central Park.

Today I finished my portrait for the Different strokes from Different Folks challenge... We were given a photo of another artist to paint and they were given ours. This one was a tough one for me! I went back and forth between trying to get a likeness of someone I'd never met and just painting until I liked it. It was also hard to find a big enough block of time this past week to really bang it out all at once (which I MUCH prefer) and as a result I spent sporadic time at it when I could which frustrated me.. Having said all that, I am fairly happy with it finally and I hope the person I painted likes it!!

I have also uploaded a few of the paintings I had done before the Christmas rush overtook me!

Today was pretty close to perfect ... I had lunch with my husband, and I painted the rest of the day! Now if we were only in a sunny little bungalow on the beach... instead of 15 degree cold, dreary Ohio!! But is was so fun and I got three paintings done so I won't complain! I did a couple of landscapes (with pretty blue skies!) then did a painting of a caramel that my son Ty bought for me at our friends shop. (www.enjoygourmetgifts.com)

Tis the season... so much to do and so little time!! Haven't posted much this week but wanted to show the painting I'm working on. It's a large picture (36"x 48") of the underside of a train... It isn't finished but I didn't want you to think I'm slacking!

This is our yorkie, Bruce. Bruce Almighty to be exact. Yeah, our daughter picked the name. :) I took this photo a couple of months ago and just came across it today. He loves to sit by the front door in the sun. this is before his new haircut! I painted this this morning and then started on a very large painting of a train. I'll post pictures of it tomorrow... hopefully!

We spent three days and nights wandering the city and I loved every minute of it.. but I definitely needed a day to recover! I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted because it was so cold and overcast but I did get a few and will sort them out this week. Today I painted a commission for 4 small (4x4) ornaments. Hoping they will dry quickly as they are for a Christmas gift!!

Today I worked on the new challenge for 'Different Strokes from Different Folks'. Karin challenged everyone to go a little outside their comfort zone. I did so by painting this piece a lot larger than I normally paint. This is 16" x 20" versus my usual 5"x 5" or so. I used a one inch brush in an effort to keep things loose. I also worked on a smooth board that I don't care for. I really like the Ampersand boards with a texture to them. Having said all that... here it is.

And now I will be in NYC for the weekend to visit my daughter... A FABULOUS early Christmas present from my darling husband! I am hoping to come back with lots of reference photos that will keep me painting through spring. :) Have a great weekend!

Today went to the dogs.. literally! With Christmas in mind, I painted a 'portrait' of my father-in-laws dog, Miles. I'm not thrilled with it but I have a few more weeks until Christmas to try again. Then I spied our smallest dog, Bruce, an insane little Yorkie looking out the front door with his brand new haircut and snapped a picture. I am much happier with the way this painting came out.

Yesterday I had company in my studio! It was great fun to have my sister, who is a fabulous jewelry artist and visiting from Colorado, and my son, Ty hanging with me in the studio! We all had a great time being creative! I painted a scene of the sun setting at Central Park in New York, and a picture of the beautiful blue winter sky we had here yesterday morning. I also managed to get another ornament done! All in all, a great day!

Our Thanksgiving was lovely, filled with family and friends... and LOTS of food... so much to be thankful for always... but now that I am slowly recovering, I am ready to get back to the studio and start painting again! I spent some prep time there today and finished another ornament painting for the holidays!

I have had the photo from Karin Jurick's weekly challenge (different strokes from different folks) downloaded for several days, but wasn't sure how I wanted to approach it. I finally took the plunge today and painted it. I simplified it immensely and this is what I came up with.

When I first started painting I spent 3 months on one painting of a neon restaurant sign, trying to get the perspective and detail. It paid off with a jurors award and the sale of the piece, but it was hard!! So today I tried just a small cross-section of the sign and it was just as hard!! I tried to stay loose, but get enough detail to tell a story, and fit perspective in there somewhere. I'd like to think I will burn this photo and move on, but a part of me knows that I'm too stubborn to do that and one of these days I will come back and try it again!! 6" x 9" oil on Ampersand board.

Yesterday I finished a small study of a toy steam engine model that I had gotten at an auction this summer. One of these day we will fire it up and see it in action... in the meantime it is just another treasure in the studio!! I painted the smaller piece on Thursday and then did the larger piece Friday. The small one is 5"x 5" and the larger one is 11" x 14".

Today I did a small painting as a study for a larger piece. In my collage pieces I use a lot of vintage games and game pieces and I'd like to do a series of paintings of the same.

I also did a painting inspired by my friends birthday... the big 5-0! I'm not sure how that happened... I've know him for 20 years but I could have sworn I'm only 27... ;)... maybe it's time to change my pretend age to 37!?!. Happy Birthday, Herb!!

It's been a few days since I posted here, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been paining!! Since I last posted I've done another ornament for the vintage series, painted a very warty gourd, and painted a pearl earring that has been sitting on my drafting table (not sure where it's mate is).

On Saturday I painted this little guy. He is a vintage St. Nick ornament. He may have, once upon a time, come from the box of ornaments I have recently uncovered but I liked him so well when I got him that he actually keeps me company in my studio all year long. I have him clipped to the antler on my jack-a-lope (yep, eat your heart out.. not everyone can claim a jack-a-lope in their studio). But he keeps the Christmas spirit alive and well and makes me smile!

I have changed blog sites because this site is easier to navigate and has more options! So... welcome to the new blog site! These are yesterday's paintings... another Vintage Christmas ornament, an old tiny Oil Can, and a painting for Karin Jurick's weekly challenge, "different strokes from different folks! I will post new paintings later today! To see earlier posts, click here. And to go to my website, click here.