My Funny Valentine - Dog Portrait

"My Funny Valentine"
10X8
Oil on Linen Panel

Click on image to enlarge the view.

Every time I paint a dog portrait, when I get it finished, I think it is my favorite. If you look closely you will see a marking in the shape of a heart on this fellow's nose. I didn't notice it when I first fell in love with him, but when I studied the photo closer I saw it. Hence, the title,"My Funny Valentine." I started him before Valentine's Day, but just managed to get back to him the end of this week.

The local Cancer Society Auction is coming up and, like last year, I am donating a dog portrait to the effort. I thought maybe another example of my work would be beneficial to them.

Adding a note here on March 5....My 92 year old father has taken another turn downward and has needed more care and help. Hospice was called in last week and we are doing all we can to help him through these hardest of times. Consequently my painting has taken a back seat to the necessary tasks at hand. I hope to get back to it as soon as possible.

My Funny Valentine

"My Funny Valentine"
10X8
Work in Progress

As I am oft to do, I stuck the unfinished work in progress into one of the frames I had lying around here to see where the face was landing into it. (see below) This funny guy is unknown to me personally, but as you know, I love dogs and when I saw him I fell in love. Infatuation? From the photo I am working from, and you will see this later, he actually has a tiny pink heart shape right on his nose...besides that his nose is slightly heart shaped. I love his black and white colors and there is a bit of reddish tan yet to emerge....you will see that later, too. As he is right now there is a sort of intrigue and a rather modern sophistication. I hope I can maintain that, but if not I might just do this fellow again in just some abstract modern technique, if I can pull that off.....you know that isn't my forte usually.

"My funny valentine...you make me smile when I am blue....."
More later!

Water Lily

"Water Lily"
8X10
Oil on Canvas Panel
Private Collection

On top of the skewed canvas, the sciatic problem and my Dad, we also had a recent electric gremlin hit our house which took out my printer and my USB hub. I guess when it rains it pours. Light bulbs blew, our rheostat in the dining room blew...all of this happened over about ten days. We called the power company and no one seems to have a clue what hit us. Had to be a gremlin....no other explanation and the power company was not taking responsibility. They checked everything out and said we are fine. Hmmmmmmm. Curious, eh? I have replaced the hub and the printer now. Expensive little fellow, that gremlin.

So....I needed a little something visual to cheer me up today, so I went looking around in my files and came across this Water Lily I painted a couple of years ago. My husband and I had gone up to Bass Lake close to Blowing Rock, NC on a beautiful September Saturday and walked around the lake. This was one of only a couple of the lilies still blooming. I was happy to grab a picture and have something to paint when we came home. Now when I look at it, I remember that happy September Saturday.

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

"Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"
6.5X9
Mixed Media


Private Collection

Click on image to enlarge the view.

I did this piece some time ago for my first grand-daughter. (We were so excited at the time and I was waxing romantic with thoughts of childrens' poems to share with a new child!) This was also just as I was finishing up a more commercial part of my career, so I was thinking about printing possibilities and other applications. Last year my daughter-in-law took this art to some South Korean who turned it into a three dimensional 'paper cut' framed wall piece for the third child's nursery. I don't know the name of the technique, but they do this in S. Korea. It's not exactly origami, but they use colored paper and glue cut pieces onto a backing to create a picture.

I'm showing you this retro piece because I have once again been stymied by my back problem (sciatic nerve pain) and have had to lay low. I've had a third steroid shot today and hoping this will help.

I also had an unusual experience the other day I had not encountered before now. The "Cows by the Lake" piece was nearly finished and I decided to take it over to a frame store to see if I could find anything suitable for it. And behold....the painting would fit into none of the standard 24X36 frames. I tried one after another and they were all off on one side of the rabbet by a half inch. Hmmmmm....says I. What is this? Turns out the stretched canvas on its stretcher bars is ....what is the word...whopperjawed! (Skewed) Unfortunately I didn't notice this when I bought the canvas and merrily went on painting without discovering the flaw. After looking into custom frames with filets to try to offset the problem, and finding that none of that was going to work, I came home deciding that the only option is to have some professional re-stretch the canvas onto straight bars...someday. It isn't going to happen now. No idea how expensive that is to have done. I've set it aside and it will wait for some other day if I ever decide to do it. It's a set back for the moment since I have a show coming up and thought of entering that one. Now I am scrambling to come up with another idea for the show and have three weeks to do it. So due to the back, the frame, and of course we always have my elderly Dad's needs thrown in for good measure....I have been up to my ears in other stuff..

Will come up with a new one soon...Thanks!!