Rewind to Oil Painting Days

So about 8 years ago I did some oil paintings.  I was commissioned to do several of them and then just some random ones.  I do not enjoy painting with oils, I discovered. It takes a long time to dry and it's messy.  They now make acrylic paints that look and act like oils, but dry much quicker.  When I paint, I often paint in layers and have to wait for a layer to dry before painting with oils.

 Bob Ross taught me how to paint with only one layer!! Go Bob!! Some of these are using Bob's techniques and some I waited for the layers to dry in between. I'm simply too impatient for that!! 

And now, at the end of this post, I remembered that I was going to post horses next.  Oh well, next time!!  Not like anyone is reading this anyway...  :)

Photography Session with dogs (of course)

Today, I played with my new Canon in an effort to figure out some of it's features, since I've switched from team Nikon...  My willing subjects are always ready!!

Instead of paying $800 for my daughter's senior pictures, I'm going to try to do them myself.  After all, I probably have a similar camera, just not the skills.  But I could get lucky??  Also there are lots of blogs about how to get great portrait shots and it can't be THAT hard, can it?  Now I just need her to be willing like the dogs.  Hmmmmmmm 

New Peacock Painting

I wanted to try a new style that incorporates a bit of Zentangle with my painting.  I decided to start small, with a sketch of a peacock.  I really like how it turned out, so I think I'm going to paint this on a larger canvas and then do a few others to create a series.  Still have 2 dogs to paint for friends and family, but this is really what I want to do!!

So this week starts off with great weather, for a change, but these damn migraines have been a thorn in my head for the last 5 days.  Hitting the tennis courts heavy this week, but I'm really in the mood to paint!!  More creations coming soon!!

Paintings for the Cat Lover

Ok, I used to have a cat, so I don't dislike them, but I am definitely a dog person.  Here are some cats that I've painted over the years in chronological order. You can see the progression of my painting skills. :)
Here is the first cat I ever painted back in 2004:

Then a few commissions from 2005:

A couple that I sold on eBay in 2005:

A few from 2006; the first two were on magazine covers: 

And then apparently I didn't paint any after the year 2007 (the last one is my favorite): 

I'm thinking of selling prints of the last one. Or is it too funky? Tomorrow I will post horse paintings.

Zentangle inspired art

Today I'm posting two Zentangle-inspired pieces that I drew recently just to experiment with other forms. Then I colored them like a coloring book.  Once again, taken with my cell phone.  The first one is supposed to be a self-portrait.  But I'm making a face, which I do often. 

This is my dog Maxi, whom has wanted to be the center of some of my artwork for awhile now.  I still need to paint the guy in my usual style, as he's feeling left out because he sees paintings of his siblings around the house. 

Zentangles Part II... Recent doodles for relaxation

Here are some recent zentangle or zendoodles that I played with recently while relaxing out by the pool or inside on a rainy day.  I feel like I should be painting, but I'm getting quite attached the the process of doodling.  I took them with my phone camera, so they aren't great quality.  And some are weird, so no judging!!

Abstract Line Paintings

I wanted to do something modern and simplistic for my family room... so I painted this simple acrylic for my mantel:

Then I did another one with different colors and added gold leaf: 

And then another one and added mirror mosaic: 

And then, finally, I did this one for my basement, using wine corks and glass pieces that I crackled in the oven. This is by far my favorite and it's entitled "Wine!" 

I'm pretty much over this phase for now.  Slowly working on a pretty detailed painting of my daughter in a garden of flowers.  And then I have so many things I want to paint, but leisurely-- no rush!

Ocean Water Lapping on Shore

Ok, this was clearly an experiment!!  I wanted to add dimension to this little 5x7 block of wood and create a watery feel.  I used real sand and little pebbles with acrylic paint. Then I sprayed it like 4 times with a glossy polyurethane.

Maybe?? Maybe not...  Well, it's a lazy Sunday and I'm going to doodle.  Posting some abstracts tomorrow! 

Wood Block Paintings- Meditating Maxi and Squirrel with Wine

Ok, so we have a lot of wood scraps left over from a wood project that my hubby just finished.  I'm going to paint on them and then display them all together somehow on our basement walls.  I can do these quickly-- here are my first two:  (sorry for my Facebookers-- I already posted these on my Facebook wall!)

"Meditating Maxi" 

"Wine with the Squirrels"

The biggest pain in the butt for me is sanding these so I can work on them!