152. Jar on Sill

'Jar on Sill'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Ah, old Ball jar, you're just so lovely.

It's always a fun challenge to find new ways to capture these vintage jars. 

I'm kinda likin' this rendition - it feels so unperturbed.

sold

151. Waiting Room

'Waiting Room'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Okay, I am so happy with this. 

I rarely paint people - what I mean is, I sometimes attempt to paint people, but I rarely complete those paintings 'cause  -- well, people are hard! 

(For me.)

This little guy is my middle son, and although I wasn't too concerned about making it look like him, I think it does! 

Even though it's just from the back. :) 

Ugh, faces. SO hard. Someday, someday.

not for sale

150. Road Trippers

'Road Trippers'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Summer, I still miss you. 

This particular summer scene was captured a couple of Augusts ago in western Montana. On our way home from Minnesota, we took a little detour to drive through Glacier Nat'l Park, and this is on the lovely drive up from Great Falls to Glacier. Stunning, of course.

So, I took this shot from one of my absolute favorite spots in the world, - seriously, if I could see the whole world from the shotgun position of our Impala, I would. lol. ;)

sold

149. Going Ninja

'Going Ninja'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

I happen to be a proud parent of the world's three loudest ninjas. 

A proper demonstration of their technique is best seen in our local grocery store. They leap out from behind produce stands, they karate chop the produce scales, they disappear down unknown aisles in a flash, - I mean, serious ninja stuff. And, all the while, providing abundant sound effects for each ninja move. Oh, the sounds effects. At least I can always hear them, even if I can't see them. :)

The two ninjas seen here are the strong, silent type, - although, the one on the left seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. His hands don't match, and, my eight-year-old informed me that the body actually belongs to 'the emperor's soldier that fights pirates'. He really should just be thankful he has all his parts - most of the Lego dudes around here are just not that lucky. 

sold

148. Ina's High Scores

'Ina's High Scores'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

I bought these little treasures at a yard sale up my street and I think they're so cool. I mean, miniature anything is cool, right? The box had about twenty-five of these four-inch pins, and all but one used to belong to a woman named Ina.

I have no idea who 'Ina' is, but these little pins commemorate her annual high scores for more than two decades. She bowled with the 'Classy Lassies' and 'Hits & Misses' in the late sixties, and from the seventies until the early nineties, she bowled in the 'Wednesday Mourners Bowling League'. (I know, sad, right?) 

sold

147. Ferris Wheel

'Ferris Wheel'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Dusk settles in over the ferris wheel at our local county fair.

I miss summer. :)

sold

146. Sunday Best

'Sunday Best'

 6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

We are snowed in and lovin' it. 

Well, ok, when you live in the middle of a town, that's sort of impossible, but, my little family has been all together for three days now, and it's been really, really sweet. Mostly. ;) We walked to the store yesterday, mainly because I had a cabin-fever urge to do a puzzle and we don't own one with more than twenty-five pieces. It's been years, - decades, I'm sure, since I've wanted to do such a thing. It was just as satisfying as I'd hoped. :)

In between all the family bonding, I got to sneak in a little painting. 

I attempted this scene several times last fall and just couldn't let it beat me.  This time, - much better. :) 

sold

Oh, also, - great news - my painting, 'Retired' , was a judges pick in the Daily Paintworks monthly contest for January!

You can see all the January winners and entries here.

As a judges pick, I have free membership for the month of February, and all the paintings I post will be showed near the top of the page with the other featured artists. If you haven't entered their monthly contests yet, go for it! There are cash prizes for the top three, and, you don't have to be a Daily Paintworks member to enter.

145. 10th St. Garage

'10th St. Garage'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Hey!

I'm really satisfied.

This isn't perfect or anything, but it was just fun, from start to finish.

So many of my recent attempts have turned into overworked failures, and while I think it's probably necessary (and ultimately helpful? maybe?) to go through seasons like that, it is so not a good time! 

Makes a girl think about throwing in the towel. A lot! :)

Anyway, a day like today was much needed and much appreciated. :)

I really love this sunny little scene from Long Beach, Washington. I'm not feeling particularly nostalgic or anything, it's just the architecture and the lines of these things - an old gas station just makes me swoon. Lol!

sold

Dec-Jan in review...

See what I did there? 

Yup, put two sad little months together - they're happier that way. ;) 

Yeah, not a lot going on in my painting corner recently, but I'm SO ready for that to change. I've got a bad case of the winter blahs and it's time to snap out of it. Let's do this, February! :)

Oh, and go 'Hawks! My eight-year-old super-fan broke his arm the night before the super bowl so we were extra happy when the Seahawks won - there's no questioning the colors he'll choose when he gets his cast later this week. :) 

See availability here.