Ondine Makes Her Debut

I first introduced you to this little girl way back in October. Since then she sat, partially completed, on my drawing table. Not for lack of wanting to work on her...but because I was stumped as to how to acchieve the effect I wanted. And I couldn't decide whether to do her in 'straight' pen and ink or to add delicate hints of watercolour to her. Finally...I worked out an arrangement with myself.

Complete her in pen and ink...and then have a copy printed onto watercolour stock paper and add the hints of colour to that. So.... here is Ondine....making her debut:

 I'm absolutely in love with her...and excited to do the watercolour version very soon.

Valentine, My Valentine...

Happy Valentines Day to everyone. And most especially, to my husband Kevin...my best friend, my sweetheart and my rock. Though we are less those two babies in our favourite wedding photo...and more like the couple below...The Weasleys. There is a romance in the comfortableness and familiarity we share. Candy and cards are lovely, but I'm much happier with the everyday blessings you bring to my life.

***I've just changed my comment setting for blog owner approval due to seeing a post on a blog I follow about 'spam comments' and attached viruses etc. I went thru some recent posts and found two comments that may have been something similar. As this is currently, the only computer in my household, I need to take precautionary measures. Thank you in advance for understanding. :) Kelly

Violet

This is Violet... Aside from the possibility of an antique wash to really make her 'shabbiness' pop...she was finished yesterday pre-Super Bowl. Another angel. And again, she was somewhat unexpected... She seems a bit quieter than her sister... more of a shy away from attention kind of girl. Except for those shimmery wings...

Sneak Peeks...

It's Superbowl Sunday and amidst all the football and feasting we should be able to squeeze in a little art. I had promised new paintings at least a week or so ago.Unfortunately, even while I consider my art to be my primary focus and work, so many other things conspire to make it secondary and even-in a few cases-a distant third on my list of jobs. I have been griping about this the last couple weeks...I think this must be the curse of the artist who is also a woman,wife,mother, etc. I know that these are the roles that have afforded me so many blessings in life, but some days I wonder if I would be more prolific and productive in my art if I could be-I don't know- Pablo Picasso or Jackson Pollack....and have Lee Krasner or anyone of a dozen mistresses to make my meals and clean my house and do my laundry for me.

So, here I am on Superbowl Sunday, taking a moment between squeezing in some art-time and needing to make nacho dip and brownies to take to a Superbowl feast,to show you some glimpses of the art I'm working on...so excruciatingly slowly.

My response to the responsibilities and whatnot that won't let me sneak off to the studio for more than a couple hours here and there...is to move the studio into the parts of my life that won't give up. Hence, my kitchen table is completely consumed in decoupage ornament making...and has been for over a week or so.

They are coming along.... They started out with an intent that they would be one thing and when that wasn't 'gelling', I took a day or so to reconsider what I wanted to do. That's the part of being an artist that--to outward appearances--doesn't seem to be actual work. But at the end of those couple days, I knew what I wanted and how to achieve it. And now I'm back on track, getting these little hand drawn and painted ornaments nearer to completion. They're being sealed in beeswax, so that's an entire long process too.

Apparently, even though I truly do strive for simplicity in my life, I'm destined to make things more detailed and complex. Fun.

The topmost picture in this entry is a sneak peek at a painting I only just finished today--about an hour or so ago. As soon as she's dry and moveable I'll get some decent pictures of her and post them.