summer mode

 Ahh summer,

what can be better than

sitting here in the cool of the evening 

 while she bathes your feet

and she gives you a huge cold wet hug

while giggling the whole time

 or passing this furry dog out for a ride with his family

and again just ending the day on the patio 

with the sun light dipping towards the horizon.

Ahh summer...

an iPad fingerpainting kind of summer

 This summer is of course sailing along way too quickly.  

I am enjoying fingerpainting on my iPad

and I have about 12 finished pieces.

If you happen to glance over at my Etsy link on the right of this page

you would see nothing there.  

Correct, my store has been empty and I am trying to remedy that.

I plan to have 20 prints for sale by September.

A lofty goal but just one finger dipped in virtual ink at a time will get me there. :)

Here are some of the pieces including prints of my paintings 

that I then draw over and embellish on the iPad.  

The best of both worlds...

I have been enjoying summer's bounty at the farmer's market

and kale and lettuce so far from our garden,

 and iced tea is my go-to beverage with orange mint from the garden.

I have new bowls from Anthropologie which are the perfect size for sorbet.

Our Zoe is getting old :( and I am hoping this isn't her last summer with us,

but at 14 1/2 she has finally stopped fetching and is starting to slow down,

but her appetite is as good as ever 

and she patiently waits for me to drop something yummy

as she knows I can be kinda clumsy with food.

The Magic of Klimt and Kiddos

In art club we explored Gustav Klimt, his magical tree,

and his use of lots of detail.

My favorite outcome was that each student did his own version

 and each painting looked totally unique.

How cool is that?

So trees swooped 

and twirled in the breeze

and housed some very cute owls.

You will also notice each student's initials on the picture
for a little extra bling.  

We read this book from Klimt's cat's point of view.

 Ahhh what a sweet cat...

We also drew his trees in our own style on the iPad.

This was actually the first step as it really helped the kids get the idea 

of swooping curly lines 

and there was always the undo button if needed.
So when it came time to draw big trees
no explanations were needed.
They just did it like the experts they were.

One more lesson to share later.

the week in Instagram

Kale and lettuce from the garden for dinner,

bzzz...

ahh summer patio time with family,

and a little love.

My Muse has gone on Vacation

I posted this on Instagram a couple of days ago:

Sometimes I will do anything to not face the easel 

and that artistic panic when my muse has chosen not to visit for a few months.  

Hence this photo setup in the studio.  

Augh it has been way too long. 

OK I will now pick up a brush and attempt to paint something 

even if my muse has chosen to instead go on an around-the-world trip;  

since I couldn't join her 

I hope she brings me a miniature Eiffel Tower or maybe some macarons.

So after I wrote this I dragged myself into the studio and actually did something.

First I started playing around with my iPad and worked on these two pieces.

Neither is done but at least they are a start...

just one mark after the other will eventually make a piece of art right?

I am hoping to get lots of prints for sale in my Etsy shop soon 

which alas is very empty at present.

I would love some feedback.

Any suggestions or comments

on the idea of the above two pieces?

Then I managed to draw and get a painting started.

I still seem to be in a whimsical girl and animal phase.

Just can't fight it so I guess I will follow along...

Phew maybe my muse only went on a short vacation.

I should really welcome her back with an espresso and cookies.

At the gallery Funnel Cawkins sold which is very bittersweet for me.

He is made with my grandmother's thread, mom's buttons and funnel.

 I really got attached to him so parting is such sweet sorrow.

How do other artists let go when their favorite pieces grow up and leave home?

I haven't perfected this yet ;)