Caturday – Al the Party Cat
July 22, 2017
Mixed media party with cat in hat. Lots of layers here- some glazing with pthalo blue in the final steps to make the background recede. Al, the party cat is an older, wiser cat. Sometimes all this fun just stuns him a bit. He might rather just be taking a nap.
Superhero ♥ Dogs
July 20, 2017
This page started out with a copy of a page from an old comic book. I’m not exactly sure who the superhero was. Cuphead man? Robotman? In the original image, the comic book persona was staring out of a double-hung window, semi-smiling. The rest is just compositional fun.
Ay! Chihuahua
July 18, 2017
This blog has gone to the dogs again. Mixed media experimentation with a wide-eyed, innocent chihuahua. This may be one of my last book experiments for a while. The seam in the middle is beginning to irritate. This picture began as a collage: magazine page close-ups of precious stones provided the deep reds and blues. The […]
Dog and Flower
July 17, 2017
Experimental goal for this exercise was to use a rubber stamp. In a lonely drawer in my studio, I located a chrysanthemum rubber stamp. I loaded the stamp with acrylic paint and deliberately printed only part of the flower. Hindsight, I should have used the entire stamp. It gets a bit too abstract to really […]
Tuxedo Caturday
July 15, 2017
Happy Caturday! Inspired by my own kitty, this is (C.A.T. or Cheerful Art Thing) . C.A.T. is another page in my art experimentation booklet; acrylic, colored pencil, and neocolor crayons.
Dog Doodle
July 13, 2017
Dog Doodle, not a labradoodle. This was the second page in my experimentation book. I wanted to work large and semi-realistically. This page began with a layered collage from magazine and book pages. I then painted and drew until things felt finished. The media used was the book/magazine card stock for the surface, cheap craft […]
Creation Process: Alternative Surfaces
July 11, 2017
In trying to paint loose, one of my hesitations is the cost and storage of the painting surface. I typically have been using water based media on watercolor paper. Not expensive watercolor paper. But I can get a bit OCD about any material. This winter, a group on the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle area put out […]
Caturday Abstraction
July 8, 2017
No real explanation here, just experimentation; possibly not a total success. Bruce Mau once said in his Incomplete Manifesto for Growth: Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view […]
Materials for Abstract Learning – Go Cheap
July 5, 2017
One of my key goals is to get looser in my painting. This requires not worrying about the cost of materials for creations that will likely never be seen outside of my studio. So, what can I use that will have some of the fun and looseness of Jane Davies‘ paintings? Davies uses good quality […]
Right Hand Recovery
July 3, 2017
As part of my broken wrist recovery, I have had to strengthen the hand muscles and relearn some of the motions that had been second nature. But before I could begin the reuse of my right hand, I was stuck painting and drawing for about 2 months with my lest (or left) hand. I cannot […]
Happy Days!
May 9, 2017
Feeling like a witness to a post-broken-wrist miracle: I am holding a pencil and brush again and making some art! The lines have a good bit more wiggle than they used to, and paint strokes are not as strong.- but I am holding implements of creation in my right hand! Hallelujah!
broken wrist blues
April 17, 2017
Just about 2 weeks ago I took a tumble in a parking lot and smashed my wrist. It was an impressive crashing and smashing. After some surgeries I now have a bionic wrist, a wrist brace, a fair amount of pain and swelling, and an outright impatience to get back to painting.. But […]
It Must be Spring
March 19, 2017
It’s just gotta be spring. Better weather and longer afternoons/evenings. I am spending my days out of doors gardening and walking, instead of painting and posting to the web. Here’s the painting that should have gone up a few days back for #Caturday and #CloverGreen #colour_collective
Cats and Roses
March 11, 2017
Happy #Caturday. This week it’s cats and roses. Gouache on paper 10″ x 12″
Reflections
March 8, 2017
I spent most of the last month in Thailand, which means wandering through beautiful Buddhist temples. I have fallen in love with pattern and color. This painting was a reflection of what I saw and reveled in. Ah, Chiang Mai!
Circus Cat #4
March 3, 2017
Another in the continuing circus cat series. This one is done in watercolor and ink. The cat itself, was inspired by a photo of a cat who is, sadly, in the local animal shelter. Adopt. Don’t buy. There are so many beautiful animals seeking homes.
Not Happy About This
December 30, 2016
Holidays are over. The family has all gone home. Tomorrow is the last Caturday of the year. Mr Prince is not happy about his party hat.
What’s That?
December 9, 2016
Last week, my darling daughter reflected on the passive nature of my cat paintings. Well, cats do sleep something like 22 hours a day. But that might not be a good enough defense. Poking through Pinterest, I was inspired by the Blockheads series by ceramicist Jennifer Bernhard Hatfield. This is what happens when a Blockhead […]
Crookshanks – a Portrait
November 25, 2016
While I am off at the movies, Crookshanks is keeping an eye out for Fantastic Beasts. Crookshanks’ portrait was this week’s #colour_collective challenge, with sea blue wallpaper.
Blue-Eyed Baby (Circus Cat #6)
November 22, 2016
As I’m working on this cat series, I’ve been viewing cat photos from the local animal shelters, which is a dangerous pastime. There are so many beautiful cats out there, needing good homes. But I am resisting visiting them and adopting them Painting only!
Golden Circus Cat
November 17, 2016
It’s Caturday just a little early, and I’m continuing my circus cat series. Here’s #5. The background was selected for this week’s #colour_collective challenge, in brilliant gold; gouache and watercolor. The gold watercolor from a jar of old, now discontinued, watercolor pigment that was made by Daniel Smith. Sadly, they appear to no longer sell the […]
What Happened??
November 11, 2016
Taking a break from my ongoing circus theme, just to ponder the last few days and what happened in this election. Days like this definitely make you think.
Circus Cat # 3
November 10, 2016
With a background color chosen for the #colour_collective challenge, using #moroccanblue, this is my third in the circus cat series. The cat is watercolor. I was asked on the previous cat painting how I got the fur strokes. Those are done with a rigger (or liner) brush. There’s a bit of ink around the eyes and the nice flat […]