New Paintings

I just finished an oil painting yesterday--it's the first one completed in 2010 (though it was started months and months ago) and that feels pretty good. I'm getting an hour or two a week to work in my studio and, while it doesn't sound like much, it can be fairly productive. Mostly because even when I'm not upstairs painting, I'm always thinking about it. It's just so much faster and easier to work on my little watercolor paintings because they're done downstairs at the kitchen table: no muss, no fuss. But it's not as much fun.

So once a week I wrangle Ricky into watching the kids and I disappear up into the garret. It's quiet and warm up there and there are paintings that need my attention. Ricky and I had a discussion the other night about our weird multiple occupational facets--he's a specialized mechanic for the railroad by day and builds motorcycles and plays in a band at night and on weekends, I manage an auction house by day and paint at night and on weekends. Plus we're parents, obviously. We fit into some odd niches.

So things are okay. Now that I'm back to "work" work, we're finally starting to get caught up on bills and stuff and that's a good feeling. Now if the damn hospital would quit sending us bills...

The kids are doing well. I think Ian's got eczema and I'm going to be taking him to the doctor this week. Poor little guy is rubbing his eyes and scratching his face and he's just rashy all over. I started bathing him with Cetaphil and using CeraVe lotion and that's helped a lot. His laundry is still done with Dreft and no softeners or dryer sheets, but I think I might get some special detergent for the rest of us in the house.

Esther has really started to get the hang of reading and it's awesome to watch her tackle new words.

Ricky is gearing up for the World of Wheels show that's in two weeks. He and the other guys in his new motorcycle shop are working on a couple of new bikes for that.
I'm so tired of winter and cold and snow--I just want some sunshine and warm weather and green growing things! This winter has been a bear.

But yes! Paintings!

"In the Wayward Garden"
oil on ghetto canvas board
9x12 inches
2010

"Gray Secrets"
oil on illustration board
5x7 inches
2009

This one was finished before Ian was born--I just hadn't gotten around to photographing it. These will both be going to the Blue Gallery later this week after "Wayward" dries and is ready to hang.

And I still haven't gotten my aceo prints made up yet. The printing company I use is having a sale in the next month or so and I'm stalling until then, because I'm broke.

Happy trails!

The Votes Are In!

Yay for Pamela! You win a free ACEO print of your choice, either the available ones in the shop or one of these new ladies.

And the winners are:

1. "Turquoise and Gold"
2. "There Was Magic Then"
3. "Star Power"
5. "The Mod Witch"
8. "Ms. Grimm"
10. "I Wasn't Born to Follow"
11. "Building Some Dreams"
13. "Vamping It Up"

I'll be getting these printed in the next few weeks. Thanks so much to all of you for your input, it was such a big help to me!!