Hey look! Another post!

This handsome fellow was at the South Berwick, ME strawberry festival when I snapped his photo.  He will be part of the dog series for my KritterKards.  Off to paint some more puppies!!

About time

Oh my, it has been so long since I posted anything.  Wow 2010!  What happened last year?!  My son, Justin, turned 30.  My daughter, Amie, turned 18.  Yup, 12 years apart and they were planned.  Mom is doing well and taking care of Dad with the patience of Job.  Pete is working at the same place.  All the four leggeds are doing well.  Ahh, a nice year was 2011.
I have been painting and teaching a couple of watercolor classes at home.  My real estate title search business was the slowest it has ever been so, I took a part time job with Strafford County Register of Deeds.  I am not great with marketing myself with either the real estate or art work.  Project for 2012 - market me.
I am working on dog paintings for now.  I want to paint different breeds and make up some note card to sell.  I am hoping to paint enough this winter to enter some shows this summer and fall.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Here is my latest piece.  His name is Richard and he belongs to my sister's neighbors.  My sister sent me his photo because she thought he was so darn cute.  Me too!  I just had to paint him.  The light on that sleek fur and the little tilt of his head just ached to be painted.  Hope you enjoy.  And, I will be better about posting this year.

Back to art!

The garden is done, the produce canned, frozen, eaten....  Now some time for some fun.  I entered these three paintings in the Rochester Fair in NH and won first place for the Crab Apple Blossoms, second for the Alpaca, and judge's choice for the Scotsman. 

I am now working on some Christmas Card ideas and will post those as soon as they squish from my brain, through my hand, and onto some paper.

No painting to post for now.
Spring has taken my painting time away.  We have a rather large veggie garden that is finally planted.  Now on to the weeding.  Last year we lost all of our potatoes to cute little field mice called Voles.  Voles from hell!  I have never wanted anything so cute so dead.  The potato plants were beautifully full and as high as my knees.  Then, gone!  Cut off just under the soil.  Next to go were some of the string bean plants and many of the squash and melons were chewed from underneath.  The nasty little buggers would tunnel up and snack without being seen.  I purchased a repellent to mix in with the soil, which the scent didn't seem to bother them as much as it did me.  This year the hubby bought two stake like devices with batteries in them that emit a little humming noise every 30 seconds, or so, that are supposed to repel the varmints.  We have set traps and are keeping the perimeter of the garden weed whacked so they have no place to hide.  We have also been searching through catalogues and online to see what else we can do.  At least, this year we know what to expect from them.
Hubby has a hernia so, the yard work, lawn mowing, cleaning stalls and the paddock, have become more mine then ever.  You would think that with the physical work I could lose some weight.  NOPE!
My son has RP and his vision is getting progressively worse.  I played tag team with him and my daughter at the eye doctor's office this week.  I will remember not to make their appointments the same day again. 
My Mom had to have a driving test to renew her license at the end of May and my daughter passed her driver's ed course the same week.  I make five trips to the DMV in one week!  Mom didn't do too well on her first try so she was allowed to come back a week later and did pass.  Thank goodness.  I drive Mom and Dad to all their Doctor's appointments etc., but she still gets out to do her own groceries and errands.  The first trip with my daughter to the DMV lasted about 20 minutes.  I had warned her that the lines were long.  She talked me into letting her skip her morning classes and when she saw the line told me that she had 3 tests that day.  Back to school we went.  The second trip we waited in line only to be told that I needed her original birth certificate and not a copy.  The third trip she took her written test and passed, but we were told they didn't have time to give her the driving test that day.  The fourth trip was the driving test and she passed.  Funny thing is, I renewed MY license on line the week before, so I wouldn't have to wait in line.
My hubby's Mom passed away last week in CT.  She was the sweetest, most loving, gentle lady I have every met.  I was sad that I only knew her for 7 years, but glad at least I knew her that long.
I do have a painting in progress and hope to be posting it soon.
Thanks for letting me unload. 

Molly

This is Molly.  Isn't she cute?!  Molly belongs to my sister or, my sister belongs to Molly.  Molly is very energenic and somewhat of a clown.  She has an extensive list of tricks that she can complete for FOOD.  Her favorite thing.  Molly has taught my sister to give her a treat every time she turns in circles, barks at the treat dish, or comes in the house.  Yes, she is very spoiled.  Molly shares her dog space with Bessie, a fox hound and equaly spoiled. 
I had such fun painting Molly's velvety coat, long ears, stubby legs, fat feet, and hound dog eyes.
This is part of my sister's, Pam, birthday gift.  Her birthday was the 22nd of April.  For 21 days we are the same age!  Poor Mom, two children under the age of one! 
I hope Molly made you smile.

Sea Turtle

Another art class example.  I had the kids use watercolor pencils for the turtle spots and the turquoise areas.  They were fascinated with layering blue and green watercolor pencil then adding water to turn it turquoise.  I was very pleased when one second grader came up and asked for the burnt umber pencil.  He remembered from the brown color of the bunny!  That made me feel really good and I let him know.
I had them use a prussian blue wash for the bottom section of their turtle picture and then told them to turn their painting upside down and work on the spots some more.  I got some really funny looks until I explained that this way they wouldn't get their arms in the blue while it was drying.
After the first layer was dry, I had them add a second layer leaving the top with only one.  I love watching their faces going from confused to - Cool!  We had blue everywhere, but it was fun.  On to the next idea!

Art Class Easter Bunny

The class had such fun with this guy.  They had to paint the bunny first and save the eggs for last.  That was pretty hard for some of the six year olds to do.  They could paint their bunnies any color they wanted.  Most choose the burnt umber and orange that I used, but there were some more daring.  Casey choose green for the ear on the right and spots for the body.  He called it his evil bunny with chicken pox. :)
Each egg was painted seperately a color of the child's own choosing.  I showed them what happened when alcohol was dropped on a damp egg and what happened when salt was added.  I also used crayon resist, showed them how to blend colors by dropping a color on top of the original and what happens when irredescence were added.  Lots of oooos were heard. 
It was very strange when I realized that people walking in the hallways could hear these first and second graders asking for alcohol.