I went to a great art workshop at the Northwest Art School in Coupeville on Whidbey Island this last weekend with my friend and fellow artist Keli Sim SeRitis.  The wonderful Jane Davies taught an four day workshop in abstract art, painting in series..

I tried my best to adhere to the lessons and assignments and paint abstract art.  I thought I was just beginning to get the hang of it when these guys came along…just blew in the door and plastered themselves to my work!!!  Can you imagine??

Kind of fun though…

This is a picture of our backyard trellis, which, by the way, we built from cedar milled at our southern Oregon family ranch.  Its a really nice trellis, upon which has been growing a lovely and seemingly healthy Kiwi vine.  It has been there for perhaps 5-6 years…no Kiwi babies…  Then we learned that Kiwis are not meant to be solitary plants – they need partners, sweethearts, life companions!  So we brought our Kiwi a pal…still no babies… Did we bring the wrong gender?  Did they not like each other?  It was all a mystery.  Then…this spring love must have been in the air…  we are seeing something… Are they blossoms?  Are they babies?  We don’t know!  But they seem to be growing and there are quite a few of them!!  We can’t wait to see if our beautiful Kiwis become proud parents!! (although, at this point, we have no idea who is who…)

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of the not-so lonely Kiwi…

Its an interesting challenge…taking an 8″x8″ collage on paper and translate that into a large…48″x48″…canvas, and keep the spirit and vision true!  I thought it would be hard but it was really fun!  Using giant brushes and lots of paint…lots and lots of paint…happier then a pig in…whatever pigs are so happy in…  In the giant version there is freedom to play around, add all kinds of texture…and did I mention lots and lots of paint?! …and ‘thank you‘ Kath for the challenge!

Acrylic on Canvas
48×48
$1995

Mixed Media on Paper
8×8
$145

Who knew abstract painting could be so fun…and so challenging!!  My friend Rick Duque, who is a fabulous abstract painter, challenged me to try some large abstracts.  It was a blast!!  I made a mess…I stepped out of my comfort zone, I used a color palette I haven’t used before…and then popped some of my old color friends back in…  Working on a large piece, describing a thought without all of the known verbiage was, for me, a wonderful stretch of artistic muscle.  Its something that I now know will be a really important part of the art that I do!

Painting ponies is almost as fun as riding them…this reminds me of the wonderful camping trip we took with Sheri to the beach.  She rustled up some horses for us and we rode on the beach and in the sand dunes of California’s gorgeous central coast.  Camping was a bit of an adventure when the family of raccoon teenagers decided to check out my salt water frizzed hair in the middle of the night.  I don’t know who was more shocked…me at being woken up by the brazen little creatures, Shannon by my blood curdling shrieks or the raccoons by my weird hair…  It was a trip to remember…Thanks Sheri!!!

‘Painted Ponies…The Surf’

48×48 Acrylic on Canvas

$1995

Somehow these critters crept into my consciousness and decided to overtake a canvas.  I don’t know the difference between a Baa Baa Black Sheep and a Baa Baa White sheep, but I know they are fun to paint!!

‘Counting Sheep’  36×48  Acrylic on Canvas   $1695

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

This kitchen in Federal Way was a project of a couple of years ago, and the before and after pictures are so fun to see… We didn’t move any walls or plumbing, but the change is remarkable.  Ideal Building did the work…thank you Robert and Bill!!

Not that I am planning to run away to the Circus any time soon…but  I loved the book ‘Water for Elephants’ and the weird and mysterious life that goes on behind the curtains…  Well, really, I just like the spectacle of it all… imagine flying on the trapeze or riding on elephants?  Its got to be totally cool!!  I’m going to have a lot of fun exploring this.

..…and the critters…oh yea!!

Apparently this is a baby Turkey Vulture!  Who knew?!  And who knows where he came from… sometimes these guys will surprise you…or me…

‘Baby Turkey Vulture’
Acrylic on paper
6×8

‘Backyard Poppies IV’
30×24
$695 unframed

Am I addicted to painting poppies?  Hmmm…”Addiction: giving one’s self up to some strong habit usually in the passive voice…”  Well I don’t think so!!  Nothing passive about painting with these colors!!  Although I am forced to admit that there are some addictive qualities to painting poppies…the color, the texture, the contrast and energy…it keeps me coming back… to the theme…to the subject…  I can’t seem to stay away for long.  Is that an addiction? An itch that needs scratching?  Oh, what the hell…its just really fun to muck around with reds and oranges and turquoise and get the colors under my fingernails and in my hair!!!

‘Backyard Poppies III’
30×24
$695 unframed

‘Backyard Poppies I’
30×24
$695 unframed

‘Backyard Poppies II’
30×24
$695 unframed