Pete's Fairy

OK - here I go, back to seeing "cloud pictures" again! This time I was really playing with the colors and separating shapes that were running together, and lo and behold, "Tinkerbelle" was right in the middle! Maybe it's like that old poem (in one of my musty childhood books) says: "There are fairies at the bottom of our garden." Probably close to the pear tree, where the deer hang out!

Found It!

This is Rising, which is what I meant to post the last time. It has either an airy appearance or an underwater effect; I can't quite decide. The colors were a surprise - sort of fall-like, around here anyway. It should be lovely in print, when I get more ink!

Cassie is having a "fuss-budget" day - I think it's insect-related. We either have a UFC (Unidentified Flying Creature) in here, or the fleas are driving her nuts! This time of year is the worst for those little pests. She probably doesn't have more than three on her entire body (I've only seen one); that's enough to make her miserable. I don't like to use pesticides on her but am about ready to drag out the spray. It seems like using a sledge hammer to hit a fly, but you do what you have to.

Ascending

Ascending got selected by accident; it's one of the older ones. I was looking for a new one called Rising, which I evidently forgot to blog-size yet. Anyway, you can see what you want to see in the work: this was back when I was looking for "cloud pictures" in Cassie's strokes. I imagined floating, Chagall-like figures, rising towards the central form whose arms appear outstretched. Getting quite metaphysical here... but I like it.

In the beginning (of the work) I did a lot of cropping, which resulted in very small files, even if the resolution was bumped. Works like Ascending can't be enlarged successfully; this has definitely been a learn-as-you-go process!

Shoo, Fly!

I can't believe I didn't post this one already. It's one of those that I actually saw Cassie working on, because there was a big fly in the window. It's a wonder her nose survived the incident: she was hanging over the chair, furiously snapping at that bugger on the sill. "Renfield" scored on that one! Beats me now how I processed Shoo, Fly!, but it did turn out well - looks like a screen print. I don't write down the steps taken because a formula approach would considerably affect the discovery process in this body of work, but gee - I'd be in a mess if ever asked to talk about specifics on how it was done. To write or not to write...uh, what was the question?

Interesting note: I had lunch with a friend and was showing her our blog, and was really shocked at how differently things look on her monitor! Believe me, our colors are brilliant and rich; if they don't look that way to you, your monitor needs calibrating - or you need one of our prints to fully experience our efforts! Just a thought.

Really "Different Strokes"

This has been one of those days when I should just leave the computer alone. I managed to make a mess of our store (www.cafepress.com/airedale_art ) by adding a few words, and had to redo it (so check it out!). Then the two works I planned to post here were misfiled (by guess who?); I found one, and then the upload was not working, and now it's past time to TAKE THE DOG OUT!! This one came out really different - I'm not through adjusting the colors for printing, but it looks pretty interesting on the screen. When I start from the photos of Cassie's marks, I never know what is going to happen, but 95% of the time, it's really exciting! We won't talk about that other 5%. Can't win 'em all.

Black Web

Here's a new version of Totally Fauve: in my other life as a painter, I love to use black in most of my work, because in art school where there should have been few "rules", it was frowned upon to use BLACK (not neo-impressionist enough). After I graduated, I used it with regularity. It prints beautifully - velvety and mysterious.

Here we go again - we survived fireworks season, and now it's hunting season. Last Labor Day weekend, it was three straight days of shotguns nearby, and Cassie and I wound up at the Emergency Clinic again: stressed-out dog with an upset tummy. It's a little quieter this time - maybe the doves have wised up and gone elsewhere. Cassie is nevertheless reluctant to go out for a walk. Too bad, because the weather is finally nice after more than a week of hot stickiness. I actually bought her some earplugs, which we're going to try in a few minutes! I decided after lunch that it was just too pleasant to stay inside, so I went out to check on my boat and then tackled the neglected flower beds. In less than 20 minutes out there, I managed to cut my finger and got stung by a couple of wasps, so I lost my enthusiasm for fresh air and came in. Now it's time to go out there again, with a throbbing hand and a "chicken" dog, and hunters all around. Ah, country living....