Happy New Year!

Actually I goofed yet again, because this is not the work I meant to post (or maybe it is - I'm really tired). We've had so much rain and gloom until yesterday that Cassie's marks haven't been recordable, so when the sun finally came out, every time a beam hit the door I was there with the camera. We have so many trees out front that the light is really fleeting on that door. The trees do make some interesting colors in the background and make a nice contrast for the strokes, so I'm not complaining. The title of this one could be Sunbeam, or maybe more appropriately, Ray of Hope, considering the beginning of a new year in a little while. Here's hoping that 2009 will bring better times for all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM PICASSIEO!

Winter Work 4

If you've forgotten Winter Work 3, you should scroll down and find it. This is what was added when Sammy came to visit! Yesterday morning, we had other guests: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer - and maybe Vixen - all munching azaleas at my Jeep out front. It was totally wild: Cassie was bouncing off the furniture from window to window and door and back again, and this time I got it on video! Finally, I caught her in action in full cracker-dog mode. Watch for "PiCassieO at Work", coming soon to a computer near you! Also, Winter Work 5 is now on the storm door, thanks to those deer. It's about time to clean that door and let her start over, but it's really interesting to see what develops.

About That Rice Bag....

Serves me right for thinking I could remember the measurements on that rice bag in the previous post. My apologies - the final measurement after sewing the sides should be 6" x 20", with 2 1/2 pounds of rice! Hey - it's not rocket science; you can make all sizes for different purposes and just use your own judgement as to how much rice it needs. Just test the final version in the microwave to gauge how long it takes to be comfortable without being too hot. So what does this have to do with art - not much, unless you're an artist who's short on cash. My last minute shopping plans went out the door when I got to the country store and they were closed for Christmas! So, I wound up at the Dollar Tree, got some great little frames for mini-PiCassieOs and some other fun stuff, and beat it for home to avoid any more traffic. The economy would really collapse if it depended on my Christmas spending. Now I need to work on rice bags and prints, so

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM PICASSIEO!!

Solstice!

We made it through the shortest day (whew!) and by a few nano-seconds a day the light is increasing. At least that's what I'm told; so far I can't feel it. We had glorious sun yesterday and part of today, but those clouds have rolled back in and the warmth is a memory already. At least I was able to photograph Cassie's west window efforts just as the sun was going down Sunday, with that wonderful blazing orb warming up the cold landscape colors - the promise of better times to come. A good thing the camera was handy, too, because overnight it got so cold that her drawing "sweated" right off! She's already at work on another masterpiece.

Our friend Sammy came back for a visit yesterday so the front door took some serious licks. She worked over what was already there - I'll post that one next.

I hope everyone is not as far behind as I am on the Christmas stuff. Tomorrow will be my first (and only) shopping trip, probably to the local country store and maybe the grocery store. Need a quickie gift (besides a PiCassieO or something from our store)? Fold a 12" x 16" piece of fabric into a rectangle 6" x 16", sew the sides leaving a 1" opening for turning, fill it with about 1 1/2 lbs. of white rice, stitch up the hole, and voila - you have a wonderful present! When microwaved for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, it makes the greatest heat pad (and comforter) since you can shape it to whatever part needs it. Makes a good ice pack too if you put it in the freezer. That's why I need to stop in at the grocery store, for a cheap bag of rice. Ho Ho Ho!

Winter Work 3

Here we go with another dark winter work, which I like anyway because of the rich, subtle colors. It just occurred to me that it's not even winter yet - yikes. Actually, the winter solstice is coming up Sunday, I think, which is cause for celebration since we start getting some of the light back. Assuming, that is, that the sun is still out there somewhere! That's a slight exaggeration of conditions here - we did get some glorious sun and wind yesterday to dry things out a little, but today we're damp and cloudy again. That's OK- there is finally a Christmas tree downstairs to decorate, which will warm the atmosphere considerably. I'm hoping Cassie and Pookie (the cat) will be on best behavior so that the tree will stay vertical.

About that Flip Mino I promised at www.CafePress.com/airedale-art : the design aspect is proving to be a challenge. I'm working on it - just keep checking!

Winter Work 2

Winter Work 2 is another lively effort from Team PiCassieO; not quite as dark as the last one, but still chilly in spite of the passion! Boy, I wish the sun would come back and dry us up. It's not cold enough to freeze the muck, so the seasonal sport is mud-sliding. Not my choice of fun things to do, for sure, because you don't exactly get to choose when you want to play!

I'm in the process of adding a high tech toy to our Cafe Press store: the "Flip Mino". It's a 2" x 4" video recorder, and I guarantee that the PiCassieO version will be the coolest! Keep checking; it'll probably premier in the next 24 hours! That's at:

www.CafePress.com/airedale_art

Winter Work

This odd one must be tied in to the short days and too-early-darkness. We've been unusually cold here for a long stretch, which is making me want to hibernate. Cassie is on the injured list; we had to pay another visit to the vet Friday and she'd had quite enough of that from the previous week, so she turned into a tap-dancing octopus when the tech attempted to take her temperature. Her back and hind legs are really sore and she's not her usual hyper-dog self, which sends me into hyper-worry mode. We both need a nice, sunny, WARM day to relax; if that's not possible I vote for sleeping until spring.

Back to the art: I actually like the extreme contrast between the background and the strokes, and the way the colors turned out. If I ever get more ink, this one should be really interesting in print.

Speaking of prints: they're still available at the lower price ($30)! Email me at beth@bethstafford.com to order. Oh yeah, while I'm advertising: don't forget our store at www.cafepress.com/airedale_art !

Shameless Commercialism!

OK - here it is, another plug for our store! Pete's Fairy has gone solo for the holidays to spread a little holiday magic. We have three dated ornaments in red, blue, or purple, plus four other undated PiCassieO ornaments, so get busy and deck those halls with our art! Remember,

it's http://www.cafepress.com/airedale_art . There are also lots of neat gifts for everyone on your list (including canines!). Happy shopping!

We will continue to offer PiCassieO prints for $30 until Dec. 31, so take advantage of the lower price while it lasts. We will donate 10% of print sales during the holidays to PetSmart Charities!