Back in the Doldrums (Not a Bad Place to Be!)

I thought I was working over a new photo of Cassie's marks over the milk can (shows how short my memory is!). When I finished the draw-over and posterization (next photo), it still didn't hit me.

Then I started applying filters and gradients, and it finally did register - this is a continuation of "Midsummer Doldrums": slightly different stroke interpretations and wildly different colors! When I get them proofed and printed the numbers will be in progressive order. This was so much fun, tweaking and changing from one to another! Color is my favorite intoxicant; if they print true, these will have a "wow" factor for sure!

Got a favorite? Let me know - I'd really welcome feedback. Want to subscribe to new blog posts? There's a button in the upper right for that.

After weeks of relative inactivity, due to illness, injury, and the extreme heat, Cassie had a roaring good time at the window today - two deer were moseying across the road to the woods! In spite of the heat, she took off running when we left the porch, all the way down the property to the road. Probably neither of us will be walking well by tonight! It was great to see her enthused again, anyway. And now I have new art to photograph!

Remember to visit our store - a lot of these prints and some gorgeous pendants are for sale there! Our art looks equally great on the wall or on your neck!

Matisse Landscape a la PiCassieO

This "landscape" is an abstract from a larger print that reminded me so much of Matisse, with the bright colors and simple shapes of his collages. I am having a lot of fun with it - the large work didn't turn out to be one I'd print, but there are some beautiful colors and shapes to zero in on for abstracts. When I added the watercolor filter, the colors were amazing. There were also a bunch of pendant squares hiding here and there - hope to have them in our store before long!

Cassie has been having trouble with her hips lately, which is hindering her work at the window, but she's still keeping the door full of marks. A neighbor kid committed two acts which incite total insanity in my dog - he rang the doorbell, and had TWO dogs with him on the porch! I thought Cassie was going to go straight through the glass. There should be an interesting title to go with the results - need to work on that.

Art With Love!

One of Cassie's first "drawings" here, made into a pendant just in time for Valentine's Day. For some reason the colors just won't photograph true for the web - the heart is a true red and the background is hand painted with a purple wash to make the heart stand out. We have it in our store so if you want one, order now to get it in time for the holiday! It comes with a gold bail, but silver is also an option (contact me first).

Cassie is my wooly sweetheart, for sure. I laughed when I saw this heart on the window, because there was also a rose-like flower and a long "I" - it looked like she'd written "I love flower" in her own special way! She's curled in the corner of the couch with her feet in the air at the moment, looking totally adorable. Stole my heart the minute I saw her - almost knocked me off my feet, too. True Love!

Almost forgot - in honor of Valentine's Day, "Art With Love" is having a drawing for a free print (winner's choice)! Enter from now to Feb. 13 - details at our store under "Shop Announcement".

You can subscribe to our blog and receive our updates by email (see box in upper right). Comments are always welcome - I'm happy to discuss any aspect of the art!

Looking Backwards, Moving Forward

Most of my art lately has been focused on the PiCassieO Pendants; there is nothing quite as much fun as digging into older work and coming up with these little jewel-like abstracts! The source for the three above is in the archives somewhere; for a real challenge, see if you can find it! Hint: one of the three is taken directly from the original and the other two have been altered. The resulting pendants are turning out beautifully and will be listed shortly at our store.

The sun's vacation from our piece of the world is hampering my development of new art, so I'm glad I have such a wealth of material to fall back on! Cassie is semi-hibernating; when it's so gray and cold out, I feel like following her example and just sleeping until the sun comes back. Can't do that - I have to keep working to buy dog food!

Working Really Small!

Am having tech trouble as usual - but here are two of
the tiny abstracts from larger PiCassieOs that I'm turning into pendants. I've always thought of the works as "little jewels", but now they really are! These small pendants are $15 and may be bought at our store.

Got to get back to work on some more - these have been really popular with friends and neighbors! I work, Cassie sleeps - what a life. Would like to trade places once in a while.