Critters on canvas

Two recent paintings I've done have found their way to their permanent locations, so now I may post photos of them. One is a belted galloway cow, painted for a lovely lady whom I've never met. (The cow now lives in Texas.) And the nasty hyena? That one was a special request for my son, who simply adores savage, vicious wild-dog types (from a distance, on a page or screen, of course). He'll be able to admire this one's hideousness daily, since it's hanging in his room.

It's funny; whenever I'm painting an animal—or depicting it in any medium—I am forced to really examine the subject's body, and I usually end up seeing some trait that I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't studied it for myself. A hyena's legs, for example: I looked and looked at the legs in the source photo, and they honestly were that long and ungainly looking. The front legs are noticeably taller than the back ones, as well. And the cow? Every single time I paint one, I am reminded anew that a cow's ears are not nearly as high on their heads as I think they should be. Is the cow morphing into a horse inside my mind? Why do I keep trying to put the ears on top instead of on the sides?

Anyway. That's what I've been up to—when I had a choice, anyway. ; )

Enjoy the sunshine if you, like me, are blessed enough to have it shining in your midst today.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful

That's what this doe is saying to you. It's not her fault she's so darned pretty.

(Anyone else remember those cheesy 80s commercials, with the incomparably lovely Kelly LeBrock speaking those exact words to the camera? I tried not to hate her... and then I found out she was married to Steven "Ponyboy" Seagal. Nothing to envy there.)

I couldn't get this doe's face exactly right... I finally had to just walk away. I hate that, but sometimes it's either walk or start over—and there was no way that I was starting over.

Happy weekend!

Fuzzy curiosity

I finished a painting yesterday, working from a photo we had taken when we visited an alpaca farm last year. I had been wanting to tackle this one for awhile, and finally got to it—such fun. The best part was that the weather cooperated during the painting sessions, so that I was able to work "plein air" all three times I painted.

It's for sale in my Etsy shop.

Our baseball game for this morning was just cancelled a few minutes ago; rain, and more rain expected. Oh, well. Guess we'll whip up some pancakes with our unexpected calm morning at home. If you needed rain, I hope you got some. Enjoy the weekend!

At last, creative outlet

Our busy summer-of-many-changes is winding down.

I'm happy to say that I finally found a free evening to paint. The boyz were canoeing with friends, and I located my easel in the basement (it was glaring at me accusingly from a dim corner) and hauled it up to the back yard.

One fresh, white canvas + a glass of wine + some paints and brushes = a nearly finished painting and a more relaxed Mel.

I completed it in a couple of quick follow-up sittings, and then—I walked away. (It's very important to know when to walk away. I may have mentioned that already in several previous posts.)

It's good to be back in the saddle again.

(This dog belongs to a family friend who has helped us out with some arduous tasks. His name is Sam. Isn't he sweet?)

Blog lite

Watching the television coverage from Japan lately has certainly helped me kick my self-pity habit.

Those poor people.

I'm not emotionally ready to grasp what is happening there, let alone to write about it. So, I'm offering a "lite" blog entry, a la Cute Overload.

I present to you baby varmints. Groundhogs, to be exact. I know that in a few months those very same darling beasts will be trying to break into Todd's garden, gnawing at every tender new vegetable they can reach.

But for now, gazing at their small fuzziness, I can forgive all the damage to come.

Meantime, I hope you'll join me in praying for the people of Japan. I cannot imagine the devastation, to structures and roadways, families and co-workers. They need our prayers. And our support and assistance.

some stuff to ponder

It's been a busy week here, hence the pseudo-post today. But I embrace my slacker ways.

Is there anything more cute than a baby goat? A baby pygmy goat, no less? Thanks to my sister's kind neighbor and her girls for letting us play last evening.

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AND, if you haven't seen this yet, you simply must (and again, I apologize for no live links —will have to consult my technical advisor/husband about that):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6qEQ-KnitQ

I'll be honest: I haven't read it. (You'll understand when you watch.) But if I lived in AZ, I would've. And I should anyway (read it, not live there.) And if I lived there? I bet I'd be a staunch supporter.