Busy, busy

The days fly by during this time of year. There are too many places to be, school- and sport-related tasks for my little dude, garden items to harvest and preserve, a filthy home that begs for attention, a misbehaving cat who may or may not have an intestinal disorder, and the quiet but insistent footfalls of autumn as it nears...

I finished a couple of paintings recently—one a commission of a neighbor's pet kitty, and the other just for me because I liked it (a nuthatch, in case you're not familiar with that type of bird). I made salsa, twice. And froze some tomato sauce. Next on the list? Peeling apples for apple butter, in between layers of paint on an old wooden chest that needs a facelift.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll force myself to get registered on LinkedIn in an attempt to drum up some freelance proofreading. I so prefer the painting and preserving; if only those pastimes paid better. Sigh.

Dog days of winter

The last two commissions I've painted have been dogs, beloved pets. (I forgot to post this one—it's been with its proper owner for a week or two now.) Shown here is my interpretation of a much-loved, now deceased collie named Petey.

I just finished the more recent pup yesterday, but the client hasn't seen it yet, so I'll keep it to myself until it's safely in her paws—I mean, in her hands.

If anyone out there wants a custom pet painting, I'm your girl! Just let me know. People surely do adore their fuzzy companions.

Shameless self-promo

Hey all, here are some of the fruits of my painting labors for the past few months. I wish I could say I whipped these out in a couple of weeks (and in reality, the hours invested would amount to far less than that span of time)…but the blocks of time that I can carve out and justify for painting are just not as frequent as I’d like them to be.

I also did a commissioned piece in the fall, which I didn't show here because I didn't like it as well as these two; they were simply for sheer enjoyment. I'm partial to the cow. I love cows. Aren’t they beautiful? And so expressive? Whoever coined the many unkind phrases about cows, especially those sayings that connote cows with unattractiveness, must have never had the opportunity to gaze into a bovine face and study its depth and loveliness.

However, I digress. The real point was supposed to be that I will work for commissions. And very, very reasonably, I might add—I’ll paint just about anything for less than ONE MILLION DOLLARS. (This stated with my pinky in the corner of my mouth…) (Ha ha ha ha.) Okay, in truth, I work for a fraction of that—truly, a fraction. As in, about 1/20,000 of that amount. Seriously. I’m going to tool around and paint stuff anyway, so I might as well be painting something for you. Right?

Food for thought—or some “cud” for you to chew on. Happy weekend.