New puppies and art

I have a very difficult time getting photos of this miniature in focus. I did the best I could for now. I will have to try again and will repost/redo these if I get better ones. For now though, at least you can see the results of alot of hours. The feet always give me fits. They are about the size of a small flat pea to give you some idea of size. I plan to send him off to a show, just not sure yet which one. :-) He is sculpted in tupelo, painted in acrylics. Unfortunately the colors are washed out as well. I have a new computer and just have no idea how to "fix" things at all.
(I've reposted, they are somewhat better photos.) :-)



We've also had some excitement the past 2 weeks. Snuggles had puppies and they are so much fun to watch growing. She had FIVE!!! What a shock that was! Mama and babies are all doing well so far and I am having fun watching them grow.

New Puppies!!!

2 weeks old- well fed and comfy. :-D

Carving, Painting, and Christmas Fun

Today was finally spent in the studio again after and absence of over a week due to holiday travel and decorating. The pelican has been sealed and now gessoed. I've begun to work on his legs.


I also spent quite awhile painting on the great blue as well. He is shaping up. Still more to do, but he should be complete with another day or so in the studio if I have enough time, altho with working on the pelican at the same time it slows me down.


It's holiday time again and lest you think I've been slacking off, here is what I've been up to, along with a Thanksgiving trip to visit my aunt in Iowa. I rarely get to spend a holiday with her so we had a lovely time.

I love the tree, but my favorite is my Krinkle Klaus's and my Christmas village, which takes me 2 days to put up. I could leave it up all year if only I didn't have to dust it! It makes me feel soooo nostalgic for the old time Christmas magic.

This is my entire village. I'll post close-ups of parts of it and some of my "special" personal pieces. I don't have one of those expensive sets, I have bought pieces from a number of sets from inexpensive places like K-Mart and JoAnn Fabric over the years. I buy what I like or what is special to my family.

I used to teach yearly at a woodcarving seminar in War Eagel, Arkansas and it was run by a family named "Sutton". So when I found an arts/crafts gallery and the "Sutton" name I had to have it!


Ofcourse I have to have a pet store- gotta buy more chihuahuas!



I used to live in the town of Jordan (note the name on the drugstore), my family owned a Hardware Hank store there (I made it from a candle shop- renamed it and added the Hank face).



My husband is a retired firefighter- gotta have a station and a firetruck!

And my favorite- a woodworkers/woodcarvers shop!

I even found a carver and a fellow sharpening his tools!

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season as much as I do. It goes so quickly, only to be followed by - brrrrr..... cold weather. :-(

Latest on mini WIP carving

Worked on it yesterday and today (around the piano lessons) and he's getting to not look so "naked" as a friend so delicately put it!!! Boy, those pelicans have "nasty" feathers on their backs- try to make sense out of those groups!!! It's taking me a lot of studying, and alot of "more reference, more reference" and "where WAS that other shot of that area" to get it!!! I think you can see the detail here and the lifting of the feathering...


By the way- the body from neck to tail is 1.75" in length. So that should give you an idea of how tiny the feathering is. You can also see I've undercut the one lifted wing on the top. I have more undercutting under the wings yet, but that waits until the last minute once all the rest is done.

Miniature Carving WIP

Well, quite a bit of time has been spent carving this fellow, although you may not think it looks like it! My carpal tunnel certainly does! Wrist is hurting big time from harp and carving... Yikes. My 2 loves. I can deal with the pain just as long as it doesn't make it impossible to work. The first photo here was from 2 days ago. May not look like much progress, but I put in quite a bit of time just getting that far.

Today was spent mostly working on the head area. The detail is very intricate and time consuming. I am looking forward to getting to the feathering soon I hope, altho there is still more to do on the underside and also to finish off the head and neck, plus detailing a bit on the wings. As I write this I realize I still have quite a bit left to go. Once you start to see a "face" it seems like you're getting somewhere I guess. It took me awhile to envision the bill but I finally was able to put it all together. Now if I only don't slip up when I'm sanding (I power sand)- one slip and it's all over. Bad enough on the full size pieces, these miniatures haven't a bit of error margine at all...

Hello again...

I'm finally finding a bit of time to post a few more photos. Some from the photoshoot, and a couple more from our Louisiana trip. Then to finish... TaDa...
I've started a new miniature carving. I had a painting on the easel when I left, which has since been consigned to the trashbin. We won't talk about that one! It happens now and then. I've had so much going on this past couple of weeks since getting home from the trip- unpacking, then going to my folks to help them pack for their trip. A very, very ill dog to attend to (thankfully she's much better), the normal piano lessons, house cleaning, and much harp practice, being very "rusty" since we were gone so long. But it's coming back with much work. Yaayyy!

I hope you enjoy the photos I'm posting, and also that you will enjoy following along as I begin carving again - but never fear - I'll still be painting as well. Never a dull moment here...

Here's a few more photos from the photoshoot. The fawns were soooo adorable, and soooo approachable. How fun was this? :-)

This was the "look". Cameras in hand, a chat now and then, and constantly on the lookout for a good shot!

I got to hold a coyote, a wolf, a fox, and a racoon. That was alot of fun too.

Here's the beginning of the carving. I drew out the pattern, sawed out the piece, and now today I started carving. It's been a long time, but it's coming back. The "ugly" little piece of wood in the funny shape is the blank. I thought you might like to see my carving "dustbox" that I work in also. You can see how small the blank is compared to the reference photos.

You can see some of my reference photos I'm using.


This fellow really grabbed my attention. He was such a pretty fellow and I'm always into birds. ;-)





This was our Cajun motorcycle "gang"- we had a great time riding around together.

We ran cross this old church which had been hidden by brush and undergrowth previously. Our friends had never seen it before in all the times they'd passed that way. We wandered around, looking in the church and around the grounds, finding the cemetary behind it very overgrown. How sad... what memories are held within those crumbling walls? It was a very haunting, emotional place.

Chihuahua puppies, mini painting updates

Chillin' Acrylic 3"x5"


Here's the latest painting, unvarnished yet. I loved painting this guy. I LOVE pugs- they have so much character!
I'm reposting my rabbit- I just wasn't happy with him so painted some more on his body, it's softer now. Hope you can see the difference. Hard with computers...
Rabbit (Untitled yet) casein



Evening Stroll Acrylic
I also did a tiny bit of work on this piece and managed to scan it- I think the color is truer, so decided to re-post it as well.

This past weekend we had a really nice get-away in Galena, visiting BRIO gallery where my artwork is represented, meeting and lunching with another gallery artist from that area, and on Sat. we went for a motorcycle ride. It was very hot and humid the whole time we were there, but even so I managed to find some cattle out enjoying themselves- so ofcourse, heat or no- I HAD to get some photos. I've only managed to download a few. I have some really cute shots with my telephoto lense I have to download yet. The one group we found were in a gorgeous field with a beautiful stream so I got some shots with lovely reflections. Can't wait to paint some cattle! I love to watch cattle being cattle- I'm sure for most folks it would be a bit like watching paint dry. Poor Robert- he has to put up with my foolishness!




And finally- the puppies. I've sold 2 and (so mad at myself) the first went so quickly- they were going to come back that evening to pick her up, couldn't wait and arrived hours early!- so I didn't get an updated photo of my little black girl. My other two I will have through the weekend then one of them will be gone as well. I've been taking them outside to have some romps and fun. As you can see, the family is all having a great time in the sun! The puppies just love it- so much fun to watch them leap into the air and sometimes toddle over!

The Moms






Dad!





PLAYTIME!!!












SO LONG!!!