I just finished this fellow last evening.  It's done in casein on white clayboard.  3.5" x 4".

A "miniature" wall and some new work

I ran across some small plate holders at a huge discount and thought they would work well for my miniatures when they are home between shows and for my tiny new miniature art collection. It will grow. :-) We had the eagle all alone above the couch and he's HUGE, but that wall still needed more. He always looked forlorn and lonely. I am much happier now. I think I will go and see if they still have any long ones left and put up 2 more. :-)


I've also been working on a couple of other new pieces. This eagle has been sold to a collector but he's still with me waiting to finish curing so he can be varnished and go to his new home.

Another eagle...

A miniature raccoon done in casein and scratch on white clayboard (WIP)

Blogger doesn't like me!!!

It has been quite awhile since I've posted. Some of that is my fault (and Christmas), but I have difficulties getting on blogger sometimes. It asks me to sign in, I do, it asks again, over and over, never accepting me in. Then a different day I get right in!!! Very strange.

I want to wish everyone a Happy, if belated, New Year as well. Here's hoping the new year will bring us into better times.

OK, here is what I've been working on: finishing a fish carving for my daughter. Painting the pelican, touching up a couple of pieces that I'd done awhile back, decided I wasn't happy with.

Now I'm painting a new piece, but no photos of it yet. I'll post the fish carving (not mounted yet unfortunately). I have to wait for my husband's help to drill out the base before I can mount the fish. Am afraid of slipping doing it alone and ruining the piece that's carved for the base.




Here's the pelican wip - painting the back feathers, the breast and belly are also painted, just no photo...




This is a princess parrotfish. This is NOT a miniature. They are rather strange looking fish (parrotfish). They also do something rather unusual when they sleep- they form a "bubble" around themselves of a clear substance. I imagine it is a form of "early warning" protection. But if something gets that close... But then, perhaps the bubble "stuff" would confuse the predator. There are alot of different ones. I chose this one because of the colors and subtleties of color change. You can see a bit of it in the photos if you look closely. There is a light, soft blue, turquoise, green over turquoise (just barely hinted at), orangey-salmon going into purple-pink, etc. He was a challenge to find reference for, and then to paint. I will be glad when he's finished and sitting in his new home!

While I seal the pelican carving I started a new painting. Here's a WIP photo from last night and today. I'm hoping to get this finished before next Tues. with the holiday coming up. I know that's going to cut into painting time. This is as usual, a miniature, done in acrylic. The reference was taken on our recent trip to Louisiana when we were out boating with friends. This fellow was one of the few who stayed put as we passed. We decided he was a "ham" and was posing for the camera. ;-)

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.

Missing Artist Spotted in New Orleans!

And amid wild animals, trudging through swamps, and voraciously downing multiple Beignets, Red Beans and Rice, Jambalaya, and Crawfish Ettoufee!!!


Aren't these little fellows adorable. I love them (as long as they aren't living in my home!) I went to a photo shoot in Sandstone, MN, just up the road from where I live and spent 3 days photographing and watching the antics of animals running free from cages and bars. I actually got to hold a racoon, a coyote, a wolf, and a lovely little fox. I did decline the porcupine though. ;-)




These are just a tiny sample of the experience of walking with and experiencing the wild creatures we were so fortunate to spend time with.








This owl is not alive- it is a beautiful woodcarving at one of the carving shows I attended and helped to judge. Some of these carvings are phenomenal to see. Just astounding what can be done with a piece of wood, a few tools, and alot of knowledge, work, and yes- talent. But I do want to stress "work and knowledge". These carvers spend years developing and learning their art. It does not come easy, it comes at great cost of time and sometimes even sleep!



The swamps and bayous are just beautiful. Alot of areas are so very haunting. Filled with life of all sorts. Fish constantly jumping to catch a meal, birds and herons and bald eagles in multiples. What a grand sight to see a pair of bald eagles flying above us as we boated down the bayou to a friends "camp". The ease and grace of the great blue and white herons, the funny little galinule running across the lily pads. We kept a sharp eye out and saw a number of large and small alligators, several kingfishers, white ibis. After a wonderful afternoon of wildness in the bayous we spent an evening over some good Cajun food with some dear, wonderful friends, a glass of wine and good old "catching-up" chatter.


We spotted four of these little guys- 6-8 week old baby alligators. Mama must have been nearby, but all we could find were alligator trails.




We spent a couple of days learning more about the backgrounds of the Acadians, the history of the area, and touring an Acadian "village". We became very aware of the way homes were built in a very similar fashion for many years afterward. As we drive now we see the same basic plan, altho larger in back, but looking very much as the historical cabins did from the front.



I am fascinated by spiders (in the wild, not in my basement!) We found several rather interesting specimens. These seemed to be very common and we saw many of them. They are quite large and easy to spot hanging in the center of their webs between trees.

This beautiful plantation home was not nearly as large as it appears. It is just 6 rooms, 3 up, 3 down, and even though it is a Greek Revival exterior now, it was a Creole home. The original home was actually only 3 rooms with just storage below because of flooding issues. They also often slept on the porch (can you imagine the mosquito issues?!) The porch went all the way around. No hallway, doors simply opened from each room onto the porches. Now the back porch is enclosed as a long room/hallway.
Do you know what makes a "plantation"? We often think of them as the huge, beautiful antebellum mansions, but all plantations did not have that distinction. A plantation means it derives it's income from one main cash crop, rather than a farm which may have multiple crops. This home still had an original row of the majestic live oaks (foreground) and all 22 of the original slave quarters. We learned alot of very interesting history, and I have a book or 2 in mind I want to purchase to learn more.


We spent a day in New Orleans enjoying the French Market, beignets at Cafe du Monde, walking around Jackson Square and chatting with the artists there. Dinner of a multitude of Cajun favorites, an fun stroll up and down Bourbon St. Then the next day we drove around looking at and photographing some of the cute little historical homes in the area near New Orleans. Perhaps I'll try and paint a few of them someday.


More of the local wildlife scene. Several days spent with more old friends motorcycling and touring through sugar cane plantations, swampy areas, etc. Down to Grand Isle, a big Cajun family dinner of white beans and fried shrimp. Heaven...

I hope you enjoyed this tiny bit of our past month. I'll try and post a few more in a week or 2. Time to catch up at home and then get back to the easel! Until next time, be well my friends.

Puppies and Bunnies

Here's the latest...
I just love to paint "soft-fuzzies"- the cute little animals. Here's a rabbit I just finished this past week. I had my mom here so it was a bit difficult to focus which gave me a few "moments" of frustration (with myself). But it finally pulled itself together. :-)

"The Local Guy" 3"x2" Casein on board

Here's the latest update on my new babies. They are all 4+ weeks old now. Getting cuter by the day. The sisters play together, wag their tails (which just sends me to giggling- soooo cute). They dream- what on EARTH are they dreaming about? They've seen nothing but mama and the 4 walls of a box, with now and then a look at me! But they "bark" in their sleep!

This girl is Pooka's baby- she is going to be just like mama- lazy, lazy! She has no one to play with (yet- I'll put her in with the other 2 soon for some fun). But every puppy I've ever had when you take them out of their box they are either frightened, worried, curious- something. Not her. She looks around, decides it's too much trouble and just lays down for a nap!!! VERY laid back personality. She is 3 days younger than the other 2, so she will get more active and playful- that may not seem like alot of time, but at this age can make a big difference. The other 2 just started to wag their tails a couple of days ago.

Widget's babies are more active- ofcourse 2 of them together makes a difference. The tan one is laid back- a bit like Pooka's baby, but not quite that lazy! The black one is going to be like her mama, Widget. Active, curious. She was my "complainer", now she's just looking, looking. I'm sure it will soon be- how do I get out of my box to go explore?! I think the photos actually show you their personalities a bit- you can see the "action" in little miss blacky's eyes!