Monkey Business - Sold

Monkey Business, 22x14 oil

When I was a very young child, I used to imagine that all my toys came alive once I was asleep.  If I were to imagine what my mischievous sock monkeys were up to when I was out of the room, I think they would be up to no good!  When I suddenly would turn on the lights, this is what I would find.

Seeing Stripes

Seeing Stripes, 6x6 oil

I recently read a book called "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. Everything in the circus is black and white. It inspired me to pick up this back and white striped material and include it in a painting. It was fun to paint, seeing how the stripes move through the glass, but I was going a bit crossed eyed by the end!

Hard Boiled - Sold

Hard Boiled, 6x6 oil

Easter is just around the corner and I've got eggs on my mind.  When the kids were little, it was a big affair in our house to decorate eggs. A couple of weeks before Easter, I would drain the eggs through little holes and then we would take all day to create our masterpieces, (yes, me too). Then they would be proudly displayed on a decorative plate until Easter. 

Mom

Mom, 6x6 oil

Here's a little 6x6 of my mom. I love my mom and her big beautiful smile! You can't help but smile back, no matter how you are feeling.

Cherry on Top - Sold

Cherry on Top, 6x6 oil

While painting this cupcake, I kept imagining little hands reaching up to grab a taste of this enticing treat.  I recently went to my niece's son's birthday party. He just turned two years old. The simplest things put a wonderfully big smile on his face. I brought home one of the cupcakes from his party, but it flipped upside down during the drive home.  I scraped off half the icing and tried to repair it, but I definitely was not able to reconstruct it, so I painted this one instead, (although his cupcakes looked very different from this one).
So if it's my niece's son, does that make me a grand-aunt? If so, I think I'll just stick with aunt.

The Old Mandolin - Sold

The Old Mandolin, 8x10 oil

There's an antique/old junk store my husband and I drop into once in a while, just to see what interesting items we can find.  One time we found this old mandolin. It's not playable at all, and is a bit rough around the edges, but it looks beautiful. 
Recently I bought a CD; 'Kevin Breit & the Upper York Mandolin Orchestra'. Of course I had to play the CD while I was painting the mandolin.  It really gave me appreciation for the instrument and seemed to bring it alive!

Dad

Dad, 6x6 oil

My parents live a couple hours drive away, so I don't get out to see them as much as I would like.  When we went out to visit them in February, I took a few photos for the sole purpose of painting their portraits.  I would like to do a larger painting of the two of them together, but I thought I'd start small, just to practise. 

Hope you like it Dad!, Mom, your next!

Citrusy Scents - Sold

Citrusy Scents, 8x8 oil

Lemons, limes and oranges, a fun painting to do! This is the third painting of this 'series'. The other two are 'Ample Apples', and 'Plate of Peppers'. I will be submitting these into a show that will be at a gallery in Hamilton at the end of the month. I'll tell you more about it at a later date.

I don't know how much painting I'm going to get done this week, it seems that I've come down with the flu! I thought it had passed me by, but here it is. I usually go out painting Monday afternoon, but today I think I'll take a nap.

Half Cup of Milk - Sold

Half Cup of Milk, 8x8 oil

The other day I made some banana chocolate chip muffins. I was thinking how nice the measuring cup would look in a painting, an item that is hard working around here but seldom ever appreciated. This is my ode to the humble measuring cup!

Balanced - Sold

Balanced, 6x6 oil

Sometimes, it's not about the cupcake!  A glass of cold milk, so refreshing, can only add to the enjoyment of anything that it accompanies.

February Paintings 2013

My collage of February paintings. I cheated a little, including March 1st painting so that there would be an even number. Wow, time flies! The first two months of the year are already gone! There are a few submissions that I am working towards, so this month is going to be a busy one.

Over the last few days I've been preparing for a show that I'm in this coming Thursday, 'An Evening of Art and Music'. It's at a local Burlington recording studio called Btown Sound. I've never done anything like this before, but it sounds like it could be an interesting evening.

White Gerbera - Sold

White Gerbera, 6x6 oil

Gerberas are one of my favourite flowers.  I tend to bring it home more often than any other flower.  It seems so sturdy and strong, as if it will last forever.  I've had this one for a couple of weeks now, waiting patiently to be painted.  I think it's a good subject to start a new month with.