Okie doke folks, here’s the news!

The City of Toronto (Canada) has a big, beautiful waterpark (links to come). It has been up and running for about 10 years now, and they are expanding! Their general contractor searched for a large frog to add to the new section and found one of the frogs I did last year, Swampy, and contacted me to create a frog similar to Swampy for their waterpark!

So this will be a BUSY summer! The frog fabrication will take approx. 2 weeks, and once it arrives here I will be a busy bee! I’m estimating the whole project will take about 4-6 weeks or so. Then, next time you’re in Toronto, you can stop by the waterpark and see Swampy II!

I will be creating a separate page to display the progress of this one, and of course keep you all updated!

This is going to be FUN!!!!!!

So there’s my big big big announement. Not bad, eh?
😀
xoxoxo!

He’s done! Boy do I love these little critters. In fact I just put out a bunch of popcorn for them out back!

Yesterday went by so fast, I was a little bummed I didn’t get him finished. But now he’s done. YAY! We’re leaving in a few minutes for an eye exam appointment for me, I’m going to get contacts! 😀

Not much else going on today, just catching up on housework. I just want to know how 3 people can produce 4-5 bags of trash a week? At least I know I’m not a packrat. LOL

I’ll be testing prints of this one later today or tomorrow, depending on how long the appointment goes. I have some webdesign projects that need attention tonight, so we’ll see!

Hey, now that I’m thinking about it, those of you who voted for “other animal”, I’d love for you to reply here (even if it’s anonymous!) and let me know what animal! I know one of the 4 is a skunk… anyone else wanna let me know?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!!
xoxoxo

Squirrely the Third! This is just a work in progress now, he will very realistically be begging for corn by the end of the day today! (So if you want to snag him up before he’s finished or list him on ebay, drop me an e-mail! He’s 8×10 in ink!)

We’ve had such funky weather here the last few days, another thunderstorm is supposed to hit tonight. All I want is SUMMER! LOL And I want the mud in the yard to dry out so I can get this landscaping done, too! 😛

I’m going to try to finish up this fella tonight, and tomorrow get that Stargazer going, and then I’ve gotta work on some commissions. I’ll check in with my client and if it’s ok with her I’ll post those WIP shots too.

Feels GOOD TO PAINT!!!!!!

xoxoxo

I painted today!

Show ya tomorrow. 😉

xoxoxo

I’ve canceled the tulip listing on eBay. It is still available (so far), but I have been a little frustrated with their new layout and how un-art-browser friendly it is so I am going to have to find an alternative method to offer my artwork to the masses.

I am also letting everyone know that I am taking a little break. I’ve got some things going on that need my full attention, so I’ll be on a mini “blog vacation”. 😉

Take care all, see ya soon!
xoxoxo

BOING! Good afternoon! How ’bout this for a afternoon wake-up call? I just finished and listed it on ebay, you can click the painting to go see it there. You may want to go grab your sunglasses. 🙂

It’s a great day, chilly and windy – where am I, Chicago!? Sheesh! But it’s sunny and bright and beautiful. I’ve been walking and painting today. I also ordered this very cool vacuum sealer thingie so I can send Mark more brownies and not have to use so much tape (and suck the air out of the bags myself) next time. haha!

We did get to chat this morning too, which of course is very cool. Funny thing happened (don’t you love sentences that start like that?) we were chatting away and about 10 til 8 this morning I hollered for Caitlin to finish getting ready since she leaves at 8’ish for school. Right then Mark says he’ll let me go so I can get Caitlin off to school. Hm. I am far too predictable! LOL

I am loving the new equipment – the scan of this painting went insanely fast for the resolution I used, and the colors were right on, didn’t have to modify them at all. Go Epson!!!

Ok off to play around s’more. Have a great afternoon!
xoxo

Hi everybody!

It’s Monday! AAK! 😉

So far so good today. I prepared several prints for shipping this morning and got those out, walked over 2.5 miles on the treadmill (by the way I’m down 29 lbs. now and have ONE to go to meet my goal for this month!), did the banking, put paperwork together for re-mortgaging (how fun?!), and I am getting ready to paint! YES! Paint!

I will be working on a small 6×6 Orange Poppy today in india ink. I need to clean off my easel/table and set up my supplies, and with inks drying so fast, I may be able to finish it yet tonight and list it on eBay. I realize that I have been working in oils so much, and those are so much more time consuming and costly for my buyers, I am depriving some of my most wonderful clients of great original art for their homes! I’m going to be working on a very cool Horse portrait too some time this week. 🙂

My yard is covered in creeping charlie, ug! My father-in-law gave me a great recipe to get rid of it before my grass is completely choked out. Mix 10-1/2 oz. of Borax with 2 gallons of warm water, and lightly saturate the area with a watering can. So that’s on my schedule for today too! I keep putting it off though, since our backyard is so big I will probably need to refill in the house about 40 times to cover it all. Over 90% of our yard is creeping charlie now. (Maybe the girls will be nagging ME for coming in and out and in and out and in and out of the house! LOL)

All is well, a lovely start to a week that looks like it might warm up pretty nicely!

Have a great one!
xoxo
me & charlie

Hey there! I painted yesterday, layer upon layer on this daisy to make it FUSCHIA. I love fuschia. It’s my all time favorite color; my senior prom dress was even solid fuschia. 🙂

So it’s turning out pretty cool I think, I love the stem, I painted the sides lastnight and just continued that dark midnight-cobalty blue around to the sides of it (it’s a 12×12 – 1 1/2″ thick gallery wrap). The only thing left to do is add the pollen! And of course that involves waiting for the layers to dry in the center so the pollen pops when I add it. I’m going to start this one on auction for a BUCK. Yep a dollar. It’s spring, and I have mucho faith in my fellow fuschia and flower lovers. It’ll probably be finished up later today and I may be able to get it listed tonight. How bout that!

I took these fab pics the other day for Mark, and he hasn’t even been able to get online. Fooey. I changed my AOL IM so that when folks log on my puter says “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”, and I cranked up the volume lastnight and slept on the couch hoping to sleep light, which I did. (So yea Erikie, I heard ya! Stumbling back here all sleepy eyed and stuff..LOL) I am so anxious to talk to him now, ‘specially since I have stuff to show him! C’monnnnnnnn honey, log on! (you know, like rolling dice…hm, what can I roll….)

I also re-invested my earnings lastnight on that cool new printer I mentioned, it’s an Epson Stylus CX5400 and sports a scanner, copier, AND waterproof and 70-year archival inkage! Woowee! That will arrive tomorrow and I will be hooked up to generate some wickedly cool and valuable prints like the Lolo and Care have going on. 🙂

Walked 2.1 miles total yesterday (down .4 from Monday & Tuesday), but the coolest thing is that I got to walk with TWO of my buddies long distance! We coordinated Mountain Time with Central and Eastern and did a three-way-call-walk-a-mile-and-a-quarter! (only one of us is speedy gonzales and walked 2 miles. lol) So very cool to walk with friends. The weight is still melting away too, but I’m not gonna say my progress just yet! Thanks girls!!

Time for me to scoot, I hope you guys have a fabulously fuschia daisy day!
xoxo

It’s Caitlin’s turn to say good morning! This cute little short outfit brought to you by none other than the Easter bunny.

I had mentioned starting work on Mark’s second portrait. Well here are a couple of shots of what’s going on with it. First, we have the full painting, which is an accurate color representation, even tho you can’t see him. The piece is 24×36 on 1-1/2″ deep gallery wrapped canvas, and the sides are gradated to match. Then there’s the close up of his face where you can see his profile outlined. And this is the photo I’m working from here. You like? He’s a handsome fella. I will work on this one soon. Gotta finish up that Daisy, which I plan on working on today. 🙂

Back later with more! Have a great day!

xoxo
-me!