Yesterday was a pretty emotional day for me.  The last few days have been a little rougher than I am used to, but yesterday was something different.  I paced, I tried to lie down, tried to redecorate, nothing worked.

Finally, at about 6PM, I went straight out to my studio and opened up my tubes of paint.  I felt relaxed, finally not thinking about everything on my mind, in my own zone.  I still have to go back to my zone for a bit more to finish, but here’s the result of my loose & free painting episode.  I don’t know if I will ever be able to not paint realistically, but this is probably the farthest I’ve gone impressionistically.  (Erikie?  Do you agree?)   It’s a good size, 12 x16, and I even painted it around to the sides.

Enjoy.

I’m alive!!

What a week! After finishing Toronto Swampy, my father-in-law came over and helped me pack the giant frog. The rest of the day Monday was just keeping busy stripping wallpaper in my living room until the trucking company arrived. I sent him on his way in the middle of the afternoon….in a giant truck! (Thanks, Roadway!!)

My niece came over Monday morning with my father-in-law, she’s been staying with us all week and it’s been a lot of fun! The girls helped strip the wallpaper, and once that whole thing got going it just catapulted me into redecorating mode. We used to have this nice nautically themed living room, but now, ooh-la-la, it is very nice! In fact, Here’s a glimpse, Mark’s portrait now hanging on the wall, and this is a sample of our new carpet that will be installed on the 15th of this month!

See, when I start a project, I can’t stop until it’s done!!

I picked up a couple of bargains, a new navy swag for the front window, a couple of new end tables that were a total steal and matched my mission style couch table thing.

Between stripping wallpaper, removing wallpaper adhesive, cleaning the walls, painting them, and keeping the girls entertained in the pool etc… it has been a crazy week! I think I’ve been on my computer less this week than ..um…I ever have been!

I did finish up the two kitty portraits, I was waiting for final approval to sign them so they are still a little tacky and I’ll ship them on Monday…er…Tuesday since the Post office will probably be closed Monday! Dagnabbit, I forgot about that. Dom will also be shipped with them, so I have some paperwork to do to get them ready.

I’m working on another website design too, which has been keeping my brain active and spinning. I ordered a bunch of canvas to go with my 42 new tubes of oil paints, and I am going to be painting new pieces like crazy! I am on a mission, I have a goal, so be prepared to come back often to see what I’m doing! I am going to launch with adding a couple of prints to what is currently available, and listing them on ebay – a couple of them will be limited edition.

To end the week, I lounged in the pool for 10 minutes! Woohoo for sitting still! ;D

Then I got out of the pool and took some fabulous pics I wanted to share with you! Ready? Here we go! I’m going to leave these full size for you, it’s just not the same shrunk down to nothin’.

Full Moon
Yellow Rose
Remember Me Rose
Jayden
White gerber daisy
Bug on my truck
The girls
Empty nest
Squirrely Eating

One more addition…the girls (Caitlin & Stacie) performed for you all…
this is a long movie, please keep that in mind on dial-up connections 🙂
Caitlin & Stacie as The Chin Twins

Aah it feels good to get all of those off my chest! I hope you enjoy them, I am having so much fun with my new camera!

I hope you all have a fun fun 4th of July fireworky type of day! Don’t forget to put your pups where they can’t hurt themselves, those fireworks really make them freak out!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

xoxoxo

Okee doke folks, I have completed painting him and the night-time flash photos just aren’t what I want them to be! I will take pics of him in the morning after he’s clearcoated.

So, there you go. Is the suspense killin’ ya? He looks gorgeous, I am so proud of how he turned out!

He needs to fully dry (overnight), and I will clean him and clearcoat him first thing in the morning. Then I will get those final pics!!

I’ll be back!

Ribbit, rib ribbity ribbit, rib rib ribbity rib, kwim?

😀

Ok guess what I did today. I’m only going to give you one guess. DING! Yes, you’re right. The Frog!

Started out the day with some swamp additions, then sketched out a few creatures, got to painting…did some administrative type things, back to painting, then in for the evening to get the girls all bathed and ready to go to Grandma & Grandpa’s for the weekend! I will be painting ALL day tomorrow to finish this fella. I have a few more things to do, each side of him will have his own swampy animal, and the swamp will also have some lily pads, lotus flowers, highlights and things to make it really very fun.

He is scheduled to ship on Monday, leaving here in the afternoon!

Honey’s portrait arrived at her home today, yahoo Honey! And thanks to mom for letting me paint her, she is a SWEETIE PIE!

After Swampy takes off I’ll be getting Rocky, Simba and Dom ready to go home, too. (Pouty face, I like their company…sniff…sniff…)

I also added links to Toronto on my home page, and on the wildlife artwork pages. It was a quickie logo insert, but my client wanted to make sure that anyone he sends here could find the progress page easily. Also, he’ll be sending me photos of Toronto once he’s in place at the waterpark! I am so excited I can hardly stand it, the way he described it makes me want to change our vacation route to swing on up across the border! It is going to be so cool! If any of you are in or near Aurora, Ontario, stop and visit him for me until I can get there, k? 😀

Ok go look at the frog!

xoxoxo

Anyone else having troubles seeing the info and scroll columns to the right of the text here? Please let me know!

I wanted to share some of the pics from my new camera..these are amazing! Yes, I will be painting a few of them, and Erikie will be, too!

These are big files, if you want to see the detail of the shots you’ll need to let them load. 🙂

Double Delight
Pinkie
Double Delight II
Caitlin Closeup
Pinkie II
Sweet Sleeper
Sunset
Squirrely eating Breakfast

The squirrely shot is a smidge blurry viewed large. Still figuring out the zoom on this.

Going to be sketching on Toronto Swampy today, we’ll be heading down to a local swamp/marsh for photos, too!

Yep, the frog has arrived! I started working on him at around 11:00 AM and finished around 7 after a run for more paint. Over to your right, underneath that handsome fella I like to refer to as “my hubby”, you’ll see a blank frog. If you click that link, you will go to my “Toronto Swampy” Frog Log where you can see what I’ve accomplished today!

EDIT: I’ll also put the Frog Log Link RIGHT HEREe that last fixer-upper of the frog pic/link didn’t work again! 😀

xoxoxo!

Has anyone seen today? I missed it. 🙁

The morning flew by with my morning 2 mile walk, some urgent Toronto Frog business, talking to Mark, getting disconnected, reconnecting, getting disconnected (getting the picture?), then ordering Toronto Frog supplies, running errands, home, lunch, more Toronto Frog business, cleaning out the pool, letting the girls enjoy it for almost 2 hours, dinner, PAINTING, bedtime, more of the Mark DNR (I’m hoping you’ve figured out my acronym so I don’t have to retype all of that), and now here I am.

Phew! I tried to reply to all my email today but I don’t think I’m going to finish. So for everyone waiting on me, I will reply soon! Tomorrow I will be painting ALL DAY LONG. Until the last brushstroke on all of these loverlies has been applied.

For now, here are Honey’s sweet eyes. 🙂

Here’s the progress on Honey. I am scooting off to the studio now!!!

I painted late lastnight and finished blocking in the colors for Rocky & Simba. There’s still a lot of refinement to do, the paint has to dry for a day or two before I can start the next layer. 🙂

Now today I’ll start working on Honey (sweet lil Yorkie), and if time permits I will work a little more on Dom’s portrait.

Have a great Wednesday everyone!!!
xoxo!