Cat Portrait in Progress
November
3
2006
This is just 4″ x 6″, it will be a sweet portrait for framing. The lighting and eye color are just perfect. I love it when their eyes aren’t washed out in a photo when flash is used, they just turn yellow and have big green/gray pupils. It’s hard to nail down accurate coloring without these natural light photos to work from. This one – perfect. The shades of green and gold are beautiful and I’ll carry that through to the sliver of a background to make her eyes stand out even more.
I’ve been tossing around a Christmas special, too. I could probably squeeze a couple more portraits in between now and gift-giving time – I’ll be tossing that around in my head over the next few days. The best part of being a pet portrait artist is the Holidays, I think. Hearing stories about the surprise and emotional response from the recipients of my paintings really warms my heart. I always feel like they’re my own little presents, those e-mails from my clients just after Christmas.
Hoot – Hoot!
November
1
2006
1. New privacy fence installed. Installed? Built? Whatever the word is, our home is now wrapped up in big beautiful fencing and we love it.
2. New garage door installed. This is so cool. Press the button, the door opens. Press it again, it closes. WoOt! (I’m so easily amused.)
3. Teeth cleaned. OMG. Hygenists are totally out to prove a point. Their point? “I own your mouth while you’re in this chair. Hold still, and quit being a baby.” I don’t even feel remotely close to being qualified to audition as the new Orbit girl. This adventure was. not. memorable.
4. Photo shoot for a custom dog portrait. I’ll be painting a gorgeous yellow lab in a few weeks, and I got to spend a lot of time with Katie (the dog) photographing her. She’s an energetic gal, and she’s beautiful – and I’m excited to paint her portrait. Her eyes are gorgeous, her coat is rich and creamy, and the poses I captured are just perfect and will make for a stunning portrait painting.
5. I cleaned the studio roof and skylights. You should know I’m afraid of heights – but there’s a leak in my studio and no man (ahem) has been able to figure it out. Even after having the section re-roofed. So up I went, jittery knees and all, and I found the leak. I think. We’ll know for sure after the next downpour!
6. I’ve been working on a blog design (through EW), and hope to have that launched by the end of this week.
7. My Coon painting was selected by someone for something very cool. I’ll fill you in more on that later – but I do need to prepare some things for it, so I’ll be working on that and making a more formal announcement soon.
8. I’ll be working on a small cat portrait over the next several days, too. She’s beautiful!
9. I’ll also begin a medium sized portrait of a sweet black Scottie as soon as my supply order arrives, you’ll see a sketch on canvas over the next several days as well.
10. I just sent out another print of my Award Winning Peacock – a gentleman saw it hanging in the Museum and had to have a print. I do enjoy printing that one – it lights up my eyeballs every single time. I still need to get over there and get pics of it with its awards. It’ll be on display through November 19th. 🙂
I think that’s it for now – the kids are great, they’re still diggin’ their Sandwich Bag Doodles and Chickeymonkey is on some sort of learning fast track right now and will not tell us where her “slow down button” is. Her off button kicks on between 8:30 and 9:00 pm, but other than that she’s like a speed reader who can’t quite read yet and is also on crack. Good Lord. She wants to spell everything, count everything, make blends, sound things out, ask me questions, eat, drink and be merry all within 5 minutes of eachother. Tack on the 5 year old whiney pouty big brown eyed alligator tears every time things don’t go her way – and my head is going to essplode.
Time to Vote – Winner Announcement!
October
31
2006
Voting will close and winners will be announced by 10PM CST.
Thanks for joining in!
Carving Contest – Last Day!
October
30
2006
This is the last day to enter your carving for this year’s Pumpkin Carving Contest!
Send in your entries by 5pm tonight – that way I can get them all ready for voting tomorrow.
E-mail your entries to gallery@intricateart.com.
Carving Contest Update
October
28
2006
I just added six new entries to the Pumpkin Carving Contest. Go have a look!
EVERYONE is welcome to join in. Young or old, carved or painted – we like ’em all!
I’ll be adding entries through Monday night – so please send me a portrait of your pumpkin as soon as you get it carved – I’m excited to see them all!
My Artfully Excellent Carving
October
27
2006
Just Call Me Jerry’s Kid
October
26
2006
Seriously.
Jerry, aka dad, is a mechanic (now the proper term is “technician”, I believe). I grew up in a grease monkey’s home. The smell of oil and “garage” was always around. Dad’s hands were always cracked and raw and covered in dirt and grime, and his blue uniforms always smelled of a hard day under the hood of a car. For as long as I can remember, I always had a Ford – until I rebelled and bought a Mazda – then an Isuzu, then a Toyota.
I always fancied cars. I try to stay current with new makes and models, the changes from year to year, prices, options – that kind of thing.
The stuff under the hood, however, I’ve always left to a “Technician”.
In the midst of the construction around my house, I hit a bump in the road. I had to pull our truck (Yes, a Ford) out of the garage. It wouldn’t start. The annoyance was not even that it wouldn’t start, but that every time I attempted it grew more and more weary of me.
“Rowr-rowr-rowr” soon became “click-click-click”. If you know what I mean.
It’s been in storage for years. That’s a nice reduction in annual registration stickers as well as insurance costs – but it sure does wreak havoc on a battery.
I called for some consults, and ended up being referred to WallyWorld (blech) for a new battery. I selected one – someday someone please explain to me why there are so many – and lugged the 50 pound beast home. Then I had to figure out how to get the rusty bolts loose off of this petrified rusty old thing.
Word of advice: don’t wear a nice fuzzy cute new sweatshirt while you do stuff like this. D’oh.
So, I got the old battery out.
I’ve done stuff to cars before, you know, the simple stuff. Added oil. Wiper fluid. Coolant. Changed the air filter. But this, this is harder than that easy shmeazy stuff. Phew. I think I should get some sort of certificate of accomplishment or something, you know?
Do I have any other Amateur Technicians in my midst? Please do show off your mechanical prowess. I am green with envy if you know what size socket wrench to get when you see all my screws loose.
