Today is the day for the Pigs On Parade event in Geneseo! There are 11 pigs in all (I think that was the count), here are a few pics of my Pig for you. It was HOT out there! Catybug and I are on the other side of the hayrack doing the “parade wave”, Doc Bordwell riding alongside as well. There was also some local news hanging around, so if I catch any extra publicity of course I’ll be happy to share that as well!

Some onlookers after the parade route ended.
He recieved some nice compliments!

The clearcoat really gave the painting a great shine, he looks beautiful out in the sunlight! I’m really pleased with how it turned out. The parade was handled so efficiently, and the community involvement was really great!

The only thing missing was candy, according to Chickeymonkey – she was expecting us to be tossing out candy from the hayracks. Which explains why she wanted to be an onlooker with Daddy!

Here are some extra pigs – we didn’t get pics of all of them. My personal fave is the Chef! It is really well done (hardy-oink-har-har)!

The pig is complete! I finished painting him at about 3:30 AM (This morning. Yes. I’m awake.), applying the final coat of pig hair and signing off on him (under the feedbags on the leg). His eyeglasses have been attached with silicone, the cows are moo-ing, the farmer is feeding the pigs – all is well on the Bordwell Feed Farm this fine Sunday morning, so go on and have a look at the rest of the detail images.

With that, I bid you a good weekend – I am taking a couple of days off!

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Some hoove action going on with the pig today, pretty tough making two toes and a dewclaw out of a solid round leg, but they turned out really neat – and will look even better when hair is smoothed out over the edges.

This side of the pig depicts a feed farm, there’s a specific John Deere tractor by the front barn, and a farmer pouring feed into a trough beside the barn. The underpainting for both sides are complete. The other side (below) are feed bags in a pile of feed, they’ll have lettering detailed to match my client’s family feed farm, Bordwell’s Feed.

Three paintings in one – the pig itself, realistic, and two approximately 11×19 ovals on either side with realistic scenes as well. More progress to come. My apologies for not getting back to everyone yet on your comments. I will – as soon as time permits!

Thought I’d better get a pic before daylight is gone – I’ll continue painting today, but I promised a progress shot, so here it is!

By the way, pigs DO have hair. Fur. Whatever you want to call it, they’ve got it, and I’ll be painting it.

Today was a great painting day, things are moving along and I’ll be showing you more of a progress image in the next day or two. I just wanted to show you this neat pic my hubby took while I was working, painting the underbelly of the pig.

Drilling into this fiberglass pig was no easy task. Slipping on his frames, getting them to stay in place – easy as pie. His sides are sketched and you’ll be seeing more work in progress over the next couple of weeks. He’ll be in full color (underpainting) by the end of the weekend!

There’s a pig in my studio. Yes, I said a pig. Thankfully, it’s not greased. That would have definitely been problematic. I’ll be painting the pig, of course, because that’s what I do. Paint. Pigs, Catfish, Walls, Frogs, Bricks, whatever. I’m a EOP. Equal Opportunity Painter, dontchyaknow.

The design of the pig will be unveiled as I go, so for the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be all absorbed in the pig. Forgive me if things get a little barnyard’ish around here. In case I haven’t said it enough, this is a pig. A Big Pig. (Can you see my treadmill in the background? The wheel of the bike?) He’s elevated up onto my Bowflex bench, so you know I won’t be working out for a couple of weeks. I know what you’re thinking – nothing would say “dedication” like a piggy back ride – but I’ll pass on that gross display of visual artistry. heh!

In a few weeks, when the pig is complete and has a clearcoat on it, it will be on display in Geneseo, Illinois for their “Pigs on Parade” during the last weekend in July.

Tidbit of braggery: My large scale fiberglass paintings have historically been the top dogs at our local auctions. Go me!

Just call me Ms. Piggy!

This is the dress.

This is the strapless (keyword: strapless) dress that I’ll be wearing in the very important role of Maid-of-Honor for my dear friend Lisa in her wedding – next month.

This is the sunburn.

The sunburn with straps – bright white straps  from my spaghetti strap tank that are going to look really, really stupid with the strapless dress I’ll be wearing – next month.

Send tube tops. Or something. Oh yes, and aloe. Tubs of it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *This is the flowerbed that once was. Critters adorned this cute little “front floral thingie” as I’ve lovingly referred to it over the past few years, and it was getting old. I was tired of seeing the same thing, and considering we’re looking to put our home on the market, I thought a facelift was in order.

This is the painting that caused the sunburn with the strap lines that will look stupid with the strapless gown. Sortof a Mary Engelbreit sort of feel to it, swirled flowers, vines, leaves, ladybugs & butterflies.

It’s definitely different, and I think it will look nice against the snow in the winter, too. A lil touch of spring all year round is a good thing in the midwest!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Then, to top off this lovely weekend of continued demolition and general household prettifying, I had another funky dream. It’s no wonder I’m a little odd, with dreams like that who wouldn’t be? I’d pay someone to analyze them professionally, I’d even let someone pay me to record my brainwaves while I’m sleeping and study how vivid they are. I wouldn’t want to stop having them though, they’re pretty interesting although very wierd. I mean really, boiled grapefruit? Blech.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *How was your weekend? Are you burnt to a crisp, too?