simply curious

A bit of simple curiosity is all you need to take a leap into discovering something new and fun in life, right? Always something to keep in mind, every single day...
This original 6"x6" oil painting on ⅛" gesso panel is available, unframed, for $100 in my Etsy shop here.
I hope you day is filled with curiosity!

eastern phoebe

This sweet Eastern Phoebe is a 6"x6" original oil painting on ⅛" gesso panel and is available, unframed, for $100 in my Etsy shop here.

And on a side note, this was in my inbox this morning from Seth Godin, a favorite of mine, and it's something to think about so I thought I'd share it with you...

Defending myself (vs. offending my self) 

The reason it's difficult to learn something new is that it will change you into someone who disagrees with the person you used to be.

And we're not organized for that.

The filter bubble and our lack of curiosity about the unknown are forms of self defense. We're defending the self, keeping everything "ok" because that's a safe, low maintenance place to be.

The alternative is to sign up for a lifetime of challenging what the self believes. A journey to find more effectiveness, not more stability.

cowbird

This is actually a brown-headed cowbird (I took some artistic license). According to allaboutbirds.org, here are some cool facts about cowbirds:

• The Brown-headed Cowbird is North America’s most common “brood parasite.” A female cowbird makes no nest of her own, but instead lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species, who then raise the young cowbirds.
• Brown-headed Cowbird lay eggs in the nests of more than 220 species of birds. Recent genetic analyses have shown that most individual females specialize on one particular host species.
• Social relationships are difficult to figure out in birds that do not build nests, but male and female Brown-headed Cowbirds are not monogamous. Genetic analyses show that males and females have several different mates within a single season. 
• Some birds, such as the Yellow Warbler, can recognize cowbird eggs but are too small to get the eggs out of their nests. Instead, they build a new nest over the top of the old one and hope cowbirds don’t come back. Some larger species puncture or grab cowbird eggs and throw them out of the nest. But the majority of hosts don’t recognize cowbird eggs at all.
• Cowbird eggs hatch faster than other species eggs, giving cowbird nestlings a head start in getting food from the parents. Young cowbirds also develop at a faster pace than their nest mates, and they sometimes toss out eggs and young nestlings or smother them in the bottom of the nest.
• In winter, Brown-headed Cowbirds may join huge roosts with several blackbird species. One such mixed roost in Kentucky contained more than five million birds.
• The oldest recorded Brown-headed Cowbird was a male, and at least 16 years 11 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Wisconsin.

This original 6"x6" oil painting is SOLD.

sassy

This sassy bluebird is 6"x6" and painted in oil on 1/8" gesso panel, sold unframed, for $100 here.

gray catbird

How a gray catbird helped me get my day off to a great start...

I got up late today and thought I wouldn't have enough time to fit in my daily painting. Whenever that happens it makes me start my day off feeling a bit disappointed. Since one of my words this year is Yes (you can read more about that on my blog here), I decided to try to fit in a painting anyway. Well, everything worked out and I was able to see gray catbird come to life, and I must say, I am quite pleased with the colors and the brushstrokes... plus, added bonus, I got to work early to boot! It is amazing what you can accomplish when you say yes!

This original 6"x6" oil painting on ⅛" gesso panel is sold, unframed, for $100 here.

red-breasted nuthatch

This original 6"x6" oil painting on ⅛" gesso panel is available, unframed, for $95 here.

oh, those eyes!

Such beautiful eyes, the window to the soul...

This original 6"x6" oil painting on ⅛" gesso panel is available, unframed, for $95 here.

holiday best

This handsome fellow is all dressed in his holiday best...sending you wishes for a fabulous holiday! I hope you are taking time to slow down and enjoy the season. I must say I'm not. Not yet anyway. It's crazy that everyone says you should slow down and savor the moments at the crazy busiest time of the year. Life needs to slow down. It just has to...I think this guy is saying just that. Slow down...

This original 6"x6" oil painting on ⅛" gesso panel is available, unframed, for $95 here.

sweet songs and podcasts...

Every morning I head into my studio before the sun comes up and I couldn't be happier. It's precious time that I have carved out of my day, just for myself. I used to have the news on in the background but last spring I decided that all the negativity of daily news was not contributing to my creativity. At all. So I started listening to podcasts. I feel inspired, I learn things about art, about business. I look forward them. Here is a list of my current favorite podcasts in case you might have time to give them a try, or I'd love to hear of any great ones that I should add to my list. Thanks!

Savvy Painter Podcast

The Jealous Curator : Art For Your Ear

Being Boss: Mindset, Habits, Tactics and Life...

This original 6"x6' original oil painting is sold.

seeing eye to eye

I must say I never realized how much personality birds have. Each one is unique, no doubt about it. I guess this hawk and I are seeing eye to eye. I almost feel like I can see right through him. It was a fun early morning painting capturing his charming spirit.

This original 6"x6" oil painting is available, unframed, for $85 here.

glowing personality

Happy Monday! Time to hit the ground running. Here's to a great week ahead!

This 6"x6" original oil panting is available, unframed, for $85 in my Etsy shop here.

this little piggie

This little piggie is from Slackwater Farm in Millersville, PA, the farm if my friend Colleen who raises Kunekune pigs. How beautiful is she! This painting is 6"x6" and available for $85, unframed.

running buddy

I came across this beautiful guy on my trail run a few weeks ago, and he was kind enough to stop and pose for me ( I always bring my phone on my runs just in case I find something beautiful to photograph!) This is a larger painting, 12"x12".

no. 11

Start to a busy week. Hope it's a good one! This original oil painting is available, $55, unframed.

frog

This is painted from a great photograph by my friend Olivia Rehman, a terrific photographer,(Olivia Rehman Photography on Facebook, check out her work!). Never painted a frog before…was really fun! This painting is SOLD.

addie

My neighbor commissioned this painting of her dog for a gift for her husbands birthday. This is Addie, a Westie, what a cutie!

where are we going next?

This cute guy was on the beach just waiting to see where he was headed next. Sold.

for sale

This is Truman. He's not really for sale. He was posing for a photo at a garage sale in Belmar, NJ. I just love his perky gray hair. What a sweetheart! Available for purchase, 4"x4" $50, unframed.

daisy

This is Daisy! How cute is she? This was a fun one. It was very challenging to get a photo of her. Every time I tried to take her picture she would jump down from the spot where I wanted to photograph her. She would run right over to me to be pet. What a sweetheart! She is a very loving rescue kitty living with a wonderful person. SOLD

patiently waiting

There really is nothing better than the unconditional love of our pets just patiently waiting for our love. They have no expectations of us. They are simply a safe place to land. What a wonderful thing to aspire to, just to be a safe place to land for those we love...