bah humbug

Bah humbug, this grumpy bluebird is full of grouch this holiday, perhaps he has too much on his “to-do” list, or maybe he’s feeling less than confident that the real santa got his wish list. Hope all turns out well for him and his heart grows larger this holiday season! This original 6″x6″ oil painting on ⅛” gesso panel is available, unframed, for $100 in my Etsy shop here.

You can see more holiday paintings here.

This little birdie is happy it's Friday, and so am I!

TGIF! Did you know...

1. In the US it's common to hear people say "TGIF" which means "Thank God/Goodness its Friday!"
2. The name "Friday" originates from the Norse goodness Freya. The day was devoted to the goddess of fertility, Freya—Freitag—Friday.
3. If you are scared of Friday the 13th, you may have paraskavedekatriaphobia. That is the scientific term for your fear.
4. Friday the 13th is very costly for society—according to research by psychologists, America loses money every time it occurs as a result to productivity decline.
5. In maritime circles, it has long been considered unlucky to begin a voyage on a Friday.
6. 90% of US companies have a "Casual Friday" dress code. Clothing is not optional, but is less formal than one other days.

These fun facts are from tipsywriter.com.

This original 6"x6" oil painting is available, unframed, for $100 in my Etsy shop here.

Bluebird is an original 8"x8" oil painting on 2" raised panel board. It is available for $200 here. No need for framing, the sides are painted gold.

bluebird

This bluebird oil painting is 8"x8" on ¾" cradled board and is available, unframed, for $150 here.

bluebird of happiness

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

This original 6"x6" oil painting is available, unframed, for $100 here.

some days...

Some days I am so blessed to have a painting sell before I even have time to list it for sale. This just happens to be one of them.

Here's how my day usually starts out...I do my best to get up as close to a 5:15 as I can. First, I turn on the coffee pot (so I don't have to wait for it to warm up later, because every minute counts) and then I take a quick shower.

Then I make my coffee, grab my brushes, which are hopefully clean and waiting from the evening before, and head into my studio (down the steps to my basement). I usually have at least a general idea of what I would Iike to paint. And I have my panel ready and waiting. Then I find one of many of my favorite podcasts to listen to.

Making sure my paints from the day before aren't dried out, I then replace the colors that need refreshed. Then I dive into my painting. The next hour goes by in what seems to be a heartbeat, a blink of an eye, a new york minute.

Then, at 6:45, it's time for me to drive my daughter to the bus stop. At that moment I need to either be finished, or choose to finish the following day, which isn't ideal because the paint dries too much. It's sure is a great way to not allow myself to overwork a painting,

I usually photograph the painting right before driving her to the bus. I post it on Instagram (quickest and easiest post) while we are waiting for her bus to arrive. Next I head home and get ready for work and do my best to get to the office by 7:30 for the next part of my day to begin. On this particular day I found out that this cute bird had already found a new home. A nice way to start a day, right? It really doesn't get any better than that!

Am I Crazy?

Even though there are days when I think I must be crazy to try to fit painting into an already busy schedule, I wouldn't give it up for the world. 

If you want to see more of my bird paintings, click here. 

looking for spring

Looking for Spring, we all know it's right around the corner. Daylight is even hanging around longer. Somehow this part of the year seems to drag on waiting for sunshine and warm weather. I absolutely know it's important to find enjoyment in all of the season, to appreciate what's right in front of us. Try as I may, I am looking forward to Spring and wishing away the next couple of months. I think this bluebird must feel the same way I do.

"Looking for Spring" original 6"x6" oil painting pn ¾" panel is available, unframed, for $100 here.

female eastern bluebird

Berries for breakfast! Yum!
This original 6"x6" oil painting is available, unframed, for $95 here.

full heart

This painting is from a live demonstration I did recently, along with being filmed live on Facebook (you can see it on my Facebook page here) at the same time. It was a bit nerve-racking to concentrate on painting while paying attention to everything going on around me with visitor and answering questions, etc. Filming live on Facebook is really a cool feature especially for something like a painting demo. I was amazed at how many people watched and commented throughout the time that we filmed. It was a fun experience and it made my heart happy to hear all of the people who stopped in to say hi, both in person, and on Facebook.

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

saturday blue bird

This sweet blue bird was a fun bird to use for my painting demo this past Saturday. I've never really had people watch me paint before and I thought I might be nervous. I wasn't nervous at all. It was actually quite fun. I think the only challenge was that I am used to being by myself, completely lost in thought, when I paint. It was very different stopping to talk. But I really did enjoy it, and the painting turned out quite well, I think. Here's to new beginnings!

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

Here is a thought from Seth Godin that I thought was worth passing along...

Now is never (but here comes tomorrow) Everything you're working on is an investment in tomorrow.
While we can choose to enjoy the process, the end result is always at the end of an arc, always the result of many steps, of earning trust, of building a connection.
If you view any particular day without context, it is almost certain to be a failure. Because now never happens. The results always happen later.
Since later is just around the corner, today, right now, is the perfect time to begin.
Now is the moment we get to plant the seeds for later.