Petunia and Peter

Petunia

Peter

 "Petunia"  and "Peter"- mixed media on board, each  11" x 11".  Can be framed or leaned against a wall upon a shelf.  Available here and at Artfinder.

Fiona and I scored some amazing boards at a reclaimed materials shop last month.  These little gems are porous even after a coat of gesso, so I  experimented with a ton of layers leading to this patchwork effect.

Unlike all the other creatures in the studio, rabbits are fairly silent by nature, so these two have been playing quietly while the monkeys swing from the lights and make paint footprints on the walls in a cacophony of shrieks and hoots.  Remind me to only paint quiet critters in the future. :)

This month I am LEAPING into an online course with Irish painter Pauline Agnew.  This course runs through the month of February, and is already making me stretch after just two days!  Don't let the lilting Irish accent lull you into thinking Pauline is an easy instructor....oh no!  But she does provide excellent tutorials and understands that most of don't want to buy an entire art store of materials to take a class.

First up we learned to capture the energy and emotion of the sea with loose charcoal (and chalk, in my case) sketches on large sheets of paper.  Next up was mastering an app (NOTAN) which allows you to slide the grey scale around on your photos and sketches to create a blueprint for value in your work.  Then small watercolor scenes, trying not to lose the looseness. 

Already my brain is humming and the monkeys are running amok with ideas. No time to type!  Back to the paint I go!