Does Coffee Improve Memory?

Hello Peeps!

I have been busy painting this adorable little bunny which will be available printed on some products over at Bohemian Coffee Club in a few weeks.

A post shared by Pet portraits from your photos (@studiokaufmann) on Apr 18, 2017 at 4:10pm PDT

I met a woman at the gym today who I have known on and off for sixteen years. That was at 9.30. We talked a bit about how she was determined to lose 15 lb pounds and I wished her the best of luck. Then I went swimming. I went up and down for an hour and tried to remember what this woman was called.

It was on the tip of my tongue. I knew her name started with N or maybe M. Then there was a bit of drama I think a woman fainted or twisted her leg and was lying at the side of the pool. Then I trod water while I watched the paramedics come and take this woman to hospital in the ambulance.

Then I swam a bit more and tried to remember my friend's name. Nada. Nothing.

Then I went home and ate some friend mushrooms.

It is now 1.20 and I have just remembered this woman's name! It does start with N. Nicola. I think it was the grease in the friend mushrooms that kick started the old grey matter. I am 46. Honestly I didn't think my brain was going to pack up this early in the game. I am wondering what will exercise my brain?

I have heard coffee improves your memory. Is that true? I must say I do love the stuff and my memory is shot to pieces so who knows? I also did a coffee art piece called COFFEE SPLASH which describes my feelings about the invigorating power of Java.

You can buy prints of COFFEE SPLASH over at CURIOOS.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday, Sunday Sketches and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Spring Freebie!

I am part of an amazing group of illustrators from the Facebook group Erfolgreich.Illustrator. Nearly 120 of us submitted designs to the theme of spring which were made into card format which is now available as a freebie to download. It is a matching game that is so much fun! Little kids will also find the designs super cute.

My guinea pig cards are on page 23 beside some amorous ladybugs: DOWNLOAD HERE

Linking up to Paint Party Friday, Sunday Sketches and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Kitty Siesta

It seems like the run up to the election has been going on for years. I can't tell you how sick I am of it! Get on with it already.

Someone near here 'vandalized' a Trump poster with some Bush/Quayle stickers. Made me laugh! Does anyone remember Dan Quayle, he was a charming simpleton who always put his foot in his mouth?

Here are a few Quaylisms:

"I have made good judgements in the Past. I have made good judgements in the Future."

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."

"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child."

"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."

I do remember him fondly....

We have had a hectic Halloween week and although I did not get into costume my daughter and her friend went as Day of the Dead twins with very impressive makeup.

In an ideal world I would love to sleep through the election...maybe that's why I painted a rather blissed out kitty this week...... I swear if there is reincarnation I need to come back as a fat, spoilt ginger cat. That is my spirit animal! Kitty Siesta buy cards, mugs, prints here.

Kitty Siesta, Watercolor

A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dan_quayle.html

A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dan_quayle.h

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Zing into Spring

We have gone from freezing cold to full on boiling hot spring-a-ding-a-ling. Get the cocktails on ice, throw a shrimp on the barbie.....ooh it does feel rather electrifying to be walking around in shorts and once more having to care about whether or not one's legs resemble a forest before baring all.

The longer I live in America the brighter my colors become. I wonder if I would ever have been able to paint anything as cheery and bright as 'Chipmunk and Friend' in rainy old England? Do you find your style of painting changes if you are living in a damp/depressing or hot/tropical climate?
 

Chipmunk and Friends

The only downside to spring is the sun highlights the huge tribes of dust bunnies that have accumulated under the bed and shines a rather unwelcome light onto the smeary, dirty surfaces that I quite happily ignore in winter. But there is something about spring that makes even a borderline slob like me reach for the bleach bucket and roll up their sleeves..... and having a good old scrub before lying down satisfied with a big mug of tea and a stack of chocolate digestives.

Are you feeling the zing of spring yet?

That reminds me...when I come back in my next life I want to be a sloth. What wonderful creatures. I painted one the other day. I will chant this to myself every Monday:

Prints, cushions, mugs of this design are available at Society6 and Etsy. Linking up with Brilliant Blog Posts and Paint Party Friday
 

Siamese Cat and Butterfly

Happy Friday!

I've had a busy week finishing up this pet portrait commission of a border collie. It was one of those cute dogs with one blue and one brown eye. It turned out rather dramatic.

I also pained a Siamese Cat and butterfly. I was trying to do something a little different, a little askew with the composition. Prints are available here.

Siamese cat and butterfly (acrylic inks)

Hope you've had a fabulous week. We had lovely balmy spring weather but today it started snowing again. Oh well, it does look rather beautiful......

I also decided to post my creative workspace on instagram as part of the #meetthemaker tag - warts and all. I do TRY and keep it tidy but it always explodes into life! I do work better in chaos....I don't know why but I feel so much more creative in chaos.

Well that's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it.

Yes of course I can't find anything. And yes of course I frequently put my brush into my cup of tea.

Maybe I should buy these mugs as a reminder of what goes where:

Anyway it doesn't really matter. I can't kill myself as I don't use oil paints......


I share my studio with my guinea pig Marshmallow. I work to a background of squeaks and scrabbles.

What is your workspace like? Do you keep it tidy or not? Do you need chaos to function?


Linking up with Brilliant Blog Posts and Paint Party Friday
 

Happy Fabulous New Year!!

How the mighty have fallen eh? While my kids were at a New Year's Eve Party I gave in to middle age and dozed on the sofa last night. Here's a pic of me:

I watched CNN with Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper. Kathy Griffin was rolling around nude at the side of a pool doing the ice bucket challenge. Then she was just wearing a bra in Times Square. It was all a bit sad and desperate for attention. I thought of all the people crammed into Times Square for hours trying to get on TV. What happens when they have to go to the bathroom? It's probably best not to think about it!

Suffice to say New  Year's Eve passed me by this year. I had been at the National Gallery of Art in DC all day which can be pretty exhausting for an old fart like me.

Christmas Tree and the Capitol

I went with a friend who wanted to see all the Medieval, Renaissance and Mannerism paintings. My favorite was this El Greco. Absolutely amazing! Can you believe this was painted in 1610??

The Laocoön by El Greco 1610-1614

2015 has been a hectic year that has just flown past. I have been doing a ton of pet portraits. Here's my latest one of a golden retriever:

Wishing all my friends a Happy New Year! Remember you are fabulous dahling!!

How did you spend New Year's Eve?

Happy Paint Party Friday. Linking up with Brilliant Blog Posts.

A rose is a rose

Koala Rose by Emma Kaufmann

Gertrude Stein wrote:

Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose
Loveliness extreme.
Extra gaiters,
Loveliness extreme.
Sweetest ice-cream.
Pages ages page ages page ages.


And yes a rose is a rose .....unless it is a koala rose! I am not sure what made me want to paint a koala nestled into the center of rose but maybe it was also looking at this lizard who made a bed in a rose. Isn't he adorable?

 In any case I am rather pleased with my Koala Rose.

Linking to Paint Party Friday!

Just the Right Size

Hi Guys!!

That's one of the pet portrait commissions of a Great Dane I did this week.

I recently found this poem and it really resonated with me. If you create out of joy that is the main point of creating something. That is why I try not to criticize other's work.....even if I don't personally like it you have to remember it meant a lot to them. And also the way you paint is unique to YOU and I don't think you should try to paint another way just because that way is popular or commercial. Do you know what I mean?

How to Paint a Donkey 

by Naomi Shihab Nye

She said the head was too large,
the hooves too small.
I could clean my paintbrush
but I couldn’t get rid of that voice.
While they watched,
I crumpled him,
let his blue body stain my hand,
I cried when he hit the can.
She smiled. I could try again.
Maybe this is what I unfold in the dark,
deciding for the rest of my life,
that donkey was just the right size.

UPDATE: BAM is excited about his new pawtraits!

 Linking up to Caturday Art Blog Hop, Sunday Sketches and  Paint Party Friday

Summertime Blues

For any of you residing in the UK who think the school holidays are going on for too long then please give some thought to us poor moms in USA. We have three months. YES I SAID THREE MONTHS of summer holidays. There are only so many camps the kids can go to before the coffers run dry and mother starts to go slowly insane.....

I think the reasoning behind the three month holiday is because in many parts of the USA it is boiling hot and kids without air con would melt into their desks. So I understand it I just think they should have year round school with a week off every month or something like that.

I had a good laugh at this blog post by Hurrah for Gin called How to Lazily Entertain Your Kids this Summer and it made me wish my kids were small and could spend seven hours a day with a watering can and a paddling pool rather than an ipad and cooking a cake while leaving sixteen pans for me to clean up.

But look at that post for some great tips- it is really rather hilarious!

So yes, I have been going dotty....I have been seeing spots in front of my eyes. Yes I am channeling Seurat and just started dotting around until I made this cute little polka dot fox.

My little fox is available at BoomBoomPrints which is a really fun company that creates art and clothes for little ones. The guys and gals at BoomBoom are really cool and friendly so I'd recommend them if you've ever wanted to see your art emblazoned on a t-shirt or tote bag.

SPECIAL OFFER! Use code SA15ATF at checkout to get 15% off any of my products throughout August.

Click on these items to go to the shop page:

How's your summer been going? Are you losing your sanity?

Linking up to Parenting Pin It Party, Paint Party Friday,  Brilliant Blog Posts



Don't be koi

This week has been a bit of a wash out.....pouring rain.....lashings and lashings of rain. I live near a stream and it always floods in the rain and my poor neighbor's shed slid into the stream!

Looks very surreal doesn't it.....like the tornado aftermath from the Wizard of Oz. It was really wedged in tight and they tried to pull it out with a crane but didn't get anywhere. In the end they had to smash it to bits.

I don't mind the rain because it means I don't have to water the plants every day. I did manage to create a fishy painting this week. The bubbly effect comes from an experiment with throwing salt on the watercolor paint. It was a really fun project and I left it all loose with lots of movement.

Koi and Lilypads  - acrylic inks and watercolor (with a pinch of salt)

Other than that there's a great article by a fellow fun Brit Claire Bolden McGill about me and my art entitled 'the Unconventional Expat' in the latest issue of Global Living which you can download for free here. 

Or easier still read it here. In the interview I give my unique view on all things USA.......including British v American parenting:



And finally.....I woke up from a nightmare and thought Trump was trying to be president.....tell me it isn't so.....

How's your week been? Was it a washout? Don't be koi let's hear all about it!!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday so come join in the fun!

Dragonfly on a Blue Poppy

As one of my 52 Week Nature Challenges we had to paint an insect and since I love dragonflies I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I found this amazing photo over at PaintMyPhoto but then thought I'd try something a bit different and drew in the wings with oil pastel before covering it with acrylic inks. I think it turned out pretty interesting. I changed it so the dragonfly was sitting on a blue poppy.

I was actually thinking this would be a really fun project to try if you have little kids. Get them to draw a dragonfly with crayons and then let them cover it with watercolors and see how excited they get when the dragonfly is revealed!



I also had a blast painting this Mommy and Baby Giraffe painting which seems to be very popular over at Redbubble where it is available as laptop skins, prints, cushions, mugs etc. I wanted to keep this very simple but vivid and bright by using acrylic inks on white paper. This painting would look great in a kids' room.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts!

Jaguar on the Prowl

It's been something of an up and down week. We started with a foot of snow and everyone in a bad mood. Then we had some fabulous spring days. Today my children and I even ate ice cream from the local ice cream cafe! Well you know me, I don't ever need an excuse to eat ice cream even if I'm wearing an anorak and snow boots.

I got stuck a few times in the snow and had difficulty digging myself out. I must say I am sick of the snow by now, I don't care how pretty it looks!

I had a bit of a creative explosion painting my jaguar in acrylic inks. He was the theme for my nature artist's group and I really enjoyed letting the inks run all over the place and make a huge mess as they dripped on the floor. But what is art if not creative mess. Love it!! The jaguar is available to buy in my Etsy shop.

I finished a lovely pet portrait for a lady whose cat Ellie had crossed over rainbow bridge. I was thrilled to see it in its lovely new home. I really do feel it is wonderful if I can recapture the memory of a beloved pet.

What a lovely review too:

How was your week? Has your snow thawed yet?

Linking up to Paint Party Friday