Cat Lady in Training

Hi Guys!!

It's been a whirlwind summer!! I got a new cat called Mouse who I adore and I want to get more only hubby says no (for the moment)! But I really want to be a cat lady. My little baby is a little older than a kitten but still whines in the morning for attention just like an infant. And she is also the best of frenemies with Marshmallow so piggy and cat are usually separated. Mouse is a rascal and into everything and always climbing up the curtains but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The best of frenemies

I have already painted Mouse's portrait here:

And here's one of her brother who I did not adopt although he was too cute:

She did not seem like she liked the early snowfall yesterday from this picture.

But later I could not find her and it turns out she had escaped into the winter wonderland. Oh well at least we found her before nightfall! Have you already had snow where you are? It is rather beautiful but maybe a tad too early for the white stuff.

Hurrah I am also in the Wraptious design competition so if you could vote for me that would be amazing. Just click the title beneath each image and it will take you to the Wraptious site. There you must click on the blue button to register your vote. They are also available to buy as super soft vegan cushions.

Is anyone else taking part? Let me know.

Green Peacock

Snow Leopard

Rainbow Rabbit

Deer in the Snow

Rainbow Elephant

Which one is your favorite?

To round out my post here are my Friendly Fill-Ins:

1. I can't wait to have crescent rolls at Thanksgiving

2. I am thankful for my little cat Mouse.

3. When it comes to pie, pumpkin pie smothered in whipped cream wins hands down!

4. A feast is not a feast without a giant spiral cut ham.

Happy Creating peeps

Linking up to Paint Party Friday, Friendly Fill-Ins and Feline Friday.

Splashing Hippo

Like many people I have been captivated by Fiona, a preemie hippo born at Cincinnati Zoo who is too adorable for words. I thought I'd do a painting of her splashing about. She is quite the diva.

You can buy prints of FIONA over at my Etsy Store..

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

Pop Art Pom

When I was asked to paint a perky little Pomeranian I just felt this little girl had personality way bigger than her diminutive size. So I grabbed my rainbow watercolors and decided to do her justice. GO BIG OR GO HOME is sometimes the only way to go!

Pet Portraits can be ordered here and Pet Portrait Pillows here.

Linking to 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.

Cleopatra's Lookin Atcha

I am busy finishing up a bunch of pet portraits including this one. Isn't he a cute little guy?

I'm also running around like a headless chicken trying to sort myself out for Halloween. I ordered a Cleopatra costume from the internet hoping to channel my inner Elizabeth Taylor:

The costume I received is OK but the problem is the wig. When I wear it I'm not so much Elizabeth Taylor as Ru Paul!!

The wig is very CHEAP and extremely FRIZZY. I really feel for you guys and gals out there with frizzy hair. I feel your pain!

What did I do? I ironed the wig to try and get the kinks out which were standing up at right angles. First time I did this I melted the plastic hair then DUH! I realized you shouldn't do that and ironed it with a sheet on top. It still looks pretty bad.

I may or may not post photos of myself as Cleopatra. Watch this space.

Here's one:

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Linking up with PoCoLo and Paint Party Friday

Have a freaky 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

Emma's Dilemma

I have been busy working on a bunch of pet portrait commissions including this cute little french bulldog. Pet Portraits can be ordered here so please get in touch. I can create a colorful, lively work of art from your pet photos.

I also sell prints at Boom Boom Prints which mainly sells art and accessories for kids' rooms and every month the Boom Boom Artists have an art contest. This month the color we had to use was pumpkin orangey-yellow so I created this turtle piece for #BBPChallenge26 .......It was lots of inks and a ton of glue and glitter. Isn't she cute?

Other than that is has been raining cats and dogs here which I love although things are getting a bit hairy with Hurricane Joaquin. All I want to do is curl up with a mug of hot cocoa and lashings of whipped cream and snuggle under a duvet. It's times like this I really wish I had a fat cat or two about the place. That would be purrfect!

It's really wierd that I love cats but am completely allergic. I am even allergic to our two guinea pigs Peanut and Marshmallow but I still love to hug them. That is really sod's law as they say in England.

Marshmallow wearing a raspberry beret

Here's a limerick about my problem:

There once was a lady called Emma

Who found herself in a bit of a dilemma

Although she liked pets to squeeze

Their hair made her sneeze

So having a robocat was a breeze!

If you have a limerick about your pets post it in the comments!

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

Jacutinga Birds

This week I found inspiration in the endangered Jacutinga or Black-fronted Piping Guan (Pipile jacutinga). Such a visually arresting bird with such colorful markings and expressive eyes. I couldn't wait to get started!

I started painting this with watercolor but then I felt it needed a little extra pizzazz so I dripped some ink onto the damp surface and loved the way the ink formed a criss-cross pattern like a batik.

Also I'm very excited because my friend Vicki who writes a fun, stylish blog called Honest Mum has featured my cushions on her blog. She and her sons are the perfect models against my colorful cushions that will make your room POP! Do go over and check out her feature and enter the competition to win the cushions here.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday!

Pup Pop Art

Here's my latest portrait commission. I call it pup pop art. I used the Sumi-E Japanese watercolors again and was so impressed by the brightness of the hues.

I am running around like a headless chicken trying to get ready for Christmas. I tend to be sick of turkey after Thanksgiving so I am very pleased that an Italian friend is inviting me for Christmas Eve for the Feast of the Seven Fishes. It should be fun and fishy!

Do you celebrate on Christmas Eve like the Europeans or on Christmas Day? What do you like to eat? 

Linking up to Paint Party Friday!

dog paintings for sale