Bullseye II

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Bullseye II...30"x30". This recently completed painting chronicles the pain of my typical migraine headache. My pain is generally targeted behind one eye. I developed the sketch for this one back in 2003 for an annual migraine art contest the National Headache Foundation used to sponsor and finally got around to painting it full size. The NHF gave me a merit award for Bulls Eye I, and you can see a few more of my migraine paintings here.

And this one: "Below the Blade" is also migraine related. That little circular saw blade over her neck signify's wanting to chop my head off...a lot of pain and stiffness radiates through my neck & shoulders during these headaches too. I feel very fortunate that over the years I have found medication and a combination of things that make them much more manageable for me. The sketch for this one was not as happy go lucky as this painting appears!

65 South

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I think it's finished...we'll see how I feel in the morning.

Brutus...a lovely tribute to a handsome guy

I've got lots of great process images for the creation of this fun commissioned pet portrait...and this photo of Brutus at home in Alabama with his brand new tribute painting is the cherry on top. I hope to put together a page on my website showing all the steps and maybe even do a little postcard or brochure. Right now my pet portrait information pages look like this. Jean, his wonderful owner left me a really great review at PetServicesReview.com, thanks Jean I do hope to see you in October at Kentuck!

Here's a full photo of the completed painting:

My Egg Truck

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So I made this cute little truck out of terra cotta at Lill Street, building it was the fun part. Then comes the not so fun part: Glazing it...always a frustration for me - working with glaze is nothing like paint. To get the color saturated you have to put many coats of white to cover the orange clay and then many coats of the actual color that you want...and you are still not guaranteed full coverage. Last year I coined the phrase..."let go and let glaze" I'm still trying to embrace it.

So why an egg truck you ask? Well as I layered on all the white glaze I was having conversations with the other people working at my table and they asked what my truck was carrying...I had no idea and was not sure what direction I would take outside of having that great purple cab. The next thing I glazed were the tires, and I thought they looked like sunny side up fried eggs...so voila...an egg truck. Check out each side and the bottom...I titled it "eggzactly".

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Brutus....inspired new portrait design!

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I've been working with a wonderful new customer on this handsome sweetie's sketch all week...he lives in Alabama and his name is Brutus. He is a rescue and has brought much joy to his new home and canine playmates. His owner told me that he loves pig ears and I thought hmmm..those aren't going to look so great in a painting, so I thought of the cute little pig with words and pulled this design idea through for his other favorite things. I love it, this is part of the fun of doing commissions it makes me think 'outside the box', well I guess I tend to think 'in the box' with my style...but you know what I mean!

I hope to meet Brutus in person next year if I get back into the wonderful Kentuck Art Fair again.

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Blues..

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Digital Sketch

New Year: New Adventure!

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Inspiration finally hit, I designed my New Years Cards today. I was in a funk, so I questioned and drew my way out of it. I almost abandoned the whole thing altogether, now it's time to write notes to all those great people who helped me out in 2007.. including you: Thanks for taking the time to read my blog..it's hard for me to do and I still feel shy and a bit strange about sharing in this format, but maybe I'll get brave and surprise you with some thrilling entries in 2008! 

Buster! and the Wonders of Reflexology...

I recently completed this Commissioned Portrait of Buster - this sweet furry little guy belongs to Nourhy of Now Studio in Bucktown. Nourhy is a very talented and intuituve Reflexologist and Massage Therapist. I feel very fortunate to have received her wonderful reflexology treatments in trade for this portrait. In addition to making me feel better I have learned a lot from her, and highly recommend her services! (Ironically I lived just blocks from her studio for many years...but did not find my way there until moving out of the neighborhood.) And I should mention the photo of Buster was taken by David Sutton.