Two Bird Paintings: "Renovaded House" and "Flight"

Acrylic on deep cradled Masonite board, painting extends round the sides of the box. "Renovated House" 7" x 5" x 1 5/8" "Flight" 8" x 6" x 1 5/8" , both for sale $100 each

These are memory paintings because today is cold and I do not see the blue birds. I wonder where they go. My husband cleaned and renovated the blue bird houses. They all have hinged doors so the chicks can be banded. So I am hoping they will nest in our houses this year.

My paintings are a type of diary without words.

Fir Tree Cut Down Today

To see a larger image please click on the picture.

Acrylic on deep cradled Masonite box, 12" square, 1 5/8" deep.

This morning I had every intention of painting the blue bird peaking at himself in our pick up mirror. I took more pictures. Today he was alone, the female nowhere to be seen. Then when I was ready to paint he was gone. Later this afternoon half of the two top fir tree was cut down. Because of the rain I just sketched onto the board with charcoal pencil and went inside to paint.

New Outdoor Painting Series

This February afternoon was exceptional for painting outside here in Oregon. I felt so good about being outside, I didn't even mind that there were no blue birds to paint. My newly prepared masonite board was very responsive to the brush stroke. The board is a 12" square allowing me more freedom than the smaller sizes.

Self Publishing Granny Book

Today was devoted to publishing "Granny Paints". Previous posts contain all the illustrations and various ideas on the story line.

I published two copies with illustrations. I have a new HP color print head and I am amazed to see that the colors are far more true than the Stapples' cheaper print head. The HP brand is well worth the extra money.

As I was printing I saw some inconsistencies that my proof reader daughter and grandchild missed. So I painted the family tree blanket more like a blanket. I polished verb tense and made the text more conversational. I changed wording that my ten year old granddaughter hesitated on as she read. I have high hopes of sending these books to family before Valentines Day. Time will tell. There were many interruptions and I was happy to go for a walk in the spring like weather. My husband and I sat for awhile viewing the wildlife from our back porch. There were two deer grazing in the woods. We saw a small woodpecker in the oak and the crazy blue birds came close enough to touch but we were not prepared with the camera. The picture here is a cropped one taken with a telephoto lens.

Whimsical Expressionist: "Blue Bird Looking Glass"

Acrylic on deep set cradled Masonite board, 7" x 5" x 1 5/8", no frame required, blue bird painted around sides giving a 3-D image, $100.

Again one of the male blue birds was pecking at our pick up mirror. The mirror is smeared so the image is nolonger clear. The bird could be hurt from flying into the mirror repeatedly. We are going to cover the mirrors when we are not driving.

This series of blue birds maybe continued after doing some of other birds we have been observing like Tundra Swan.

Whimsical Expressionist: Spring Blue Birds

Acrylic on cradled Masonite board, 8" x 6" x 7/8", no frame required, SOLD.

For the past week I saw a blue bird three some frolicking about the house. Two males and a female. Perhaps one of the males was from last year's hatch. Then in the morning the males took to taking turns flying up to the pickup side mirrors viewing themselves. I don't know what to make of the behavior. They left a whitish residue of body fluids on the mirrors.

Abstract: "Aquarius"

Acrylic on cradled Masonite board, 8' x 6"x 7/8" , no frame required, $100. thank you for visiting my blog. To purchase please e-mail me.

"Aquarius" started out as just a piece that acquired some excess paint from the blue bird painting I didn't complete today. Then I became interested in this one. It went through several stages. It was first a sunset, then a tree, and finally acquired a few fish scales. I liked the sky this morning and maybe their color found its way into my play for the day.

Expressionist Painting: "Blue Birds at Dawn"

Acrylic with interference gold acrylic, on cradled Masonite board, 8" x 6" x 1/2", SOLD. Your comments have been a pleasure. Thank you.

"Blue Birds at Dawn" are special to see. I want to remember them and all their playing about our place. I see them all day every time I go outside. I want to do a series of them.

Expressionist Painting: "Love is Like a Blue Bird"

Acrylic including iridescent and interference colors on deeply cradled Masonite board box, no frame required, 8" x 6" x 1 1/2", SOLD. Thank you for visiting my blog. I do appreciate your comments very much.

I enjoy the chunky three dimensional surfaces of the small box for expressing freedom. I am playing with doing a close up intimate painting of the bird opening up wings and stepping out. The bird is larger than life and the bird's volume is larger than the front surface. To see the whole one must view the sides and bottom. Framing a close up like this could give the impression of a trapped bird.

Expressionist Painting: "The Great Blue Heron"

Acrylic on stretched museum wrapped, no staples on the side, cotton canvas, painted around the sides, 36 x 12" x 1 3/8", no frame required, $250. Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are appreciated. If you wish to purchase please, e-mail me.

I finished this larger one as well as attempted a smaller one today. The smaller one does not have the feeling I want yet.

Our Old Pasture Series: "Wish Bone Trees' Farewell"

Acrylic on cradled Masonite board, 7" x 5" x 7/8", no frame required, $85. Thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments. To purchase please e-mail me.

The stakes are down. The builder was here early this morning to check his measurements. He has contracted loggers to come this week to cut down the wish bone trees. I can't help but be a little tearful.

Day Dream Painting: "Computer Connections"

Acrylic on gallery wrapped stretched canvas, 12" square by 1 1/2" deep, no frame required., $150 ( to be sold as a group of eight for $1200 ) Will be ready for delivery after exhibition, May 31st. To purchase please e-mail me.

"Computer Connections" satisfies me more than an earlier painting I did about writing letters by hand. First reason being, I did not like leaving my husband's head of the picture. Second, people did not recognize the round shapes as being CD's. Third, I usually write my letters on the word processor and hope to continue. Fourth, I think it is cool for seniors to benefit by being members of the computer community.

Day Dream Painting: "Granny Will Play"

Acrylic on stretched canvas, 18" square, $150. To be sold all together in a collection of eight for $1200. The others were posted earlier. Available for delivery after May 31st after exhibition. Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are appreciated very much.

"Granny Will Play" will be used as part of my self published book just for my family and grandchildren. They will remember how we painted and played. It will be my dream to continue playing with paint.
The grandchildren and I painted outdoors. We put tempera paint on our feet and then spread it on paper. The young ones needed to be steadied by an adult because the paint was very slippery. Close by I had a tub of water and plenty of towels to clean us up afterwards. Maybe I learned the most about painting from our play.

Impressionist Painting: "Blue Bird"

Acrylic on cradled Masonite board, 7" x 5" x 7/8", no frame required, SOLD. Thank you for visiting my blog. Your comments are appreciated. To purchase please e-mail me.

Today in our back yard the bluebirds are guarding their bird house chasing sparrows away. In this painting I became more comfortable piling on the paint thicker than I used to. "Blue Bird" was fun to paint. I was not trying to be a nature artist. I was going for feeling not knowing at all what kind of image would emerge. For awhile the paintifng was of a blue bird. The blue bird was covered and then it emerged again. My process is more of a journey setting up one accident after another. Some of these accidents are based on other paintings that I have been doing. Most of the time I obliverate the accidents until I arrive at a satisfying result.