Butter in my Popcorn

This was a commissioned piece for Denise, the owner of Tru Blu Tatu. It's her mom and her son. She wanted it done in the same style as the other ones I did in the series, "what you are to me".

Butter in my Popcorn

So "you are the butter in my popcorn" is done. It looks cute. Hope she likes it.

Sorry, I don't have much else to write...I'm so tired. Gotta get some rest now!

You are the butter on my popcorn

This painting was supposed to have been started like a month ago. It's a commissioned piece that the person ordered back in December but said she didn't need it until her mother's birthday (it's a gift) in March. So of course I took my time starting it because that's what I do. So I started it today. Worked about an hour on it. I hope to finish it tomorrow but that means I have to move things around and workout while Axton is awake and not napping. Ugh....wonder how that's going to pan out.

I decided to reshoot the picture that I will use for my Bad Asses painting of my girl and myself. It just needs to be done in different clothing. I need to have on like black tights, a better bra (not a sports bra) and maybe some kick ass thigh high boots. Then, I was thinking of dressing Lyla in a frilly hot pink skirt, black combat boots (maybe some black tights ripped up a bit) and a cape blowing in the wind behind her. I would also like to have a huge gun (like a bazooka looking thing) and maybe a round of amo going across my chest. Just a few things I've been thinking about! ha! But if I'm doing it I'm doing it right. I bought a three foot by four foot canvas for this, for God's sake.

I will, of course, post these pictures when they are done.

New painting with a futuristic look (very bad ass) of Lyla and I to be started soon!!

My friend from art school, Dave, came over today to take some pictures of me for this digital painting stuff that he does. I was so excited that he agreed to do one of me. Here's an example of his work. You can see all of his work at www.paintbynumbers.com.

It's just really cool shit and I feel honored that he agreed to do one of me. To turn me into a futuristic fighter chick is awesome. I can't wait to see it when it's done.

While he was here I asked him to take a picture of Lyla and I posing like we're two bad ass chicks fighting in some futuristic world and we have only ourselves to rely on. I wanted her looking up at me like we were in agreement that we were giving out asswhoopings and lollipops and today we were all out of lollipops!! But I liked this one shot that is her looking right out at you instead of up at me. It's just a nice look on her face. and I think still bad ass enough.

So this is the shot I settled on for the painting. So, so, so excited to start this one. I think it's going to look great. But, see again...my ADD...I was going to finish the one I am currently working on and try the oils next week. Now I'm not. I gotta do this one. And I don't think I want to try this in oil. I would like to stick to what I know for this one.

I asked my husband's opinion on what size and he thinks HUGE. It didn't take much to convince me to do it really big. So I have to go get another canvas that is 3' x 4' for it.

Damn it...can't wait.

Probably not going to have time to paint today

The boy and I went shopping at AC Moore this morning and then to the park because it's such a beautiful day today. And the first it's been this warm since fall (too many months ago). So I got some oil paint at the art store and I will attempt to start using it next week. I think I tried oils in art school but that was many moons ago. Can't remember if I ever used them so of course don't remember if I was any good. So I might use one of the new pictures of Ax for my first oil painting.

Is this kid the cutest, or what? Man.

So instead of painting today I have to work out. I missed yesterday so really can't skip it today and I can really only do it when the boy sleeps. So I have a date with Denise Austin and Jillian Michaels and hopefully neither tries to kill me today.

Going to paint today. Should I paint the Germany pic or start a new one?

Yes, a lot of people think I have ADD. But I don't think I do. I just get bored. I was checking out all of these artists that came recommended last night and one just blows my mind. Her name is Alyssa Monks. Here is an image of her with her HUGE paintings.

Her work is unbelievable. Please visit her website and take a look.

It is seriously mind blowing. Anyway...I was thinking that I am going to try my hand at oils. As much as I love painting in a free, lose style, I really do love doing the realism paintings. And I think I can do a lot better if I do them in oil.

But here was my thoughts on doing work like this woman. I never get myself into something that will take more than two weeks. It's a random length of time but I think that's the time frame my mind is ok with and after that it just says, crap, just start something new already, would ya?

So...this is something I need to work on. If I want to REALLY push myself to keep getting better then I need to focus on my ADD issue. I need to start something that will blow ME away when it's done, whether it takes 2 weeks or 2 months. And just stick with it.

I think over the weekend I will go pick up some oil paints and start with the oils after the painting I'm doing now. Yes, sounds like a plan.

Trying something new

So you might think that this is looking way unfinished. It is. This is the first stage of me trying something new. Might work, might not...but I have a vision in my head and I'm trying to get it out.
















This, believe it or not, will be this when it's done. Interesting, huh?

Going to try to paint today

Target trip is out of the way and now the boy and I are going to go for a walk. Probably take the dog with us too.

Got to paint the canvas that is going on the other side of the TV and I just might start it today. It's been tough recently because I usually paint while the kids nap but I've been working at those times now. I realized that at the end of the day, after they are in bed, I have absolutely no motivation to work out. So I had to switch things around. It's working but I'm just not painting now. Think I'll just try to work out for 45 mins and then if the boy isn't up yet just start painting. I hate doing that though because I might only get to paint for like 15 minutes and then have to clean everything up. ugh.

I just didn't have the motivation to start the other painting today

I tried this new workout routine and Jesus, I am so sore today. So today I decided to do my taxes and update my sales spreadsheet from last quarter of 2010. I could not fathom working out today. My back and sides are on FIRE!

I have the gallery stuff going on and things with the hubby just came to a head. So he decided to make up with me this morning (Valentine's Day morning) and scrambled to get reservations for dinner and a sitter. ugh....love it when he does that. LOVE it!

We're going to Joe Pesce, a place in town that I've wanted to try for a while. But not until 8 pm. OMG....I just might fall asleep before we even make it out of the house.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Gallery's 2nd Saturday

Well, I do have to say I was disappointed to be, once again, not the highlighted artist for 2nd Saturday at the gallery but it was nice. Not a great showing but there still needs to be a lot more done to get the word out about the gallery. Gary, the owner, says he doesn't want to sit in the gallery when nothing is going on so he's never there. And the only opening/receptions that he has are on the 2nd Saturday of each month. So if a person never happens to drive or walk past the gallery on those particular nights then they wouldn't know the gallery had EVER opened. I keep telling Gary he needs to have at least one day or night with set hours every week but he doesn't like that idea. I tell him to get a sign that at least says something about the hours. He doesn't do it. So here we are. No one comes to the receptions except friends and family of the artists that have their work in there. It's a shame.
So here are some pictures.

So I will be pushing to have my work in the gallery either next month or in April. I'm getting tired of being pushed aside. I'm the Manager, after all.

Oh, and I will be ordering my glicee prints and mats this week. I'm getting a little tired of not selling anything either so hopefully if I order the prints I can start selling some stuff and making some money.

Crestmont Gallery

I will be at the Crestmont Gallery tonight from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm for a wine reception. Please come out if you are in the area. The address is 495 Haddon Ave, Collingswood, NJ.

There are 11 pieces of mine hanging on the second floor.

Done a personal painting. Leaves is now hanging in my living room.

Leaves, size 16" x 20". I wanted this to have a very loose look to it (as well as be unusual colors) but still be able to recognize that it was leaves. I put the red and yellow and black in to match the colors in my living room. It looks very nice where I placed it in between the TV and the new cabinets.



If you're looking at it please let me know what you think. I'm going to start the one that will go on the other side of the TV tomorrow.



I am going to use this photo that my grandmother took in Germany. I hate doing buildings because even though i want it to look very loose it still will need to be drawn out to get the perspective right first.

What a hellacious day.

Two little kids that are sick really sucks. Two little kids that are sick for a whole frickin week is horrible.

Today was the first day in a week that my son didn't have a fever and his cough was sounding like everything was starting to break up in his little body. My daughter was feeling better too and so my husband took her to school this morning. On the days that she goes to school, which is only 3 days a week, it's just me and the boy. It's mommy-Axton bonding time. We do special stuff together and if it's icky out we just cuddle and watch TV together. He's a snuggler, which I never got with my daughter.

I don't know what kind of evil came into my son today but it was bad. Every time I turned around he was into something he knows he's not supposed to touch or trying to smack me or pulling stuff off of hangers at the store. This is not the kid I knew from just yesterday.

Then, I think thank God, it's 1:30 and that means NAP TIME!!! But I put him in his room and he's not sleeping. I hear noises from the monitor that sound like he's throwing things around his room. He's not even two years old yet so I know he's not going through his too-old-for-naps stage. This is not my child. And after about 45 minutes I tell him to come downstairs. I had started painting on a canvas and he is just into everything. Every two minutes trying to grab the lid to the paint, smushing my $20 brushes into the table attempting to ruin them and insisting on walking around the table that my water jar and paint pallette is on. OH MY GOD!

It just got worse when I picked my daughter up from school at 5:00. But I cooked, ate and cleaned up dinner by the time my husband came home and the kids were in bed by 7. Well, at least that's when I left the second floor and told my husband to take over and I was "clocked out" for the day.

Made myself a drink and I am now vegging in front of the boob tube.

It's finally done

Finally done. Whole thing painted and now varnished.

Nightstand job almost done

This is taking forever. I just want to be finished already. I don't like it when jobs take this long and really shouldn't. It's been delayed because I am spraying the outside, base of the night stand and it's been like 40 degrees here. Only place I can spray is outside. I put it off and off and then just finally sucked it up and said....I'm going to have to do it and take my chances that it won't ruin the piece or bubble. So here and there I'm spraying it and so far so good. But I'm not having as much patience with it because it's so damned cold outside so I'm getting drip marks. So then I have to sand it down and respray. It's just a nightmare doing these jobs in the winter when I don't have a spray area. This is one thing I am going to insist upon when we find our house in Florida. I want a real work area. Like a shed or barn or something to work in.

Anyway, I just have to finish the spraying and then paint his name on the top of the night stand. Then polyurethane and I'm done. Ugh.

I think it's looking great, don't get me wrong. It's just taking forever. Any thoughts?