Kitty in a Basket

I know that not everyone is a cat person, but for those of us who are, it's hard to understand why everybody doesn't love cats.   Our kitty, Buff, wants to be where the people are (Sounds like the beginning of the Little Mermaid's song, doesn't it.) all... the... time...

He'd prefer to lie across the keyboard... It's just the most comfortable spot!
He feels like stretching out in the middle of the kitchen floor... That seems to be where the action is! 
He needs to bat at the cords... They're so tempting just dangling there!
He didn't know that people were going to begin hoarding toilet paper when he did THIS a few weeks ago.

He's been my best buddy since the evening
he showed up at our backdoor before an icy storm.

But... He's found a new favorite place... 

The computer bag on the chair beside Ron in his new work-from-home office (a.k.a. the kitchen table) has the most wonderful little patch of sunshine.

I hope you are staying safe in these uncertain days. As you're social distancing, I hope you have a little patch of sunlight or a basket to curl up in. 😉

Thanks to my friend Terri for letting me use her photo of her kitty Mateo as a reference.

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 12" Wrapped Canvas
Click "Kitty in a Basket" if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

Chickie Bags

I know I should post my latest painting... if only I had a finished painting to show.  You'd think during this time of quarantine, I'd be upstairs in the garret studio just painting away...Nope...It seems to be hard for me to plunge into creativity when my mind is filled with such serious things as the news is filled with. I actually do have two paintings started but... SQUIRREL!  My friend, Sandra from mmmquilts calls that a DrEAMI! (Drop Everything And Make It!) when you just forget what you'd planned to be working on and get sidetracked by a whole new project.

Aren't these little drawstring bags the cutest!  What are they for, you ask?  Hmmm... Of course, each of my two sweet grandbabies might need one. Otherwise, no specific reason other than filling quarantine time.  Oh, it does make my heart sing, though, to use up old scraps and make something out of nothing!

Because I wanted something just plain happy and fun, I downloaded the pattern, Oliver Owl, from an Etsy store, Winter Peach, and got busy.

I hope you are staying safe wherever you are. 
I hope you are doing something creative to occupy your mind.
I hope you are finding moments of joy each day.

Sunshine Orchids

My calendar says that I should be teaching a group of seniors this week.  They should be working on a pretty orange tiger lily on a dark background... But, the class, like everything else has been cancelled or postponed until whenever.

Since we have to be home anyway, the quarantine allows for some extra time to paint.

Have a look at the submissions to Paint and Draw Together this month.  Since they were also painting orange flowers on dark backgrounds, I thought I'd join in the challenge. It's always fun to see all the paintings that look exactly alike and completely different at the same time.

Original Oil Painting on 6"x 8" Wrapped Canvas
Click Sunshine Orchids if you'd like to purchase this little painting.

Flamingo Flower

You know that funny house plant with the red flowers that aren't like flowers but more like red heart-shaped leaves? Your aunt probably has a huge one in her sun room... mine does. You probably look longingly at it when you visit... I do.
Well, I bought one, and it has a name...Anthurium... Hmmm... That doesn't exactly roll off the tongue.  But wait!  It gets better!  It's sometimes called a flamingo flower. I... Love... That...

This pretty little flamingo flower was going to be the answer to my dilemma.  I knew I'd paint a still life with a red flower and its shadow as a response to the Inspiration Collaboration March Image; however, I had a problem. I do not enjoy painting flowers.  I'm not good at them. I avoid them. (I don't mean big petal ones like lilies and sunflowers. I like those.  I mean the  fluffy, usually red ones like peonies and roses. I'm terrible at those.) Crisis averted! A red flower that's not a red flower!

Thank you for being my model, my pretty little flamingo flower!  I hope I can keep you alive!

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas
Click Flamingo Flower if you'd like to purchase this painting.

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Basket of Peaches on Blue

There's just something about a basket of fresh peaches that gets me every time.  I want to pick one up and take a deep breath to smell it.  If you see beautiful peaches in the grocery store, go ahead... sniff one.  If you don't smell a thing, put it right back where you found it. If the vendor at the farmers' market has peaches, go ahead... smell them. Then hand him your money and let him put them into your reusable cloth bag. 😉

This isn't the first time I've painted a basket of peaches.  My inspiration is "Basket of Peaches" done by Joseph Decker in 1885. It is my favorite painting in Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.  His may be worth a million dollars more than mine, but I love them both.


Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Buff the Magic Kitten... Hmph... No Captions Needed

My Space

Hhhhhhh.... 
     Sigh.....
            This is my space....

♫  ♩ 
     Computer and painting and whiskers on kitten...
          Window to backyard and great chair for sittin'...
               Journals to write in and cell phone that rings...
                    These are a few of my favorite things.
                                                                                    ♪  ♫

Let's see what all is in my space...
It starts with a comfortable chair. My computer and phone are always near.  The little round side table has a drawer with pens and pencils and highlighters.  There's a photo of my husband and pup and another showing the Twenty-third Psalm.  There's a pretty little purple and green box for stuff... markers, bookmarks, notepad, etc.  Each of those journals has its own special purpose.  It's my goal to write something every day. There's a little green quilted cow that lives on the wall and makes me smile.  The painting behind my chair changes according to what is my favorite painting at the time.  And from the window I can see my outside favorite things... chickens, garden, flowerbed...
There is one really important thing that missing from the photo and the painting.  See that little brown cord that seems to come from under the chair?  It leads to an old blue heating pad that's always in the chair.  I highly recommend having one in your spot!  (It just didn't look pretty for the photo!)

Painting of "My Space" in my space.

Buff and Olivia... my office mates

"The Snug" photo by Sara Harley

Sara challenges me to paint things I would never have thought to paint. 

This is one of the Inspiration Images for March's Inspiration Collaboration. There are so many directions you could be inspired to go with this image, but for me... I knew I would paint my space.  

We'd love for you to be inspired and submit your art. Click and see what you think.

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 12" Wrapped Canvas
Not for Sale at this time.  Maybe I'll hang My Space in my space for a while! 😁

Inspiration Collaboration - March 2020

Four new Inspiration Images are up for March!

Join us at Inspiration Collaboration!

It's easy to be a part of this creative community.

1. Click over to Inspiration Collaboration to get a better look at the four new Inspiration Images and read the stories behind each one.
2. Choose one that inspires you to create.
3. Make it!  (Make it with paint... or wood... or yarn... or fabric... or words... or a camera... or clay... pen and ink... or... )
4. Take a picture of your art and send it to us!

You'll find everything you'll need to know  when you click Instructions for Submission.