day sixty-eight

i thought i would do a really quick one tonight, but like with most things, i have a hard time stopping if it's not 'just so'... still, i only spent an hour on this one. this painting is of my Papaw at a 4th of July. He was holding some type of sparkler or firework.

also, allow me to share a quote from a book i began tonight:

"Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom."
Orthodoxy, GK Chesterton

12x9" watercolor

day sixty-seven

hi!! real quick- i was in my hometown of Denver all day today, so naturally i visited my little nephew. he's just the sweetest babe ever, and i had to paint him. after i finished, i realized it looks really unfinished.. oh well!

9x12" watercolor

day sixty-six

{{ today's painting will not be posted until tomorrow night. it is a secret. for the next month, this may be a common post... i've gotten some commissioned works on the horizon that are surprises! so, i'm sorry if this disappoints you, but that's just how it is. }}

so, this painting was late because it was a gift for a dear woman i've known for over 14 years, Julie Gaddy. Her daughter and dear friend of mine, Kate, died tragically in 2000. Today, some of Kate's family & friends gathered to hang out and remember Kate's life. it was great to catch up with friends and see Kate's amazing & strong mother, Julie. this painting was from a photo of her in her dance costume. i just thought it was sweet & adorable. :)

12x9" watercolor

day sixty-five

only 300 more days left!!

my brother has been on my mind a lot lately, and since he hasn't been the main subject of any of my paintings so far, i decided to paint him! this is of TJ looking at my nephew, and they're both wearing baseball uniforms! my brother is so good with babies, loves history & baseball,  and is very particular with his clothes & shoes. he is also the only boy with 3 sisters... heaven help him.

9x12" watercolor

day sixty-four

today i learned a valuable lesson: upon moving into a house with a new heating/cooling system, make sure both the A/C and heat are working.  i haven't needed to turn on my heat yet, but today was especially cold & my space heater just wasn't cutting it. so, i turn on my heat... and nothing happens! hopefully it will get fixed by the weekend. until then, i'm suited up in sweats and scarves and several blankets!

tonight, a friend and i were at Amelie's feeling extremely unmotivated. we talked mostly, even though she had a paper due and i was supposed to be painting. as i was drinking my coffee, i decided i should paint my coffee cup. now, i must admit that i totally botched the ellipse on the cup, but i didn't feel like correcting it. thus, it appears that i drank out of a wonky coffee cup- sorry!

12x9" watercolor, graphite

day sixty-three

so, i decided to try something a little different this evening. just so you know, the reason i've shared musical selections i paint to is because it directly affects my mood & painting style. tonight was no exception. i was listening to the newest sufjan stevens album pretty much all afternoon & again tonight. the chaotic use of instruments, voices, and whatever else is really captivating to me. this painting is 3 different paintings: a small realistic abstracted one; a composed, cleaner, more design-y one; and, a large, piece-y one. they are all of an apple- abstracted in some way or another. good luck figuring them out! :)

9x12" watercolor

day sixty-two

i'm seeing a trend in my work... lack of inspiration! i think i need to go to the mountains or somewhere different & sketch. nevertheless, another day passes with another painting.

tonight, i present a pretty terrible close-up painting of an apple. Georgia O'Keeffe painted and drew many close-ups of flowers. i actually began with a flower & quickly lost interest. moral of the story: i'm not O'Keeffe. it could also use a lot more work, but it just wasn't worth the time.

9x12" watercolor