Wordless Wednesday

Chickadees

Last spring we had chickadees in our yard for the first time. I'm not sure if it was the addition of the suet feeders that attracted them or not, but we were thrilled to see them. I have noticed the last few days that they are back, just as cute as ever. Along with the wrens and goldfinches, the chickadees are one of my favorite small birds.

Another Holiday Photo

I was taking some photographs for an ongoing project that I am involved in, and Mya came around the corner to see what I was doing. Another example of being in the right place at the right time --- and having my camera turned on!

Zeke & Mya

As most of you know, Mya is our 1 year old yorkie, and Zeke is our 3 year old silky. Now that our son is grown and on his own, these are our two babies, and we love them dearly. They bring so much love and laughter to our lives, and I love this photo of the two of them in their Christmas outfits!

Comfort Painting

I have been struggling in the studio recently, while trying to complete a new series of collages for a fundraiser. I have tried to make meaningful collages, which I decided probably wouldn't sell to anyone but me. Then I tried to make cheerful, colorful collages, which totally did not work for me. So I gave up (temporarily) and got my watercolors out. I painted the ocean that is my new blog header.

Then I decided that my fundraiser collages should be created in the style that I have been working recently, and they could either sell or not, but I would at least enjoy making them. Happily, I have a series of 10 collages drying in the book press, with the first layers on them. I am excited about them, and I should have done this weeks ago!

A Time to Recuperate

We had a minor emergency with Zeke, and he ended up spending a day at the vet's and undergoing anesthesia. He is recuperating now, but still doesn't have much energy. Yesterday he finally started eating and drinking a little bit. I was getting worried, because he is so little to start with, and now he is really thin. But he has turned the corner, and he's getting a little bit better each day.

New Series

I have been painting and collaging on a new series of work about the edge of the river, where the reeds meet the water, and the sunlight glistens, casting shadows.

Here is a sneak preview of a few of the pieces...

Water's Edge #3

Water's Edge #4

Water's Edge #5

Water's Edge #10

Wordless Wednesday

Ups and Downs in the Studio

Recently I attended an art retreat in a cabin on acres of wooded property alongside a river. It was phenomenal to walk through the woods and along the banks of the river, and I journaled about my experiences at the end of each day. As I reread those journal entries, I decided to use that inspiration to create a series of collages for the ONE fundraiser. My inspiration was so overwhelming that the collages practically made themselves, and within a week they were in the book press drying.

The problems started when I didn't leave them in the book press. I was anxious to add more layers of paint to them, and to make a long story short, they ended up warping as they dried.

So I gave up on those collages and started a new series. This time I concentrated on the river's edge as my inspiration, and I loved the almost watercolor effect that I achieved with these collages. Tonight I photographed them and uploaded them to my computer. At that point, I realized that all the subtle color shifts do not show online, and their true beauty is lost.

So I went back to my original series and peeled off the top layer of each collage. My thought was that I might have a chance of pressing them flat again if I eliminated some of the bulk. As I type this, I have both sets of collages in the book press --- where they will remain until they are totally, 100% dry!

Christmas Pups

TJ, Mya, Zeke

Here are the puppies in their Christmas collars! These are so easy to make and add just a splash of holiday color. Plus, even dogs that hate to wear shirts and sweaters don't seem to mind these. They're just a sewn tube of fabric that slips over their collar.

And my best Christmas surprise? TJ is getting adopted, and it will be a great home for him!

My Life Has Gone to the Dogs!

I don't know how it happened, but rescue dogs have taken over my life, or at least this week of it!

Many of you will remember Chili, my little foster chihuahua. This is a photo of her that her forever mom sent me yesterday, featuring Chili in her new "smoking jacket". I could not be more thrilled with the couple that adopted Chili, and I appreciate all the photos and videos that they continue to share with me. AND tomorrow I will get to see Chili again for a short visit!

This is Bounder, a German shepherd/lab mix puppy, available for adoption from Helping Hand 4 Animals. He is one of the puppies that I photographed for the rescue on Tuesday. ADOPTED

And this is Gia, one of two little beagle puppies that I also photographed on Tuesday for Helping Hand 4 Animals. All of the puppies were so adorable! ADOPTED

And these two little guys are malteses that needed transport and foster homes. I will be driving to Iowa tomorrow to pick them up and bring them back here to their new foster homes. They will be available for adoption through Wag N Train Terrier Rescue.

But today I am taking a "me" day and painting in my studio! TJ, our current foster puppy, is recovering from his neuter yesterday, so he is pretty mellow for a change. It should be a quiet day around here --- perfect for adding more paint to some projects on my work table.

Santa Claws

Yesterday I spent a few hours photographing dogs with Santa to raise money for Wag N Train Terrier Rescue. We had a volunteer Santa and elves, and I was the volunteer photographer. Half of the sales of the photos went to the rescue, so it was a worthwhile adventure. The photo above is my favorite from the day. This is a little 8 week old puggle.

Studio Plans?

When you head into your studio each day, do you have a plan? Generally I do, but some days I get sidetracked in a new direction. This morning I had every intention of working on some new fiber/mixed media collages for an upcoming fundraiser. But then I saw my paint brushes and realized that what I really wanted to do was paint. I have learned that it is best to give in to these notions, so out came the paints and papers.

The Good Life

This is Zeke in his most favorite position, sleeping on the back of our couch.

My husband grew up on a farm and believed that animals should not be in the house, let alone on the furniture. It took me several years to get him to agree to a small house dog, but even then he said that Zeke was not going to be allowed on the furniture. Fast forward three years, and we now have two little dogs, and they both sleep on our couch or on our bed all the time!

Wordless Wednesday