Couch Potato

Couch Potato

6x8, soft pastel

Tubby is my little couch potato. Ever since we lost his buddy Scooter this past April, Tubby has been at my side, day and night..night and day.  Each morning he has his breakfast and follows me into the studio where we sit together sharing a chair and ottoman by the fireplace. I sip my coffee and read the paper or catch up with social media while he snuggles into the blanket for a short nap.  He does little else these days but seems especially content to sleep on the back cushions of the couch while I work at the easel. Here he can keep an eye on what I'm doing and can occasionally gaze out the window in case a squirrel dares to enter his yard....or, he naps.  Most often he naps. I surely love this little guy!

The Village - Dining at Twigs

Dining At Twigs

6x8, soft pastel

Today I finished this little piece.  It is the first painting in a series of scenes in and around Meridian, Idaho...the best little "small" town in America...at least I think so.  Not many years ago Meridian was truly a small town but with the explosive growth of Boise during the past 20 years, Meridian and Eagle couldn't help but follow suit.  The good thing about so much growth is the newness of just about everything.  New streets, new houses, new shops and restaurants...and the people in Idaho (longtime and new residents) are among the most friendly I've ever met.

This scene is the outside patio of Twigs Restaurant at The Village.  The Village is a gorgeous dining, shopping and family entertainment complex that opened in 2013 and continues to expand with more and more retail spaces opening each month.  Walking around The Village reminds me of Disneyland or Disney World...it is not only beautiful with fountains, sculptures, and flowers but is impeccably maintained.  A great place to capture life in Meridian. 

Roadside Barn 2

Roadside Barn 

6x8, soft pastel 

Today I had enough time to refine a painting of the Roadside Barn (painted in Sept). I don't think I helped it much if any...oh well.

I also started another painting of a scene at The Village located in Meridian, Id.   The patio at Twigs is a perfect start to a series of Meridian cityscapes I hope to do this winter.  I've been busy taking photos and narrowing down a few...now, I can finally get down to actually painting them.

The Patio At Twigs...Work in Progress 

Beach Bum 2

Beach Bum 2

8x6, soft pastel

I finished the remake of Beach Bum today. This is one of my favorite boat scenes. I can just imagine being on the beach on a warm sunny summer day...especially helpful today where it's cold and rainy outside.  I'm afraid it's going to be some time before I walk the beach again.

Wisconsin Winter Glow

Wisconsin Winter Glow

8x1-, soft pastel

I find it fascinating that Sept.'s 30 in 30 challenge would be followed by such a lean Oct.  Oh well, life just gets in the way sometimes. I do have a couple things on the easel...and this one finished yesterday for a very special person.  

This is a Wisconsin barn at sunset. It's fascinating how many colors go into producing snow... especially at sunset with a grayish sky giving way to such a beautiful sunset glow. 

Work in Progress

This week I've spent time plein air painting and taking photos for an upcomimg cityscape series.  So today I headed back into the studio to start a couple paintings.  One is a redo of Beach Bum which recently sold.  I wanted to keep it in my seascape series.   The other is the fifth in a series of quilt based paintings.  Both of these are in the "ugly" stage...no more than 1/2 way through the process.  I believe the quilt one is a bit larger than usual...somewhere around 8x10 so it definitely has a ways to go!   Oh well....no rush.

Early Morning on the Patio

Early Morning on the Patio

9x9, soft pastel 

I couldn't resist painting this one...although it was a bit more time consuming than I initially thought it would be.  Fortunately I didn't try to paint it during the 30 in 30 Challenge.  This one took a couple days.  I love how the early morning sunlight was just coming up over the neighbor's fence...casting sunlight on the table and vase of flowers.  I also like the square format and the way the patio leads to a back gate and into the grassy area behind it.