On the Wild Side and Maybe I need a sign....

I used to think that artists didn't really return to old paintings to re-work them.  I was wrong.  I have done that on a number of occasions and am doing that right now.  Pierre Bonnard, one of my heroes would work on three paintings at a time and turn them to the wall when he wasn't working on them.  I cover mine, too.  Paintings will drive you crazy if you let them.  I don't want to go crazy.  I like painting too much.  Anyway, years ago I did a painting of a tiger's head and didn't like it at all.  I put it away and when I was cleaning some things out I found it and decided to work on it again and it is coming right along!  Wild animals can be a a great experience in oil paint!  Colors and brushwork flying all over the place!

Tonight as I was making a right onto a gravel driveway in Montgomery County I slowed down so as not to mess up my car with ruts.  I still got off the main road in a reasonable amount of time but the car behind me screeched on the gas pedal to let me know what a jerk I was in his opinion.  I have to turn into this driveway every Friday so maybe I need a sign on my bumper  that says this driveway is full of ruts so I am turning slowly.  Give me a break all you creepy tailgators!

I have a large stencil with my Studio advertisement and phone number on the back windshield.  When we got home my husband answered the phone and all he heard was a loud, screetching whistle.  Maybe that was the guy that was behind me.  You think?

Don't forget about my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America!  40% off of large canvas prints of popular paintings!  Check it out!

So Glad to be Back and You are Big....

Been down with a bad back spasm the last few days.  I am such a workalcoholic that I get so tired my back goes out.  It doesn't happen because I didn't bend my knees when I picked up something heavy. or when I accidentally fall, or if I reach higher than I should.  It just goes out.  I get to the point when I am really working hard and proud of my accomplishments and then, I guess my body says, Vacation time!  I was getting ready to go to bed and as I pulled up my pajama bottoms -Yikes!  Out for two days.  Oh well.  I'm back and trying not to work so hard but that is like asking time to stand still.  Not going to happen.

The other day I was delivering a Christmas package to my neighbor who is single and lives with her toy poodle named Yogi.  Her sister was visiting her.  Yogi looked to me like he had really porked out and I almost said, Yogi, you are so fat but I caught myself after a long pause and said big!  The neighbor's sister cracked up.  Did you hear that long pause before she almost said fat?  Sometimes the insults just come out no matter what you do.  The dog is like the neighbor's child so I hope I am not in the dog house.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America and look for my best-selling print, Reaching Out, on The Mindy Project.  So far, the drawing has been visible on the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 8th episodes.  There will be new episodes starting January 8th!

Also, look for me and my paintings on The Hour of Joy on Fox TV out of Roanoke, VA.  My appearance is tentatively set for April 3rd,2013!

Scammers Working Harder and Harder to get my Money and You have to eat the Box...

Scammers are working so hard to get my money.  I get a bunch of the- give me your address, I will send you a certified check, and my private shipper will get the painting scams, every day.  I know I shouldn't respond but I send them this to shut them up which usually works.  I only take Paypal and I do not accept any kind of private shipping arrangements.  If you give me your address, I will mail it UPS after the money has been transferred from my Paypal account into my banking account which takes about four days.  Now some of them are saying all right, I will put the money in your account and send my representative to pick it up.  I'm not clicking on any of them from now on.  Scammers are so easy to spot and I'm not talking to them anymore.

One commercial my husband is so sick of is the one that claims eating a certain kind of breakfast cereal will help people lose weight.  These cereals are so light you could have a grocery bag full and not think anything was inside. They are balloon grains you can put on your newspaper and still read it.  They are so light that you would have to eat the paper it comes in and the box before you felt like you had anything to eat. Sure you lose weight.  You didn't eat anything.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time Promotions on Fine Art America.  Here are the ones starting tomorrow.

Can't Wait to Post Them and Should they really be Advertising Bacon?

Just about to the end of three large paintings I have been working hard on.  They never look exactly right and I always think at the end I can do better but that is the life of a painter.  We have to learn to live with a certain amount of failure and try hard to keep from going nuts.  It is quite a balancing act.  These are a lot closer than any I have done so far so I am proud.  My next paintings will be completely different.  I am going to take a break from representational art and do some non-objective works.

One of the fast food places is advertising bacon, bacon, bacon and more bacon to customers.  I think our obesity rate is around 30% right now.  Wouldn't it be to everyone's advantage to emphasize the items that are good for people and low in calories and fat? Are we going for 50%?  If we keep going the way we are going people will be too fat to get in the door.  My husband said not to worry, they will find a way  to roll in and get that bacon burger!

Don't forget to check out my Limited Time Promotions on FAA and have a great 4th of July!

How to Avoid Artist Tantrums and Shoot Em UP Bang Bang...

I have been painting in oils for more decades than I care to admit to and it has always been a love/hate experience. I am appalled by people that think artists are having fun with their hobby. I am also appalled by people that think artists are always on the verge of suicide. Both extreme views are ridiculous. I do not play with paint and I am not going to kill myself because I never really get exactly what I want out of a painting. I learned long ago that aritsts have to live with a certain amount of failure.

Most of the time it is a great experience and I love putting the effort into it. Sometimes I get to the screaming stage which brings me to the title of this blog. There is one sure way to avoid Artist Tantrums. Give it up. Get rid of the supplies and all the paintings. Since that is not an option, once in a while I resemble a two-year-old that got her pacifier yanked from her mouth. Since I paint by myself most of the time no one has to hear me freak out.

My husband did not go to movies when he was growing up. He watched some television but he mostly liked to read. Our son is a movie buff and my husband is great about taking him to movies he doesn't want to see. I am not invited. Our son likes to make movie night a guys night so I stay home. Can't complain. As my husband says, the movies they see are always Shoot Em Up Bang Bang or Kick an Alien's Butt.

Be sure to check out my Limited Time promotions on Fine Art America. I offer three greatly reduced canvas prints each week!

Where was Murphy Tuesday? and Get Elected to Congress...

I can't believe it! My husband and I put up my new show in Blacksburg and I didn't scratch a frame, drop a hammer, cut myself on a sharp corner, or leave a painting at home. Where in the world was Murphy? It was supposed to rain and it rained a little before we dragged everything out of the car and rained after the show was hung. I guess Lady Luck kicked Murphy right out of town. I wish she would show up more often. I didn't even have to adjust a frame. If you live anywhere near Blacksburg, VA be sure to see this show which is a tribute to my husband's environmental efforts. I have learned a lot from him over the years. He is a dedicated naturalist and a great guy! The show is at New Live Dental behind the Starbucks on Main St. in Blacksburg, VA. It will be there until April 15th. The painting here is Near Purgatory which is seen on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

I love all the arts. As I have said before, if I had a lot of lives I would pursue them all. I'm so glad I play the piano. It is a great creative outlet that I don't try to market. Got to sell paintings but I don't have to perform. I have always been fascinated by actors and get a lot of DVDs. I told my husband that if I were an actress I would love to play a criminal. He said get elected to Congress and you won't have to act.