Duke and Daisy

Meet my friend, Joanne's dogs, Duke and Daisy. That's Daisy on the left. She's saying, "I know you're talking about me."
I took care of these rascals last week. They were much better behaved than the last time they were my wards. Well, except for one toilet bowl brush and one Houdini trick, that wasn't really their fault.
Previously on my watch they ate a cell phone, a digital camera, two brand new suede chairs, two large plants, brand new pair of cowboy boots, and unknown quantities of styrofoam.
Yes, Daisy, I'm talking about you.

1000 Houses #275

My Day So Far

1000 Houses #274

10:54am Scanned & cropped 6 paintings, wrote a newsletter to my galleries featuring 6 new paintings, took Mike to the airport, stopped by the very dangerous bakery to buy one cookie but bought two cookies, almost finished cookie #1: chocolate expresso with cherries. If you're ever in Salt Lake City, I'll meet you at the very dangerous bakery and buy you the cookie of your choice.

Fresh Today

After publishing the previous post, I wondered why I didn't photoshop something visually more appealing over my old rugs or why didn't I wait to take a picture until I hung something more visually appealing---but what would that be? Instead I did something I've wanted to do for years: paint a clothes line.

Signs of Spring

Laundry on the line. Possibly the only household task that I really enjoy.
This from my fortune cookie: "All Progress is based upon a universal desire to live beyond one's income." That is certainly true of me!

Painting with Nitrous Oxide

I thought I was going to be painting under the influence today but here's what happened:

I just got home from the dentist. I've been to our new Utah dentist for a cleaning and check up but not for any procedures. Well, I broke a tooth last week and needed a crown. Usually I would be complaining about having to go, hate needles, hate spending two hours in the chair. But today was different. I made a conscious decision to be grateful instead of complain. I was thinking about how my dad had dentures at age 43. Thank god for modern dentistry, thank god for anesthetic. I'm sitting in the chair all fearless. I remind the dentist that I need nitrous oxide. He says, "We don't have that here. I don't believe you need it." I say, "well, what about morphine?" He doesn't think I'm funny. I go from fearless to near panic attack. I'm trying to think of some breathing and visualization techniques for fear but I can't focus because I'm trying to figure out if I can do this or I do need to exit stage right. Plus, do I really trust a guy who doesn't think my jokes are funny? Finally, my breathing and strawberry shortcake (not milk duds--those guys got me here in the first place!) visualization relaxed me enough to get my mouth to open. I'm home now and really glad I don't have a nitrous oxide brain fog. ahhh another demon down....

another one

I've never had a painting change it's orientation after painting upside down but it could happen.

upside down

Today I'm painting on large for me paintings (20"x30"). The layers of gesso and modeling paste were applied days ago creating a nice texture. The micro managing by my left brain was so overbearing that I worked on all the paintings upside down. Works every time. A Brain Time Out.

A Neighbor and A Tree, That's All You Need #38

A Neighbor and a Tree, That's All You Need except for candy hearts, fresh figs, polenta with garlic and garden tomatoes. Almost lunch time, the day is flying by!

Birds

I am obsessed with these wooden birds that I found at the Sundance Outlet Store. You buy them in sets of six birds which are tied up with twine. I've been back three times to purchase more birds. They are residing on all the mantles in the house, on top of the refrigerator, and on the front porch rail. I was going to paint them and give them as gifts but all 18 of them are looking pretty cozy where they stand.

Our porch

It looks so cute with Mike's bike sitting there. I love front porches but we never hang out there because Max can't be with us. If we were sit with our morning coffee, Max would have to be on his leash and he would lunge toward every cat within his sight. Not relaxing.

Soul Building Series

I was looking through old photos and thought I'd share this one, a painting from a few years ago. This is from my series, Soul Building which I started in 2001. This particular one has contact paper transfers of another painting (leaf like roofs) machine stitched onto the little house painting. Each little house is done on wallpaper then glued and pressed onto birch plywood.
I've painted 525 paintings in this series in various configurations. My favorite is a 50" vertical row of 9 houses. The average # of houses per painting in this series is 7, times 525 paintings equals 3675 houses! Too bad I haven't kept exact track of how many houses I've painted. I might have been in the Guinness book?

Stages

1000 Houses, #81

Today is gray, better for finishing paintings. I have many on the brink of being completed. They are ready to journey onward. I wrote before about the teenager stage. After that stage, is the stage that feels like the day before they go live in the dorms (galleries). I'm going to miss them so much. I want time to stop.

A Dreamy Mood

1000 Houses, #138

It's beautiful and sunny. I'm in an incubation mood. New dreams and plans are working. I have so much energy but I just sit still in the sun. I sit still and let wonder come to me. I am so grateful to be a painter. Yes, I consider this to be a big part of my job, to just sit in the sun. But I'm grateful to be a painter because it is pure magic.

edges

These are scanned edges of 1000 Houses, #209 and #210. That series is painted on blocks of wood so all four side edges are painted as well. Next week when I finish a grouping of 10, I'll show you the edges and how beautiful the paintings look all stacked in a pile.