Cat and Dog Painting

 

My newest painting with acrylics. This one is on a 5x7" canvas so I painted the edges to match so it can be framed or not.  I've always loved working small, but I am gradually increasing the size of my art as I get more comfortable with working larger. This one is in my Etsy Store if you'd like to add it to your art collection.  :)

 

More Painted Cat Magnets

 

They look so fun together!  Find them in my Etsy Store.  :)

 

 

 

 

Painted Dog Magnets

 

Find them in my Etsy Store :)

Painting Animals With Brad Nack

Art by Brad Nack


For the past couple of months I have been playing with acrylic paint and not feeling like I was making much progress. I wasn't planning on taking a class, just experimenting on my own; but when I saw that one of my favorite local artists, Brad Nack, was going to be teaching his layering technique of painting animals, I was inspired to sign up.



Art by Brad Nack


I first discovered Brad's art years ago at his annual 100% Reindeer Art Show (Going 20 years now!) I was instantly drawn to his colorful, quirky reindeer with crazed expressions and began following along on his artistic journey. So I was excited when I discovered he would be teaching a two hour class at my local Art From Scrap (his artwork is currently on exhibit there so go see it while you can! 302 E. Cota, Santa Barbara, CA)

Brad was a lot of fun and I'm newly inspired to continue my exploration with paint!



Getting ideas for an animal




Was there ever any doubt I would choose a cat?


 

First and second layers of paint



Student work with Brad's art above

Student work with Brad's art above

It's not finished yet, but Raymi approves!



Pink Cat Art

 

 

Two pink kitties, 2x3" made with brush pen markers.  Here they are framed!

 

 

Rabbits on Easter Sunday

 

Have a cheerful day!!

Embroidered Ornaments on Felt

I had fun creating these ornaments for gifts this Christmas.  I bought some beautiful blended wool felt in gorgeous colors and love it. I even added beads to one of the ornaments which was tricky but worthwhile.

I plan on experimenting more with the beads as well as creating more "softies," especially animals and maybe dolls, too, we'll see!

More Embroidery - Cats in Repose

Cats in Repose

Just finished this tonight and had fun learning some new stitches.  I love the chain stitch!  I can't wait to use it in color next time. For this design, I decided to keep it all black and white, like my original drawing. I had fun embellishing it with white stitching. I like the subtlety of it.

As far as I can tell, there are only light brown wooden embroidery hoops out in the world, unless you buy vintage ones. I like a darker look so I've been staining my hoops with a mahogany stain. I then seal them with two coats of polyurethane. It's extra work, but I think they look so much better, it's worth it.

Some detail

P.S. You can find my art for sale in my Etsy Shop :)

Sketchbook Drawings With Ink Pen

Woman and Her Dog

Gazelle and Friend

I've been drawing more and more in my sketchbook lately and just wanted to share some recent creations. Hope you like them!




Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat!



Thank you card for Elizabeth Stewart at KZSB Radio



New Mosaic - Nowhere to Be (But Here)

This mosaic titled Nowhere to Be (But Here) is 10 1/2 x 13" and is made with stained glass, millefiori, beads and steel wire whiskers. For me, it expresses the joy of being in the moment with a loved one. If you are interested in purchasing it please email me.  Hope you like it!

Mosaic cats in progress

After creating my most recent mosaic of a kitten with his parent (this one), I decided to do another one with a completely different color scheme.  I've always loved this color combination and don't think I've ever used it before in my art.  I'm really happy with how it is coming out so far.  I hope to be finished in a few days and will post the finished mosaic after it is grouted!

New Mosaic - Cats, of Course!

I was drawing in my sketch pad when I came up with this design.  I love when that happens because my sketches are usually fast, which means I didn't toil for hours perfecting it!  I drew a second one which I will turn into a mosaic soon. I used wedi board as the base, which is really easy to cut into simple shapes with a utility knife.  This mosaic is 7 1/2 x 12 1/2" and made with stained glass, millefiori, seed beads, a glass fusion heart and steel wire for the whiskers.  It's titled "Beyond Space and Time" and was created with my mom in mind who passed away in 2013. Of course my love for my son was expressed in it as well. :) It has now been sold and resides in the U.K. Hope you like it!


My work space, in progress



Mosaic Cats!

I have been creating mosaics for ten years now and if you've been following my work, you know I love cats. I love creating cats in all different styles from realistic pet portraits to fun, patterned cats, from cartoony cats to my favorite, blue cats. Their fun shape, fabulous poses and playful personality keep me creating them again and again. Our family cat, Raymi, has been the model and inspiration for many of these mosaics and is the star of my children's book, The Night Before Christmas.

Here are some of the many cats I've done. To see them in detail, visit my Mosaic Cat Flickr page.

New Mosaic Installed at Children's Hospital

My latest mosaic, Joshua Tree, has been installed at Children's Hospital in Madera, CA. It is 20x30" and made with stained glass and millefiori.

When I learned the hospital wanted a desert theme, I immediately thought of Joshua Tree and how my father would take my sisters and I there on the way to visit my great grandmother who lived in Yucca Valley. Camping and being out in nature is something my dad loves probably more than anything, and my favorite memories of him in my childhood always involve him sharing this love of the outdoors with us.

Happy New Year!

Well, I didn't get a lot done on my book this year, but I did add to my pet portrait portfolio!  And I had an amazing experience leading the mosaic marathon at SAMA in Lexington, KY this year.  I look forward to 2013, to finishing my book and to seeing what's next.  Happy New Year to all my readers.  Thanks for following along in my artistic journey!

Pet Portraits Finished!



Elgin, 5x7" stained glass



Rowdy, 5x7" stained glass





Madeline, 5x7" stained glass



Bubba, 5x7" stained glass

These four portraits were commissioned by a woman in Texas and she just received them so I can now post them!  They are all 5x7" and made with stained glass.  They were a challenge working this small but I am very happy with how they turned out.