Springtime

     It really is hard to believe that here it is Springtime.....April Fool's Day, in fact......and I am finally writing my first blogpost of 2011......I am certain I should be embarrassed or horrified, but I've just been busy with the business of painting and the two projects that I've been so busy with are done and dusted so I can peer out for a moment, sniff the greening air and write something...quickly, as I am about to start something new.....painting Gardens and Garden-y Stuff which are perfect to paint right now.
     I've been painting about a million bunnies......which is appropriate considering it is the Year of the Rabbit.....which has nothing to do with it but is fun anyway.

One Rabbit

Two Baby Rabbits

Mommy +1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 Bunnies

 

 

                                                            
                                                              and 26 dogs, here:

Mutt

  
         Also, I am really excited and pleased to say that my second fabric collection, Alphabet Soup, is out and in shops now. I had such a blast working on this group!

Soft Book/Quilting Panel A is for Alligator and.....

Alphabet Soup group, panels, prints, stacked animals!

Alphabet Soup Quilt Project

        And lastly....I am so pleased and delighted to mention that Bartholomew's Gift by Diane Dignan, one of my last picture-books was a Mom's Choice 2011 Gold Medal recipient! Thank You, Mom's Choice!  Lucky book gets to go to the London Book Fair!

Bartholomew's Gift, Mom's Choice Award/Gold

    Now I'm going to order some paint...Blockx Burnt Sienna Light and Deep and Burnt Umber, I LOVE these browns, they use glycerin and honey as binders, and are a joy to work with. Also Imperial Purple, Garnet Genuine and Black Tourmaline from Dan Smith...swoonworthy colors.....and new brushes ( pure heaven! ) and paper!!!! Nothing is as inspirational as new art supplies, I'm so excited.
More  news soon.....W

Going to The Dogs....or It's a Dog's Life....or something about Best Friends

 "The dog is man's best friend,
He has a tail on one end.
Up in front he has teeth,
And four legs underneath"
     Ogden Nash  ' An Introduction to Dogs '
   
 Not too terribly long ago, I was a unacquainted with dogs and had only given my heart to a series of Maine Coon cats, including my current Coon, Stella Carabella.
My heart was stolen one day in Elmore State Park in Vermont by a beautiful golden wolf hybrid who had run away from someone, somewhere and adopted me, who I grew to love and named Daisy and who's death put a sad hole in my heart. After Daisy, I adopted Baci, the iconoclastic floppy ear-ed, fluffy, tricolored Corgi, who spends his days in my studio with me and his night curled up on my bed.
I am now an official Dog Person.
 Right now I am taking a break to paint bunnies, lots and lots of bunnies, Virginia Bluebells, ferns and violets and Spring mushrooms and pussy willows but I have been busy busy busy painting dogs.......and will go back to them again soon, then more bunnies, then more dogs, then bunnies

"Bulldogs are adorable, with faces like toads that have been sat on."
- Colette

Henry the Eighth and his Yorkie

Portrait of Gracie, a Chihuahua-Poodle cross

"When a dog wags her tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?"
- Anonymous

 Dog - a kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world's worship.

Ambrose Bierce

          If you think you might like a portrait of your dog, I'd be happy to hear from you and talk about what you have in mind! Please see my Pet Portrait blog Love Unleashed for more dogs......and cats.
          Thank you for visiting & I'd love to hear from you, don't be shy!

Lemonade in Winter aka Pet Portraits

It is amazing, there must be 5 inches of snow outside......people in bright red Santa hats are going by on cross country skis accompanied by bounding, cavorting dogs!
It looks like Vermont out there more than a more often balmier island in the Pacific North West , but these are interesting times.....expect the unexpected!

Dogs! Yes Dogs seem to be playing a much larger role in my life than I once thought possible. I thought I was a "cat person" until my heart was stolen by a wolf dog we found wandering through a State Park in Vermont, who adopted us and whom we came to call Daisy. Daisy has gone on to where good and faithful dogs go when they leave us, and Baci, the fluffy Corgi now owns another hunk of my heart.

Now, into my life has come the opportunity to paint some wonderful dogs. I am having a terrific time doing this and thank the people these dogs live with for sharing these four legged Wonders with me.
I would love to keep painting more Pet Portraits, so if you'd like one, let me know! Oh, and I welcome cats and birds, iguanas, horses, cows and pigs, any animal you love!
Thank you!

Here are the first two finished "portraits" :


Reeses and Hershey


Pele