painting: dwarf bunny (08/23/17)

8″x10″ oil on stretched canvas. Available here.

wordless wednesday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

painting: horse kiss (08/21/2017)

This is one of my favorite images. I think this is the fourth time I have painted it. Thousands of photos of horses, and this is the only time I have ever caught this pose. There’s a lot of luck involved, and patience. And cooperative horses.

12″x16″ oil on stretched canvas, with a hemlock slat frame. Available here.

painting: Boer goat (08/20/2017)

This goat was from the fair last year, even though I have got a boatload of terrific new faces from THIS year’s fair. Why let a sweet expression go to waste? I love getting my camera home and finding I’ve captured a smile at just the right moment.

10″x10″ oil on stretched extra-deep canvas.

Available in my etsy shop. 🙂

make something pretty: in the works

I have been in love with Tilda fabrics for several years, and so disappointed it’s not for sale in the U.S. So my lovely sister in Japan bought this charm pack for me, and even though I’m afraid to use it (because what if my project doesn’t work?), I’m going to jump in and just do it.

I doodled up a pattern.

I’m going to use the shorter version of the tulip. I wanted a pattern that doesn’t cut down the charm squares very much, so much of the fabric pattern is left whole.

 

 

 

And now I find out Tilda fabric is making its way into the U.S. market! So I ordered a yard in two colors. I’m hoping the “ginger” color will match the orange above. I’ll know for sure in a couple days.

I can’t wait to get sewing!

Tilda fabrics found here:  http://www.intrepidthread.com

and here: https://www.shabbyfabrics.com/Tilda

make something pretty today: knit shawl (08/17/17)

I am happy with craftsy.com, I can pick out a knitting pattern AND find the right yarn to use and know I’m not buying too much or too little yarn for the project. Because I always buy too much, just in case, and I hate that.

This pattern is called Over the Sea to Sky, and it is a quick knit–like two weeks of evenings, or so. Easy, repetitive stitches, so it’s hard to make mistakes. And I love the yarn–Cloudborn pima cotton. The hand feel is just right, creating a loose and soft shawl.

Yes, the point is off-balance, so you have an extra long tail to wrap around one more time. I think this color is called “Pearl.”

 

 

 

I would make another of these, but in a brighter color.

Pattern and yarn found here: https://www.craftsy.com/knitting/kits/over-the-sea-to-skye-lace-shawl-knitting-kit/60879

 

painting: young lab mix (08/16/17)

I haven’t been showing off what I’m working on, so I’d better start doing that before people start thinking I’ve given up painting! I really am painting, but it’s either special requests or things I’m putting aside until closer to Christmas. I really should just list them as I go, right? Yeah, I will try to find time to take the photos. This summer is super busy! And I haven’t even been to the pool. How does this happen?

Didn’t she turn out beautifully? I was trying to use the technique, “scrumble,” which works really well with acrylic paints, but I found it doesn’t work so well with oils since the paints are too thin and wet and slow drying. So it took a LOT of time for the layers to dry, and then go back and add more. Also, I started out with a whole rainbow of colors in the blanket, but the reds covered up the other colors too well. Scrumbling definitely works best with acrylics, I would try this again only on a very limited basis with oils.

But I’m happy with how she turned out.  🙂