Tag Archives: small art

Green Crested Drooler

I’m starting a new series. It’s all about the things that keep me up at night. I am taking inspiration from Lynda Barry, whose book Making Comics has a monster drawing exercise, which I just love. I try to make monsters every day and then I pick one and make it into a small acrylic painting. Stay tuned! I have no idea where it’s going, but I want to call it my Monsters Under My Bed series and I’m am thoroughly enjoying it! Hope you do, too.

The Green Crested Drooler personifies my fear of getting older and losing control of my bodily functions. Sure, it’s cute, but it’s also drooling! Gross! Blah! I think someone needs to invent terrycloth pillowcases for people like me who frequently wake up in the middle of the night in a puddle of spit. Hell, maybe I’ll make my own…

Here’s some more monsters…

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Sound of Small Waves

pastel painting of a lake, trees, sky — Sound of Small Waves, soft pastel on sanded paper, 6×9″. Sold.

Today, while walking the dogs I noticed that the waves from Round Lake were lapping along the shore and it was so beautiful I took a movie of it. And then I painted it, of course. You can’t hear the waves by looking at the painting. Or maybe you can.

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My Tools

A roll of tape, an x-acto knife, brushes, scissors, fixative. That’s all I need.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

Where’s My Ride?

I like to watch people walking along the street in front of my store. Sometimes I hit the jackpot and they leave their big, friendly dogs parked in a truck. Cool!

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

Salvaged

You know how some days are just sucky? And then you decide to paint something and poof! all better now.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

Last Ice

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

Here’s a look at my morning today. Gorgeous sunrise, obfuscating trees, catterwhumpus telephone pole. It’s all downhill from here.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

Where’s My Ride?

Whenever I’m at the studio I am entertained/dismayed/fascinated by the people walking by my window. Today I got lucky because someone left their big handsome bulldog in the truck across the street from me. He was a good boy, didn’t bark at anyone or anything. Just sat there calmly waiting for his ride to come back and take him home. Best doggo ever.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

Of Two Minds

Finally heard from my youngest after what felt like years but was probably only a month and a half. He’s been struggling to find work for almost a year. I had high hopes that this month he’d found something because we hadn’t yet got word that he needed rent money. Now I’m thinking we ought to reconsider whether or not to send it.

I am of two minds about this. I want to continue to provide for him because I’m his mother, it’s what I’ve done for twenty plus years. But I want him to stand on his own two feet. I can’t continue to be his safety net because as long as I do that he can’t call himself independent.

The pros to cutting him off: He lives in Florida, so if he has to live in his car, he won’t freeze to death. He’s got friends who will let him couch surf if he has to. He’s smart and resourceful, he can solve his own problems.

The cons: I feel like I’m throwing my baby out of a moving car. If he does end up on the street and something terrible happens I’ll never forgive myself. If he reneges on his lease, our name is still on it and they’ll come after us.

But you know what? there are all sorts of things that I already can’t forgive myself for, so really, what’s one more thing? And while it feels really crummy to cut him off on Valentine’s Day, any other day will feel just as bad. Probably.

Sigh. Children. I love them but it’s so hard to do the right thing. I suppose if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

She Texts!

It might not seem like much to you, but it means everything to me. My daughter texted today.

You know how it goes. Your kids are grown. You don’t want to be a pushy mother. You wait for them to call you, to let you in on their lives. Sometimes you’re lucky and you get a whole phone call to yourself.

It’s weird. I know it’s weird. I remind myself that back in my parents’ day, they were lucky to get a postcard twice a year from their kids and that includes me. And I tell myself all the time that if they needed me for anything they’d let me know. That no news is good news.

But I’m a hover mom, I admit it. Even now, when they’re all in their twenties, I want to know what they’re doing every minute of the day.

It’s probably got something to do with menopause mind. I didn’t used to be so needy. I think my body chemistry, including my brain chemistry, is all kitty whompus. It’s not me, it’s my hormones!

But those are just as much me as anything else. I guess I don’t have an excuse when you get right down to it.

But I have a cure! See this painting? See those trees? How excited they are? Those are me! Those shivering, shimmering branches on the top of the very highest dune in the park. It’s by way of being a very good day.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.

No House of Flavors Today

My mother-in-law had a doctor’s appointment today and Steve and I planned to take her out to House of Flavors restaurant afterward for lunch. But the staff at Ludington Woods called and said they were quarantining the residents because there was a flu outbreak there. So we’re not going after all. Steve’s going to stop in to see her if they’ll let him. I brought a lunch.

At least she probably doesn’t remember that we were going to take her out today. That’s the curse and the blessing of losing your memory, I guess.

And of course, it’s more important that she stay healthy. Still. Ice cream would have been nice. I think this painting looks like a couple of scoops of ice cream with some sort of sauce on top. Yum! Except it’s kind of hairy looking with all the dune grass. Ew.

This painting is on ebay as of 9pm tonight. Bidding starts at 99¢.