Kentucky State Fair...

We went to the Kentucky State Fair yesterday and had a great time. Mostly I like to check out the art and the quilts. There was some beautiful artwork and amazing quilts!!! We also went for some of the free health screenings. The one I was really interested in was the pre-screening for skin cancer. I'm good to go, but my guy needs to go in and have a few things removed. Nothing serious thankfully. How cool was it that we could just go in and do that though!! They had free eye, hearing, & skin cancer screenings and you could even get a mammogram for a reduced price. We also sampled lots of goodies, (mostly dips and ice creams) and of course stopped the the ugliest lamp competition. Who knew there were two identical Elvis lamps still out there! LOL! Fun day!

For this or other paintings I have up for auction this week on ebay, just click on the link at the above right.

Nibblefest on ebay...

Here's my Nibblefest entry on ebay for this month..(ebay search NFAC..this month's them was "On The Farm"). This was done plein air in Bracken County. I had told some of the folks at EBSQ that I had several little jumping bugs commit suicide on my painting while I was painting it. This painting session, I forgot to bring my chair. No biggie (I thought) because I had a quilt with me. So I picked a spot under a shade tree between the horse fence and the tobacco field (there's a tractor path there). I guess because I was so low to the ground every little jumping bug seemed to make it into my paint, on the canvas, on me, in my bag...it was very frustrating. I doubt that I'll forget my chair again!! I like to sit in one shaded spot and just move my chair vantage and paint. I don't like my plein air easel so I didn't bring it. I just hold the painting in my hand and I have an Artbin travel bag that housed my paint/solvents etc. When I get the money, (hopefully soon!) I'll be getting a Guerrilla Pochade box. I already have it picked out waiting in a cart online. Anyway, I smoothed the bugs out and this painting is what I was left with. I do love it out there...bugs and all!

This little 5 x 7 inch oil painting is available for sale on ebay by clicking the link at the above right.

Cleaning up...

I love using oil paints, but they are such a pain to clean up. I guess I'm just griping because I've been condensing thinner and filling up old containers with cat litter for disposal today. That was after I did some TLC to some of my brushes, scraped off palettes, and gave permanent "burials" to the bowls that I use for my mediums. (Sigh) I know I shouldn't complain, but sometimes I miss acrylics. I'll be using gouache for the first time this semester in school and I'm looking forward to trying this new medium. I'm still not sure why its called "Designers" Gouache. Anyone know why "designers" is in the name? Just wondering.

This little painting is currently up for auction on ebay by clicking the link at the above right.

Every barn needs a cat....

Yep, every barn needs a barn cat. This is Kitty. (Original name right...I didn't name him!) He's my boyfriends cat and he is the sweetest little thing you'd ever meet...unless you're a mouse or a bird. I call him our little carnivore because despite the fact that I try to keep him full of kitty food, he still likes to hunt. I'm grateful for his raids on the barn getting rid our our unwanted rodents, but I always regret the little birds who fall prey to his hunting skills. Usually I never see them...just the pile of feathers he left behind. Cats must truly have 9 lives and Kitty has used up about 7 of his! He's been locked in a trunk of a car and a shed in very, VERY hot weather (one he almost didn't survive). I've seen him nearly run over by a slow moving vehicle in the driveway....because for some reason, he doesn't feel HE should have to move even though he's no match for the truck or car he's in the path of, and I personally have accidentally locked him between the storm door and front door (couldn't be more than 4 inches wide!) for several hours, until I heard a sort of "scuffling movement" and realized he had somehow gotten in there after I closed the main door and before the storm door shut. No meowing...just a scuffling noise where I guess he was switching positions! Thankfully I heard it! I just love Kitty and hope we have many more years with him.

This little ATC size oil painting is currently available for sale on ebay by clicking the link at the above right.

Body of Work...

I've been spending time this year trying to get scholarships and grants to help pay for college. It's soooo expensive! I so wish I had just finished when I was younger and tuition was about 1/3 the cost it is now. Hind site is always 20/20 though. Anyway, many of the grant programs want to see a body of work from your portfolio that that shows your innovation in style and concept, technical proficiency, consistency etc. Which is all well and good, but part of why I'm continuing my education is so that I may develop all of those things further. It can be discouraging, though it hasn't stopped me from applying. My paintings are selfish. When I'm someplace that moves me, I want to stop time and hold on to that moment. Since I can't stop time, I capture it with a painting then I can re-visit it whenever I choose. I wish I had something more profound to say as to why I paint the things I do, but that is the honest truth.

This little 5 x 7 inch oil painting will be available for sale on ebay after 8/9/2011 by clicking the link at the above right.

Missy and Storm

I don't really have anything to talk about today, so thought I would post another photo of a couple of our horses. This is Missy (back) and Storm (towards the front). Missy is the horse that kicked me a couple of years ago. She's a sweet, sweet horse and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had another colt in the field and while I was giving her some treats, he started approaching. (I wasn't paying attention.) I moved just a bit in the wrong direction (in his direction) and she got me instead of him. I still have a bit of a "dent" in my leg from some scar tissue. I guess it was bound to happen sometime, though I would never have thought it would have been her to do it. I pay more attention when I've got the grain or the apples out now.

This little 5 x 7 inch oil painting is available for sale on ebay by clicking the link at the above right.

Artist Trading Cards...

I'm going to start listing some of these little 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch paintings (now that they are dry enough). Most are plein air and I like them because when I'm outside, I can just hold them in my hand and paint. This one is on unstretched canvas, but most I have are stretched canvas on these cute little stretcher bars. The biggest problem I can see with them is they look better in person than the scan. My naked eye doesn't see that close up, but my scanner gets every detail!!

This little 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 oil painting is currently available on Ebay by clicking the link at the above right.