Laundered Art

Tomorrow evening I'm going to a writers group with one painting that inspires my stories. I can't make up my mind! I have a teaching background and some of the things I've always tried to include was tolerance. appreciation and celebration of our differences and empathy. My first painting was Desmond, the Drag Queen Dragon. I'd like to make it fun, defuse the fear and help people with acceptance of others and themselves. Just the thought of writing brings up so much fear yet painting is so energizing, photography brings out the explorer and my piano is relaxing. Writing...I might as well jump out a plane!

This year I've been painting more than usual. My dog hates it when I'm on the computer! Here's the latest. Of course, I think it would look good with my photos of clouds and a zeppelin but that's what I think which has nothing to do with what will actually happen.

I finished this painting of the tree after I applied the gesso for texture as seen in an earlier post. I also finished Lola, the Show Girl.

This is an example of how I use my photography combined with my paintings. This year I painted and I wonder what next year will yield?

I think it's time to post a few new images so people don't have to scroll when they are in a hurry!

This is Nellie the gardener with her intern, Junior. He is very good at stacking the cuttings from pruning the trees. Nellie's saddle bag has a Dresden embellishment from Castle in the Air in Berkley.

I like to challenge myself. I give myself homework assignments like mix two ugly colors together and make it beautiful. Pick colors that aren't generally found in my color palette to get out of my comfort zone. This is a work in progress. It's Nelly, the giraffe who became a gardener and mentors a junior elephant...to be seen later. I'm working as fast as I can!

This is some of my older work. My sister asked me why I was going to paint a water spout. It's because it was in the shadows of my sky and I brought it out. I don't paint what other people want...I paint what I want and that keeps it really fun. One thing I like to include in all my work is a feeling of motion and drama.

This wall is dark blue with black chalk paint swirled in it. The blue isn't completely flat so I can just take a damp cloth and wipe it off when I change my painting.

This is Ivan the Baby Cliff Dweller who has been adopted by a Cave Dweller. They would be mortal enemies but in these times survival has become more important. Meesha the Cave Dweller has put aside her fears to save Ivan when she leaves the safely of her cave. Now she is doing her best to teach him to fly since she knows it is natural for him but not for her.

Meet katrina, the elephant who sang her way to freedom.

Desmond the Dragon. You can see where I created the texture with gesso and used pouring medium to make it shiny.