"Not My Coffee!" 6"x6" oil on panel

Well, here is little mouse making another appearance and always wanting something. Last time (a few or so posts ago), mouse wanted the last crumb of cookie, being that he was fully submerge in the jar to begin with. Just like my cats, he thinks he wants a sip of my coffee. But I know that he's only after the rich coffee aroma.

"Pecking" 10"x10" oil on linen

I've never painted glass Christmas balls before, and was having difficulty in choosing the colors, knowing they would be reflecting off each other. Then with the placement, I thought I would separate the two, hopefully getting a wonderful shadow shape to work with. I think the end result looks like big bird eyes with a little beak where the nose would be.

"Hop On" 8"x10" oil on linen

There wasn't even a doubt as to whether I would paint today or go out to do necessary errands. I'm sure the stores were mobbed! Errands can always be held off to another day. So today I was thinking while painting, of making every brushstroke that I put down to really matter, meaning that I wanted to say as much as possible with fewer strokes. I clearly knew what I wanted to say and how I felt about what I saw. The light was beautiful! I just get into this thing sometimes where I think just one more bit of paint will do it. Then again...and again. And before I realize it, I've got a thick mess quickly looking like mud. Well, today I took my time, allowing only so many strokes per square inch...basically. I am a bit more pleased with the results, but I probably would have been better off stopping 30 minutes earlier.

"Mug Shot # 2" 20" x 20" oil on linen

This is my second post of this particular painting. Actually, I have a series in the works

 using all of my vintage mixers. I love plastic, especially bakelite, once used in the manufacturing of many items used in the kitchen. I even still have my bakelite Viewmaster with many round slide cartridges in their paper sleeves. Crazy 8 ball! Got that, too! My brownie camera from the 50's still hangs on the mirror in my room. Back to this mixmaster....to me the top, working body looks like a squid when removed from its' stand. Star Wars planet Hoth also previews a droid that hovers over the snow, looking much like my mixer. Anyway, this is my fourth, but not final, interpretation of this nifty appliance. Stay tuned. Look out eBay!

"Kids at the Wedding" 42"x42" oil on linen

"Kids at the Wedding" has been a work in progress for the last 3 years. I always seem quick to critique my own work. For me there will always be more issues I could be resolving daily, but there has to be a point when I must stop. Not quit, but stop for awhile. Nuff said! This painting is too big to get into my car, so you are the first to see it, for it has never left my house.

"Kiwi" 6" x 6"

This is one of my recent daily paintings. I don't work this small very often, but find that I can pretty much finish a thought or idea in one sitting... and before my subject dries out from the hot lights! I've been working on a lot of holiday things lately and not found enough time to paint and DO IT ALL. Whew! When will I ever catch up?

"Oranges Up Front"

I don't have much to say about this one except that I'm glad I took out the eggs and substituted orange slices. I'm having trouble coming up with composition ideas, but by the end of the day I thought that painting foreshortened sliced fruit with a bit of a tweak on the perspective might be fun.