Clara's Nutcracker Hero & the Mouse King

Clara's Nutcracker Hero & the Mouse King
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
sold

Thanks to Candy Kultgen, I have even more wonderful nutcrackers to paint from!  Settling on this wonderful pair from the Nutcracker Suite, I am laying paint just as the last of our guests have left.  We celebrated our first Christmas with Tiffany's family early, as they are leaving for Scotland on Wednesday.  The boys were super excited - and had a blast opening up all of their presents, spending the rest of the day trying them all out!  I bet they will sleep tonight, and probably be pretty tired in school tomorrow with their last two days!  It is so much fun to see all of the wonderful variations in these nutcrackers!  Painting them like I have the last couple of weeks has really opened my eyes to them - and all of their character and charm!  Painting number 1083 in 1083 days!

Golden Knight & Drummer

Golden Knight & Drummer
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
sold

I sure wish I was ahead on my paintings as Christmas begins!  As I am not, I find the only time I can get to my easel is at the end of the day when the rest of the household is tucked tight into their beds.  Perhaps, I should set up my easel in their rooms for a little nocturne painting........!  Instead, I return once again to my quiet friends, the nutcrackers, for my daily art therapy.  For the second time this month, I have completely finished and photographed a painting, only to realize that I forgot to paint in the sword!  Why do I do this?  I had to open back up my palette, retrieve my brush from the sink - and put that baby in, then get another image from the finished painting.  I am probably just too tired for my own good.  Maybe I’ll stay late in bed tomorrow and let somebody else do the cooking!  Painting number 1082 in 1082 days.  :)

Mouse King and the Boys

Mouse King and the Boys
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
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This Mouse King is special - he has wonderful, silky gray fur around his face and ears!  His fancy gilded cape and bejeweled crown are spectacular!  On either side, are the boys - one a baseball player and the other a football player.  A couple of all American nutcrackers here, complete with baseball, bat, football and face mask!  As Christmas nears, the house is slowly getting back to order.  Living room is painted,  the historic woodwork is up on three of the four windows, and furniture is returning to their places. Anyone who knows me, knows how hard it is for me to have things out of order.  It is hard to focus on anything, as every little thing out of place "screams" at me as I see it.  So, I am looking towards the light at the end of the tunnel.....and I see peace on the horizon!  Painting number 1081 in 1081 days :)

Soccer and Elf Nutcrackers

Soccer and Elf Nutcrackers
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
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I just don't know how I seem to get busier and busier with each new day!  I always bite off more than I can chew, knowing that it will all work out......and it does......making me crazy in the meantime! Both of these nutcrackers are more unusual, with the elf having ears that protrude, and the other posing with his soccer ball!  So cool!  Thank goodness my friend has kept me supplied with these little guys, because I have had zero time to go in search for them myself!  Painting number 1080 in 1080 days..........and Christmas is almost here!

Fab Four

Fab Four
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
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Julie Imhoff has kept me supplied with wonderful nutcrackers to feed my newest addiction!  I have run out of 4x7 panels, and when I originally picked these guys out, I planned on only two in a long, thin format. Well, it was square or nothing, so I changed it up a bit, varying their sizes.  Another fun little trial for these, I painted them at my daughter's house in very low light (once the sun went down).  With the shortening of the days, if I need to be there with the boys - I will be bringing a good light with me!  As my only chance to paint today - I had to make it work. This painting makes 1079 in 1079 days :)

Knight and Drummer Nutcrackers

Knight and Drummer Nutcrackers
Acrylic on masonite, 6x4
sold

Tonight's nutcracker pair in a fancy pants knight and an equally fancy drummer!  Complete with sword, drum and drumsticks - these two put those common nutcrackers to shame!  I have layered these guys up with acrylics in short, impressionistic strokes, until their forms emerge.  It is so cool to capture all of the different styles of mustaches, eyebrows, and clothing!  I had no idea how varied these all were until my friend started sharing her collection with me!  I will never look at Nutcrackers the same!  In fact, I feel a new interest coming on! Painting number 1078 in 1078 days!

Nutcrackers Royal

Nutcrackers Royal
Acrylic on masonite, 4x6
sold

With a small painting class today, I was able to paint during class for the first time!  Getting a jump on my daily painting was SO refreshing, as it seems that I never get to my easel before 10:30pm these busy days.  Working again from the fabulous photos my school friend sent me, today I have chosen a royal theme (and no, not as in our Kansas City Royals baseball team, but in actual royalty).  These kings both had velvet capes and golden crowns - and wonderful accent pieces!   And, the best part is that I am finished painting and posting before 8:00pm!  So, now it is time to get back to work!  Painting number 1077 in 1077 days.

Pirate Nutcrackers!

Pirate Nutcrackers
Acrylic on masonite, 4x6
sold

Thanks to an old school friend - I have some fabulous new nutcrackers to paint!!  Her son Leo collects them - and he has some really great ones!  The pirates jumped right out at me with their peg legs and hook hands!  My son’s school team is the “Pirates” - so I naturally must paint their mascot!  These pirates are sharp dressers, and their clothing was super fun to paint - and the one holding the treasure chest actually has blacked out teeth!  And those wonderful eye patches - they are just so creative!  How fun is that?  I am still working with the limited palette - and small to accommodate my *tiny* painting window.  Painting is my reward after exhaustingly busy days - and I’m already making my mental to do list for tomorrow!  Painting number 1076 in 1076 days.

Alan and Guitar

Alan and Guitar
Acrylic on masonite, 6x6
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I’ve spent several days on nutcrackers - and have really enjoyed them, but I’m feeling a desire to get back to my roots for a little quiet time with my paints.  No music, no noise, no distractions.  Just the easel, brushes, panel and a little time to myself.  Switching gears from the holiday theme, tonight finds me working on a portrait of little Alan.  Michaela was showing him a few things on the guitar, and he was seriously soaking in every word.  He has a natural musical ability - it is surely in the genes!  I am working towards the impressionist, with loose strokes to capture the mood of the moment.  This is art therapy at it’s best, when I can pour my soul out in paint with brush.  My days grow more and more hectic until company arrives, so this time with my easel is a gift.  Painting number 1075 in 1075 days.  :)

Nutcracker Ornaments

Nutcracker Ornaments
Acrylic on masonite, 4x6
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Tonight, I am getting impressionistic with these little ornaments - and letting the loose strokes fly!  I have been working rather tight this last week, maybe because they have such defined parts.  So, here I am making the conscious effort to stay loose!  These little danglers are 9 inches tall, and are a real stand out on the tree with their bold colors and forms!  This night's work has been my art therapy at the end of another exhausting day. Thank goodness for my tiny painting window!  What would I do without it?  Surely, I'd be crazy by now!  Painting number 1074 in 1074 days :)

Nutcrackers Four

Nutcrackers Four
Acrylic on masonite, 6x4
purchase here

Another outrageously packed day, filled with pilates, sanding, cleaning painting the roughest of the woodwork and porch rocking chairs, unloading a giant shelf of paintings and greenware to ready for a wardrobe, meeting an artist to rent panels............and finally coming to my easel.  Thank goodness I had already planned out my painting.  So, almost without thought, I lay down those colors and masses until the four little nutcrackers emerge magically from a blank white panel.  Now I am so tired I am ready to drop.....and I still have a few chores left.  I am looking forward to my company coming to town, and I plan to do a little relaxing and visiting......probably with wine!  Painting number 1073 in 1073 days.

Nutcrackers Three

Nutcrackers Three
Acrylic on masonite, 4x6
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Yesterday's subject literally jumped out at me as I was unpacking nutcrackers to put in my youngest son's room.  After having so much fun painting them yesterday, they are my "go to" subject for tonight!  I started this composition out by painting the dark background negatively around the figures, cutting in each dark spot until their forms emerged.  I have not sketched out a single painting since I took that portrait class - and I like the easy flow of it!  It is as if I can switch things around freely, because I have not already committed by putting down the lines.  So, I guess you could say I am living outside the lines now, and the possibilities are endless!  Can you believe I am still using that limited palette?  All of these bold colors came from just yellow oxide, cad red light and medium, red oxide, alizarin crimson, indanthrene blue, and white and mars black.  I find the palette very natural, and the color harmony is easy when so few colors are used.  I did think I would want to reach for a cad yellow on this one, but I found I could make the yellow oxide work with a little white for that pop in highlights.  I am going to have to find more nutcrackers, I hear them calling my name!  Painting number 1072 in 1072 days, and Christmas draws closer every day!  Yikes!

Nutcracker Duo

Nutcracker Dou
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
sold

Oh, what a day!  I went down to the barn in search of the old woodwork after the gym today.  Climbing up onto old furniture to reach into the rafters, the cats jumped up to offer their help!  Gently moving Wesson to the side, I pulled them down one by one.  Wishing I had the truck at home, I carried as much as I could hold and trekked back to the house. I have spent the entire day scraping, sanding, cleaning and painting as much as I could complete, and I’ll start again after the gym tomorrow.....that is, if I can make it back to the gym after today’s grueling work.  That gorgeous old woodwork is totally worth it - they just don’t make woodwork now as they did in 1845.  The carpenter even signed the back of it - Jas. D Hope of Belton, Missouri.  How cool is that?  And now, I come to my easel late again, and as I pulled these nutcrackers down from the attic, I decided they would be my painting du jour.  My youngest son has always loved nutcrackers, and these are his to keep in his room.   Painting number 1071 in 1071 days.  :)

Santa and His Pack

Santa and His Pack
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

Another late night to the easel - but oh, what a productive day!  Feeling more vintage today than yesterday, I am painting Santa in nostalgia.  The days are dwindling before my company arrives, and I am pouring far too much into every minute! Dad is still healthy, and each holiday is a gift to rejoice in.  With so many things to take care of, I am checking my list, and checking it twice, too!  I am back to acrylics today, but who knows where I'll be tomorrow.  I just hope I get to the easel earlier!  This time of year is SO CRAZY BUSY!  It is late, and my image is not very good on this post - but I will try to get a better one tomorrow.  Painting number 1070 in 1070 days :)

Zumba Santa!

Zumba Santa
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

I am having a little fun with Santa tonight - and I've caught him dancing up a storm in Zumba!  One of my favorite classes at the gym - there is nothing like Zumba to get a great workout that feels more like a night out on the town!  This has been another crazy, busy day with our house project - and I have only now been able to get to my easel! The windows are in, most of the mess is cleaned up, and hopefully we can start trimming out the interior tomorrow.  I am trying to talk Mike into using the beautiful old original woodwork, even though it will need quite a bit of work.  So, tomorrow will find me down in the barn, pulling out lengths of trim from the rafters! This painting makes 1069 in 1069 days.  I wonder how on earth I am going to find time to paint tomorrow!

Watercolor Bluebird

Watercolor Bluebird
Watercolor on paper, 9x12
sold

This is the first in the series of bluebird paintings I did for my youngest daughter.  While waiting for the youngest son to return home, so we could all go out to lunch together - I was able to paint three before leaving the house!  It felt a little unnatural to get back into the watercolors after so much time in the oils!  I picked the 100% cotton rag paper for this first painting - totally forgetting how much a dislike painting on it!  It has a lovely texture that is pretty in the finished piece, but the paints seem to sit on top of it forever before settling in - and the colors mingle very slowly and with hesitance.  I had to leave it completely flat while working, or so much of the paint would have run completely off the paper!  In hindsight, maybe that is the best advantage of this paper.......I will have to try it for the very purpose of creating very drippy paintings! Michaela wanted all three paintings, so I framed them all up for her to take to her college suite.  I wonder how many of her friends are hanging original work in their rooms?  Painting number 1068 in 1068 days :)

Horses by the River

Horses by the River
Oil on wood panel, 24x18
purchase here

Today finds us tearing into a new project on the house!  We are putting in a double window on the west wall of the living room, and are ready to cut the hole in the outside wall.  With that comes all of the moving of furniture, clearing that wall - and cleaning up the little surprises found behind that stuff (and all of you with kids and grandkids know what that means!  This is a large painting, and I had most of it finished yesterday, with only the horses to complete.  With just a few adjustments, and a quick check of my colors in the light of day, since all colors change at night.  Painting number 1067 in 1067 days.  :)

Yoga Santa

Yoga Santa
Acrylic on masonite, 4x6
purchase here

I am having a little fun today with Santa!  As I headed to pilates, I imagined Santa in class, trying to maintain the many difficult moves!  So, in honor of a healthier, mindful Santa, I am portraying him in a classic pose.  He is balancing in tree pose, to ready himself for the long month ahead!  What will I catch Santa doing next?  This painting makes 1066 in 1066 days.

Tree Climbing at Sunset

Tree Climbing at Sunset
Oil on masonite, 12x9

Another in as series of happy memories at Lake Minnie Belle, this young man in climbing trees as the sun sets over the lake.  I have switched back to oils for this painting, desiring the rich creaminess of the paint for texture and weight.  I really only intended to lay down the colors for a color study - just to make sure this painting would match the other two.  Well, one stroke led to another, and before I knew it I had painted this landscape completely!  It was after dark when I finished, so I left it on the easel to look again with fresh eyes in the daylight.  With a little more work, this baby is finished - and already on it’s way to California it’s mates!  This has been a day well spent - and now I must head out to my first Christmas party of the season!  Painting number 1065 in 1065 days.  :)

Winter Magic

Winter Magic
Oil on masonite, 22x28
purchase here

Today, I have been working on commissions, and nearly have two of them completed.  Once I lost the natural light, I switched to finishing a large winter landscape - 22x28 inches.  Bringing this one nearly to completion a week ago, I then hung it on the wall to see if anything called out to me.  Indeed it did!  I had finished at night, and the full light of day showed that I needed more working time!  My colors were too cool throughout, needing the balance of warm middle and foreground hues.  So, I have made those adjustments tonight, and we’ll just see what the painting tells me tomorrow!  I will probably need to take a daylight photo of this painting as well - the colors are not reading true.  It feels a little awkward to switch from acrylics to oils - especially after a month of using acrylics!  The trick is to be sure I pull out the right brushes for the right medium every time! This painting makes number 1064 in 1064 days.