Father Christmas on the Path

 

With pen and ink I capture Santa on his rounds.  Diamine's Nostalgia is a lovely warm shade from Day 10 of their Inkvent Calendar.  I've penned one of our chickens in, as she follows Santa down the path.  The presents are all set under the tree, stockings are hung, as I listen to the sweet notes of Michael strumming on his guitar.  It's so nice having him home for Christmas Eve. I've missed this boy's guitar playing before bed each night. Painting number 4740 in 4740 days. 

Ozarkland

 I just had to return to this corner to capture Ozarkland in ink and watercolor.  This time I am set up diagonally across the square from this iconic place. This intersection is so busy, and interesting!  The square is set like a diamond on the cross of streets from the points. Parking is on several sides with small shade trees to offer cover on this very hot day. I planned to go paint the Ha Ha Tonka castle ruins, too, but I've run out of time!  I've used three kinds of ink on this one before adding watercolor, De Atramentis Archive Ink, Robert Oster's Thunderstorm, and Levenger's Raven Black. The first one is for the sketchy lines I want to stay the second is a great shadow shade, and the last is for lines I want to move.  I have so many inks, perhaps I should explore with more of them in the field.  These favorites are almost always with me!  Painting number 3135 in 3135 days. 

Monkeying Around

Monkeying Around
Acrylic on masonite, 4x4

Feeling nostalgic this morning, I am painting another wonderful vintage pull top - this one of a monkey!  When my dad was young, he had a distant uncle that had a pet monkey.  Whenever someone came to the house, that monkey would go bananas!  He would run around the house and up the curtains - leaving little “presents” in his wake!  That made such an impression on him that he still tells the story!  These old Fisher Price toys are full of charm and personality - and so much fun to paint!  This little painting is 1118 in as 1118 days and Day 25 of the current 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Blue Troll

Blue Troll
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5

I’ve been so busy lately, that I have strayed from my “nostalgic toy” theme!  I have found myself just painting or drawing whatever popped into my head!  Well, after delivering my artwork today for the upcoming show, I hope to be able to relax my schedule a little and start chipping away at those goals.  Wanting to paint something joyful - I landed on a blue haired troll for my subject!  These little darlings always make me happy, bringing to mind so many hours of childhood play.  I even had a few of these which were necklaces - and of course, they made wonderful little troll babies!   This painting makes number 1115 in 1115 days, and the 22nd day of the 30 Day Painting Challenge.  :)

Telephone Pull Toy

Telephone Pull Toy
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5

This little pull toy was a favorite with my kids - they loved the way the eyes rolled up and down as they pulled it around by the string! They spent endless hours talking to imaginary people on that phone - and the rotary dialing made a wonderful clicking noise!  It has been a very day - following many busy days - and sometimes it is SO difficult to find time to squeeze in a painting.  So, finally making it to my easel, I am capturing this memory with acrylics on masonite.  That PiYo class is going to come pretty early in the morning, after such a late night! Painting number 1109 in 1109 days, and Day 16 in the current 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Golden Hair Troll

Golden Hair Troll
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5

I am painting another of my beloved childhood trolls today - this one with golden hair!  Their cheerful faces, wild hair and super cute bodies were always so adorable!  I wonder if I was the only one who wondered why these little trolls only have four fingers on each hand?  Even as I paint, the same question comes back to me....why only four fingers?  That is just not right.  Can you tell I am a perfectionist?  Not just a borderline perfectionist, but a dyed in the wool, hard core perfectionist - and I think I must have been born that way!  Another thing I loved about these trolls?  I could never control their wild and crazy hair any more than I could my own - so here, we are kindred spirits! Another Monday, so very late at my easel, and this painting makes 1105 in 1105 days, Day 12 of the current 30 Day Painting Challenge.  And now to bed!!!

Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

Tonight finds me painting another of my favorite childhood toys - Raggedy Ann!  I pulled this little darling down from a shelf, and set her up to paint (while watching the Chiefs game)!  I remember dressing her - and seeing her little red heart with the “I love you” in the center.  I had to lift her dress just to see it again!  My oldest daughter also played with her, so her dress has now been “bedazzled” with jewels around neckline and sleeves, but I omitted that little addition in the name of nostalgia!  This painting makes number 1103 in 1103 days, and Day 10 of the current 30 Day Painting Challenge.  :)

Trolls!

Trolls
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
sold

I am painting one of my childhood favorites - trolls!  I think my Aunt Vicki first introduced me to trolls - and since I thought she was THE coolest - trolls were soon a favorite! I remember visiting my Great Aunt Lorene on their large farm, and I found one of these trolls back behind a barn amidst a treasure pile of junk!  That find kept me digging through that junk pile for years! Tonight, I am using my limited palette in acrylic to paint these dolls with short, impressionistic strokes.  I love the way the acrylic strokes just lay down where I put them, only blending if I work them quickly, or by layering.  As always, I do not use any medium or water when painting with acrylics, which gives such rich color to the painting. This is painting number 1102 of 1102 days and Day 8 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Barky Dog

Barky Dog
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5

This little Barky dog pull toy is SO sweet!!  This has been a day full of dog activities!  First, I had to wrestle Chewy into the bath - he was super dirty with his long hair and all this rain!  He soaks up that dirty water like a mop!  Then, once he was dry, it was off to the vet for his shots - which he did not care for!  He didn’t mind the vet last time, but this time, he shook all the way there, and all the way home.  When he was finally out of the car, he was so happy to return to the cats!!  So, tonight finds me keeping with the dog theme for painting, but alas - I switched to the cats for my daily sketch!  This is painting number 1101 in 1101 days, and Day 7 of the current 30 Day Painting Challenge.

Prancy Pony

Prancy Pony
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

What is more nostalgic than a well loved antique toy?  This fabulous Prancy Pony pull toy is another of the great ones by Fisher Price.  Wonderful, warm expressions grace each one of their faces.  The eyes on this pony are so like the eyes of the Buzzy Bee - so full of life!  I am still painting with a limited palette, with a small addition of permanent green for the very primary color of the green bridle.  I also found myself using the ivory black here, instead of the mars black.  Very often, the painting subject just calls for what it needs - and I always listen!  Always good to go with your intuition!  Painting number 1099 in 1099 days.

Airplane Pull Toy

Airplane Pull Toy
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

Another day, another memory!  My children had this little pull toy when they were very small.  I think my parents had gotten this for them, as it would have been only a few years after dad had gotten his pilot’s license.  As they toddled around the house pulling it by the string, the little pilot’s head would turn back and forth as he scanned the skies.  So full of memories, this toy is my painting subject du jour.  I am still using the limited acrylic palette, with the tiniest bit of cad yellow on the highlights.  I had cleaned my brushes and closed up my palette before I realizes I had forgotten to paint in the pull string!  So, I swooshed it in with one stroke in yellow oxide.   Painting number 1098 in 1098 days and Day 5 in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  :)

Buzzy Bee

Buzzy Bee
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

While waiting for Michaela to renew her license, I went browsing through a couple of the antique shops on Main Street.  The wonderful, old bumblebee was sitting on a sideboard, begging to be painted!  His pull string is gone, paint weathered and worn around the edges - but oh, SO full of vintage charm!  This little piece was a joy to paint!  I really love painting these old toys!  It is hard to believe I have not come to these little darlings before now!  I am still working with a limited palette, yellow oxide, indanthrene blue, cad red light, cad red medium, red oxide and alizarin crimson - and black and white, of course.  I did add a tiny bit of cad yellow light on the bright yellow of the wings, as yellow oxide just doesn’t get to the bright yellow of the plastic wings.  I adore the way that limited palette works for the bulk of these paintings.  It really leads to strong color harmony, and I am getting that vintage feel, too.  I have to thank the red oxide for that.  Love that color!   Painting number 1096 in 1096 days and day 2 of the current 30 Day Painting Challenge.