Baggu

I've been painting on wood an really liking it. Perhaps because it's a hard surface, I am able to get thick brush strokes that seem to disappear on canvas. Also, it's easy to sand off something I don't like and re-prime the surface without changing it much. Canvas loses its texture as the primer gets thicker so the paint doesn't act the same way and washes don't flow as well. I use cradled wood panels, meaning that there is reinforcing wood framework on the back of the surface. The sides of the reinforcing wood strips make for a nice edge that doesn't require framing. Framing could be added but it's actually redundant.

I'm doing a number of small still lifes (lives?) for my show. This bag is one of them. For some weird reason, my usual painting procedure has a different appearance when its on wood. I start off with a monochromatic underpainting. I will do a drawing and then build up medium and dark tonal areas. Usually this stage will look great on canvas, but on wood it's not very attractive. Then I add heavier colored areas and it really comes to life. This bag didn't look that great as an underpainting so I was afraid it would be a mediocre painting and then I added the color it was transformed into a piece I really like.

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I've got a show coming up at the Tiburon-Belvedere Library here in Marin County CA. The opening is May 25 from 6-8pm and this will be one of the paintings there. It's acrylic on a wood panel, which is becoming one of my favorite surfaces to use. Being stiff and non-porous it's quite different from canvas but I like the way thick paint goes on. This is 4 inches by 4 inches. Been working my bootie off seven days a week getting ready for this show and the following one July 4th weekend.

Cathleen's All-Star

Even though most of what I have been posting is landscapes or critter portraits I like doing a lot of different types of art. This is something I did for fun for a friend. It's acrylic on illustration board with some collage elements.

Heading Out

I've got a show coming up (May 25-June19) at a library in Tiburon CA, so I've been doing some work to display in that. This is one I'll be using on my postcard announcement. I was in downtown Tiburon as a fog bank was burning off. Tiburon was clear and sunny but the City was still a little under cover. I've got lots of work to do, as I'm also showing at a group show called Marinscapes in July. I'm trying not freak out!

Lumpy

A goofy little pup that will probably get huge. Done from a really low-res internet pic which made it a challenge I had fun with his face.

Buddy

Here's Ann's baby boy Buddy. Judging by his proportions and coloration he's part Corgi. She got him to be a companion to her other dog Sandy, who is getting infirm and needs some guide dog assistance. I wasn't sure about working from the photo I had as it was small and fuzzy but surprisingly enough this turned out better than I expected.

Chopper

I'm showing my work at a dog grooming business called The Kennel Club in Mill Valley CA . I didn't have a lot of dog portraits around so I did this painting from a photo that Linda the owner took. This dog looks like a real character and I had a great time painting him.