Twist Tied

This title may change, I could not come up with anything creative last night when I finally got to the point of putting this print onto Etsy. However, this morning I see a note on my drawing table with a possible title from my husband. I will give it some time today and see which way to go.

I did want to mention that the color of the sanded paper I used on this piece was peach. I work with pastel pencils and hard pastel sticks to sketch out my image and to achieve detail, along with soft pastels for color. My pastel pencils are Derwent and the hard sticks are Faber Castell but on the soft pastels I have several different brands. When I go to the store to pick up some new supplies I just love to look at all the pastel sticks out for display, so many colors and I am still experimenting learning what works for me. This could get a little expensive.

From NPR, May 2, 2008 Storycorps. This was the last line from the interview with Lyle Link.
"Live with courage"

Nodding Off

Nodding Off as a print as been added to my Etsy store. The original oil painting measures 8" x 10" on hardboard, I have been working on this piece off and on all winter. I am a slow painter, its seems that I need time to evaluate each piece as I work on it. Or it could be that my comfort zone is just pokey. In any case, it is something I am working on, trying to speed things up a bit.

The painting is of Ember, our older male cat, who is the alpha of our herd. He has done well with each new addition, just letting them know his limits.

Archival Prints

I am adding archival prints to my Etsy shop. They will be printed on Velvet fine art paper which is producing a rich colorful print. I love the texture of this paper. For now there will be two sizes, first the larger, on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet with an image of 7 1/2" x 10"and the smaller mini print 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" with an image of 4 1/2" x 3 1/4". As I add the images to my Etsy store I will post them to my blog.

Doc & Pete

I've always been fascinated by the 'Pony-Pulls' they have at one of our local Autumn country fairs. Pound for pound these little guys show more energy & unbridled enthusiasm than the huge draft horses that also compete in this type of event. The adult horse teams often pull weights up to 18,000 lbs which is incredible to watch.

These little guys pull a much smaller load in comparison, but the best thing about them is the way they seem to really enjoy the competition. I think it's something akin to the way a race horse, running side by side & neck to neck with another horse really is trying, all by himself, to beat the other horse. The jockey is pretty much just along for the ride and it's the horse's heart & spirit that determines the outcome in that indefinable moment.

You see something similar with these teams, when competing. There's a certain something in the look in their eyes, seconds before they're released to try their 'Pull'. The best thing is the way their owners put more concern to their well being than winning a prize. Their drivers often wave off any more attempts when they know their little guys have given enough. It really touches the heart, how much concern is shown to them, and always elicits a big round of applause from the gathered crowd. All in all, the finest side of both horse & man.

The original Pen & Ink of this work took me months to complete because of the countless tiny dots of ink that makes up the image. It's probably the reason I don't do Pen & Inks very often. Here's how we use Doc & Pete as greeting cards in our new Etsy store.

WATCH YOUR STEP !!

My eBay store has prints & greeting cards of this image & others.
My Cafepress store has more samples on my 2nd new website.

My Etsy Store has more samples on my 3rd new website.

Sleeping Beauty aka 'Reclining Dude'

Ember has lived with us for at least 10 years. He is a fairly good sized Tabby male with a large flat head and sweet face. He has one of the most patient dispositions I have ever had in a furry friend. He first started coming around when we had two (fixed) Calico females, 'Roos' & 'Chloe'.

Ember loves the women folk, but unfortunately the only female in his life right now is Lily, our Corgi, but that does not deter him. He is also extremely cool, something I think he prides himself in. His fur is so complicated with the various shades of grey, tan, brown and flecks of gold that it can be intimidating to try and paint him.

What I love about Ember is the way he dominates his space. When he is in a chair he occupies the whole pad, with a little overhang at both ends. When sleeping on the bed or the couch he seems to really enjoy stretching out - I guess you could say he's extremely comfortable in his skin.

The original pastel of Ember - Sleeping Beauty aka 'Reclining Dude' - was a pastel on Sennielier La Carte sanded paper and came from a sketch I did of him a while ago napping on a comforter. I loved the pose with the paw behind his head. Here's how we use Sleeping Beauty in our 100 year archival Giclee prints.

My eBay store has prints & greeting cards of this image & others.
My Cafepress store has more samples on my 2nd new website.

My Etsy Store has more samples on my 3rd new website.