Vintage Buffet.....

I finally picked her up. My new buffet. I've been looking for awhile to find a piece that was just the right size and look. So here she is. I've got a little work to do on it. The bottom of the drawer needs replacing and there is some veneer on the top missing too. Since I am going to paint it I think I will just fill in the missing veneer with some wood putty and sand it down.

 Now for the paint. I've been pondering that for some time and still not sure. I still need to paint my dining room too. I'm thinking maybe of going more coastal with blues and yellows. Oh if I only could decide.....It will come to me I'm sure but first I have to finish an antique dresser for my Mom. I'll post some photos of that when I get it off the work table to wipe it down.

 

 Until then happy painting..........

 

 

Blue People Dolls new and revisited...

  Some of you will remember the story of the "Blue People of Troublesome Creek" I blogged about in 2010. They were the inspiration for a few paintings and dolls. I have painted and made a few dolls along the way. But as usual inspiration took me along another path and I had put the Blue People on the back burner.  A follower asked me about them so I decided to repost some of the past picks and new ones of some I have in the works, I keep meaning to get back to them with gusto but inevitably something else pulls at me.

Pentecostal Preacher, The chicken raiser and Ruby....

 I will at sometime make more because they are such a part of me. But for now they just sit and watch me do other things. Maybe they will start to speak louder and get my undivided attention soon.

He or she? only time will tell.

New on my work table.

• Well lets see where this goes..........

Mountain folk doll progress....

It has taken me weeks to wrap my head around this dolls persona. But finally I have it. Not going to tell you quite yet. I did get the head and feet painted. Looking forward to finishing as I am excited about the persona I chose......Need to get to the craft store today and get a few things to complete this.

I will post more picks soon.

On my easel today...Frida

I adore Frida and could paint her over and over again. Here is a start of my latest Frida. This is collaged with an old map in the background and polka dot papers for her dress. I will work on her the next couple of days and she where she goes.

She was one amazing women . Her art was like no other and she endured much......

Now for sale....

Finished and for sale here....

How do you know when to stop?

You just might be tired of seeing her but I just could not stop doodling, it kept calling for more. But I think now she is done. I think!...

How do you other artist come to the point of "finished" ? Do you ever really know when that is. I usually know when I do a simple folk art portrait but when I do something like the mermaid with all this detail I get lost...I can go on and on and on. Them I'm afraid it will get muddy.

So other artist let me know if you have a secret you can share or do you feel the same as I.....

Where did this come from? WIP

The last few months I've been in the trenches with my Mountain Folk.The last two days I just let myself take this canvas in any direction it wanted to go. I'm still working on it and have much more to go.

I know I told you before I was a schizophrinic artist. This must prove it. The real problem is I love everything and anything artistic. I want to try everything. I love every color, style and concept.

My heart is in the mountains and I will be back to the Mountain folk but today just today I needed to paint this.

Another Appalachia Mountain People finished.

I love her eyes. My mama called these "bedroom eyes" As a teenager I thought she meant they were sexy...But alas its not. It meant they looked drowsy and sleepy.

Shes a purdy thang tho......

Pentacostal Blue Preacher...DONE!

I have finally finished the preacher. Of course he is an appalachian snake handler. They have always amazed and intriqued me. I know it took me months but that is because I worked on other things and put alot of thought into how I wanted him to look. Well, he is just as I imagined he would be......Filled with the spirit....He is a decendant of the "Blue people from troublesome Creek" as you can see I have painted him with a bluish cast. I haven't thought of a name yet...All input is welcome.

How I paint part 2...WIP

See a previous post for the begining of this work.

This is layer 2. I have double loaded a brush and just criss crossed my brush strokes for the most part. For the skin tone I used Matisse structure in unbleached titanium with a small amount of melon by folk art.... The hair is just curvy brush strokes with a double loaded bush of a clay and mustard color, it will get detailed later so stay tuned for more.....

How I paint.....

Here is a peek at the begining of another Blue People...I like to start everything with a vibrant base color and build up from there. There will be many colors in between but just wanted to show you the very start of how I paint.

Inspired by LuLu to color outside the lines....

How many of you would like to be freer in your art. You know just throw caution to the wind and let the paintbrush fly. I have felt like that alot . Sometimes I feel like I'm expecting some alien force to start slinging my brush...LOL...

I was inspired today to color outside the lines by LuLu MyPinkTurtle. She has been resting by doctors orders and said she was tired of doing nothing but playing with her markers in her coloring book and playing Barbie.LOL. . It reminded me of how much I loved to color in a coloring book, even today at my age. During that facebook post someone asked me If I colored inside or outside the lines....HUM....Well as a child I always colored inside the lines and again that had me thinking I needed to color outside the lines and to be freer with my art. I've been trying to do that but always feel like I fall short and get to controled in my work. I am not as free with my art as I would lke to be so here is a stab at trying to be freer and color outside the lines.

WIP...Wedding chest....

Awhile back I told you I would be refinishing an old blanket chest for a customer for a wedding gift. It needed some TLC, but I love the lines of this chest. I first sanded and cleaned the surface which I painted two tones of grey. The lid is getting treated like an old german Fraktur. The colors are great and when it gets antiqued in the end will really look old. It still has a long way to go but I love the way it is progressing.

Getting texture to your canvas.......

I really like the way this is coming out. I've gotten some good texture to the canvas. I did that by first collaging a layer of heavy papers cut into 2-3 inch pieces and then 2 layers of torn tissue papers. You get 2 distinct textures which give the paint many hills and valleys to flow in. It also allows the antique medium to really show off the texture.

This is my version of the ''Tree of life." Its primitve with a modern twist.