Batman and Lily Cake

I want to share a commissioned piece that I just finished for SOS RESCUE (Saving Our Strays). It's a fun piece featuring, Batman and Lily Cake, their two mascots.

The volunteers at SOS RESCUE are an amazing group of people; doing an amazing job caring for the strays in their community. Click the link above if you would like to go to their website.

Daffodils and Art

The daffodils are here! Everywhere we go there are daffodils, and it's gorgeous!

I would like to share a couple of links...my first time attempting links, so hopefully they will work. I have enjoyed Diane Salter's Blog and artwork since I started blogging. Today she had a link to another artist, who is having a giveaway, Tina Kirk , and Tina's artwork is amazing, too! She is generously giving away 6 of her wonderful postcards!

There is another link I want to share... an interesting class that is coming up. Sherry is creating a blog solely for the purpose of studying Art History together. She said the first lesson will be up tonight, so if you're interested...it sounds like fun!

Ok, so hopefully my learned lesson for today...will work...and the links will work, too!

Have a lovely Sunday!

Was It The Pineapple?

For about a month or so I was having a lot of lower back pain. It was almost impossible to sit or put my socks on. So when my sister asked me to go to lunch; I was happy to see her, but knew that sitting for any amount of time was going to be miserable. At first it was miserable, but we ended up sitting and talking for about 3 hours, and when we got up to leave...my back was feeling so much better. The next morning I cut a fresh pineapple for breakfast and then went about cleaning and working at the computer. At some point I realized that my back wasn't hurting...and concluded that the only thing I had done differently was eat fresh pineapple at lunch the day before and that morning. So online I went and sure enough there's a lot of information about pineapple being used as an anti-inflammatory. The main enzyme in pineapple, Bromelain, is used for pain and inflammation. So, I don't know for sure, but I feel that eating fresh pineapple really did the trick for me! It's worth a try, if you can eat pineapple. My sister-in-law would end up in the ER...she's allergic. Anyway, I thought that I should share my story...just in case this yummy fruit could be the answer for someone else.

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I am, as are many other people in the US, part Irish. I've decided to celebrate by bringing out the few green dishes that I own and fixing an Irish dinner for my hubby tonight. Maybe even with the traditional Green beer. We'll see... I think Irish coffee sounds better.

My Great Grandmother gave me the tea cup with the Lily of the Valley on my 21st birthday. I love it and plan to sip her favorite green tea and think of her today, too.

I believe the biscuit jar is English, but it's green and reminds me of Spring. I saw it in an antique store just after we were married...and had to have it. I wish I knew the artist that hand painted it...they did an amazing job.

I hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!

Deb

New Cat Painting Jellybean

Spring has been roaring in like a lion! High winds, power loss and torrential rains that even Oregonians are not used to! It's always a time of unpredictable weather, though, and we are blessed with our emerald green countrysides; dotted with glorious color and little white puffs of lamb cuteness.

I love this time of year. After the long gray days it's almost like walking into the land of Oz. And it's inspired my new little painting, "Jellybean". I used a little different palette, after going a bit crazy ordering new paint, and I found I really like these new colors...that is a relief...and I can't wait to experiment further!

COLOR

When you love color; it may seem odd to some, but your heart can melt at the sight of a beautiful, pure pigment. You can find yourself standing in front of painting, entranced. Color affects us, and I find myself excited to begin a real color exploration.

One of my favorite paint colors, for many years now, is Quinacridone Burnt Orange. I love using it to shade areas of red and burnt sienna, mostly. And now that I have had time to experiment with other colors; I have found that using Quinacridone Magenta and Quinacridone red are just as exciting. My new abstract cat painting, Flor, was created using all three of these Quinacridone colors. It's hard to photograph red...since it tends to distort color...but here she is...one colorful Flower.