Jack-O'Rat - Nov 3, 2011

Halloween was overshadowed by Carl Weymeyer's birthday and a trip to Fort Worth to celebrate it. I talked Jean into carving pumpkins with me on my birthday instead of the 31st, before Halloween was too far in the dust.

This pumpkin has a front face side and a back side with this little surprise. Mike gets the credit for the name and the photos.

I am still painting. This week I started my first landscape and my first actual stretched canvas painting rather than painting on canvas paper or a canvas board.

Best Wishes to the Winn's - Oct 2011

One of the reasons less painting has been going on in October is this wedding present project for Anne and Bobby. I did not make the pillows; I embellished them. We were a little tardy in completing and delivering our gift to the newlyweds who married in September. But now the deed is done and more painting can move into all the spare time I will now get back. I was happy to see that the pillows on their bed coordinate with their bedding even better than with ours. (their bed in photo below)

Asters & Bottles - October 2011

This painting was inspired by you Mom, your favorite flower, asters. This is Mike's favorite painting to date, and only the second one I felt was good enough to sign.

Two Vases - Sept 2011

Jean is trying to loosen me up. We followed a painting exercise from Ted Goerschner's book, The Workshp Experience. This is the resulting painting. I like it! The next step is to try the technique again using a live setup. Wish me luck.

Tomato & Knife - September 2011

We were in Costa Rica during 1 month of the tomato season this year. Capturing this one in paint helps me hold the memory of that flavor. Of course with no rain the tomatoes in my garden should be forgotten.

Knit Art - Summer 2011

I promised all kinds of art as the focus of this blog, not just painting. This little lady I call "Ballerina Rabbit". I am experimenting with knitted animals, made from leftover bits of yarn. There are ALWAYS leftovers and I hate to see them go to waste. BR was gifted to the grandaughter of a friend. When the temperatures get a bit cooler in Central Texas, I will be more attracted to some knitting projects. Today we have heat (still more than 100 degrees), wind, and now fires. It is only the hope of Fall that keeps me going. Today it is back to the paintbrushes.

Hot Mama Reclining - August 2011

In August Central Texas celebrates Hatch Chiles from Hatch, New Mexico. Jean spent some time pawing through all the peppers in the bin at the grocery to find peppers with interesting shapes. This one reminded us of a reclining nude. The name refers to what the pepper invokes, not it's heat. Hatch Chiles may be either spicy hot or not.