Sunny

 

10" x 8"

oil on hardboard

Thanks to everyone that supported my art for this last year - your support and good "cha cha" has allowed me to continue with my craft that I love so much. Happy and Safe New Year to everyone!!

Chase

10" x 8"

oil on hardboard

Nitro

 

10: x 8"

Oil on hardboard

Loretta Springer Spaniel

20" x 16"

oil on hardboard

I really like the way this turned out! The client wanted a loose, painterly look and I just had fun with it.

Persimmon & Bobette

 

Bobette
10" x 8"
oil on hardboard

Persimmon
8" x 8"
oil on hardboard

$65.00 plus $8 Shipping

purchase

When you buy art you are doing so much more...

When you buy art you are helping an artist continue with their craft - the money goes back into supplies to create more art! When an artist is self supporting, this creates other creative endeavors that connect to the community..  co-ops, galleries, studios, not to mention the millions of dollars that are raised for non-profit charities by artists donating artwork. 

How Does Art Build Community?

by Tara Agacayak  originally posted at Intarsia Concept*

Let's say there is a small artist collaborative of five women in a small town who decides to open a gallery together. They don't have a lot of money, but they are very talented, spirited and passionate about what they do. So they gather together their resources and open a gallery in a run-down neighborhood. It's an industrial neighborhood filled with repair shops and auto mechanics and though it isn't the creative haven they've imagined, it's what they can afford, so they move on in.

In three months they hold their first exhibit and it draws the attention of art lovers who slowly begin visiting the gallery more regularly. Pretty soon someone decides to open a cafe near the gallery so that visitors can have a place to sit and drink their cappuccino while pondering the latest collection of artwork. And then there's a bookstore, and a frame shop, and an art supply warehouse who move in to attend to the needs of this new arty clientele.

One day after leaving the cafe, Ms. Latte gets in her car to notice that it won't start. Looking across the street she sees Mr. Auto Mechanic and enters his shop to ask for help, which he does. Before you know it she sends all her friends to the gallery for a gander and to the mechanic for a tune-up. And within a year the mechanic is buying magazines from the bookstore for his clients to read while they wait for their cars.

And the neighborhood is brought to life by the flow of people who just wanted to come and see some well-crafted artwork. Property values increase, festivals are planned, and people come to the neighborhood looking for new inspiration. In no time at all, by bringing a little art gallery into a forgotten part of town the business of art has revived the place.

*Used with permission
 

December

This is the painting that I started a few days ago - I started to think it needed something more and since I've had time, I worked on it a little tonight.

For the past few days, I've just been doing what I want, no pressure on anything, just what I want as it comes to me. It's been very freeing. Because I work at home, I normally try to keep to a schedule. It's not super rigid, but it keeps me focused and on track. Right now, I feel a little burned out and so I'm just taking a "mind vacation" from pressure and time constraints.

Mostly I've been working on the house making it more of a "me" space, decorating and fixing things and really enjoying the heck out of it!

Also, since I live in a very old house, it can get drafty. I've been experimenting with creating more of a comfort space as well with weather stripping, shrink plastic on the windows, Great Stuff for cracks - it's become quite a challenging game for me. I never thought insulating would be so therapeutic and it's made a great difference.

Hanging art and other stuff

I'm finally done with the Christmas commissions.

Today I hung a bunch of paintings up at Sugar on Front Street, a coffee house book store. They have unbelievable coffee and baked goods if your ever looking for a good book, some quiet time and a cup of o' Java.

I'm posting an older painting because all the paintings I've done recently are secrets and surprises. Also, I got a new app for my iPad and I'm wanting to see how it works with blogging.

Hope everyone is have a great holiday season so far and it doesn't get to crazy!

Paint Sketch of Chumley

10" x 8"

Oil on hardboard

Wanted to do something different and quick - it's not that great of photo, but you get the idea.

Arthur Wardle

 

I've been steadily working on the commissions and I'm close, but not quite done. Most I can't publish until after Christmas. 

I did find this great painter, Arthur Wardle 1860 - 1949. He mostly painted animals and I just love his style - thought you might like him too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Wardle

http://www.encore-editions.com/arthur-wardle/images/arthur-wardle-the-intruder-wire-haired-fox-terriers-irish-terrier

Fur Ball Photos

We had such a great time at the Fur Ball Last night!!

I couldn't take Chumley, but he wanted to get in on the photos. 

Bailey and Friend

16" x 12"

The one on the right is appropriately named Ya Ya - love it!

"All That Jazz"

Here is the painting I donated to the Fur Ball  - I made the frame out of molding from the hardware store. I think it made it look very Victorian. 

This is the letter they sent to me. 

It made my night!

Clair, on Behalf of The Wilmington Fur Ball (and of course Adopt an ANGEL and Pender County Humane Society as recipients of it), I would like to extend our deepest gratitude and heartfelt thanks for your delivery of an exquisite painting to be auctioned off during our silent auction. The details are absolutely exquisite---no other way to describe it and thank you so much for being such a good friend to our community.

12 Days Left...

There is only 12 days left to order a portrait for Christmas!

I have been painting, packing, framing and marketing like crazy the past week. Still have about 5 left to do.

I have finally finished a huge graphic design project for Guy's shop - you can see it here:

www.tavernaysonline.com

- it took 4 weeks of an incredible balancing act of painting and graphic design. Guy really helped out a lot with the cooking and cleaning. I gotta say I'm very proud of this site - it took a lot of discipline and concentration on tedious details which for most of the time is difficult for me to muster up!!

It's nice to breath a little easy.

Now, on with the holidays!!