FIESTAWARE AFICIONADO

The colorful pottery of Homer Laughlin makes me happy. I've been collecting for about 30 years. Most of my collection is post 1990 but I have some old pieces, too. So naturally I've started to use it in some of my paintings. The first painting includes a bright yellow pitcher which is not Fiestaware but it sure is just as cheerful as any piece I've ever collected.
The peppers in the second painting came from the Waverly Farmers Market in Baltimore, MD. And the tiny bowl is really a berry bowl probably from the 1940s.

"Yellow Pitcher and Fiestaware cups" oil on Raymar (11" x 14")

"Peppers and Fiestaware" oil on gessobord™ (6" x 6")

ROLY POLY

My modest collection of vintage toys includes some beloved roly poly dolls. I think their appeal, besides the colors and texture,  is that they always pop back up no matter how many times they are knocked down. From time to time I like to paint this particular toy. Many are impressed and a few say they are "creeped out"by the piece.  This makes the world go around, I guess. There's always room to learn about what others are trying to say with their reactions to art.

"Roly Poly" oil on gessobord™ {6" x 8")

IRONING DAY

A dear friend, knowing that I collect vintage mid-century domestic appliances, generously gave me an old General Electric Iron. It is a challenging model with its space age design and complicated angles. It is quite heavy too. The women who ironed in this decade did not need to go to the gym for their many metal appliances were equivalent to lifting weights when in use.

General Elecric Iron oil on canvas paper (9" x 12")

ABANDONED FRENCH TRACTOR

"Abandoned Tractor-Morvan Region, France" oil on panel (12" x 24")

My husband and I spent some time in a gîte in the Morvan region of France where a family friend has a  scenic farm with several houses to rent. In between family members' visits, we took day trips into the mountains to view the scenery.  This lonely little tractor was sitting in a beautiful field all by itself. I had to stop and take a photo. Finally, I've been able to paint this little relic of vintage farm equipment. I hope more paintings can come out of this unforgettable trip.

REHOBOTH ART LEAGUE OUTDOOR SHOW

I've been painting things around our garden lately. These faded red chairs are so welcoming to the three of us, including Mistinguett the cat. Hope to see you at this beautiful outdoor show in an idyllic setting.

Nutty Little Bedtime Paintings

At night before I  begin to sleep or tolerate insomnia I usually draw our cat or something from my imagination. Lately I've been using these spontaneous sketches for inspiration in the studio. I have a small 4" x 6" watercolor pad and some gouache paints which I use to give the pencil lines a life in color. The range of images  is wide but some of my favorite pieces are cartoony mechanical characters.

"Jack in His Box of Doom" ©2017

"Robot Totem" ©2017

"Wall Unit" ©2017

"Radar Robot Totem" ©2017

But of course I have to include at least one painting of our cat Mistinguett.

"Mistinguett" ©2017

CRAB CARCASSES

Pair of Crabs oil on birch panel (8" x 16") 2017

At least once in a season we have a crab feast with friends and family on our patio. There are always a few, unmolested, left-over bodies and what the chef does not use for soup I save for my models  in the studio. I carefully wrap them in foil and put into the freezer. This pair here that I saved is about three years old. They are getting so brittle and faded that I might need a new gang. The one on the left you might recognize from some of my Old Bay and Crab painting. He was splendid. But now I only want to paint them without the props. Here's another posing solo below.

"Solo Crab" oil on birch panel ( 6" x 12") 2016