Thursday, December 15, 2011

Caught Up in Memories

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I don't think this needs a lot of explanation. Suffice it to say that I was enjoying the well used and worn nature of the glove and baseball.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Rolleiflex

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No clever name for this, it's just a cool looking old camera. It belonged to my father-in-law. The leather, red flock lined case and the intricate camera face and lens system have a fascination for me. It is  handsome just as an object and has a steam punk quality to it.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Bee Cause I

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The winner of the painting I donated to the local Garden Club for a raffle at their 50th Anniversary Dinner was a fascinating woman named Nancy. She and her husband raise(?), husband(?) honey bees. Now, I was already aware of the honey bee decline, but conversation with her brought it to the forefront of my consciousness. I started looking at bees differently and appreciating how really beautiful they are. Thanks, Nancy, this is for you!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tug & the Little Red Lighthouse

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I was commissioned to create a holiday greeting card for TugboatBay.com. This is the piece created for them this year.  I painted a wreath separately which I PhotoShopped onto the lighthouse and also onto the front of the tug for the card. If you are a "tugophile" you can find several holiday cards I have created for this company at: http://www.compasslocker.com/shopping/index.php/page/products_display/cat_id/28
They come in packs of 20 cards.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Sunblistered Silence

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This weathered, abandoned house caught my eye out in Fairburn, SD. It sits all by itself in a field. The roofing shingles are barely there and the sunlight coming through the porch roof made for great cast shadows.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

Yes, Life Happens

Hey folks, you may have heard of a little storm called Irene. Well, it gave us a double whammy since we own a home in NY and NC.

Fortunately, as far as NY is concerned, everything is fine, We sustained damage to our community owned beach when 2 large sailboats broke loose and crashed into the beach, but it is not so major.

NC is another story. Heading down there to see the damage which our realtor says is pretty bad and start the clean up and recovery, meet with the insurance adjuster, blah, blah, blah.
All of which is to say that I will be out of the loop for quite  a while. There is no power, no land line phone, no potable water, no gas and no food available in that local area right now. Which means we are packing for roughing it. 

So, please don't give up on me, I will be posting again when I return. Just don't know when that will be.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Sill Sitters


These little blown glass fish net floats sit on the sill of a window in North Carolina that looks out over the marsh grasses and woods across the creek. They look to me as if they are having a conversation. "What are we doing in here when we should be out there in the water?"

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Red White & Blue Bounty

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It's been too long since my last post here and I apologize for that. I thank all of you who've been following this blog and hope you continue to do so as I get back up to speed here. Life happens, you know?

I wish I could tell you that this painting came about as a result of harvesting these beauties from my own garden, but alas, no. I harvested them from my local market for my salad and when I spied the sand pail on top of my kitchen cabinets, I saw a colorful opportunity and this is the happy result.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The Volksmarch


Once a year, in June, the public is allowed to hike up onto the arm of the Crazy Horse carving in South Dakota. People come from all over the country and the world to participate. 

I have taken a bit of creative license here in painting the colorful crowd standing on the arm. In reality, there is a railing that keeps you far enough back from the edge that you are not visible from below. It is the presence of figures that truly tell the story of just how monumental this carving is.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Golden Chord


A play on words for the title. Yes, It's really a ribbon, not a cord (chord), but the rhythmic looping of the ribbon struck me as musical. The solid stripes interspersed with the transparent material made an obvious literal connection to the bars on a page of sheet music.

Aside from that it really was the translucent shadow that the ribbon threw that I was interested in capturing.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Eggstravaganza

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A set of hatching chick salt and pepper shakers in front of a battered old metal egg crate. I really love that old egg crate with its weathered, worn textures. It was fun to paint.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Granny Smith & Apple Bonkers


Well, I had my beautiful, bright green Granny Smith....  

If you're a Yellow Submarine fan like me,  you know what this is all about. The Apple Bonker minions of the Blue Meanies bonk all the luscious color out of the populace of Pepperland.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Granny Smith on Magritte

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I'm sure I don't have to explain this one. I really love working great artists' work into my paintings.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Battle Scars


My husband informs me that these tools would never be out on a workbench together as they are all suited for very different tasks and materials. To which I replied "But Honey, that's not the point. It's the interesting composition they make and the challenge of portraying their worn and well used character that I'm after."

Having more than 200 daily paintings about, I'd have thought he got that by now! The long suffering husband can't move without bumping into one. He just might draw the line if it tuns into a Collier brothers situation!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Glimmering Gecko


I love this beaded being. He usually hangs out all summer on the crossbar support of our porch awning swinging from the loop on the end of his curly tail. He's there to warn people to duck under the bar. You'd be amazed at how many people bump their heads on it! Hmmmm, kind of reminds me of a joke..."A priest and a pastor walk into a bar......"

I just saw after posting this that all of my Followers have disappeared! Don't worry everyone, I have not deleted you. Believe me, I appreciate your support and your commentary is important to me. I Googled the problem and have found that this is happening to a lot of people. I hope the issue can be resolved soon.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

City Island Monopoly VIII

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A favorite theme returned to. This time I included the transparent red dice which were fun to paint. I can't believe I made that board back in 1982. Wrapping my head around the fact that that is almost 30 years ago is a killer!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Mango Chili Tango


Love the sunlight coming through this jar of Mango chili vinegar. It's so pretty I don't have the heart to open it up and use it!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Lonesome One Room Schoolhouse

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Hay rolls and a tiny abandoned one-room schoolhouse in the middle of an expansive prairie in North Dakota. The russets and golds in the grass were the perfect foil for the very blue sky. I can almost hear and feel the prairie wind blowing just by looking at this.

This is a scene from our trip to the mid-west this past fall. There are so many wonderful opportunities for painting, it's hard to know where to start!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Getting the Scoop on Thiebaud


Wayne Thiebaud's work is so lively and fun. I had a great time painting this one with his work as a backdrop. You just have to smile, and who doesn't love ice cream?

Thursday, May 5, 2011

For the Big Fish


Here's a crazy looking fish lure that's been on the end of an old pole at the back of our garage for a gazillion years. It just caught my eye and I felt like I had to paint it. I dunno, but it's like no fish I've ever seen.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Mama's Homemade

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I've been absent for a bit. Wish I could say spring fever got me, but no, just a lot of graphic work piling up, demanding attention.

A painting of unrequited love. Love chocolate chip cookies, especially when they are warm from the oven and more chewy than crispy. Mmmmm. However, right now, they are painting inspiration nourishment, not literal nourishment. Love their texture against the clear glass plate.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Mad Chicken

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Here's another Challenge painting. I only do the ones that interest me, but I got a bit behind. This chicken looks a bit ticked off to me. I wouldn't mess with her. You can find the Challenge paintings here: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/2E4BD8D1-E0B9-41A7-891C-88091173C34B

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Road Taken


Here's my response to the German Landscape challenge on DailyPaintworks.com. You can see it and the response by other artists here: http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/56AAD6CE-3D9C-44E2-9A5D-D949A16212B0

Monday, April 25, 2011

Anne Out to Pasture


Well, this painting has nothing to do with my dailies, but I thought I'd put it up anyway. This is a donation to the City Island Garden Club which is celebrating its 50th year in June. They asked me to create a painting to be raffled at their celebratory dinner, and this is it. It is their major fund raiser and I hope it does well for them.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Stars & Stripes


Love the bright green star fruit with turquoise and that touch of orange. It is such a fresh and pretty color palette.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Old Snifter & Fornasetti


Yet another yard sale find perched atop the Fornasetti book. This quirky little guy opens bottles with his mouth and has a corkscrew that folds out from his back. He looks a bit cranky, but for the most part he quietly does his job.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Moment of Reflection XVII


This is a low key study of a gently moving creek. If not for the minimal slice of the tangled roots along the bank at the top, the painting would be a complete abstract.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Dragonfruit


Yes, I do love all things dragon. Here's this beautiful, curious fruit that I think you will only find in Asian markets. Its shocking pink body and green spines hide a sweet surprise inside. I wish I could grow them here, but alas, they only thrive in tropical climes.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Even He Doesn't Know


Another painting from my trip to London. Ya just gotta love all the street performers in Covent Gardens. These boys were trying hard to figure this guy out, but as the title suggests, even he doesn't know what he's supposed to be. He added a lot of color to the scene on this gray day in Londontown though.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Solitary Wader


It's the coloring that attracts me to this simple image. The complimentary colors and strong, graphic diagonal punctuated by the "white" duck make for an interesting composition and "singing" colors.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Captive


It's the attack of the 10 foot woman. This weathered old sign cutout has a great campy style. Every evening the proprietor of this Island junk shop puts her away behind the fence. She peeks out over the fence as if imploring someone to come and buy her and give her a home.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Peeps Confab - Thinking Outside Their Box


It's that time of year again and the chicks are putting their soft heads together to plan their escape from the tummies of basket hunting children around the world.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Rebel Chick

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Who doesn't like Peeps? Just the cutest marshmallow on the planet! This one just doesn't want to stay in line though. A gal after my own heart!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Mob O' Jacks

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It's been a very busy week catching up from being away and  working on site up in Briarcliff all week. By the time I get home, I'm wiped out. I manage to keep up on my graphic work, but have not felt energetic enough after all that to paint and post.

So, here's a painting of the collection of Jack O' Lanterns that my neighbor had on his stoop for Halloween last year. I archived the photos and pulled them out just for some fun. I love their personalities.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Crack It Up!


Oh yeah! Many of us remember this stuff! Banana was my personal fave. Great for pull your loose tooth or filling out fun!

Oh yeah, they're making it again! After being off the market for years and years! I got a batch of mixed flavors from GroovyCandies.com.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Hit Tunes from the Corner Booth

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I'm not sorry to say I remember when these used to be at the end of the table at every booth in every diner. Put your money in the slot and select your tunes with a combination of push buttons. Simpler times with simple pleasures. I happen to own this remote juke station. It doesn't look quite as nice as I've painted it, it is really quite pitted, but I just love the look of it. It also weighs a ton surprisingly!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Penitent Congregation

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During my travels out west this past fall we saw many fields of spent sunflowers awaiting harvest in both North and South Dakota. They just brought to mind a huge congregation of people with their heads bowed in prayer. I have never been through this part of the country in time to catch them in full bloom, but it must be breathtaking. However, I do find them interesting and beautiful even in this state.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Dot Milk?

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This is the entry to the DailyPaintworks Challenge of 2 weeks ago. I've just been really busy the past 2 weeks with graphic work and other things, so I did not get to paint anything appropriate to submit until now. Luckily, artists can post entries at any time. The Challenge was called "The Color of White" and artists were to paint 1 or 2 white objects on a patterned fabric. I chose a a very bold, happy pattern with a lot of white in it for my glass of milk to sit on. The object was to paint white objects using almost no pure white. The only pure white used here is in the bubble rings.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Mac & Cheese


This week's Daily Paintworks Challenge is to paint an image with the theme "home". All paintings entered in this chalenge are donations and ALL proceeds from sales will go to aid Japan disaster relief. Artists pick which organization the sale will go to and I have chosen the Bronx Rotary Club. Not just because I am a member, but also because our Foundation will match the monies from the sale, effectively doubling the value for disaster relief. Every penny goes directly to Japan, there are no management costs detracting from the donation. Visit: http://www.dailypaintworks.com and Click on Challenges, and then Help Japan Challenge. Today I am on page 1, but this may change. Details for purchase can be found when you click on the painting. This is a departure from my determination to keep the body of work intact until I have my 365 paintings, but it is such a worthy cause, I could not resist.

The why of this painting is simply this, when I think "home", I think of comfort, coziness, my sanctuary and comfort foods. Macaroni and cheese is a major comfort food for a lot of people I think. Simple and satisfying. A cute painting to hang in your kitchen.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Mica Java



If you've been following this blog you know by now that I am an amateur rockhound. These big sheets and books of mica are some of what I found in South Dakota. This big mug is my favorite for tea and was hand made by an artist from Oriental, NC.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Skyflyer, Playland


This is a horrible scan of this painting. I just couldn't get the scanner to read the richness of the darks and I just couldn't seem to adjust it w/o it reading the glare off the brushstrokes as lighter areas.

At any rate, I went on this ride a few years back with my friend's kids. My first clue should have been that none of the other adults would go on it with them. A few spins in, I thought I was having a brain aneurism. I felt really bad for two days afterward. They really should have a sign that anyone over 40 should not go on this ride! I guess the "Let's get Marg, she'll try anything" days are over.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Willie, Millie and Fornasetti

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 Here's another set of salt and pepper shakers from my collection. Their bold black and white, graphic coloring goes well with the Fornasetti bookcover.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Thumper's Bounty

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This little ceramic Thumper belonged to my husband. He's had it since he was about 4 years old. Alas, Thumper is no more. During one of our trips to North Carolina, a squirrel got into the attic, worked its way down to the basement between the walls and came out down there where the ceiling is just the open rafters in his workshop area. Apparently it freaked out and went berserk. As it ran around it knocked things all over the place. A whole shelf of flashlights were on the floor, prints on my framing bench were all on the floor, anything on a window ledge was knocked down, and of course, poor Thumper who used to live on a ledge as you came down the stairs, was shattered on the floor. 

Alas, poor Thumper, we knew him well.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Paradigm Shift


A play on words, but, yes, I do remember typewriters. Not ones that had these types of keys though. However it does tend to make me feel a bit old when I think about how my nephews and nieces will not know the things that I grew up with aka, typewriters, 8 tack tapes, record players and vinyl records, no cell phones, etc., etc.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Tea Partners


I love these quirky pieces of pottery. The handmade creamer and teapot have so much personality. They make me smile just to look at them. They were each made by different talented artists represented by Starving Artist Cafe and Gallery here on City Island.