Catching up...

I have a few paintings I'm working on- really. I feel like this week has been uber busy and I haven't really gotten anything done done. But, things are coming along. Watch for the new paintings soon. In my free time (lol) I've been daydreaming about our little munchkin set to hatch early September. What will he look like? What will his personality be like? Will he look more like his mommy or his daddy? How the heck am I going to be a MOMMY!? See, there are so many unanswered questions. I freak out, get really excited, hurt and whine, freak out again all in a matter of minutes. This adventure will be the most unnerving, I presume, as well as the most fulfilling. I just have to stop stressing. It'll be fine, right?

AHHHH!

It's a...

BOY!!

The stats...

We had our appointment this morning, but I think I'll hold off telling you the news for a few days, just to add to the suspense. (Although, Mike's already let the cat out on his blog. But, if you want to have a little fun vote here and then check your answer!) So, I thought I'd give you some stats about the old wives tales I've been studying up on... Feel free to change your vote if you so desire based on the findings.

-Heart rate: 142
-Carrying high (from what I can tell so far)
-The hair on my legs is growing at the same rate as before, as are my fingernails
-My feet are always cold, but that's how they were before the pregnancy
-Mike doesn't seem to be gaining sympathy weight
-I am 25 and got pregnant in December (for those of you interested in the Chinese lunar calendar)
-My urine has been a dullish yellow (some of these are so ridiculous!)
-I usually crave salty or sour foods rather than sweet (which is weird, by the way- generally I LOVE me some sweets)
-I have been getting headaches, especially in the past several weeks
-If someone asks me to show them my hands I would probably do so palm side up
-A needle dangled from a thread directly above my wrist swings side to side (across my wrist, not from arm to hand.)

Okay, carry on! I'll let you know the news in a few days... unless I get too excited before then!

Cast your vote...

I just barely figured out how to add a poll to my blog, so it's a little late. I'll just have to wait to tell you the news until all votes are in! We find out on Monday... 1.5 days away! I'm pretty excited to be able to call our little bun "he" or "she" rather than "it." While you're at it, perhaps you could leave a comment about some baby names associated with your vote. We're taking any and all suggestions, so help us out! Oh... I think baby's moving around- it's like butterflies or popping popcorn. Isn't pregnancy weird and awesome and exciting and... weird?! Okay, get to voting and suggesting. :)

I'm blue

I'm not really "blue." Don't worry! We don't have cable television, so we have to watch conference online. That's fine except that I can't really sit still, watching my computer screen for two hours at a time. I needed something to keep me busy while I could listen to the messages. This was that something for this Sunday morning session. I really want to be a better painter and I really want to be able to paint portraits as I envision them. Ugh! Well, here was an attempt to keep things loose and simple. I should have stopped long ago, before crispifying the edges and adding too much detail. Now, the more I mess with it the worse it's getting, so here's where I stop.

Monochrome portrait study
6X8
Oil on canvas board

Little bird watcher

I have been painting a lot this weekend, trying to get a portrait done for a friend. It's not quite done, but I needed a break, so I did this little one. The reference photo was taken from the Police concert in Salt Lake City last year. This little girl was pretty cute with her binoculars, not really watching the concert, but watching her sister mostly. I used that really textured handmade paper like I used for the work boots a while back. It is fun to work with, but I think it's not quite right for this scene. Perhaps I will try it on canvas some other time.

Watching
6X6
Oil on handmade paper

Passion for Painting

For those who take a gander at my blog regularly, you know that I have been participating in the Different Strokes challenges pretty regularly since the beginning. I post my submissions nearly every time there's a new challenge and have had a great experience being involved with other fine artists. It is fun to look through each person's submission and try to gain a little bit from their creativity and style. I have "met" (web met, anyway) many artists I would have not had exposure to otherwise. Well, there are certain artists that I am particularly drawn to through each of these challenges and I have received a painting award by one said artist: Lesley Spanos

Thank you very much, Lesley! So, as part of this award I am to list 7 things I love and tag 7 other artists for this award.

7 Things I love:

1. Soup- I could probably eat soup every day and be really really happy about it.
2. Discovering new musicians- I love happening upon some really fabulous local music or obscure musical genre that I am able to adopt as a fave.
3. My family- of course that definitely means my super awesome, way-too-good-to-me husband, my parents and siblings, nieces and nephews, who live too far away, my extended family in various parts of the world, and my friends along the way who have become family on some level. (These are in no particular order, by the way. I love my family more than soup!)
4. School and learning- I have been working on the same degree for several years with life happening in between, but I am always very excited when I get to take classes! Currently I am taking 12 credits at the local community college!
5. Yellow ochre and titanium white- my two favorite colors to paint with. I can't get enough yellow ochre and I love finishing a painting with that highlight of white. I also love linseed oil.
6. Laughing- sometimes I just laugh at really silly, random things because it makes me feel good. I think Mike likes it to.
7. Sun and warmth- I am often cold, even in the summer, so on the rare occasion that I am warm and cozy I am in love! I love soft, cuddly blankies and super hot showers just to kick things off in that direction.

Okay, now 7 artists I nominate... (Some that seem to fall into that drawn-to category)

1. Sally Tharp
2. Maria Kovalenko Leysens
3. Dana Cooper
4. Debbie Miller
5. Carolee Clark
6. Torrie Smiley
7. Ed Marion

Beached

This was the challenge for the DSFDF blog I often participate in. It seems I will be doing a bit more watercolors starting this week. I will be starting a term of school, and one of my classes is watercolor! Yay! I think this one would make a nice watercolor, actually. Perhaps I will take a different part of the reference photo and use watercolors.

I started with a bright orange background, thinking that since orange is the complement of blue, and this painting would end up being very blue, that might be a nice ground to work with. It kind of made the skin tone brighter than I'd hoped, but I like how bits of orange are peeking out from behind the blue. I don't know... I'm still experimenting with colors. There's so much to learn and try with oil painting! That's exciting, but also quite daunting. Trying to teach myself is difficult. Anyone have any suggestions?

Beached
8X6
oil on canvas board

Queensly

I just finished this painting and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I think Miss Queensly is pretty darling with her big, sad eyes and her "look at me" expression. I started this with a bright orange underpainting, thinking that I'd leave the background somewhat orange. There are bits of the orange peeking through around the eyes and in places in the background, but the bright color was too distracting as the overall color. I like to use the greenish bluish ochre-ish colors and I think they work for this little thang.

Queensly

8X8
Oil on canvas

Cute little Scotty boy

This is the adorable Scott. I love his little smile and his big blue eyes. I did this painting for a wonderful friend, Natalie. I've actually had it finished for quite sometime, but couldn't post it before she received it.

Scotty poo
7X5
oil on canvas board

Lovely picture

I was spending my Sunday afternoon looking through some old pictures and found this one. It has always been a favorite of mine- I love the serenity and the memories surrounding it. This was taken at a Chinese garden in Seattle on our honeymoon. We have lots of pictures from that trip, but this one will always be a favorite.

Mmm! I love sushi. My mouth watered the whole time I was painting this. I had a few pieces of a California roll the other day, but I will be sushi-less for the next several months. I hope I can last! :) This is another painting for DSFDF. It was quite fun to do and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out- all except for the blasted soy sauce. For some reason I had a hard time with the color, the shape, the highlights... I may rework it at some point.

Sushi trio
7X5
oil on canvas board

Wigging out

This is the latest DSFDF challenge. The photo has significantly more of these mannequin heads, but I liked the way these ladies are all looking in the same general direction. It makes me think they are interested in whatever is happening out there. There are several compositions in the reference photo, though, so maybe you'll see more of these freaky wigged out gals.

Wigging out

10X8
Oil on canvas board

Our dear, sweet, Zeke...

I like the name Zeke for a boy. Mike, however, hates the name- as does most everyone else I've told. My mom, for instance, said she likes Mike more and more every time I talk to her because he will keep her grandson from being named Zeke. Another friend laughed and said, "it sounds like he'd have buck teeth and live in a trailer." Well, we're not going to name a son Zeke, mostly because what follows frightens me so bad. This is an email from the above friend:

Mike,

Good choice on not naming your baby Zeke. I promise that he will look like this if you name him Zeke. Give my condolences to your sweet wife.

Jeff

Tiny portrait

I am donating this cute little thing to a children's hospital event. I have had this tiny canvas for a while just waiting to be covered in paint. I wanted to do something cute and sweet on it because that's just what it was demanding! Well, it just makes me smile and I'm excited to donate it to a good cause.

Tiny portrait
4X4
oil on canvas