I painted this right after the world began to open up after the first wave of the pandemic. I wasn’t quite myself after staying inside my house for so many months. My enthusiasm for painting was low. Mostly, I was painting with on line prompts using someone else’s enthusiasm to spring board off. This was the first attempt I made to paint on my own.
I liked having bird around to give me questionable advice. Today, I decided to offer her to the world. There is one caveat. Take her advice with a grain of salt, or a grain of bird seed in this case.
Skeptical of Bird’s advice is an original painting. 16 x 20 inches. Acrylic, gold leaf, and varnish on canvas. Right now, I am offering her through etsy.com/shop/gatorgirlart and Where y’Art Works.
Thanks for reading!
Wishing you all the best in this holiday season, 2023, and beyond.
In the garden is finished. I might frame this, but I also like the purple edge. The girl has her hands full. She is balancing her friend on her head. Girls are creative and strong that way. She doesn’t mind getting her hair a little messed up.
Cathy and Dennis
Cathy and Dennis sent me this picture from their home in California. It makes me so happy to see them with the painting. (The nasty voice in my head is fearful of buyer’s remorse.) They said that Heidi from Parcels and Post wrapped it so well, it could have traveled around the world.
Cathy wrote…
I call the painting WAITING FORMOSES.
I love what you said about it in your blog when you were painting her. As I remember you were trying to show her in an unhappy place as a slave who had a hard life picking cotton on a plantation, but with the hope of a brighter future for the baby she is holding. The darker side of the painting clearly says this to me and all the brightness is on the right side as the hoped for future. It fit so perfectly for me as I had read and talked with my 3rd graders over the years of Harriet Tubman that many slaves knew and called Moses for secrecy. They called her Moses because she made numerous trips south to lead her people north to freedom. Plantation owners placed a bounty for her dead or alive.
Thank you, Cathy for liking and buying Moses.
Maggie O’Keefe
Maggie’s teacher at the JCC taught the kids so much about art and artists this year.
Apparently, 4 year olds are little sponges.
And the JCC teachers are awesome.
Maggie Chagall
Maggie said, “I was dreaming that the unicorn and me were looking for a lost toy.
The unicorn was dreaming about going to the grocery.”
Now, what’s new with me… and then I will let you go.
warm colors
Acrylic paint dropped on canvas with a lot of water.
warm colors with salt
Added Kosher salt. Let dry completely. Brushed off salt into the sink.
warm colors with cool blue
Painted intuitively, whimsically, with abandon. I used brushes, my fingers, more water and a little bit of ink.
I don’t know the end version of this painting. I am hoping a crow turns up… a whimsical crow… with a friend.
I have been busy painting a dresser and a chandelier. I will show you next week. They are both going in my studio, so I am just having fun with them.
Wishing you all a fabulous summer,
filled with good luck, happy celebrations, and love.
Gator Girl Art 