My Bookcase Goes to Auction!

At the charity auction, my bookcase was filled with the therapists' favorite developmental toys and children's books.

And after the bidding war? The bookcase went for $1300!

More Rhymes

Two more paintings from the nursery rhyme bookcase: Little Bo Peep's sheep and the Cat and the Fiddle. I'll post the last few paintings and an overall shot of the bookcase soon.

Nursery Rhyme Bookcase

Here are some images from a children's nursery rhyme bookcase that I recently completed. It was brightly painted for either a boy or girl's room or a children's library. I painted 3 rhyme characters on each side of the bookcase, and one on the top. More photos to come!

A Room with a (New) View

Don't get me wrong - I love my studio. It is filled with all my projects and materials and records and has a general girlieness that the rest of this man-filled house does not. But the closet doors were ... so bare ... So boring...

So...

I've always wanted a balcony with a waterfront view, haven't you? With the sun shining, the ferry coming in toward the dock, and the Olympic mountains too. Oh yes, and a profusely blooming pot of Nelly Moser clematis on the deck. (Nevermind that my wall is South facing, not West!) I figured I just added several thousands of dollars to our home's value!

Ella & Evie's Nursery

Here is a nursery that I designed and painted for a pair of girls - just in time too! They were born early, the weekend after I finished!
j
Their mom picked out this cute bedding set from Pottery Barn Kids and wanted a design on the walls to coordinate with it. Some of the design considerations were that the closet was to remain open, and the upper window wall had a strange "bump out" at the top that needed to be disguised.
j
I suggested that we paint the interior of the closet pink to set it off from the room and suggest a dollhouse with its little compartments. I brought in a tear-sheet from a magazine to give an idea for the window wall: a shallow shelf for knick-knacks that camouflaged the strange depth of the upper wall and gave a display place for special heirlooms. The client mom and dad loved the idea and we made it so!
j
For the painted border, she wanted a design that would be flexible enough to allow future furniture rearrangement so we agreed on a border higher than a chair rail, right in the middle of the window height.

It looks so cute with the crib up, the teddies up on the high shelf, and the closet full of teeny girlie clothes! They added the pine plank ceiling and crown molding themselves, and it looks great together! I've gotten lots of great comments and referrals from the babies' visitors!

Before and After: a Dresser Transformation

What do you do with an old secondhand chest that you're tired of looking at? You replace the hardware and paint a quilt on the front, of course!
j
My husband and I bought this used dresser when we got married and had nothing, 20 years ago. Now that I have transformed my guestroom into an artist's studio, it now functions as storage for my fabric, paints, and craft equipment.

j

I sanded down the whole thing, painted it white, then sketched on a quilt across the drawer fronts, sealed it, and added white knobs that fit into the new design. As a last step, I covered the old recesses from the previous hardware with nameplates that are velcroed on and interchangable.

Dewdrop Fairies Personality Portrait

Sabrina & Rose Birthday Portrait

Acrylic paint and crystals on stretched canvas
with wrapped sides, 10" x 14"

2007
j

This portrait of two sisters as flower fairies was done as a joint birthday gift for them. The butterfly wings are based on actual butterfly species. The "dewdrops" falling into the daisies were embellished with tiny crystals.

Lavender Farmhouse

Lavender Farmhouse

Acrylic on wrapped canvas, 5" x 5"
j

I took many photos of the lavender farms when we visited Sequim, Washington this summer. Did you know that it is second only to Provence, France, in lavender production? A wonderful treat for all the senses!

ArtSplash!

This past weekend was the Edmonds Artists-Connect summer show, ArtSplash! Here I am in front of my little panel of art. I am so excited to be a part of this group - they are lovely, generous people!

Bluejay

Bluejay

Acrylic on canvas with painted edges, 4" x 4"

2007

j

Here's a new little bird who's joined the flock over here at my house! I experimented with some Golden's Light Molding Paste over the canvas before I painted - very interesting! Besides the rougher texture, it creates a very absorbent, watercolor-paper-like surface which was very fun to paint on. I like how this turned out. Kind of rustic-looking, like he flew in the window of a little log cabin to check out who's there!

Oriental Lily

Oriental Lily

Ink, marker, and colored pencil, 5" x 7"

2006

Wired

Wired

Ink drawing

2007

The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back

The Straw

Ink, marker, and colored pencil

2006

Peace

Peace

Colored pencil on Canson paper, 8" x 10"

2006

Bee on Lavender

Bee on Lavender

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 5" x 5"

2007

My Darling Clementine

Ink, marker and pencil drawing, 5" x 7 "

2006

Day Birthday Family Portrait

Day Birthday Family Portrait

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 8" x 10"

2007

j

This lady is a homeschooling mom who lives on acreage with an apple orchard. The details are full of "in-jokes" - for instance, her daughter keeps cutting her own hair! She absolutely loves this portrait!

Ian's 5th Birthday Portrait

Ian's 5th Birthday Portrait

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 8" x 10"

2007

T

This is a birthday gift I made for a five-year-old who loves giraffes and his blankie (the beige rag on the back of the saddle). I used a scan of a recent photo for his face. Ride 'em, Ian! These are fun to do! Would you like one?

Glaucous-Winged Gull at the Edmonds Ferry Landing

Glaucous-Winged Gull at the Edmonds Ferry Landing

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 12" x' 12"

2007

j
I took a photo of this gull when I was on a day trip with my younger son. He just shone against the dark water! I knew I had to paint those sleek feathers and rubbery feet!

Lemons in a Pottery Bowl

Lemons in a Pottery Bowl

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 4" x 4"

2007

j

This painting was my first using a "live" model. It's hard to keep a tabletop undisturbed for a few days in this house of boys!

Ad Rem Tulip in a French Pottery Vase

Ad Rem Tulip in a French Pottery Vase

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted edges, 10" x 10"

2007

j

Having done a series of bird paintings, I decided to try something new. I received this vase from my brother and his wife when they were living in Toulouse for two years. The beautiful tulips are Skagit Valley bulbs, planted in my front yard.

Update: Sold 4/08

Oriole with Orange

Oriole with Orange

Acrylic on stretched canvas, 5" x 7"

2007

j

**Accepted to the "On Wing" juried art show, Edmonds, WA, May 1-30, 2007**

j

This painting was the first that I ever entered into a juried art show and, not only was it accepted, it SOLD! I was so thrilled!

Chickadee

Chickadee

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 4" x 4"

2007

j

The little black-capped chickadees flutter around the dogwood and blue spruce all spring.

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Acrylic on stretched canvas with painted sides, 5" x 7"

2007

j

I will always associate bluebirds with my grandparents and their farm. They have many birdhouses around their yard which are constantly occupied over the spring and summer with nest after nest full of eggs.

Goldfinch on Zinnia

Goldfinch on Zinnia

Acrylic on canvas board, 8" x 10"

2006

j

After many years of drawing with pen, marker, colored pencils, and pastel, this is my first effort using acrylics! Goldfinches are one of my grandmother's favorite birds and she watches them eat from her feeders while sitting at her kitchen table each morning. She planted zinnias for many years for me to pick when I spent summers at the farm.