Friday, November 21, 2008

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Turkey Time

I helped my neighbors herd turkeys this afternoon.  They are going to meet their Maker tomorrow to provide Thanksgiving dinner for a few folks.  At least these birds have had a relatively "good" life.  Living in a large pen with a shed in the center, they frequently stage turkey races with lots of flap and gobble gobble in the mornings when I jog by.  I hope whoever eats them next week is thankful. 

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Another Kind of Maple

Another magnificent maple leaf.  You can really appreciate the varieties of maple trees best when their leaves change color in the fall.  So many different shapes and colors!  

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Eliza sketch

I got up this morning and tried to draw in a new large painting but ended up wiping it off, so then I grabbed a small panel and told myself to just sit down and try something different.  I didn't quite capture Eliza, but I like it anyway.  It's so weird, one second you look at it and there she is and then you make one more stroke and she's gone away completely!  Working this small is like that, every stroke is going to make it or break it.  Ah well, next time.  Maybe I'll just rename it "Youthful Enthusiasm" then it can "feel" like Eliza without having to look exactly like her!  

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Alder

Here's another in the falling leaves series. 

Friday, November 7, 2008

Out of the Woods

Afternoon light floods the road out from my house.... nice to revisit since today isn't offering such a golden afternoon.  It's a challenge to cram all this color onto such a tiny board, but it's a good way to play with color and see if the composition holds up.  I'm thinking this might work in a larger version.  :) 

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Patriarch

What a day, missed yesterdays post for lots of good reasons, one of which was to help a lady that needed a wheelchair to get to the polls.  We waited in line 1-1/2 hours for her to vote. (I voted last week)  Turns out she was a kid in Germany during Hitler..... she said they were just normal people like us, didn't know exactly what was going on in the govt. until the brutality became apparent.  Power corrupts and it's our job to pay attention!  Like the man said this is only the opportunity for change, the reality is up to us.... can't take the "we" out of "yes, we can".  I don't know about you, but the attitude of steady, active hopefulness is just what I need right now!   

Monday, November 3, 2008

Maple

In case anyone has a need for color, here you go.  I'm having fun laying all the uniquely different fall leaves on this cloth, one more coming.  

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Bear & Bonnie

Here are the finished portraits of Bear and Bonnie.  You can compare them to the sketches I posted a while back.  It's a challenge to work from other people's snapshots, especially when I've never met the dogs myself.  I did change Bear quite a bit from the sketch based on the client's comments, and they are happy with the final images, whew!

Ginko

The gorgeous fall colors just won't give up this year..... I think it's to help us survive until Nov. 5th.