Moving Right Along ...

The anthurium was starting to look overworked at an earl stage, so I took it off the board. Then, I thought I should play with a bit. I tried a background a la Arleta Pech - didn't work. Maybe I'll try it again in the future.

I did two sketches of the haunted house, with the lighting coming from different directions, to determine which would look more ominous. I think the bottom photo definitely looks spookier.

And I received Anne's "brutal" criticism. I don't think there is anything there that I don't completely agree with, and some I saw before I sent it to her. I just needed some expert advice before I committed to it's completion.
As ever, please feel free to leave your comments. Love them!

While Waiting for THE WORD on Buddy ...

Some aureolin and quin. burnt orange, w/w.

Several glazes on the flowers - quin. coral, quin. burnt orange and alizarin crimson.

Getting very serious with the alizarin crimson.

I'm painting the leaves, again w/w, with aureolin and phthalo blue. I cannot remember the last time I used that blue, but it seems to be making a nice green underpainting.

I took this at Western Gardens a couple of years ago. I'll have to take my camera there again soon when they open for the Spring.


I started another painting, while waiting for a critique from Anne Zoutsos.  Anne is a friend I met blogging,  and she does fabulous animal portraits,  mostly in oils now,  but at one time she did a lot of dog portraits in watercolor.  She very kindly helps with a no-holds-barred criticism of my work.  I deeply appreciate Anne's honest and forthright words.  In jest, I send my email photos with a note to "Ming, the Merciless" - the super-villain in the old Flash Gordon movies. Unfortunately, Anne has a bad cold, and is coughing all night, so I must be patient,  and wait for The Word from Anne.

Wheat Belly

I think I have the link established now. My apologies. And thank you, Sadami, for pointing out my omission. It is a most interesting read, as well as the other article I posted by Dr. Eades.
Wheat Belly

Nutrition and health in agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers

A few years ago, I became quite interested in the question of the "beginning of civilization". From my reading, I gather that somewhere in the area of the Tigris and Euphrates River area - the Fertile Crescent - a change was made over from hunter-gatherer to cultivator, and with it, the development of larger social groups of an hierarchical nature. The archeological site in Turkey, at Gobleki Tepe, is proving to be a fascinating find. It is over 11,000 years old, and appears to be the first organized effort at building a large community site.
The development of larger social groups could only come about with access to a food source. That's the connection to cultivated grains, especially wheat. From there, I have been following an information trail to the effects of a largely wheat-based diet, and on to the hybridization [and other modern manipulation] of our food crops. It really is quite fascinating, and a bit frightening, too. Along with our large consumption of wheat products have come a host of ailments, and with "modern" wheat, the effects are not even known.
Anyway, I thought I would take a diversion from painting. I hope you enjoy the read and the mind-jolt.



Nutrition and health in agriculturalists and hunter-gatherers

oh boy, it's snowing ... SO I'M PAINTING

I finally got Buddy to the stage where I could remove the masking.  Some of the last black w/w washes were rather intimidating, black paint oozing everywhere. I know that's why I had been procrastinating; I did not want to start Buddy the VIII. I think it's OK, but needs a lot of finishing.

I left Missy here ...

I started adding depth to her body. I may have to be more intense with  hue, as the head and neck look so wrong now. Looking at it, I thought some pink, blue and burnt orange, delicately applied would help.

The weather is most un-Spring-like; most days we have some snow falling but not staying. I feel so sorry for Bruno, out in his somewhat soggy paddock. I know it's not doing his feet any good, so I've started putting his hay in the stall where it's dry; for some reason he's not thrilled with the arrangement, or just unused to it, but he'll be fine. It's too miserable to ride outside, so I've taken to hand-walking him in the park, where the footing is hard. That way, we BOTH get some exercise! :)

She's Not Finished, but I HAD to Share

I masked the chick's perimeter, and the corn at her feet, and did a different w/w wash.
I REALLY like the effect - subtle, but gives a bit of depth.

Some quin. burnt orange and aureolin on her neck.

Varied greys of aureolin, pink and cobalt blue on her body, and some more intense blue-black on her neck.

She just looks so busy, in a chicken-ish sort of way. She makes me smile - I had to share.
Actually, I am having so much fun painting her, I almost feel guilty!

Cat-Proofing Your Computer ... and Other Animal Stories ...

This is how I cat-proof my computer. Miss P. had developed a love of lying on the keyboard; she  [temporarily] deleted a few programs. So now when I leave for more than an hour, I put the keyboard out of reach of curious paws.

She also did this to the bathroom wall a few weeks  ago. Missy now has a scratch pad on which to vent her cattish frustrations. Up until two years ago, I would let the chinchillas loose for some time out of the cage. They DEMOLISHED the bathroom; I had to have it re-finished. So now free time for them is never unattended! They also did some decorative nibbling on my saddle. It was one I wasn't using at the time, and I couldn't bear to look at it after they did their handiwork. They are like a miniature army, chewing and nibbling their way through everything.
But, enough of the "useless mouths", as a friend calls them ...

I think I am done with this iris. I'm not wild about the colors, but it's done.

Buddy, in his Van Gogh look.

And dear Buddy is moving along slowly.