Birds + Birds + Birds

New bird paintings in progress.

Inspired by a vintage box of bird flashcards.

Moon Rocks Necklace

A new necklace - 'Moon Rocks.'
Lampwork glass beads and sterling silver.

Here's the bead recipe:
Start with a barrel shaped black glass core and roll it in an equal blend of 'Raku' and 'Pink Lipstick' Val Cox frit. Melt it in and then heavily encase in clear and hand facet the bead.

Not to heavy, not to light, just right.

The Cutest Cloud

Like I said, someday I am going to start painting cloudscapes.

'Grackle' & 'Robin'

'Grackle'
5" x 7" oil on canvas

'Robin'
5" x 7" oil on canvas

That was fun, I think I will make a few more.

Crusty Love Beads

Test beads hot out of the kiln, not even cleaned.

A combination of lots of funky glass in these beads:
First some short rods of old scummy clear I just need to use up.
Also some weird cored canes called 'Whisper' that has a thread of rubino oro running down the middle of some hopelessly scummy clear.
One sad rod of Cim's 'Cirrus' from a batch that just will not strike.
There's also some Double Helix 'Aion' frit and lots of fine silver foil rolled up in there.

My inspiration for these beads is this strand of 1200 year old Indian quartz crystal beads that I saw on Pinterest (below). Mine are unexpectedly a lot more 'golden' but I'm loving them as is.

I think I want to tumble mine to knock some of the shiny off them.

p.s. I keep a Pinterest file of Ancient beads, I find them wildly inspiring.
Take a peek here.

Calling All Monsters

Studio playmates.

Chew with your mouth closed and don't be a chicken.

Hello Poppy

I finished the red poppy painting.

Just sharing some of the details.

Before showing you the whole thing.

Red Poppies
oil on canvas
24" x 24"

Cloudscapes

One day I will paint cloudscapes.
For now, photographing them and hoarding the images is as far as I go.

Deer Dear Husband

Our 26th wedding anniversary is tomorrow.

Birds, Again With The Birds?

I am painting birds again, sigh.
This is day 2 of a little 4"x6" oil on canvas robin.
I cannot help myself.

I found a box of bird flashcards and I feel the urge to make another 100 little bird paintings.

Got Grackle?
Yep.

I even found myself a $1 birdie brush jar at an estate sale.
So many birds, so little time.

Hoppin' Poppies

I've been working on an oil painting of red poppies.

Maybe it's a little better than halfway there.
Where is there?
I never know until I get 'there' with a painting.

That's what I love about painting.
It's one part skill, one part talent and one part intuition all poured into a big glass of dumb luck.

Buckets of Rain

If only I could send all this to my California peeps and family.

Ginger Bells

A new bracelet - Ginger Bells.
Like Jingle Bells, but ginger because I made the metal spangles from a ginger biscuit tin.

I am just going to throw up? throw down? a mess of photos taken while making this bracelet.

Here's the tin I hammered the spangles from before it was chopped up in my new disc maker.
Thanks for the cookies Jackie.

The beads were made with an Effetre odd lot called 'tomato soup.'
I love the two-tone cored rods.
Amazing that I had glass that so perfectly matched the tin.

The bits and pieces all laid out.
Of course, in the end, I didn't follow my lay out but it's always a good to have a plan when you start hammering.

Ew, the edges of the disks have some boogers on them.
Don't get creeped out, it's just burr life wax left over from the stamping process.
It rubs right off.

The first little section of bracelet.
The clasp is made of sterling silver.
The links are brass to match the little temple bells.

Now it's a wee little bit longer.

The backsides of the disks are brassy gold.

The sterling clasp.

Viola!
It makes the most wonderful jangly noise.