Quote for the Week... or a Lifetime

"Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

..... Albert Einstein (now there's a smart man!)

Got a Thing for Those Ravens

Just finished and just listed this new scrimshaw pendant on sterling silver chain...
The Raven's Moon....


Just a week or so ago, I completed this painting, It's Only the Wind, which is currently in a Black and White show at Associated Artists in Winston-Salem.

And there's this 12 x 12 painting that's my avatar on Etsy and is for sale in the shop and on my website.

You can be sure there will be more to come. Until then, take a moment to listen to the birds and feel the blessing of their song!

Two Weeks Later...

Wow... I can't believe I let my blog sit for almost two full weeks without a post, but that tells you, dear readers, that I have been somewhat busy. With what? you ask. In no particular order, the following:

1. Blueberry picking and baking
2. Dogcare for some wonderful friends
3. A visit from my NY brother-in-law and his two young children
4. Redesigning my personal website
5. Researching & purchasing a new affordable camera (Nikon Coolpix S570)
6. Painting
7. New jewelry
8. Songwriting

There was plenty, I assure you, to keep me away from my blog for those two weeks! Please take a look at my website, which may still have some kinks to work out as I've been told by someone in the know that not all the pages look just right in Firefox. I use Explorer as my browser, and everything looks fine there, but so many people use Firefox these days, so I've got some tweaking to do. But here's the link:
www.kneedeepstudio.com

And here's a look at the latest jewelry creations. These are made from Damascus steel, which is handforged by my husband John. These pieces are not etched; instead they consist of many hundreds of layers of steel which has been heated over a hot forge, then folded and hammered... over and over again to make the design. There are several steps after that process to get it where you see it now, but needless to say, it's a long, slow, hot process. I will list at least one pair of earrings on Etsy in the next day or so.




I have also been doing some painting in preparation for Black & White, a show sponsored by Associated Artists, the artists group of which I've been a member for several years now. Working in only black and white is fairly challenging. Here are the paintings in process certainly not completed yet. Hmmm... I better get back into the studio since these must be delivered next Monday!!


Thanks for following, and for your patience. And stay tuned... an interview with one of my favorite handmade soapmakers will be posted this week!

Final Layers and Revisions

When you have several paintings going at the same time, you're bound to be excited by at least one or two of them, and if you're lucky, all of them! But you're also bound to finish them up, which is what I did today with four of mine; three of these were posted in yesterday's blog.

Carolina Wren got its final glaze of yellow and is now listed in my Etsy shop...


Leaves of Love became a very green painting...

The untitled 8 x 10 landscape received a colorful field of wildflowers and poppies and became Roadside Attraction, for sale in the Etsy shop...

And a new painting that I worked on late yesterday afternoon after being amazed at the wonderful clouds in the sky that have accompanied our stormy weather, this 12 x 12 is titled As the Crow Flies and it's for sale in the shop...

Paintings in the Studio

In various stages, there are 5 canvases in progress in my studio. Here's a glimpse of four of them in their current state...

My Mountain Home, 18 x 24


Leaves of Love, 12 x 12

And here's the inspiration for Leaves. I'm not sure what kind of shrubbery this is, but it resides just beyond the back fence, near my husband's tobacco-barn-turned-shop, and I've always loved its heart-shaped leaves.

Carolina Wren, 18 x 24

And a little as yet untitled 8 x 10 landscape which could very possibly change quite a bit...

WET PAINT!

Worked in the painting studio today.... doors and windows wide open, warm breeze blowing through keeping the oil and turpentine odors down, and sun just a-shining! Heaven!

A little 6 x 12 inspired by the Phoebes who are building nests all around our home and wake me in the morning with their cheerful little call...


A 16 x 20 loose brush painting inspired by my sweet Bruschi who died just 7 weeks ago...

Scout in the Garden

It seems to be a cat week for me. I finally had the energy and motivation to finish my cat sculpture for the Forsyth County Humane Society's Art Unleashed Fundraiser. She's been sitting on my table for several weeks, untouched from a few earlier painting sessions, while I dealt with more pressing matters. But today, I decided I'd work on her as the breeze (and pollen) blew through the open windows and doors. And work on her I did... until I was satisfied that she was done. All that is left to do is the base on which she'll stand, and that means primer and enamel paints. But first, I have to decide what to put on the base... I'm leaning towards a big bumblebee and some flowers... but I'll give it some more thought before I begin.

Le Chat

Sunday afternoon brought me enough energy to get out to the studio and paint for a while. It was such a wonderful thing, with the door and windows flung wide open, the sun streaming in, and just a bit of a breeze blowing through! I think it was the best I've felt in these past two long and hard-to-endure weeks. I was grateful for the experience! I'm hoping there will be more of that in the coming days.

So here's what came of it... Le Chat, on Etsy, a 6 x 12 oil of my daughter's cat, Boo Radley. He's been the subject of a couple of paintings now as he is a very handsome fellow. Perhaps you wonder about his name? One of my daughter's favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird, and her cat is much like the character Boo Radley. He is a private fellow and likes to find quiet and dark places to hide, particulary when someone goes to visit. He'll come out after a while, and sometimes he'll even let you pet on him, and on rare occasions, he might sit beside you. But he loves my daughter and is a constant and faithful companion for her. She's lucky to have him, and he's lucky to have her!

New Paintings... Springtime Joy!

Bright color is returning to the landscape and it feels so good! Getting into the painting studio has been a real treat for me lately, and here are the results:

The Grace of Morning Light... a meadowlark and a mockingbird share space in this 24 x 30 oil celebrating early mornings filled with birdsong.

Spring Jubilee... a vibrant little 6 x 12 oil full of joy.

Wildflower Dance... another 6 x 12 oil with a muted aqua green background and cheery red wildflowers... will be listing on Etsy today.

And in a different vein, this one in progress, just begun today, of the meadow where I do some dog-walking on a regular basis. So perhaps I'll put a dog in there once this paint is dry.

Morning Chores

A new oil painting, 24 x 30 on gallery-wrapped canvas, still in the drying process, but listed on Etsy this afternoon.