Saturday, March 28, 2020

Indigo Fantasy

If you have to be home it’d sure be nice to stare at something gorgeous, huh?

I finally got this painting posted for sale now on my website,
 I LOVE IT!  I kept it super sketchy for movement and glazed it in layers and layers of deep blues and violets.  Because of the glazing it takes on a glowing, stained glass appearance in person.  The colors are super hard to capture but it’s a combination of all these put together. 
This one, for example, is far too purple, and has too much light shining on it...
This one’s nice...

The many layers of glazing make this glow like a stained glass window, one color beneath another. ❤️ 



Another closeup...

 $700.00. There’s a lot more info on my website and I also give studio tours - and free gifts with each tour!  Just ask!

Friday, March 27, 2020

Finished Painting - Hint!

Today I’m celebrating the completion of a new painting!  Yay!! I can’t show it yet but tomorrow I’ll work on photos to reveal it tomorrow evening.  What you have HERE is a hint as to the color scheme.  So happy! #stayahome #quarantinelife
Cool, huh? Some of my favorite watercolors below...
This paint is SOOOO AWESOME!


This last pic is an Artist Trading Card (ATC) If any of you trade ATCs, let me know!j
This particular one is a ‘swatch card’ of some of my handmade watercolor paints from Indigo Arts on Etsy.  Love her paints!













Thursday, March 26, 2020

Quarantine Time

Well, since we’re all quarantined I’ve sequestered myself in my studio and surrounding myself in violets and indigos.  I almost never show a painting before it’s done, but this background is just... so... cool. ❤️ 



Wednesday, March 25, 2020

An Artist Has Needs Too!

Wow!  You have no idea how happy I am that I found gloves!!!  Trust me, artists need gloves for safety too.  Stay healthy, friends. #covid #quarantine




Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Inspiring Dr. Seuss

It’s so true! God made us each as individuals.  Let’s spend our quarantine time exploring those wonderful things we usually don’t have time to do.  What are YOU going to do?  As for me... continuing to streamline my online classes, cleaning FAR more than I should, lots of family time, gardening, making music and of COURSE, making art.



Friday, March 20, 2020

Summer Art Classes

This summer I’ll be teaching metal embossing - oh, I mean SOMEDAY when we can actually touch people again.  This piece is beat up because I toss it in boxes and carry it places to use as a sample when I demo but I like it!  Anyway, here are four photos so you can see how it looks in differing light.  The copper is stained with blues, violets and magentas and something dark.  Anyway, we have that to look forward to! Message me if you’re interested in a fun class and I’ll put you on my email list.  Adults and kids alike love this class.  That way I can send out when I get dates set.



Metal embossing is one of the techniques that turns out beautifully even if the student is not an artist.  I feel it’s one of the most relaxing of mediums and you could positively forget yourself to the point that you drool.  Well, I wouldn’t, but you probably would. ;)






Wednesday, March 18, 2020

A Creative’s Outdoor Work

As for me, I LOVE staying home.  Today was pot painting day.  Looks like this year’s colors are yellow and blue!  As long as we’re home we might as well be productive.  What are YOU doing?  And yes, I painted these with leaves and then filled them with plants.  It was such a nice day to be outside.
Aren’t these so pretty? :). Here’s how I did it...
Starting to spread them around the yard...
And here’s the dirty truth...









Saturday, March 14, 2020

Holographic Stickers

I’m pretty sure he’s dreaming about my holographic stickers.
ColorCatStudios101 at Etsy is where you can find them.  Super cool 3” holographic stickers, two for $5.00
You CAN dream about these; they’re so gorgeous!  Think of how they’d look on your notebooks, computers, well... anywhere! :)


Friday, March 13, 2020

An Artist’s Voice

There is so much more to being a professional artist than you could ever dream.  You have to wear pretty much every hat known to man.  I need to be able to write about my work, know how to post on every social media known to man and keep current with them.  Managing time, managing money, chasing payments.  Researching shows, galleries, other artists, booking shows.  Preparing for shows.Photographing my work and editing. Maintaining blog and websites. Continually searching for new venues. Knowing how to take money in many ways. Working on contacts.

Here’s my white sheet-draped studio, converted to a makeshift photography studio:


I donate time and art and continually have people ask. What I’ve found is it RARELY helps my business.  It usually costs and hurts the price of the art I’m selling.  Think about it, I spend ten hours creating a piece of art which I donate and get nothing but ‘advertising,’ which 98% of the time counts for nothing.  That ten hours costs me.  How much are you paid for ten hours at your job?  What are hours worth for those in business that have worked all their lives to get to that point in their careers? Don’t stop asking, but I’m choosy now and usually pick where I want to donate carefully to causes that I truly believe in.  I’m blessed and I love blessing others, but I’m sometimes tired.


Learning the ins and outs of this baby is time-consuming.  I know all about composition and what I want, but, there’s a lot to learn digitally and mechanically.


Teaching classes.  I write my curriculum and change lesson plans every year. I have written BOOKS and compiled shelves of curriculum.  Each book is about three inches thick.  You can stack them to your hips.  People say, ‘you should publish books.’  Yep.  In all that spare time. Studying art and art history.  Just ask. Anything you want to know about art. Writing class plans. Preparing each week, preparing examples, sending assignments out. Teaching privates, setting up summer classes, laying plans, getting materials, writing, advertising, creating brochures, content and business cards, speaking at conferences and gatherings, conventions, giving demos.


(I’m under the hat, cocked at an odd angle to keep the light out of my eyes.  The big painting is our oldest, eyebrows raised asking me if I like his stupid glasses (we enjoy trying on stupid glasses together).


I make art because I must.  I believe that artists are God’s gift to man to encourage this world and to give Hope.  Our Creator made us creative in His image and my response is to make art inspired by His creation.  I almost forgot MAKING ART! Trust me, that’s what I want to do all the time, but it’s hard to get to it with all this.  I would LOVE to have more time to make art.  I’m sure I’ve missed things but to sum it up, it’s demanding and often discouraging.  I work A LOT.  Do not become an artist unless you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT HELP YOURSELF!!  As for me, I absolutely cannot help myself.  Although it’s difficult, I love my job.  So, please encourage your artist friends which also means monetarily.  Honestly, folks, an artist can only take so many ‘I love your works’ without anybody putting the money where his mouth is.  Buy stuff from your artist friends!  That way we can keep on keeping on, to encourage YOU. 

Owl Painting on Society6

I finally got my owl image on Society6! Now you can find him on all sorts of lovely goods for your home and body at this site:

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Holographic Stickers

Well, as long as you have to stay home you might as well check out my holograph stickers.  Did I mention them?  Find them at
 and I’ll pop them in the mail for you.  FUN MAIL - WOW!
With a playing card so you can judge their size...
Just plain gorgeous.  The color shifts continually as you move it.







Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Holographic Stickers!

Pretty sure my students have heard me say this before.  Like every...single...class.  


I lead them into another room to look at our art history, and on the way back to our room I will say, ‘Let’s go make stuff.’ :)


My quote is sitting on my lovely new holographic stickers which I just popped onto my site today.  Cool, huh? Find them here: 

Note: The stickers are 3 inches square and I’m selling them on my site 2 stickers for $5.00. :). COOL!!!

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Cat Watching Over Me

Anybody have an animal that watches over you?  Honestly, now and then I paint a piece that I’d love to keep.  However, I don’t want to drown in paintings either, SO... I would actually love to sell him!  This piece is called ‘The Watcher’ because my baby sat like this and faithfully watched over me after my surgery.  You can find him and all kinds of beautiful, original pieces at

Note:  This is literally half of the painting.  The other gorgeous half is on my website noted above. Wink wink.




Studio Artist, Paintbrushes

The dirty truth.  My brushes may LOOK dirty here, but in reality they’re actually quite clean, thank you.  I don’t care a lot about the handles and paint dries on them anyway while I’m painting but the bristles are another story.  I may even be a little anal about brushes.  If you see anything that looks dirty in my bristles it’s not paint but a brush cleaner and preservative. I thoroughly clean the brushes, then load them with ‘The Master’s Brush Cleaner and Preservative.’ I’ll let them dry and leave them like this until I use them again, then I just wash them out.  Good stuff.  And at the price of good paint brushes, well worth the price.  And... do you see a couple rubbery-tipped ‘brushes?’ They’re for drawing into wet paint. :)



Friday, March 6, 2020

Phoenix Rising Painting

I decided to orient this painting vertically because I like the way that red wing stands out; hence I named it ‘Phoenix Rising.’  However, if you give it a turn to the horizontal it looks mysteriously like a chicken!!  


Any way you decide to orient it, I’ve now got it available on mugs, pillows, stickers, phone cases and more.  You can find it here: 
This will definitely put a bright spot in your home, whether you need a phoenix rising or... a chicken! 










Thursday, March 5, 2020

Abominable Baby Bird Painting

This is my ‘Abominable Baby Bird.’ I laugh each time I see him.  Paint pours don’t often turn into something recognizable, so as he formed I helped him along and gave an extra flame treatment (it releases bubbles) along the edges of his wings to get all those little bubbles to surface.  I like it!  I think it gives movement and makes him look a bit frazzled and frizzled. 🙂. Anyway, my crazy bird is for sale at 
Etsy Shop, Color Cat Studios101






Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Metal Art

This one is COOL!!!  It’s never been so easy to impress that unimpressable young person with a gift he’ll always enjoy.  These dragon wings are available at Society6, Color Cat Studios

You can find my design printed on metal, canvas and all manner of lovely things.  20% off TODAY!



Tuesday, March 3, 2020

An Artist’s Supplies

Black, silver and white flatlay.  Last night I was waay too tired to be able to create art, but I’m a firm believer in doing the work.  So, even though I was tired, I went into my studio.  Since I’ve been working on a pair of paintings which are black, white and silver, I decided to do a flatlay of art supplies in those ‘colors.’  The simple act of putting these together gave me all kinds of ideas for those two in-progress paintings and I’m sure they will be better for it.  There you have it... one more way to get ‘er done.

Now, my supplies... many of my ‘brushes’ are rubber tipped.  I use these A LOT to draw into wet paint.  My handy dandy SOG, which I use just about every day of my life... the four cards are actually playing cards which I transformed into Artist Trading Cards, which I will trade card for card with other artists.  Fingernail polish... well, I TRY to keep my nails clean and paint-free.  Okay, it doesn’t work, but I try.  Umm.... oh... my lovely pot of Golden’s silver paint.  The silver/black ink is super cool and my Molotow chrome pens are peerless when it comes to shiny silver.  And then there are my Pitt pens and one lonely Blackwing pencil, the bedrock of a whole lot of my work.  There you have it!  Art stuff!  Oh, and my phone... oh... well,



Sunday, March 1, 2020

An Artist’s Palette

I love working with this silver paint by Golden Products.  It’s SUPER shiny and silvery.  Paints and other materials really can make or break a painting.  If you want great work, use great stuff.