Coasters for Sale

These are SO BRIGHT!  I’m making coasters for an upcoming Christmas show that positively glow under black light.  Pretty much loving these.  I’m not planning on posting them on my website as I think they’ll pretty much all sell at the Mistletoe Market in December.  If you’re positively in love with any let me know and I’ll set them aside for you.  Are there any that are your runaway favorites?

I like this one... it looks a little froggy to me.

This one looks like you could literally reach into it.

Maybe my favorite with all those lovely colors...

Really cool in a butterfly wing kind of way.

Well, what can I say about these awesome colors?  LOVE!

This one looks like a gentle flowing waterfall to me.

Anyway, if there’s anything you love, let me know at colorcatstudios@gmail.com and I’ll set it aside for you.  My plan is to give them all a glossy resin top. :) ❤️ 

Michelangelo vs. Bernini

I’ve been working through the Renaissance with my students and compared Michelangelo’s David to his predecessors.  Now we’re comparing his David to Bernini’s.  

Bernini took the majestic greatness of ‘The Divine Michelangelo’ and stepped it up with expression.  Whole body expression right down to the toes.  I love them both. 

Wow.

 Michelangelo’s David is determined to kill me but Bernini’s David is wound up like a top to kill.  Wow.  I love them both.  (Yes, I added the swag for my students’ benefit). Bernini literally changed the face of Roma, and when you walk the town you find his incredible work around every corner.  Rome is such a delightful place and the fact that you can find fountains and great work everywhere you turn is a big part of it.

As for me, there is no choosing between the two.  They were both great, they were different.  I choose both!

Interesting Photo Editing

I find this fascinating and am really impressed with the updates on my photo-editing process with my iPad.  The first pic was automatically straightened in my editing process and the second picture is before I edited it.  This is a reproduction of Norman Rockwell’s Barbershop Quartet in Nashville - isn’t it delicious?  I recently gave a presentation in an 800 seat auditorium.  The tech guy set up the projector for my computer at the base of the stage and aimed it at a 60 degree angle up to the screens which were close to the ceiling.  I was certain it would distort the heck out of my photos at that angle but it didn’t.  It worked the same way my new photo editor does.  Cool, huh?

And yes, I do give presentations; glad you asked!  It’s just another part of my business.  If I can hold close interest of 600 students from age 8-18 for 90 minutes or a lively group of 200 Cub Scouts I’m pretty sure I can hold the interest of your group too.   And what would it be about?  Pretty much anything to do with art! :)

Art Coasters for Christmas

I decided that I’d make florescent coasters that glow under black light to sell at the Mistletoe Market at the Conroe Convention Center December 7 (mark your calendars, people!). It turned out that this paint is EXTREMELY difficult to handle but I’m slowly getting the hang of it.  I decided to go with the paint’s strengths and have been working on marbling like they did in Florence on their papers.  I started slow but am really loving the way they’re turning out now.  Here’s one. 🙂

If you are absolutely in love with anything I post let me know!  They’re $15.00 each and I could never duplicate one - each is its own original work of art. 🙂 

Florescent Coasters for Gifts

I’m excited about this sneak peek into my Christmas season wares - fluorescent coasters for gift giving!  This is a little smattering of what’s to come, reminiscent of butterfly wings, dragons and old Florentine marbled papers.  Hit these babies with a black light and they come alive!

Absolutely loving these.  The one below reminds me of a bird’s feathers.

This next one looks to me like dragons or spiny fish.  In person the blues and greens recede into the background and the reds and pinks come forward, giving it a three-dimensional effect that is mind boggling.  I tried to take a video of it but that didn’t show it either.  I guess you’ll just have to buy it so you can see it in person.

This one looks pretty cool as well.  The yellows float a surreal layer on top of everything, and I adore the lacey black lines.

Ooohhhhh.... this next one... here you are with your Florentine marbled papers!

This one looks like an x-ray, doesn’t it? :)

And this... well, let’s just close our eyes and go back to the 70s...

If you’re interested in any of these, I haven’t listed them on my website yet as I’m preparing for a couple shows.  Email me at colorcatstudios@gmail.com if you want one; they’re $15.00 each.

Nashville’s Railroad Station

Is this a beautiful place or what?  It used to be the railroad station in Nashville and has been restored (to the tune of $14 million) and is now a hotel.  It was a delight wandering around and enjoying the architecture.  I grew up riding trains and have spent a lot of time in stations, many of them just beautiful. 

I finally plopped down on a comfy couch to soak up the atmosphere and do a little sketch, as shown below.  Did you know... statistics have proven that if you stop to make a sketch you remember more than if you snap a photo?  I didn’t need statistics to know that! 

When I travel, I’ll prep some pages in my little sketchpad with paint.  All the paint on this page was applied BEFORE I had any idea what I was going to draw.  When I want to draw something, I just scroll through my sketchpad and find the painted pages that seem to fit the mood. :). Sometimes I’ll paint further but not often.  As for this one, I like it the way it is.

What a place.  Although I’ve never been in this particular station, it brought back a lot of memories. ❤️ 

An interesting Sculpture

Take a look at this sculpture and tell me who it is before you read this.  There’s always a clue, and that’s what he’s holding.

...

Michelangelo misinterpreted scripture when he prepared for this piece.  When Moses came down from the Mount with the stone tablets his face was shining and the people couldn’t look upon him.  Michelangelo somehow misinterpreted ‘rays’ for ‘horns,’ thus this sculpture.  Moses with horns.  These are things we need to know to live a full life.

New Paint Pour Series

I am SOOOO happy with this new series of four paintings!  Yes, banana.  That’s for size.  What I am thrilled about is that the two paintings in the center actually flow together as if they’re one; THAT was total serendipity!  Did not plan that at all and didn’t even know until today whilst laying down varnish layer number three.  (Did you know... a diptych is two pieces painted together to make one complete painting?). I’m hoping someone wants to purchase and hang them together this way.  (They’re a little reflective; that’s because the varnish is still wet.)

I normally keep the price on my website, but just in case you’re curious, the crazy first one that makes me laugh (it’s the rebellious stepchild of the four) is $450.00; the next is $600.00, its friend is $500.00 and the one on the far right is $350.00 (priced by size). The three on the right are dreamy and remind me of land and water and beautiful agates and rocks.  The first one looks to me like a crazy baby bird fluffing his wings so he can take on the world and DOMINATE!  Loving the colors.

If you are interested, let me know here or by email (colorcatstudios@gmail.com).  I don’t have them on my website (except for the bird) because I have an upcoming show which I’m preparing for.  Honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the trouble because I think they’re going to sell at the show.

And if you REALLY want to know, I’m not altogether sure I want to sell the bird.  I find him charming and funny and crazy and it makes me laugh every time I see him.  You could probably buy him today, but I’d rather you bought the other three.  I might have to pull him off my website and keep him as my personal friend and assistant.

New Series of Paintings

Vote #1, #2, #3 or #4; I’m very curious which painting you like best!  I’ve worked another series here and am in the varnishing process. Pretty sure I blew off some brain cells today doing THAT!  They’re getting many coats of UV protectant varnish.  These are pretty big pieces; you can judge by my toes and the leaves how big they are. Which is your fave? 

This first one is the biggest, I haven’t measured yet but probably 34x40”. .... maybe? :)

#2 - This one is probably 24”x36”.... maybe...

#3, this one is a nice, cute size, at about 16x20”.  Artists do measure.  But we estimate a lot too.  In all honesty I’ve got a show coming up soI’m working hard.  Measurement isn’t as important right now as getting them varnished.  I put many coats on for serious protection, UV protection and a nice gloss.  THAT is what is important right now... getting the layers of varnish down, letting them dry, and adding more layers.  Time.

And coming in last but not least, #4.  This one is... hmmm... about 20”x18”.  Maybe.  Oh!  This is the only one I’ve posted on my website so far - so if you’re dying to purchase it before someone else gets their greedy little hands on it, you can find the size AND make it your own in a minute!

I WOULD appreciate your vote. :). These help me determine what my adoring public (haha) wants.

Mural Art Portrait

LOVE THESE! When we travel I’m sure to find my way to art.  Here we’re standing in front of a mural by Kelsey Montague in Nashville.

I think if I decide to start a band I’ll use this pic as the cover.

Our time in Nashville was delicious.  Nashville, I never knew!  You are so lovely in so many ways!

Self Portrait (of sorts!)

Okay, a candid photo.  We went to the Dove Awards so I put my hair up.  When we got back to the hotel, my hair didn’t want to go DOWN again.  Hair DOES have a mind and will of its own, that’s for sure!

Truth.

Traveling Artist, The Parthenon (Nashville)

Did you even know there’s a Parthenon in Nashville?  Nashville’s called the ‘Athens of the South,’ so they built a plaster Parthenon to celebrate.  It was so popular but plaster doesn’t last so they built this beautiful Parthenon exactly like the original!  It is truly beautiful.  Who knew? 

And can I just comment about the cirrus clouds? It seems like Nashville has an abundance of them.  Light, dry, breezy conditions.  Houston being so humid has an abundance of cumulus clouds, which I also love.  But we sure are enjoying the cool, fresh air and deep blue skies!

Remember, it’s exactly to scale.  Nice to see one that’s not been aged for thousands of years, huh? :)

Traveling Artist, Nashville

Some pics from Nashville.  We went to the Country Music Hall of Fame.  This is me and my friend playing some guitar...

This is me standing by a wall of art posters from Austin, TX.  Keep Austin weird!!

The next two are just gorgeous shots I took looking up at a staircase in the museum.

This last one is Elvis’ gold plated car. :)

Baby Bird Painting

Now THIS one makes me LAUGH!  If you want a piece of art in your home that will start conversations and cheer everyone, this is the bird.  I mean painting.  Named Abominable Baby Bird, you better come and get it before it comes to get YOU.  Find it at www.colorcatstudios101.etsy.com. 

www.colorcatstudios101.etsy.com

You can find lots of photos of the painting there as well. This is one of four paintings in my Copper Beach series.  All four paintings employ the same colors: blue, white, tan, black, copper and gold.  Oh MAN, I stepped in something good this time!

It looks as if that baby bird is just stretching his wings trying to figure out how to use them so he can MOVE!

Oh my GOODNESS i love the way these paints flowed!!!