SWEET Monty...i just had to.

I decided to take it upon myself to paint SWEET Monty.  I also decided to use this opportunity to go TOTALLY WILDLY ARTISTIC...there by BREAKing the chains of conformity and restraint.  ahhhhh, it feels so good. :)

Here's how it went down:  First, I painted as usual, I don't know the style, I just tend to attempt to make the painting look exactly like the picture.

Here is the picture:

Then I realized, attempting to IMPROVE upon this picture is futile.  So I decided to add an ARTISTIC Un-Abandoned flare to it.   

More than once I thought....I should have stopped at the last pass.   The FINAL pass was when the owner of this SWEET Monty boy, said "I must purchase".   I probably would  have kept going, until it had morphed into a brown blob.  (i can't say that hasn't happened before)    The owner will get this painting with a simple donation to an animal charity :)  

Here is the final version...IF....i can bring myself to stop adding to it.   :|

You know it's Monty by his name tag ;)

Every Landscape...a dog...

I have decided that every landscape or horizon themed painting that I create will have a dog or some animal somewhere in it. 

#1   My Dog digging for rocks at the lake.  

MOVEMENT: A BETTER LIFE FOR BETTA FISH!

NEWS FLASH -

 BETTA FISH NEED SPACE TO SWIM, WARM WATER, AT LEAST ONE "HIDE", AND THEY NEED FOOD....Shocker!!!

Prince George of Timberidge

My mission for today is to awaken as many people as possible to the abuse suffered by #Bettafish at the hands of the spiritually asleep comrades of mine, who, like me, had been taught to believe that #Bettas require little more than a cup of water and some roots, to survive.

THIS COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

This myth was perpetuated and amplified in the early 90's upon the fad of keeping Bettas at the bottom of a vase to nibble on the roots of a growing plant for nourishment.

Well guess what - The Bettas were nibbling on the roots of the plant BECAUSE THEY WERE STARVING TO DEATH!

Here are some standard HUMANE Betta care MUSTS!!!

• Bettas are tropical fish and require warm water somewhere between 72-80 degrees F.  Don't use heaters in less than 3 gallon tanks, or you will cook your fish.
• Colder water will cause your fish to be cold, lethargic and lifeless.
• Bettas need space too!  They love to swim around, when the space is available.  Get a tank that is more than 3 gallons, a easy flow filter will keep the water clean longer.
• Would you like to live in a water prison?  Karma...just sayin'
• Bettas appreciate at least one "hide".  Bettas are shy and sometimes fearful if they don't have a hiding space in times of stress
• A stressed out 'being' has a decreased life span.   *that goes for you type A personalities as well.
• Bettas breath air like a dolphin.  
• Any lid that is air tight on your tank will deprive your Betta of oxygen
• Bettas love smashed peas!
• Organic peas are best
• Bettas can hear you!
• Sing to your Betta and watch its response
• Bettas can live 7 years or more!
• Did your Betta die within a year?  Did it live in a cold dixie cup?  Makes sense then, I would have "checked out" too.

If this helps make a better life for one Betta, my mission will not be in vain.  If you shop at Walmart, go by the Pet section and look for abused Betta's!  If you see dead ones, alert a department manager.


"You can tell alot about someone, but they way they treat their pet fish."  ~kristen weber

Challenge accepted!

2014 Art Shows | St. Peters Cultural Art Centre

Let the creative juices start flowing!   I already have decided to submit works for each of these shows in 2014.  

I have the perfect pic for the first show "What's on the horizon"  I may submit both the photo and a painting of the photo.  I mean, how can I capture those heavenly blues, much less make them better in the form of a painting?  This would make a nice watercolor.  Too bad that's not a medium that I normally use.  Hey, I'm going for it anyway. :)

For the "Once in a Blue Moon" show, I've selected this photo from N.A.S.A where they have accentuated colors to convey topography. Painting a picture of this and getting the landmarks correct will be a challenge.  

Well, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! lol  

That's my motto for 2014.

"Tribute to Flowers" show, will be a hard decision.  In Shelburne Falls, MA, there is a former trolley bridge crossing the Deerfield River, called "The Bridge of Flowers".  Over the years I have taken many photos of the flowers on this bridge. The photos themselves are worthy on their own, but I would like to create an Acrylic also.  I'm thinking something like this:

           

For "By the Sea" I have the perfect photo of my dog Jack sitting on the Cape San Blas, FL dog beach just "zenning" out just taking in the fresh sea air.   

Here's another good one.  

Come back to see how this art manifests! 

Remember: In every moment, follow ONLY what is most exciting to you, as best as you possibly can until you can take it no further, and then follow the next thing that is most exciting...and so on, and so on. 

Hiking with the Pups!

Here's how it goes down...generally

The Ride to hiking trail

Dog thoughts:  “C’mon, let us out already!

  

Me:  Wait up guys!

 Crick Swimmin!

Me:  “Slow down, slowww down!”

Post Hike:  Let’s go to White Castle!

Sunny thoughts:  “What’s the hold up on them castles?”

Doggy hypnotization:  The "Whitey" technique

(right after this pic, Sunny (front) jumped up and snatched it out of my hand) *trained for survival

 …and this is how it ended up.  A full puppy belly. J

The BLACK STALLION ACRYLIC PAINTING... might be complete.

I maybe should have stopped at draft 2 or 3.  It got a little summery looking around draft 5 so I PUT HIM IN THE SAME WINTER STORM I WAS IN! lol  aww sorry horsey.

Here's the 6th draft.  I may add some texture to this entire painting. 

I WAS/AM inspired by another artist regarding texture and color and even though it pained me to do so, I BROKE FROM THE CONSTRUCT AND LIMITATIONS OF MY PREVIOUS BELIEFS AND started painting on top of what I almost considered to be Finished.  Is a painting ever really finished?   I think not!   IT's still not finished...can you see where I'm headed?  I'm headed into a WORLD OF COLOR!

2013 is a WRAP!

The 12 days of Christmas has come and gone, and with 12 ENTIRE days off, WHAT DID I DO WITH IT?    Here's how it generally went down....

WAke up at 10am TOTALLY HOBBLED -


Yeh my legs are supposed to be under this bed hog.













Drink coffee and eat breakfast while dancing around the house in celebration until abouuuuuut 12pm.

*Dogs check their Christmas stockings ATLEAST 10 time per day (to the point where i had to take them down to end the torture

The older guys taught the little guy whats up with the stockings. lol 

2pm - make a mad rush out with the dogs to utilize EVERY piece of daylight possible

 5pm - slink home partially frozen and somewhat snowy/wet/muddy

Take a nap
Paint a painting...I did a series of 3 of Sunny, Jack and Chance!

  

Pretty much, here's what I learned on my 12 days off.
1.  if i were to win the lottery, I'd sleep until 10 am every day.
2.  my favorite thing to do is hike with the dogs
3.  my entire house will soon be plastered with dog paintings as I can bring myself to even attempt to sell them, yet can't stop painting them. :|

Happy New Year!!