feeling girly, part one

i really don’t know what my problem is lately, but i have this odd affinity for “girliness” that i’ve failed to possess for most of my life.  i kind of did when i was pregnant with my son (and NO, i’m not re-preg, thank you very much), but not so much before or after… until now.  anyway, painting goofy little girls has been fun as of late and i did these a few weeks ago.  if i wasn’t such a crap-head i would have posted them then — i’ve been a slacker in the communications and  blogging department as of late.  summer is just so insane (most of you can relate, i’m sure, particularly those with offspring running around like wild overly-audible fireballs who demand all of your attention and then some).  and then there are my clients.  wowz!  i went from virtually no work to way too much for one artist-home-school-self-employed-shop-owning-wife-mama.  but it’s good — our bellies are full and the cupboards are no longer totally bare.

first, i did this portrait of miss frida kahlo.  frida with rosy cheeks and nasturtiums in her hair, leaning up against a wall.  i sold her yesterday before being able to post her, and she’s going to a lovely new home here in portland tomorrow where she will be cared for and well-loved.  that makes me happy!

originally her ears were naked and it bothered me, so i added this era-accurate earring which made me happy.  i had been coveting this for YEARS and it felt like the perfect place for it.

her eyes are a little off and her lips could maybe use some color, but i’m pleased enough with it since i really haven’t been able to do better than stick figures until my recent few portraits attempts.  yeah, yeah, her brows are off but i’m a quirky girl who likes things “off” sometimes.  (did i post the girl with the way too long i painted for my mum?  will have to see.)

this actually started as a doodle on art matte board and ended up way better than i had anticipated.  it didn’t feel right not on canvas or something better so i white washed a piece of 10×10 wood, drilled holes to run one of lisa jurist‘s amazing fantastically beautiful pieces of sari silk ribbon through the top and popped her onto it.  i like it much better now.  (in this photo it’s not glued down yet, thus the shadows)

next i did a little girl in a cute skull dress with skully hair-clips.  i call her maria (she’s one of my imaginary friends paintings).

i didn’t mean to make her eyes so sad, but oh well.  she was fun to create none the less.  i will be posting her for sale in my shop as soon as i have a few moments to do so.  email me in the meantime if interested.  but first, peek at the whole painting (6×6″ on canvas) — click to enlarge if desired:

next,a red pigtail girl named pepper.  she loves ravens.  and stripe socks.  and pigtails.  (all like me)  i’m not terribly thrilled with her face but i love her hair and dress.  🙂

she is 6×12″ on canvas.  it was requested to be in a “witches and ravens” gallery show for october with some raven pieces i’m having there but i said “only if i don’t sell it first”.  will soon list it on my site for sale, if only temporarily.  if interested and it’s not yet up, email me (i’m so busy that i INTEND to do way more than i ever feasibly can in one day).

i love pepper’s crackly dress and heart:

and the side — the reverse polka-dot of her dress sleeves and inside (and some of the polka-dots are polka-dotted)…

lastly, while talking to my sweet friend katie a few weeks ago i was working on this silly little painting.  i later showed my husby and son and husby said “you do know who that is, don’t you?”  i said “um, no.  an imaginary friend i have yet to name, i guess.”  he and finn-munchkin said “it’s katie!!”  oh.  yeah, it kinda does look like katie when we met, at least in the lips, nose and eyes.  that was 20 years ago.  weird, eh?  sooooo, she is called “katie’s garden”.  she too is soon to go off to a new home.

i painted the stripey flower garden scene around the sides of the canvas, too:

i have no discernible “personal style” when it comes to portraits or people paintings (other than red hair and stripey socks and other stripey bits) but have really been enjoying playing lately.  this is such a new thing to me — i’m so much more comfortable with my books and assemblages and collages and such, but i’m loving playing for sure!

oh, and speaking of katie…

my dear sweet friend katie cahill posted a great post on copyrighting your art (and writing and such) and i learned some valuable new things that i hadn’t previously known.  you should go check it out.  you think i can be mildly witty?  this girl is the queen of wittiness and i could read her writings (and rants) for days in a row.  she’s a fun girl (thus the fact that we’re been friends for 20 years).  anyway, her post his entitled “creativity condom” and i created this little image for it.  click the condom below to read katie’s “creativity condom” post.

happy, happy weekend and love to all!  i’m going to take a “client break” and catch up on all of your magnificent blogs.  then i’m going to take a “family break” and continue to do so through the night.  i’m excited to see what you all have been up to!

xxo

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