My Heart Expands

"Selfishness is the only real atheism,
unselfishness the only real religion."
                              -- Israel Zangwill

This image came to me while I was meditating this morning, something I've been neglecting for the last month or so, and I think it's making me cranky.  So I spent about an hour journaling and meditating, and the gift was this painting.  Should I explain it?  

The center represents the green-colored Heart Chakra (Anahata).  The idea is that small acts of unselfish love or kindness have reverberating effects that expand into the cosmos.

All of our actions, whether kind or unkind, have such vibrations.  So the more loving-kindness you can display, the more your mark on the cosmos will be a positive one.  And, it's never too late to start.

I did this one as a page in my watercolor "sketchbook" but I may turn it into a larger, more detailed painting if the image stays with me.

Yep, I definitely need to meditate more.

Oh!  And I'm going to call this one "Expanse" and use it for my "E" painting.  Feels a bit like cheating but I'm just not inspired by my other ideas for E, so there you are.  I may get a bit more abstract with my letters, but since I'm the only one making any rules, that's perfectly okay.  Right?  :)

Do something nice for someone today, just one tiny thing, and I hope that the goodness comes back to you tenfold.

Art Therapy

Sam I Am

"I am Sam."  -- Sam

"Sam I am."   -- Sam

Well, I was in the process of trying to figure out what quote I wanted to put on the watercolor for my sister-in-law's birthday present (she previously admired one of my henna-esque watercolors, so that was my plan.  But I couldn't for the life of me figure out what to put on there.  So it's been sitting there for a week.

Then last night she stopped by to make plans for her birthday dinner, and she was admiring the painting of my little dog Dink that I did last week.  She said "I should have you do one of Sam" (her Yorkie pup).  I said she should.  She then went flipping through her phone pics and found one and said "That's cute."  I told her to text it to me.  Well, that was easy.  So I went and got an little 8x10 canvas and a frame for it today and got busy, which is good cause her birthday is Monday (3 days!).  Don't fail me now, Liquin!  Dry fast so I can finish it!

Why on earth did I pick blue for the background?  It's the slowest color to dry and it kept getting mixed into the browns for the dog.  Hopefully it'll look like shadows when subsequent coats are painted over it.  Fingers crossed.

Also, this doesn't look much like Sam yet -- more like a Cairn terrier wearing Donald Trump's toupee -- because I couldn't paint his formidable eyebrows over that blue.  If the timeline is to be kept that must happen tomorrow. 

That Weimaraner gave me fits but as it turns out, fluffy dogs are much more comfortable to paint.  I'll have to paint more of both.  You have one you'd like me to paint?  Check the Commissions page for pricing (which is going up as soon as I get a few more pet/horse portraits under my belt, because they take me a while).  

The Cuteness

"My little dog -- a heartbeat at my feet."  -- Edith Wharton

In case you missed the story about my little Dink, you can check out yesterday's post.    The most important thing to know is, he's adorable.  He knows this and he works on it.

This is just about finished, a little bit of detail and a signature tomorrow.  I'm pretty happy with it, I think I've managed to capture the Dinkness.  Very important for pet portraits.  Here's a comparison with the photo it's painted from (Courtesy of Magic of Memories photography)

Again, if you've got a lil fuzzy (or not fuzzy) who needs to be painted, check the commissions page... this one is 5x7 so would be $60  (these prices are going up soon based on how long it takes me to finish one, so if you want one at this price, grab it soon).

If you dig dog portraits, keep an eye out for G!

D is for Dink. And Dog.

"Petting, scratching and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer."  -- Dean Koontz

Rough first layer

This is Dink.  He's a Yorkie-Sheltie mix (Shelorkie?) that we got when my son was little because his dog, Rascal, was terribly anxious whenever we were gone.  We experimented and found that Rascal did great when there was another dog there, and when we looked in the classifieds, the people who had sold us Rascal had another litter by the same mom.  So they're half brothers.  Fate, right?

There was a litter of something like 5 when we went to see him.  The reason this particular pup came home with us is because he followed the breeder around giving him adoring looks.  I thought, I want a pup to look at me like that.  And he does.  In fact, he has perfected the look.  I mean REALLY perfected it.  I go in the bathroom to take a shower and I put him on the bed, and when I come out I swear he has posed in the absolute cutest position with the cutest eyebrow movements possible so that I will tell him how adorable he is.  He practices cute.

And he is my snuggle pup.  His favorite time, of course, is food time but his second favorite time is bedtime.  Whenever I say "bedtime" he jumps up - hooray! - and runs toward the bedroom.  He loves to snuggle.  And also to bark, and eat, and hump the cat.  But we're talking about his good qualities right now.

Maggie at Magic of Memories Photography took this pic of him a couple of years ago when she was dating my son (she used to call Dink A-Dork-Able, and it fits) and it's probably my favorite picture of him ever.  I haven't painted enough of my own animals, so I'm taking this opportunity to do a Dink portrait.  Portraits of my other animals past and present will follow at some point, cause I want to do a wall of 5x7's. 

Check the Commissions page if you have a fuzzy pup you'd like me to paint.  :)

Betta Splendens

I think I might be done with this.  Maybe.  Why is it so hard to tell?  This has iridescent effects in it that I can't capture in the photo... might try again tomorrow.

This is on 5x7 Aquabord  (I think I like the Aquabord....??), which means, unlike other watercolors, it can be framed without matting and glass.

So, yeah, B is for Betta!  I'm on to D!  Got any guesses?   :D

Back to B

So, it occurred to me that 16x20 is probably a little ambitious for the alphabet project, and while I intend to finish the barrel racer picture, I'd rather do small things for the alphabet paintings so that I can feel like I'm getting somewhere. :) 

And I had to take a break from C, which is actually 7 paintings, because I ran out of panels, so here's B again!  This is watercolor on Aquabord and B is for Betta (Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens).

You might background first, and I really feel like I have no clue what I'm doing, but I suppose we'll see how it comes out and if it doesn't... well, I might try the same thing in oil, or I might just move on to D.  Unless my panels show up tomorrow.

Feeling grouchy.  I want stuff to be instantly amazing.  If you're reading this and you're an artist, please tell me you've had the same issues.  *sigh*

Anyway.  Here's layer 1 on Mr. Fish.

Oh, I almost forgot, I LOVE bettas.  I have one.  His name is Mo.  Get it?  Mo Betta?  I know.