Leonore Carrington is dead

She was just 20 years old when she eloped to Paris with Max Ernst, who left a wife for her. The following year, 1937, the Nazi's arrested Max. Fearing for her life, Leonora escaped France to Spain, but then she suffered several mental breakdowns and medically administered experimental drug horrors. Max eventually escaped the Nazi's with the help of Peggy Guggenheim (whom he then married).
Leonora was an accomplished surrealist painter. This painting is a parody of a portrait by Leonora of her Max. I like it for many reasons. When I painted it, I had no idea Leonora was dead.

irish soda bread and potato soup

Yesterday was a good day to gather and bake. I think, as a group of women, we raised each other's dopamine levels. Lots of laughter and dopey moments, for sure!!!!
Along with the Whole Wheat Soda bread I was able to wip up a great pot of potato sausage soup.
4 potatoes peeled and diced
1 onion chopped and sauteed in oil
3 minced cloves garlic (because I put garlic in everything)
Chicken broth (I had some in freezer from past)
1 Hickory Farms' beef summer sausage, chopped
Simmer for an hour, and then run one half through blender to create a nice thickness. add pepper. Perfect! Serves 4.

Persephone's bath and Proserpina's garden

Enjoying the flowers of my lover.
Two paintings- one 16 x 6 inches and the other 12 x 10.25 inches

mythologies are moving me

I just love the stories.
here is Phoenix rising from my head. Might not be done...
KEEPS CHANGING

Penny dreadfuls

Esther Howland of Worcester Mass is often credited with starting the commercial business of "penny dreadfuls" in 1847. By organizing workshops of women friends to each add their touch, to hand assemble, and mass produce a Victorian card, Howland created a cruel craze of sarcastic and insulting cards. These were seen as a response to the stuffy morality of the Victorian era. In spite of selling her valentines for one penny each, Ester Howland became a very rich woman!
Way to go Esther! She is one of my heroes.

Money Obsession and current woes

The peasant woman in Breugal's harvest painting

2011 calendars

The dailypainters.com national group have created several beautiful themed calendars for next year. A painting of mine is featured in three of them! I have my Nest Hair lady in the Figurative calendar, a chicken crossing the road in the Bird paintings calendar, and Shaker bed painting in the Still Life Painting calendar. Some of the money goes to charity. Most goes to spreading the word about daily painters. So your purchase helps a lot of people. Please consider it. Thanks.

I didn't want to get out of bed

In the fiction of my painted stories, I create lurid and exploitative tales featuring myself as heroic character.

In that vein, the bed is a place to safely destroy the past, mourn it with the salt of tears, nest until blue and broody, and then create new relationships...
How fantastic is that?

I think she is finished...

having conquered the stag. No idea what to call this painting. Taking suggestions.

some words...

There is this wonderful Los Angeles times newspaper headline: "And who is she this time?"

Before words...

Because the internet was down I didn't get sucked into my emails and I was able to paint first thing in the morning... painted from 7 a.m. to 1:30 pm!

Deer Diary

Still confused... the idea for this painting is so illusive now... when I try to pin it down it moves away from me. Constantly I have to ask myself , "what am I trying to share?" It's intensely personal...A recurrent yet fleeting dream. Mostly when I see the stag he is behind me, in the corner of my eye. So to look at him head on is a bit strange. Not sure I want it so visible... is that better? Turning the stag into a couch?

a new painting

is in the works. You can see the stumbling and the inspiration. Still have layers of maps to add. After all she looks a little lost.

Marching Through

Bad TV

Been married now 24 years! My husband moved out 11 months ago but is not agreeing to the separation. It's what my friend calls, "bad tv". Script goes something like this:
A:How much will you pay me to never see me again?
B:(Sigh)How much do you need?
A:What?
B:What is it you truly want?
A:How about everything you've got?

Flowers in memory

After making it through the winter I was surprised by the sadness that spring brought when I smelled the flowers I had planted for my husband. This is a large painting with maps and layers... acrylic on wood, 24 x 32 inches

I think she is done

It was so easy. I do not have a title for her...
any ideas?

Filling in the landscape

Home... grows on you

work in process...
Here are three things not even close to being done. I love the studio when the paint is wet and projects line up.

What is she looking at?

Pencil and charcoal on newsprint paper.