Abstract Mauve 12" x 36"

My 2 new abstracts in situ. I saw this type of setup, black and white cabinets and walls, done by someone else and I loved it. Even though many of my paintings have lots of colour, I'm always a sucker for black and white.

 

Abstract Blue, 24" x 36", acrylic on wide profile canvas, unframed

It was soooo fun to do this one.  Maybe it shows in the painting.

 

 

When you shop at The Naked Leaf, you can choose the label you'd like for your tin of tea leaves.  This year "Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Wilderness" is one of the many labels you could choose.  

🎪🎪🎪🍿🍿🍿🤡🤡🤡🎈🎈🎈

"Under the Big Top" 18" x 24"

 

The person requesting this commission painting wanted, "purples and blues and crisp".  It is certainly that.  There is a heavy nod to k.d. lang in the titling of this one.  While finishing up the painting and listening to music, coincidentally(?) k.d. lang and the Reclines 1987 came on my ipod(!) with "Turn Me round".  The last words are the perfect title. 

"Next Dance is a Circle Square", 18" x 36" 

I'm still sticking with the blues with this one.  Yes, there is an X, but there is also a square somewhere in all those circles.

"My Ex", 16" x 16", acrylic on wide profile canvas (black edges), unframed

This is one of my favorites.  I love BAH-LUU so all the blue in this piece is very calming and happy at the same time.

"Take My Hand", 30" x 10", acrylic on wide profile canvas. 

"It All Depends 2", 18" x 36", acrylic on wide profile canvas

OR it could be titled "We're All In This Together".  Hmmmm.  Where have I heard that before?

 

There's a new art genre in town!  I 've christened it Whimsical Abstract.  It's maybe a little Dr. Seuss-y.

"It All Depends 1", 24" x 36", acrylic on wide profile canvas
 

 

Flowers or blobs?  A vase or stems?  It's whatever you want it to be.

"Splash and Spray", 30" x 30", acrylic on wide profile canvas

There's not a lot  of detail here, but most people instantly see tulips.  The pink and green colour combo has been around for ages.  I've always loved it, but never really used it because of people's perception of pink being too "feminine" for them.  Thankfully, we are moving away from that perception and we see pink in home decoration AND in clothing because everybody looks good in pink!  A very flattering colour.

12x36 on wide profile canvas, unframed

 

Every day I enjoy looking at this teensy little vase I bought from Mud, Sweat and Tears http://mudsweatandtears.ca/ .  They are doing their best during covid and I was one of the lucky ones to  find them near Sorrento, BC at their studio when it was open this summer.  Go to their website to see more "crystalline glazed" pottery.  There are some BIG vases which are beautiful.  But I'm a little partial to the mini version I see everyday in my office.

Hot summer daisies.

Smiley face, smiley face, smiley face, smiley face

       🙂               🙂               🙂               🙂

9x12 acrylic on unframed canvas

10x8 acrylic on recessed panel board with black edging.

It's summer in 2020 and I need some vivid colour and fun to nudge away the covid blues.  Yes, there is some blue in this small painting, but it offsets the yellow fantastically!  It's very contemporary, a little bit abstract, but you know what it is. 
9x12 acrylic on canvas, unframed

Sooo...It's been a while.  Two years actually.  But, I'm back, so let's see what happens. 
I've tried to take all painting pressures off - the real ones, but mostly the ones in my busy head.
I love this 30"x30" painting of yellow tulips.  I used a huge brush and tried to keep most of the brushstrokes visible.  It looks like a simple painting, but those big brush strokes make it interesting.  Very fresh and contemporary I think.
The background appears black in the photo, but it's really a very, very dark blue - classy!

Olive Garden

These bales of hay look a wee bit like very large olives.  OK.  Let's go with that.
"Olive Garden"
20x24
acrylic on wide profile canvas, unframed
$675 (+ shipping)

Polka Dot Mirror

In continuing to de-traditionalize my too traditional house, I tackled a small alcove in my dining room.
Step 1:  Bought a $50 mirror from Home Sense.
Step 2:  Taped then painted black the white edges and small edge around the perimeter & then dragged a jagged tool through the paint while it was still wet to break up the black.
Step 3:  Used various sizes of circle & line stencils cut from cereal box cardboard & a stencil brush to paint on polk dots & stripes.
Step 4:  Varnish in gloss (yet to be done)

I forgot to take a photo of the original white mirror before I started.  In this photo the sides and small edge around the perimeter are already painted black & some of the polka dots have been painted.

The light white is the original colour of the mirror.

The painted black edge of the originally white mirror.

Close up of the stenciled polka dots.

De-traditionalization of this nook is complete!

Line of Royalty

My living room is too traditional.  It doesn't reflect who I am.  So I bought a new couch and some other stuff, painted the walls and then painted these 3 "Line of Royalty" members to untraditionalize the place.  Detraditionalize?  They hang right next to more traditional artwork . Whimsical paintings to the rescue.

15 1/2" x 19" framed to 20 1/2" x 28 1/2"
acrylic & silver, gold or copper leaf

Which Came 1st?

Which came 1st?  The "Tobogganeer" family or the real family?  A client's family in Ontario decided to re-create a commissioned piece received by the mom for Christmas this year.  What a great idea!  Brilliant!

5x7 matted to 8x10
ink and watercolour on watercolour paper

Freewheelin' Poetry

OK, so this is adorable.  Thank you to my friend Esther Sinasac for taking inspiration from my artwork.  Maybe I will now take inspiration from her poetry!

THE FREEWHEELERS by Esther Sinasac
(based on the artwork of Connie Christensen)

Wheelin’ it down the street on my bike

Free as a bird, my wheels take me by

The white picket fences and perfect green lawns

Come along with me! Oh do come along.

Ride in my little red wagon

Come one, come all

Who will ride in my little red wagon?

Behind these wheels, who will I haul?

A camel with lips on whose head rests a crown

A beaver and a moose, singing True North songs

The Mounties stand guard

The wedding preparations full speed ahead

The cupcakes are made

The baker is delivering before heading to bed

To a party we are going

Bring the wine, cheese and your babe!

Bring your prettiest flamingo

And your fanciest giraffe

A bouquet of flowers

But please make me laugh

The party critters arrive with glitter to spare

The butterflies follow the princess heading to the fair

Take me riding down highways

Through deserts and past twinkling lagoons

Up mountains and fishing, be it midnight or high noon

The wheels on my bike spin round and round

I hope one day to be freewheelin’ through your fine town.

Yes Virginia, Camels Do Have Lips
8x10 matted to 11x14
ink & water colour on water colour paper
$125 Cdn (+ shipping)

Scoundrels!

These 'Freewheelers' are a little bit, um. . . scruffier than my usual rather innocent cyclists.  These guys have more than a few rough edges after being out on the town.  Maybe the cigar was too much?

'Midnight Marauders'
ink & water colour on paper
8x10 matted to 11x14
$125 CDN (+ shipping)

More Greeting Cards

The 1st run of greeting cards has almost sold out so I'm now offering cards from the 2nd run.  They are of the same subjects, but have a bit more 'embellishment'  meaning, they have borders.

5x7 with envelopes
$5 each or 4 for $18 Cdn (+ shipping)

Over Hill and Bale

Another fun landscape.  Marshmallows?  Nope, white plastic wrapped bales waiting to be picked up. 

"Over Hill and Bale"
20x10
acrylic on birch board, unframed
$280 CDN (+ shipping)

Christmas Cards

So a moose, a bear, a beaver and a snowman were tobogganing down a hill. . .

These snowmen are like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz - no brains.  Sure they have the perfect multi marshmallow roasters, but that's not all that's going to get roasted.

I have brand new greeting cards available now.  Just contact me.

5x7 card with envelope

$5 each or 5 for $20 Cdn. (+ shipping)

I Get It!

I get it.  I really do!  After all, I'm in the same boat.  Art buyers have to make choices.  Sometimes decisions between paying the same price for a necessity and a piece of art they really love.  Lot's of people love art, but it's just not a necessity to them.  So that's why I am always so grateful, honoured & tickled pink when someone chooses to put their hard earned  money towards purchasing a piece of art I have made.  You know who you are out there.  Thanks so much!

Men's dress shirt by Ted Baker
"exuberant shirting with geometric florals, long sleeves, button cuffs, cotton, machine wash, imported"
$125 CDN (+ shipping) at Hudson's Bay

''Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Wilderness"
ink & watercolour on watercolour paper
8x10 matted to 11x14
should never be washed (or dry cleaned for that matter), domestic
$125 CDN (+ shipping)

Larger Sized Freewheelers

Here's a custom "Freewheeler" made in the new larger size 8x10 matted to 11x14.  The bigger size painting allows for more personal stuff to be included.  The buyer of this one gave it to her husband for his 60th birthday.  Looks like he is a rather active kind of guy.

ink & watercolour on watercolour paper

"Hay Fever"

"Hay Fever"
20x10
acrylic on birch board
$290 (+ GST)

SOLD to an art lover in Ontario

"The Buoy's Place"

5x7 matted to 8x10

ink & water colour

SOLD 

see my etsy shop for more

"Moon Over Condo"

While I was rummaging through my handed down grandmother's cedar chest looking for something else, I stumbled across this. I made it many, many years ago in my dad's shop/garage/barn from scrap pieces of wood and metal. It's early evidence of creativity.  

I remember I was just gluing pieces of wood together and voila! A primitive sculpture.

"Moon Over Condo"
approximately 4" x 4"
$ - priceless

DIY Tote Bag

I purchased this tree leather tote bag from Lee Valley, a great Canadian company.  The description says it can be painted, so I did!