This New Year...

... is so welcomed! Last year wasn't great for me physically or mentally. I lost a lot of people that I love. So I'm glad to let last year go. I can feel it, this year is gonna be great! I'm ready to get back to work! After a long recouperation, it feels so good to be able to sit, lift my arm (for hours) and paint.  Every morning before my feet hit the floor I praise God.  It's been a year & 1/2 since I re-injured my back. Not only did I suffer from so much pain, my painting also suffered, and this blog, not to mention my housework, however, there was enormous good that came from this terrible time, so God is really great.  It's like waking up from a fog.

I finished a portrait commission early in December, then had fun with the Freeform figures, did some collage, and while my creative juices were flowing I came up with my next series.  I didn't have anything new last year at all.  I mostly painted commissioned pieces & sold a lot of prints, & things on Zazzle, which I was so grateful for.   If I went in the studio to paint it would be for very short periods of time. Now I'm losing track of time in there! I can paint for hours! It's wonderful!

My new series is Big Bears, Big Circus Bears! I have been having so much fun drawing them in different scenarios.  I painted a ballerina bear for my niece several years ago.  I love bears. I have a few black bears in my kitchen.  I started drawing them and couldn't stop.  I have 30 so far but can think of some more.   I want them to look old timey, so back to my roots & hand me the antique solution.  Oh man do I get nervous to antique a piece.  I am always afraid I am going to ruin the painting which looks perfectly fine. I have 2 paintings on canvas done & they are antiqued.  I was thinking I really should have had them scanned first for the sake of prints before I antiqued them.  Oh well it is what it is.  First I drew them out... (example using "The Tourist")

then I painted them on paper...

then I painted them on canvas...

"The Tourist"

I love the paintings in ovals and on paper. I love painting on paper. What do you do with all the trail pieces, or practice pieces? I'd like to hear from you Artist out there. I would like to learn to digitize these bears for the embroidery sewing machine.  I am still trying to figure out how to incorporate my art & sewing together which would = Utopia.