she carried with her the sea

8 by 10 inch original oil painting on one inch deep birch panel.
Framed in a custom made dark stained wood frame.
See one of the frames here:
http://thisisalliknow.bigcartel.com/product/her-secrets-were-beautiful
$800.

The problem with the format of my blog - post a painting and something about how it was done or what it's all about  - and the order in which I post all my work on line - flickr, my shop, twitter, very occasionally on my neglected facebook page and then eventually here - is that when I finish a piece if I don't come up with something to say about it fairly quickly it often sells and then I've moved on to the next piece without ever getting around to showing it here.  So while I currently can not think of anything to write about this piece I'm just going to go ahead and share it anyway so that I get a chance to and so that I get something posted here at least once a month, which is nowhere near as often as I'd like to post but at least it's something.

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I have new paintings, block portraits and prints in my shop as well as new paintings available through Sebastian Foster.

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If you are in the San Francisco area I now have some of my prints available at press: works on paper.

they took with them all that mattered and lit fires to remember their way home

"they took with them all that mattered and lit fires to remember their way home"
original oil painting on birch panel
14 by 18 inches
$1800.

I don't usually have quite as clear of a final painting in mind when starting paintings of this size and larger so it's not really the best example of how I work, generally quite a bit more things come and go in the composition, but I still thought it would be fun to share.

she always saw beauty
signed limited edition print of original oil painting
image size 8 inches square with a one inch border
$45.

I've added two new prints to my shops, the image above and "the flowers she carried reminder her of the places she'd left behind".

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After way too long I've updated my website with new images and a page about commissioning a custom piece.

she taught her children the language of the seas and the skies, the animals and the flowers

original oil painting on wood
eleven by fourteen inches
$1600.

Just realized I never posted this painting that I finished a few months ago.


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I've added custom blocks back to both my shops.
http://thisisalliknow.bigcartel.com/category/custom-paintings
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thisisalliknow?section_id=6728943
As always if you are interested in larger custom work just send me an email and I'd be happy to fill you in on how it works.

they built a life out of hope and flowers

original oil painting on birch panel
14 inches square
$1500

 I've been playing with idea of how to paint thoughts and time for a bit now and suddenly it seems to be my main theme when I look around my studio at the work I have in process.  This painting started with a drawing from my (too big for me to complete) project I tried last year and with many many sketches and tossed out ideas came to this image.  The people are wearing clothes of light, air, life, water and earth (there's a very small fifth figure in the garden). If just felt right that anyone who could build a home of hope would wear clothes of made much more that just cloth.

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As I have been for some time now I'm one of the artists participating in the wonderful Enormous Tiny Art Show at the Nahcotta Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and as always my work for the show is available online.

mitzi

original oil painting on wood block
approximately 4.5 by 3.5 inches
$120.

After a lot of time spent packing, a wonderful cross country drive and a bit of time to settle in I've made it to my new home in Madison, Wisconsin and back to work.  I'm starting my jump back in to business with adding a selection of ten new portrait blocks to my shop.  If you'd like email updates when new items are added to my shop just click here, thanks.

he would always be close to her

original oil painting on birch panel
10 inches square
sold

The last in my series of superstition paintings (for right now).  Hair knit into clothing will make a stronger connection between the knitter and the wearer and for sailors the hair will remind them of home.

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I've been a bit behind when it comes to some things as of late.  I'm busy preparing for summer shows and I still have Frances at home with my full time and now I'm packing up for a huge move.  This August my family and I will be leaving our beloved Portland, Oregon for Madison, Wisconsin.  My husband will be returning to school and we're all pretty excited about the move - although I do fear the cold.


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I've had quite a few people ask about commissions lately - I removed them from my shop because I just don't the time right now but will be adding them back as soon as I'm able - at the earliest October.  I'll be sure to post here when I have the time to work on them again.

Ivy and Parker drifted through black seas with only candlelight to guide them

original oil painting on wood
six inches square
$400.

This piece is one of several new smaller originals available through Sebastian Foster gallery.  

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Since I last posted I have quite a few new original oils, acrylics and portrait blocks in my shop.

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I'm currently preparing for July shows:

Cherry Creek Arts Festival
Denver, CO
July 2, 3 and 4

Salem Art Fair and Festival
Salem, OR
July 15, 16 and 17

Bellevue Arts Museum Arts Fair
Bellevue, WA
July 29, 30 and 31

in hope of changing their fate

original oil painting on wood
36 inches square
sold

sometimes it's rather difficult to decide what to say about a painting when i post it here, how to sum it up in a few sentences.  i could easily provide a list of the meaning of every detail but i don't want to kill the mystery.  i worked on this piece off and on for two years - the lists of possible characters and stacks of books with marked pages can all finally be put away - and last night i decided on the title and now it's all done and just explaining it all away seems rather anticlimactic.  so i'll say this - often the most difficult part of painting is knowing when to stop but then there's also the moment when it all suddenly comes together and you know one brush stroke more would be too much and that's what happened here and that moment is wonderful and i hope that feeling comes through in the finished piece.

there's my sappy blog post for the month.

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i added another original to the shop (i'll feature it here later) "she taught her children the language of the seas and the skies, the animals and the flowers"  it's another piece i worked on for a year before it finally came together and i'm pretty in love with it.

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i have several new prints in my shop and one more to come - tomorrow maybe?

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and one last bit of news - i'll be at the best of the northwest show at magnuson park, seattle.  do stop by and say hi if you're in the area.

she longed for visions of love

8 inches square
original oil painting on birch panel
sold
burning letters to see visions of her true love in the smoke

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i have one new print in my shop - every night she sent out messages and waited for an answer

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i have a few more little block paintings in my shop.  you can read a little bit about some of them in a recent feature on the my love for you... blog

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to my readers in japan - i hope you and your families are safe, take care.