I’m Back.

Hi all y’all!

I haven’t painted much lately. I have been working in the yard and out in the workshop. I have been learning stained glass. Mostly by YouTube videos and trial and error. Sometimes I phone a friend. There is definitely a learning curve. Also, if you are considering making stained glass, it is expensive, especially to start up. The learning has mostly been OK. I can see the light at the end of the journey. I feel, just like painting, it comes down to the hours of practice.

With my first piece I bought a pattern on Etsy. I wanted to learn circles and have it look mid century to go with my living room. The edges are tinned.

My second piece is part of my painting, Heading North. I made the pattern. It got a little wonky, but I persevered. I put a zinc frame on this one.

I bought a pattern for my next piece. It is going to be a crow. I am using the small bits that are cut off to make a mosaic along the side of my porch. Because I have a contrary neighbor, I am going to mosaic some stealth protection symbols along the side of the porch. It makes me feel like I am addressing the problem without addressing the problem. lol

I am painting again. I am totally in love with the painting currently on my easel. I am toying with the idea of only selling originals and giving up the print business.

Nova Colors

Anyway, that’s what’s going on over here right now. I feel like Nero fiddling while Rome burned. Boy the world feels small. I also feel hopeful for the future.

Remember to vote like your life depends on it. Somebody’s does.

Gator Girl

Taking Up Space

Hi all y’all!

I am excited about this painting. I feel like it is gorgeous in the way The Kiss is gorgeous. I have carried this frame all around the country for more than 20 years. I think my mom picked it up in an estate sale. It seems very old.

One of the reasons that the painting turned out well is because I planned the painting. I know, wild, right?

I chose thin plywood, painted on 2 coats of black gesso, then marked the solder lines with chalk. I think this preplanning is key to the painting’s success.

The second reason I believe it turned out well is some kind of painting magic. I have had this painting in my head for a while. I knew I wanted her arms and hands out stretched. I wanted her strong with a few visible muscles and not super thin. The colors were important.

The magic part seemed to happen with the colors in her tail. They kind of painted themselves. I like how her hair floats with a tiny suggestion of light and a few bubbles.

Well, that is a lot of description.

Not the best photographs, but trust me.

I put words on the painting under her outstretched arms, “Take Up Space”. It’s a message to women who were never taught that it is OK to take up space. It is necessary to consciously think about this if it seems hard to do. Do you step to the side when people pass you on the sidewalk or is it mutual respect? Do you become small in a group?

This painting was fun. I have loved this frame for quite a while.

Take care. Remember to vote.

Gator Girl

Take My Picture!

Hi all y’all!

I was going to paint Maw Maw Gator years ago. Then, Paw Paw Gator went to my brother. He had an uncanny ability to recognize family in my paintings.

This is Paw Paw. That’s Southern for grandpa.

Since Paw Paw was in the wind, Maw Maw was placed on hold. Also, the matriarch didn’t have to be complimentary to Paw Paw hanging on the wall.

Maw Maw is a little more flamboyant In contrast to Paw Paw’s Southern sensibilities.

(Kate for comparison. But don’t.)

I call this “Take My Picture”. She is wearing a knock off dress and hat that she saw Princess Kate wearing. It’s not fair to ask, “Who wore it better”, because Maw Maw’s is a copy. Her pearls are imitation. You can ask, “Who is more excited to show it off”. Valid question. Maw Maw has genuine pearls, but she thought these over-sized plastic pearls would be more fun. They are the kind you can pop together and pull apart. Remember those plastic wigs that kids had in the 1960’s? Forgive me. I digress.

These are the wigs I had. It would be a great memory, except that I have always had a gigantic head and they squeezed.

Trying to live with this insanely hot weather.

Concerned for the planet.

Love to all y’all.

Gator Girl

Nutria, a swamp rat

Hi all y’all!

I was planning to paint a series of animals wearing glasses. I ended up liking the nutria without glasses. I feel like his orange teeth are enough. Also, he has too many problems to also deal with glasses.

Nutria are native to South America. They were sent to Louisiana (and lots of other places) as a way to monetize their pelts. As with other get rich schemes, people gave up on their nutria dream and released them into the bayous and swamps. Now they are an invasive species destroying our wetlands. If you kill a nutria (people like to say harvest) in Louisiana, you can get $6 for his tail. It is always open season. If you want to take a deep dive, there is lots of information about nutrias.

Here is a link to a short video.

I recommend the video, especially if you don’t have dinner plans.

I don’t know if any nutria have had a chance to eat watermelon, but I am sure they would like it. If I saw a nutria and had watermelon with me, I would definitely share.

Their teeth are orange because of a high concentration of iron in their tooth enamel.

Nutria Hat

Nutria Fur Fedora Hat for Sale in Brown

Stay cool,

Gator Girl

Maharaja Booker

Hi all y’all!

The last (for a while) Winny the Boxer painting is finished. After the six paintings are photographed, I am putting them in an old 6 pane window that we took out of our house. I don’t have anywhere to hang the window in our house right now, so if you have been looking into ordering a large painting, hit me up.

Just like the other 5 paintings, she is painted on canvas paper and glued onto the background. I downloaded the background from Canva using their free service. I have to change the quality of the print in Photoshop because it is the free version on Canva. It is a fun program. If I were doing more of this style, I would definitely subscribe.

Have a great rest of your day!

Gator Girl

2 More Winifreds

Hi all y’all!

We have been driving the US for a month, and I am home now. I guess I needed a lot of visual stimuli to feel like creating again. I have had a productive week of Winny art.

Amish Winny

I am doing a series of Boxers with photographs as part of the background. I love the look of the combined media. I am going to incorporate my own photos into my art in the near future. I am excited about it.

Mademoiselle Winny

I am pretty happy with the way her beret looks like cashmere.

One more Winny to go. I think it might be Whistler’s Boxer.

Love. best wishes, and believe in climate change,

Gator Girl

Frida the Boxer

Hi all y’all!

I hope this blog finds you well. Today I am sharing number 3 out of 6 versions of Winny the Boxer. This is Frida.

Have a fabulous and whimsical day!

Gator Girl

Speakeasy Winny

Hi all y’all!

I think that I finished Speakeasy Winny. I won’t sell prints because I don’t have the rights to use the photo of the bartender. It was featured in The New Yorker, taken by Matthias Clamer, who seems quite famous.

I printed the background on Strathmore Canvas Paper. I painted Winny on a separate sheet of canvas paper. I cut out Winny and glued her to the surface. I’ve always liked photographs paired with paintings. The first time I saw this was 30 years ago in Perche No! in Chico, California. Sisko (David Sisk) was having a show. He sometimes used a photo as a billboard and painted the background or vice versa. I vividly remember showing my girls the paintings and talking about them. I think they were 2 and 4.

Speakeasy Winny is #2 of 6 paintings.

Singing those summertime blues,

Gator Girl Art

Not Going to Reverse Paint After All

Long story short, I could never paint well enough to be happy with my work by painting in reverse on glass. Reverse and glass are two words you won’t hear me say again.

This is my latest and last attempt.

I decided to do mixed media on canvas paper, then put it behind the glass. I am still doing 6 versions of Winny.

This is Boxer in Pearl Earring. What you see at the top is my latest attempt at crackling the background like an old Vermeer. Paint a coat of white glue, any brand, and while it is tacky, paint over it with paint. When it dries, it looks crackled, but mostly in one direction no mater how I paint the undercoat. I say good enough. This is my plan for the background.

I was thinking of an over-all name for the piece. Maybe Tiny Boxer like the Tiny Dancer song. Maybe she will be wearing Elton John sunglasses. The words for the song fit her perfectly.

     Hold me closer, tiny boxer
     Count the headlights on the highway (like on a road trip)
     Lay me down in sheets of linen (in our bed)
     You had a busy day today (watching walkers by)

That's all for now. I have a way forward that I am happy with. 
May I wish that for you. 

Gator Girl

Reverse Painting on Glass

Hi all y’all!

This one small plane of glass might be 2 blogs. It is interesting to try to figure this method out. Reverse Glass Painting has been used all over the world since the 1500’s. I fell into it because we replaced a 6 pane window with a door in the back of our house.

The painting has to be well thought out. I immediately did not think this through. I just figured I could learn as I go. I sort of can, but the first thing I had to learn was how to take the paint off.

This is the prototype. It’s called Boxer with Pearl Earring. I put this collage behind the glass panel. The tricky part is painting in reverse. If I make a mistake, I have to take the paint off down to the glass. It is important to look at the back of the glass often. That is cumbersome if you have a heavy, old 6 pane window. The first time I forgot her pupils.

The following image is the side of the glass that I am painting. I tried putting glass beads in the black paint to make it look crackled like an old painting. That didn’t work. I need to order some stuff called Crackle from Blick. This attempt is sort of basic, but not too bad. Just wait…

This is the viewing side. I put on so much paint to make it opaque.

This is where I am now.

I took off the most offensive paint with nail polish remover. I learned this handy information from a YouTube educator. Kayla Bame The entire research I did was watching this young woman’s video; 7 things to know about Reversed Glass Painting.

I am ordering Crackle. And I am trying to not start all the way over. Stay tuned.

XOXO, Gator Girl