Tracie Thompson, Artist

Winter Squares, 3/4 Done

2012-01-30T16:29:00.004-06:00

Preliminary photo of the third of four salvaged-wood pieces (you may recall the little tree and the narcissus bulb from last week?). The fourth one is drawn, too, but ... I can't find it. Stop laughing; these things are small! 4.5 x 4.75".

Micron pen, wax medium, oil paint, Prismacolor pencil. I'm really having fun with them and I think it shows. The title of the set of four may or may not be As the Crow Flies.

Derek Davis sketched me

2012-01-26T11:14:00.004-06:00

This was back in July, when I was working on a set of three oil paintings, on commission. Derek joined me, since I was working outdoors at Battle Creek Park, and he broke out the sketch book and watercolor kit and caught me in action. I love the result so much. It looks so fresh and cool, in stark contrast to the brutal heat of that late afternoon. I'd have just about killed for an ice cold beer.

It seems pretty common for artists to sketch each other at work. I do it, and so do many other artists I know.

Derek's main focus is landscape painting in oil, and he's really, really good, and he teaches. Look him up here, or sign up for one of his classes at Old Town Artists where we are both members.

In progress today: Winter Squares

2012-01-25T11:25:00.000-06:00

Well, more like winter-hinting-at-spring, as it turns out; this happened mostly because I like color and wasn't content to leave these little things without any. They've developed in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, starting with the whim of drawing the little tree on wood with a Micron pen, knowing I couldn't erase and having to be okay with that. It went well, so then I added the coat of wax medium and a bit of oil paint; when that worked out, I took a couple Prismacolor pencils and drew into the wax. Liking that, I repeated the process with the narcissus bulb (which I probably ought to plant, now that it has served its intended art-modeling purpose).

These are not fully finished, though I'd say they're almost there.

Oh, and they are little. 4.5 x 4.75" -- almost square, salvaged from a pile of discarded scraps at the ACVR Warehouse a few months back. I have two more of the same size, so I will have a set of four of them in the next few days.

Lovely Hannah

2012-01-19T15:28:00.002-06:00

Here's the finished piece that you saw in progress last night. What's new: additional carbon pencil (black) shading and details, and layers of cream-colored chalk, terra-cotta colored pastel pencil, white pastel pencil, and touches of white pastel.

Hannah has such a soft, sweet face. She required a lot of time and care, and was worth every moment.

At 14 x 11" unmatted, this is considerably larger than most of my portrait drawings and takes -- strange though it may seem -- about three times longer than the standard 8 x 10" size that most clients want. This size and technique is priced at $179.

Making a Dog Portrait Drawing

2012-01-18T20:40:00.000-06:00

Here's what's on the easel right now. Hannah, a lovely German Shepherd Dog. She is IN PROGRESS, here -- not finished, and in fact no longer looks quite like the photo below:

Hannah in progress. 14 x 11" mixed media on paper.

This photo was done after I added watercolor washes to much of Hannah's fur. I've already gone back in with my pencils and given a lot more depth and detail to the right side of her ear-base and face (the left side of the picture). But the sun has gone down and I don't like to take photos at night, for reasons you'll see in a moment.

Above, the pre-watercolor stage. At this point what I had was her basic form and some of the darkest dark areas, drawn in with a Wolff's Carbon Pencil (my favorite for detailed black line and shading).

Below, an earlier shot, done at night with a flash. THIS is why I hate taking photos at night, and incidentally, why I try to get my clients to photograph their animals in daylight and without a flash. It's the harsh light from the flash that turns everything icy blue.

Lousy color notwithstanding, if you click this photo to zoom in on it, you'll see what I was up to in the very beginning stages of this drawing. I had worked out the proportions of my image, and printed it at 9 x 7" so that I could translate it easily to 14 x 11" in the drawing. The lines I drew on the print are grid lines which I replicated, to scale (and very lightly) on my drawing paper. The grid is a centuries-old artist tool for ensuring accurate proportions, and while I don't always use it, it can really help reduce the time I spend correcting and re-correcting.

You can also see two other lines if you look closely. One goes from the left to right ear-tips, and the other down the middle of the head in front. Those are directional lines I sketch in to ensure that I'm seeing the correct angle of the head and that my ears aren't wandering off from where they ought to be. It's so easy to get caught up in the intricate details of eyes and ears, and miss seeing (until later) that their size or placement is wrong!

Hellooooo, Blue Moon!

2012-01-18T12:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, the cat is unrelated (except that I like him), but I have news!

Back in mid-November I got a call from a marketing firm in Colorado, looking for artists to be part of a community campaign for Blue Moon Beer. This was exciting for many reasons, one of which is that Blue Moon has been a favorite of mine for years. But it was hardly a done deal; I still had to audition, as it were.

And then, as one might expect, I had to wait and see. Well, the waiting is over:

I'M ON THE BLUE MOON TEAM!

I'll update with more info when I have it, but essentially what this means is, I'll be at local events at local establishments, helping regular folks paint a large and very cool Blue Moon painting which will stay in that bar once the event is over. I love to teach, love to talk to people, and have found beer to be a wonderful means of getting folks past their fear of picking up a paintbrush, so I think this is going to be really, really fun.

They're flying me to Denver next month for a day of training. I can't wait. When we start to schedule actual events, I'll post them here, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Playing with Zug the Cat

2012-01-16T15:37:00.000-06:00

Let's Play (Portrait of Zug), watercolor and pastel on paper, about 12 x 14"

This is the second of what will be three drawings of Zug. Most animals I draw or paint, their characters and images come pretty easily. A few are much, much more challenging, for reasons I've never really understood; Zug -- a brilliant prankster by all accounts -- is one of those. He seems to need a much more vivid, bold treatment, so I broke out the pastels and struggled with "working" on him until I got so frustrated I didn't care if "work" turned to "goof around and see what happens."

That was when it all started going right.

So I like this one, and yet I have an idea, or a feeling, in my mind, and I am going to make a third drawing although Zug's person has not asked me to. Just because of an artistic instinct or impulse: I'm getting some darker paper today, and I am going to play again with Zug as soon as I can; probably tomorrow in the studio.

Bailey the Golden Retriever

2012-01-12T18:06:00.001-06:00

Portrait of Bailey, 8 x 10", carbon pencil, pastel pencils, watercolor and pastel on cotton rag paper.

This was a piece I did for a benefit auction. More precisely -- I put a gift certificate in the auction, good for one portrait drawing of the animal of the winning bidder's choice. Bailey's owner won the item and mailed me a few snapshots, and I chose this one, with the sunlight falling so nicely on his golden-cream coat.

New Crow Series piece

2012-01-10T13:41:00.002-06:00

She Followed Me Home, oil paint, wax medium, found wood and metal; 12.5 x 18"

Dedicated to the crow who started it all by following me, scolding all the way, for more than half a mile.

This piece and several others in my series of salvaged-material Crows and other birds will be on display at Frameworks Gallery in St. Paul starting Jan. 14.

Happy Monday, with Old Lilies

2012-01-09T11:14:00.000-06:00

Gallery Lilies, 8 x 11" Conte crayon on brown paper, 2009

Well, "old" as in, I drew them a couple years ago while gallery-sitting at Robbin Gallery, and then posted and promptly forgot about them, though they're still in my sketch book.

This morning I got an email from a large publishing house in the UK, asking permission to use the drawing in an upcoming book on drawing skills and materials, for the chapter that includes Conte crayons. Checked out the contents of the book and looked up the publisher and author; I found everything solid, and said yes. The publishing house owns several imprints I know from the days when I worked at Barnes & Noble. Nice, nice company. Note that this is TENTATIVE at present as the project is still in progress and it's not certain my image will be used. Still an honor to be asked. Provided all goes forward as planned, I'll post again when the book is released.

The drawing is still available at $40 unmatted or $55 with a museum-quality 11 x 14" mat.

Animal Photography for the Rest of Us

2012-01-06T18:49:00.000-06:00

Maggie the Greyhound, 12 x 9" oil on canvas. This is based on a small snapshot, the best photo the owners had. Maggie died a few years ago, so what I had to work with was, well, what I had to work with.

I create paintings of deceased animals pretty often, and this frequently means reconstructing portraits out of photos in which the animal's face is tiny, poorly lit, or not in focus very well; it's a difficult process of artistic instinct and guesswork, and usually involves searching for images of similar-looking animals to help me make the best decisions I can.

While it's true I can craft a surprisingly good painting from some very poor photos, there are two problems with this. First, it's much harder than it would be if the photos were better; second, not everyone can hire me. And it's just nice in general to have more good photos of your furry companions. I take shots of my own for use in making portraits, and I've learned that you need not be a pro to do pretty well. So here are my ...

Top Three Tips for Amateur Animal Photos

1. Turn your flash OFF and photograph in daylight. A bright window is good, or outdoors pretty much anywhere (you may want to avoid full midday sun, though, and use shade or morning/evening sunlight). Flash photos make animals look unnatural, causing eyes to reflect and coat colors to look harsh and cold.

2. Get close enough to see details. It often helps if you get on the animal's eye level instead of your own.

3. Take lots and lots of shots. If you're using a digital camera, why not just have fun? You're not wasting film, and good photos of animals are often the product of sheer luck, having snapped the shutter at what turned out to be just the right moment.

Winter pond and a watercolor goldfish

2012-01-06T11:05:00.001-06:00

Winter Pond, above. Tiny watercolor and pen, just 5" x 3", from yesterday's stroll in Minnetonka near the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. The Fat Fantail, below, is 3.5" x 5", from a few weeks ago at JA Geiger Studio in St. Paul.

Currently in progress:

two dog portrait drawings, one cat in pastels, and sketches for three mural clients.

Oh, and a multi-artist show at Frameworks on Ford Parkway.

And Art Crawl is coming up! And I have classes to teach!

What ever happened to that stereotype in which les artistes hang around in cafes being languorous and cool? Where's my nifty beret and my glass of absinthe? Where, I ask you?

Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing

2011-12-30T14:01:00.000-06:00

Mixed media drawing on cotton rag paper. This is what I did for fun after finishing my commissioned pieces last night. Something is clearly not right in my brain, but ... as still life goes, it's more interesting than Ye Olde Wine Bottles and Fruite, yes?

Granddad, Granddaughter, and Horse

2011-12-30T12:48:00.000-06:00

Some of you may recall this commission from earlier. It is now hot off the easel after a very busy holiday rush. Click to enlarge. Photo has some glare on the horse's lower neck, chest, and front legs, so I'll have to try again for photos in different lighting.

And you may or may not recall my source photo. You can see here how much I edited out the "noisy" background trees to put the focus on the figures, and the adjustment I made so that the horse could have his feet back!

Bichon and a Dachshund

2011-12-26T18:40:00.001-06:00

Sketches from owners' snapshots, both 8 x 10" mixed media on cotton rag paper.

Lounging like a Christmas Greyhound

2011-12-25T10:35:00.000-06:00

Okay, technically Christmas Eve Greyhound. Hugo is a big old gentleman, well-seasoned and kind, looking stylish in his brindle coat. I sketched him last night as he napped through the second half of a party. I felt he had the right idea, with the napping; I've been dead on my feet, myself, but the party was a joy.

Today of course is the holiday and I am not supposed to work, but chances are that I will, because there's something I want to do and it won't feel like working. I'll post the results, probably tomorrow night.

At the moment it is one of the more beautiful mornings I've ever seen, and I am going to get my shoes on and go walking in the clear December sunlight.

More Winter Painting at Hopkins Honda

2011-12-06T12:58:00.001-06:00

These were done before Thanksgiving, but I just got photos yesterday afternoon. All are acrylic (water based) paints directly on plate glass, and will be removed sometime in spring.

Things on the Horizon?

2011-12-01T16:51:00.001-06:00

Several days ago I got a call about an opportunity to be part of a nationwide community-level campaign for a product I happen to enjoy.

I won't know for another two or three weeks whether I've made the chosen team of artists for the Twin Cities, and until then, I won't be talking too much about this project or naming any names, but it feels really good to be in the running at all.

Meanwhile, I am making dog portraits like a madwoman, due to the rush of Christmas commissions! Here, in progress, is a 12" square drawing that'll be shipped to the UK on Tuesday. Yellow Lab puppies, so adorable. This is pastel and carbon pencil, watercolor, and pastel on Rives BFK Tan paper.

Hopkins Honda

2011-11-30T13:22:00.001-06:00

Once again, I have decorated the interior windows at Luther Hopkins Honda for the holiday season. This is my fourth year doing this job, and I still love it.

The guys in the Service Department adore their deer and pheasant this year. I enjoy making them smile.

The pheasant was a last-minute decision for me, as a way to add more life and color to the snowy scenes.

This work is all in acrylic paint and flat interior white latex, for the snow. At the end of the season, it gets scraped off; that part is not my job. The paint adheres well, but only as long as it stays dry, so I imagine they wet it down before razor-scraping it off.

Painting a Custom ... Dog Kennel? Yep, Dog Kennel.

2011-11-16T00:30:00.000-06:00

So this is where I was tonight, finishing this project for Pawz and Rest. It's a beautifully crafted hardwood dog kennel/bed, and I had the honor of designing an Arts and Crafts style pattern to enhance the top.

Inspiration came from various stained glass patterns and from the seeding plants I've been finding in my walks around town -- reminding me that spring will be back soon enough.

It's rare that I'm asked to do more graphic work like this, and I enjoy the process very much.

This took about fifteen hours from design to completion.

Happy night at Home For Life's "Fall Fancy Feast"

2011-11-12T13:06:00.000-06:00


My finished fast-and-loose portrait of little miss Audrey Hepburn, which raised $350 at silent auction!

The whole evening was splendid. I'm currently getting ready to head out for an appointment, so I have no time to write much about it, but I had a wonderful time and learned a lot more about the outreach Home For Life does -- just how much difference they make for the people, as well as the animals, that they help.

Home For Life fundraiser tonight

2011-11-11T13:18:00.001-06:00

I'll be helping out at Home For Life's annual fundraiser tonight. Painting a quick, bold portrait of Audrey Hepburn on site at the event. Here's my beginning sketch on the canvas.

Audrey is a star, as her name suggests. An adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who lost the use of her back legs in an accident years ago. I can't wait to meet her! And of course I am taking my camera.

Millie the Glamour Dog

2011-11-08T16:09:00.002-06:00

This is a commissioned drawing of one of the softest, sweetest dogs I have ever. Seen. Millie is a Cocker Spaniel/Longhaired Dachshund mix.

She has the most amazing eyelashes I have ever seen on a dog.

This drawing is 10 x 8", in pastel pencil, watercolor, and pastels on buff-colored cotton rag paper.

I often say that I fall a little in love with each animal I draw or paint, and that's true. Each one has something special. In Millie's case it's not just that she's so delicate and gorgeous, but that she has an expression of utter confidence in how much her people adore her.

Next up on the commission roster: a portrait in watercolor and pastel of Zug the Cat, for whom I will have to switch gears completely, because Zug was a bold, affectionate trickster in a black-and-white suit.

Catching Fall

2011-11-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

These are both about 10 x 8", mixed media on tan Stonehenge paper, from life today in the studio.

Not everything can be about money

2011-11-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I put down the two commissions I had in progress, poured myself some red wine in a plastic cup, took that and my camera (in its bag along with the Tiny Moleskine Sketchbook and a pencil) and went out walking.

On afternoons like these I don't know how old I am or what year this is. There's just now: sunlight, the rhythms of tree branches and railroad tracks, the very last sunflowers hanging on, the maples red like hot embers. There were little birds out gathering seeds.

Sketch from a cleared lot near Wabasha. Two pages of my Tiny Moleskine Sketchbook, about 5 x 7" total

Some people think it's either/or: take pictures, or draw. I prefer both/and.

Last light on the treetops

Today, I feel better for the hour I spent wandering and sketching and photo-taking just because I could. Chances are I won't profit from it monetarily, but not every moment of life can be about paying the bills. Even artists (sometimes, I think artists especially) need to remind ourselves of that.

Flash the Haflinger at Blackshire Farm

2011-10-30T18:38:00.000-05:00

I went to Blackshire Equestrian Center today for their schooling show and to draw some gorgeous Friesians. And ... the Friesians are gorgeous, yes, but none of them stood around long enough for me to sketch them, whereas this adorable fellow did. He's a Haflinger named Flash and he's just awesome.

It was my first visit to Blackshire and it was great. Very welcoming and relaxed, a lot of people and horses just having a good time.

Hidden Falls Park, St. Paul

2011-10-29T19:25:00.000-05:00

Hidden well enough, as it happens, that I still haven't found the falls. I didn't make it that far today, my first visit to this lovely little park. There was a tree and the sunlight was hitting the leaves in a way I really liked, so I grabbed my field kit and set to work.

The painting is an 8 x 10" oil on canvas. In the photo at top, you can see I'd lost the sunlight by the time I was done; there was a high layer of clouds moving in. And boy were my fingers cold!

Small works for the Holiday Sales

2011-10-27T20:48:00.000-05:00

Last Petunia and First Berries, both 5" x 3" pen and watercolor. I'll have these matted to fit a standard 5 x 7" frame, and they'll be for sale at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts Holiday Sale starting on 11/17.

The Commission Continues

2011-10-27T09:20:00.000-05:00

Here's the earliest stages of paint application. These are oil paints, thinned with a lot of mineral spirits, and I'm not being ultra-careful or accurate with them yet; that will come as I work the painting toward a finish. You can see that I'm not using much color yet, either. Instead, I'm establishing the light/shadow contrasts which are really the most important thing about the picture, and form its foundation.

Oh, and those blacks aren't black. They're a mix of raw umber with dark blue and alizarin crimson. It gives something a lot closer to the color of the black on the horse's legs.

I'll update this again tomorrow or Saturday (tomorrow, with teaching at Michael's, is going to be a very busy day; I may not have time).

How a Commission Begins

2011-10-26T12:39:00.001-05:00

In this case, it's a memorial. The gentleman in this photo has passed away, and -- as so often happens with portrait commissions -- this is the best picture available. And it's a great picture, but it's small, and fine details aren't visible. I scanned it and enlarged it to an 8 x 10" print, which is the photo you see on the left here:

On the right is the 8 x 10" panel I'll be painting on. What you're seeing is the first stage. I've applied a one-inch-square grid to the print and a corresponding grid to my panel. The grid system dates back at least to the Renaissance, and is a great way of getting accurate proportions down.

You'll notice that the photograph "cut off" the feet of the horse, and that I've compensated for that. I allowed extra room at the bottom, and then sketched in the hooves before I did the drawing on the panel.

Not obvious yet: I will simplify the background of this image a LOT. All those busy, busy tree trunks? They're not helping the picture, so most of them are going to go away, and the ones I do keep will be soft-edged and their colors greyed down so that the focus is where it should be, on the people and the horse.

For the drawing, I'm using pastel pencil, which is delicate and will simply vanish into the oil paint. Anyone who's ever tried painting over standard graphite pencil lines will know why I don't use graphite! It bleeds through like mad and the grey color tends to muddy up the paints.

If you have questions about any of this, do ask. Most people never get to see a painting in progress and it's fun for me to talk about how it works.

Tiny Landscape with Bridge

2011-10-22T12:45:00.000-05:00

Kellogg Overpass, 5 x 7" oil on canvas board

This was yesterday afternoon at Bruce Vento Nature Reserve in St. Paul. That bridge is Kellogg, just south of 94.

It's an equally gorgeous day today, so I'm heading out again to see what I can capture, while I can.

Painting at Bruce Vento again

2011-10-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

Still having a lot of fun with the Guerrilla Painter's Box I got at Wet Paint. It got windy and cold out that day, as the clouds moved in, but I finished this cute little 5 x 7" landscape. Oil on canvas board; it'll be for sale at one of the three (!) Holiday Sales I've signed on for in November. Yes, three. This is because I am insane.

The Holiday Sale items are mostly quite small and priced to make nice gifts. I'll provide more details as well as information about which pieces will be in which place, as the dates approach. Meanwhile I must paint like a madwoman so I'll have enough inventory!

Sketching on the spot

2011-10-14T14:56:00.001-05:00

Last night, I attended the TOSCARs event with Twin Cities TOSCA and the delightful Gail Weber, who, if she ever becomes Truly Organized, will lose most of her impromptu comedic material; fortunately this seems unlikely to ever happen. Gail, you are wonderful; never, ever change.

It is my habit, at TOSCA events, to make at least one little drawing while I'm there. Last night's was a rough sketch (necessarily rough: I had no eraser!) of singer Alyssa Anderson as she performed for us -- a performance that kept giving me goosebumps despite my not considering myself an opera fan. Drawing a human being while they are moving is not an easy thing to do, so I was concentrating pretty hard and thus unaware that Nina Bliese was watching me, in turn.

The result is that I'll have a few small pieces of original art -- including this sketch, which is much prettier in person than in the scanned version here -- available at Nina Bliese Gallery's Petits Trésors sale in November.

Artists, if you're reading this: if you want to meet people, carry a sketch book and use it. People who like art will get curious and talk to you.

More Tiny Goldfish

2011-10-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

Again, just 4" square, oil paint on canvas. Priced for the holidays at $45 each. More to come!

Tiny Goldfish Paintings!

2011-10-12T17:19:00.000-05:00

These are from Josephine Geiger's studio -- or more accurately, the little fish pond outside the studio. Painted from life during Art Crawl last weekend, these are 4" square canvases, available at $45 each or $80 for a set of two.

I'm back! And so is Jack.

2011-10-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

So, what with Art Crawl and having a cold and all that, I've been away from the blog a while. I am now baaaaack with new things to post, because while at Crawl, I painted seven little goldfish paintings, and then three more yesterday, so those are coming up shortly.

And here is the third of the three drawings I did of Jack. 10 x 8" like the others, carbon pencil, pastel pencil, white pastel, on my usual brown sketch book paper. I'll miss drawing Jack, dapper model that he is.

Come watch Goldfish hatch! Art Crawl today.

2011-10-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, here's where I'll be again in about two hours: At Saint Paul Art Crawl at Josephine Geiger's studio, out in the yard by the goldfish pond, painting more of these tiny 4" square goldfish canvases. Come watch it as a demo -- I love talking to people while I paint -- and if you like, take home a hot-off-the-easel original Goldfish for just $45. I've got three finished from yesterday and hope to make three more before the event ends this afternoon.

Sunlit Little Landscape

2011-10-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

Back at Bruce Vento this afternoon, I did a quick oil sketch while the sunlight disappeared all around me. Low Branches, 5 x 7" oil on canvas board, is below.

The larger canvas on my easel in the top photo is an 8 x 10" that I had just enough time to roughly block in before it got too dark to keep working. The "skeleton" of the painting will help me remember what I had in mind next time I go back, which will likely be Tuesday, if the weather's all right.

I'll have this little piece for sale at the Saint Paul Art Crawl this weekend. I'm showing at Josephine Geiger's stained glass studio.

Crows are Geniuses

2011-09-30T12:52:00.001-05:00

Today I'm using the birds in this video as references for the Crow Series piece I have in progress. It's worth watching, though, just for the ingenuity of the crows, who have figured out what stoplights are for.

Crow in progress. This 7 x 5" oil on salvaged aluminum is the heart of a new piece, the full design of which I haven't worked out just yet, but that's normal for these things. They develop on the fly.

Painting While the Sun Shines, Part 2

2011-09-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

Rail Cars and Red Grass, 8 x 10" oil on canvas board

There are several tracks running through Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, where I painted this, so if you can imagine the clanging, and squealing, and the track-rhythms, and the roar of those big diesels -- four in a row, sometimes, black red yellow like a coral snake -- then you know where I was.

I'm drawing trains more and more lately, and I hope there are enough people out there who like both trains and art to make this worth my while. Because I'm not likely to stop any time soon.

Painting while the Sun Shines

2011-09-29T10:11:00.001-05:00

Above, yesterday's little panel with the freight train. This was at the end of the session. I didn't stop painting long enough to take a photo until the sun was gone and I had to stop anyway.

Later, in the studio, I finished the piece but didn't have good light for photographing it. I'll do that today. It took me a long time but I have finally accepted that it is simply not possible to truly color-correct a photo of art taken under artificial light. I always end up re-shooting in daylight anyway.

And here's the finished Path with Dry Goldenrod, 8 x 10" oil on canvas board.

Are there places in your world that you think would make good paintings? I think most of us have them, even if they're just particular stretches of highway we see on our commute. I invite you to take photos (um, preferably not while driving) and post them on my Facebook page. Or tweet me, @TracieTheArtist.

Paint Foal Portrait

2011-09-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Little Tag, 10 x 8" mixed media on cotton rag paper

This little fellow is a commission. His owner had only one very poor snapshot of him as a youngster -- the one on his original registration papers. I did my best therefore to adhere to his spirit, since the letter, as it were, was somewhat blurry.

His very rich coloring made watercolor the easiest, fastest choice for completing the picture and lending the free, happy feeling I wanted for him.

Tiny Flower Garden

2011-09-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

Garden at the Faire, 5 x 3" watercolor and pen on paper

Another drawing from yesterday at the Renaissance Festival.

The humor of this: it was just to the left of the Legends Stage where the Puke & Snot Show was going on. Ribald humor and dahlias. I smiled all through the sketching part, but didn't get to finish it until much later in the day. I enjoyed the cool breeze and some remarkable music while I sat in the Queen's Tavern with my watercolor kit and a pint of good cider, happy despite knowing how soon winter will arrive.

The intricate pattern of leaves and flowers required considerable time and attention, but it felt good to slow down enough for that.

This little piece is now available at my online shop.

Shih-Tzu at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival

2011-09-25T20:25:00.003-05:00

Sushi, drawn from life at the Renaissance Festival today. About 10" x 8" mixed media on paper.

This little dog was perched on top of the counter at one of the vendors' stalls at the Ren Fest, sweetly accepting all the attention she got from people walking in. So I drew her. I mean, really, what else could I have done? It's not every day you get such a lovely little model, complete with the flower in her hair.

It's become habit for me to always have drawing supplies, and today I made five drawings while at the Festival. I hope I didn't annoy my friends too much. What I want now is to go back and do more, but it's a long way and a lot of money for ~~beer~~ food, so I doubt I will do it this year.

Drawing is 10 x 8" mixed media on cotton rag paper. Priced at just $45 for the drawing only, or $59 with mat to fit a standard 11 x 14" frame. I use a museum-quality Bainbridge mat in a soft cream color that really complements these drawings. Includes a signed "pedigree" for the drawing, detailing how, where, and when it was made. A very nice gift for someone in your life who loves Shih Tzus.

Too many dogs to upload now, so have a landscape!

2011-09-24T20:48:00.000-05:00

After Bark and Roll, I took my shiny new Guerrilla Painter Box and went out with a friend to do some landscape sketching. Days this lovely are rare and we needed to use this one while we could.

Path with Dry Goldenrod, 8 x 10", oil on canvas board.

We went to Bruce Vento Park, where the light falling across the trail caught my attention immediately. I seem to enjoy stripey landscapes.

Working outdoors, there's always a time limit, and this little piece took ... somewhere between 70 and 90 minutes, I think. It's a guess at best because I rarely know what time it is while I'm painting. The world kind of stops; that's one of the nicest things about making art.

Chances that I'll make a few tweaks to this: approximately 100%. I'm happy with it, though, and look forward to putting it up for sale in the next few days.

Progress at International Market Square

2011-09-21T11:03:00.001-05:00

The same curvature that made this wall ideal for a mural also makes it terribly difficult to photograph. I sure wish I could call in my brother. He'd capture it beautifully, but I don't have the budget to have this particular job photographed.

Yesterday I got the ruined temple painted in, solidified a lot of the landscape around it, and then did some work on the lower foreground areas to give them a bit of depth and detail. Today I am going to lunch with Julie Dasher of Concept Interiors and some other new friends in the building, and will continue with the process. I expect to finish there tomorrow afternoon.

Highland Villager spot!

2011-09-20T17:47:00.001-05:00

This is in the current (Sept. 14 -- 27) edition of the Highland Villager here in St. Paul. Brad Stauffer came out, took photos and talked to everyone on site at Wet Paint, and a good time was had by all.

For those of you who've missed it, there's a minor error in this story: the mural isn't going into a local shelter, but into the new offices of Enchanted Makeovers in Detroit. This organization is transforming lives by transforming environments, and I'm so honored to have an opportunity to work with them.

Woman in Pink Velvet Jacket

2011-09-19T20:35:00.000-05:00

Woman in Pink Velvet Jacket, 5 x 3" mixed media on paper

The eternal challenge with making art is finding the time to actually do it. For me, it helps to carry very small sketch books around. These drawings-in-little-moments are fuel, and they sharpen my skills, and they make me happy.

Often, they make other people happy, too. There were two women I drew on this same day, and the other one's drawing isn't posted here because she gleefully bought it from me on the spot.

Tiny Freight Train Sketches

2011-09-18T13:03:00.001-05:00

Idle Tankers, above, and Hiawatha Freight Cars, below. Both 3 x 5".

Trains have something I find endlessly attractive. The heft and power of them, the strong perspective of rails and cars stretching out over the the landscape, the rhythmic sounds they make -- I fell in love as a kid and it's never changed.

Its thriving rail yards are among my favorite things about living in the Twin Cities. Freight trains were scarce in Florida; here they are a constant, energetic presence. They never fail to engage my imagination, not even when they're holding me up on my commute.

These two original watercolor sketches are available at my Etsy shop, matted to fit any standard 8 x 10" frame, at $30 each/$55 for the set of two.

Enchanted Makeovers Mural on Display

2011-09-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

Enchanted Makeovers is a nonprofit organization that works to completely transform the environment of women's shelters -- and help those shelters' clients transform their lives. I encourage you to visit their site and learn more about them; they're the only organization I've ever heard of who does this, and the results for the women and children they help are amazing.

This is their booth at the Creative Connection Marketplace in St. Paul today, at Crowne Plaza on Kellogg Blvd. Seeing my mural in context here almost made me cry.

See? Dinosaur!

2011-09-13T18:27:00.001-05:00

Meet Dominic. Now, this is surely not his real name; I don't know his name, because he is not my dinosaur, but he looks like a Dominic to me. He belongs to the Children's Science Museum and, as I understand it, he and his friends will soon be migrating south to Texas. For the moment, though, they're on the fourth floor of ACVR Warehouse here in St. Paul, which happens to be the same location as Old Town Artists, where my studio is.

So last night, my student showed up for a drawing lesson and I said, "Check this out. We have dinosaurs!"

Naturally, given the choice between the usual collection of Still Life Objects versus DINOSAURS, we chose to draw the dinos. The drawing above is my demo from last night. About 14" x 11", I think.

Completely Enchanted! The finished mural

2011-09-11T18:43:00.001-05:00

5 p.m. on 9/11/11 at Wet Paint Art Supplies; tired and happy with the finished work.

See Enchanted Makeovers for more about the organization. The mural will be on display at their booth at the Creative Connection Marketplace on Sept. 16 and 17. Many many thanks to Wet Paint for donating the canvas and paints, and to The Creative Connection for all their assistance.

Most common questions people were asking:

What it's made of: Acrylic paint and a LOT of waterborne faux finishing glaze, on canvas.

How long it took: Approximately 24 hours' work for me, plus a few extra for my Valiant Volunteers. This is LIGHTNING speed for a project this size -- 10' long x 5' high.

Is this a specific place somewhere in the world? It's inspired by scenery here in Minnesota as well as in France and Italy, but it's an allegorical landscape rather than a literal one.

$99 Sale at the Soap Factory

2011-09-10T18:59:00.003-05:00

Saint Paul Crow, 8 x 10", salvaged metal and wood, oil paint, wax medium. Click to enlarge; for some reason, Blogger makes the thumbnail photos a little blurry.

I have no idea who bought this piece; it had sold by the time I arrived at the show. That made me very, very happy. This is the seventh work in the Crow Series and I plan on creating more.

Can safely say a good time was had. There was some amazing art at the sale, worth much more than the $99 asking price. Also very good food, and an ongoing exhibit I liked a lot. See The Soap Factory's site if you're curious.

Enchanted Makeovers mural, day one

2011-09-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

Looks like I got a lot done, doesn't it? And I did -- but this is still ever so far from finished. There will be several more layers or paint and a lot more detail and depth (and bluebirds!) before it's done. Size is 5 feet high x 10 feet wide.

Canvas and paints generously supplied by Wet Paint; this mural is being created just outside their store on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. I'll be there on Friday from about 1 to 6 p.m..

mackmiller design+build project in progress

2011-09-07T11:15:00.001-05:00

The wall when I began working yesterday -- sketched in with terra-cotta colored pastel.

Same wall at the end of the day, with much of the foundation of the mural blocked in.

This is at Suite 542 in International Market Square. The mural solves the problem of what to do with a curved wall where it's not possible to hang things nicely. The timing of this was such that it had to be scheduled around many other projects on my plate, and will be finished within the next ten days (five days is my average for a mural of this size and style). I'll keep updating as it progresses.

2011-09-07T09:48:00.003-05:00

Evening Sun at Minnehaha Park, 5 x 7" oil on canvas panel

I'm getting more use out of my field easel lately. Bought a few small canvas panels to play around with, and this sketch is the first of them. Painted Labor Day evening at Minnehaha Park, while a bluegrass band played nearby.

One of the most fun things about doing this is how many people will stop and talk to me.

Sold.

A Mural for Transformation

2011-09-06T10:29:00.000-05:00

This is a thumbnail sketch, four by five inches. It's a mural design, made to order for Terry at Enchanted Makeovers -- click the link to find out more than I could possibly tell you here. What they're doing is incredible.

In my life I have been blessed never to have endured violence. I know so many women who have. When asked to donate some of my time and talent to help them, I said yes.

I get to lead a few other volunteers in tag-team painting this mural. I'll do the drawing and give instruction and paint right along with them, and we'll all have a great time. Once complete, it'll go to the Enchanted Makeovers booth at The Creative Connection Event. After the event, it will be placed in the offices/intake area of the women's shelter, to greet and reassure new clients as they arrive.

I won't pretend that I don't want the recognition and financial gain that comes with success; of course I do. But this is what I think art is for, no matter the form it takes: it helps us see the best possibilities in ourselves and our future.

Goldfish (waiting for the pizza to get done)

2011-09-04T12:25:00.002-05:00

Josephine's Goldfish, 5 x 7" pen and watercolor

Everywhere I go, I take art materials. This was at my friend Josephine Geiger's place yesterday evening; I was sketching at the edge of her little goldfish pond while we waited for our pizza order to get done.

It's my first shot at drawing fish from life as opposed to photographs, and it was fun, if difficult because they do move constantly! I went for a general characterization rather than real accuracy, which I wasn't going to get anyhow.

Josephine needs to give away some goldfish, because hers have been fruitful and multiplied, and I may be seeing a small fish tank in my future.

Update: Sold! Wow, that was fast!

More small originals available on my Etsy Shop.

Portrait of a Dog Named Ally

2011-09-03T18:37:00.004-05:00

Ally, 8 x 10" mixed pencils and watercolor on Stonehenge cotton rag paper.

I fall kind of in love with every animal whose portrait I create. I can't help it. Paying that much attention to their expressions -- I start to sense their characters in the process.

Ally has such a softness about her that I chose to use watercolor washes to soften the edges of the drawing and lend a quiet atmosphere that matches her nature. She's so lovely. I just finished her and I can't wait to share her and her sweet, sweet face.

If you're wondering, I do most of these portraits from photos emailed to me by the owners. Prices start at just $79 for an 8 x 10" drawing like this one, which will easily fit a standard 11 x 14" photo frame. If you'd like one for the holidays, order soon; demand is increasing all the time.

I ship these all over the world. Ally, here, lives in Canada.

Jack Again, and another Upside Hound

2011-08-29T21:34:00.000-05:00

Grar! (Jack and His Toy), 11 x 8", mixed pencils on paper

Brindle Belly Up, 8 x 11", mixed pencils on paper.

These are both commissions, drawn today while sitting in a Barnes & Noble café for a lot longer than I meant to be there.

Dr. Sketchy's Minneapolis!

2011-08-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is Frenchie Kiss. She's what you missed if you didn't go to Dr. Sketchy's today.

Sweet Frenchie Kiss, mixed media on Stonehenge paper, 11 x 8".

Saucy Frenchie, mixed media on fawn Stonehenge paper, 6.5 x 11"

My friend Tom Winterstein of Old Town Artists went along with me and we had so much fun. I got a Strongbow cider and a bratwurst with kraut, relaxed into the drawing process, and won Frenchie's Favorite with the sketch at top. What a great day.

Ghost Tree at Bruce Vento Park

2011-08-27T15:40:00.000-05:00

Ghost Tree, about 10.5 x 8", mixed pencils on paper

If you've been thinking of taking lessons with me, be aware that it won't always, necessarily, mean being in the studio. Today was too beautiful for that, so I took my student out to Bruce Vento Park (a short hop from the studio building) to try out landscape drawing for the first time.

He had fun and so did I, and this piece, which began as a quick demo, turned into something I really like.

Crows who Rule the Town

2011-08-26T11:59:00.000-05:00

The Landlords, found wood and metal, oil paint, wax medium. 24" x 18". Click to enlarge.

They'll chase you, if you trespass where they think you shouldn't be -- zigzagging above your head, from one tree to the next, reading you the riot act all the way. It's enough to make you wonder who really owns the place, and what lease you signed while you were dreaming, that you then woke and didn't recall.

I like crows a lot.

Lost Sleep and Found Objects

2011-08-25T10:27:00.001-05:00

A preview of the smallest of the new things I made for the FUSION Showcase tonight.

Balcony, 12" h x 3.5" w. Oil paint and wax medium on found wood and metal

This piece of wood was behind Saigon Restaurant on University Ave., near the dumpster. I found it about a week ago while heading into the restaurant with a friend.

The owls are a rusted hinge I'd picked up in Tennessee, along the highway where my truck broke down. I confess I don't recall where I got the broken finial-piece that forms the balcony, except that I was in Minnesota by then and I didn't think I'd ever use the thing but, being me, I kept it a while to find out.

I've been making a lot of art and doing a lot of prep work lately and not getting much sleep. That's one of those deals you sign on for because you can't refuse -- difficult but you want to do it because showing your work is a Good Thing.

Last night I was working on a larger piece -- one of two; the first is gloriously finished, the other, not -- and I'd meant for the hinge to be part of that, as something suggesting a window shutter. But I kept seeing two creatures side by side, curious little eyes looking back at me, and I wanted to do something more whimsical with them. This is the result. I'll have it available tonight at the Fine Line event for $65.

FUSION: ART/MUSIC/FASHION SHOWCASE $10 for $10 Deal

2011-08-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

All locals. All good.

Ticket for the evening out: $10.

Be sure to choose my name from the "Support Your Artist" drop-down menu on the page -- and I will take $10 off the next piece of art you purchase from me -- no matter how large or small. And yes, that means if you bring a friend and buy two tickets I'll double your discount, too.

Sunny Sunday in the Studio

2011-08-22T08:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I worked pretty much all day, partly on the pup above, whose color -- difficult to see until I put a coat of retouch (workable) varnish on it -- turned out to be more blue than it should have been. The photo above is after I used a transparent iron oxide glaze to warm up his fur considerably.

The pieces above are a commission, and are lying flat while their bottom edges fully dry. This is taking longer than normal for some reason. Ah, the vagaries of oil paint.

My wonderful sunny corner at Old Town Artists. I've just shifted studio space because the person who was in this slot left the group (no drama, just due to other things going on in her life). Yesterday I spent several hours sorting, moving, and organizing things. Good spaces are important for creativity. I really, really enjoy this one.

Sneak Preview Salvage Art -- Crows and their City

2011-08-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

Design stages of two new Rescued Materials pieces. Both around 24" high.

This is the part that's like playing with Legos, for me. Putting things together to figure out how they fit. The construction and the additions of paint and other elements comes next.

These will be part of my display on Thursday night, 8/25, at the Fine Line Music Cafe. Come out and see the transformation from design to completion; catch some great local music and a fashion show from Twin Cities designers.

Tickets are just $10. Be sure to pick my name from the "Support your artist" drop-down menu. It helps RAW:artists keep doing these great events.

Bright Brush 2.0

2011-08-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Bright Brush study. Oil on canvas board, 6 x 4", $49.

I like the somewhat rough, atmospheric look of this one. I did it while taking little breaks from a much larger landscape commission I'm finishing this week.

They Eat Horses, Don't They?

2011-08-17T23:36:00.000-05:00


Charcoal, carbon pencil, and pastel on newsprint, about 13" x 10".

The thing art does for me (one thing it does) is cause me to play like a little kid. In that spirit I have been stacking stuff on top of other stuff. This is one result.

Getting East Side Reviewed

2011-08-16T13:22:00.002-05:00

With many thanks to Corey Streeter, who came out with his camera, took photos and chatted with me while I began work on a portrait of a very cute Sheltie named Milton.

East Side Review News article is here.

Bright Brush with Twine

2011-08-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

Bright Brush with Twine, charcoal and pastel on newsprint, about 14 x 10"

This is the result of my promise to my students that, while we would of necessity be doing still life setups for drawing class, this would not mean "wine bottles and fruit."

Mark Balma at his Demo

2011-08-15T07:57:00.001-05:00

Mark Balma at Minnetonka Center for the Arts on 8/3. I was taking notes, really I was. But the curves of his hat that caught my eye, so I used Mark for drawing practice. Hope he didn't mind.

Rabbit on 27th Avenue

2011-08-13T13:33:00.002-05:00

27th Ave. Cottontail, 5.5 x 3.5" pen and watercolor. Click to enlarge.

Educational thing for today: photograph, above, versus scanned image, below. Neither is accurate. The highlights on the photo are too blue while the colors are entirely wrong on the scanned version.

Ah, the difficulties of photographing art.

I made this as a thank you for someone who'd helped me a lot recently, so the original is now in the mail (it was a small blank note card made of cotton rag paper, purchased at Wet Paint). I like the design well enough that if I can get the photos to look right, I'll include it in the note card line I'm developing.

Below, the original sketch -- much larger, about 7 x 10" -- from yesterday evening. I drew the rabbit from life as it foraged in a neighbor's yard.

I love this drawing but wonder if it will ever sell. Minnesotans are not, in general, big fans of rabbits, seeing them mostly as tiny furry engines of destruction. I can't blame them, but I'm still charmed. Guess I'm just a sucker that way.

Music, Fashion, and (my!) Art at Fine Line Music Café

2011-08-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

Clicky clicky on the header for full information!

I will be featured at the Fine Line Music Café on Aug. 25th, in the FUSION Showcase with RAW:natural born artists. Come see my Rescued Materials series of art ... and the slinky little black dress I bought for the event. ;-)

The Fine Line is a great venue, and tickets for the evening of music, art, and fashion are just $10. If you follow my link to purchase, be sure to select my name from the "Support your artist" drop-down menu on the upper right.

Jack in His Favorite Chair

2011-08-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

This was today, at Jim Sannerud's woodworking shop at ACVR Warehouse. Jack is the Official Woodshop Dog.

Jack's Favorite Chair, 10 x 7.5", carbon pencil and pastel pencil on paper

Drawing animals from life is challenging, because they do move. What I've learned is that they will often keep returning to the same few basic positions, so if I'm patient I can generally get what I want.

In this case, I simply had to capture those white paws hooked over the seat cushion. Fortunately, his feet were the things Jack moved the least; it was the head that kept shifting around.

More Sunday Paws on Grand Dogs

2011-08-10T12:49:00.000-05:00

For those who missed my earlier post about Paws On Grand, the rest of the story is here. These drawings took ... well, I'm not sure how long, since I didn't have a timer, but not very long. I had about 10 minutes at most.

I recall that the Great Dane's name is Isis, and that she's a big lovable puppy who adores everyone. The little guy below, sadly, is one whose name I forget. Too many dogs, too little time! He was a great little model, though, I remember that. Alert, quiet, and very sweet.

Monday Mill District Moonrise

2011-08-09T10:20:00.000-05:00


Mill District Moonrise, 6 x 4" oil on canvas board

Painted on site; photographed on the bumper of my truck.

This whole mill area (along Hiawatha) thrills me. I love it not just because the buildings are old but because they are still very much in use. I'm attracted to the dusty, noisy energy -- rumbling machinery, train cars, alarms going off, buzzers.

Safe to say I'll be back. Going to need a larger canvas next time, though.

StarTribune Snapshot

2011-08-08T16:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's StarTribune article, written by Lynn Underwood. Click image to enlarge.

Posting this because the online version lacks photos and I have heard from a few people who missed yesterday's paper -- or who live in other parts of the country. This is a snapshot; the article was far too large to fit on my little scanner.

Sunday passes at 35 Dogs Per Hour

2011-08-07T20:13:00.003-05:00

I got featured in the StarTribune today -- the online article is the Q&A only, while the one in the paper is full of beautiful color photos -- but the fun didn't stop there.

Above and below, two favorites from the sketches I did this afternoon at Wet Paint Art Supply on Grand Ave. This was part of the annual Paws On Grand event.

There were six of us artists who donated our time and skills -- and all together we drew over 100 dogs in 3 hours. While the drawings were free, we were taking donations for Pet Project, an organization devoted to helping those who've fallen on hard times to keep and care for their animals rather than having to give them up. I don't know yet how much we raised. I do know how much I enjoyed being part of it.

I am Bound for Broadway, Baby!

2011-08-05T13:50:00.001-05:00

The past few weeks I've had some fantastic media exposure, beginning with this article at:

Click the header to go to my article at CreatedByChicks.com!

Next up, on Sunday, August 7th, look for me in the HOME section of the Minneapolis StarTribune! I was interviewed by the delightful Lynn Underwood for a feature on the ways artists can solve design problems for homeowners. I'll post the link when it's up.

I have waited 12 years for this!

2011-08-04T18:59:00.000-05:00

Appaloosa Foal, about 44" high (life size), for a girl's room in Mahtomedi.

Seriously. I was That Girl Who Drew Horses, back in high school. When I began painting murals, I thought that naturally I would get to paint horses on walls from time to time. That was a dozen years ago; this was today. While I have had two jobs in which horses were incidental to the picture, this is the first time in all these years that someone has asked me to simply paint a horse.

I was thrilled. And I have had a lovely day.

What I Did In School Today

2011-08-03T20:17:00.000-05:00

I do not, as a rule, paint portraits. All the same, when I had a chance to take a one-day portrait painting workshop with Mark Balma, I jumped.

Morning was Mark's demonstration, and then after lunch we had a model and three hours in which to work. This was what I did, and I'm very pleased with it. Perfect? Nope. But nice enough for me to want to continue.

One of the things I love about living here is that it's so easy to go be a student, when I'm not teaching classes myself. I have access to some outstanding artists and that's worth so much.

The Blog -- a re-post because I love this series.

2011-08-02T23:25:00.002-05:00

"Hideout (second version)", not mine! This is by Jennifer Lowery, who is my friend and whose paintings of charming little characters keep making me grin. Full post here:

the blog: a do over, and an opportunity to geek out a little...: "hideout 2.0 ,oil on canvas, 12x12 It took awhile to get around to posting this one. I wasn't quite happy with the first version of t..."

Paws On Grand: Get a sketch of your dog at Wet Paint this Sunday!

2011-08-02T13:05:00.003-05:00

Okay, your sketch won't look like Pumpkin, here, but I got your attention, right?

Your sketch will probably look a little more like this, IF your dog holds still as well as Hazel, here, did. I'll only have 10 minutes max per dog, so these will be fast and loose.

I will be one of several artists creating on-the-spot dog portrait sketches at Wet Paint on Sunday, Aug. 7, from noon until 3 pm. This yearly sketching event is part of the joy that is Paws On Grand.

Bring your dog (or cat, or lizard, or bird -- I'm not picky), take a number, and one of us will create a drawing for you to take home. While the sketches are free, we will be accepting donations for various animal charities in the Twin Cities.

Tiny Periwinkle, Begonia, and Sailboat

2011-08-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

All from the last week, all 5.5 x 3.5", in my Tiny Moleskine Sketchbook. The Periwinkle is in my grandma's back yard in Florida.

Red Begonia in Orono. Drawn while awaiting the arrival of someone who got Mapquested. That is -- she used Mapquest and it did to her what it has more than once done to me. Having my sketch book means I get to be happy and creative rather than impatient, and I love that about it.

Distant Little Sailboat, Hudson. It is possible, I suppose, that it's bad manners to sit outdoors at a restaurant and spread one's watercolor kit on the table to sketch, but I don't regret it, and our server was kind of intrigued to watch what was happening. Also I tip well, so I'm sure that helps.

Mark Mackmiller Framed Me

2011-07-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

Or did I frame him? I'm not sure. Judge for yourself:

Mark and his wife Mary, of mackmiller design+build, are some of the most remarkable -- and remarkably generous -- people I've ever known. This photo was taken yesterday afternoon, after Mark built the frame for my (rather large!) Minnesota State Fair Art Show entry, thus helping me save about $200.

He took time out of his work on his new showroom space at International Market Square to do this. Thank you, Mark, and thanks to Mary for her help with some media relations things I'd never have known how to do on my own.

I'll let you all know, of course, if the framed piece gets into the show.

Strange Things are Afoot outside Old Town Artists Studio

2011-07-22T19:18:00.000-05:00

I met the new neighbor today.

Now, this was about as startling as you'd imagine, but she (he?) seemed friendly enough.

... although it looks as if some medical assistance is desperately needed! Victim, perhaps, of an illusionist's "Saw the Dino in Half" trick gone wrong?

It looks as if the fourth floor of ACVR Warehouse is about to get some kind of interactive installation for kids. Being pretty much a kid myself, I'm intrigued.

Parking Lot Landscape, Harriet Island

2011-07-22T11:47:00.000-05:00

5.5 x 3.5", in the Tiny Moleskine Sketchbook.

One of my dearest friends gave me the little sketch book I've been using so much the past couple months. I have taken to carrying it wherever I go, like a small talisman that reminds me to enjoy living, and especially to practice, every day, living as an artist.

If I have ten minutes because a friend is running late, or I'm waiting for them to finish changing the oil in my truck, or I got there early and the store isn't quite open yet -- I have a ballpoint pen, a pencil or two, and my Tiny Moleskine Book. I can be joyful and creative instead of bored and impatient.

I recommend this, even if you think you can't draw (link goes to a piece by Roger Ebert, with whom I often disagree but who I will always love for this post alone; thanks, Roger). If you write, carry one with ruled pages. Or a little MP3 recorder. If you cross-stitch, keep a small project on hand. Jokingly I call my portable art supplies my Boredom Prevention Kit, and it is, but it's more than that. It's something to remind you that you are who you are.

Katie Bar the Door, indeed!

2011-07-21T12:54:00.002-05:00

Strip-mall Petunias, 3.5 x 5.5", in the Tiny Moleskine Sketchbook, sketched outside PostNet on Ford Parkway yesterday

Katie Bar the Door is 11.5" high, found wood, oil paint, wax medium, string. A symbol of the dangers of too much self-protection.

In the last month or so, I have:

Made art every day
Taken a fantastic painting workshop with Kami Polzen
Begun teaching at Old Town Artists
Accepted an invitation to participate in the $99 Sale at the Soap Factory
Accepted an invitation to participate in the Rescue Me show at Altered Esthetics
Signed up (this morning) for a demo and workshop with Mark Balma
Accepted an offer to be profiled on CreatedByChicks.com for their "Who's Creating? Wednesday" feature
Sold several drawings and paintings
Found a new venue for my salvaged-materials art
Begun writing professionally for others after years of writing professionally for myself
Joined the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota

Thanks to Lauri Flaquer, the Mackmillers, Josephine Geiger, Kelly Williams, Gail Weber, my amazing family and many many others in my life for reminding me that if I want to, I can.

And I'm sharing all this not just because I want everyone to know how awesome my life is now, but because I've been the most timid, the most self-effacing soul, the one with the most reasons why the things I wanted were out of my reach, and I've changed. It can be done.

I hope someone else will see what I'm doing and decide to do what they want.

"HEAT INDEX" would be a great title for a bad movie.

2011-07-20T11:49:00.001-05:00

Jerusha's Blackberries, 5.5 x 3.5" (in the Tiny Moleskine Sketchbook)

Despite being native to sultry Southwest Florida, I don't do well in this kind of weather. I'd like to be outdoors doing more drawing and/or painting, but it ain't gonna happen. Thus, today's plans include a lot of indoors-at-home things I need to do:

• Creating MORE ART -- salvage work, today. I'm continuing my series of Little Houses.

• Promotional postcard design for my Old Town Artists drawing classes

• Decide on schedule for the next run of classes at OTA

• Various and sundry Annoying Paperwork Items

Hm. Hot weather or not, I may require a second round of coffee.

Foxgloves, a Pony, and a 110-Degree Heat Index

2011-07-17T15:18:00.001-05:00

Foxgloves at Jerusha's House, about 8 x 5.5" pen and watercolor. Click to enlarge.

Palomino Pony at Wholechild School, St. Paul. Based on a toy horse that lives in the classroom.

You know, I'm certain I had Interesting Things to Say today. Sadly those thoughts seem to have melted and leaked out my ears during the time I spent outside.

People often ask -- while looking at me as if I've lost my mind -- why on earth I left Florida. It was mostly because the support I wanted as an artist was here, not there, but also: this kind of heat. Month after month of this.

If you need me, I'll be hiding under a nice, cool, shady rock for a while.

Watercolor Flowers, and a Bird that's a Bird, this time

2011-07-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

These small flowers are so popular that I plan to make note cards out of them.

Courtyard Sparrow, about 5.5 x 8", pen and watercolor

All three of these are from the J&S Bean Factory coffeehouse today, done while I sat in their pretty back patio area. The flowers kindly sat still for me; the birds didn't, and I sketched this little fellow as best I could from memory.

The flowers are something like 3" x 2.5" each, quite small. I'll sell either of them for $15; $25 for the set of two.

What to Draw? Whaddaya Got?

2011-07-13T19:43:00.000-05:00

Birds on a Wire, 5.5 x 8" pen and watercolor at Jim Sannerud Woodturning

Students frequently ask me what they should draw. It's tempting to say, "Well, whatever!" -- because really, pretty much anything can make a good art subject.

If you're practicing drawing, look around your house, your yard, your garage or potting shed. You don't need "pretty" things. A still life does not have to be wine bottles and (*yawn*) fruit. It can be your pegboard in the shed with the red-handled saw hanging there, or the multicolored pliers and screwdrivers. It can be your old work boots on the floor in the sun.

... but the flowers in your garden will work, too. Hollyhocks at Lauri Flaquer's house, from 7/12

Once you start to look for things to draw -- and stop limiting yourself to things that "look like art" -- you'll start seeing everything around you as if for the first time. It's okay if your drawings aren't perfect; the fun in recording them is the point.

Art Tourist meets Photo Tourist at Como Conservatory

2011-07-13T11:12:00.001-05:00

The Petunias in progress at Como Conservatory. Photo by Patrick O'Reilly, who kindly emailed it my way.

When I lived in the South (and yes, folks, Florida is the South), an open sketchbook was an invitation for people to come and talk to me. I enjoyed that, but I've found Minnesotans are more reserved, more cautious, more apt to think they're going to disturb me.

So, when asked nicely whether I would mind having my hands photographed while I worked, I readily agreed, and only asked if the photographer would email me a few of the shots. Which he did, when he got home; he's not from Minnesota, either.

This isn't posed. I was lightly sketching in pastel pencil, then going over that with the Micron pen (in my left hand, in the photo at top), to make the final lines. When that was done I erased the pencil and broke out the watercolors, and you've already seen the result:

I expect to be back at Como Park tomorrow morning for a while. You'll probably find me near the carousel, sketching horses. Say hello if you're out there. If I wanted solitude, well -- I have a studio for that.

Little Landscapes

2011-07-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

Memory of Saturday's Trees, about 7 x 6"

File under, I Suffer for My Art: Chiggers. I have chigger bumps behind my left knee, from Saturday's workshop, and oh they itch, so what did I do today?

Moon and Long Shadows at Bruce Vento Park, 3.5 x 5.5"

Yep. I went out in the evening and sketched while I could in the gold light and blue shadows. Standing in the grass in my sandals.

Sunburned my feet at Lake Elmo today

2011-07-09T18:28:00.001-05:00

Home and very very tired. I had a hat and sunscreen on but forgot about my feet. The crescent of skin between jeans-hem and shoe is now bright, bright pink.

The up side: after today's workshop, I could mix that color with confidence. Hah.

Walker Open Field Day

2011-07-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

Little Lantana, 4 x 4" casein on panel

Try-It Thursday at Wet Paint wasn't at Wet Paint last night, but at the Walker Art Center Open Field. I got to test out casein paints, which use milk protein for a binder and which I'm not sure I loved, though -- as always with these Try-It events -- I had a lot of fun.

My thanks to Scott and the other Walker staff and interns I met, who made the event that much better. Oh, and the Lantana flowers (modeled from a lantana in a planter near the Try-It table) went home with a man and his three young kids.

Afterward, I became a tourist: I'd never visited the sculpture garden before. Three years in the Twin Cities and no visit to the Spoon and Cherry? I know. I took the requisite photos of that, but preferred this other piece with the gracefully leaping hare.

Ever taken art classes? How did it go?

2011-07-05T12:23:00.004-05:00

Most of you know that I teach adult beginners and some intermediate classes (those are much harder to fill because the vast majority of people are beginners).

There are some things I've heard over and over again about peoples' previous experiences:

"My instructor said I had no talent."

"Someone made fun of me and I quit."

"I didn't really learn much."

"It was great, but then I [got married/moved/had a child/insert other life-altering event]."

Because I'm always looking to improve as an instructor, I'd like to hear whether you've ever taken art classes (yes, high school counts) and what you thought. What you got, or didn't get, out of the experience. Was it great, or awful, or somewhere in between? Do you still draw, paint, whatever it was, or did you stop? Be anonymous if you like; I don't mind.

Henhouse Landscape at Lakeview Farm, Hugo

2011-07-04T14:51:00.002-05:00

Ghost of a Moon, 8.5 x 11" pastel pencil and watercolor

Long and short: at around 7 yesterday evening, I was at Lakeview Farm and in a rotten mood, and that's when I drew the little henhouse there.

You wouldn't know it, would you?

And that's why I did it. Because I needed to pull myself up out of the hole I'd fallen into -- and it worked.

I lost my daylight around the time I finished the pastel-pencil sketch, so the watercolors were done today.

Sunday Daylily Watercolor

2011-07-03T15:44:00.001-05:00

Daylily, 7.5 x 5.5" pen and watercolor

I did this while having lunch at Panera with a good friend. It is now in her collection, and that makes me happy.