Black Cat - Work in Progress

My painting of vintage toys, Black Cat, is coming along. This is the lower left corner of the 36" x 36" canvas

No Rest for the Weary

Black Cat , detail, work in progress

I have four juried art shows and one publication I have to have art work for during Sept. Who could ask for a better life?

Oil Painters of America

The Making of a Cowboy, oil on canvas, 24 x 18

Oil painters of America has announced the paintings accepted into their Western Regional show. I've been told that only 90 paintings were accepted so I'm pleased that my painting, The Making of a Cowboy, was among those selected.

The exhibit and sale will take place at Mountain Trails Gallery in Jackson Hole, WY Oct 9- Nov 10.

This painting is one of my favorite paintings of a vintage toy from my collection and has won several awards.

painting, painting, painting - Vintage Toys

Reference photo for Cats and Dog, detail

I really want to get started putting the paint on the canvas for a new Vintage Toy painting. It's taken me hours (days) to get the drawing done.

But first, I need to take advantage of the blooming sunflowers and photograph them. You never know when you might want to paint one.

25th Annual Bosque Art Classic

Wings Like a Dove, 9 x 12. oil on board.

Of the 705 entries, 143 pieces of art were selected for the 25th Annual Bosque Art Classic. I am pleased to announce that all four of my entered paintings were among those selected.

This international juried art show and sale, held each year in September, will take place September 11 - 26 at the Bosque Arts Center in Clifton TX.

Mine is a Long and Sad Tale

Those words were spoken by the Mouse in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in 1865. This book has never been out of print since that time.

Mine is a Long and Sad Tale is oil on canvas, 12 x 16.

I created this painting for Steve Worthington's Mouse Project.  Steve has asked several artists to create a painting featuring one of his bronze mice. The images will then be compiled in a book and the proceeds from the book will be donated to animal shelters.

As many of you know I'm a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland. I've collected over 300 copies of this book, many with different illustrators. Yes, those are copies of the book in the painting (well, actually on of them is Through the Looking Glass). Since the book was written during the Victorian  Era I wanted to give the painting a Victorian feel.

You can see the Mouse has arrived after someone has extinguished the oil lamp and put her glasses down after spending an evening reading. The reader has stopped on the page featuring the Long and Sad tale which is written to resemble the shape of a tail.

One Eyed Jack

One Eyed Jack, 8 x 10, oil on board

I did a similar painting to this last year and I enjoyed painting it so I decided to revisit the subject. These are some vintage toys from my collection. Wooden Blocks, spinning tops, playing cards, chess, and marbles are all toys or games that have been played with by many generations of children.