For the love of birds

Here are some new mini chickadee paintings and a set of other bird paintings on wood that I finished recently. I say "other" because I'm not sure if they really exist. Kind of a cross between a morning dove and a chickadee.
Oh the joy of being an artist. You can get away with creating whole new species and no one seems to mind. I've also been known to cruise around town, hands covered in paint...no one says a thing. (Sure wish I was a mind reader)
Oh the joy of not caring what total strangers think. It's truly freeing! Go ahead..try it...I know you want to.:)

New!

Furniture has been flying out of the Pannikin the last few weeks. Here's my most recent display. I call it "Summer Sunset" (super cheesy right?! ;)

..Also, I'm just about to post my kayak on craigslist. It's $200 and the paddle is included cause I already have another one. This one was a lot of fun, but I've got my eyes on another one or maybe thinking of getting a tandem) interested? Let me know Karin (SOLD!!)

New Furniture!

What?...two posts in one night?
Its been either feast or famine with my blog posting...and tonight...we shall feast.

Some of you may recognize this piece. It's my old shop counter from Vintage Blues! Decided it was time to let it go. With a coat of green paint and some distressing..off to the Pannikin it went. Lasted a whole day before getting snatched up by some lucky shopper.

I replaced it as soon as possible with this beauty... a vintage cabinet with amazing storage and neat little drawer inside. There are also a few small pieces on sale too. Get'em while their hot! They won't last long.

The Barnyard

Right now and till the end of July, you can see my latest paintings on display at the pannikin. My goofy barnyard series are up. I hope to add a few more animals but seeing how long it took me to finish these....well, I'm not making any promises.

The chicken still cracks me up when I look at her. She reminds me so much of my old hen "Lemon Drop"

Also on display is my Octopus. The second painting for my "sea creatures in a bottle" series. What's up with all these series anyway? I'm sure it's just a phase.

Better late than never

I made these Hypertufa planters for my husbands friend who's remodeling his house inside and out. They were on my "to do" list for months.
Because of their size...they are super heavy and take twice as long to cure. Oh, and I can only make one at a time.
Well, finally they are done....and just in time for his wife's birthday.
All the succulents are cuttings from my garden. That would have cost a fortune if I had to buy them. I just love that succulents propagate themselves.

**Here's something totally random but got my attention the other day. I saw an ad for an estate sale reading.....
"Once in a lifetime estate sale!"
Then I shot coffee shot out my nose...Cause unless you have nine lives, aren't they all? Geez...funny yet tacky, all at the same time.

Grant Pecoff Reception

It was a real treat watching Grant Pecoff paint live at his art reception over at Bliss in Encinitas. He doesn't know it yet, but he's a natural born teacher. I was seriously glued to his ever word while he explained techniques and color theory......well, at least until my friend Greta showed up. We drank wine, watched and chatted the night away...and then... she got "Shushed" in front of everyone by some weird guy! Wahaaaha, so sorry Greta. He obviously mistook the gala for the local library.

Glass Etching Tutorial

First off, I should start by saying....I am not a professional glass etcher. This was my first project. I may or may not do it again cause I'm tired of always finding the most toxic of chemicals to work with. Seriously, the stuff I've used over the years....I'm surprised I don't have an extra arm growing out my back.
So if you're not scared of corrosive materials and want to give it a try, I say..go for it.
The steps are pretty straight forward and simple. Just make sure you're in a well ventilated area with gloves and no one else in the room.
(ie..pets or husband..read below for why I said husband)

Supplies needed:
1. Armor Etch- I bought a small bottle from Dick Blick online right here.
I almost didn't have enough for the whole project, so if you have a bigger surface to cover, I suggest you get a larger bottle.

2.Contact Paper (you know, the stuff you cover your pantry shelves with)

3.x-acto blade

4.Paper towels and some rags

5.Glass or mirror to etch

Step 1: Draw your design or image on the contact paper and apply it to a clean mirror or glass. Make sure to smooth out any bubbles that get trapped underneath.

Step 2: cut out your design with your blade.




Step 3: slather on the Armor Etch (the thicker the better) Wait the recommended time for the solvent to eat away at your glass.




Step 4: I used a damp rag and paper towels to remove most of the armor etch. Throw these into the trash immediately. This stuff is crazy toxic and you don't want any left on a table or workspace where you could accidentally come in contact with it.

(So I thought I was being super careful. I was throwing away my paper towels and rags right after using them. Then along came Art my husband. He was taking out the trash. (perfect timing right?) Because my studio trash can is usually recyclable materials (paper), he dug his had in to grab the paper not knowing all my toxic man eating chemicals were on top. I screamed for him to wash his hands....and he took off lightning fast to the kitchen. He was lucky..no burns.

Step 5: pull off the contact paper. Clean off one more time with glass cleaner and voila...your masterpiece.