Its so hot.......

Cactus Party - Acrylic on canvas board

8x10

For the last week, I think that summer is having a hard time saying goodbye, and letting fall come on its way. The air is hot, sticky, sweaty, and very unlike a true California day. It makes me think of my cute little succulants who must be the only ones enjoying these long days. Please fall, come soon now.

Painting Class

Last month I decided to have Jo Merli, a friend of mine, have a small painting class at my house. Joe taught us some fabulous techniques to use with acrylic paints. I'm excited because I have never been able to properly do landscape paintings in the past. My daughters Capri and Tatum joined in on the fun, and this was the end result. Capri is 9 yrs old and Tatum is 14. I wont tell you my age. :)
This is Capri and her painting.

This is Tatum and her painting.

This is mommas painting.

Capri's closeup painting.

Tatums closeup painting.

Eight Legs

I painted this a few years ago for a kids party. "Pin the tentacle on the octopus". Right now I wish I had a few extra tentacles to get things done in my house. I have been laid up in bed for 4 days because my back went out. I could just lay in my bed and pay bills, dust the room, clean the bathroom, wash the windows , fold laundry, vacuum all at the same time. Wouldn't that be cool?

An American Car in Cuba

Just finished this painting today. I love working with acrylics as they dry fast and I can usually finish a painting the same day I start. As I have mentioned before, my mother is Cuban and I love pictures containing the old American cars in Cuba.








8x10 Acrylic painting on canvas board

Flamenco Anyone?

This is another dancer I painted few years ago for my parents. I thought a poem by Federico García Lorca would be appropriate:

Vestida con mantos negros
Piensa que el mundo es chiquito
Y el corazón es inmenso...

Draped in black
She thinks that the world is small
and the heart is immense...







Watercolor on Arches coldpressed paper

Cuban Dance

Watercolor on Arches coldpressed paper

(George Ogan took this pic for me. Thank you George.)

Anyone like to line dance? My mom is from Cuba and I have always enjoyed looking at pictures of Cuban girls dancing. This watercolor was done a couple of years ago by me to give to my mom. She hangs it above her bed along with a few other paintings I've done for her.

Succulent Party

A friend of mine name George Ogan gave my husband and I a brilliant cactus garden that he created. Inspired by his work I decided to plant a little cactus garden for a friend of mine and I thought "what a cute painting this would make", and so WA-LA here it is.













"Succulent Party" 8x10 acrylic painting with varnish

Goin to the Aquarium

5x7 acrylic on canvas board

At the Aquarium of the Pacific by Craig Erick Chaffin
I saw this poem on www.famouspoetsandpoems.com

I saw a brilliant angelfish whose tail

and fins shimmered yellow until it turned

and silver spread like an undercoat of fur

when stroked against the nap, across its scales.

Black as caviar and rimmed with gold,

its eyes, though flat as dimes, looked deep as wells.

The clownfish cruising by above the shells,

its idiotic smile painted bold,

passed disinterested as if it’d seen

it all before. Maybe. But I've heard

fish see only black-and-white,

so why this purple puffer and iridescent green

parrot fish-- and for whom? It's absurd

to credit chance. Either for us or for the light.

To View a Fish

I brought my kids to a pool party two days ago and since I brought along my paints I painted this little acrylic painting out by the pool. It reminds me of a little fish I encountered in Grand Cayman a few years back while snorkeling. This little fish snorkeled with me all morning by my side. I loved that.

8x10 acrylic painting

painted on canvas board

Grandma and five fast mice

small 5x7 acrylic painting

on canvas board

Grandma and four dancing mice

small 5x7 acrylic painting

on canvas board

Grandma and three curious mice

small 5x7 acrylic painting

on canvas board

Grandma and two quiet mice

small 5x7 acrylic painting

on canvas board

Grandma and one suprised mouse

small acrylic painting

on canvas board

So this is my first post, I'm a bit nervous but it is July 1st and it is high time I started this. I am taking a class right now with Marissa from Creative Thursday and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The class is about marketing artwork via the web. My first step into this scary world of the Internet (for me) is starting this blog. Photographing my work is the next step in this process. Currently my camera takes lousy close up pictures. I will post a few pics that I think are OK. Thanks for looking.