I'm in a new place

Hi! I'm sorry I missed you. If you'd like to see what I'm up to with my watercolor painting PLEASE come see me at www.facebook.com/LisaCunninghamArt. Check out my new paintings. Like the page. Leave me a comment. Let me know you were there. See ya soon!

Penny

 

 

This is Penny. Isn't she gorgeous?

I'm running a special on pet portraits right now. The first five orders received will be $200 for an original 11x14 watercolor portrait of one pet. Regular price is $300. If the orders are received early enough, I hope to be able to have them done for Christmas. You can also buy a gift certificate at that price if you want to surprise someone for Christmas, but want to let them choose the photo that I'll paint from. Email me at glorybeefarm@live.com to place an order. 

My happy place

You wouldn't think one little trip to the library could get me in so much trouble. Well, maybe if you know me, you would think it could. But what I'm saying is, I was just wandering through the library, minding my own business, when I found this!

Sooooo many beautiful studios, for everything from mixed media artists, to quilters to painters. Painters!

So many clever organizational systems. So many ideas. So many visually interesting uses for small spaces.

Now, I really like my teeny, tiny little studio. Every part of the visual chaos has meaning to me, or is inspiring to me, or is just fun to look at. It's busy, but I like it. See? Here's what my studio looked like when I found the magical, inspirational book at the library.  

Please note, in particular, the white hutch. Only it's not really white. Not a nice white. It's actually primer white. The same primer white it was 5 years ago when I bought it at a cute little shop and told myself, "Oh, I'll totally paint it and it'll be great!"

Five. Years. Ago. 



 

So, anyway. I brought home the magical inspirational book and with 24 hours every single thing in this room was stacked in the hall. Everything off the walls. Everything off the shelves. Everything. Then I dragged my wonderful running buddy, who also happens to be a genius at picking paint colors, to the paint store. Because, while I do alright painting with watercolors, I'm seriously challenged at choosing colors for things like furniture and walls.

Then I came home with paint. Not enough paint, apparently, because there would be two more trips to buy more paint. I also came home with tarps and brushes and painters tape. And stir sticks and screw drivers for opening paint cans. It seriously was an enormous amount of work. But if you want to inspire your husband to be encouraging, just dump a whole room full of stuff where everyone in the family is sure to trip on it about a thousand times a day. He'll be more than happy for you to spend every free moment working on your "project" if it means you will only get all your crap back in the room where it belongs!!!

But, hey! Between work and laundry and soccer tournaments it only took me 3 weeks to finish. During which time  I watched a whole lot of Olympics, and Friends reruns, and Pawn Stars and 80's movies, so it was time well spent, really.

And here's the end result.

That blank blue wall will be devoted entirely to my own work, but first I have to put up blinds, because I don't want the paintings to fade in the sun. Ooooohhh, and I'm putting up a fixture with Ott light bulbs, which you may not know, but they provide natural lighting and they will be the coolest thing ever, which is good, because each light bulb costs as much as a nice dinner out for one person. But it's all totally worth it, I think. Mark thinks so, too, now that all my stuff is back where it belongs.

What I did this summer

Lesli's Happy Place

Kaylee and Mariah

Well how did I miss posting pictures of these? Well, I know how, actually. I didn't want to let the cat out of the bag until both of these paintings had been delivered. Now that they have gone to their new homes I can share them.
Up next... Pictures of my new and improved studio. I've been painting furniture and walls, which, frankly, is nowhere near as much fun as real painting. But I'm pretty happy with how everything turned out. Tomorrow is work, but I can't wait til Tuesday, when I can settle in and make some progress on the Tuscan vineyard. I can't wait to show you that either! Stay tuned...

The End of a Perfect Day

Pretty happy with this painting, I must say. I didn't know I could do that. Paint recognizable people, I mean. But I really wanted this painting. I mean REALLY wanted it. My favorite people in my favorite place.
It only took me about 14 months of picking at it. Making progress. Setting it aside. Looking at it half finished. Picking at it again and then finally telling myself that I would not paint ANYTHING ELSE until it was done. And what do you know? I did it.
Yay, me!
Now, what? I'm thinking Tuscan vineyard or blue-eyed husky. Or both. Yeah, probably both.
Can't wait.

Never thought I'd see the day

You can't say I haven't been warned. I know the dangers. Rachael Rossman is very clear about the havoc that can be wreaked by a studio cat. Hair on paintings. Colorful pawprints on paintings. Painting water used as a water dish.
But come on. Look at the cuteness. THE CUTENESS.
Mark still insists that this is a barn cat. But, honestly, I don't think even he completely believes it anymore. Every time I turn around, the kitten is in the house. More often than not, riding on Mark's shoulder as he goes about his day. I know. I don't believe it either. But, seriously, this is probably the single friendliest cat on planet earth. No one is immune to his charms.
And in the Cunningham family tradition, we seem unable to settle on one name. Here's the list so far.
Chumlee (from Pawn Stars)
Little Cat A (from The Cat In The Hat Comes Back)
Rootin' Tootin' Kitten Kabootin (from the Skippy Jon Jones books) This gets shortened to "Kabootin" or "Bootin")
Mousetrap Wellington III (from, well, my crazy family's overactive imagination)
So... I'll keep you posted on the transition from barn cat to studio cat, but I'm pretty sure that's what's gonna happen. It can't be helped.

Hen Party

Not sure why I have so much fun painting chickens. But I do. So here's some chickens. Tada!

(11x14 original watercolor on 300lb paper. Available for sale. $300. Email me at glorybeefarm@live.com if you are interested in any of my work, or in having a custom painting commissioned.)