Westie Sweater Dogs Sledding Painting

Just when we think we hear spring whistling down the lane...we receive 6 inches of fresh powdered snow to work or play with. (Forget about getting out the gardening shovel and pull out the snow shovel again.) My westie chooses playing over working hands down. The snow is way too powdery to form into some magnificent lawn ornament, but it's great for sledding, and saucers. Saucers are for the funloving type. You speed downhill and spin around at the same time.

The colors are soft like the snow. When it snows there is such a calm outside (when there isn't any wind at least) so I tried to capture that with the colors and the westies being a bit more colorful and energetic.

This painting is up for sale on ebay now.

Chihuahua Valentine Dogs Shabby Folk Art Painting

The chihuahua's have been Mexico's dog of choice for years. Now everyone loves them. History says it's ancestor's have been in Mexico way before Columbus wrote of them after visiting Cuba. Our neighbor recently purchased one for their children. The wind carries it's barks down our way and we try to imagine what he is saying. We know it is happy because we can hear the kids laughing. Sir Salty does not interpret for us except to look at us and smile.

Since Valentine's day is approaching this is what we know he is thinking about...L-O-V-E. This painting is titled, Heart Keeper, and she is taking very good care of his heart (that he gave her). She will not disappoint him and she will cherish him. Can't you tell this by her expression?

The chihuahua topiary form is balancing a heart on his nose. Talent.

For sale on ebay here.

Primitive Folk Art Sculpted Black Americana Doll

Dollmaking is an art that does not grow old for me. I've always thought of myself as a painter and not a scupltor. That changed a few weeks ago when I started my very first clay dolls!

I tried to sculpt Valentine from one of my black folk art paintings. I must confess I enjoyed painting her the most when creating her. Sewing is another creative avenue.

Valentine's hair is pulled into a side bun. She stands 20 1/4-inches tall. Straight and elegant. Valentine is up for sale on ebay now. Just type candylei in the search box. Be sure to stop back in to see my other dolls that are nearing completion.

Growing and Feeding Topiary

Let the snow fall. We will garden indoors with an outdoor attitude! We garden in our imagination, in our waking hours and in our sleep. We garden on paper and canvas, we garden on cupcakes! It is a passion. Even our westie dog has caught the gardening fever.

Topiary standards are little living green works of whimsy. They are fairly easy to grown and maintain. If you don't have a green thumb you could always have a moss covered topiary form instead. I like the real living plant myself.

I would love to have a stainless steel covered table like the one above for gardening. Wood tables are okay, but I guess it European-ish to have one like this. Even in the kitchen. Say like the kitchen in Julia and Julia where Julia Child's in this stainless steel kitchen in Paris. Cook like a pro and garden like a pro.

My yew shrubs that I bought last year are extremely hardy and still in their pots outside. I have not yet figured out how I want to shape them. They are a wonderful deep forest green. The mercedes and bentley's of hedges and garden topiaries.

The title of this painting is "I Heart Gardening" and is for sale on ebay now.

Westie Dog's Valentine Day & Pink Roses

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you dine in or dine out? Roses? Chocolates? Dinner? This little westie family is celebrating it together. That is how traditions are made.

For the colors of this painting I went with pink and green. Classic color combinations. A person can't go wrong with these two colors. They can be soft and romantic or bold and bright depending on how deep or dark you choose the colors to be.

Westie Tea Party Host Daily Painting

Not often does a westie get to host a tea party. We recorded this one so that you can see westie's have impeccable manners. As long as food is involved our westie can sit patiently for a wee bit. Heart cookies and hot tea warm the heart and stir the tongue to visit most pleasantly.

The softest shell pink color was used to portray how innocent these three are together. No hard feelings at all. Mr. Squirrel's acorn style hat is unique. When his cheeks get full of nuts he does stuff more nuts under his hat. Mr. Westie with his hat looks a bit like Abe Lincoln. A very short Abe. Miss Kitty is quite stylish with her grandmother's cameo. Cameo's never go out of style.

For sale on ebay.

Valentine Westie Dogs Art Daily Painting

Westies are the cutest dogs around even when they are full grown. They are like white clouds that run as fast as the wind. My westie boy is wondering why I have not painted him lately. He is such a good sport and always looks at me with the cutest fluffy face. So, I sat down this morning and painted these two valentines. I have to keep the valentine chocolates way up high because Sir Salty has a nose for chocolates. He can't have any because it is not good for dogs! But he can find some for me that my husband might have hidden. He likes the dark chocolate and I like the light chocolate.

Two little bluebirds are sweet on each other too in the painting. Soon it will be spring and we will see the real bluebirds when they come back. Yay!

Rabbit Sculpture Gardening and Folk Art Painting

Gardening with rabbits can be fun when you mix the real ones with the topiary bunnies. What fun! Here is Frida Kahlo with her green thumb and her pet bunnies. The sky is the limit in topiary gardening. Your imagination and clippers decide how cute it will be. It helps to start with healthy plants and keep them well fed. Repot once a year and trim back the roots. They like to eat good like the rest of us. I am trying to keep my gardening impulses under control. We gardeners tend to get itchy by the end of January.

For the colors of this painting I went old world with rich yet muted orange, pink, and browns. Basically I just looked at some of my clay pots and used the colors I saw on them.

This original painting is up for sale on ebay.

Seed Sowing -- Giant Blue Bird Delphiniums

To think that life waits patiently in these seeds and we are the caretakers of them gives us all hope. Hope for a huge stand of healthy and stately delphiniums...reaching for the sky and their rich blue blending as one with it.


The seed sowing bug is at our house. Some I must wait a bit to sow directly outside. Some go in hidden compartments of the refrigerator and hide with the cream cheese boxes. They aren't really hiding they just need to chill a bit. The delphiniums I start now so they bloom this summer.

They are sown on top of moist sterile soil then covered with a layer of plastic wrap directly on the soil. I put them in a place which stays about 40-50 degrees and wait for 28 days. Do not cover as they need light to germinate but not direct sunlight.

I have this dream of having the perfect English Garden with all the pretties bobbing above the roses and boxwood and topiaries. I grow delphiniums but not as gorgeous and also self-seeding like the English do. If I keep composting and give them half shade and the richest soil possible maybe this year they will be as good as the English? If not the sweet peas and poppies nearby and the roses in front of them, and boxwood holding all together will still say sweet English garden! I've already impressed the rabbits for years. Our sheep are impressed and think it's their gourmet garden bar when they get out. Now to impress the English.

English Roses: The language of love

Roses are so heady with fragrance and their lush cups of ruffled opulence dazzle us all. The english roses of David Austin look like the roses of the old masters paintings. They are made from some of the same bones, if you will.

I found my 2010 catalog unopened hidden in with some mail. The pictures make you a bit giddy especially if you love roses. David's display gardens in England are perfect! The foxgloves, the catmint, and the campanulas all mixed in and overflowing with happiness!

Our ground is still frozen. But we can surely dream.... To see his beautiful rose selections go to www.DavidAustinroses.com

Siamese Cats and Westie Dogs

Our not so shabby looking westie boy, Sir Salty. Snow or frost running is always on the daily agenda and he is wondering what is taking me so long to catch up. He has that look, "Don't tell me you're going back in the house now?

Two of our siamese cats getting some sun and waiting for spring like the rest of us. They are watching our westie run all around on the hill and thinking "He is crazy. It's much better to be a spectator today and move very little, but then that is what they say in the summer, too.

SHABBY CHIC Frida Kahlo Valentine Hearts Painting

My new Frida painting has those soft colors in it that we love Shabby Chic for. Especially the Shabby Chic sheets...the tiniest little soft pink roses sprinkled generously about on the white clouds of cotton. If you look closely Frida's bodice has some of those roses on it. Handpainted.

The pink heart swing is like a dream...who would want to sit on the dull black and gray ones when you can sit swing on this one for the romantics. Frida has yummy chocolate valentines, a red, rich-fragrant rose in her hair, fresh air whistling by her cheeks and a bluebird perched on her toe! That is love!

This cute heart painting is up for grabs on ebay today. And I think I have had chocolate myself every day for the last week which was around for grabs. That just comes from painting valentines and standing in lines at stores and of course, I love it.

Making and Shaping a Paperclay Folk Art Doll

To begin just get your hands wet and start shaping your doll. Have a bowl of water at hand to keep dipping your fingers in and keep shaping. My dolls will look like the girls in my paintings so I shaped them accordingly.

I attached the clay to the stair rail spindle and then finished shaping it. This clay attaches itself to most everything and it shrinks a bit as it dries. The railings are a great way to give your dolls height and, if attached to another block on the bottom, keep them standing securely.

Drying times vary, but give it a few days to cure or fully dry. The paint works as a sealer so it's important that it be dry first before painting.

Here I have started painting my black americana girl. I put a close-hanger wire through the upper body to make space to attach her arms. You can use wire, small dowls, string and buttons to attach arms. I don't think I will use this fabric but it was handy for the picture and it does look good against her facial coloring.

Paperclay is super to work with. Keep it wet and you don't need many tools. Your fingers can smooth out everything as long as they are wet. A wet sponge buffs it like a light sanding when it's wet. You can also sand when it's completely dry. I've heard people say the finished doll looks like china. Especially with a glossy finish.

For this doll it took 1 1/3 packages of paperclay. 6 oz. packages. Check back for the finished doll! She will be up for sale on yes, you guessed it, ebay.

Primitive Wooden Spool Doll Making Frida Kahlo

Fiesta Frida is a Wooden spool doll with that primitive look we love. The colors are so Frida and the bright fringe trim that was wound around the spool makes her beautiful mexican skin colors shine. Her headband is removable. I just finished Fiesta Frida this afternoon and it is for sale on ebay.



Stay tuned for my paperclay doll. I will (!) post pictures tomorrow when the lighting will be the best. I do believe I have been bitten by the dollmaking bug again. Frida has some friends in the making.

As with all artists we have MANY ongoing art projects! Tomorrow I hope to finish another project, too and try NOT to start any new ones! But that is not a promise.

Stop by my etsy shop if you like.

What is paperclay or paper clay made of?

Paperclay is a brand name for a clay that is used in many primitive style dolls for the shaped heads, arms, and feet. Many animals, dragons, mini dollhouse items, and jewelry are made from this clay. It is all natural, biodegradable, and non toxic. If you're like me you turn the package upside down and all around to find out exactly what are the ingredients? Okay non-toxic but what?

The answer: volcanic ash, talc, water, starch, wood pulp and preservative. That is rather unusal, but neat. My package said it was made in Japan and I purchased it at Michaels here in Maryland after stopping at a Michaels in Virginia where it was sold out!

Paperclay's website has craft ideas and a short video from martha stewart on their website. Paperclay.

I am having a bit of fun with some now and will post the results soon. It's always fun to try something new and this is new for me. It is already a dream to work with.

Valentine's Day Cupid Mexican Folk Art

Gardening is on my mind more and more these days as the seed and plant catalogs are avalanched to our door by the postman. Then Valentine's day has such a romantic pull to it. All you need is love...and a rascal cat. I added a cat mouse toy with little red hearts on it plus the hugs and kisses on Frida's blouse. Topiary heart plants and love. And they are evergreen which means love lasts through all seasons. No one can miss all of the symbols of love I reckon. Fun ones at that.

But better yet Frida is Cupid and with the help of her black cat she is going to plant lots of seeds of love in everyone's hearts. I think the colors show that Frida is very serious about being Cupid. Link to Painting.

Love is Heart Cupcakes- Daily painting Valentines

Our cat used to have the midnight crazies and now it just wants to steal our whipped confections. Thus came about this 5 x 10-inch painting titled "Heart Stealer." Don't let the cute heart glasses fool you. Kitty is cute though. Kitty only has eyes for cupcakes...paws are going to make them hers. The bluebirds wait for the crumbs.

I seem to zig zag back and forth from day to day from soft colors to bright, rich saturated colors. I tried to add a few light notes to the rich ones...such as the light pink dress and the light green shirt. I do love the rich red, orange and pink color combinations in the garden and in art on canvas. Even textiles. Think merrimekko.

Up for sale on ebay.

Boy Meets Girl and they Fall in Love

I think you could find many different verbs to describe all the emotions of falling in love. And they are all opposites of each other! Worried-Happy, etc. etc. etc......Think roller coaster. That describes this sweet painting titled "Lovesick". They give each other Valentines cards and here they got each other the very same card! She's amused and he hasn't even noticed yet as he's worried if she'll like the card. He is from New York City...dressed in all black.

Little chihuahua wears his heart sweater looking for love.

As for colors....you can see I went back to my light mossy green. I think it makes a soft background color. I look at out walls and they are all the same colors, but the shadows fall and with the lightshades make about 10 different colors in the room...except they all come from the same color. I try to remember when I paint that nothing is going to be the same flat color! Light affects all areas.

I am trying to make some small paintings that have a hint of valentines in them. Up for sale on ebay now.

DECORATING Valentine Cupcakes Art Frida Kahlo

Today is cupcake day. This morning I sketched out how I wanted to decorate my Frida and Diego cupcakes and instead of going to the kitchen I started "stirring and cooking" on canvas. Less messy, but not as tasty.

I consciously painted this one in all warm colors. Do they have blue valentine hearts? I know they do have blue cupcake wrappers. The colors were radiant I thought. Just like bold pop art. Then I experimented with some staining (something I have never used til today)...and wow it took it down quite a few notches in boldness and gave it a rather primitive, grungy feel. I used a fine art pencil to write in the letters and words on the valentine heart mouths.

Cupcake Sweethearts is up for sale on ebay.

Now to finish decorating the real cupcakes!

Primitive Frida Kahlo Self Portrait Dolls Painting

Triple vision right after double vision. This is a new painting I did today of our favorite folk artist Frida Kahlo. I wanted rich, warm saturated colors. Something that had a hint of valentine in, but nice to display all year long. Also I wanted them to hold something that Frida loved to add symbolism.

At first I was going to have it all warm colors--this is where an artist starts to make intelligent changes while painting--but I didn't want an all green parrot because I had already wanted a warm green for the background. So he is a little blue and a little green and I then I went back and added some blue to the ribbon of the first Frida. Even contrast. Harmony.

A little bit (very small amount) of cool colors can set off a rich, juicy painting and make it look even more lush. Normally your eye always goes to red in a painting, but in this case since everything is warm colors your eye goes to the tiny cool colors! Where did your eye look first when you glanced at this painting?

This one is titled appropriately, "ME, MYSELF, AND I." It is up for you on ebay now. Stay tuned for more original art!

FRIDA KAHLO and Doll Self Portrait Folk Art Painting

This is the first in a new body or group of paintings that I've started. Frida as a palm or coconut tree titled STANDING TALL. She has her own Frida Tree Doll with her. It's meant to kind of blend a bit so that you have to look twice to see what it is.

I am not a big fancier of using chemical aging or antiquing dyes and such. I feel just mix the colors you want and get it the very first brushstroke. It helps you learn alot about color and their hues.

Check back again for the next Frida Kahlo Portrait tree. This one is up for sale now on ebay.

Daily Westie Oil Painting Soft Colors

How would you show a softie at heart without words? I mean really soft. Only colors to describe your feelings about the subject. This is what I came up with today of our westie dog. He has a bark and sometimes a little growl, but really he is a big softie. He lets the cats rub against his face without a peep over and over again. Dogs are not suppose to like cats. Anyway he is full of kisses and love for us.

My choice of colors is from my little group of herbs. The curry plant. Also the slightly warmer green from my fleece gloves. Take the minty green and warm it up and it also says SPRING time. If you cool it down with blue it says WINTER frost. Having had enough frost I went the spring route which I look out the window every day waiting for signs of it.

Seeds packets are in the nursery and greenhouses now. Yes!

Daily Oil Painting Abstract Westie Dog

The snow is all but gone in the shadows. I am painting a group of westie dogs in an realist, impressonist style with abstract backgrounds. The colors I am just picking out by my moods and surroundings. So how does this work? Well, there is not much science involved luckily.


We stirred up banana bread and added grated orange rind to the batter. That is the color combination of the abstract squares. The green and blue I brought in from outside. The purple is from the clouds shining on the lowering sun. But really the puppy is the beautiful part of the painting!

These smaller oil paintings are less expensive than the larger ones and they are a great size to collect and make small groupings of them. Look for more. This one is on ebay for grabs now.

Daily Painting Hats Mrs. Rabbit and Mrs. Snowman Altered Folk Art

Hats off to 2010! Happy New Year! What do alot of people do on New Year's Day...go shopping. We did. All art supplies and some food treats. We had to walk off the sweet holiday food from the last two weeks. I think we'll be walking for along time yet.

This is Mrs. Rabbit and Mrs. Snowman in the painting above. If you've ever wondered what Mrs. Snowman's wife looked like here she is. What do they do when the weather warms a bit? They leave, too, and go shopping...for hats. We had a spiff of snow yesterday and I got the background colors from outside. The coats are soft and muted colors so that their faces shine out above them. For sale now on ebay.