Saturday, December 27, 2008

Norwegian Fjord Draft horses, Red Barn

detail

" Melinda's Victoria "
Oil
12"x16"
This is the very special Christmas commission I was busy working on for a good friend, hence very few daily paintings. Now that Melinda has opened her gift I can post an image of the painting here! While the 3 week old filly, Victoria, is the center of interest I wanted the entire painting to tell a story of their amazing farm with the beautiful red barn. The property has Idaho snow covered mountains to the north, so of course my telephoto image brought them closer. Then there are the sage covered south facing hills and finally the flat farm land. I am learning about Norwegian Fjord draft horses. They are about 14 hands so some people call them ponies. The manes are typically "roached" or cut so that you see the dark running down the center of the blond mane. Victoria's mane and tail was very curly, she was so cute. Melinda will now remember back when I was taking pictures in August and now know what my intensions were really all about!
The difficulty with this painting was getting the eyes right, not easy on such a tiny painting. I would put the strokes down and like it, then think it needed something else, end up wiping it all off..I did this many, many times. That is when I had to leave the painting alone for a few days and come back with a fresh eye and more patience. I'm really happy with how it turned out...and so is Melinda. That's the big pay-off!
Private Collection


Sunday, December 21, 2008

Merry Christmas, Glass Ornament

" Shiny Brite "
Oil
6"x6"
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Peace & Love in the coming New Year.
A note on this painting that I did last December. It wasn't until I was finished that I noticed I'd painted a reflection of myself. My first self-portrait...it was painless.

Monday, December 15, 2008

" Green Pears in Dough Bowl "
Oil
9"x12"
Private Collection
Filling in for today's post is this little oil I painted a few years ago. The linen napkin gave me fits and now as I look back over this past year I realize how much the daily paintings have helped me with drapery. I am working on a commission this week that is taking some time, so no daily's til it's finished. Check out Neil Hollingsworth's latest commissioned work...talk about patience! These are much larger paintings then I have seen him do and I can imagine the amazing amount of work entailed. Notice his palette off to the right with all his premixed colors. Now that is palette discipline! I teach using a premixed palette when working from a photo. For plein air I will mix 4-5 values to get going. For large work I plan the entire painting's colors and premix them. All decisions are made and it makes painting more relaxing and I'm not tempted to just throw a bit of this or that color because I haven't used it yet. Whistler premixed and I love his work. So many ways to work, we each find what works for us. I usually premix most colors for my little daily paintings, too.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Satsumas, Mandarins, Orange Fruit

" Satsumas III "
Oil
6"x6"
$425 custom framed
Click here for purchase information
A young man working in produce was peeling these into a large bowl for sampling. He offered the bowl to me and said he couldn't quit eating them. They were delicious. I especially love how easy it is to peel Satsumas and Mandarins. The skin feels as if it isn't even attached. Here are these three, marching forward on a vintage blue William Sonoma dishtowel. I wasn't quite in the mood to paint today. Good thing I had my studio open to to public and so that made me paint. After awhile I was in the zone and I am pleased with the results.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Apple, Lemon, Satsuma, Salt Shaker

" Still Life with Salt Shaker "
Oil
6"x8"
As promised, something bright! I usually only paint one type of fruit at a time but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Guess I covered most colors on the color wheel with this one, too.
Click here to purchase

Friday, December 5, 2008

Lemons & Apple on Olive Cloth

" Lemons & Apple on Olive Cloth "
Oil
6"x6"
Painting # 119
I've wanted to use this olive patterned cloth for some time and decided yellow on yellow would make for a sunny and cheery painting. Cheery is what we need these days! I'm going to watch a Dana Carvey dvd after dinner which should be good medicine, too. Sending love and positive thoughts your way!
Tomorrow I will look for other bright things to paint.

SOLD

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Bakelite fork, bacon fork, can opener

" Still Life with Cutlery & Can Opener"
Oil
6"x6"
I enjoyed painting this arrangement of inorganic objects for a change. They were arranged on glass and the reflections appeared subtle. I want to focus the next 2 weeks on posting as many little daily paintings as I can before my son comes home from college for Christmas break. Will see..as life has a way of changing any plans I make.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Evening bag, clutch, leather

Linen Bunny Tote

Rosey Red Clutch

How's this for getting off track of my daily paintings? In the near past I had a passion for making handbags and decided to open an Etsy Store to sell the remaining ones. Entirely handcrafted, leather handles, leather flowers and all. I have been sewing since I was 5, accidentaliy poked the kid sitting next to me in the face with a needle as I was embroidering! Anyway, I thought you'd get a kick out of seeing "another side" of me. I find crafting more "fun" than painting as its more about doing "busy hands, mind can wander" and not all the mental gymnastics that painting takes.
Please visit My Etsy Store

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Still Life with Lemon, Salt & Pepper shakers

" Still Life with Lemon "
Oil
6"x6"
I love painting objects that reflect and these salt and pepper shakers do just that. I placed a piece of red paper "off-stage" so that the red was reflected adding more color interest.
SOLD

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Gerber Daisy, Mason Jar, flower

" Gerber Daisies "
Oil
6"x6"
Daily painting #116
Delicate Gerber daisies in an old pint Mason jar. I rummaged around our stash of glass jars..we make freezer jam so save all peanut butter and jam jars, plus we do some canning and have a huge assortment of canning jars. I am always surprised how the shape of the jars varies over the decades. I would think that once you have a well designed jar why change it? But, in our society it seems changes are made for the sake of change and marketing an "all, new design", etc. Keeps industrial designers in work. Thinking back over my career I often wonder what other creative fields I might have tried. Industial design would be one. I have always wanted to design a "line" of something dishes, wallpaper, fabrics, etc. So many ideas, so little time.
Click here to purchase

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Navel Orange, kitchen fruit

" Navel Orange "
Oil
6"x6"
I thought I'd better get this one posted today so you could see how all three of the kitchen fruit look together. It's fun to paint several in a row that are similar in composition. These are bold, bright and simple but make a strong statement together.
Sold

Fuji Apple, kitchen fruit

" Big Red "
Oil
6"x6"
Sold
Here's the second in the grouping, the Bartlett Pear from yesterday and tomorrow the Navel Orange. I'm hoping someone will want all three to hang as a colorful grouping in their kitchen.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Bartlett Pear, kitchen fruit

" Bartlett Pear I "
Oil
6"x6"
Sold
I will be posting a single apple and then a single orange tomorrow and the next day. I designed these to hang together, either framed individually or mounted together in the same frame. Yellow pear/purple background. Red Apple/green background and orange orange/blue background. It was fun to paint a single fruit a bit larger than life. They remind me of the ceramic fruits and veggies my grandmother painted for her kitchen back in the 1960's. She painted greenware and let me do some, too. I'm showing my age!
Plein air painters or wannabes Check this out... Hilarious, thanks Tony Pro and Jeremy Lipking!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

" Cherries I "
Oil
12"x12"
Private Collection
Here's an oil I did a few years ago, one of my favorites. I've been tagged by E. Floyd which means I get to reveal a few things about myself! Thank you Elizabeth...she has a wonderful blog and is a talented artist and architect. Here are the rules of engagement:
1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules
3. List 6 or 7 unusual things about yourself or quirky but boring, unspectacular details about yourself
4. Tag 6-7 other bloggers at the end of your post and comment on their blogs to let them know they've been tagged

Here goes:

1. I'm a birdwatcher

2. I still won't step on a crack in a sidewalk

3. I love popcorn with butter and hate to share it with anyone

4. I do remember most people from high school

5. I hate shopping but do love to buy art supplies...my closet is a disaster but my studio sublime

6. Grocery shopping is a bore but I do love to shop for just the right piece of fruit or other still life subject.

Tagging the following fellow bloggers. If I can do it so can you!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Sugar cubes, silver sugar spoon

" Sugar Cubes & Lemon "
Oil
6"x6"
Very challenging to paint tiny little cubes. The color here is off and I couldn't get it right on my photo shop program. The lower right shadows and cubes should be more green..oh, well. I added the grains of sugar because they were there... and I finally noticed them. I think they add a bit of depth and sparkle.
Private Collection

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Blueberries in Buffalo China Bowl

" Just Blueberries "
Oil
6"x6"
One of my favorite color schemes is yellow and blue violet and I threw in a bit of orange, too. What a challenge blueberries are. It is the type of subject that, for me, takes so much concentration. I found myself losing patience several times, having to refocus my attention to work one berry shape at a time. I left the painting to dry overnight so I could do some glazing. The paint wasn't quite dry today, it took a light hand and more patience. Whew, it's done. I do like it a lot and hope you do, too. Cheery yellows and blues for a gray November day...Veterans Day!
If there are any veterans reading my blog today, I want to thank you for your service to our country, the sacrifices you and your families have made to keep us free. Thank you and God Bless you!
SOLD

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Silver Spoon, Sugar Spoon, Lemon

" Silver Sugar Spoon with Lemon "
Oil
6"x6"
How many ways can you paint a lemon? Or a glass plate? Guess this is my lemon with glass plate series number 3 this week. I knew I had paint left from yesterday's lemon painting and with the economy I'm feeling very frugel. Besides, when you choose similar objects or paint the same landscape view over and over you don't have to rethink everything, yet each will have its own character.
I chose a white napkin because I wanted a "high key" painting, lots of light values: more feminine than yesterday's bold reds and greens and stripes.
SOLD

Friday, November 7, 2008

Still Life with Lemon and Little Limes

"Still Life with Lemon & Little Limes"
Oil
6"x6"
Sold
I haven't used this heavy, woven fabric before. It was at the bottom of my fabric stash and I thought it would be interesting with the citrus fruit and clear plate. I love how the edge of the plate bends the stripes. I paint what I see initially then take a long look at the painting so far to see what it needs. Tomorrow, I might end up glazing some of the shadow shapes darker for more contrast...

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Bartlett Pears, Blue knife

" Pears and Blue Knife"
Oil
6" x 6"
I usually like to have all the pears standing up but this one wouldn't cooperate. Then I noticed it had a very good blossom end so I set the light to just catch the tips of those ends or whatever they are called.
I played with various plates, vases, etc. and kept coming back to this white linen napkin, very wrinkled. I've used it many times before and it's familiar to me..maybe that's what I liked. For the serrated edge on the knife, I first scratched the serrated shapes, then smudged a bit, then used the end of an orange stick (for manicures) to touch on the white highlights.
SOLD

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Succulents II, Hens & Chicks

" Succulents II "
Oil
34" x 48"
I checked in with Frank Gardner's blog today and he is celebrating his one year anniversay of blogging! Congrats Frank! I thought I'd better check back and see when it was I began my own blog..it was October 22, 2007! Now, I haven't met my goal of 365 paintings, no where near. However, if I hadn't set that goal I wouldn't have completed the 107 I have done ( little daily paintings, not counting larger work.) It's the best thing I have ever done for my painting. I enjoy the discipline and the satisfaction of finishing a small canvas or panel in a few hours instead of days or weeks or months on larger work. Today's post is of an older painting. I sold it last year and do miss having it in my studio. I painted it in the mid-80's when my focus was on batik, not oils. If you'd like to see some of my batik work go to my main website. Thanks for visiting!
Private Collection

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Still Life with Lemons & Striped Cloth

" Still Life with Lemons & Stripes "
Oil
6"x6"
Busy, bright and it was fun to paint! I love this vintage pressed glass plate and it's wavy optics. Once again I used my one of my favorite fabrics, a woven stripe of many colors. Cheery colors and stripes for these stressful times we are in. Peace and love to all.
Sold

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Fall Aspen Trees

" Fall Aspen Trees "
Oil
6"x6"
Beautiful fall weather with more reds and oranges than we usually see. I was attracted by the brilliantly lit aspen trees against the nearly black hillside of fir trees. I really like the results, not overworked. I think because I'd told myself this was a study I approached it in a more relaxed way. I was reminded that to truely see the light you have to squint. In the case of these trees, squinting allowed me to see that most of the tree area was a dark middle value with just the edges lit. Without the squint, my mind told me the whole tree was lighter and would have resulted in much less contrast and hence not dramatic.
Available $425 framed Email me



Lemons & Blue Knife

" Lemons & Blue Knife "
Oil
6"x6"
I did some shopping at Costco last week and always buy the large bag of lemons. Nice shapes and colors. It seems so many of the Sunkist lemons in our local store have thick skins that I find unattractive for painting. I haven't painted 6x6's in awhile so decided to use my favorite dish towel and lemons, as they, too are a favorite subject. I liked the contrast of soft fabric folds with the straight, verticle knife.
Available, click here

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Garden Still Life, potted plants

"Garden Still Life "
6"x8"
Oil
This little oil was completed in about 2 hours during a garden tour that supports our local community library. The paint just fell off the brush in all the right places...yes! Rare, but those are the ones that keep me coming back for more.
Private Collection

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lemons & Mandarins II

"Lemons & Mandarins II"
Oil
11"x14"
I completed this small oil a while ago but it is one of my favorites and so I wanted to share it with you. I try to set up still lifes with very strong shadow patterns and this one on a white table cloth has that going for it.
Private collection

Monday, September 29, 2008

Early Morning Light, Adams Gulch

"Early Morning Light"
Oil
6x8
Here's a small plein air study from last summer. I went out today and did two fall color studies, the trees are incredible right now. Way more orange and red then we normally see. I need to let the studies rest a day and take a fresh look tomorrow before I post them. Like most artists, I'm pretty hard on myself. I usually don't like what I do plein air while I'm there working and completing the painting. I love being outdoors painting, but I feel overwhelmed with the beauty I see around me. Back in the studio indoor lighting usually reveals a pretty good painting...usually, not always. Need the duds to keep me going back. Which I need to do more often. Maybe make a commitment to so many panels done outdoors? Could only help.
$625 framed Email me

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

" Early Morning Adams Gulch "
Oil
8"x10"
The location for this little painting is one of my favorite local places to hike, which I did last Friday with a good friend. It was painted on a very smooth gessoed masonite panel which I toned a yellow ochre ahead of time. The slick surface keeps my brushstrokes loose and lets lots of the toned board show through, adding little touches of the feeling of light.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Silver Creek, Idaho flyfishing, brown trout

" Silver Creek "
Oil
6" x 8"
This little plein air study was done at world famous Silver Creek which is 30 miles south of where I live here in Idaho. The Nature Conservancy owns much of the land preserving a very delicate habitat. Wiley brown trout are the attraction of this high altitude spring-fed creek.
I used a medium with my paint and the result was a more fluid look and feel to the finished painting.
Thanks for visiting my blog!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Labor Day Weekend 2008, Clydesdales





Budweiser Clydesdales
Labor Day Weekend 2008
Last Saturday was our annual Labor Day Big Hitch Parade. The highlight of the parade are the 6 antique ore wagons pulled by a 20 mule team. However, this year was special because one of the six Budweiser teams came. The day after the parade they brought the team to the horse pasture across the highway from me. I spent over 2 hours photographing these amazing animals, their handler/drivers and two year old Dalmation, Bradley, buffed-out wagon, not to mention the three beautiful semi-trucks that carry them over 300 days of the year around the country! Oh, two other great parade entries: a tiny wagon pulled by 6 Corgis and two Texas Longhorns with riders! This is the largest non-motorized parade in the USA. Last year all Labor Day activities were cancelled due to the huge fires here. It's the last busy weekend before fall slack hits. The locals love the slow down time before a busy ski winter.







Friday, August 29, 2008

Still Life with Olives I

" Still Life with Olives "
Oil
12"x12"
I have used this woven striped fabric many times in my paintings. It is quite a remarkable pattern and one that keeps me challenged. I think I captured it best back on the daily painting of limes in a white bowl and also with the green pears. It's just a exciting arrangement of colors.
Framed: $850 Email me

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Art y Pico Award

Many thanks for the Art y Pico Award from fellow art blogger, Mary Sheehan Winn ! To quote the originator's intent in creating it, "The Arte y Pico Award has arisen from the daily visits that I make to many blogs which nourish and enrich me with creativity. In them, I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain and enrich me day to day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few."

As a recipient I am asked to perpetuate the award by doing the following. The Rules:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award through creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author with a link to their blog.
3. Award winners have to post the award with the name and link to the blog of the person who gave them the award.
4. Post a comment on each recipient's blog so they know they've been picked.
5. Show these rules and the paragraph (above) explaining the awards origination. To quote her description of this award: The Arte y Pico Award has arisen from the daily visits that I make to many blogs which nourish and enrich me with creativity. In them, I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain and enrich me day to day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few."

Here are my 5 picks: 1. For her amazing pencil drawings but also because her blog is a wealth of information that inspires beginners as well as seasoned artists Marsha Robinett 2. Carol Marine Her beautiful paintings and daily blog inspired me to give the daily painting blog a try.
In 30 years of being a professional artist, its the single best thing I have done to instill discipline in my work day! Thanks Carol! 3. Matt Miller I love his sense of humor, not to mention his extraordinary application of paint. No following the sheep here. 4. Taylor Lynde Fabulous plein air painter from Montana. While Taylor doesn't blog regularly his work is so inspiring and can be found on eBay. I like how he shows a black/white image so you can see the strong contrasts of light/dark in his paintings. I have one of his paintings that I enjoy daily! Check him out. 5. Last but not least, Katie May .
This young beginning artist has incredible spirit. She had the courage to jump right in, putting her paintings on a blog for the world to see. I have seen such growth in a very short period of time. She already has her own style which reflects her exhuberant personality! Go Katie!!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Still Life with Lemons I

" Still Life with Lemons I "
Oil
42"x44"
I don't know where the summer has gone! But, here it is nearly September and I haven't posted many daily paintings. I thought I would post a few of my larger works until I get the daily thing going again. Just sent my son off to college, a junior this year. It was wonderful having him at home, working locally as a bike mechanic in a local sports shop.
This oil sold at the first of two summer shows to a collector who lives in Florida and grows oranges. I painted it a few years ago and I will miss having it in my studio. You can see that I love fabrics. This one is my interpretation of a vintage William Morris tapestry. The tapestry was green and golds, but I changed the colors because I felt the blue violet worked with the lemons and mandarins.
Private Collection

Monday, August 4, 2008

The Girl with the Watering Can, Lemons, tea pot, tulips

" Girl with the Watering Can "
Oil
34" x 34"
Finally finished this still life. I will also post it with the earlier post showing the progression of this painting. I am pleased with the painting. I was considering changing the blue background to something else but the blue worked best, tying in the china bowl, cup & saucer. A good example of the human shape taking center stage, no matter the other strong contrasts that might be going on. I have another show this week and feel ready, lots of new work, just a few more to frame.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Raspberry Jumble, glass plate, summer fruit, red

" Raspberry Jumble "
Oil
6"x6"
My first intention was to have the berries very large on the picture plane. But, I love this old clear glass plate and got carried away wanting to show more of it. Now the painting is more about the dark/light contrast of berries against the white napkin and the strong diagonal line of cloth and table top. Second time I've painted raspberries. What I've learned is that it takes patience to keep layering the various reds and a very light touch with sable brushes to lay wet over wet. And lastly, going back and redefining the edges of each berry. I wasn't nit-picky about each berry's little bumps, just a suggestion of them...not enough room or patience to do that. A scientific illustrator I'm not.
SOLD

Saturday, July 26, 2008

"Raspberry Delight", berries in Buffalo China bowl

" Rasberry Delight "
Oil
6" x 6
It was a delight and a challenge to paint these raspberries. A new subject for me. I want to do a single blow up of one so that I can really get in the detail of the translucence, like painting a grape. That translucence is a warm orange-red about a value 7. So much information to interpret. After the single large detailed study I would then venture to try a more abstract approach.
SOLD

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Squash Blossoms, zuchinni squash

" Squash Blossoms "
Oil
6"x8"
Last Monday I had a very nice group of 10 women (whose husbands are members of the NSSGA (National Stone Sand Gravel Assoc. & here for a conference at Sun Valley Resort) visit my studio to see what a "Day in the Life of a Working Artist" was like. I did a demo painting in my garden so they could see what Plein Air painting was all about. I don't have distant views of the surrounding mountains because our conifers are 70' tall surrounding our property. So, this view of zuchinni squash is what I painted.
This spring I planted my son's Flexi Flyer red wagon with a tomato plant and the zuchinni. I pull it around the yard where ever the sun is. I built a box about 16" high inside the wagon to hold the soil. Works great. Nice reminder, too, of all the fun my son had with this wagon that his godparents gave him at age 3 (he'll be 20 next month!) For many years I used it to haul my garden tools in, too.
SOLD

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Chorus Line, cherries in oil

" Chorus Line "
Oil
6"x8"
Idaho cherries were in the store this week and most of the cherries were in groups of two or three which makes for nice stem action.
These five reminded me of a chorus line. I'm usually not very good at titles but sometimes the paintings name themselves.
$475 framed
Available: Email me

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Arrangement with Orange & Lemon, oil on canvas

" Arrangement with Orange & Lemon "
Oil
24" x 24"
I like this size canvas and as I've said before the square format is becoming my favorite. This painting is very symetrical except for the strong shadow shapes and the fruit ( while round are different in color). I did a little 6x6 of this design some time ago with the intention of painting it larger, too. I used size 8 & 10 brights for most of the painting.
$4,000
Available: Email me

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Summer Berries, oil on gessoboard

" Summer Berries "
Oil
6"x6"
This little painting "painted itself". Every now and then a painting is effortless, it just flows. I took time this week to drive 80 miles to a stawberry farm. Eight gallons of berries later..10 batches of freezer jam and freezing whole berries for smoothies and all the fresh berries my son could eat! That's enough domestic bliss for the summer for me. Back to painting...
Sold


Saturday, June 28, 2008

Bing-A-Ling, oil on gessoboard

" Bing-A-Ling "
Oil
6"x6"
I really like how this little painting came out. I wanted a very simple set-up, no fabric like I usually do. The surface the cherries are on is corrogated cardboard, with red paper lining the right wall and green on the back wall to reflect color. I hope to post at least three little guys over the next week.
Thanks for looking today!
$425 framed
Available: Email me

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

" My Favorate Things "
Oil
9"x12"
Finally had time yesterday to finish this little self-portrait through still life. I really enjoyed doing this painting. It triggered many memories as I painted each object given to me by my loved ones. Painting the black and white photo gave me fits because of its angle and slight curved. I don't have many tiny brushes and finally gave myself permission to say "good enough", more of an impression than accurate. The painting is mine, not to be in an exhibit or at least not for sale. I will try another in the near future. The process was fun. I have thought many times of taking time to do a self-portrait but never get around to it.
NFS

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Self-Portrait with favorite things

Betty's painting completed! I love this. Please click on it so you can see the subtle details in her smaller elements. A terrific self-portrait through still life.
Betty's painting in progress

Betty selected objects that have special meaning for her. Her son's favorite toy, husband's gardening glove, etc. I will try to post her finished painting soon. There is a photo of her, as a teenager, with surfboard off to the left, too.

So far..I will post the finished painting tomorrow night.



Sorry these are in reverse order.


Sketch on gessoed board



Thumb-nail sketch




Self-Portrait Still Life...the set-up


This is what I worked on today. I have had a private student this week in my studio. Betty is the high school art teacher here and she wanted to learn more about still life painting for her advanced students. We thought it would be fun to incorporate meaningfull objects that tell something about the artist. Betty began her self portrait yesterday and with her permission I will post her finished painting tomorrow. Today I set up my own objects. It was fun to go around the house and see what caught my eye. I chose the black and white photo of me..it was taken when I was 42 for art marketing purposes, so it marks that time in my career. I am wearing a "treasure necklace" I made of charms from family and friends. The Beanie Bear was a gift from my son when he was 7. The Talavera pottery vase a gift from my Mom..the little leaded glass box with shells a gift from my husband and the birding book for my love of birdwatching... a little ceramic Pug Dog for our dog Jack..and a few tubes of paint and brushes to round out the composition.