Italian Daydream

Italia Soleggiata (Sunny Italy) © 2008 Karen Mathison Schmidt
6x6 • acrylic on Gessobord
gloss varnish for protection and easy cleaning • sold unframed
sold • private collection, Puyallup, Washington

I’ve always wanted to visit Italy, and even though I haven’t made it there yet, I spent the afternoon on an enchanting hillside in Tuscany, thanks to my imagination (and a composition I put together from a few reference photos). I used a Napa Valley winery for the villa, and I added the sea in the distance. This one was pure fun!

Love like that!

Ephesians 5:1-2 (The Message)

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Honey Bunch © 2008 Karen Mathison Schmidt
6 x 6 • acrylic on Gessobord
gloss varnish for protection and easy cleaning • sold unframed
sold • private collection, San José, California

Here are work in progress photos:

1. First layers of color blocked in:


2. Red violet color glaze added over entire painting:


3. Added more defining layers of color:


And then I think I must have entered “The Zone” because I complete forgot about taking more work in progress photos and the next thing I knew it was finished!

Here’s a close-up detail to show some of the texture:

Buster ’n’ Matilda

Let ’em Lie ©2008 Karen Mathison Schmidt
6 x 6 • acrylic on Gessobord
gloss varnish for protection and easy cleaning • sold unframed
sold • private collection, Riga, Latvia

I love these dogs! (and when I say that I mean the actual dogs, not the painting - although I like the painting a lot, too.)

I know I said I would tell more of their story back when I first mentioned them, and now, a whole month later (did March blow by in a whirlwind or what?) I realize I haven’t done that yet. But I will soon (I’d say tomorrow, but you know how that goes), I promise!

I will sleep in peace

Psalm 4:8

I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Work in progress - not quite finished, but almost, I think!

And a quote from Daily Strength for Daily Needs:

We sleep in peace in the arms of God, when we yield ourselves up to His providence, in a delightful consciousness of His tender mercies; no more restless uncertainties, no more anxious desires, no more impatience at the place we are in; for it is God who has put us there, and who holds us in His arms. Can we be unsafe where He has placed us?

François de la Mothe Fénelon (1651-1715)

Snoozing pups, continued ...

I managed to squeeze in some more painting time on this today; here’s how it’s looking:

Sleeping Dogs

Work in progress:

1. The pencil sketch:


2. The black and gray paint sketch:


3. Blocking in shadows and highlights with cool and warm colored glazes:


Check in again on Thursday to see the fun part!

I managed to sneak in another half hour on this today. It must be noted that all the while I was painting these sleeping pups, the actual subjects were up to all sorts of shenanigans, tomfoolery, rough-housing, horseplay and monkeyshines (yes, you heard me - monkeyshines!) in the kitchen, where they currently reside during these rainy days.

I feel I must be congratulated on my powers of concentration ...
I kept on painting while ignoring a solid half hour of pretend
growling noises, wrestling noises, bumping into cabinet and kitchen table leg noises, a minute or two of sudden suspicious silence (during which I could have sworn I heard puppy whispering), more puppy tumbling noises, ripping paper noises (I wasn't too alarmed, as I recognized the familiar sound of their doggie house-training papers being torn to shreds), dragging noises and more sliding into the walls and cabinet doors.

I should probably mention that this morning I complimented the little angels on the fabulous job they’re doing on demo-ing the kitchen floor for us. They’ve started pulling up the vinyl flooring over in the corner by the back door, which is going to save us oodles of time down the road when it’s time to put in the new kitchen floor. Hopefully by that time these two will be cozily ensconced in the back yard with a new fence and doghouse to call their own.

Stung!

Bayou Road on a Spring Morning
©2008 Karen Mathison Schmidt
5 x 7 • acrylic on Gessobord
gloss varnish for protection and ease of cleaning
sold • private collection, Lafayette, Colorado

Work in progress photos:


This afternoon when my husband arrived home from running a few errands, I put my arms around him to give him a welcome home kiss and, eeeyow!!, a wasp that had stowed away on his shirt stung me on the inside of my left arm about halfway between my elbow and wrist. We only know it was a wasp because as I was dancing around the kitchen crying, "I’ve been stung, I’ve been stung,” Paul saw the wasp crawling away under the sink cabinet. It got away before we could smush it. Fortunately I’m not allergic to bees or wasps, so we didn’t have to go to the emergency room or anything, but boyhowdy did it HURT! Like the DICKENS! I ran lukewarm water on it and that helped a little. The stung spot started welling up a little, kind of like a mosquito bite, and Paul suggested ice to make it stop hurting, but that was a big mistake. As soon as the dishtowel-wrapped ice touched the sting, intense pain started radiating all the way up to my elbow and down to my wrist. It hurt so much I was crying real tears. I was definitely not a brave little soldier. So we ditched that idea. After a while the swelling went back down and now the only evidence of the sting is a little bitty red spot on my arm. It’s still really sore and achy, kind of like a pulled muscle, but nowhere near as bad as those first ten minutes.

Anyway, in spite of this traumatic experience, it was a great afternoon for painting ... I finished this one and started another one of the pups sleeping, which I think I’ll be able to finish tomorrow. If my arm doesn’t fall off during the night, that is. Oh well, as Pollyanna would say, at least it’s my left arm!

Here’s a detail of today’s painting: