Survived the Swine Flu and I'm not dead.

I've never really gotten the whole fear based America thing, I'm not into fear much and I think whatever happens you pretty much deal with and move on. So this Swine Flu scare is interesting to me, I started getting sick about 8 days ago, 4 days with the high fever and another 4 with an annoying cough that makes it really hard to sleep. I know there can be complications (course that can happen with a cold as well), but truely I've been much sicker than this.

What does this have to do with art? Absolutely nothing (although I like the little illustration of the flu bug). In fact I haven't painted in my studio in a very long time. With traveling and painting murals at HuHots in Kenosha Wisconson, Dubuque Iowa, Des Moines Iowa and next week in Springfield Missouri, there doesn't seem to be any time to commit to canvases.

Good things come in little paintings?

For the past 20 or so years I've been painting big, really big, the bigger the better I always said. But, this weekend some very dear friends are getting married and because they are an older couple, they pretty much have everything, so I thought a painting would be the best gift, and they love Europe. Unfortunately I waited too long and the wedding is this weekend, so, here is my first attempt at a really little painting (I didn't measure it but it's something like 6" square) I had to search my studio for brushes that small but I have to say, I'm kind of liking the little painting.

more beach

Our family had a trip to the beach planned this summer, I wanted to do some more "kids on the beach" painting, but because of all of the other travel, we all just wanted to stay here and enjoy the rest of the summer in Montana. So, I've painted a new one in homage to the trip that never was.

Oh what a summer

Summer has completely gotten away from me. It started when school got out and I was all excited to have lots of time to paint while my daughter was in camp and also to enjoy the Missoula weather with her when she was home. However, one week in she somehow caught pneumonia, which kept both of us inside for 3 weeks. Although I didn't do much painting during that time I did get the inspiration for a painting of her when she was in one of her 15 hour sleeps, I've been wanting to try a portrait for awhile - I call it "sleeping beauty".