Gift Guide Feature

Check out my appearance in the Brown Alumni Monthly November/December issue. The online version went live yesterday evening and the actual magazines should be arriving in mailboxes this week.

The editors contacted me earlier this fall after a fellow alum pointed them to my artwork on Etsy. I was psyched! I sent off a handfull of framed metrocard paintings and several mini prints for them to photograph and include in the magazine's annual holiday Gift Guide, "Bear Necessities."

During a phone chat with one of the magazine's writers, I shared the story of my showdown with the NYC MTA. She was so intrigued that she offered to write up a separate profile feature on me and my work, in addition to being included in the larger guide -- psyched again!

I've recently added several dozen new Metro Card paintings to my Etsy shop so if you've always had a hankering for one or need  the perfect gift for the New York lover on your shopping list -- hop over to shop today!

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Deep Thoughts

 NYC Subway No. 7
4" x 4" x 1.5" oil on cedar wood block  $75

As always, ready to hang:

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NYC Subway No. 6

The face-time function of an iphone makes the perfect mirror for those morning make-up touch ups:

NYC Subway No. 6
4" x 4" x 1.5" oil on cedar wood block

Hang it up!

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Seagrapes of Wrath 2

Before - 

and after - 

Seagrapes No. 15  $85
4"x6" ink and watercolor on paper

and a close up - 

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Seagrapes of Wrath

These took an unexpected turn. Here's the before - 

And here is the after:

Some close ups -- 

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NYC Subway No. 5

 NYC Subway No. 5
4"x4"x1.5" oil on cedar wood block  $75

Ready to hang!

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NYC Subway No. 4

NYC Subway No. 4

4" x 4" x 1.5" oil on cedar block   $75

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New York City Subway No. 3

New York City Subway No. 3
4" x 4" x 1.5" oil on cedar block

A close up:

Ready to hang:

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NYC Subway No. 2

 NYC Subway No. 2
 4" x 4" x 1.5" oil on cedar wood block

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Subway Series - no baseball involved

NYC Subway No. 1
4"x4" x 1.5" Oil on cedar wood   SOLD

A close up:

Ready to hang ---

Many more to come..........

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Breakfast!

Subway Card Bagel No. 7
 2" x 3.25" oil on Metro Card

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Chelsea Girl

Come out to Chelsea tomorrow, Saturday October 20, 2012 where I'll be setting up a booth to sell my paintings, prints and notecards. A wonderful, curated event with great hand-made goods and art. See you there!

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She took the A Train

Subway Card Subway Car No. 1

Oil on subway fare card

Sold this subway card painting this week -- didn't even get a chance to put it up here first.

I have several more in the works -- watch this space!

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Grandpa was a Painter, Not a Fighter

My mother mailed me this lovely pen and ink drawing, made by her father during his military service in World War 1. My grandfather, Robert Birrell, was a Scotsman who served in his Majesty's armed forces. 

You can see his signature and notation of the location here --

But this is a bit of a mystery -- he clearly had a sense of humor but I'm not quite sure what this means -  Hotel  Dal Blai?   

Any ideas? 
Please let me know........

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Florence

 Nightingale, of course.

 I've been laboring over this little creature for several weeks and still need to change it up a bit.

Let's take it from the top: first, the clusmy sketch on the 36"x24" canvas.

Then the obligatory hot mess.

Then a little less of a mess. I rather like it at this point but am thinking my client may want more detail and clarity. Hmmmmm. Except for the fact that some of the charcoal grid is shining through, does this (below) look too unfinished to you?

So I added some more interesting patches of color and textures to the background.

Then I left it alone for a while, not sure what to do next.

When I returned I plowed through my color palette and tackled the detail of all those small wing feathers.

I started really veering into the blues for the bird body -- not sure If I like it. I may need to head back to the grays.

Close up - 

Ok, that's all for now. Sometimes I can see what's right and what's wrong only after taking a photo -- why that would be, I don't know. Maybe a more technical "eye" on the subject is more objective.

Think I will be making our little Florence Nightingale much more of a cool-gray character rather than such an intense cobalt or cerulean blue. 

More to come!

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