I finished TWO pastel paintings today!

These two pastels are approximately 8" X 10" each.  They are created on a velvet like surface.  Fun to have created them to get me motivated for my 30 day painting challenge starting tomorrow.  

Thirty day challenge...

I took this photo of these birds (with my phone) at the Lowrey Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. 

I have no idea what type of birds they are.

My artist friend Diane Mannion asked me if I wanted to take part in a 30 day painting challenge.  I thought about it and finally said okay.  My theme will be seascapes.  A painting a day for thirty days.  

Can I do it?  

Where do these birds fit in?  

I can just visualize Diane and I talking about this challenge and the expressions on these birds are probably the expressions we had on our faces while discussing the challenge.

"ARE WE INSANE?"

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...wish us luck...and say a prayer, we need all the help we can get...

Cody

This is a painting of Cody.  Cody was a happy little 35 pound English Bulldog I use to have.  He loved the beach and to splash in the waves.  Yes, his head was this round! He had such a personality.  Like many bulldogs, he snored a lot due to his pushed in nose.  I have many fond memories of Cody.  Never saw a bulldog who loved water as much as he did.  

One time he was at the dog beach and he saw Labradors in the water swimming so he thought he would join them.  Mind you, you don't see many English Bulldogs his size on the beaches of Florida, so everyone was around him checking him out, and I was never far from him.  Cody went in bravely, until a wave overtook him, he shook his round little body a lot to rid himself of the water and suddenly he looked up at me as if to say, "What was that Mom?"  Everyone had a good chuckle and he loved the attention.  From that moment on, all he ever did was go up to his ankles!  

Here is Cody at the beach!

That orange neckband was a unit to keep him cool on a hot day.  

This is Cody when he was a puppy.  He never grew much more than that!

Here is Cody enjoying the last moments at the beach.  In halfway up his body!

He used to like to feel the water go back into the ocean.

This is the picture I painted from.  He was around the pool we had at the time, he's on river rock.

He was a pro at the beach...simply loved it.

I will do commissioned portraits of YOUR dog!  

Price is $400.  (It's a lot of work!)

Size?  12 X 12 inches, in oil.

Gallery wrapped canvas, and I will paint all around the sides so there is no need to frame it.  

I love to experiment with my art.  I like trying new colors, and new surfaces.  I've never worked on a pre-gessoed panel.  It is non-warping and archival.  

I found the paint just didn't want to stick to the surface and I had to do this painting in layers allowing each layer to dry before subsequent layers were applied.  I know I won't be using this surface ever again.  I don't like to "struggle" when I am painting.  This surface made me feel uneasy to work with, so it is my one and only painting done on this surface!  

I posted it on "Daily Paintworks", the website I have my art on, and well, let's just hope someone likes it enough to give it a home.  I titled it "Time at the beach".  It was done in oils.  

I priced it low at $35.  

I'm now (finally), selling my art on the web!

I started with this painting of the Kaua'i Na Pali Coast 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/kathleen-kelly/untitled/162834

Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...now onto seascapes!

I haven't blogged in about two weeks but with good reason.  Years ago I developed a fantastic habit of once a year, clean out the art studio!  Not just rearrange things, but take two weeks and go deep.  I'm embarrassed to say I've thrown out FIVE bags of trash!  Amazing what you can accumulate and how much!  I even go as far as cleaning the area around the paint tube openings which gunk up over a year's time.  When I clean, I clean.  The timing for this cleaning couldn't be better, because I have just accepted a challenge for the month of September to paint a painting every day.  Let me tell you, this is no small feat!  I have enough canvases for at least the first ten days, perhaps two weeks time.  After that, I will go out and get what I may need.  See, my friend Renee who lives in California and I made a promise to each other (which is also a challenge) to not do something for a month, I don't recall what hers was, perhaps not shop as much, I truly don't recall, but mine was to not buy art supplies for the whole month of August.  (I kind of cheated because I do have a ton of supplies and I knew I'd be spending time cleaning for two weeks...still yet, as some women are drawn to shoes or purses, I'm drawn to art supplies!)  

Update on the Irwin portrait.  It has made it to the hands of Terri Irwin's personal assistant Hannah.  Terri has traveled to the northern regions of Queensland for their annual crocodile trip where they do a lot of "catch and tag" stuff plus monitor the movements of nearly a hundred crocs they've tagged in previous years.  It's all very scientific and a crew of University people go along and do their research, and have done for many years!  The pristine area the crocs live at up in the northern Queensland area is now under onslaught from a mining company who have slapped a claim on the very mouth of the river that feeds the whole property.  They want to mine for bauxite which is the prime ingredient for making aluminum.  As I understand Terri has spent a huge amount of her time and energies fighting this claim in courts but still not with favorable results.  Everybody, including the Irwin's, really rough it in fairly primitive conditions and live in tents for nearly six weeks, surrounded by all sorts of animals including crocodiles.  I respect Terri, because as all you know, I'm not a tent type of woman!  Give me a five star hotel!  Can you imagine me roughing it?  (Stop laughing.)  

Anyway, the portrait is in Hannah's possession and I have been assured that it will be the first thing she puts before Terri when she gets back.  (Man, I rate!!!)

I have a few days left to clean, and also set up for this challenge.  Wish me luck!

So close!

Just heard today from Mike's wife that Mike and his daughter are on their way to the Australian Zoo right now to deliver the portrait!  I can't believe it's all coming together.  I don't know whether Terri Irwin is even in Australia at this moment, or when she'll actually receive the portrait, but I do know it is being delivered via Mike to Phil, who is the coordinator of all this on the Australian end, and Phil will deliver it to Terri's personal assistant whom will have to deliver it to Terri.  How long this will take is a mystery, but at least the wheels are turning.  This is so exciting regardless of whether I ever get any kind of acknowledgement from Terri.  It was a joy to do the portrait and I hope she likes it.  I hope it brings her joy, as I'm sure with all the stress of running a zoo, as a widow no less, must have a stress level I can't even begin to fathom.  May God Bless Terri Irwin!  

Update on Irwin's portrait

I heard from Phil at the Australian Zoo that he has received contact from Mike who has the portrait, so I know the portrait made it safe and sound.  

I only hope Terri knows what a special employee she has in Phil.  Hard these days to find good workers who truly love their job, and he does.  Definitely dedicated.  Now, for Mike to go to the Zoo and give the portrait to Phil, then it goes to Terri's personal assistant and then to Terri, protocol must go in a particular order.  I'm okay with that, I'm sure she must be safe and people protect her at all costs.  

Terri when you are reading this someday, know I truly, truly loved the grand adventure at the Australian Zoo, I too miss Steve, I loved your book entitled "My Steve" and even though you probably hear this all the time, every personal encounter we had with employees at the zoo were positive, upbeat and truly professional (even after the day was over).  Such a fantastic experience.  

I titled the artwork "Khaki Attitude" because when I was at the zoo, I learned it is not just merely a color, it's an attitude!  

May God bless you warmly and richly.  Know I prayed for you and your children when Steve passed, and I continue to this day.  Much love to you, Kathleen