Welcoming Wood Signs

My latest recycle-oriented idea...

Seashell Welcome $8 (c) 2011 Jeanne Guerin-Daley, 6 1/8"h x 11"w

Beware of Dog $5 (c) Jeanne Guerin-Daley, 4 1/2"h x 7"w

I got my hands on some old cedar shake shingles that were headed for the trash. I rescued them and got out my acrylic paints. I began to make little signs which I am selling. Prices will vary depending on the size and complexity, but I plan to keep the price affordable to anyone. I am still working out the details and creating more; I expect they will range from between $5 and $15.
I plan to drill two holes at top corners for easier hanging.

I love the idea of turning landfill material into something useful, colorful and fun, don't you?!

 

Once I get enough of them made, I may sell them at a flea market or I may start an etsy shop online. (Since these are small and on wood, they could be shipped inexpensively, I suppose.) What do you think?

I would love to hear some feedback on this idea. Let me know! 

By the way, feel free to request a custom order too. Want a special message for someone? Or a name plaque for a child's bedroom? Have paint brush, will paint!

Purple iris watercolor

I did this painting of a purple iris some time ago. Don't think I ever published it.watercolor.

Special Pricing on Pet Portraits!

Help me keep a paintbrush in my hand!
At the risk of being labeled CRAZY, I have just posted CRAZY LOW PRICES for custom Pet portraits.
Read all about it here. http://jeanneguerin-daley.blogspot.com/p/pet-portraits.html

First come, first painted!
I will be finished Becky W's dog soon. Will yours be next?

(Please feel free to share this info with other animal lovers you know!)

It's important to stay involved...

Below is for PA residents:

An email I received today:

Tuesday night at 8:16 pm, when many of us day-timers were far away from our desks, the PA House of Representatives passed their version of the budget by a vote of 109-92.  The current version of the budget includes a 70% cut to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA).  This cut will bring the PCA from $8.4 million to $2.5 million in grants to the arts.

A PA budget of $2.5 million will mean a decrease in the number of funding programs offered by the PCA and vital arts programming in Southeastern PA will be lost.  There will be no way around this grim level of impact if the final version of the PA budget is passed with this amount of PCA funding.
It is imperative that you call your State Senator before June 6th to urge them "to restore funding to the PCA at $8.2 million in their version of the budget bill."  Yes, say these words on the telephone right now and no, this cannot wait!
Only you can make sure this same thing doesn't happen in the Senate.  Call your PA Senator right now to be sure that your voice is heard before they decide on their version of the budget. [Find your Senator's phone number here.]
The time to influence this process is extremely short but it's not too late.  The House's version of the budget now goes to the Senate.  But, your Senator needs to hear from you and many other direct constituents before June 6th in order to include your opinion in their important state funding decisions.
Our legislature is committed to passing the PA budget on time (by June 30th).  Both houses, need to pass a version of the budget and then come together to agree on spending in a conference committee.  So, please, call now.
A legislator wants to hear from their constituents about how the proposed budget will impact their district. They want to hear what issues their voters care most about.  Together, if we exercise our power, it will make a difference.

-----

Two thoughts:

1-

Robert Motherwell said: "Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it"

 and,

2-

I read a quote very recently, I wish I could remember to whom I should give credit,... but the gyst of it was, ...

if you think one small creature can't make a difference, just spend the night in bed with a mosquito!

 

Now get out there and voice your opinion!

please.

Home from Spring Gulch Festival where my husband and I help work stage management. That is, when we're healthy. Sunday morning his stomach rebelled against something he ate I guess, and my mild sore throat began to get worse. Today, he is beginning to feel better, my sore throat has spread up to my nasal passages and I have some sneezing issues going on.

I just made a pan of garlic soup to help with the healing. Earlier I plucked some echinacea leaves from the front garden and made Echinacea/chamomile tea. (Fresh parsley, also from the garden went into the soup. gosh, I love garden season!)

Even though I feel sick, and my physical energy is low, my mental energy is still in high gear. Being sick is so frustrating for an artist because the constant flow of ideas of what to do next never seems to stop! There is never enough time in the day to try them all. Guess I should be thankful for what I do have.

I hope to be better by Wednesday to teach painting class at Michaels King of Prussia store: Roadside Cattails' is the design I picked for that evening. One of the lessons this workshops teaches is to gather from more than one source to get what you want in your painting. The painted image you see here is a composition in which I took the clouds in the sky of one reference photo, and hooked it up with the land part of another photo, to end up with a more interesting painting.
 (See photos below)
If you'd like to take a class, stop in the store and register for some classes! Info about them is on this page:
http://jeanneguerin-daley.blogspot.com/p/painting-workshops.html

Painting Workshop: Banana 'n Apple Still Life

"Banana n Apple"

Last night's workshop produced a couple wonderful paintings by two returning students at the King of Prussia store. The image was 'Banana n Apple" which is in the "still life" category.

I've been getting feedback about still lifes. Not nearly as popular as the other three: landscape, seascape, and floral. I'm going to see what Grumbacher says about reducing the occurrence of that class.

Feel free to leave your opinion about it in the comments (below).

This Week's Workshop Subject: Bananas n Apple

This week, if you come to one of my painting workshops,
you can learn how to paint a banana n apple.

Wednesday evening at 630 - King of Prussia Michaels store

Thursday evening at 630 - Conshohocken Michaels store

Just $25 for a two-hour class, packed with step-by-step instructions, fine art techniques, and fun!

Click the Painting Workshops tab above for all the details.

Decorated bookcase for Wetherill School Gala

So, as if I didn't already have enough to do....
I found myself agreeing to paint a bookcase for a school's fundraiser!

Finished book case (without shelves)-Top+Front view

What is it they say? You want something done, give it to a busy person?

It was a fun project and I'm glad I made time for it. The plan was for me to paint it, then the Wetherill School would auction it off at the Gala.

I started with an unfinished wood bookcase which they supplied and delivered to me. With the help of some younger painters I live with (two of my sons,...thanks, boys!) a first primer coat in white was applied.
Then a first coat of blue glossy enamel.
Such a dark color, being painted over bright white, I knew it would need more than one coat. As it turned out, it needed FOUR COATS before it looked OK!

See the streaks on back? More coats needed here.

    

Then the fun began. The theme was "Out of this world" so I painted it with things like sun, moon, stars. and planets.

Finished moon side

Moon side-sketched in...

 That white curved line below the moon was to be the lower end of a rainbow that wrapped around the back. I decided to nix the rainbow idea. (Not particularly "out-of-this-world")


On the underside of the top surface of the bookcase, I painted small white dots in such a way to depict some of the constellations. (Forgot to tell that to the folks who were involved with the gala. Maybe they can have the winner contact me so I can tell them which constellations their kids should be looking for! Can you guess by looking at the picture?)

In progress puic of constellations

 It was great fun.


Anyone else need a piece of furniture painted special? Call me!

Painting White Daisies

This past Wednesday we painted "White Daisies" at the King of Prussia painting class.
ALL MY STUDENTS DID AMAZING!

If you want to join us, take a look at the link above:
'Painting Workshops"

Doing the Work

Wisdom is knowing

  what to do next,

Skill is knowing

  how to do it, and 

Virtue is doing it.

--David Starr

I read this quote yesterday and it caused me to stop what I was doing and write it down.

In my opinion this is one of those "tape it to your wall" quotes that can help us do the work, even if/when we don't feel like it!

Dragonfly Mural-Finished!

"Dragonfly Mural" (c) 2011 Jeanne Guerin-Daley 30x40" Acrylic on Masonite

Layla-Completed

The portrait of this beautiful black Lab named Layla is complete!

From this,...

 

to this,...
 
Contact me if you would like a custom portrait of YOUR dog or cat (or fish, or jabberwocky...I like challenges!)