Commision

Here is my latest commission piece for a very nice lady I met at an Art Fair. I will be sitting on this one for a few months while it is drying. I like it so much that I am going to hang it over the fireplace in my dining room so I can enjoy it before it is shipped to it's new home in Florida. Usually, I hang the drying oils in the basement and that does not make for good viewing.

Now I am off to work on the other two commissions I have been sitting on. I am excited that I am getting to revisit my "Fly Fishing" Series for a couple in Dallas. This painting is in the middle stages and I hope to be finished sometime in the next week or two.

Plus, I have my most important commission to date to finish, my "Jay" painting. My sister in law has requested a painting in my late-nieces favorite color, blue. It has been the hardest to paint, my feeling are so caught up in this piece. Jessica was such an amazing girl, she had a way of bringing happiness to all those around her, simply put, she was a shinning star. To loose her at such an early age is hard to comprehend.

TWO YEARS-FOUR MONTHS-8 DAYS-22 HOURS

Is a very long time to wait, but it's finally over. Verne has landed a full time gig. He has been freelancing and temping but you never knew when and how much was going to come in. I am mainly excited for the insurance and steady income that can be budgeted.

I could go on about how crappy insurance is for the self insured family. It's insanely expensive and doesn't cover that much. For example...my daughter fell while skating and we thought she might have broke a bone. One emergency room visit and one x-ray is still going to cost us over $500 and we were insured. I knew it was going to be expensive and I am still irate that I had to even think about if we could afford it. My only thoughts should have been about my daughter and not about how little the crappy insurance would pay. Don't even get me started on cobra......$1200 a month was what we ended up paying until I could get this other lame insurance. Every time I submitted a claim in those two months was a NIGHTMARE. I had to even call about a strep test for my kids because they did not want to cover the cost.

I am happy to say that that my daughter's arm was not broken but she was in a good deal of pain for about a week. Lots of love and hugs helped make her feel better.

Daily Paintings

I just got in my bulk 40x60 sheets of matt board and foam core this past week. I spent two afternoons cutting everything down for the Daily size of 11x14. I know am sitting on enough 11x14 matt/foam to make 325 Dailys. Now if only a magical elf would come and cut out all the center, window sections.

I have been enjoying my off season from shows. I am so happy to simply be at home with my kids and have the freedom to paint and paint and paint.

www.spillarstudios.com

Dr Seuss and the enviornment

Dr Seuss wrote one of my favorite books. He was way ahead of his time thinking about the environment. He wrote this back in the early 70's.

My thought for the day is re-use, recycle, and conserve.

I have other artist think I am insane when I go to shows and I actually take home all my recycling. After they tease me a bit, I give them an equally hard time and tell them to give me their recycling as well.

All you can do is lead by example.

The Foundation

This will be the second year in a row that I have donated a piece to The Foundation at Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. I learned about the foundation through my brother, Bill and I am happy to contribute.

The piece I am donating is titled "Lisa" the dimensions are 16x20 or 20x16. I designed it so the viewer could choose their favorite way.

If you would like to learn more or to send a donation please take a look at The Foundation's Website

procrastination

....is my word for the day. I have had paint on my palette for over 30 minutes now and I keep finding something else to do. For example, I am typing here instead of working.

Here is the Daily from yesterday. I love cutting them and weaving them together for an entirely different look.




Daily 9-26-07


I am happy to say, this was purchased as a surprise ( and yes, I waited to post until after she received it) anniversary present....Happy First Anniversary, Kimberly. I hope this fits well with your other Daily Paintings.

Matts

Oh how nice it is to be able to cut my matts at home. The logan is working great and I am glad that I have a dedicated table just for storing and cutting. I have a client coming over at 1 tomorrow and I actually will not be as embarassed by my studio/office/laundry room. Yes, the washer and dryer are in my studio. Oh the glamerous life I live.

Here is a new Daily Series painting from earlier in the week. Dated Sept 21, 2007. Full of texture and movement.

STUDIO CLEANING

Oh what a crazy two days I have had. I took apart my studio and did a huge remodel. I added tons of shelves for storage. It is going to be so much easier to work and store supplies. I even have a table dedicated solely to matt cutting and storing my Logan. Now I do not have to run off to Neil's or spent a lot of time cleaning off my art table so I do not ruin my matts.

Anais and Parker even have their own art table and storage of their own. I got so tired of stepping in kid paint and glue when art projects had been put together on the floor.

I cannot wait to paint in it tomorrow.

I just finished a show in the Chicago area, and the high light of it having some former clients walk in. It would not have matter if they had bought anything or not, I was just so fun to see them again. It is nice to know that you and your art are appreciated enough that they would take a spec ail trip out to see you.

Neil and I did the show again and always find it a hoot when our art shows up in the same house. One of my clients bought a great shot of the famous Czech (forgot name)clock in Prague. So now I can add on another house that has both of ours.

Now I am just looking for the trifecta, that would be someone having Neil's, Sean's, and mine in the same home. Sean is a potter and he specializes in faces. He does a lot of shows with Neil and we end up in shows together from time to time. A perfect combination, paintings, photography, and pottery.


That's all I have for today. I have unpacked and will be packing again for St. Charles this weekend for a show. The best part of this is that I can get home every night. No hotels!!!! Sean will be at this show as well, but we will not see each other much. We both have our locations we like, and are not willing to move.

Paint Day

I had a great painting day today. I was happy with my flow and am excited to see where this latest painting is going. It has hints of bright reds, blues, and yellows popping through the faded blues and creams.

I am off to Chicago for a show this weekend. Neil will be doing this show as well. It is so nice to go to a show with someone. Sioux City was fun but did get a little lonely. Anais and Parker did help fill the time with the many phone calls.

On the home front, Parker made his very first touch down. I was so proud of him and he is feeling rather cool right now.

Prevention- Awareness - Support

I just found out today that a friend from years past, someone with whom in recent years we had re-connected through email, and lastly but most important....someone whom I looked up to has taken her own life. She is number three in my life (one was to many) Another shinning star has left our planet.

Suicide is not an answer for depression and for those who know me know... I DO KNOW what I am talking about. Pick up a phone and call someone, anyone, just talk it out. Suicide is not the answer, everyone has something to give to society, live, heal, and share with the world.

Daily 8 24 07

I am very happy with how this new Daily came out. I haven't even posted it on my website yet. Just thought I would give a preview here.

Harry Chapin - Cats In The Cradle

Wednesday my Dad will have been gone for 13 years. Oh how time flies but still stands still. My only wish is that he would have met my kids. I remember sitting in the hospital room after his heart attack showing him my latest paintings. He was so excited to see them. He walked out of that hospital and our relationship began. After that our evening chats on the phone began. He would chat with me, than he would talk to Grandmother, than Grandmother would talk to Aunt Bev, and then I would here back from me Grandmother. It was truly a fun little gossip train. A few years later I got the phone call in the middle of the night that he had been killed by a logging truck on I70...

A long time has passed and memories fade but this song alone sums up the memories of my Dad. Funny how a song changes meaning over the years as you heal.

Power outage

We lost power AGAIN. This is the fifth time in two years and before that we have lost it at least once a year since we moved to this house. I am looking around for generators. I lost a whole painting day and this is to busy of a season for me to loose any time.

Oh well. The kids and I had fun and I did get the refrigerator cleaned out.

2004 Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

To my surprise, Fed Ex delivered something other than art supplies. I was so happy to open up the package and find my very own bottle of Duckhorn. For some this might seem silly but for me it was so great. I feel in love with Duckhorn back in the late 80's early 90's, when you still could get a great bottle under $15.

Duckhorn is not only a great wine but brings back wonderful memories. One of the last times I saw my Dad was when he came up to Kansas City to visit. I remember sitting on the deck, my Dad with his usual cigar, sharing a bottle of the Duckhorn Cabernet. We had such a wonderful conversation that night. To this day, I think of him when I smell a good cigar or when I run across a bottle in my favorite St. Louis wine store, Starrs.

I have not had a glass of Duckhorn in years. Every time I think of buying one, I remind myself that I could buy a pair of shoes for my kids with that money.

So thank you Ben, my wonderful patron and friend. It was truly a wonderful surprise.

Marianna - Sold

I just came back from my favorite show of the year. I had a great time but I am sad to say "Marianna" is gone. I LOVE that painting, she was so new and I had not had the time to simply just enjoy looking at her, I had hoped to hold onto her for awhile.

The good news is that I am very happy with where she has gone. She went to the right home, a very nice man whom kept coming back to look at her, fell in love with her and now has her hanging in his home in Chicago.

Here is a night shot from Sunday night
I love the blurred image. It really gives the movement of the show

Exercise Bikes

So I have spent the last two days trying to track down a great used exercise bike. You would think this would be easy to come by. I have found that buying exercise equipment is a lot like buying a car. I feel like I have been attacked by vultures.

So little has been done in the painting department. I have a huge canvas that I have been working on and had hoped to be farther along by now. Oh well. I will go into studio tonight and work.

Daily 7-29-07

Not so Straight and Narrow.

It frustrates me so much when people do not think for themselves. Get informed and stop being so closed minded.

Marianna

Interested in buying original art??? Come visit my Website

The title of this new piece is Marianna. I will be bringing it to my show in Chicago at the end of the week. I am secretly hoping it will not sell because I would like to hang onto it awhile. But that is the life of an artist, you must sell to be able to continue to afford to paint.

Van Gogh Flash

I came across this wonderful ode to Van Gogh today and thought I would share.

Please enjoy

CLICK HERE

Daily 05-05-2007

Two Paintings I sliced and then wove together to make one original "Daily Painting"

Tranquility Series

This is from my softer side. I am not one to think much about the weather and I will almost always flip the channel when the local news starts droning on about the weather. But I have to say, it has felt like San Fransisco these past few days in St. Louis.

I think that's why I painted so tranquil today. It brought back wonderful memories of sitting in wonderful cafe's, sipping a great Pinot Noir, and reading a good book.

Quad

This is a side view of "Quad". The edges are also painted with the uneven lines.

Quad

The title to this new piece is "Quad". This was designed to hang vertically, horizontally, in a square, in a diamond, etc... You decide which way suits you.