P.S. - Pillows Delivered

Here are the ''seaside pillows'' in the living room of their new home... they will go out on the porch later, after remodeling is complete.
more pictures then!!!

They certainly look very nice in this living room, anyhow!

And look at this beautiful dog lying on the pillows!!!! What a great model!

Bird Pillow Fabric

Here are some more water birds :

These are the fronts for fabric pillows, the backs can be seen 2 post earlier than this one.

Remember, click on the photos to see them larger!

I am very happy with these birds! I am particularly pleased with their eyes and expressions. I like the way the water is looking too.

The whole project ia making me feel like I am on vacation at the beach.

Bird Pillows

Here are the first three of the water bird pillow fronts I am working on right now.


Click on the photos to see larger.










To start off, I draw in the basic outlines of the figure in chalk. It's easy to correct, with a wet sponge, and when the fabric is done, residual chalk washes away when I wash the fabric after heat setting.








In winter time, Sarasota is a stopping off point for the European White Pelican.

Kitchen Backsplash Continued

Here is an interesting interlude. This is the final section of the back splash yet to be fired!
It will go behind the stove.
This is what under glaze painted ceramic looks like while I am painting...The colours are sort of recognizable, but they are mainly shades of grey and pastel...the ceramic painter has to always keep in mind the colours as they will be when fired! Yikes! Its a knack...I have learned to just plain remember, and I also rely on fired sample tiles I have made that show actual little blobs of the colours, and I have printed stuff from the paint manufacturers- some are more accurate than others...I try to be very accurate! Sometimes its hard not to get fooled by whats in front of your eyes...its easy to forget for a moment that the work isn't going to be all soft and pastel. Some big metaphors for the enigma of human existence there.

Then of course, the firing not only brings up the real colours, it softens and blends them, and can even move them around a little. That's almost the best part: the Chaos. The kiln is a big player here.

Tile Backsplash Project

In the midst of all the mug and teapot and plate painting
for the Christmas shopping period, I have also been working on this kitchen tile backsplash project.
In these first pictures you can see my ideas on paper, and some of the supporting materials for the project: kitchen design elevation plans, fabric and cabinet finish samples, etc.
The cabinets are a lovely light lime green colour...and one of the fabrics features alligators, flamingos, lizards, etc, all of which the clients were delighted to see featured in my tile artwork.















Here are some of the finnished tiles. The will run all around the countertops, on the 3 walls of the kitchen, in segments. Some of the areas are only 3 or 4 tiles long, some are much longer; and although most of the tiles are 6''x6'', the section under a window will be made of 4, 1/4'' tiles.

Tropical Fish Mural Continues

After blocking in some more fish and coral, I begin to work steadily on one of the walls,
painting all the details on fish and reef, and then adding some rays of light coming down through the shallows.....

Tropical Fish Mural Begins

Soon these stark white walls will be transformed into a painted aquarium of darting tropical fish, brilliantly coloured and having a great time.


I block in the fish sort of where I want them, and then begin putting on paint.

For the first part of the mural, I just put a lot of paint on, to make sure there is enough depth, (no pun intended) especially in the colours of the fishies.