Painting Display for the Month of May

The time has finally come: I will be showing some of my paintings in First Cup Coffeehouse for the month of May.


The paintings will be up on the walls from April 30th through May 31st.  Stop by and take a look! Then let me know which ones you love or detest or feel apathetic towards or have questions about! First Cup is located at 4103 SE Woodstock Blvd in Portland, OR. The shop is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. 





Happy spring

Pysanky Eggs (Ukrainian Eggs)

The top two eggs sport designs that I borrowed (and altered) from some images from my mother's decorating kit. I made these two in 2008 using hollowed-out eggs. I decorated the egg on the bottom a few days ago. The design was on-the-go, and the egg is solid and raw. It will take years for the yolk to dry fully.

How does one decorate such an egg as this? With beeswax, fire, and dye! The wax is dye-resistant, so you can create a design by strategically applying wax to areas you wish to remain a certain color before applying the next layer of dye, working more-or-less from the lightest dyes to the darkest. After creating your design you can remove the wax by carefully melting it in a candle flame and wiping the egg with a paper towel. It is a great project for those who enjoy a challenge, and a horrible project for anyone feeling particularly impatient.

The blue, black, and natural egg also shows a design that I copied in 2008.

Furry Rascal Smothers Creativity

This guy always shows up just when I get into the swing of things. I mean, seriously?! First he tries to drink my blue paint water (crisis averted), then he steps IN BLUE PAINT, then gets cozy with the canvas. Rascal.