Spring peeps... plover chick...

It's going to be an interesting couple of months... Last Friday I went for training as a "Lister" for the 2010 census. It's temporary work (I hope) to help tide things over and I'm happy and lucky to have been chosen. It will probably mean a lot less painting - but I'm going to keep to a schedule of painting in the evenings. Likely they'll be smaller works like the one posted here. I hope to be able to work four ten hour days so that I can be working on the outdoor mural job two days a week. The clients are not in a hurry, but I want to finish before hot weather, and in Georgia we see the 90's by mid June.

In addition to my Black Bird series, I've got a thing for little chicks. I think it stems from having raised several of those poor little dyed Easter chicks as a child. My dad used to bring a few home each year much to my mother's distress. That was in the days before folks were aware of how awful things were for the baby chickens. Ours were relatively lucky, as my siblings and I knew how to care for them. I still remember how they looked as they feathered out with those outrageous pink, blue or green pastel tips on their feathers.

I've been gathering up references and working on a few of these here and there - and last night I completely reworked this one. I changed the background color and the shading of the down feathers further away from reality and more toward the lavender, periwinkle, and russet colors that felt right. I just love the huge feet of baby chicks. They look a bit like children wearing their parents' shoes - or, in this case, feet.

This little painting is 8 x 10, acrylic on gessoed panel. I'll be posting it for sale on buypatrice.

Cute Kitten Picked On By Baby Chicks - The most amazing bloopers are here
And then, just for fun, I found this video of chicks and a kitten. All too small to know they could be enemies... It reminds me of the time I ordered six dozen chicks from chicken breeder catalogs - and fifty of them turned out to be roosters... So much for "random selection."

And for irony: Here are a few more of my favorite chicks: And if you like that one, try this one.

Tough day... with bright spots!

I'd been dreading today (Wednesday, the 25th). I had to be up and coiffed and on the road by 7:30 for an hour-long drive in the rain and fog up into the mountains. Suffice it to say that other than my hair going flat, the appointment went okay - and I even got treated to a waffle for breakfast.

Normally, this would be my demo-day at the Heritage Center, but I thought I'd be tied up all day so I hadn't bothered to pack my art supplies. On the drive home, I stopped at the Center to drop off another of Carol's prints to replace the one she sold. When I walked into our exhibit area I noticed an empty spot. I sold another painting! Hooray! I took it as a sign to finally become one of the resident artists. It means working the gallery one weekend in addition to the Wednesdays, but it looks as if it will be worthwhile.


The sold painting: Calico Pie.

Silly - but I'll miss her.









Becoming a resident artist is part of my concerted effort to be better known in my immediate locale, something I hardly thought of when there was plenty of mural and cabinet work. Now that I want to make more of my living from paintings, I've found that success in one medium does not necessarily translate into clientele in another.

Another bright note: Yesterday I received an email from Dean of Deano's Den Gallery. Dean is a wonderful passionate painter himself who is passing on (what else?) the Passionate Painter's Award, originated by Kim Ratigan. Yes, I am passionate about painting! (forgive the incessant onomatopoeia...) Now it is my task to pass it on to seven painters who inspire me.

I know there are those who disdain "blogging awards," and I suppose it is possible for some to get carried away with the giving and receiving of same. But I regard an award from a fellow artist/blogger as the nicest sort of complement. It's an honor to be thought of in such regard and I would never take it lightly. That's why I was doubly honored to be chosen for the same award by another painter whose work I also admire: Irit Bourla. Her recent series on gallery goers puts a smile on my face at each visit. Colorful, expressive, and passionate... Irit would be my pick as well, for A Passion for Painting.

In addition to choosing painters who inspire me, I'm to list seven things I love. Now that is easy as there are infinite things I love. Choosing only seven painters is not so easy and I will take a couple of days to pass on the awards. Thank you!! to Dean and Irit for making me feel special.

Seven of the myriad things loved by me...

Morning coffee, best with a cinnamon roll...

My cat Snoochie's pigeon-toed walk, seen from behind... always gives me a giggle...

That amazing blue of damsel flies...

Standing in place while a dust devil or whirlwind passes over me...

The incredible audio recordings of the Harry Potter books by the genius of Jim Dale...

Puttering about in a hardware store...

People who smile with their eyes...

A Borrowed Bird...

A few days ago, Roy Hilbinger of Roy's World posted a fantastic photograph of a perching crow . That crow was just begging to be painted and I asked if he'd allow me to render an interpretation. Roy generously obliged and here's my painting. It's small for me - 8 x 10 - as are most of my bird series works. My next gallery show isn't until December and I hope to have a whole flock of these small paintings to show together.











I ran off a copy on my printer to work from, but it didn't have the amazing detail of Roy's beautiful image. I didn't think that was a problem as I don't necessarily seek an exacting rendering - usually going more for a mood or an implied story. Today was my day to demonstrate at the Heritage Center so I worked on the crow, having only my print to work from.

Tonight is the first time I've put the two images side by side in this format, and I can see I've a couple of corrections to make. I've not gotten the beak just right nor the crow's feet, as I couldn't see the detail in my reproduction. I think the tree needs a little work too.

Obviously I've altered the background - and faked the tail. I love how this fellow looks as if he is gathering himself, ready to soar off into yonder blue.

March roars in...

Toto 2 (for Peter)

With your dangerous beauty you
are like unto a tornado,
touching down,
laying waste to trepidation...

I am drawn, into your world,
seeking an Oz of my own.
Let me trade silver
for your ruby set in gold.

I look for you in the yellow moon
while the wind and City take you,
and the lies unfold,
I'll have this twisted ache to hold.

- patrice lynne young 2006

My fascination with funnel clouds and wild weather can be traced back to my Midwestern childhood in Central Illinois. and I've been working on several storm paintings once again. Two new ones posted here may be finished - but I'll live with them for a little while and check them out in different light before I seal them and prepare the panels for hanging. These are each 24 x 24. I've several more of these panels and I'd like to do at least six - preferably twelve - more of these to exhibit together.

I'd been working on the next Black Bird/ Wind paintings and thought that's what I'd be doing all this week. Ah, but painting mood changes sometimes to reflect events in life. Most of the time I love my rural solitude, but sometimes I wish I had better neighbors. After a verbal altercation with one of a family of bullies, I went from a fowl mood to a foul mood. I sat down to paint under a cloud of piss-ed-ness - and this is what appeared on my panel... Sometimes I'm really easy to figure out.

I like the first painting above most. It's fluidity of brushwork is closer to the wild, uncontrollable feeling I wish to portray. But there is something I like about the contained ferocity of the second one, too.

There is a fierce beauty in a storm, just as there is in life.