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Thursday, September 02, 2010


It is the end of summer almost into autumn, and this is when my show season goes into full swing. I have posted my show schedule on my website, and sent out my newsletter, but for those folks who enjoy reading my blog, and keep up with me on facebook, here is the blog version of my schedule. Hope to see you out there!

Excerpts from Everyday
Contemporary Still Life
Bush Barn, Salem Oregon
Sept 3-Oct 24
Opening Sept 10, 5-7pm


September 25,26
Corvallis Fall Festival
Central Park, Corvallis


October 14-17th
Local 14
World Forestry Center,
Miller Hall, Portland, OR


Teal Gallery
120 SW 4th Street
Downtown Corvallis

A Big Thanks to all of you who have supported my art career by collecting my art, emailing me, coming to my shows, and commissioning paintings! Couldn't take this trip without you!

Monday, February 01, 2010

Nummy Dog Biscuits

Once a year I bake the dogs their very own biscuits. I like baking them myself because I always wonder what's keeps those biscuits "fresh" for so long on grocery shelves... will they still be around decades from now? I like knowing the ingredients, and I feel this way about our food too. When I pull them out of the oven, and tell them, "these are for you guys"....well, Chamois and Tully are certainly appreciative! Tully's the one with the intense stare, a perfect portrait of his personality...focused!

Here's the recipe I clipped from the local paper years ago.

Debbie's Dog Biscuits

2 1/2 cups flour (I used spelt flour but you can use regular flour)
1 1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour
(you can use part rice flour or regular flour)
1 cup instant potato flakes
1/2 cup powdered milk
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated cheese

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, and stir well. Add all of the wet ingredients and mix well. You might have to ditch the spoon and mix it up with your hands. You want a thick dough, because you're going to roll it out to cut cookie shapes. Shape the dough into a ball, and place on a good amount of flour (so it won't stick when you roll) and roll out to about 3/8ths inch thickness or thinner...you don't want them too thick so they will get crunchy. Cut out your shapes, Chamois prefers the hearts, and of course, Tully prefers the bone shapes. Keep adding the dough back to itself and cutting out shapes until you have a little pile left and free-form that into your last cookie.

Bake 40 minutes at 300 degrees. When they are all done, I put them back in the oven after I turn it off to let them get crispy and crunchy. I leave them in the cooling oven for an hour or so.

This makes a lot of dog biscuits. About 3 to 4 dozen depending on the cookie shapes! Enjoy, share with your doggie friends!

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Royalty in a Blue Chair

I paint a lot of yellow dogs, and there is no wondering why, when you see that half of my blog (such as it is) is about Chamois, my yellow labrador. Because I take my art on the road all over the west, I've met a lot of yellow dog lovers along the way. So I thought I'd post my latest yellow dog portrait. I call it H.R.H. (Her Royal Highness), right down to the Royal pearls!!! Chamois of course, is my model. The painting is 24x36 acrylic on board. It's up in Portland, Oregon in a show that I have at Realty Trust, in Lake Oswego.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Planting Time!!!!!!!

Yeah!!! It's Springtime!!!!

Here is the end of the picnic table I use for my pot planting area!

This weekend I planted all of my hanging baskets

then I planted violas and pansies in my blue and white pots.

I LOVE blue and white pottery,
and blue and white pottery appears in my paintings often....
I usually make up the design, I always think I'm going
to copy some beautiful pattern, but when the brush hits the canvas,
I seem to want to head down a brand new trail.

Chamois is helping in between chewing on a bone,
and keeping Tully away from her bone,
even though he has his own bone to chews on.

Some of my blue and white indoor pots with succulents!
Succulents, another obsession!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Talking to Chamois


Chamois is such a pretty dog. She likes to admire herself in the window in the evening. when the reflections are good. She's also on alert for any falling leaves, wind blown branches, and less interesting, a squirrel or chipmunk. She is lots lighter around her eyes and muzzle....quite the distinguished old lady, except when there is a tennis ball or stick around.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Chamois Sleeps (and inspires)

Chamois's bed in right in the middle of the studio, so when I turn around I get to enjoy her repertoire of sleeping poses. This is a pretty standard sleeping position and often shows up in my paintings.

Oh, so sleepy.
The cradle pose.Inspiring creativity. Tully likes to sleep closer to the easel, so he can be underfoot where he is safest.

What? You need some help with cookies?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Paris

It has been a dream for me to go to Paris for years, I had my reasons, I thought, but it didn't become clear to me until I actually went. I even have an french psuedo name, given to me by my friend Marcy, named Genvieve. Well, we found out St. Genvieve is the patron saint of Paris. So I had to go!

And so we did! We actually ended up staying in St. Genvieve's old stomping grounds, where a church and abbey were built around her tomb. This was right up the hill from where we stayed at Residence Henri IV (5*s) ...past a few artful bakeries, vitners, frommageries, markets, and other wonderful shops.

Every artist should visit Paris at least once. Just to see a favorite painting in person is worth the trip (me looking at a Bonnard I've had on my bulletin board for years, can you see it in the photo?). It seems the entire city of Paris is a monument to creativity.

I know from experience that being a painter isn't just about the craft, that's an important part, but there is so much more. A creative life is every day all day. This is no burden, it is a supreme joy. Parisians have made enjoying life into a fine art form, to be savored, thoroughly delighted in, paid attention to. Every evening there was be a line at the bakery for the dinner baquettes, everyone would have a bag from the market, today's dinner, and the flower shop stayed open late, in case you needed some flowers that night. This experience has inspired me to a whole new level of appreciation and enjoyment in my life.