"grand" fun

ok - here's the gang! - gathered in the library before presents! willie and tillie in back, joey, luce magoose and ollie in front. we snapped a picture of them later in the day with funny paper hats on but i can't seem to find it - how much fun we had and oh how they love getting together with their cousins!! happy new year one and all - i promise to get back to painting one day soon!!! lyb

"Teri and Jacqueline" SOLD

this is a photogrph of my good friend janie's twin grangdaughters. she wanted me to paint these sweet little girls for her to present to her daughter for christmas. i think it's finally safe to post this!

11x14 oil on stretched canvas

here's the final painting of these cute little girls - they're all snuggled up together - almost holding hands - janie said that when they grow up and have spats with each other, everyone would love looking back at them snuggled up as pals!....on another note, we finally got to celebrate our christmas yesterday - (we love dragging things out in this family....sometimes my birthday lasts for weeks!!)..we had such a good time and the grands were in hog heaven ..i made my usual chicken kiev but we had a new addition this year..it's a polish dish called haluski we found on guy fiero's DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES....absolutely sinful!!!....almost ready to start our program..but not quite...there's still pie and cookies.... but we're heading to new york in a month for plays and food and fun (a christmas present from my boy)..so we have to start soon....

"Oliver at One...Two?" and Merry Christmas!!!

6x6 oil on canvas panel
i'm sure it's ok to post this - my daughter will be too busy today with santa coming and all to notice - and she'll receive it tomorrow so i think we're all right! - with this painting i have completed 2 each of my 5 grands. so much more fodder - i have to figure out which years these actually were and then fill in - i'll be having lots of fun in the coming months...and years!! i really love these loose little vignettes of the kids - so much fun to do and they'll be so wonderful to look back on as they keep growing up! -...my hubby's back in the ER today for a few hours after working 10 hours there yesterday. so we're having our family christmas tomorrow so this is actually christmas eve for us...aren't we lucky? we can have christmas eve and christmas day all at once! our wish is for peace and happiness to all our friends and family and a very merry christmas to all! lyb

"In Italy" SOLD

24x20 oil on stretched canvas
well - he couldn't wait!! - actually he couldn't get the wet painting out of the trunk of his car without her help so she got her christmas present a few days early!! from mike to deborah and it was so much fun to paint! - it's in italy - (i'm so italy illiterate) - lake como -near tuscany i think -if that makes any sense - and this scene was special for them on their recent trip so mike surprised her with this painting. that's what's so much fun about this painting thing...the look on somebody's face when they're obviously happy with what you've done. it means so much!!...

"Lucy at Two""

6x6 oil on canvas panel
so here's luce ma goose - i'm not sure whether she's two or three here - but she's almost five now so it's definitely a retrospective! i know it's been said before but i have to have the most gorgeous grands in all the world! and so much fun to paint and keep painting til they're all grown up!! busy day today - delivered two commissions - can't post them yet - another couple days! also -had lunch at an indian restaurant with boogs and her friend diane and then took a bunch of work up to the carmel midland arts and antiques mall...just like the one in downtown indy but also very different...i have a small wall and it's now loaded with stuff - plus i found a "lucky" penny in the slush on my way out. i'm expecting great things for 2010...for all of us!!! lyb

"Willie in His First Year"

6x6 oil on canvas panel
so here's willie - he's my oldest grand so this is taken from a picture nearly 7 years old. a very happy kid - the leader in crime for all his cousins - i'll post lucy's painting tomorrow - lots to do today - have to deliver two commissions today and then i can post them after christmas.

Ollie and Lucy at the Piano

12x12 oil on stretched canvas

ok - so here's the story - it's close enough to christmas and i haven't posted in so long that i don't think anyone will see this before we open presents! i'm doing another one like it for the other family - ollie and lucy are cousins and they both love banging on the piano (all the grands do, actually)...they love the grand piano in the library - they love the small piano they can sit at and pick out twinkle twinkle with the book that comes with it...they also love this little music box piano...probably my mom's one day long ago...as i mentioned i have a few commissions i'm working on and i dare NOT post those on the slim chance that someone is watching what goes on here. i've done a few more small portraits of the grands and i'll be posting those - can't believe christmas is upon us!

hello again....."Do You See It?"

20x16 oil on stretched canvas

hello again......it sure has been a while - with thanksgiving and christmas and two openings thrown in - i've been pretty busy - just like every other person at this time of year! - i have some commissions to complete and i've been working on them - also on some stuff for my kids so obviously i'm not able to post that or else it'll ruin the surprise...i did get this one done - i think i may have posted it in progress several months ago but i'm trying to finish my cycles so it's done....i think....anyway - we're heading to our annual couples christmas party tonight only my hubby may not make it since he's down for the count. another couple can't make it - another medical emergency...seems like each year it gets harder to all gather in one piece but we're still all together in spirit! hope to be a bit more faithful with my posting and no, JE, you haven't been taken off my list for being bad. my bad! lyb

best buds artisan market

here are some photos of our artisan market! - linda callahan (lco designs) hosted it in her GARAGE!!!! (would you ever believe these pictures were of a garage???) she's a fabulous designer and staged this beautifully! - actually these photos highlight some of my paintings but there were several other artists/artisans participating: linda, of course, who has a thriving design business, LCO designs; connie skyrme, Midnight Sun Artistry - beautiful hand-painted furniture of all kinds; linda's daughter emily, EM photography and design, photographic giclees; carol kent pottery; jules jewelry by julie allen; kathy allen's cork art; joy o daniel - metals; emily mabe and her framed watercolor prints; amy leinhoop; susie signorino with all sorts of stuff; marilyn kern's fabulous hand made jackets; linda comstock's teal. all in all, we had a wonderful time and we're hoping to do this again in the spring but for sure next christmas season. happy holidays everyone