Monday, January 30, 2017

THREE AMIGOS

Here's what the 3" X 3" Less is More paintings look like in a frame.
I'll add a photo of them hanging in the gallery soon.
Thanks a bunch. MB

Friday, January 27, 2017

KISSES

3" X 3"
Less is More + fun!
I'm amazed at what I can fit on a 3" X 3" panel. It's kind of liberating.
Go figure??!!!
Thanks for all the great comments and thoughts. It really helps.
Later MB
 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

BE MINE

3" X 3"
 If you know me you know how much I love to paint all of my Pez characters.
Hello Kitty is so much fun to paint Here's a little Hello Kitty history
 
Hello Kitty is portrayed with a large family with the surname White. Her twin sister Mimmy is described as "shy and very girly," interested in sewing and dreaming of marriage. While Hello Kitty wears a red bow on her left ear, Mimmy wears a yellow one on her right. Their father George is described as dependable, humorous but also absent-minded. Their mother Mary is portrayed as a good cook who loves doing housework. Grandpa Anthony likes to tell stories and Grandma Margaret likes sewing. Dear Daniel is Hello Kitty's childhood friend. His character profile describes him as born in London on May 3 with the name Daniel Starr. He traveled with his parents and was away from Hello Kitty for a long time. He is portrayed as fashionable and sensitive, good at dancing and playing the piano, with an interest in photography, and dreams of being a celebrity. Charmmy Kitty is Hello Kitty's pet, a white Persian. She is described as docile, obedient and fond of shiny things. Her necklace holds the key to Hello Kitty's jewelry box. Hello Kitty also has a pet hamster named Sugar, who was a gift from Dear Daniel.
Thanks for taking a look! MB

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS

3" X 3"
Schlitz beer made Milwaukee famous!
I bought these Schlitz beer salt and pepper shakers but I'm not sure when I purchased
them which is a bit disconcerting. I've had them in my collection of stuff for quite some time.
Perfect for my new miniature collection titled "Less is More".
Thanks a bunch - MB
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

TWO HEARTS

3" X 3"
These connected trinkets have been in my collection of stuff for years. The large locket
belongs to my big sister - I'm not sure how I ended up with it but it has a photo of Elvis
inside. The small heart was a birthday present. 
Thanks a bunch - MB

Monday, January 23, 2017

THE CHUCKS CONNECTION

3" X 3" 
I've been working out some ideas in miniature while thinking about the color red 
and Valentines Day. So far I have a series of 8 miniature paintings - it's kind of fun and 
and quite a challenge. Not sure why I feel a need to explore small art but it may turn out
to be a great learning tool. I love the intimate size - these little spots of color.
 My frames will arrive Thursday I'll post a finished product photo for you.
 The frame choice will make or break the presentation for these miniature paintings.
Not sure if I made the right frame choice time will tell.
Thanks for waiting. MB
 

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Women's March Steamboat Springs

There was a huge turnout in Steamboat Springs, CO for the Women's March.
The March lined both sides of Lincoln Ave. for approximately 12 blocks
a great show of support in our small town. 
 
It was pretty difficult to show the numbers but it felt like the entire town was out in force.
New paintings coming your way! 
Thanks for your understanding. MB
 

Thursday, January 19, 2017

HOARFROST 101

No, this frost isn't on performance-enhancing drugs. What you see in the photos is called hoarfrost.  It's not snow. We've had 3 days of hoarfrost and it's been such a treat.
 
 

According to the National Weather Service office in Riverton, Wyoming, the Old English dictionary (c. 1290) defines hoarfrost as "expressing the resemblance of white feathers of frost to an old man's beard."

First, to produce any frost, you need water vapor (gaseous form of water) in the air over cold ground with a surface dew point at least as cold as 32 degrees.

When these water vapor molecules contact a subfreezing surface, such as a blade of grass, they jump directly from the gas state to solid state, a process known as "deposition", leading to a coating of tiny ice crystals.

So what provides the boost for frost to grow into hoarfrost like this?

Generally speaking, you want a much more moist air mass in place. In late fall, winter or early spring, one or more days in a row of freezing fog (fog with air temperatures of 32 degrees or colder) is a perfect scenario. 

With more moisture in the air, the interlocking crystal patterns of frost become more intricate and much larger, building up to a greater depth on tree branches, signs, fences, anything. This is hoarfrost.

If there is a light wind, the hoarfrost can accumulate on the downwind side of objects.

I'm at the top of the mountain after hiking on my skis for 45 minutes. 
The sun will warm the air and the hoarfrost will fall off the trees it will look
like it's snowing. Skiing hoarfrost is like skiing through a bowl of dry cornflakes
you can hear the crystals hitting your ski pants. Hoarfrost makes for some
fun runs. It adds another dimension to the skiing experience. 
You can see the snow sparkling those are hoarfrost crystals growing out of the surface
of the snow. Today the crystals were twice as big because the conditions were just right over night.
 Sorry for unexpected photo blog posts but I've been cleaning my shop - again and reassessing
some goals for 2017. 
Thanks for your understanding. MB
 

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Sunday, January 15, 2017

SAM COWBOY HAT

Here's finished STEAMBOAT ART MUSEUM COWBOY HAT project.
 Thanks a bunch!  

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

SAM COWBOY HAT

Monday's progress on my cowboy hat donation for the Steamboat Art Museum fundraiser. 
SAM provided the cowboy hard hats because their expansion project will begin this spring. 
I think they're going to auction the hats off at a fundraising dinner
to try and raise some dough for the construction project.
I requested some old postcards from past shows for this mosaic hat. I was lucky Chris found
a stack of postcards for me to cut up and paste. 
   
This is how far I got on Monday after a number of hours cutting and pasting. 
I have no idea how long this took - I should've kept track. 
Thanks a bunch - MB
 

Saturday, January 7, 2017

FIRST TRACKS

"First Tracks"  
4" X 10" oil on panel
First tracks of the day - skiing powder in my back yard woohoo!
Thanks for taking a look. MB
 

Monday, January 2, 2017

SPUTNIK

This is how I started my New Year! 
A painting demo on December 30th at the Depot Arts Center.
How apropos to be painting the Space Station gas sign which was
erected in 1956 as a response to the Russian launching of Sputnik!
Thanks a bunch - MB