One of my favorite paintings is an oil I did many years ago.  Originally it was painted on a canvas panel.  For some reason, I felt the canvas would be better off the cardboard panel, so I removed it.  And then got distracted and the canvas was lying flat with some derivative pieces of it for a few months.

Much to my horror, something had been placed on it with weight and there were suddenly two large areas with removal of paint, and a crack where it had become folded.  So much for the idea of flexible oils.  I bought it some stretcher strips and re-mounted it.  It has been a couple of months.  It has flattened out, but the cracks are still visible. I have just repaired the two areas of paint removal.  Lesson learned (that I already knew) paint them and keep them as if its forever to avoid damage.

"The Yellow Flower" No. 368 painted in 1999, Winsor and Newton Artist's Oil Colors
(c) laeom

I haven't decided yet what to do about the cracks - filling them in carefully will still leave a bump. This painting and I have been best friends for many years.  The photo doesn't do it justice.

My father fought in the Korean War, and for the past three years I have been making quilts in his honor for Veterans. I am taking my Dad with me to a new fight regarding North Korea. Peace.

Nuclear War is not a fixable choice. The @POTUS sham summit with North Korea, the slap in the face of Veterans, the treasonous salute to a N.K. General - well, my father respected peace more than war.

Off and on throughout my art career I have drawn / painted pears. Like Vincent and his sunflowers, for me, pears reflect our condition in our environment. With my epilepsy and PTSD being worse right now due to strains inflicted by this administration, I'm going to focus on pears for a while. Oil pastels are almost a perfect medium if you have one subject you want to depict. I have a set of 60 Sennelier Oil pastels - consistent colors for a series of Pears. On 5 x 7 canvas panels.









Number 720 "Orange Pear" (c) laeom

I have been doing so many different projects, I have not had time to blog!. I am working on clay statues of our animals, using Roma Plastilina professional clay.  I have just finished one of my son's dog Bailey, and am finishing one of our cat Ceasar. Photos to follow.

I have also been working with fiber arts, generally knitting spools circles that become paintings. One project that has been waiting is my metalpoint drawings.  I have several, on marbledust and wood, that I have wanted to either tint with water color, paint in oil, or some other method of bringing the metal drawings into the realm of color.  I have decided to do this with oil pastel.  I use all types of oil pastels- Cray Pas, Gallery, Cray Pas Expressionist, Caran D'Ache, and Sennelier.  And, for Mother's Day, my son just bought me a wonderful box of Senneliers.!!!

This is the 50 color wood box set, from Dick Blick.  I can't wait til they get here! Sennelier makes the softest oil pastels, and they are luxurious! I generally use them for a top layer, and use other less expensive (harder) oil pastels for the underneath layers of color.  Below is "The Look" (c) laeom, oil pastel on marbledust and rabbitskin glue on wood, 6" x 6".  This is our cat Moochie aka Munchkin.

This was done mostly in Sennelier oil pastels. Oil pastel is a wonderful way to express! THANKS to my son, a wonderful Mother's Day gift!

I Pledge Allegiance

Knit American

New Look

While beginning to knit socks for my quilts for veterans sets, I realized all of my yarns are foreign although they are sold in America by American companies. Yes I did some screaming at Lion Brand Yarn because I am in shock they do not make but 3 of their yarns.

I am going to be focusing on hand spinning wool and knitting socks using American-made tools. Supporting American industries, whether sheep farmers or cotton growers is very important.

My artwork is currently sculpture of my animals and I will add posts here about those as well.