Edward Pierrepont Lacey and His Dog Gun by Noah North in 1835-36, size 42 x 30 is what this painting was based on. I took lessons from Julie Stapleton of The Tole Barn in Estacada, Oregon and this was my first primitive portrait. I could never part with it. I gifted it to my husband. It resides in his study.
Yesterday I painted this little cupboard. It was all white before, and just one of those shabby/cottage little numbers that seem to ubiquitously crop up all over the world these days. Well my little cupboard, which is holding fabrics, has now become more of an early, early American styled little number. It was easy to paint and was inspired by a very early one that I have admired from a book. I coated it with shellac and in minutes it was ready to go. I am so happy.
I have stripped the girls and stood them all together (save for two who remain clothed in a cooler area), and it is because of the HUMIDITY, yes, you heard me correctly, humidity in western, Oregon. I tell you, it has NEVER done this before. I've know humidity in other states. I never knew any existed here. I once saw a humidity map of the United States, way back in the 1960's wherein it fully claimed that humidity that makes you feel the mugginess does not exist in the west. Well, since Mother Nature is going to town changing stuff, we're now getting that heinous kind of weather. The past three days have been dripping with it. Oh well. At least the vegetation does even better. Now for some exciting thunderstorms, fingers crossed, because I LOVE thunder storms, but we never get them here. And maybe next June we'll finally get some fireflies, for we don't have them here either, and I do love them. I have strung some flickering, solar powered sparkling lights in my garden to be my faux fireflies, and they are truly enchanting.
Tomorrow is the day. From 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM I will be at Thea's in the Pearl, as her First Thursday artist. I have prepared a bevy of dolls and fancywork items and look forward to visiting the guests and to leaving my creations there after I leave. 
