Lake Mozingo

 

6x8in. oil on Ampersand Gessobord - click to purchase here

In September of 2023 we went on a trip to Lake Mozingo, MO. Filled with bass and fisherman chasing after them, the water rippled and the wild grass swayed. Bugs flittered about and fish slapped the surface of the lake. We set out for a lovely family picnic filled with grilled food, cornhole and myself plein air painting. Family members came up to me to check on my progress and it was great to have their company. The temperature was hot but the breeze was nice, and I didn't get attacked by too many mosquitos, but unfortunately one was given the "landlord special" from my wet paint. Oops (and ew).

Duck Lake

 

6x8in. oil on Ampersand Gessobord - click to purchase here

On a trail near me there is a lovely little park with a lake. The lake houses fish, a grand water fountain and many ducks. The ducks love to float around and walk around on the grass but they don't seem to care much about the people who sit on the benches nearby. I painted this painting en plein air with a delicious pumpkin spice latte from Dunkin' and I had a sun hat with bug netting on. A few spiders bungee jumped from the tree I was sitting under and landed on me, but they seemed to be more interested with their surroundings and not with me (thank goodness). Wrapping up the painting I had a wonderful moment of mindfulness and gratitude - the breeze was cool and the air smelled like warm grass. It's currently in the 90s (more like 98 degrees with a feels like of 115, goodness) so I can't wait for it to cool down to go on some bike rides soon.

Strawberry Cocktail

 

7x5in. oil on canvas panel - click to purchase here

When I lived in the city, our apartment was a few blocks away from a movie theater with a bar attached. This bar was what I would describe as "cool and swanky" - it had the names of drinks and what they consisted of painted on the walls, LED lighting everywhere, a view of the city skyline, Saturday Night Live muted on the televisions and a few pool tables. We would occasionally go just for the bar - the bartender was very kind and I remember that his favorite movie was Spirited Away, one of my favorites, too. Later on the theater was converted into an Alamo Drafthouse and the bar was different. While it was sad to see the change, they had a lovely-sounding strawberry cocktail with a ribbon of lemon peel on the menu. I ordered it and mentally said goodbye to the bartender who loved Spirited Away and the muted Saturday Night Lives as I sipped on my drink. 23/52

Nintendo Tea Time Print

 

12x16in. Epson Professional giclee paper - click to purchase here

Surprise! I've released my Games Done Quick donated Nintendo Tea Time painting as prints!

Cholera, Smallpox and the Black Death

 7x5in. oil on canvas panel - sold

A while ago I received some Giant Microbes plushies as a gift. It was a 5-pack and contained Spanish Flu, Typhoid Fever, Cholera, Smallpox and the Black Death. I love that they have cute little eyes and they look like the microbes themselves. I really liked putting this composition against a neon background, the blue vs orange complementary color scheme is loud and it really pops. 22/52