Simply Delicious

"Simply Delicious #1" -- oil on canvas 6x6" -- Margie Guyot

This one's a real cutie: yellow cake with buttercream frosting, topped with sprinkles and a little heart.   I bet Simplycupcakes will sell a TON of these this Valentine's week.  This was the last one I painted yesterday afternoon and I had to quit.  The sun was setting and I cannot paint under artificial lights.  The glare on the wet paint is confusing.  And the colors never turn out right.  

After painting this one, I thought I should finish assembling the rabbit cage.  While prying a metal clip off, it suddenly flew off like a rocket, hitting me in my right eye!  Thank goodness it hit in the corner and my reflexes were quick.  Another fraction of an inch over and I probably would have blinded myself!  It stung like hell.  Oh boy.  I always wear glasses when using power tools.  Or when I'm cutting brush, mowing the lawn.  

It was a Sunday afternoon and I didn't know if I should go to an emergency room or not.  Fortunately, one of my friends had worked at an eye doctor's office and she told me I'd probably just scratched my cornea and it would heal quickly.  She said to put warm, wet compresses on it.  

Happy to report this morning that my eye feels a lot better.  Still a little sore, but I can see fine.  Good heavens.  Maybe I should wear glasses whenever I pick up ANY tool!

Coffee Break with Orchid

"Coffee Break with Orchid" -- oil on canvas -- 24x24" -- Margie Guyot

The inspiration for this one came from the beautiful slipper-type orchid I found at Meijer's in Traverse City. I'm such a sucker for orchids! Love them. Their blooms last for quite some time.

Right away I knew what I wanted to pair it with: the old metal cookie tin (on the left). I'd gotten that last month at a garage sale. It used to be my neighbor Pete Peterson's. I love the red bird on it!

And I'm re-using that tablecloth. It came from an antique store in Traverse City as well. Boy o boy -- it's a tough one to paint, too! But totally fascinating.

The big green glass vase I got from a mail-order about 15 years ago. Amazing -- it's survived and hasn't broken! I love the curlicues on it. Love the color!

Guess I'm kind of hooked (also!) on painting gloves. And I love this type of gardening glove! It's knit and the fingers are dipped in neoprene. I've bought all kinds of gardening gloves and this is the best! All the rest quickly blow out the fingertips. I tend to get fungus under my fingernails from the soil, so I really appreciate how these gloves hold up. And not that expensive, either!

It was overcast pretty much the entire time I painted this still life. So I had to guess about the shadows.

The cookies in the tin were painted from memory. I have no time to bake cookies. And the store-bought cookies are nasty! So you can call these "pretend cookies".

I usually like to fix a nice, strong cup of Starbucks coffee about mid-day. When I painted the coffee in the painting, I'd fixed a little extra and poured it into the thermos cup. Painted it quickly, then drank it. Waste not, want not.

Don't you just love the old thermos? I never buy them new. I snag as many as I want at garage sales. Who knows how old this one is? I always brought my own coffee when I worked at Ford Wixom Assembly Plant. The vending machine stuff was horrid.

You say the roses are too little? Well, they were snipped off my Blaze climbing rose. They were the first roses to open. I prettied them up a little, as the Japanese beetles had chewed them up somewhat. Maybe I'll treat myself to a bunch of store-bought tea roses soon....