NEW ORLEANS PAINTING for Melanie

Ward and I are blessed with a total of fourteen grandchildren and great grandchildren, and it is my hope to complete a special watercolor for each of them. About a month ago, I posted a painting of a wooded scene in Germany - which we shipped to my oldest grandson Michael.

Melanie is my third grandchild, and today, we are sending her the original watercolor shown above - New Orleans Buggy Ride for Melanie - as a gift for her 25th birthday. A native of New Orleans, it is still her home. About 20 years ago, at the beginning of our Painter and Poet journey, we participated in some New Orleans area art shows and I had fun painting rather kooky watercolors of N O scenes. This original is from that early period.

My own birthday was several days ago, and I'm still reeling from the pleasures of that day - thank you all. Cards propped on the side table in our dining room - I'm enjoying re-reading them and hoping to take a photo of the friendly daisies sent by my older daughter, Suzy - maybe they will be in a watercolor someday. Special cookies, more wonderful daffodils, long heart warming phone calls, and an upcoming shopping trip to South Bend with my buddy, Darlene. Plus several great necklaces to adorn my old neck! Wow! I feel so very lucky and so young that I can't believe I'm such a relic.

Am happy to report that the original I posted several days ago - a flag on an old fashioned porch - has been sold. We will soon have prints available, and they will be posted on our web site and in our Culver gallery.

Mother's Day will be here before you know it. Consider checking out our web site: www.painterandpoet.com to order a print for your special lady. There are many to choose from - and florals seem especially appropriate. Rose Garden (pictured above) has been a proven favorite . Peace and serenity are embodied in this painting of the Virgin Mary's statue and Ward has captured the essence of the message in his verse

Studio Update:

Have spent the last several days assembling mat colors and picking frames for prints and originals, replenishing the supply of note cards, doing some updating on our mailing list, and getting Uncle Sam paid. Yesterday I struggled scanning and working on the new prints of Broad Stripes and Bright Stars, introduced in our blog several days ago.

Spring is truly here and Ward and I have been driving around, admiring flowering bushes and trees. I've promised him that I'll soon paint an old weathered barn and silo to complete our composite creation - his poem with my accompanying watercolor. Today we spied a splendidly dilapidated old silo on Olive Trail just south of Plymouth. This "old silo scene" is percolating in my brain and I'll soon get rolling on it.

Now I hope to take more photos of Gignilliat Hall in full spring regalia - I have good building details in skeletal photos taken last fall. Am excited about this project.

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We make it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

Whose Broad Stripes and Bright Stars



These "6" x 6" watercolors are filling me with enthusiasm. On the right is a new one that I finished earlier today! This is the front porch of the charming older home south and next door to us. In my files I found several photos of this porch and I painted from these photos. Attached here is a copy of this painting, which will be reproduced with details to be given laterl This painting has a crisp white top mat with a narrow edge of medium gray underneath. Size including the mat is 9.5" square. This matted print will be placed on a foam core backing, enclosed in a clear plastic envelope and carefully packaged for free shipment inside the U. S. Inquire about international shipping costs outside the U S.

This painting will be sold to the first person to contact us with secure payment of its purchase price of $108.00 (including shipping within the US). This offer will expire on April 27 (about 10 days from now). To purchase this painting Email us at info@painterandpoet.com or call Esther at 574-842-8888. PayPal and other credit cards and money orders accepted. If desired, we can send you a Paypal invoice.

And remember, paintings look different on different computer monitors; if you purchase this painting and are not fully satisfied, you may pack it carefully and return to us at your expense and we will refund your full purchase price. No questions asked.

Studio Update:

I've been working on several other 6"x 6''s and am posting another recent watercolor that never made it to our blog. This one is 5" x 6". It was adopted by a dear friend, who LOVES spring flowers. She brought me more wonderful daffodils and similar blooms. I've taken lots of pictures of these spring flowers and hope to squeeze another cheery little watercolor daffodil into this blog very soon. They are special favorites of mine. "The one that got away" is several paragraphs up.

Culver Academy's Reunion week will be here in about a month, and we are readying our inventory of Culver Academy prints and cards. I'm hopeful of making good progress on a new Academy scene, and will also be pushing myself on several of my larger commissions. And tomorrow, we are sending a French Quarter New Orleans original to Melanie, a granddaughter who has lived in that fascinating city all her life. Her birthday is several days away and that puts me a bit closer to my goal of presenting each grandchild with a significant original. In our next blog, I'll post a photo of "New Orleans Buggy for Melanie."

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We make it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

Lily of the Mist - original watercolor

Easter is almost here, and it is mostly fun to be working on the spring cleanup of our flower garden and patio area - and the entry to our Painter and Poet Gallery.

Yesterday, I got frisky, foolishly acted like I was about 20 years younger than my "real" age, and put my knobby knees down on my handy "padded" kneeling bench. Weather? Sunny, 74 degrees, and a lovely day! Spent almost two hours getting the 12' x 8' deck floor scrubbed squeaky clean. The deck looks terrific, but oh- my poor knees! Need to find some soft knee pads before any more kneeling!

Sorting through our unmatted prints in Ward's matting room I found an original watercolor called "Lily of the Mist." Ward is holding this framed original painting. The scarecrow portrayed here was designed by Judy Dodge, an enthusiastic member of our community, who has created many of the scarecrows included in some of Culver's annual fall scarecrow contests, which began in 1998. With its bright colors and unusual design, it reminds me of the imagination and whimsy reflected in Easter bunnies, and color-filled decorations.

Lily of the Mist's image is 9.5" wide and 14.5" tall. Overall matted size is 15.5" wide by 20.5" tall. Archival matting and framing includes 3" of alpha matting around the painting (#8521 Fairfield White top mat with # 8480 Gothic Amethyst underneath) archival U V glass and a striking black wood frame. Price is $225.00 which includes the archival matting and framing, free shipping, and a copy of "Big Scare in Small Town". This unusual and colorful original watercolor will be sold to the first qualified buyer contacting us to purchase "Lily of the Mist". We are careful to note the exact time of your wish to purchase so we can follow our rule - "to the first qualified buyer".

"Big Scare in Small Town" written by Harvey Firari, and illustrated by Esther, contains a copy of this print and other illustrations of Culver scarecrows, also painted by Esther. This book is described in the "book" section of www.painterandpoet.com - Painter and Poet's web site.

To buy this original you will need to either call me at 574 842 8888 or email us - info@painterandpoet.com - to arrange for your purchase. We can accept Visa, Mastercard or Discover. If you want to use paypal, we will be happy to send you a paypal invoice. Indiana residents will be charged 7% state sales tax. Free insured shipping within the continental U S, and additional charges for shipping to other locations. Any questions" Please call Esther at 574-842-8888.

Studio Updates: Am enjoying painting on my convenient new easel, plugging away on commissions. And in between, I continue to work on small originals to post on this blog, with four partly done. As each of these little originals is finished, we'll photograph it and post here so you can view it, and if interested, have an opportunity to buy it.

This is an ideal time of year for photographing scenes with buildings that I hope to paint. It's easier to clearly see the building structures while the foliage is light. Ward has written a poem about an old silo and barn, and wants me to paint a watercolor to illustrate his poem. This will be a challenge, but fun! We found an ideal old barn and silo last week but the day was overcast - not the best lighting. So we went back when the atmosphere was brighter, and Ward lined up our digital Nikon for an excellent shot. I'm excited and it'll be fun to combine our talents on this "old silo and barn" poem and painting!

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. Pay/pal and our shopping cart makes it easy for you to purchase from our web site. PayPal includes most other credit cards. To purchase with a check or money order or other questions, please call us. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

The new easel/desk is terrific!

Snow is off the ground, ice is off the lake, and we have an extra hour of daylight in the evening. And I feel like celebrating! The monster "easel in a box" is now in use and is even more convenient and comfortable than I had hoped. I'm delighted. One picture shows Ward working to assemble it, and the second shows the finished desk after Ward and Beth Wilkins completed the awesome task.

When I am painting a watercolor, I often use special watercolor pencils for accents and details. Note the two containers of those pencils, and another heavy glass filled with many of my brushes. The light clamped to my easel/desk is color balanced so that its light simulates daylight - I am a night owl and sometimes go on a painting rampage until the wee hours of the morning.

Studio Updates:

To give you a better opportunity to purchase available original watercolors, we are adding a new section to our web site. Paintings described here will either be auctioned on EBay or added to a special section of our web site. When posted on our web site, each original will be offered at a fixed price and the first qualified purchaser will be the proud new owner!

My watercolor of Culveer's Vandalia Train Station is the first original to be offered on the "originals" section of our web site: www.painterandpoet.com Its image has been on several earlier blogs so it's likely that you will remember it. You can get an idea of the scale from the photo of me holding the framed painting. This picture was taken on our side deck - the door behind me is the outside entry into my little studio, and I'm facing toward the entry to our Painter and Poet Gallery.

Custom framed in light brown wood, it has archival matting and UV protected glass. The inside alpha mat is called Dusk Grey, a color very similar to the color of the frame, The top mat is Gypsum, a light tan color. Image size is 17" x 11" and the total framed size is about 24" wide by 18" tall. Price framed and ready to hang is $695.00

In order to buy an original from our web site, you will need to either call me at 574 842 8888 or email us - info@painterandpoet.com - to arrange for your purchase. We can accept Visa, Mastercard or Discover. If you want to use paypal, we will be happy to send you a paypal invoice. Indiana residents will be charged 7% state sales tax. Free insured shipping within the continental U S, and additional charges for shipping to other locations.

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We make it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

Uncle Henry's Barn SOLD - Culver Train Station on the track!

It's Sunday morning and we are reporting that Uncle Henry's Barn is sold. I'm sorry to disappoint some of you, but happy for the buyer. Do remember to check out our web site, where you may easily purchase some of Ward's poetry books, and select from our signed, limited edition prints and note cards. Free shipping there. Paypal, Visa and MC accepted. For our web site, click: www.painterandpoet.com

Within a few days, I'll be posting a longer blog, and the custom framed original of Culver's Vandalia Train Station will be featured for sale. But today, we will try to reorganize my studio so I can get back to a routine of alternating between producing smaller paintings in our little gallery and concentrating on my larger commissioned watercolors in my studio away from distractions. I just looked and that snazzy "drafting table/easel" is still there, beautifully assembled!! Thank you again, Ward and Beth!

Uncle Henry's Barn

Tis mid March and days are warmer and sunnier. I've been out walking with Maxwell (my walker) so I can speed along the sidewalk pretending I'm a middle-ager. Culver's sidewalks are much improved over former years, but there are still some unexpected cracks and bumps. Using this walker, I can relax and enjoy the sights, and the basket is handy for small purchases. Very enjoyable.
Ward and I like driving along country roads and we usually take our camera. Today's feature is painted using the above reference photo we took late last summer. I am posting that photo and the finished painting, which is called "Uncle Henry's Barn." My father's name was John Henry Scobie so this barn painting is sort of named after him.

This watercolor is 6" x 6". Including a two inch wide light gray alpha mat, the overall size is 10" x 10." The matted print will be placed on a foam core backing, enclosed in a clear plastic envelope and carefully packaged for free shipment inside the U S. Inquire about international shipping costs outside the U S.

This painting will be sold to the first person to contact us with secure payment of its purchase price of $79.00 (including shipping).

To purchase this painting Email us at info@painterandpoet.com or call Esther at 574-842-8888. PayPal and other credit cards and money orders accepted. If desired, we can send you a paypal invoice.

Studio Update:

THE EASEL .... a huge challenge! I was both pleased and disappointed when this thing arrived. I assumed (and you all know the inherent risk) it would be delivered assembled and ready for me to sit down and begin painting. Wrong! All the miscellaneous parts -a pile of (mostly labeled) nuts, bolts, boards, metal pieces, etc. and confusing diagrams! Then we noticed - "Made in China" - Well, Ward with his careful skill and determination tackled the tough job, and made a lot of progress. Then a good friend of ours, Beth Wilkins, an amazing lady, volunteered to help him conquer this monster desk. They worked together and now we have something that miraculously looks almost like the sleek vision in the catalog. Thank you, Beth. We'll post pictures in our next blog.

Currently, I'm working on another country scene, also 6" x 6" which features two large oak trees and a country road. This is fun, and I'm happy with the way it is progressing. It's on my little painting table in our gallery. Remember, you are welcome to visit and watch me paint. Better check first to be sure that we are here. .

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We nake it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

Good Tree for a Bunny

Good Tree for a Bunny is a little piece of whimsy - fun for me to paint and I'm happy to present it for you to bid on. This small painting is 2.5" across and 3.5" high and has a 1.25" off white alpha mat around it, bringing the overall size including the mat, to 5" wide and 6" tall. A nice little interesting watercolor with some pen and ink accents! Bidding on Ebay to start at only $19. Click here to find this item on Ebay!



I've just added one of my signed prints - Crocus, the Butterfly Flower - to this blog and also to Ebay. This is one of our most popular images, and a great reminder that - as the song goes - "Spring is just around the corner!" The image on this print is 6" across and 4" tall. The matted size is a standard 10" x 8" - making it a breeze to frame. The top mat is a soft light gray with a narrow purple mat under, a big favorite of mine. Ward and I have the original of this painting on a small easel atop a little butternut antique chest in our dining room. Bidding on this signed print starts at $10.00. Click here to find Crocus, the Butterfly Flower on EBay.

Am very excited about a new studio easel that should be delivered later today. It looks a like a small drafting table with a built in large adjustable drawing board in the center and a flat working space on each side. This will make it easier for me to paint because I can change the height and angle to what is most comfortable for me.

With our extended family and friends, there are plenty of birthdays to keep track of. Son Michael's is later this week so his card is ready to mail. Ward is finishing the framing on Grandson Michael's painting (shown to you on an earlier blog) and we will ship to to him soon- his birthday is later this month.

Studio Update:

Last night I worked on a small barn painting and hope to finish it within the next week. As soon as my new easel is set up, I'm going to finish work on a commissioned lake home painting and enjoy starting the next one!

The little originals that we are putting on Ebay are stirring up my creative energy and freshening up my painting. And remember, I'll continue to enjoy creating these little gems right here in my gallery. There's pleasant jazz in the background and a chair for you to sit on. You are welcome to watch and chat while I paint. If you want to make a special trip to our gallery, please call first to be sure that we'll be here. We don't want you to be disappointed.

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We nake it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

"Feather", original watercolor by Esther

Esther's original watercolor Feather is custom framed and ready to hang! The image is 8" wide and 3.5" tall. Size including the mat is 11" x 6.5". Top mat is a soft light gray, with a darker gray mat beneath. The brown wood custom frame is a little lighter than it looks here. Special "Tru -Vue" glass helps protect the watercolor from fading. And the matting is Conservation Grade - Museum Quality. A signed certificate of authenticity is on the back of this framed original watercolor. Feather is on Ebay. Click here to find this item on ebay.

We are preparing to upgrade our operating system - and I'm busy backing everything up before the big event! We'll also have My Book added - this is an external hard drive that will automatically backup very frequently. Wow! Maybe I could fool you into thinking that I know what is going on - not true! I understand the general process and am grateful for expert help.

Studio Update:

Have been having fun with more of the small originals, and will post another as soon as it is finished. And I now have a small drawing table in the gallery, so I can work on some of the little paintings there - and as you come in to visit, you can see them evolve from a drawing or photograph, with interpretations and changes from Esther's brain into her fingers and then down on a piece of blank white watercolor paper. The idea, the changes, the drawing, the doodling on scrap paper to test colors and contrast, saving pristine white areas, and finally painting. Then probably some changes - scrub outs, accents, touches of pen and ink. It's almost like carving on a flat piece of paper.

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We nake it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

Brushing with a Pine Tree - First original on blog!!

Hello all of you! Valentine's Day is over and daylight is lasting beyond our evening meal. We hear from friends who have gone "south for the winter" and regret that most of them are not having the warm weather they expected. Ward and I hope you are all happy, cozy and healthy no matter where you are.

Studio Update:

It is a pleasure to finally be sending our very first blog including one of my new small original watercolors. I've talked about this for a long time and it's time to put up or shut up! This watercolor is called BRUSHING WITH A PINE TREE. (To find this original on ebay, go to the link toward the bottom of this page.)

There have been so many things to decide. What to paint? What medium? How big? How to handle the sale - payments, ordering, etc. The answers to many of these questions have already been outlined on this blog, on our web site, and some in my quirky artist's brain.

What to paint? An image or an impression that I find fascinating and want to share with you so you may enjoy viewing it and if you wish - have the opportunity to bid on it.

What medium? Easy choice for me - my art love affair is with watercolor. I'm delighted to be working on them, always striving for that elusive "aha!" with my brush strokes.

How big? Well, we all must face reality, or suffer unpleasant consequences, and my facts are: At 80 years young, I am rather ripe on the vine. And I want to maximize the time left for me. Ward and I have a great life together and taking care of ourselves and each other consumes a lot of time. And I have many commitments for larger commissions. It's very important for me to exercise my ability by trying out new ideas and fresh approaches in painting to maintain and improve my skill . So it's obvious - my little originals have to be small. How small? I've checked out lots of web sites - mostly "daily painters" - the majority produce a new painting several times a week - some more, some less. It seems to me that many manage to be quite consistent with the sizes of their offerings. After working on almost a dozen small paintings, I am forced to confess I cannot comfortably conform to painting within a very specific area, so my paintings will vary in size.

These small paintings are creations of mine, and thus seem like my "babies", and each will be interesting, special and unique in its own way. And since they are my ideas composed with paint and paper, I can easily toss them if they are not up to par. I hear you thinking -" Don't waste that expensive paper!" No danger of that. I'm a depression baby. I'll use the rejects to practice on and reserve the pristine paper for new watercolors.

I promise to try my darndest to do good quality work. As a bonus for you, each painting will be hinged to a simple archival mat - custom cut by Ward. Details on size and matting will be given with each original watercolor offered on our blog. You will then need to take your treasure to a professional framer, or let your resident carpenter complete the job.

So here it is- the first one to meet my standards - Its name is Brushing with a Pine Tree The painting area is 4.75" across and 5.5" high. The almost white archival mat is 1.5" wide, so the overall matted size is 7.75" wide by 8.5" tall. Your painting will be carefully packaged including a foam core backing and a signed certificate of authenticity. It is offered for auction on ebay, with a beginning price of $50.00. Click here to review this ebay listing and bid!

If a painting doesn't sell on EBay, it will be framed and for sale in our Painter and Poet Gallery. Later we may list originals on our web site.

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We nake it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com

Cherry Pie and Michael's Watercolor

It is almost Valentine's Day and the time of year to think about cherry pie - partly because it is one of Ward's favorites. So there is one in our oven right now.

In our last blog, I mentioned that I was going to be working on a watercolor for my grandson Michael. The first attempt had a lot of the wonderful yellow color, but did not work out well. After trashing it, I began again and finished the painting above right. I'm going to try again with another version, and we will definitely be sending a painting to him for his 25th birthday. If I decide on a different version, I'll post it for you to see.

Now that the holidays are over, it is time to think about getting ready for "Uncle Sam" and most of my part of gathering information is complete. My son Terry and his sweet wife Dani, sent us a DVD/VCR player for Christmas and now it is hooked up. We will be watching some movies - good winter recreation. I'm stingy with my time and watch very little TV, but I do enjoy movies.

Studio update: In our last blog, I told you about the small originals I will be painting. This is a nice break for me from working on larger commissions. I'm trying to learn to paint on thick 300 pound paper, and it is a challenge. The thicker paper has advantages and disadvantages for me. The paint dries slower, and colors do not seem as brilliant - probably because they tend to soak down into the paper. But it is easier to make corrections - and I'm going to try to get the "hang of it". As I finish these small paintings, they will be shown here and offered for sale on eBay. Six of them are in varying stages. I hope to have another blog out before the end of this month with at least one of these smaller originals posted on it.

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Visit our web site www.painterandpoet.com to look through our wide variety of prints, note cards and books. We nake it easy for you to purchase with a check or money order - or using our shopping cart and pay/pal or other credit cards. Free shipping within the 48 states - email us for charges outside this area. Phone orders welcome. Ask for Esther at 574-842-8888. Email us at: info@painterandpoet.com

If you subscribe to our blog, it will be sent to you automatically. To go directly to our blog, enter this link: www.painterandpoet.blogspot.com

Painter and Poet Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 10 till 5. Sunday afternoon 12 till 4. And by appointment or chance.

For awesome and continually updated Culver info go to www.maxinkuckee.com and to Culver's official Chamber of Commerce web site: www.culverchamber.com