Just keep swimming

The malaise of winter pounding its fist routinely against our shaky walls was rubbing away at what few nerves I had left. When not fighting battle with this new fabric softener allergy (oh did I mention I had that? Yeah kinda fun surprise after a week of wearing clothes that were doused in the stuff to find your chest in pain and itchy leading to a week of bendryl loopy highs and aloe baths) I was sitting in my painting room pretending I was far away from cold, snow and anything arctic.

Thus was born my first 12X12 animal painting, but not my first turtle:

It looks all warm and inviting and nothing like the icy doldrums that is late January.

I've got the original for sale here as usual, but I really like my turtle so much I thought I'd try putting this one up for prints and amazingly I've already sold two of him (the first print sales through the place so now to see how they do). He was actually done over top an old painting I had gathering dust that I came to despise rather quickly. I can see why so many masterpieces have things hidden underneath, sometimes ideas go wrong and well the canvas is right there.

The weather here has turned and is warming just in time to make a giant muddy mess for the visit of Essie's family - all 4 of them. The carpet cleaner is going to put in some major over time when they finally go home.

But it did put me back into a tree painting mood so one more for the road:

Wish me luck this weekend, I'm gonna need it.