Chop Saw!

Guess what I learned to use yesterday?  My new chop saw!!!  It was a birthday present from my brother (received in October!).  I've been a little intimidated to use it, but after I got the hang of it, I cut over 75 linear feet of antique wood this weekend!  Look for new work on antique porchboards, beadboard, molding, tongue and groove, pine, cypress, oak, etc.  I do love the smell of sawdust!

When taking apart an old vintage door, I turned over a piece of wood and found this cool "B"!  I absolutely LOVE the look of it!  If anyone in my family had a "B" in their name, I'd hang it up somewhere.  But, no.  If only if it was an "A" for Allen!  That's why I love using vintage and antique materials in my artwork.  They all have a history and have been used in the past for another purpose.  I think that's really cool.  So, if you know anyone that could use a "B", please put them in contact with me.  I'll sell it cheap! :)

I hope you all had a good weekend.  My husband and 11 year old son went kayaking on Rabbit Creek on Saturday morning.  They took a few neat photographs I thought I would share.

Pond Cypress - My husband loves these trees!

Bridge over Rabbit Creek - Cool reflection!

This yellow flower is blooming everywhere along the river!

Off to go create some new artwork with all the great wood I cut this weekend...  Photos to follow!  Have a great Monday.

Crab Commission

Last weekend, we were invited down to a friend's house on Mobile Bay.  They had just baited their 4 crabtraps with shrimp heads (!) and already had 19 crabs!  The crabs were super fiesty and the kids had a good time getting them out of the traps and into the bucket.  They were boiled up later that evening and the kids had them for "dessert" - hand cracking them out on the pier after sunset.  I took photos of the live crabs, as the colors were bright and beautiful and I knew I would want to do some crab paintings soon.

So, lo and behold, I received a sweet email from another "Jennifer" in Smithfield, VA (yes, the ham town) a few days later.  She was interested in commissioning a piece of artwork for the new addition to her home.  She really liked a piece I did a while back of two crabs on an antique shutter.  So, I emailed her a photo of the antique shutters I had, and she chose a great looking neutral brown shutter with lots of chippy paint. 

I got to work right away - hand cutting the crabs out of metal (not an easy task!) and then taking the piece to my studio to paint the artwork.  I think it turned out fabulous!  How cool to have a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork, that you designed yourself.  I hope she loves it.

Gardenia and other Southern Flora

I had a commission for a gardenia on a yellow antique tin tile.  Since I was making one, I thought I should make a couple more on different colored antique tin tiles that I had.  Which one do you like best?  I am having a hard time deciding...

I also painted an okra on tin and a hydrangea mounted on antique wood.

 

I like to make these small pieces - they are perfect gifts and they can be hung on the wall or tucked on a shelf or countertop for a nice artistic accent!

New Work!

New Work

I worked on several new pieces today - until the power went out with the big thunderstorm that rolled through!


Here is a blue crab.  He's mounted to old wood salvaged from an Atmore, AL farmhouse built in 1904.  I love the contrast between the bright paint and the old wood.

This was commissioned from an out-of-town client that specifically requested a pink azalea on a pink antique tin tile.  Luckily for her, I had one pink tile left! 

Here's an oyster mounted to vintage tin.  It reminds me of putting oysters in an old tin washtub.  This shell was collected from a pile of oysters in Bayou La Batre, AL.  I always look at real shells for the authentic shapes and colors.

Here's two more Bayou La Batre oysters on that old Atmore farmhouse wood.  And, yes, that long skinny shell really looked that way in real life!  It goes perfect on that long narrow piece of wood.

And, as long promised, here is Middle Bay Lighthouse.  It's mounted to an antique tin ceiling tile which serves as a frame.  It wasn't so easy to paint, with it's angles and such, but I really like the way it turned out.  I also think I might make one on antique wood, too.  Just for a different, more rustic look.

I have been updating Facebook lately, instead of this blog, but I am going to try to do better.  This will make it easier to keep up with my new work and current stock, since it changes so frequently.  Please contact me if you are interested in any of these pieces.  Or, visit my website http://www.rabbitcreekstudios.net/ for other ideas.

Mobile Bay Monthly - October Issue

Here's my article in the latest Mobile Bay Monthly!   Check it out and let me know what you think.

New Studio!

I am so excited to be in my new studio space!  I am painting out of Suite 204 above the Holiday Shop in Springhill.  You can access it by coming inside the Holiday and coming up the spiral staircase and down the hall, or from the exterior staircase and red door (above).  My hours will be limited in the summer, but I hope to work a couple hours at least 3 days a week.

I am sharing the space with two other artists - Carolyn Greene and Ashley O'Connor.  We hope to play off one another's creativity!  I am just getting moved in and have nothing hung on the walls -- yet.  The suite has two spaces - the one in the front we are going to use as a gallery space and for meetings/classes.  The back space is our working studio.  It opens up onto the beautiful balcony!!! 

I am working on getting a sandwich board-type sign to put out on the sidewalk when I am there working, so people can come up and visit.  In the meantime, I try to hang artwork from the flagpoles on the balcony when I am there. 

I hope you see you all this summer when you are in the area.

Grayton Beach

By the looks of this blog, I haven't done anything since November!!!  Truth be told, I've been so busy, I haven't had time to post anything.  I just sent a box of work over to The Studio Gallery in Grayton Beach, FL to try and keep up with their Spring Break demand.  They requested oysters and tabasco bottles on small antique tin ceiling tiles. Now, that's a great beach memento! 

To see more about this cute little gallery, visit their website: http://www.studiogallery30a.com/