"Tyger & Coffee"

Mixed media on old book page

This morning, Tyger and I were having our coffee. He asked if I could get some tuna flavored coffee. He is quite serious about this request, he really likes tuna.

Later, he asked if I was serious about inviting Myra and her dog Tiny for coffee. I didn't say anything. I'll let Tyger chew on this thought for a while, it is a long drive from Texas. And, I don't know if Tiny can drive a car!

From this image it looks like Tyger has the magical cup. It's floating! I may go back into this sketch or I just may do another... or both!

I'm enjoying this old book sketching. Who knows, one of these images may turn into a painting yet!

-jM

"Coffee Shop"

Mixed media on old book page

Looking for a good coffee shop. I'm pretty sure Myra told me about quite a few good ones to visit, but I've forgotten. I knew I should have written them down in my sketch book. Oh.... I'll find them, come on memory, kick in gear!

I think I'll just wonder around town and see what I find...

-jM

"Kathleen's Red Cup"

Mixed media on old book page

Here we are, another page out of the old book.

I received a nudge from Myra last Friday, asking me "where are you!". Basically, she was asking if I was still painting or just being a slug on a log!

I was in Cleveland, OH for a family reunion, in a hotel, but I had my book and a few painting materials with me. So! On Saturday night I did a quick start of this red coffee cup.
I found this cup in Kathleen's free stuff pile when she moved studio's last Spring. It has a little chip in it but I've glued the piece back in place and it's almost good as new.

I love that red. Kathleen has some pretty red hair too, so it only makes sense to me to be Kathleen's red cup. Well, this is a simple version for now but I have a feeling, things are going to get a little more involved and complicated here!

Thanks for the nudge Myra!!

-jM
PS: I received a gift cup today from Carol and it's her birthday! Hmmm... chocolate chips! Cookies...

"Just Judy's"

Mixed media on old book page

Just Judy's is a local family run restaurant. We love it! The price is right, the food, especially breakfast, is perfect. I had my book with me and started this sketch of my coffee cup. I was barely started and my breakfast arrived so I had to finish this at a later time.... here is the result. I really took a look at the handle but breakfast got here so fast, I'll keep looking.

I have a bit of a dilemma going for myself. I'm painting these coffee cups in my old book and I don't know if I should count these as part of the coffee cup series or if they are studies for the coffee cup series. To me they all look like finished paintings, but....  I just don't know....

-jM

"That Yellow Cup"

That yellow cup, I love that yellow cup. Oh, now where is that yellow cup?

A yellow cup, sort of, it has purple and blue in it.... and orange... well, to me, it's that yellow cup!

Lazy dayz of summer....

Hope yours is going well!

-jM

"Little Pink Cup"

Found this little gem today sitting on my painting table just asking to be finished. This is one I started oh, maybe a week and a half ago. I guess it needed some drying time and me some time away from it. It's another one of the cup paintings I made up (no model). I have to tell you, after the cup sketch/painting yesterday of the apple cup, and the fact that it was painted from a live model, I looked at this handle a little longer today and thought.... time to use the live models.

Please stay cool and careful today, our heat index is 110 degrees F!

-jM

"Apple Cup in a Book"

Mixed media on old book page

Does this count? It's a cup painting, but it's in this old book. I used Joanie's great idea of painting on/in an old book. This is old, like 1904 or something. The coffee cup is my friend Leigh's and it has an apple on it, so I just had to do a painting of it!

Early today, I picked this old book, that I had gotten free from an old library that was being torn down a few years ago. It doesn't look like it's worth much as it is, maybe I can help it along! I'll tell you more about the book as I learn more about it... like I think it's a book of sermons or something.....

As I promised days ago, I want to include a photo and a link to the photos from the 66 poppy painters at the Wine and Canvas event last Wednesday... it was so much fun!!

Link to the rest of the Wine and Canvas Photos

-jM

"Number Four"

8"x6" oil on canvas panel

Cup.... coffee cup number four. I haven't come up with a nice title for this one yet, so for now, it's just "Number Four".

Thanks Rene' for helping me stop and start another here. This is just the beginning, I need to keep the drive alive and not get bogged down on a little painting! Keep going JanettMarie! (Sorry a personal pep talk!)

I'm trying to see what kind of fun I can have with oil paint, so again, no model, well maybe I did remember what my morning coffee cup looked like but, no set up really. Just crazy loose!

How about a little exciting news.... something different... I don't have the photos yet, but tonight I did a Wine&Canvas event we had 66 participants! That's 66 painters! You should see the paintings, I am impressed with the artists. For a lot of them, it was their first time! Oh, I will show them to you soon... and a new coffee cup.... okay? 

Promise!

-jM

"Left Handled Cup"

6"x8" on on canvas panel

Have you ever heard of such a cup? Maybe, right, I mean correct? This is number 3 and the name comes from the fact that I just wanted to paint the handle from the other side of the cup! I'm right handed, I usually pick up my coffee cups with my right hand, this one, well, I may have to be a little more careful when I go to grab for coffee!

Last night I went to a 2 hour workshop about writing an artists statement. That made me wonder what I would write for this series, let alone the last series of apples. I may have to run a few lines by you in the coming days. Just a little warning...

-jM

"Red White Mug"

6"x8" oil on canvas panel

Here it is! Coffee cup/mug painting number 2 finished. Thought it is hard enough to make any sort of commitment, let alone 100 of them, so I thought I would free form or free spirit the first few or so.

Like this handle, I just sort of made it up and it works okay, doesn't it?

Thanks Joanie for the Tribute to Coffee Cups and their handles! Now I have an idea how to approach or tackle those handles.

Thanks to Myra for the idea about getting models for this series at a reasonable price. Yesterday, I went into a Goodwill Store looking for a personal fan to help speed the drying time of the oil paintings of cups I've been doing. I didn't find a fan but I did find four new cup models! All for a $1.57! Interestingly, I found myself studying the handles of the cups. Hmm, a sub-series of cup handles....

Have a great day, I'll be back with more! I have 3, 4, 5 and 6 started! Three may be finished, I have to look at it again to make sure, maybe talk with it over coffee.   : )

-jM

"Morning Coffee"

6"x8" graphite on paper

Thanks Joanie, I did this little sketch this morning while drinking my coffee.

Yup, gonna keep practicing these handles!

The little bird is after the little bird that Carol Marine did in one of her paintings... it's a morning bird here!

Have a great weekend.... I'm warming up!

-jM

Number Two started and Goal Date

6"x8" oil on canvas panel

 This is the beginning of coffee cup number two.... okay no model again, because... I wanted to make up my own handle! When I started this cup, I was thinking about the coffee cup that caught my eye today. I'll have to go back and get one of those cups to use as a real live model. I wonder what that cup will charge me in modeling fees... I better start saving my pennies or selling more paintings so I can afford to pay these models!

Edging myself into using a little cold wax medium too. Guess I'll have to go back and look at Joanie's pieces where she is the one that brought my attention to cold wax medium. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can put a few links onto some of these mentions....

The deadline.... for number 100 Coffee Cup Painting to be finished.... March 30th, I've put it on my calendar. This is 3 weeks before the 2012 Stutz Artists Open House, seems realistic to me and... gives me about one painting say every 2-3 days... I think, I haven't done the exact math....

Goals, ya gotta love 'em!

-jM

"Basic Cup"

6"x6" oil on canvas panel

Are you ready for this? Am I ready for this? Here it is... Number One of the new series of.... Coffee Cups!
Heck I did a one hundred painting series before, why not do it again! I struggled with the idea of doing 100 of anything again, but life is short, life is fun, why not... carry on!

This is a basic cup no handle... I have trouble with handles, I'm sure it's a mental problem, but this will help me get over it if I continue with this Coffee Cup Series!

This basic cup is black, white and grey has no handle and came right out of my head! No model. I didn't want to block myself anymore than I already have with just getting this project started. I guess the next decision to make will be when I will have this series finished.

Yes, I learned from doing the Apple Series that if I don't give myself a deadline, the project may never get finished. Hmmm.... how long should this take? Let's be realistic. Okay, I'm going to sleep on it and I will get back to you tomorrow!

See a good deadline already, have a deadline by tomorrow! Oooo, did I just put that in writing? Oooo, yes I did!

-jM, stepping out, once again!

"Frog on the Beach!"

14"x11" acrylic on canvas

A painting for Cookies&Canvas, the kids version of Wine&Canvas!

This is a very unique frog that he is sitting on a beach! I wonder if he's from Texas and he's looking for Myra. Someone told him she was painting at the beach, lying down! He wants to see this in person!

Knee is getting better, I've been standing and painting a lot today!

-jM

"Margaritaville"

Wine & Canvas painting, 16"x20", acrylic on canvas

Hi, I just had to post something!

This is a painting for the Wine & Canvas venue for the month of July.

Exactly four weeks ago I messed up my knee playing racquetball and I've been a little slow. I usually stand to paint so that created a problem for me (not too good with change I guess).

Anyway, enough excusing for now. Talk to you tomorrow!

-jM