monkey oranges

monkey oranges, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I'm still sick, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be, I'm just slightly uncomfortable. It's not turning into the full fledged sinus infection from hell that I was worried it would be. At least not yet!

I bought a whole bunch of books, mostly about ghosts and New York State history. There's a great book store up the street from me. It's been nice being sick, reading about ghosts under my electric blanket with my cat by my side. I guess if I have to have a cold this is as good as it gets.

Ollie and Minty visit the sick

Ollie and Minty visit the sick, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I have a cold. The cats love it when I'm sick and spend a lot of time in bed. Oliver likes to be held like a teddy bear.

Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookies, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Merry Christmas!

Looking Serious

Looking Serious, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is me. I have been taking a lot of photos of myself because I need a really good one for some of the sites I am selling prints of my work on.

I think I need one where I am smiling though, so I modified this one to look vintage.

My Studio, December 22

My Studio, December 22, originally uploaded by Melsky.

These are some of the things I'm working on now.

I went skiing again today and it was great! I'm tired now and it's only 8:30.

Me in my living room, with an insane look

Me in my living room, with an insane look, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Here's me without glasses! I had a pretty uneventful day, post office, cleaning house, laundry, grocery store. Then I went out to dinner at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub. We enjoyed ourselves very much except for one thing, they were playing Frank Sinatra, which I am not a fan of at any time but when I'm in an Irish place that is about the last thing I want to hear. So we went to the Limerick pub which was almost empty so I got control of the juke box!

My cat Oliver is trying to crawl on me as I type this.

Adventure in Space: Space Pilots

Adventure in Space: Space Pilots, originally uploaded by Paula Wirth.

Didn't do much today so here is a cool picture of space pilots.

I shoveled a lot of snow to make room for Dave's car, did some cooking and housecleaning and a tiny bit of painting. Never made it to the grocery store. I cuddled the cats a lot, that's important.

It's supposed to snow tonight but not stick. I'm going to try to go skiing in the park, and go to the post office and go to the grocery store... I hope.

I did make a lot of high resolution scans of my paintings to make stuff on Zazzle. That's something at least.

Snow

Well, I spent most of the day shoveling snow. A lot of the day. It felt like all day. I am tired. I just keep telling myself it's good exercise. I actually kind of like doing it, just not for this long!



It's still snowing.

Tomorrow I plan on painting no matter what.

Our House Decorated for Chrismas

Our House Decorated for Chrismas, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Big storm today, which is still going on! There's enough snow that we could ski on the street. We also went to the park to ski but there was too much snow there and we were sinking in to far even though the ski trails were groomed.

Skiing by our house, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Colorful Painting, Blah Day

Colorful Excitement, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This weekend we were going to have company on Saturday and Sunday was a big Christmas party for David's work. Both events were cancelled, the visitors due to illness and the party due to a huge snowstorm that is supposed to come through here. I was kind of looking forward to both things. I think I need to make some more friends in meatspace. I'm lonely.

I did no painting today, that painting I'm showing is pretty old. I did some cleaning and I made blueberry muffins and a stew.

Our Christmas Tree, Cats and New Couches

Our Christmas Tree, Cats and New Couches, originally uploaded by Melsky.

We finally got somewhere to sit in our living room. Since we moved in last August, there's only been one chair in the living room and nowhere to be comfortable and entertain guests.

We got these very cheap, they are lease returns, which means that someone leased them and returned them, and then the leasing company sold them to us. I'm not crazy about the blue color but they were the most comfortable and also the cheapest.

The cats really like them. As soon as they recovered from the terror of having deliverymen in the house they had a great time exploring the new furniture. In addition to the couch and love seat, we got four coffee tables, two nightstands, an office chair and a dresser. So we won't need any more furniture for a long time.

Finally, a place to sit in the living room.

We got our new couch and loveseat today. It makes a big difference to have somewhere to sit in the living room.

This is another Psycho Kitty painting I finished on wood. It's hard to scan or photograph it because it has a glossy coating on it and they don't turn out well.

Earnest Cat

Grey Cat, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Doesn't this cat look earnest? Like he wants to go home with you maybe.

This is a painting I did very quickly and it's already been sent off to someone! But you can buy prints and greeting cards of it in my store: Melsky Art on Zazzle. This is a new store I just opened. They sell greeting cards, prints, magnets, t-shirts and mugs. I ordered mugs and cards the other day and I'm really looking forward to seeing them.

I'm working on Christmas Cards right now, ones that I made and am sending.

A blah day

I wanted to go skiing but it's been melty. We were supposed to go to Binghamton to see a friend of Dave's but there was a weather advisory so we didn't. Supposed to be freezing rain. Dave decided to spend the afternoon getting snow tires put on his car but nowhere was open. I put the tree up but we don't have enough lights and I've kind of stopped in the middle until I can get more lights. I feel unmotivated.

I made a half batch of chocolate chip cookies, made six cookies, which we ate, and then intended to put the rest of the dough in the freezer for next weekend except we accidentally ate it all. Haven't got much painting done either.

So that was today, not a great day or a really terrible day but just an unsatisfactory one.

Welcome Sign

Another welcome sign available on Etsy

I got our Christmas tree today but haven't set it up yet. Tomorrow we decorate! I'm going to take a lot of photos. It's a smaller tree than I had planned on but I carried it home for one and a half miles so I couldn't get a huge one. It's still a good size. I just wish we had a couch or something comfortable for the living room so we would like to hang out in there. It's a cold and uncomfortable room, though it's very pretty.

Yellow Syracuse Fire Truck

Yellow Syracuse Fire Truck, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Can you see where I did the clumsy editing job here? I took this from my window and my next door neighbor had a big pile of trash in his driveway that showed in the foreground. So I duplicated the snow and covered it!

Today I went cross country skiing. I love that I can walk to go skiing! Sunnycrest park is about three blocks away and when it's not covered in snow it's a golf course. When the snow comes they make trails in it, and there's a ski lodge where they rent skis on weekends. This was my first time cross country skiing ever and I loved it. But I would like to find some place flatter. I did great except for the parts with hills. And there's lots of hills! I don't mind going up the hills but down is very scary and I actually just took my skis off and walked down a few of them.

After shoveling the driveway and then skiing, I was very hungry and made myself a nice piece of salmon and some rice for lunch.

Welcome

I'm on a sign painting rampage! I love these signs. They look so cute in the house all together. I guess I should take a photo of that.

Welcome Sign for sale

I'm really sleepy today.

Wine Bar Sign

Ok, if Martinis aren't your thing, how about a nice glass of red?

Wine Bar Sign painting for sale

I do actually drink wine, about two or three times a month. I did not drink any before painting this sign though.

It's still snowing! I decided to slack off on clearing the snow out of my driveway. A lot of my neighbors have not cleared their driveway or walks at all. We have a clause in our lease that says they have to be clear but last night my husband pointed out that even if we had hired someone to do it, they would only be doing it once a day tops. Then someone on my LiveJournal pointed out that they only do it every 24 hours. So I am going to slack off today. My back and shoulders are very sore, but it's a good sore not painful.

Today, more painting and I may also take a walk to go to play it again sam to get my skis.

Snow in our Backyard

Snow in our Backyard, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Wow, did it ever snow. And it's still snowing. I have to go shovel the driveway. That's probably going to take over an hour. I do actually enjoy it though, once I get out there and get going. It's great exercise!

Pink Peony Mirror

Pink Peony Mirror, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This isn't a new item. i didn't finish anything today! I just thought I would post this because it's one of the things I'm surprised hasn't sold and I think it turned out really well, especially the green pod parts.

Pink Peony Mirror

I did sell a bunch of stuff to someone who was my very first Etsy customer! He also bought stuff from me on Ebay. I think he owns some of my flying saucer paintings. Anyway, I was thrilled to wake up to a big sale.

Today it rained, then a big snowstorm came in, the kind with lots of wind where the snow looks like it's snowing horizontally. I had to walk to the post office in that! I kept putting it off, then as I was finally getting ready to go Dave came home early and was able to give me a ride. So procrastination paid off for me, for once.

Back to the Martini Bar

The other bar sign I made sold very fast! So here is another one.

Martini Trio Bar Sign For Sale

I also am working on a wine bar sign. I love these signs! I may do a separate Etsy store for just signs eventually. I'm planning some changes in my store, will probably not be selling the smaller items in my main art store, but just selling large paintings and prints. But I do enjoy painting these small signs. I'd also like to do some street fairs with them.

Anyway, I have to go shovel snow. My mantra when I shovel snow is: It's good exercise, it's good exercise, it's good exercise. I imagine my abs becoming very firm by spring. But I totally don't want to do it right now.

More Olives Please

When my husband saw this martini magnet I just painted he commented that it made him want to eat olives. He really loves olives. I like the black ones ok but I don't like the ones with pimentos, the ones I paint all the time. I like the way they look though. I like martinis but probably have about one per year.

Martini with Extra Olives magnet

Chili Lights Margarita Holiday Card

Chili Lights Margarita, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is another one of my entries in that contest.

Make a MOO Greetings Card with this image and help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières

You'll be taken straight to a page on MOO with my image selected, ready for you to customise and buy.

Find out more about MOO Greetings Cards

Martini Bar

When I lived in San Francisco in the early 90s I used to paint a lot of bar and cafe signs on wood. Now I am revisiting my past. This is one I just finished.

I got all these pieces of wood that have holes drilled in them with metal reenforcements and really silly pieces of string as hangers. So I got rid of the string and put brass wire, with spirals at the ends to hold it and I think it looks very good.

Martini Bar Sign on Etsy

Cosmic Cafe Sign

Cosmic Cafe Sign, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I've started doing a series of signs on wood.

In the early 90s I used to make a lot of signs and sell them in a store on Haight Street when I lived in San Francisco.

I love painting on wood. Once I mentioned this to someone and they launched into this long series of instructions for how to paint on wood: first, sand the hell out of it. Then put on many, many coats of gesso until it is totally smooth.

But that's not painting on wood, that's painting on gesso! I like painting on naked wood, so that the grain shows through. Sometimes I use transparent colored glazes on it so the wood shows through even more.

A lot of what I like is the way the paint absorbs into the wood very fast. If you gesso the wood, you don't get that beautiful absorption.

Anyway, here's my Cosmic Cafe sign on etsy

My Muse is also my biggest distraction

Oliver Loves My Hair, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is Cousin Oliver the cat "The Muse that mews".

He does inspire a lot of my art but he also wants to be picked up all the time so he can stick his head in my hair.

He also doesn't like it if I wear anything in my hair, such as hair clips, headbands or hats. He will remove them with his teeth!

Martini Madness

Martini Heart Ornament



Spiral Sky Martini Painting

The painting is the first of my paintings on a bunch of wood I got. I love painting on wood! I like the way it absorbs the paint.

It's raining and all the snow is gone. I walked a half mile to the post office to mail a painting to someone and then I realized I forgot something I needed to mail so I went back and got it. I was glad I got in a two mile walk, even though half of it was just because I am forgetful.

Mojave Desert Christmas Card

Mojave Desert Christmas Card, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is a painting I did for a Christmas Card contest. You can order cards with it and I also have the original available on Etsy:

Mojave Desert Christmas Painting

I did a lot of other artwork today but my scanner is not working all of the sudden so I'll have to put it up tomorrow.

Make a MOO Greetings Card with this image and help raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières

You'll be taken straight to a page on MOO with my image selected, ready for you to customise and buy.

Find out more about MOO Greetings Cards

Sky Fish

Sky Fish, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is a silly new painting. it's 7x5 inches and is actually the sketch for a larger version I'm planning.

Sky Fish painting for sale

Have a lot of art in progress and did a lot of work today as well as watching cartoons and cooking, and eating, and not exercising. As of tomorrow I consider the holiday over and I'm going to go back to long walks, cardio and eating healthy which I was doing so good on before. Next year I think we will go out to eat and then not have to deal with feeling like I want to make tons of food and then dealing with the constant temptation of the leftovers.

Contemporary Abstract Floral

Contemporary Abstract Floral, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I used a different color scheme than I usually do, but I like it. I call it a contemporary abstract floral because I was trying to make something modern but nonthreatening, something you might find in a hotel or restaurant. It sort of looks like that, at least more than a lot of my paintings.

Contemporary Abstract Floral Painting

I ate too much, despite my best intentions

Pink Peony Mirror, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I've been busy painting. I'm almost done with my cat and desert themed Christmas painting that I am going to use on my cards.

I sold a painting today!

Since I don't have anything new I thought I would put up one of my older pieces that I think is really nice. It's a mirror but when I scanned it, it came out black!

Pink Peony Mirror

Floral Fun, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Isn't this a fun painting? It's one I started about a year ago. I had the backgrounds painted and they didn't look like they would work. Now I put on some foreground colors and black outlining and I love it!

I'm especially fond of the way the lilacs came out. That technique of painting lilacs is something pretty new for me.

Flower Fun abstract floral painting for sale

I took a long walk today and it was beautiful. The snow is all melted and it's fall again. Everywhere you look there are carpets of brilliant yellow leaves. It's not so pretty for people who have to rake and don't like it though.

I just got my first spam comment! Now I feel like a real blogger. I haven't been really worried about spam because I figured if anyone left a spam comment I'd just delete it. To my surprise, this blog does not seem to have an option for deleting comments, unless I'm missing something really obvious here. So I turned on the moderate comments setting, which means that I have to approve comments before they are added but at least no one is going to put links to porn sites on my blog.

To get rid of that comment I had to delete my whole post and put it back up again.

Blue Psycho Kitty

Blue Psycho Kitty, originally uploaded by Melsky.

More Psycho Kitty! This time in blue on a yellow and red background. Canvas panels always scan so badly! The original image looks so much smoother.

Psycho Kitty art for sale

Untasted has made avatars out of a lot of my paintings for her avatar community on LiveJournal. So if you use avatars for LiveJournal or any other blog or message board, check them out: Melsky Avatars

I bought four cardio exercise machines on craigslist and they are being delivered tomorrow! I'm exited about it. I have been staying pretty much on my plan, based on Body for Life, and I have not been overeating and have not missed any days exercising. The plan calls for eating six small meals a day, with a serving of carbs and protein in each one, doing twenty minutes of interval cardio three times a week, lifting weights three times a week, and one free day where you get to eat whatever and not exercise. I have not been weighing myself but I can tell I'm losing some fat. It makes me happy that I'm looking forward so much to getting these new cardio machines because I think they will get a lot of use and give me some more variety. Right now all I have is a Nordic Trac.

Orange Psycho Kitty

Orange Psycho Kitty, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Here's my painting for today.

Psycho Kitty is a reoccurring character that pops up in my paintings a lot.

I started drawing Psycho Kitty in high school. I used to doodle a lot. Psycho Kitty originally had an owner named Druid Bob but I stopped drawing him.

Psycho kitty represents the insane side of all cats, like when they run around and chase invisible things.

Psycho Kitty painting for sale on Etsy

Fantastic Eclectic Fragmented Mysterious Painting

Fantastic Eclectic Fragmented Mysterious Painting, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I wrote the longest item description for this painting on Etsy. I hope it doesn't put people off. It's kind of weird but I think people who like my art might think it was funny. At any rate, it's what was on my mind.

Fantastic Eclectic Fragmented Mysterious Painting for sale

Cat Crown Fish Artist's Trading Card

Cat Crown Fish Artist's Trading Card, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Here's my painting for today!

Cat Crown Fish painting

It's trading card size, 2.5x3.5

It's supposed to snow tonight.

Sunny Day In The Mojave

Joshua Tree Sun, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Another desert painting. I wonder sometimes if I ever moved back to the desert if I would paint a bunch of stuff inspired by Toronto and Syracuse. I've noticed that when I leave a place or a time in my life that I dream about it. For a long time my dreams were set at my grandmother's house in La Mesa, California. There was almost always something bad happening in the dream, the house was on fire or people were breaking in. In one memorable dream Bruce Springsteen was breaking in through the laundry room!

I didn't dream about San Francisco much until I left it. I dream about the desert surprisingly little for all the impact it has had on me artistically. Now I have started to have some dreams about Toronto. It's like I'm filing things away and sorting them out since I am no longer there.

It's been a lovely fall day today. I went on a long walk and took some photos of leaves and stuff. There is enough fuel for the artist's imagination here. I love fall colors and old buildings.

Anyway, here's a link to today's painting: A Sunny Day in the Mojave with Joshua Tree

Three Fish

Three Fish, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I'm very happy with the way this one came out.

Three Fish painting on Etsy

Lilacs and Roses

Lilacs and Roses, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is my painting for today, Lilacs and Roses

I had a hard time sleeping last night. Sometimes I can't stop worrying about things. I've been tired today but I did a lot of laundry and cooked things for my husband to take to lunch at work. Now I'm going to sleep.

Sunsets I have known and loved

Sunset Palm, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I grew up in San Diego, and there were amazing sunsets. Not just near the water, it seemed just about anywhere you were the sunsets were amazing.

In Los Angeles too, I remember being in the car on the Harbor freeway and looking out over the tops of the buildings and seeing row upon row of palm tree against the sunset. So beautiful, though if you could have seen those buildings close up they would be fearsome. ( a high crime deteriorating neighborhood)

The Mojave desert had the best sunsets. Every night I would go out there and take photos until I discovered that every night was a jaw-droppingly amazing sunset and I got a little less intense about it.

When we moved to Ontario and were living by the lake the sunrises were pretty but the sunsets were just so-so. I guess it was the way we were laid out by the lake.

Then when we moved to Toronto I couldn't see enough of the sky. Same here in Syracuse. I'm sure there's pretty sunsets and sunrises in both places, probably by the lakes.

Today I took a walk and saw sunset colors on the fallen leaves. They are really amazing right now, carpeting whole lawns and parts of the street. They are falling faster and sometimes cover parked cars.

Sunset Palm painting for sale in my etsy store

Golden Rabbit

Bunny, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I was looking for a painting I did a while ago and I couldn't find it. I found this one instead! I had totally forgotten I ever painted it. It's funny to find art that way.

I like this one and I should do more rabbits.

I'm working on one with fish - big golden copper goldfish on a swirly blue green water background. I really like it. I tried to have it finished so I could list it today but I decided not to rush it.

I'm also doing some California Desert Christmas card designs.

I hope to visit California soon.

Roses in a Blue Green Vase

Roses in a Blue Green Vase, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I'm so happy. This is a new painting that I started and finished today.

I started other art too that is not done yet that I'm very excited about.

I'm working on some designs for Christmas cards so I can enter a contest. I'm going to order them as cards too.

Roses in a Blue Green Vase for sale on Etsy

Abstract Floral

New Style Floral, originally uploaded by Melsky.

When I was little I wanted to be a florist. I used to make little bouquets out of flowers from our yard. Now I'm grown up and I paint florals.

Fantastic Floral on Etsy

It snowed last night, but just a tiny bit. I took a long walk and enjoyed it.

Bright Joshua Tree
Originally uploaded by Melsky

Today it snowed for the first time this season. I took a walk to the dollar store and enjoyed it a lot. No sweat today!

I did spend some time in my cozy warm studio painting a picture of the desert though. I love how this one came out, it's so bright and happy.

Joshua Tree Painting on Etsy

It's day 6!

Saguaro Snake Painting on Etsy

Not a whole lot to say today. I'm tired. Did a lot of housecleaning and such today. Tomorrow my goal is to get finished with listing stuff on etsy and posting much earlier.

I will take photos of my newly cleaned studio too. It got dark so early today it caught me unawares.

Oliver Inspects Art

Oliver Inspects Art, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Day five and I'm still at it!

Persistence/procrastination is my biggest problem. That and crack. Just kidding about the crack. But I have a hard time sticking to things every day, even something small.

Oliver is looking at a blow up of a magnet I just finished. It is today's Etsy listing: Red Cat Magnet

(In case you haven't read the other entries, I'm doing a thing where I put a piece of art in my store every day and blog about it every day in November.)

I also am in the middle of cleaning my studio. Here's the before photo:

Martini Ornament

Martini Ornament, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Day 4!

I've been experimenting with shrink plastic, usually known by it's brand name Shrinky Dinks. Most people who grew up in the 70s and were at all crafty are familiar with this stuff.

It's very fun to watch your drawings shrink in the oven. They twist around and then get thick. I bought one pack of this and am doing a bunch of ornaments and some magnets, but I'm not going to make it a permanent part of my stuff.

The direction I see myself going is digital. I want to start painting digitally using my paintshop program and a wacom tablet and selling prints. That way, once I create something I keep making money from it. I plan on building up a little catalog. So now you know my secret plans!

Martini Ornament on Etsy