Alpaca Farm

Alpaca Farm

Oil on black canvas, 20x20

This morning, this wet and rainy and cold and dreary morning, Doc picked up a fallen baby bird from the wet grass and brought it to its death, or nearly to its death, which is even worse. I got it away from him and put it on a paper towel outside of the yard. I don't know if it was dead yet, but there was no way to save it. I could not bring myself to deliver the final blow. Couldn't.

The poor thing was tiny, teeny, and wet to the skin, and I can't stop crying about how scary and cold and painful its death must have been. I got so mad at Doc that I made him and his sister go into their crate, and I am mad at myself because I know it is just his nature, and I shouldn't be angry. Doc couldn't have grabbed the little bird from its nest, so it must have fallen or been pushed, but no matter what happened, it's just broken my heart on this gray, cold morning. 

I said a little prayer for the teeny bird, and apologized for Doc's part in its death, and for mine. I just hope the tiny thing passed quickly into peace, out of pain, into a soft, warm place far away from here. 

When I was young, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I failed calculus, and that ended my hopes. Now, I am thankful, so thankful, that I didn't make it. There's little in life that makes me more sad than seeing an animal in pain. 

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There is no Dog of the Day today. I just can't. 

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A Final Thought

"Art is to console those who are broken by life." 

- Vincent Van Gogh

I Knew Love

 Knew Love

Oil on canvas, 20x20

sold

It feels like I've found somewhat of a niche - flowers. Even more than landscapes, even more than cows, the florals elicit reactions and sales.

While this delights me, it also scares me a little bit. Do I want to be a flower painter? Do I want to be known as "that woman who paints the flowers"?

But then again, if that happens - for a long moment or a short one - is it so bad?

A friend of mine, Teresa Haag (click here to see her art), a nice person who is a fabulous artist, has a strong niche - cityscapes, particularly in and around Philadelphia. Her paintings are gorgeous, her palette is exciting, her approach is unusual and her technique is marvelous. At a recent show, a collector came into her booth and bought all her paintings.

This is every artist's dream, of course! I've thought about it a lot, since it happened last weekend, and realized that she made it more possible, more probable, by having a tightly controlled focus - and, of course, wonderful paintings!

I'm not a tightly controlled, tightly focused person, and not a TC, TF painter. I'm not sure I want to be. It's fine to be known as that flower painter - but I think I will always have cowscapes, landscapes, dogs and whatever else interests me, even if it dilutes my presentation.

That being said, if you know someone who wants to buy a booth full of bright, palette-knife paintings, heavily floral, please send them to me! Next show is Paradise City, in Northampton, MA, May 27-29 (Memorial Day weekend).

What are your thoughts?

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Birthday! 

ON TUESDAY, I turned 61 - YIKES! - and  I was overwhelmed by my birthday celebrations. Above, what I found when I woke up. Below, tulips from my dad and Paula. Left, my birthday dinner - meatloaf, asparagus and tater tots, cooked by my dear husband. My gifts included plants of all varieties, a water cannon to use for canine management (or whatever), a Stanley thermos, a gorgeous scarf and books, a cordless drill, tomatoware and two Buddha lamps, and a perfect tomato. Also, Peter is pruning the shrubbery around the entire house! About a million people sent me birthday wishes on Facebook, everyone in the family called, and I was treated like a queen. Thank you, everyone who made my birthday such a celebration.

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Dog of the Day

It's Molly, the feral cat adopted by Jacki, our postmistress. Molly was waiting for breakfast! 

Want your pet to be the Dog of the Day? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

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A Final Thought

"I am no longer afraid of becoming lost, because the journey back 

always reveals something new, and that is ultimately good for the artist." 

- Billy Joel