Author: Diamond

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Foo

This sweet piece was commissioned by my ma-in-law and who might be the Foo Fighters biggest fan. She loves them so much she even named her cat after them (when she adopted her and was picking a name it was between Foo and Davie after her favorite musician, Dave Grohl). She knew I was inspired by album art/painted album covers so she asked me to paint an 8"x10" painting of Foo with an album art vibe themed off Foo Fighter records and then just trusted me to go forth. She did not get to see this piece until it was complete but when she received it in the mail she loved it. I love it too😊
 
I really love the Foo Fighters so I had fun listening to their tunes for inspiration in order so I could paint their vibe in (I identify them as heavy rock with a very upbeat nature). I used their old logo that used to be on the band-tees my husband remembered his ma wearing during childhood. I used the bright neon background colors as an ode to Wasting Light and Medicine at Midnight. And, of course, the spheres and sticks are from The Colour and the Shape, the album that both my ma-in-law and I count as our favorite FF album. Foo the cat has her paw on one of the shapes and has clearly broken some of the sticks off the spheres as she played with them. Because she is a cat and that is what they do😻😸
 
I really love music and I really love painting so whenever I get a chance to combine the two I am so damn happy. If you have a piece the combines the two please  hit me up for your own commission 🎨✨

 

Foo

©2022, 8"x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

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Solstice Cardinal

Happy Solstice to you!

This piece contains the cool blue of winter days contrasted so well by the fiery hot colors of the male cardinal. This harbinger of the hope is perfect for the changing season. The winter solstice is so cold this year with so many storms and very cold temps. I hope this cardinal represents all the good to come in the coming turn around the sun☀

8" x 10" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas means it is ready to hang right away.

Solstice Cardinal

©2022, 8"x 10" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

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Lil Mouse

Douglas Adam's makes the claim that the mouse is the most intelligent species on Earth in the modern classic, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. "These creatures you call mice, you see, they are not quite as they appear. They are merely the protrusion into our dimension of vastly hyperintelligent pan dimensional beings."

Sometimes when a mouse is running across my floor or I find one caught in a trap I consider the vast population that they make up; the number of predator's mouths they are able feed each day by merely existing. Just imagine the amount of seeds they spread during the fast paced lives they lead. Though they are often viewed as a pest they are definitely a necessary species and a quite successful one. They just might be hyperintelligent pan dimensional beings and we would never know. I like considering that fact as I empty and reset the mouse traps and remove mouse nests from stashed lumber in my woodshed.

This piece is a 6"x6" acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas (which means it is ready to hang on a nail as is, straight out of the box). You can adopt it for your very own here.

I am holding a Shop Small Saturday 15% sale through November 30! All finished fine art included. Check it out here.

 

 

Lil Mouse

©2022, 6"x6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

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Tricia’s Chickadees

As I work on this years super secret seasonal commissions I am thinking back to that I made last year - this little snowy piece is just about perfect for this time of year. If you are looking for something similar you can hit me up for a commission here. Here is some writing for this piece I write up a little less than a year ago:

Chickadees are such chipper sweet beings. They arrive carrying more joy to any scene. Their friendly “chickadee-dee-dee” fills the air with warm blessing even on a cold day. It has been quite cold in Minnesota lately but the chickadees persist, existing and surviving even in the most difficult of circumstances. Chickadees are tough🐤✨

This painting was a joy, bringing color to an otherwise snow-white environment. The snow has come and the cold temps feel difficult this year so, just like the chickadees outside, this painting gave another perspective to the cold season as it came together inside.

©2021 8”x10” acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. This piece has already found a home💙💗

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The Debonair Goldfish

Goldfish are simply lovely. I started painting this one as I worked on a commission of a fish a few months back. I started looking up domesticated fish and was once again surprised by their beauty, and I realized I might sometimes take them for granted. I mean just take  a moment to look at those scales and that beautiful flow - like a swooping bird or a sleek dancer with great skirts - I love it.

This goldfish in particular reminds me of a cloak-and-dagger individual, giving us a debonair side glance as it flings its cape(tail) and escapes into the deep, leaving a mysterious stream of bubbles trailing behind.

You can adopt this sauve fish for your very own and hang it near your fish tank (or wherever really). It is an original acrylic on gallery canvas painting that measure 6"x4". Because it is gallery wrapped it means it is ready to hang as is - the edges are painted and the wood frame on the back can easily be hung on a nail or a command strip hook without a frame. Purchase it here.

 

The Debonair Goldfish

©2022, 6"x4" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

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Florida Gal

This piece went to it's forever home this past week. It was painted for a Florida gal who loves Manatee's. The work represents that love for those well loved creatures. Despite their popularity Manatee's are a threatened species due to human created issues including habitat loss and boat collisions. It is a hard life for this beautiful critter but I like to envision how neat it would be to be them, hanging out under the water, enjoying the sight of the other fish in between seagrass feasts.

I am putting out all the love to all those devastated by the hurricane in Florida. All the lives lost and all the detritus washed out to sea just makes my heart hurt. Keeping those colorful fish vibes for all those affected - much love💛🧡❤💜💙💚

I am still taking commissions for the holidays. I have a very select number of spaces left and they are filling up  fast. Get your commission here.

Florida Gal

©2022, 10” x 8”, Acrylic on Canvas

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Skip, Hurdle, Rebound

I get asked a lot if I pant more than pet commission and the answer is that I do. If you are interested in getting a different animal painted hit me up here. Until then I wanted to share one of my favorite pieces from early 2022 (I mean truly, how could I pick a favorite but I do love this one!) Here is the statement that pairs with the piece:

Bunny rabbits are hardworking critters. They know when to pause, and they know when to skip, but when they do skip they can be as fast as a rocket. The other night I watched our neighborhood Eastern Cottontail Rabbit hurdle away when it realized I saw it. I remember thinking, "how does it go so fast over the obstacles?" You would think that the rabbit would just jump into trees, sticks, or other protuberances when leaping at their fast pace, but if they do I have never seen it. They have fast reflexes, and despite disruptions and obstacles they manage to keep surviving, skipping along.

Life is all ups and downs and protuberances. I choose to believe life is pretty darn good despite the lows, but oh boy, I have experienced the lows. Sometimes life is difficult and messy, and though a good attitude can help you get through it, a good attitude doesn't actually solve the problems. It is admirable to watch people who are carrying so much carry it so well, but, even more, there is a beauty to hearing a person admit their pain and watching them choose to fully experience it rather than deny it or drown it out (often with unhealthy choices). Addressing the mess with a realistic mindset and acceptance is the first step towards healing. Talking about the pain, honestly making space to work on the issues, asking for help when things are difficult - all these are healthy and beautiful steps. It is the way we skip through the hurdles🐇🦋✨

©2022 8"x 8" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas🌿

This piece features an Eastern Cottontail and White Cabbage Butterflies

Skip, Hurdle, Rebound

8″ x 8″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.

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Questions Come to Bear

Popping on here with this doxazine purple beauty to let you know that Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods is on display at Hutchinson Center for the Arts until this Friday and to celebrate I am sharing one more of the newest pieces in the living body of work that you’ll see when you stop by. I was chatting about bears the other day (I mean, honestly, when am I not talking about bears, but I digress) and it got me thinking about this sweet fella surrounded by all the Question Marks, flowers, and the lovely, curling, permeating scents of spring🐻🦋🌫💙 If you like the deep purples shing through your screen on this piece just imagine how popping they are when you are standing in front of it at the gallery🤩 Here is statement that goes with the piece:

4:30 pm • Another bear! This sweet lil dude has so many questions like, ”when will the blueberries be ready?” or “why does bird seed smell so good?”

The Black Bear wanders the forest looking for answers and looking for food, making a racket as it goes. The Question Mark Butterflies surround the bear and the sugary flowers offering up more queries than explanations.

Featured flora and fauna • Black Bear, Question Mark Butterfly, Columbine, Daisy, Hawkweed

Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods tour around the state of Minnesota is made possible, in part, by a Region 2 Arts Council Individual Artist Grant Award with funding from the McKnight Foundation. See less

Questions Come to Bear

11″ x 14″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.

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Libby and Maddie

Seasonal commissions are open! Check out the offerings here. Until then you can check out this sweet piece from earlier this year.

This piece was such a delight! Just look at those sweet pups🤩 Libby is the black dog and Maddie is the blond one (I know you were wondering!) This painting was commissioned as a gift from one friend to another to celebrate the long time bond between the friend and her furry companions. I love pieces like this💙

After the piece arrived this week I received some really kind words from Maddie and Libby's person by way of the customer who commissioned the piece. They were such touching words and sentiments and they all truly made my month. However to preserve privacy I'll just share the words that I received posted publicly to Facebook:

"Diamond… I can not even express how beautiful this is in person! You captured the souls of my fur balls that have my ❤️. Though Maddie is no longer with us - that soul that you captured with every detailed brushstroke so breathtakingly- remains with us in our hearts. I am so very grateful to be on the receiving end of this beautiful gift from my beautiful friend! Your talent is truly exceptional!"

😭😭😭 What an honor and gift to have some part in making another person feel like reaching out with words as kind as those. When I put my art out into the world I always hope it gets that kind of reaction and touches other humans that deeply. I have come to find I can with commissions especially if I do them right. The whole experience just fills my heart and satisfies my mind - thank you to my customers for trusting me and allowing me the chance to share, capture, and get back love in this lovely way - and also thank you for the opportunity to paint and pay tribute to these two beautiful pups🦋🐾🎨

©2022 8”x10” acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

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Close to Hatching

Just a week left to go see my exhibit at Hutchinson Center for the Arts! Here is another sneak peek of what's on display👀

7:30 am • A red tailed hawk waits patiently high in the branches of its leafy home. This is one parent of two who both take turns sitting on this nest, guarding these eggs. The couple will mate for life and may even come back to this same nest year after year. We can tell by the more colorful shells that these are healthy eggs which means their parents are probably fairly well fed, boding well for the hawklets survival as well as the overall health of this particular ecosystem. The Trembling Aspen pods let loose their seeds as the breeze blows through. The Aspen’s offspring are hatching in their own way, taking flight on the fluffy white down that is so easily carried by the spring zephyr.

This piece is a comforting one, with soft colors, elements and lines. It was prompted by the spring 2022 Aspen hatching that happened this year. SO many white fluffs filled the forests this spring creating a magical and soft space, a sharp contrast to the anxiety-inducing drought in 2021. The magic whimsy reminded me of being home and being young. I didn’t really have a comfortable home when I was young, but my most comfortable and homelike space was my Grandpa’s home - you know, that place where you feel safe and welcome. Gramps had a sense of humor. His wit and intelligence was something I admired greatly. He was an appreciator of the wild world and a lover of birds. He had a pair of Red-tailed Hawks that nested in his yard year after year - it was their home as much as his and he loved me enough to share his love of the Red-tailed Hawk family with me. He would write about them in our letters or call me up on the phone when they experienced some big life change. Those calls and letters were love and comfort. When I would visit I would watch the Red-tailed Hawks out Gramps’ patio window as he worked in the kitchen or read the paper and I would feel at home. With Gramps around I always felt like I had my own dedicated parent looking out for me and I always had a place to go home too. Gramps passed away when I was 22 and I make lots of art about him now. This piece, with the watchful parent protecting the fragile eggs, the strong Aspen giving safe flight to the well protected seeds, is definitely about him too. That sparkling waggish expression on the Hawk's face is very Gramps like and I think he would really love this Red-tailed Hawk.

Featured flora and fauna • Red-tailed Hawk, Trembling Aspen, Rosy Maple Moth

14” x 11” Acrylic on Canvas ©2022

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Wild Whimsy of the Northwoods' tour around the state of Minnesota is made possible, in part, by a Region 2 Arts Council Individual Artist Grant Award with funding from the McKnight Foundation.

Close To Hatching

11″ x 14″ acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas.