Illustration Friday: Neighbor

My submission for Illustration Friday's "Neighbor" is one of my signature "Houscapes". My neighbor Michael came to me and asked if I could paint a portrait of Decker his dog. Of course I said yes and mentioned that I paint houses and suggested that it would be great if I could pose Decker in front of his rustic shed (I look at this shed every day and have been longing to paint it). The dog posed happily as if he knew he would be immortalized and idolized for years to come.

Artist profile/ Lois Keller

I had a whirlwind couple of weekends! Normally I am a reclusive artist who rarely leaves Topanga but my social calendar has been packed with fun activities and exciting people. I have to start my series of posts with an artist profile on Lois Keller. Lois is the cutest and most charming of artists you could want to meet. She has a smile that would light up anybodies heart and she is downright beautiful. These qualities seep into her artwork and create a body of work that glows. I have been blogging with her for a year and a half and we have tried to hook up a couple times without success so when she contacted me personally to come to her show at Aroma in Studio City I didn't hesitate. It was a blast! Aroma is the most charming coffee house I think I have ever seen and the whole vibe on Tujunga in Studio City is appealing and like an old-fashioned neighborhood. I love her paintings that feature oranges because it reminds me of how California used to be, all orange groves, sunny and citrusy. Her poster for the Metro is awesome and her drawings using pastels on thick handmade paper are delectable. Her style incorporates a sense of whimsy with much movement, glorius colour, female spirit and I totally dig it! You can view more of her art here and here.