Small and Mighty

Another painting from my great aunt’s slide collection, this one features my mom. I’d been feeling like my paintings were starting to get a little tight, so in an effort to loosen up on this one I switched to a pink under painting and made myself use a bigger brush.

Small and Mighty - 8x10 in. on gessobord panel

Reference photo, collection of Marge Koppi

Visiting Sister Martans’ Classroom

...And another from my great aunt Marge’s 1950s slides. Thanks to her careful labeling, I know this is Marge (left) with her friend Celanne (right), visiting their friend Sister Martans’ classroom at catholic school. I was looking through the slides with my grandma (Marge’s sister) and commented on the interesting habit the nun was wearing, and she said the nuns were from the Dominican order, based out of Holy Rosary church in South Minneapolis.

Visiting Sister Martans’ Classroom - acrylic on 12x12 in. gessobord

Here’s the original reference photo:

Eli

I love it when I can paint two similarly colored animals back-to back, and use one extended palette. This one worked out that way.

Eli- acrylic on 12x12 inch cradled gessobord 

Buster

Here is a recent commission, it’s Buster! I’m getting more and more confident about painting pure black animals.

Buster - acrylic on 8x8 inch gessobord

Vacation out East - circa 1959

After taking a little time away while having guests over Christmas and then a quick trip to South Dakota to visit the in-laws, I’m back on my painting-from-old-slides kick. This is my great aunt Fran with her kids Mary Fran and Jimmy. They went on a trip out east with my great aunt Marge around 1959, here they are waiting at a bus or train station.

Vacation out East - acrylic on 12x12 in. gessobord 

Original photo:

Fran, Mary Fran and Jimmy- from slide collection of Marge Koppi

Rooney

Here’s another Christmas commission I can post now- this is Rooney!

Rooney - acrylic on 12x12 in. gessobord 

Knick-knacks

I'm still on a roll with these paintings from old family slides. Here is another one of my great grandma Theresa Koppi, circa late 1950's.  I'm having so much fun painting these!

Knick-knacks - acrylic on 12x12 inch gessobord