Hello, I haven't blogged in quite a while! Shame on me, but it was a crazy year I am going to try and do better this year, at least once a month. I've been painting and listing on eBay. I am using gouache now for a change of pace. Here is my latest ACEO (art that is 2.5"x3.5") painting of a skating rat, available on eBay (auction # 310580363717).

Title: The New Blue Skates

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas ACEOs

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine went well, a good time was had by all.

I have been working on Christmas ACEOs lately to get into the holiday spirit. These originals are all available on eBay, click art to go to the auction. The elf with the lollypop goes off tonight.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Sunday in November

Hello, another gloomy day in November here in good old NJ. Am getting ready to go draw while I listen to a book on tape. Will also be working on some commission work for some wonderful customers.

I updated my Zazzle shop this week with some winter and Christmas items, like cards and stamps. I will be adding to it quite a bit in the coming weeks.

Below are my newest ACEOs I have up on eBay, one featuring my mouse who I've named 'Ms Mousie' which fits her just fine. She is doing real well I'm happy to report.

I'm getting used to the Blogger update, used to be when you uploaded pictures it would put them at the beginning of the post, even if you uploaded them at the end of say the third paragraph. Now it puts them where you are in the post, so if I post them after the third paragraph, that's where they stay! A nice improvement.

Another update on the Pumpkin Banana Mousse Pie: it turns out that when you let it sit a few days so you are not sick of looking at it, it's pretty darn good! The recipe was in a Food Network magazine my mom had.

Am looking forward to seeing the Amazing Race tonight, anyone else watch it? I am just starting to get really into it.

Well, I'd better run off and get some work done. Thanks for reading this far!

Day off

I am taking this Thursday off and going to moms which is always fun. We'll be going to Costco for a fun filled shopping spree and because she has a coupon for kitty litter.

I am almost finished with 'The Enemy' by Lee Child and will start a new book at mom's tomorrow. There a 3 to choose from, the new Lisa Gardner, a new one by Preston and Child and a new Jeffrey Deaver. I don't know which one I'll choose to read next. Stay tuned...

Below is my latest rat with a fall leaf. This summer was so mild for most of it that I'm not begging for fall yet. Usually the last few weeks of August are killers and I can't wait for the cooler weather.

Enjoy your day!

I'm on Zazzle's Front Page!

I'm so excited! My Sad Rat I Miss You Card, has been selected as one of Today's Best on Zazzle! http://tinyurl.com/nv2883

I based the card on my drawing of 'Sad Surfer'. I have been adding to my Zazzle store a little bit everyday.

I will be drawing up some more ACEOs today, not sure what the ratties will be doing yet, but I'm sure I will think of something.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

The weather by me has been so hot lately I can't even think. It's driving me crazy. Most people who like summer only like it because they go from their air conditioned house to their air conditioned car to their air conditioned job and they are never really getting the full benefit of the heat and humidity.

Ok, enough of my bitching, but I just had to say it. On to my art. My ratties are enjoying their time at the beach or the shore to us Jerseyans.

In my next post I will put up my other new art including my Nibblefest ACEO.

I am now going back to my book, I am on a binge reading the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. I've read a few over the years and now am reading all the ones I missed. I like to read books in order but these don't 'have' to be. I am now reading his newest one Gone Tomorrow and it is soooo good. If you like to read check him out. His website is here.

The Beach and the Niger River

I've done a few more ACEOs over the last few days. All of them at the beach, well, the rats are at the beach, not me. Hard to believe it's August already.



My latest rats are playing frisbee, wiping out while surfing and running from a wave or surfing the wave, depending on who you believe. haha

It's gloomy in NJ today, but that's ok, I got my weed wacking done yesterday, well, as done as I could before I ran out of cord.

My nephew is continuing to do well in Mali. I don't think I could hack it but he is just going with the flow, even swam in the Niger river. He is one of the lucky ones who hasn't gotten sick so I am glad of that. A few more weeks of training and he will be off on his 2 year assignment.

Hello! Posted above are two of my newest ACEOs, the top one is based on my nephew who left this week for Mali Africa with the Peace Corps. He should be getting there today for his three months of training, then off to a village somewhere for 2 years. Ah, the exuberance of youth.

The other picture is of two rats, one pointing at something.

I am also setting up my 'new' computer, a Mac G4 with Dual 1.25 GHz processor. What a difference from my 733. I had the G4 delivered to my shop, put Leopard on him, downloaded software I needed from the web so that when I took it home I would just have to install PhotoShop and FreeHand. All went well until I went to open PhotoShop 7 and got a weird message. Come to find out PhotoShop 7 will not work with Leopard. I spent quite a few hours looking for a cheap alternative, but in the end, had to erase the disk and put on Tiger, which I would have done in the first place had I known about the PS7/Leopard issue. Arrrghhh. I should have done my homework better, silly me.

While snooping around with my speedy new computer I just discovered that you can use google as a calculator, just type a math problem (ie 700-15=) in the search bar and it will give you the answer right then and there. If you leave off the = sign and hit return it will be the first listing. You can then see more about calculator and other neat stuff Google can do. Of course this could be common knowledge but it was new to me.

Have a great weekend!

July Theme Week

This is my ACEO for the July Theme Week on eBay. The theme this month is Patriotic/American/Red/White/Blue. Search 'ACEO TW July' on eBay to see all the art.

I was hoping to get another ACEO done, but have been sidetracked by my 'new' used computer bought right on eBay. It is a 2002 Mac Mirror Door and it is so much faster than my Quicksilver. I can't even imagine how fast a G5 must be, perhaps in 7 more years I will. Long live the Mac!

June NFAC

Yesterday, June 20, was the start of the NFAC (Nibblefest) contest on eBay. This month the theme is 'Things with Tails'. That is a good theme for me since I mostly do rats and cats and they both have tails. To add something a bit different though I choose to have my rat flying a kite, which also has a tail.

Little rattie looks happy to be out on a beautiful day, flying his kite, without a care in the world. To see more themed art search NFAC on eBay. All NFAC art starts at 99¢ and can be any size.

I will be listing more ACEOs tonight. I have one finished and will be working on more today.

Today marks the start of summer, although with the cooler temperatures and rain, you wouldn't guess it in my area. Since heat and humidity are the worst weather combo and a staple of summer life in NJ, I prefer this cooler weather even if it comes with rain.

Hope you are having a nice start to your summer.

Sunday evening I listed another ACEO on eBay featuring Flicka the cat patting a rattie on the head.
I was all set to draw up some more ACEOs today at work and discovered that I left my colored pencil bin at home. What to do, what to do...

Well, I got out my paints and a small Windsor & Newton canvas (5"x3") I had bought and painted up a cute little rat peeking at you (see him below). I have been meaning to paint again and even make New Year's resolutions that I will do at least one canvas painting a month. That doesn't seem unreasonable and yet I never manage to do it. Maybe now that I have a forced start it will give me the momentum needed to continue. There are more little canvas's just waiting around for some paint.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Rats Start Summer

Although it is a bit on the chilly side here I decided to let my rats frolic like it's already a hot summer. I don't like the heat so would prefer to draw like it's hot than to actually be hot. So I have drawn Mr Rattie barbecuing at his grill and lounging in his wading pool.




Hope you enjoy the start of rattie summer. They are hoping to have a fun filled couple of months.

Gloomy weather

Hello. I am sitting here watching the rain and gloom in northeast NJ. It is supposed to be like this all week.

Below is a drawing I did of Randy rat bringing a tulip to his gal Rosa. He loves walking through the park on nice days, so he sure wouldn't be walking through today.


Markus is bring a bottle of wine to a friend's new house.


Stay well everyone! Thanks for stopping by.

February already

I can't believe it's February already and spring is just around the corner. I always look forward to seeing the crocus bloom, then I know that spring is really close by. I used to like winter but lately not so much, I think because it's so expensive to stay warm.

I try to keep my little rats happy in the winter, they go skating, skiing, shovel snow, play piano and hang out in bars. They have more fun than I do. haha

Yesterday started the ACEO Theme Week (on eBay, search ACEO TW) which is Mardi Gras this month.

Not ones to let a little snow get them down, these rats know to head to the local bar for some good conversation, booze and a cigarette or two.
And why waste a freezing day indoors when you can glide around on ice skates on a frozen lake?
I hope you all are enjoying the last month or so of winter. However in a few months I will be complaining about the humidity which I can't tolerate at all.

NibbleFest time on eBay

Every month on eBay the NibbleFest group, founded and run by platypus, has an art contest. Art of any size is listed at 99¢ and is based on a pre-choosen theme for that month. For example, this month is Christmas Trees, next month will be Chickens, so if you love chickens, check out NFAC December 20th.

This rat trying to take the Santa on the Moon ornament is my interpretation of the Christmas Tree theme. It is ACEO sized (2.5"x3.5") To see all the art go to eBay and put NFAC in the search bar, or click my rat to see my auction and a link to all the other entries.

Another fun themed art contest is from the ACEO group founded by bone*diva. This themed contest begins the first of every month, with a price starting of $4.99. The art must be ACEO sized since it is after all, the ACEO group. So look for this contest on December 1st, search eBay for ACEO TW.

Thanksgiving is coming

Turkey day is just around the corner. I did this ACEO (2.5"x3.5" art card) of a rat trying to help out a wild turkey. He is telling the turkey:

'Come with me if you want to live'.



















I also have just listed the following two ACEOs, a rat bringing a dish of lasagna to Thanksgiving dinner at a relatives and a horse watching the antics of three fiesty little rats.

View my other art on eBay here.

My art is done mostly in colored pencil with gouache (an opaque watercolor) and pastels.