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.

Give Peas a Chance

What could be more refreshing to a young rat than a nice pea covered ice cream cone? Don't knock it till you try it.

Another week has flown by and it's been a newsy week for me, heard from my nephew in Mali, it's his birthday tomorrow, my moms is Sunday and a good friend of mine has moved back to NJ.

Oh well, off to get some more ACEOs drawn. I have one started of a rat playing with a beach ball in the ocean.

Hope you have a great weekend.

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.

Rats at the Beach

Rats can be very active in the summer, they like going to the beach and surfing, sitting in hot tubs having a beer or just sitting and reading gossip magazines.



It is very hot in NJ today, hot and humid, a deadly combination. I am doing my best to stay cool.

Well, I'd best get back to work, hope you have a nice day.

Stay cool.

The Stare of Peaches

This staring little kitty is Peaches. He is a few years older and a little less intense these days. This painting was done in acrylics on a Windsor & Newton canvas board, 3"x5".

One thing I don't like about painting in the summer is having a fan on, you need it to keep cool but it dries out the paint so fast.

I have a colored pencil ACEO to finish up today of a rat and a piece of fruit. For those who may not know, an ACEO is a piece of art that is 2.5"x3.5" (yes, that's inches), which is the size of a standard deck of cards, and is the only hard and fast rule, ACEOs can be any medium and some are even 3D.

Thanks for looking, enjoy your day!

A Lattice Cat

This is my cat Stripey peeking out from a lattice fence. Over the years I've done a lot of cats and some rats peeking out of lattice. I think of them as my 'lattice cats' so this one I aptly named 'The Lattice Cat'. It is a 6"x4" acrylic painting on Windsor & Newton canvas board.

ACEO Theme Week and a Strawberry rat

Above is an ACEO of a rat happy with a strawberry right out of her garden and below is my ACEO for theme week, this months theme: 'Domestic Animals'. I used to have a few guinea pigs and this one was Kublai. I loved the noises they made, my dad would call them 'The Whistlers'. I had planned to do a few more but time got away from me.


I am currently working on another 3"x5" painting of a kitty which I hope to have finished this evening.

Hope you all have a great day!