Artist Renee Lammers

   Daffodil is a perfect little Golden Retriever puppy.  Someday soon we will find

her a excellent home.

 UPDATE:  I found a great home for Daffodil in Topham, Maine.

She will be a constant companion to a young widower.  Her dogs and cats all passed away.

She spoke of training Daffodil and spending 95% of her time with her. When she saw

Daffodil's beautiful picture she knew she could have another dog again.  She will keep

Daffodil's name...she loved it!

  I am happy for her.

    Last night I found a home for Dahlia in MA. 

 She will be living with a couple. 

 They have been golden retriever owners in the past. 

 He said they treated their dogs like their kids.

  They were very sad when their golden retriever died of cancer. 

 I could tell how sad he was thinking about them. 

It has been a year so he was ready for a new golden.

He sounded a little happier just thinking about Dahlia.

Dahlia was sitting on the right in this photo. 

  I have always thought Daffodil and Dahlia look like twins.

    Monet has really enjoyed playing with the puppies.

   Here is Monet with Daffodil.  

   Lily came over to see what was in Daffodil's mouth, in the back.  She

decided a leaf wasn't good for a puppy to eat.  Lily brought the leaf to me.

Lily has been a great protector of the puppies as well as in charge of sanitation.

   Lily may have given all the puppy's the most affection.  She seemed to be busy cleaning

puppies all of the time.  Poppy did a great job feeding and cleaning too.  Poppy has been

spending time by herself lately.  I think it is a natural thing for the Mother dog to pull away.

  Tomorrow I am driving to Topsham and South Portland, Maine to deliver Dahlia and Daffodil!

 Have a great night.  Happy Halloween!

"Pumpkin Time" 4x5 oil on copper.  Here is a very old painting I completed en plein air

(on location) in a pumpkin patch back in 2007.    I wish I still had this painting. 

   Dahlia and Monet played hard today!  He enjoys playing rough.  They seem to enjoy this.

    Tulip's new family came to take her home.  She was very excited about this! She didn't even

glance back!  They will spoil her.  They live close by.  They said they might stop by to say hello

someday.  We would all like that. 

  Dahlia was covered in mud and raw pumpkin today. 

   Dahlia seemed to think a pumpkin mask is great for her fur. 

   We will all miss Tulip/Gracie.  She was munching on pumpkin.

   The older dogs went to the beach twice today.  They had a great time.

"Stonington Golden Hour" 14x20 oil on copper.  Almost finished! later sold. 

"Stonington Autumn Quarter Moon" 14x20 oil on copper UPDATE:  Thought it was finished but

that white boat was so annoying!  Wiped out the white boat later, painted in a quarter moon!  Sold.

"Butterfly Kisses at Charlotte Rhoades Garden" 14x20 oil on copper 850$ framed in gold or

black with silver.  Shipped free. 

   I reworked the larger monarch butterflies to the left.  Now it is finally finished!

"Dancing By Light Of The Moon"  14 x 20 oil on copper 950$ framed in gold or black and

silver.  Shipped free.

Here is a better photo. 

Here is the sunset from Stonington!

   Have a good night!

    I went to sleep last night worried about Dahlia's future. 

    In the morning I received a phone call from the people in New Hampshire. 

     The nurses aide decided they would not buy a puppy for the 70 year old

schizophrenia patient. 

 The man had fallen.  She was writing a report about his fall because it is the law

 when you are caring for a person with a mental illness. 

  She was worried he may fall over a puppy.  She was right to be worried.  I agreed with her.  I wished

her well. 

 I felt a sigh of relief.  We will find an excellent home for Dahlia.

   We took Dahlia to the beach with her Mom Poppy, Dad Monet, and big Sister Lily!  She had

a great time.  We will take Daffodil to the beach tomorrow.

   Dahlia looked sweet with her Mom.  I think Dahlia will be a darker gold or red.

   I may paint this photo someday.  They were so beautiful!

   Lily looked back to see if Dahlia would join them in the ice cold ocean.  

    Here we are all squished into the car!  Dahlia is an excellent passenger.

    I am almost finished with this painting of a view from Church Street in Stonington. 

I like how it is coming along.  It is a 14x20 oil on copper. 

Have a good night.

    I was hard at work painting last night.  Robert came running by me with a puppy.

He had his headlamp turned on, the puppy had her feet stretched out, and Robert was

running.  I asked Robert what happened to the pup?  He said this puppy needed an emergency

bath!  There were no more details.

   The scene was amusing to me.  I think Robert was laughing too.

    The puppy had a bath in our kitchen sink.  She is clean again.

   Buttercup's new owners came to bring her home this morning.  She was so excited to see them.

She was wagging her tail.   Her whole body was wiggling.   She gave them many kisses. 

 Her new dog friend was in the car waiting for her.  The dog was a male lab.  He was trained to not

leap out of the car.  They will have a great time together!

   I decided Lily, Poppy, and Monet needed to trip to the beach. 

They needed a diversion. 

Many puppies are off to new homes.  We have three puppies here at the house.

  Tulip has been sold but her owners are waiting to take her home. 

  Poppy notices there are less pups.

  Lily seems to be fine.   Monet doesn't see to worry.  He has his mind on his toys. 

   I answered calls about the puppies.  I found a good home for Dahlia today.

  Dahlia will live in New Hampshire.  She will live in a home with a nurses aide who cares for a 70 year old

patient.  Recently this man saw a 7 month old golden retriever.  He laughed for the first time

in a long time.  The nurses aid was amazed at how happy he was with this puppy.  She asked

him if he would like one.  He said yes.  The man has schizophrenia.  I asked her if he has anger

issues.   She told me she would not be calling me if there were. 

   She was very responsible sounding.  She was very kind as she talked with her

husband and the man in the background. 

 I asked her what would happen to the dog if the man's condition

worsen or if he passed away?  She said she and her husband would care for the

dog.

    There are children visiting her home.   It sounded as if this puppy would bring much

happiness to this family and especially this elderly man. 

   The nurses aide would  be caring for the dog. 

 I decided Dahlia would be well cared for and loved by this family. 

    Many golden retrievers live in a home where both her masters work full time jobs.  The only

time they see their people are early in the morning for a few minutes and a few hours at night.

On the weekends the dog may or may not be included in their lives. 

    I have kept an open mind when considering new homes for these puppies. 

Dahlia will be a therapy dog. 

She will bring a lot of happiness to this man and their family.

  If it doesn't work out, I will tell them, I will come get Dahlia. 

 Any of these homes could work or not work.  Dahlia has the

opportunity to bring joy to someone who may not have felt joy in a long time. 

 We need to take this chance.  I think Dahlia can do this.  She is smart and calm.

   We all enjoyed a little fresh air at the beach. 

    Three little puppies played in our house tonight.

     I will drive Dahlia to Farmington on Friday.

 At the police station I will rendezvous with the new puppy owners. 

 I will be purchasing all the dog's needs to be reimbursed.  They are first time dog owners.  They also live in the

country away from stores.  I suggested this would be the easiest way to make sure

Dahlia would have all the toys, bed, crates, dog bowls, dog food, brushes, she would require.

   I am looking forwards to hearing happy stories about this man enjoying his puppy.

   Only Daffodil is available.  Robert whispered to Daffodil, "Oh you can stay then!" 

Three dogs are enough.  Have a good night.

    A painter friend of mine showed me a video with many colorful balls and golden retriever

puppies.  I thought, "Great idea!"   I put the dogs outside while I cleaned their pen and placed

all the balls inside.  Then I let them come inside.  I was so amazed at their reaction.

   Their big Sister Lily jumped right in.   Monet had no hesitation.  He

is just like a puppy himself.  I laughed so hard for an hour watching them

have a ball.  Poppy watched.  She didn't want to get into the pen.  She is avoiding

having the puppies nurse because they have giant teeth!

    The puppies dove after the balls.  They used their feet to capture a ball. 

    Monet loves balls more than any other toy.  He was in heaven!

  A few puppies were playing the peak a boo game with Monet again.  "Girls!  Girls!

I am trying to play with my yellow ball!  Cut it out!" 

   All of their tails were wagging.  This was the biggest surprise they have had yet!

   It was great exercise for the dogs.  They were moving fast.

   Daffodil, pink collar girl who is still available, put her front feet up on the fence.  Tulip,

red collar spoken for, was laying on top of Lily.  "What a nice place to take a nap!"

   Daffodil is a very pretty girl.  Well, they all are!

   Buttercup, yellow collar spoken for, had a great time.  "Where is the cake?" 

   Dahlia, blue collar available, is on the left.  Daffodil, pink collar girl, available, is on the

right.  I made a video of them today.  Click on the link below to watch. 

https://youtu.be/1x2cBgSA9iI

   I have been working on this 14x20 oil on copper at night.  Last night the puppies

were fired up.  I wonder if the full moon had anything to do with their energy?  I

took them outside four times very late at night.  I could hear Monet growling down-

stairs.  I thought the puppies had escaped.  They were still in their pen.  Monet

was growling at them to be quiet.  He was trying to sleep.  They were racing around

on the newspaper, growling, and howling at the top of their lungs.  Finally Robert

came downstairs to take them outside.  An hour later they will still racing around

in their pen.  I decided to see if they had water.  I replaced their water because

someone had been washing their feet in the water bowl.  They had plenty of

dried puppy food.  I decided they wanted more shredded boiled chicken and boiled

sweet potato!  They gobbled the food down quick.  They were hungry.  They fell

asleep.  Monet was pleased! 

   Here is Gardenia who is now called Lilly.  They loved Gardenia/Lilly's big sister

Lily so much they named their dog after her.  Lily was very honored when I told her

this.  She beamed with pride.  I told Lily many people love her.  She smiled and licked me.

Gardenia/Lilly has a new friend named Winnie at the house.  She loved her right away.

She is doing well.  She slept all through the night.  She is loved by the three wonderful

children. 

   Looks like a game of chase might be in order! 

   Here is Mr. Bates/Chase from the first litter of puppies.  He looks

like he will be the chef tonight.  He is so cute the owner doesn't mind

if he puts his feet on the kitchen counter. 

   Vincent/Tucker puppy is living with his big sister Lady Edith/Lia from

the first litter.  She loved him at first sight!  Vincent/Tucker slept all through

the night.  He stands at the door when he needs to go outside.  They love him.

   Marigold and Mr. Moseley are a happy pair.  They are from the first litter of Monet and Poppy's

pups.  They are close friends.  Their owners keep entertained by their activities.  They are both

excellent dogs.

   Lady Rose's owners checked in.  She is being trained to be a therapy dog.  She has passed her

first set of classes.  She is a very loving dog.  They love her so much.

    Here is Lux from the first litter.  She ran her first 5K with her owner Jena.  They wore a

lot of glow sticks.  Lux had glow wings.  She did fine!

The puppy Sargent from the most recent litter was sleeping in his owner's bed last night.  He

slept all through the night.  He stands by the front door when he needs to go outside.  They

are calling him Captain.  They sent this cute photo of him curled up sleeping next to a man.

Very sweet.

   Sunflower was sold last night.  She will live in Winterport.  We might see her at the beach sometime.

They have had many golden retrievers.  They were so happy with Sunflower. I helped her put

a halter collar on her but it was too small!  We tried to put her in a cat carrier but we couldn't zip

it up.  She will be spoiled rotten.  I found her a great home.  Here is Sunflower and Tulip getting their

stomachs scratched by a neighbor who has regularly visited.  They love the attention.

   Buttercup has been sold but she is waiting for them to come back from a trip.

She seems to love the camera!

   Buttercup wanted a taste of Monet, her Father's, slice of raw pumpkin.  She saw her big

Sister Lily being submissive, gradually moving over to the toy or treat, then taking it! 

   Buttercup moving in to have a bite of Monet's pumpkin.  "It works for Lily!"

    Monet and Buttercup are very similar in looks and behaviors.  She was allowed to eat

pumpkin with her Dad.  He complained for a minute or so but was so mesmerized with her

he gave in. 

   Dahlia had a slice of raw pumpkin in her mouth.  The puppies chased her around and around

the dog house.  It was really cute!

   Good exercise for the puppies!

    Daffodil is a very confident adventurer.  Her big sister Lily snuck into the photo.

  "Where is my costume?" she asked.

Daffodil is still available.  There is a family interested in seeing the puppies.  So she may be

selected soon.

   Dahlia liked her cowgirl costume today.  She is still available.

We will find them both great homes.

  I am working on a 14x20 copper oil painting of Stonington.  I will

share the painting with you tomorrow!  It might be done by then.

Have a great night.

    Sunflower was soaking her feet in the water bowl last night.  For about 20 minutes she

dog paddled in the water bowl flooding the pen!   There were a few puppies surrounding

her wondering what she was doing?

   I filled up the water bowl again.  I thought the other puppies would appreciate

fresh water.  Sunflower decided to put her front paws in the fresh water.  What a funny

girl.

   I drove Gardenia and Sargent to South Portland, Maine this morning.  Two different families

living in MA picked up a puppy.  Sargent howl most of the drive.  Gardenia was glad when he

nodded off.   Gardenia loves car rides!  They both did their business as soon as their feet hit the

grass!  Families were thrilled with them.  I know they will bring so much happiness into their lives.

    Vincent went with his family to Lincoln, Maine.  Lady Edith/Lia from the last litter of golden

puppies was there to greet him.  Lia loves Vincent who is now called Tucker!  I saw some photos

of them together.  They are playing a lot.  What a nice family.  This makes me feel great!

   Another family came to visit the pups tonight.  They love Sunflower.  They would like to think about

this overnight.  I think they will be excellent people for a golden puppy. 

    What a great day!  Good night.

"Hmmm ice cold pumpkin tastes sooo good!  My poor little gums hurt because my teeth are

growing.  I could eat pumpkin all day!"  said Buttercup!

"Yum, Yum, Yummy!"

"Crunch, crunch, crunch.  Would you like some pumpkin?  No?  I am going to eat it all!"

   Sargent,(spoken for) was watching his Mom Poppy and his Dad Monet play. 

  Monet was nibbling on a puppy's ear.  Lily watched to make sure Daddy was behaving himself.

She is very protective of the pups.

   Lily decided to nibble on Monet!  Sargent watched.  "Get him!" he cried.

    Sargent was nibbling on Monet's hair too!

   Lily and Sargent gang up on their Dad Monet. 

   Sargent really enjoy this.

    Poppy was watching the two boys.  "You are both silly!"

    Another puppy joins the fun.  She puts her paws on Monet's face.  "Peak a boo!  I see you!"

   The puppies are very trained to go outside 95%.  Their AKC paper arrived.  They have had

their shots, been wormed, and been vet checked. 

They are all ready for new homes. 

 We still have three females available, Daffodil (pink collar), Dahlia (blue collar),

and Sunflower (orange collar). 

"Butterfly Kisses in Charlotte Rhoades Garden" 14x20 oil on copper.  850$ framed in gold

or black with silver or black with gold edges.  Shipped free.

   There was a full moon last night.  I always paint late on these full moon nights!  I reworked

this painting started on location.  I need to make sure I have a larger container of Gamsol, a solution

to clean my brushes, so that my paints are clean.  I had a small bottle.  I could not wash out my

brush well.  It created a dingy painting. 

    Have a great night!  I can hear the puppies wrestling in their pen.  Such cute little noises

they make. 

   Yesterday Monet growled and leaped out scaring a puppy who came over

to investigate his new toy.  Poppy and Lily were upset with Monet.  Today Monet

brought outside a toy from his August Bark Box.  A Bark Box is a box full of

dog toys and treats delivered monthly for a fee of about 30$.  I kind of laughed

when I saw it was a toy he was tired of.  The new toys all were in the house in

his bed.  The puppies came over to Monet.  They starred at him.  I think they

were worried about playing with him.  They all saw his growl at Sunflower yesterday.

They have a good memory.

   Lily played with Monet.  She is use to his maniacal behavior regarding new toys. 

The puppies decided to sit this one out!

   I think this little puppy is either Tulip or Gardenia.  She looks like she is trying decide

if it is safe to play with Daddy!

      Monet has been good natured with the pups except for one time.  I guess he forgot himself.

Today he was back to being kind and generous. 

   Monet was letting a puppy play 'peak a boo'. 

    The pup would lift their paw to see Monet then put the paw over the eye again.

Monet didn't seem to mind this game.  I chuckle many times a day watching them.

    I wish I knew who this was!

"Dancing By The Light Of The Moon" 14x20 oil on copper   Still a work in progress!

   I decided to lengthen the lobster boat second to the left.  I worked more on the drawing on

the foreground left's lobster boat as well.  I took photos of the boats during the day in the

same position so that I could see the boat's structure.  I like it better!  Have a good night.

"Stonington Autumn Quarter Moon" 14x20 oil on copper  Still not finished.

    Here is the painting I took out to Stonington at twilight yesterday to work on.   

    Here is the painting before yesterday.  I remember working on this painting for a long

time inside my studio.  All the purple kind of got to me.  I kept thinking of how the scene

would be at twilight.  Would the foliage really be brown? 

"Stonington's Pink Sky" 6x8 oil on copper.  Sold.  Thank you!

   This was a study I did on location at twilight.  What did I learn from painting the painting

at twilight?  Colors are much lighter than the photo.  There is many bright colors during this

time.  The edges are not as sharp as daylight time.  There are many light colors.  I think color

studies are crucial for planning larger paintings.  There is great value to paint many paintings

on location before tackling a larger painting.  I think it is best to draw the large painting onto

the substrate on location rather than paint from a photo.  It is easier to draw small houses

and design compositions on location. 

"Under The Moon" 8x6 oil on copper 450$ framed in gold or black with gold.  Shipped.

   I worked on this painting last night.  It was a plein air painting originally. 

    Here is Sunflower posing on the white pumpkin. Yes she is available.

    Robert was placing the pups back in to the pen just now.  He brought

Dahlia to me and asked who she was.  He wanted to know if she was

still available?  I told him it was Dahlia he had in his arms.  I told him

she was still available.  He said she was a nice little dog.  Then he put

her into the pen. 

    I have not seen Poppy nurse the puppies in a long time.  I came outside to find Lily standing

next to her Mom Poppy.  The pups are getting older now.  There is no more milk for them

to nurse from Poppy.  I think it is good for them. 

    Poppy has been a great Mom to her pups.  She has lost a lot of hair.  This is common in

Mama dogs.  The hormones fluctuate causing hair loss.  The puppy's nails pull out

some hair.  I am sure the stress of having puppies also could create hair loss.  She will be fine.

   Sunflower in the orange collar put her arm around one pup.  They

were all squeezed in there to nurse.  They only nursed for two minutes

until one of them nibbled too hard.  Then Poppy gave them a warning.  The

pups all scattered.

    It is not easy photographing so many puppies in one photo!  I see Buttercup lower right

hand side. 

    They are beautiful.  Look at those little faces! 

    It is fun watching them most of the day in between cleaning things.

   The pups broke out of their pen after Robert left for work this

morning.  They climbed the stairs.  They were all standing outside my

door!  Monet, Poppy, Lily, and all 8 pups were there!  They wanted

to go outside. 

    Monet enjoys his puppies.  Today he taught them, "Do not mess with me when I have

a new toy or a bone!"  I am sure there were a few scared puppies.  I did rescue little Sunflower.

He gave her a few growls and even pretended to bite her.  He had his new

Bark Box, a box full of toys and bones, and he didn't want any pups around while he

enjoyed himself.  This might be a good thing for them to learn.  Several puppies will be

living in homes with another dog.  Little puppies don't seem to be too protective of toys

or bones.  Sometimes three of the pups will chew on the same bone at the same time. 

Have a good night! 

    I placed all 8 puppies in a pen loaded into the car. 

 I had to turn the pen sideways to get it to fit. 

There were holes on one side of the pen;  I put the plastic bottom on that side;  Then I secured

the plastic with a stick! 

 I put a nice cozy blanket in the pen too.  All the pups seemed content.

  The stick became a source of entertainment.  Off we drove a mile to the vet!

   Monet, Poppy, and Lily lined up at the window to watch all the action.  They were not

pleased at all!  They were all barking.  I could hear Lily talking in the most frustrated

panicked manor.  Poor Lily. 

    As I drove, I looked back to see the puppies, and found them all very excited about the

car ride.  Tulip, on the left with the red collar, (spoken for) seemed so happy to get out of the

house.  She is very adventurous.  She is not afraid of anything.  Daffodil, pink collar girl, on her right

seemed excited about the ride.  She is still available.  Sunflower, orange collar girl, is available.

Dahlia, blue collar girl, is available. 

   The trip to the vet went well. 

 All the puppies were vet checked, wormed, and had their first

shots. 

 Every puppy was healthy!  One puppy passed a silent and deadly... and had us all coughing.

They thought it was funny. 

 Buttercup whined when her ear was examined.  She has a bite mark

on her ear.

  They were extra calm the vet said.  She sees many puppies.  She said the last litter I

brought in to the vet were calm as well. 

 There were no accidents at the vet.  The vet said this is

uncommon.  She said they were beautiful.

   We arrived home.  The puppies went inside and outside six times.  Then

I decided their idea of taking a nap seemed appropriate!  A few hours later,

they went inside and outside again many times, had many meals, and napped

again!  I decided to head to Stonington to work on a painting.

    The first thing I did to this painting was enlarge the boat and make it lighter.  I painted

over the orange kyak in the corner.  Then I painted over all the brown foreground foliage

to a entirely different color, green! 

   I spent many days working on this painting in the studio working from a photo.  I was

not pleased with how unnatural the painting looked.  This is why I decided to take it back

out on location today right at twilight.  I was pleased to fix the foreground.  I had accomplished

my goal.  I still had light left, I worked on the tree line on the right.  I loved the different

fall colors.  This made a big difference.  Then I noticed a quarter moon over the scene!  I decided

to paint it into the painting but moved it over 50 feet to the left.  I saw the water was lighter and

warmer than I had originally painted the painting.  I did not like all the purple in the painting.  I

introduced more warmth in the sky and water, painted in a quarter moon, worked on the lobster

boats.  Then it was dark.

   It was 45 degrees outside.  I prepared myself to paint and be warm!  I was very happy with

the results of the hour painting on location!

    During this hour painting I heard meowing in the distance.  I wondered if this

was Dundee trying to get into his house or out of his house or try to get a neighbor

to open their door.  A few moments later, Dundee the orange Maine cat, came jumping

out of the bushes to greet me. 

   He paused at my feet.  He did glance at me once.  Then he turned around and took off!

   "Bye Dundee!  Keep warm!  Hope to see you again!"  I yelled as Dundee

the orange Maine coon cat disappeared.  I was smiling.  It was nice to be

visited by Dundee.  It makes Stonington more special to me. 

   Here is the finished painting on the easel.  Too bad it is a dark image.  I will take a photo

of the painting tomorrow for you to see.

   As I drove off the island of Stonington I saw this view.  I found Robert at home.  He

took the adult dogs to the beach for a good hour run.  He fed everyone including the

little pups.  He had them outside playing when I drove up.  It was nice to see 11 dogs and

Robert on the front porch.  Have a good night.

"Stonington Autumn Quarter Moon" 14x20 oil on copper  Still not finished yet!

    We allow the puppies to explore the house for hours.  They are trained

95% to go outside to do their business.  We can trust them inside!  They do

not take many naps during the day.  Instead they are playing all the time or

exploring.  Last night for hours they played hard.  I heard howling.  I ran

with Poppy, Monet, and Lily through the house to find two puppies on top

of the stairs.  "How do we get down?  We are stuck!  Help!" 

   Monet was first on the scene.  He licked one puppy on the head for reassurance.

Then he stood on the stairs for moral support.  The puppy slowly descended.

   The puppy on the top stairs was still afraid. 

   First puppy down the stairs decided to take a short cut!  She had to squeeze her head

through the bars.  Her plan was to jump on the couch then jump to the ground.  I decided

this was not safe.  I pulled her back through the bars and helped her down the stairs.

Then she ran back up the stairs again!

    The stair utilization class was so popular another professor

had to be called in to hold another class!  The class was filled within moments!

Up the puppies went one stair at a time and then down and over and over again!

Lily was exhausted.  Monet was sleeping.  Poppy was eating the puppy's dried food

in their pen! 

   Vincent hopped down most stairs.  Monet showed him how to descend

one leg at a time but Vincent had his own ideas.

   Vincent lower stair level was taking a break.  All the hopping down the steps

had him winded.  His sister Tulip above was cat calling him.  "Stop it!" cried Vincent.

"Stop looking at me!  She is looking at me!"  Vincent wailed and howled.  I had to

pick Vincent up to hold him for a while.  He needed consoling.    Vincent passed the class

but only made a C.  Monet his teacher said Vincent needed more stair climbing experience.

   Tulip at the head of the stairs also passed her class.  She

received a B.  Instructor and Father Monet said she would have

achieved an A if she had not bullied her brother Vincent.  She

gave him a stink eye.  Another puppy ascended the stairs.

   Buttercup on the lower level of the stairs was too worried

to continue ascending.  Tulip hunkered down ready to attack.

She had taken a course on the art of war.  This was her most

favorite class.

   Buttercup leaped up each stair ready to attack.  There were

a few growls!  Tulip and Buttercup sparred on top of the stairs!  They

both tumbled down a few stairs and called a truce. 

    This was my favorite picture last night.  Monet was sitting next to

Sargent.  He was licking his face.  Sargent was wagging his tail like mad.

He was getting his courage up to descend the stairs with Monet's coaching.

He wobbled slowly down the stairs.  He took many breaks but he passed!

Hooray for Sargent!

   Buttercup excelled in archaeology this morning.  She dug and dug for a long time.

She was still digging while few puppies fell asleep!  "I know there is gold down here!"

   Buttercup was still digging as the sun was setting.  Her instructor Lily would check on her

occasionally.  Lily was very proud of Buttercups tenacious spirit!  Vincent was the only other

puppy who took the archaeology class this morning.  He tried to help Buttercup.  Vincent

was interfering on dirt removal. 

   There was a cave in.  Vincent needed rescuing.  Buttercup was still digging.  She may

still be digging.  It is good exercise.  I didn't want to disturb her.  She may have a great

career ahead of her!  Vincent quit.  He decided archaeology was not for him. 

   Dahlia and Lily took the class, Living Off The Land, taught by Professor Monet.  He showed

them how to find rocks, sharpen their teeth on rocks, then eat pumpkin! 

   The puppies are having their first vet appointment and shots tomorrow morning.

Tulip is all excited about this.  She wants to meet the vet! 

   Sunflower took it easy for a while.  Busy day!

   I can only hold one puppy at a time.  I had a lady come over to help me pet the puppies

again today.  They love the attention!

   I canceled the Art Studio order this morning.  I want to do other more important things with the

puppy earnings.  I would like to have Robert's van's brakes fixed.  I would be very happy if Robert has

a Dr. physical..the first of 10 years!   We need the hole in the side of our house fixed.  The bathroom could

use some minor repairs.  The baseboards in the gallery need to be repaired from Poppy's puppy days!

I would feel better putting the rest of the money towards our bills.  Have a good night.

   Robert took me shopping for art studios.  We selected this type of studio.  The art studio

will be 12x24.  The door will be glass.  The back of the art studio will have 4 large double paned

windows. We decided on this color for the studio.  It is a light yellow with white trim.  We will order

the studio without the interior finished.  I think we will order the electric wiring finished and

foam insulation done.  They also will prepare a gravel bed for the studio. 

 I should be able to see the water while I paint!  I will have more room to paint larger

paintings.  I will be able to teach painting.  I will have a nice space to mentor high school students

this winter.   It will be a great investment. 

   The art studio will have a false dormer above the door.  An opening

can be made to create more light. 

   The front door will look like this except the glass will be square.  I am worried about

spending the money.  Robert thinks in it is necessity.  He is always looking out for my

painting career. 

   Daffodil loved her turn wearing the Halloween dress.  She has been prancing

around since receiving her new pink collar gift!

    What a personality Daffodil has!  She has a beautiful face.

    She bounced off the pumpkin and bit the camera!

   Daffodil danced around the yard!  I was smiling.

   Sunflower looked thrilled to model this sweater.  One photo was allowed.  Then she

leaped off the chair and took off!

    There Sunflower ran.  The other puppies were playing tug of war with Lily's supervision.

    The are growing!  Last night I gave each puppy a few chunks of boiled chicken.  Tulip

was hesitant.  Everyone loved the chicken! 

   I put a white sweater on Gardenia!  I knew the two young girls she will be living with might

like to see a photo of her.  Gardenia is doing so well.  She behaves herself. She has such great

confidence as you can see! 

   Robert took the adult dogs to the beach this morning.  He came home to find 8 puppies out

of their pen!  They were running all around the house.  They had found pieces of paper and plastic.

They found all kinds of things laying on the floor.  They were partying!  He was most proud there

were no mistakes made.  He was gone to the beach for over an hour.  He beamed with pride! 

   Lily was so pretty sleeping last night.  Have a good night.

    Buttercup fell fast asleep after a very kind couple visited.  Buttercup will be living on 28

acres with one acre chain length fenced.  She will have a golden lab to play with.  The couple will

feed her a frozen raw diet.  I know they will love her.  She was content with them.

   Sunflower, orange collar girl, has not met her people yet.  She knows they will love her.

She is patient.

   Dahlia, blue collar girl, seems to hold back when  people visit.  I think she

knows they are not hers.  She plays by herself or with puppies.   She tries to climb under the

playhouse.  Today she hid under the couch.  She is beautiful.

    One of my neighbors who visited a couple of days ago came back to give the puppies

love.  They really enjoyed her.  They seem to lay all over her surrounding her in a blanket

of love.  She says this is just what she needed.  Goldens  seem to have great empathy. 

   I think this puppy is Daffodil, pink collar girl.  She is a busy little girl!  I always find

her off chewing on something like a pumpkin or my yellow wicker chair!  She is available.

   Vincent, green collar boy, spoken for, had visitors today.  His new owners came to see him

He remembered them.  He was so pleased to see him.  He showed them how he could play

tug of war with three sisters!  Daffodil, has a new pink collar the nice neighbor made her.  She seemed

to be a fierce tug of war competitor!  Vincent/Tucker was showered with love.  He will be spoiled!

   When Lily and Poppy are inside, and Monet is outside with the puppies, he seems to

play hard!  He lays down with the pups to encourage them to visit.  He plays and plays.

They love him.  One puppy on the left was pulling Monet's tail.  Monet didn't mind at all.

    The puppies are so much fun to watch with Monet. 

   Sargent, male black collar, had found his forever home in Massachusetts.  I have

checked a personal reference of the owner.  She is not driving up almost 4 hours to pick

him out.  Instead she has selected Sargent from photos.  She wanted a male.  She has a

11 year old yorkie at home.  I hope Sargent is gentle with the yorkie.   She takes excellent

care of her dogs.  The yorkie was friends with a 100 pound golden retriever who passed

away. 

"Peaceful Moment" 14x20 oil on copper  UPDATE:  I can not find this painting!  Oh well.

   I worked on the water two nights ago.  I wanted to simplify the water so it did not compete

as much with the dory.  I glazed over the entire painting mixing up three different colors close

in value.  I will wait for the painting dries to take another look. 

   Here is the painting before I reworked the water.  It is an interesting change. 

   Poppy still nurses the puppies once in a while.  I do not think she still has milk.  I think

it may be for social reasons.  The pups enjoy this.  I don't think it is bad for either of them.

The puppies had boiled chicken, sweet potato, and carrots over their Blue Buffalo chicken and

brown rice puppy dried food.  I think they are each a pound heavier today!  They sure did

run around and play more.  They took naps in between visitors. 

I am going to sleep early.  Have a great night.  Only three puppies available now.  I will

miss them. 

    The puppies had a visitor today.  She came to hold and pet all of the puppies!  They

were on their best behavior of course!  Five of the pups fell asleep at her feet!  Buttercup

and Dahlia slept in her lap.  She said it was the best experience.  She thought every single

one of the puppies was perfect.  Here is Sunflower lower right with an orange collar..female..available.

Daffodil is upper right, her collar was lost somewhere in Bucksport..she says...still available.

   Buttercup had played for hours.  She was sound asleep!  What a sweet girl!

She is available. 

   I think I have found a home for Sargent.  He might be traveling to Massachusetts

when he is old enough.

   I finally caught up with Daffodil.  She is sweet...available.

   Tulip likes to sleep on her back as her Grandfather Luke does.  He is also a beautiful

red color as Tulip will be.  Tulip has been spoken for.

   I took a couple hour break from the pups to drive to Schoodic.  I saw a rainbow at

the horizon!

   The rainbow is also in this photo on the horizon towards the left of blueberry hill.

   I visited the Raven's Nest in Schoodic.  There were such

high winds at one point.  I had to wait for the winds to subside

so I could leave!

   There are many great cliff views to paint at the Raven's nest.

The light changes revealing more paintings to be created.

   I saw this interesting sky tonight.  I wonder if it is a white rainbow

or just rain? 

   I saw two large raccoons in Schoodic tonight.  They were a couple.  How could I tell?

Just the feeling I had watching them cross the street together. 

   They were very healthy looking. 

One raccoon was very curious about me. 

   I admire this same farm every time I travel to Schoodic.  I think the animals in the

barn are goats! Someday I will bring the family a present and ask if I could take photos

of their goats.

   They sure do look like goats!

   He or she has eyes like a goat! 

   Have a great night!

   Buttercup loves the camera! 

  The Father of the puppies Monet just loves outdoor playtime!  Sargent is on the right front.

Buttercup is on top of the pumkin.  Daffodil is in the middle. 

   Little Sargent put his feet up in the air to show his Dad.  Then he fell over. 

 Tulip, red collar, (spoken for) was practicing tackling!  She learned this from Lily yesterday.

I had to rescue Sargent from the jaws of Tulip!  She was biting his ear hard.  Sargent was

helpless.  He still whimpered after I rescued him.  I rubbed his ear to take away the pain!

Then he was fine.

   Tulip was on a rampage for a while today.  Every puppy was unsafe!

   Sunflower, orange collar girl, was on the left.  Sargent, black collar male, was on the right.

   Monet was watching his order daughter put a puppy snout in her mouth.  This is a type of

game they play.  There is no puppy squeals.  Must be a love nip. 

   Sargent has some sharp looking teeth coming in!  He is sweet.

   Lily and Monet are proud of the pups.  They love them.

   Have a nice evening!  Good night!

    I drove to Schoodic to paint at the Raven's Nest.  Yesterday John MacDonald told me where

the Raven's Nest was located.  I took care of the puppies.  I even took Monet and Poppy to the

beach!  Lily stayed home to take care of the pups.  I found myself painting with Eric Rhoades on

my left and John Mac Donald on the right!  It was exciting so I had to take a selfie with Eric

Rhoades in the background painting. 

   Here is Eric Rhoades painting.  He owns many art magazines and

video production companies.  He also created all the plein air conventions.

I knew who John was because we had painted with him yesterday.  Eric

asked if I lived locally.  I told him about painting plein air on copper.  He

was intrigued.  I explained a few interesting things about copper.  I answered

his questions.  Then he asked if I would be the guest speaker tonight for

over 100 plein air artists after dinner at the retreat in Schoodic.  I told him

sure.  He said they were having lobster and I was welcome to have dinner

with them.  This made me very happy. 

    A world renown photographer came up to the Raven's nest

to take photos of the milky way.  I asked him to take a few photos

of me with my Canon 7D.  He was so excited about taking photos

tonight.  He arrived early to get a good spot.  I wished him well.

   This was the view I decided to paint on a 6x8 vertical copper panel.
Can you imagine how difficult it would be to paint with high winds,

chilly cold air, knowing you would be speaking in front of 100 artists

in two hours?  Well I did the best I could.

"First View Of The Raven's Nest" 6x8 oil on copper 450$ framed in gold or black with gold

or silver.  Shipped.

    I guess I did a pretty gold job considering!

   I decided to try to paint a sunset spruce tree painting.  I had a few hours to be productive

before the lobster dinner! 

   I sat at the table with my friends Suzanne and Diane.  Eric Rhoades asked everyone

to raise their lobsters for a photo.  He also brought the lobsterman who worked for days

capturing lobsters and cooked them all up to the microphone.  There were many cheers.

 He cooked over 150 pounds of lobsters.  The food was great! 

The dinner consisted of cesar salad, lobster, pasta with tomato and zucchini, whoopee pies, and

beer and wine. 

    When everyone was finished eating lobsters, Eric Rhoades took the microphone to

 introduce me.  I did receive an A for public speaking in college.

I remember doing very well with inspirational speeches even getting a standing

ovation from my classmates.  This could have been from my white lacey "Madonna"

1980's mini skirt with short jacket complete with little white boots outfit.   I would

like to give myself the benefit of the doubt.  I was a good  public speaker.  

    I stood up.   I spoke clearly right into the microphone.  I told the inspirational story of

being inspired by copper. I was full of passion as I talked.  I was not nervous at all!

  I talked about techniques of painting on copper. I shared  the history and archival qualities

of copper.  I told them the price for a 6x8 copper panel.  There were gasps. 

 John Macdonald was kind enough to stand up and ask me to explain the type

 of brushes I use.  I discussed brushes.  Then I gave out free

50 copper panels.   I just happened to have 50 copper panels in my car.

  There were many people who didn't get a copper panel but Eric Rhoades

 said he would arrange for them to have one.  I shared

my copper panel source.  Many people thanked me for sharing the information.  They were

also thrilled to have a copper panel. 

   I really enjoyed speaking about copper.  I think I should do more inspirational

copper painting speeches. 

    Everyday is exciting when you work hard doing what you love. 

"Blue Hill Fair" 10x10 oil on copper.  Sold at the Saltwater Artist Gallery in Pemaquid.

Thank you.  They are closed for the season. 

   The pups are doing really well.  I will post many photos of them tomorrow!  Lily was teaching

the puppies how to play tag today.  They liked it.  Have a good night.

    One smart artist set up a plein air retreat at Schoodic Point.  He charged 1300$ for an artist

to stay in Schoodic housing, is feeding them three meals a day, so they can paint with each

other.  Over 100 artists from all over the USA came to participate.  A few of my friends who live

locally decided to join in the fun.  We drove to Schoodic this morning.  We met up with a

 talented artist named John.  We set up our easels and painted.  We relocated

every few hours to a new location. 

   I admired this scene and set up to paint.  I have never painted many Autumn paintings

because I have been in Florida at invitational plein air events in the past. 

"Schoodic Fall Day" 6x8 oil on copper    sold.  Thanks.

Here is my painting.  I am not sure if I was entirely awake yet. 

   Schoodic was busy with many plein air painters.  We lined up along the marsh.

"Schoodic Autumn Celebration" 8x6 oil on copper  sold Thanks!

   I decided to paint a Spruce tree next.  I dropped the painting on the

bumper of Peter's car.  Luckily his bumper was there to catch the painting

or it would have landed upside down in the dirt!  I wiped Peter's bumper

off.  No paint visible!

   Peter, Alison, and I chatted with John Macdonald over lunch.  It is always fun to talk 'shop'.

"Schoodic Wonsqueak Creek" 6x8 oil on copper.  sold  Thanks!

    This was the third plein air sketch done today in Schoodic.  There were many artists lined

up along the bridge overlooking this view.  I had to squeeze in to paint!  It was very fun.

I liked this painting best out of the three. 

   Peter was kind enough to take my photo with the artists.  The weather

was perfect.  We found locations out of the wind.

   This view would make a great larger painting! 

    I came home to find the puppies doing well!  They ate all of their dried food.  They were

happy to see me.

    I tried to get all the pups in one photo!  I could only wrestle up 7 out of 8 pups.

   The pups are getting easier to care for.  They sleep all night without any howls except

if a fire truck siren pasts by.  I can understand the need to howl in that case.  They love

to go outside to play in the yard.  They can hardly wait to scramble out the door.  They

literally run all around as fast as their legs can carry them.  They don't seem to wrestle

much as the first litter did all the time.  I never hear any squeals when one puppy bites

another.  They seem to be very gentle. 

   Have a good night.  I am going to play with the pups.

"Peaceful Moment" 14x20 oil on copper.  Not finished yet.

   This is what I have been working on the last few nights.  I loved the glow of the dory

and mooring ball.  The painting is almost finished.  I will wait for a overcast dry day to

take a better photo of the painting. 

   This morning I looked at the painting.  I wondered if I had drawn the dory correctly.   I needed

an objective point of view.  I decided to try something different.  I traced the photo of the image onto a small

piece of paper.  I just drew the lines.  Then I held this piece of paper up to my painting.  I saw two

errors.  I corrected the drawing of the dory on the painting.  This worked really well. 

   I drove to Pemaquid to pick up paintings at the gallery, attend a meeting, and end of the

season party.  Robert took care of all the puppies yesterday.  I came home to find everyone

content.  Today it was raining but the puppies still had fun outside.  They love the pumpkins.

Little Sargent in on the right side wearing his black collar.  Vincent (spoken for) in down in front.

   Here is Dahlia, blue collar female.  She is a lovely puppy.

   Dahlia said hi to her Dad Monet today.  He gave her a few kisses.  He likes

to lay down.  He knows puppies will come over to visit with him.  Standing tall

he might scare them. 

   Daffodil did something I see Monet do frequently.  She

pulled the leash off the chair.  She walked all the way out into the yard

with this leash.

Monet stood up when he saw her do this.  He watched her

and I could see him thinking. 

   Buttercup likes to pose for photos.  She is very cute!  She lost her collar out

in the yard last night.  We knew who she was.  She was happy to have her collar on again.

Have a great night!

   Here is little Tulip(spoken for) posing on a pumpkin.  I had

a great time today and so did all the dogs.  A wonderful family

drove over 4 hours to Maine to pick out a puppy.  All the puppies

were beautiful so it was difficult for them to decide.  Finally it was

little Gardenia who stole their hearts.  Gardenia will have two girls

to play with as well as a younger female golden retriever! 

   While Gardenia, Buttercup, and Sunflower were being played with, I put the pumpkins

inside the fence, to take photos!  Tulip had Vincent on his back! 

   I wish I could remember who the cute little puppy was laying down on the right. 

   I brought out a handful of doggy Halloween costumes for the girls to put on the pups.  They

loved this!    Here is Buttercup dreaming sweetly of her Mama.

   Buttercup nibbled on the pumpkin while on her right side Sargent tried to pose.  This

was the best photo of Sargent.  He was very cute. 

   Tulip was a diva dressed up in her pumpkin dress!  She seemed to be posing! 

   While I was playing with puppies, the Saltwater Artists Gallery in Pemaquid sold a painting!

"Last Days Of Autumn" 10x10 oil on copper Sold.  Thank you.

"A Cove In Schoodic" 4x5 oil on copper.  Sold in my gallery today from a wonderful couple

from Massachusetts!  Thank you!

   It was a busy day of showing puppies and paintings!  Another family visited who are thinking

hard about Buttercup!  Have a great night!

   Monet knows the puppies need to learn how to chew on sticks.  He demonstrated stick chewing

for little Buttercup.  She watched for the longest time.  She tried to chew on the same stick.  Monet

told her you must have your own stick to chew on. 

   Lily found Robert's shoe sitting on a chair.  She brought this shoe over to the pups and showed

them how to chew on the shoestrings.

   I decided chewing on shoes was not an appropriate subject for puppies.  I told Lily, "No

chewing on shoes!"   She stopped and looked at me.  Lily is still learning. 

    This morning at 5:00am Robert found all the puppies out of the pen.  They were ripping

up packaging paper!  Monet and Lily were demonstrating the shredding of paper.  Paper was all

over the living room.  Poppy was upstairs talking up a storm most of the night.  She has been

talking a lot for the past two nights.  She wants us to know something or she needs something.

What could it be?

  Buttercup looked so cute this morning. 

   Robert came home.  Lily and Monet stood up on the wall side by side to greet him.   They

look so much alike.  Poppy doesn't stand on the wall. 

   I am happy to report all the puppies run outside on their own from their pen!  Also

their pen is very clean all day long!  In the morning the pen is a lot more clean!  This means

they are becoming more trained to go outside!  I am proud of them for being only 5 weeks old.

   Have a good night!

   Here is Vincent (spoken for) sitting in the yellow wicker chair.  He seems to be the

leader of the litter.  He went outside on his own today!  He also came back inside! 

Gardenia was walking with him!  He likes to spar with Gardenia.  He thinks she is

his equal. 

   It was raining all day so Sargent took refuge in his dog house!  I thought he looked

his best with mud on him!  What a boy.  I sure do love little Sargent.  He will have wonderful

eyebrows like his Dad Monet.  He prefers to play with the girls. 

   They played for about 5 hours outside today broken into many trips.  Here are Gardenia

and Tulip (spoken for).  They were sleeping underneath their dog house.  Perfect spot!

   Poppy stood inside the dog house.  Sargent tried to join her. 

  Poppy gave Sargent a few kisses.  He knows now, "No nursing unless Mama offers!"

"Never ever ever bite during nursing!" 

    Many puppies crawled under the dog house today.  Poppy prefers they stay out from under

the dog house.  She called to them.  "Please come out from under there!  Bears!  Porcupines!

Skunks!  Danger!"   They ignored her.  "Oh Mom you worry too much!"  said Tulip.

   Tonight Robert took Monet, Poppy, and Lily to the beach.  I let all the pups outside.

I was happy to see Vincent, Buttercup yellow collar girl, and Gardenia lavender collar girl,

go out all by themselves!  Horray!  They had a ball.  Without the adult dogs to worry about, they

chased each other, wrestled, and had great fun together.  They were very active.  They

did not hide under the dog house.  Maybe they hide under the dog house to avoid being stepped

on. 

   I had memories of a very young Poppy doing this to Monet.  She would stalk him.

She would leap up and attack him and knock him over!  He was never aware of this.

Sometimes he would fall over.  He became afraid to go to the restroom with Poppy around.

Still to this day we need to take Monet out by himself.  Naughty Poppy.  She doesn't do this

anymore.   Monet doesn't take any chances. 

    Here Vincent stalked little Sargent.  He sprang up and knocked him over just like her

Mom did to Monet.  What a naughty little boy!

   Vincent's tail was wagging like crazy.  I hope this is a one time incident!

Vincent will be going to a home to his 7 month old sister Lady Edith/Lia from

the last litter of pups.  I don't think Lia would like this treatment.  She has excellent

manners and is very refined.

   Here is another photo of Sargent.  He has such good features.  I really enjoy all the puppies.

"Dancing By The Light of The Moon" 14x20 oil on copper. Reworked later!  Too much green!

   I have been working on this 'finished' painting today.  I decided to be brave today while

painting.  I wanted this painting to be more like the memory of that night in my mind. 

There was a lot of green shimmery light that night along with the moonlight.  I went over

the painting with different greens scrumbling and wiping paint out with paper towels to achieve

this affect.  Now I will let it dry and take another look.  The painting is darker than this photo.

It is difficult to photograph paintings on a dark rainy day. 

    Have a great night!

    Dahlia did very well being photographed today.  The session was very short but sweet!

   She was sleepy from playing outside most of the day.  I love to hold Dahlia.  She is cute.

   Daffodil didn't want to pose with the pumpkins.  She wanted to lay down and bite a yellow

leaf! 

    Then she came over and pulled on my sleeve just like her Daddy and her Granddaddy does!

I think this is a cute trait. 

    Daffodil looked cute with her unconventional poses.  After this photo

Daffodil took off running!  She was running towards the busy street! It was

suspenseful for a minute as I scrambled to my feet to chase her.  My friend

Sandie was visiting the pups.  She was on the inside of the fence.  She could

see the whole thing happening and could not get to her.  I did catch Daffodil.  After

she was captured the photo session was over for the day!  Whew! 

Have a great night!

    Gardenia loved posing for photos.  What a little ham she was.  I think she would have modeled

all day long!  She asked me to call up LLBean! 

   She danced around in her dress pulling on her skirt!  I had to chase after Gardenia.  She was ready

to trick or treat.  She has a sparkle in her eye!  What a gorgeous little girl.

     Tulip thought her rump was her best feature.    I went along with

her requests.  I thought she has many great features. She was a natural model. 

   Oh my.  Little Sargent did not want to be a cowboy.  He wanted to be

Dracula!  I told him this might scare people.  He will redo his

photos tomorrow.  Every single shot he was showing off his fangs.  He

is enormously proud of these teeth.  

   I talked Tulip into a more natural pose.  She is a beauty.   I am so happy she will

grow up in Bucksport. 

   I asked Sargent to close his mouth please.  This was the only photo with no fangs

showing.  Unfortunately you can tell how unhappy he is being a cowboy.  I asked

him if he would like to be a mummy instead.  He cried.  He wants to be a Vampire!

Well we will see what we can do. 

"Dancing By The Light Of The Moon" 14x20 oil on copper Reworked! 

    I worked on this painting today.  I defined the shape of the boats more.  I also created a fog

to the left to break up the line of the boat.  I painted out a highlight on the water on the right lower

side.  It was too large and distracting. 

    Here is the painting before it was worked on today.  I have a better photo of the painting

also.  It is difficult to photograph some paintings.  The darker paintings are the most difficult.

    I took each puppy outside to play 4 times today.  After the second time I had to take a nap.

This part of caring for a litter of puppies might be the most strenuous.  You must lean over, pick

up the puppy, carry the pup outside, and set him down.  Then when he falls asleep, you must lean

over, pick him up, and carry the pup back inside, and set him down.  When there are 8 puppies, you

do this 4 times a day.  The amount of energy this takes is amazing.  In a few days they can be

trained to run outside and back inside on their own.  Right now they would investigate inside of

the house if you let them out of the pen. 

    Have a great night!

   Big Sister Lily is very eager show to her siblings how to chew on sticks.  She showed them

how to spit out the wood pieces and not to swallow them.  Many puppies tried to do this.

   Vincent, on the left, went to town chewing.  Poppy watched the tutorial by Lily with

admiration.  "Make sure you demonstrate spitting out the wood pieces."  "I am!  I am!"

   Many puppies missed out on the wood chewing classes.  They wanted to be with their

Daddy Monet. 

   Monet was chewing on pine bark.  Lily was distracting the puppies with her antics.

   They really love their Daddy!  They were climbing all over him. 

   The pups went out four times today.  When they started to fall asleep, I would pick each

up, and put them back inside.  As soon as they were outside, they lined up along the white

fence, and did their 'business'.  I was so proud of them!

   Twice today Dahlia, blue collar girl, climbed underneath the puppy house.  Monet laid

there calling to her.  "Come on out now Dahlia.  You are worrying your Mom and Dad.  A

bear or raccoon might be under there.  Come out!"   I had to pull her out. 

   Monet spent a lot of time today laying on the ground.  He knew all the puppies would

come over and climb on him.  He loved it.  He nibbled on them.  No squealing. 

    Big Sister Lily loves to lay down too.  Poppy walks around the entire time sniffing each

puppy and calling to them.  She wants to make sure they are alright. 

   What a great day!  I put an ad for the puppies in the Uncle Henry.  They are five weeks

old now.  I think they are old enough to be seen by families. 

"Stonington's Pumpkin Sky" 6x8 oil on copper.  450$ framed in gold.  Shipped free.

   I worked more on this painting today.  I think it is done!

"Stonington's Pink Sky" 6x8 oil on copper   Sold.  Thanks.

    I refined this plein air sketch done a few days ago in Stonington.  I just smoothed out

a few brushstrokes. 

"Serene" 14x20 oil on copper 950$ framed in gold or black with silver.  Shipped free.

   Today I worked on this painting.  I added many more colors to the water and outside

of the dory.  Now I am pleased.

"Stonington's Red Sky Sailor's Delight" 14x20 oil on copper   Reworked later!

   I worked more on the light's reflections in the water. 

Have a great night!

  Yesterday in Stonington I spent many hours sitting in thick bushes so I could paint this

bright orange skiff!  I thought it was a winner on location.  I worked more on the painting

last night.  I took a look at the painting this morning.  The orange skiff is like an elephant

in the room.  I was going to paint 20 or 40 lobster boats into the harbor.  I am not sure if

I can pull this painting off.  There is a huge learning curve painting larger.  This is a 14x20 oil

on copper.  I like the raspberry bush to the left and the purple aster flowers. 

   We took all the puppies outside today to explore their new doggy house.

On the left back is Tulip.  To her right is Daffodil.  I think Sargent is

in the front.

  Little Sunflower loved the dog house Robert built for her. 

  Sargent came over to visit Sunflower.  "What are you doing here all by yourself?  You ok?"

   A friend and client, Sue, came to visit today.  She petted puppies while I used a fingernail

file on the puppy's front toenails. 

   Lily was showing the puppies how to tear up paper.  The tutorial went well.  One was very

interested.  The others were for just a second. Buttercup was the most interested in shredding

paper!

   One puppy decided Lily's tail was more interesting.  Another puppy decided the frog toy

was great.  One puppy still was interested in shredding paper.  "What do we do with the

paper once it is all shredded?" 

Monet was hanging out on the porch with Sunflower.  She looks a lot

like her Daddy.

   It is fun having 11 golden retrievers in the front yard!

   Buttercup decided to take a nap next to Monet.  He didn't mind at all.

"Lobster Cove" 6x8 oil on copper.  Sold today.   Thank you.

Have a good night!

    They sure are looking cute! 

   Lily visits the puppies many times a day.  One puppy was climbing on her back.  She

looked like she was holding court!  "Tell us another story huh Lily?"

   Their Father Monet gives them kisses!  "Hi Daddy!  Let me out of here!" 

    Robert had all the dogs and puppies in our front yard today.

We have a nice white picket fenced area complete with a tiny

dog house for them to play in.  He said the puppies had a great

time!

   Later in the afternoon I drove to Stonington.  I stood on top of a granite hill on Church

Street in someone's backyard so I could draw this scene on copper 14x20.  I had permission

to be in their yard. 

   Movement caught my eye.  I was so pleased to see Dundee, the orange Maine coon cat,

coming to visit me.  I think he can smell my arrival.  He comes straight to me.

He leaped up a huge granite rock to visit.

   I am glad Dundee likes me.  It is a great honor because he doesn't like everyone.

   He had to leap up several large granite rocks to visit.  He sniffed

my leg and outstretched hand.  Then he took off under the house to

look for mice! 

   Here is my drawing on the copper.  I will need to make some corrections.  It is so much

easier to sketch out the painting on location. 

   The next goal I had in mind today was to complete a plein air sketch at twilight.  I needed

to understand what color the dark foliage is during this time of the day.  At twilight the grass

near my feet were a blue green without much color. The darks were a brown or dark red. 

In the distance the Spruce trees were also a greyed dark green but the darks again were browns.

The distant Spruce trees were darker and redder closer to the setting sun.  I didn't see any

highlights around the rocks in the foreground in the water.  This was what I was curious about.

I just finished a 14x20 painting of this scene working only from a photo.  I wanted to be more

aware of how the colors were on location during this time.  I sat on the grass almost in the

dark working on this painting.  I can not believe my luck at having another bright red twilight

sky to work from!  I am going to take a shower with dish washing soap tonight to make sure

I kill any tick!  Sitting on the grass is dangerous here in Maine.  Ticks here in Maine have a 80%

chance of carrying a bad virus. 

   Here is the last sardine canning factory in Stonington.  Have a great night!

    Little Vincent was all dressed up in a red sweater.  He loved his new family.

They came to visit him.  He will stay at home for four more weeks.

   Lady Edith/Lia came to visit with this family.  She saw her new friend Vincent/Tucker

for the first time.  She liked him. 

   We let Lady Edith/Lia's sister Lily out first, then her Father Monet, and then her Mom Poppy

out to see her.  She was very happy.  I don't know if she remembered them but I would like to

think so.

   Daffodil was excited about the green ball and visitors too.

   Puppy pile!

   Little Sargent on the right was drinking water.

"Stonington's Red Sky Sailor's Delight" 14x20 oil on copper.  Reworked and sold.  Thanks.

    I finished this painting this afternoon!

"Stonington's Pumpkin Sky" 6x8 oil on copper 450$ framed in gold or black with silver.  Shipped.

I also finished this painting!  Now I will decide what new painting to start!  Have a good night.

   I gave Sunflower a bath last night.  She sat in my lap being admired by Monet and Lily.

    I held a bone for Sunflower.  All the grownup dogs came over to see her.

   Sunflower will be a dark red or dark gold.  She is very sweet.

   Lily kept giving little Sunflower kisses.

    I found out the puppies can eat dried Blue buffalo chicken and brown rice puppy dog food.

This is a good thing.  I can leave dried dog food down so they can eat!  This means I can go run

errands or go paint a few hours! 

    I am almost finished with this painting.  I am happy with the shimmery quality of light

on the water and sky.  Now I just need to work a little more and it will be done!  I added

beautiful pinks to the sky and water last night.  I also added a lighter brighter blue .  I worked

on all the foliage.  I painted all the lobster boats.  I would like to work more on the sky and water

and boats. 

   I went to Stonington for a few hours later in the day.  I realized Robert would be home

soon.  The puppies would not be alone for more than an hour.  I started this painting.

I worked on the painting tonight at home.  I made the water in the foreground not swirl.

I painted out both rocks.  I also worked more on the sky and boats.  I will share the photo

of the painting tomorrow.  Maybe I will have both paintings done!

    Here are a few photos of Stonington. 

   This is the front of the yellow house I love to paint.  Surprisingly the front of the house

is not painted yellow! 

   This is the first sight of water seen upon arriving in Stonington.  I always want to paint

this scene but can never think of a composition.  It is awkward.

   The lighthouse in the distance was nice to see. 

Have a great night!

    Today I purchased a lot of all natural raw hide free chewy bones.  I tested them out on

the puppies.  They seemed to like them!  Two pups chewed on the same bone.  I wish

I had more hands.

   At first they just put the bone in their mouths.  They decided they liked the flavor.

They did bit down hard a few times.  Everything is wonderful and new!

"Bone is good!"

   The big blue ball was a hit! 

   They pushed the ball all around their pen.  They also tried to bite it.  Gardenia, purple

collar female, was really excited about the ball.

   Sargent, black collar male, in the center, really thought the blue ball was fascinating.

    After a while the blue ball was boring. 

   They are really cute.  I spend a lot of time petting them. 

   Lily played with the blue ball while her Mom Poppy nursed

the pups!

   Monet loves to visit his pups.  He searches for toys in their pen.

He will give them a few kisses. 

    I worked more on this painting last night.  I like to stay up late, clean up the pup's pen,

and give them a late night dinner.  I need to paint many lobster boats into the painting

on the left.  I think I will work more on the entire painting once the boats are in.  I want

this painting to be very atmospheric.

Good night!