Kaia Thomas - A path with ART

"Lil' Bit" original ACEO 2.5" x 3.5" acrylic on matboard  Here is the next cat painting in the series...this is Lil' Bit who belongs to a good friend and collector. She is normally a very shy kitty and on occasion she will let you get close. It was such the occasion that I managed to get the photo I used for reference here:) I am noticing a natural tendency to slightly exaggerate the size of the eyes when I paint. I don't want to overdo it though...but I like being struck by the cat eyes first and then move around the rest of painting.   This art card is currently available in my Etsy Shop .

"Luna with Purple"  2.5" x 3.5" Acrylic on Acid Free Matboard So after completing the last cat painting, I made a decision to keep going and do a series of cat portraits. This new one is actually my kitty, Luna. This ACEO painting is now available in my Etsy Shop.

I remember a few years back someone asking me what my Chinese Zodiac sign was. I had no clue. I could remember those silly place mats at the Chinese restaurant with all the zodiac animals on it but I never paid any attention to it. However, after being asked this, I did eventually google it one night and to my surprise, found a fascinating world to explore. I learned I was a Rat - the first sign of the zodiac and I discovered, after looking up different friends and family members, that it was amazingly accurate! Wikipedia's chart has some good basic info on your sign, if you want to find out for yourself. So, this Chinese New Year, which begins February 3rd, is the year of the metal Rabbit. I have read a lot on the forecast of this upcoming year. It appears that traditionally, the Year of the Rabbit is known to be a calm period, a time for home and family, creative pursuits, creature comforts, that sort of thing. The Rabbit is the luckiest of the signs, so it is expected t...

2.5" x 3.5" ACEO original painting acrylic on acid free crescent matboard $10.00 free shipping click here Staying with the hummingbird theme, I created this little guy. It's hard not to love hummingbirds - they are such amazing creatures!

I finally was able to complete the commissioned set of 4 hummingbird coasters. Going into the project, I wasn't sure what I was doing. It always amazes me that it works out every time - even when feelings of ??? arise.  They were delivered yesterday and the lady was thrilled - one of the most rewarding aspects of doing art, especially commission work, is getting to see the reaction when they first set eyes on it. It makes it SO worth it in that moment... So these coasters are becoming a hit! I am considering starting a listing on Etsy for commissioned coasters. Selling in sets or individually. They are a lot of work but very enjoyable to do:)) Here are some more coasters available in my Etsy shop - click here

 "Joy" 20" x 20" acrylic on canvas includes custom frame This painting has a lot of meaning for me. A year and half ago, my brother was in a bad car accident - it was serious and he is lucky to be alive. He suffered TBI (traumatic brain injury) and was in ICU for 2 weeks and rehab for 2 more. We remained with him the entire time and we had an amazing outpouring of energy from friends and family that I believe really floated us through the experience.  Today he is miraculously fine - the changes in his personality were minor, considering all the horror stories the doctors told us, and his fractured neck healed with no problems. At the time this accident happened, I had just started this painting and it took me many months to find the energy to return to it but when I did, a lot of my feelings of joy and being so blessed that this life changing experience had a happy ending. The experience really opened my eyes and heart and this inevitably influenced the pai...

The latest creation...another handmade coaster, painted with thoughts of spring. I live in Southeast Arizona and I am still bundling up in my jacket. I am normally in shorts by now!  So I paint the pretty spring colored butterfly in honor of spring that I am so looking forward to! For sale on Etsy

So I finally completed them! These are entirely hand crafted - made from gessoed hardboard, painted with acrylics.  Sprayed with FOUR coats of polyurethane, and a cork bottom.    They are currently for sale in my Etsy Shop

I got an idea to do hand painted mandala coasters yesterday...   The first one!

Here is the latest creation...                                    "Prime"                    12" x 12" acrylic on hardboard                   custom made floater style frame I named it "Prime" because after designing it, in the attempt to find an evenly divided pattern became tricky when I discovered the math of the design was a prime number. Don't ask how I got it evenly divided because I won't be able to tell you...I winged it and got lucky! This is now available in my Etsy shop .

Here are two ACEOs completed recently...   Tibetan Buddhist and Australian Aboriginal designs...interesting combo:)

"Transformation" 11" x 9" acrylic on canvas paper Another colorful acrylic attempt. I didn't have anything in mind when I started this one. I just started drawing a face and away it went. Those are my favorite kind of painting experiences, when there is no direction just the flow of creative energy. No pressures to make it look a certain way. It's actually a challenging thing to do because one often does have something in mind and it is so rare to have it turn out the way one visualized it. I named this one "Transformation" after the butterfly happened on the forehead. To me the painting spoke to me of someone having that moment of realization and then the change that comes out of that realization.

"The wind and the dragonfly" 11" x 9" acrylic on canvas paper  So I had a sudden urge to paint in bright colors and of course acrylics are always the best for vivid color. This was also a practice in painting faces, which faces or figures have always been a challenge for me to do. This painting was inspired by a photograph taken of myself a few years ago - I always loved that it captured the energy of wind. The dragonflies came as an afterthought. During the couple days I painted on this I kept seeing dragonflies everywhere, so in they went!