Category Archives: Inspiring Leaders

New Paintings & Online Art Auction

Attitude, 9″ x 12″ acrylics on canvas www.theslumberingherd.com

9×12 acrylics in progress, 1-3 www.theslumberingherd.com

*9×12 acrylics in progress, 4-6 www.theslumberingherd.com*

No Apologies Online Only Art Auction

Starting this weekend and running September 8-15, 2019, I am co-hosting an online art auction in support of abortion rights. Most of the art was made by the organizers, though a few of our friends have donated some pieces. Looking is free! More information here: https://noapologiesartauction.org/

(The Dolores Huerta – right side, flower background, and the tiny houses in the middle (plus the painting at the top of this post) are mine. The other pieces are from other artists!)

Thanks so much for dropping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Online Art Auction Coming Up

Here’s a couple flyers I made for the online art auction in support of abortion rights that I am organizing with my friend Ann D’Angelo. Most of the art is ours but we are accepting donations and have gotten many amazing pieces.

The world is pretty ugly right now and there are many issues that deserve our attention. This art auction is one way some of us are trying to help out.

No Apologies Online Art Auction, September 8-13, 2019. More info here.

Thanks for dropping in!

Ahed Tamimi, Acrylic Portrait Practice

Ahed Tamimi, 22″ x 28″ acrylics in progress, Sept 2018

Ahed Tamimi, photo by Getty Images Dec 2017

Ahed Tamimi, teenaged Palestinian Independence activist, 22″ x 28″ acrylics in progress. Because no child deserves to grow up in an occupied State.

Just a reminder, more than 90% of people are just like you. They want to live peacefully and with the ability to provide for their families. Hatred toward a particular group is stoked by those in power in order to keep their power.

Tons of progress pics. Of course this is a larger canvas and I have also spent more days on it. More time = better! So far, in my experience.

Thanks for stopping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday.

Acrylic Portrait Practice, Manal al-Sharif

Manal al-Sharif is a Saudi Arabian women’s rights activist who helped start a women’s right to drive campaign in 2011. (from Wikipedia)

Manal al-Sharif, Saudi Arabian Women’s Rights Activist, 11″ x 14″ acrylics
https://www.theslumberingherd.com/

Read her speech from the Sydney Opera House All About Women Festival, March 4, 2018.

“I have proudly been called disrespectful for defying laws that disrespected me. I have been proudly called a corruptor for encouraging my fellow Saudi women to speak up for themselves. I have proudly been called a traitor to the nation and the faith for challenging the degrading narrative of women in our textbooks and teachings.” (excerpt)

Buy her book, Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening

Progress pics:

Difference of three hours progress with local painting instructor

As noted, this last progression shows the difference of a three-hour session with a local painting instructor, Sarah Kaiser. Looking forward to next week’s session!

Hello to Paint Party Friday!

Acrylic Portrait Practice, Dolores Huerta

Today’s portrait practice: Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta, the inspiring Mexican-American Labor and Civil Rights leader, winner of many local and national humanitarian awards. Originator of the phrase, “Si, se puede” – “yes it can be done” or “yes we can” – adopted for his presidential campaigns by President Barack Obama.

In October 2010, Huerta was awarded an honorary degree by Mills College, who lauded her as “a lifetime champion of social justice whose courageous leadership garnered unprecedented national support from farmworkers, women, and underserved communities in a landmark quest for human and civil rights”. (From Wikipedia)

11″ x 14″ acrylic on canvas. This is a work in progress! The space between her nose and lips is too long, for one thing, and more layers are needed to improve the overall skin tone. As with all the others, I may not finish it anytime soon. Or at all? I don’t know! I’m just happy to be practicing and trying not to worry about other things.

Based on this photo by Angela L Torres (printed and taped to my easel). I need to use my old Ipad for reference photos instead of printing things. One of these days!

Progress pics!

I have found a local painting instructor and (very) small class on Monday nights, starting this coming Monday. Hooray! I will report back.

Thanks so much for stopping in! Hello to Paint Party Friday. :)

Acrylic Portrait, Stacey Abrams

11” x 14” acrylics on canvas. Not quite finished.
Stacey Abrams, Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia, 2018
The first African-American woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the United States.

“We are writing the next chapter of Georgia’s future where no one is unseen, no one is unheard, and no one is uninspired.” ~Stacey Abrams

Watch her primary victory speech
DONATE to her campaign
Stacey Abrams is the Future for a Democratic Party in Crisis (Rolling Stone)

Lots of progress pics below (some a bit crooked)! The ugly stage is still very hard to push through. The eyes were uneven for some time – it is very helpful to step back frequently to see the bigger picture.