I’ve been considering making a set of greeting cards of my winter critters. My thought is to sell them at local “Made in Idaho” shops and probably on Etsy.
What do you think? (I’d get rid of the giant red signature on the squirrel). I wonder if people would buy them. I think they would be unique holiday/Christmas cards.
Also, that first elk is growing on me, I’m thinking of painting him big.
Today’s 4×4″ painting.
Just an FYI, nearly all of my little paintings are or will be for sale. Contact me if you want details. But of course I’m just happy to have you follow along.
Color, texture, light, and form come together in Idaho-based artist Jill Millward’s oil paintings of portraits and landscapes.
via Jill Millward Artwork — Discover
I was recently featured on the Discover feed here on WordPress and picked up some new followers.
Welcome! I hope you find inspiration in my compulsive behavior.😀🤡🌈🦊😎👍
I have a lot of goals and irons in the fire right now. A small painting a day, a big painting a month, and a sweet line up of commission work. 👍 We will see how it all shakes out.
4×4″ oil on deep edge canvas
A painting from my sisters photo.
Last month my sister was in Monterey and took a picture of this tree and sent it to me. My other sister saw it and let me know she’d like it painted big for her bedroom, like 60X48″ I think. It was funny because when I was in Monterey last summer I photographed the same tree and painted it pretty big, 48×36″. And sold it just before Christmas 😀👍.
Here’s the painting from the image I took.
I thought I’d give this a whirl for today’s little painting. It’s 4×4.” I’m going to let it dry and then come back and work on a few things. But in general it was fun to try. I’m really more of a portrait painter than landscape painter.
4X5″ oil on canvas
I was talking to a friend the other day about Amy Ringholtz’s work. As we were looking at some images I commented that she seems confident, and how it even shows in how she signs her paintings.
If you’ve been following me for a bit you have probably read about how unhappy I always am with my signature. I have figured out something that works with my initials, a simple JM, but my whole name is another matter. So here’s my Ringholtz inspired signature. I think it perhaps distracts from the squirrel. LOL.
This painting reminds me of a woman who lives around the corner who rescues injured squirrels. And of my old neighbor who used to trap them in his backyard. It also reminds me of the squirrel that recently stole my dogs Kong toy from the backyard. We watched the little thief take it to our neighbors yard. She threw it back over the fence once, but then it disappeared again.
I just listed these two still life’s on Etsy. You can hop over and check them out HERE.
So far, these are my small 2017 4×4 and 4×5″ daily paintings.
I was looking through images of paintings I’ve done over the last 2 years and want to share some of my favorites with you, in no particular order. With some favorites left out…. looking back gives me hope for future paintings. Each painting is a leap of faith and I never know how or if something will work. I feel sad upon completing each painting, knowing I will start at zero again and fighting back all the voices. So I look back and see hope. 
This one is pretty much ridiculous, but it will launch me to rock star status with my naturalist boys.
I was going to paint another apple because they are fun and simple and round. But it was pointed out to me that an Apple is not a Critterscape.
I made progress on my 48×36″ dancer painting. I think it’s a nice one. I’m excited to share it when it is done. My daughters dance career will be we’ll documented. I’m forcing myself to slow down and build up layers.
The silly alligator is smiling at me.
Jill Millward Artwork 