Thursday, June 26, 2014

Antique Impressionist Style Black Cat Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitage

Today's black cat painting is very loose and sketchy with a diagonal slant to a lot of the brushstrokes.  I really like combining my favorite parts of a sketch with an oil painting.  Scumbling the black paint on very thin and then coming in with the smaller, sketchy paint lines.  Like sketching and painting, all at the same time!
This is an original oil painting on canvas with stretcher bars measuring 10 x 8 inches and is available on my ebay auctions HERE.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Sketchy, Loose Original Oil Painting of a Black Cat by Diane Irvine Armitage

Another painting of a black cat (no surprises there!).  Keeping it loose and sketchy.  This one has a tail that is moving in the background - fun to do!

Today's painting is 8 x 8 inches on archival canvas board and is available on my ebay auctions HERE.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Black Cat Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitage

Today's black cat painting was done with as little strokes as possible.  I just wanted to put the paint where it went and not mess around too much.  I'm happy with the results.
This original oil painting on archival gessoboard measures 5 x 7 inches and is available on my ebay auctions HERE.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Friday, June 13, 2014

Black Cat Portrait - Original Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitage

Another 8 x 8 inch painting today, this one straight on, almost mug shot style!  Working on keeping things loose and sketchy.
I sell high-quality prints of most of my paintings at my antiques booth.  If you are interested in a print of this or any other paintings you see here on my blog, let me know.  They are $15.00 each plus $7.00 shipping.  This painting is available on my ebay auctions HERE.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Cat Oil Painting - Black Cat by Diane Irvine Armitage - Original Art

Well, it was like pulling teeth getting started painting today!  I hadn't done much painting at all for at least a month because I was so busy getting everything packed and ready for the new antiques booth.  So my first attempt at painting today got wiped off - we call that a wiper.  But not to be discouraged, I went in the house and watched some of Susan Lyon's portrait painting video and after watching I was much inspired and made another attempt.  This time the painting worked out just fine.  I highly recommend any and all of Susan Lyon's painting videos - she is an amazing painter and a wonderful teacher.
Today's original oil painting closeup of a black cat's face is 8 x 8 inches on archival canvas board and is available on my ebay auction HERE.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Pandora's Parlor Antiques Back at The Old Barn Antique Mall!

We're back!  Pandora's Parlor is finally back at The Old Barn Antique Mall in haunted downtown San Juan Capistrano.  The new booth is in the second room, just past the cash register area.  Please come down and take a look!  And for those that are out of town, here is a virtual stroll through the new space.  Many thanks to my sisters for all of the help and especially to Nancy for doing all the work in setting everything up!
I have several of my large black cat paintings in the booth.  Here is the huge Tish painting (24 x 48 inches) surrounded by antique funeral vases.
 
 
 Inside the cases, lots of fun oddities and curious collectibles.  Here is Gumby's funeral niche, surrounded by creepy crawly bugs encased in acrylic.
 
 The haunted monkey's paw and three strange old paper mache heads on a tray.
 More wonderful bugs, including several pairs of bug earrings!
 A set of 6 acrylic blocks showing the development of a frog, fun mad scientist glassware, and an antique taxidermy bird form.
 A pair of incredible vintage Wolfman candles, a hand in a box and a taxidermy bird in peaceful repose.
 The much-coveted antique casket shoe display piece along with old embalming instruments.
An antique funeral suit and embalming pump.
 Another funeral suit, this one in the original display box from the 1940s.  Another huge black cat painting and a bobcat taxidermy form.
 The 1920s black cabinet with hand-painted panels of black Bombay cats.  This cabinet is filled to the brim with various skulls for your skull collecting enjoyment.  Notice Resuscitation Anne on the ground - that is a 1970s version with lots of nice guts on display.
 
 A lovely ghostly pale Victorian chair.
 Arts & Crafts era tiger oak music cabinet with hand-painted black cat panel.
 Antique dresser, ebonized with two hand-painted black cat panels.
 Huge black cat painting called "Bad Attitude" and beneath that, a vintage 1960s white satin baby coffin.  Also, a cabinet filled with glow in the dark things, from bug jewelry to Vaseline glassware.
Beneath the strangely glowing cabinet, an antique "Gas X-Ray" sign from an old hospital.  Rewired and ready to light your cozy asylum.
 Inside the eerily-glowing black lighted cabinet ...
 
 
 
 An Effenbee Bubbles baby doll head (Queen of Flora), alongside the Unknown Lady of the Seine and a happily grinning skull.
A full-head casting of an antique death mask, along with a gold-painted death mask.  Freaky folk-art style pug doll and a very scary 4th of July doll.
A favorite area of the booth, the Madame Talbot posters!  Everyone loves Madame Talbot's gorgeous black and white artwork - they are always a big hit with my customers.
 
 I have a black cat theme going on with my booth these days and this antique photo of a young girl holding her black cat fits right in.
 Framed mourning art - a feather wreath, a mourning picture and hair art.
 An antique shadowbox with a casket plaque in the shape of a cross at the bottom.
One of two dead bride Hindsgaul mannequins, with antique Victorian shadowbox with wax orange blossom bridal wreath, along with a pair of small skeletons.
 Beautiful antique box with small drawer for storing your magical supplies.  I painted an original black cat painting for the top.
 Antique youth-sized coffin from the late 1800s with ghostly mannequin inside.
 I have archival quality prints of many of my black cat paintings available at my booth.
And be sure to grab a business card ...
 One of my favorite things in my new booth is this cabinet with all of my antique finds that have a cat theme.
 I have some wonderful art deco cat bookends, there are cat skulls, and some really fun antique ink bottles with black cats on the labels.
 A mummified cat and some lovely antique photos, including the one above of school children playing cat and mouse.
 There is a really fun mid-century modern cat ashtray (see above) with two cats snarling at each other.  That piece is new old stock and mint!
 I found the most amazing old cat postcards, just beautiful images!
So whether you are a cat fancier like me, or just love yourself some creepy antiques, be sure to stop by and take a look at the new booth.  It is full of weird and wonderful finds!!