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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Family Favorites, 8x8 Inches, Oil

This is a commission - and the pink here is a bit bright!  At first the photo was a bit pale - so... it's somewhat lighter than this!  It is a painting of the favorite donuts of a family - with a bite out of one of the chocolate frosted.   I learned something - 'glaze' is just as fun to paint as jelly!  This took 3 trips to the donut shop (Paco was very happy about this) because the first time the frosting got stuck to the bottom of other donuts,  the second time the donut girl, staring vacantly and slack jawed as I told her WHY I needed them to lay flat and not touch each other, jammed the top of the box down on the donuts crushing all the tops....  Hey, I did my time as a Bess Eaton Donut Girl - 11-7 a.m. 5 days a week, so I could work a day job, too, to help pay my senior year tuition... so I know all about that job - I have, actually some very interesting stories from that time.  

OK...  I'll tell you one.  (I know you're dying to know!)  Picture me, cop and schoolteacher's daughter,  been in a Catholic all-girls' school all my life, at a very nice college (scholarship girl, but whatever)... pretty much 'walking the line'...  I take this job over my parents' protests.  They lose sleep, because they KNOW what I'll see.  I learned that about 3 a.m. the local pimps and prostitutes (I didn't even realize we had them in our town) go for coffee and donuts.  Yup.  So I 'met' them all.   My parents were horrified.  I was terrified when they came in, to tell the truth.  One really big guy tried to be funny and 'take' my new earrings from my ear.  I was such a baby, I called the police!   But seriously?  He probably weighed 300 pounds and was about 6'5".  But my boyfriend (now husband) had given me those earrings and I was not about to give them up for anything!  TMI?

26 comments:

  1. These look so ridiculously yummy to me right now. Sorry to hear about the not-so-fun donut encounter; don't people realize that donuts represent a happy zen-like place and nothing should violate that? Shame on pimp thug.

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  2. These donuts look just delicious! Your story was great...I am sure not very funny at the time!

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  3. Love the painting! Your donuts are always my favorite subject... you do them sooooo well!

    And I love the story about your donut girl experience. Don't you wish that blogging were around back then? Everyone would be dying to read your daily installments of what goes on at the donut shop in the wee small hours of the morning.

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  4. Glad to see that you are back in the saddle again! This is terrific!

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  5. My coffee just finished brewing this morning and up popped these
    donuts. Now I am hungry for donuts.
    Nice job.

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  6. Fabulous painting, love the bite out of the doughnut and the bit of pink showing through the center doughnut. Your story is great, and I can't wait to share it with my husband.

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  7. I often wonder what stories we have to tell from our other "lives" outside of being artists. You had a very interesting first exposure to the "real" world...and now we see where your expertise in painting donuts comes from :-)
    You have totally captured these donuts...glaze and all. What a great idea for a commission!

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  8. Wonderful story, Kelley. Can you reach back in your memory and paint a picture of those characters eating donuts? That would be sort of like those poker-playing dogs. A wonderful showpiece. What do you think?

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  9. This painting is so great and I love that the family commissioned it. Your story is so funny. I think I am with your parents on this one.

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  10. OMG you captured the glaze so well, and the pinkish color is very fun. So I want to know did you get to save the earrings or did the big guy take them?

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  11. That chocolate glazed on the top left looks AMAZING. I want to snatch it off the canvas and eat it with my coffee : ) Loved the story too. Not at all TMI, just a glimpse into your life ; ) I often think about what Catherine said. It would be fun if we could all meet in real life and share stories!

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  12. sandrabaggette.comApril 5, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Your glazes are like crystal, it takes alot of finesse to make them so sparkling real, your droooling friend Sandra Baggette

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  13. totally, fabulous. Love the pink.
    Slammin' painting Kelley...makes me crave a trip to the Coffee Shack for a glazed jelly!
    Great stories from those jobs huh?
    Mine are from a Chinese Restaurant :D
    We could write a book ;)

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  14. This is outstanding. LOVE everything about it, especially the pink and chocolate color combo. Every time I see your donuts, I think about waiting in line at the local donut shop after church. (the promise of donuts was the only way my mother got my brother there without kicking and screaming)

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  15. You guys are so SWEET! Thank you! And, Amy, I kept the earrings... it would take more than a big pimp to get those from me (yeah, I was young!).

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  16. you crack me up!
    great story...and wonderful painting!

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  17. KELLEY! The chocolate cake donut with glaze is absolutely divine! My word! the glaze is dreamy! And you really are a donut girl! I love that! I love stories! Am I three yrs old? Truly fabulous! I love love love this one no doubt its your thing!

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  18. Love the painting! Love the idea of immortalizing everyone's fav donut:) The glaze looks fabulous! Had to laugh at your 3 trips to the donut store. I thought I was the only one that got vacant looks from people when I attempt to explain what I'm doing. Makes you feel like you're crazy, who's kidding, I probably am crazy:)

    Love your TMI story:) I bet your parents were worried to death!

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  19. Oh my... I wish I could bite into everyone of them. Great color in the glaze.
    You even have a whole donut history!! Funny story!

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  20. Not TMI and never too many donuts!good story , good painting...always fun!

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  21. Ok, Kelley, I'm drooling...these look way too delicious! Love the pink background, particularly next to the perfect chocolate covered ones. FABULOUS!

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  22. Now Kelley Mc...that was a funny story you shared....I pictured everything in my head ...oh and the painting yummy! What a great idea for commissions...family favorites.

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  23. I'll take the glazed one...YUM! So realistic.

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  24. Kelley,
    This is just fabulous. Love that composition with the pile to the side and one with bites out. Keeps you looking. The glazes and frosting are outstanding. Further fun with the background color to set it all off. Love your stories- family commissions now, wow! Early career in doughnutville gave you an early start on studying them!

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  25. If ever a painting could convey "yumminess" this is it! And thank you for the scary/funny story!

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