Red Landscape

Red Landscape

6"x3.5" (unfr) fluid acrylic on paper

by Debbie Cannatella

$75

Today my Golden Fluid Acrylics arrived. I only bought a red, blue, and yellow plus a white... and decided to play with them and see how I liked the feel of them used in a watercolor manner on paper. I really enjoyed this medium! It was smooth and creamy and mixed beautifully with water. The feel was just like watercolor thinned out... and then subsequent layers produced a thicker, more intense result. I will certainly be experimenting with this more often.

Lobster Claw

Lobster Claw

3.25"x5" (unfr) watercolor on paper

by Debbie Cannatella

$60

Here's the first painting while I recover... Carpal Tunnel surgery on my right had was about 2 1/2 weeks ago. The wound is still a bit tight and it feels somewhat awkward to hold a paintbrush, but I just couldn't wait to start my normal routine, though I have to be careful and take it slow. This Heliconia Bihai (Lobster Claw Plant) was in the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago when I was there in June.

Carpal Tunnel Surgery

Here's the result of the surgery... the right hand is just a week out of surgery and the left a month ago. It has been a fairly painless ordeal. The difficulty is in learning how to live life with one hand. Props to people who do this all of the time, because I sure bumbled around a lot. The pain was minimal - mainly at night... good drugs made sure I didn't lose sleep. As I type this (about 10 days later than the photo) I can honestly say I am amazed at what it is like painting (or holding a fork, or a steering wheel) without my hand constantly going numb. If I knew it would be this drastic, I would have had this surgery done twenty years ago when they first diagnosed me! I'm still a bit awkward with my right hand, and the wound feels a little tight, but healing is going well. I recommend the more "invasive" surgery over the orthoscopic type. Patients average much better results.

Yu-Gi-Oh Player's Mat

My stepsons came for the month of July to visit, as they do each year. And, although my Carpal Tunnel Surgery was scheduled, I decided to take on one last project before surgery. This is a Yu-Gi-Oh Players mat that my stepson, Chris, was begging me for. He selected two of his favorite cards and he designed what he wanted and I spent the week painting it. The left hand had already been operated on. I completed this the day before I went under the knife for the right hand.