Dancing with Matisse, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

I have family members working in almost every field of endeavour –medicine, business and theatre, to name but a few– but one of my sweet and smart first cousins, Craig Cutler, is something of an artist. He runs his own thriving business in downtown St. John’s at the Trouble Bound Tattoos studio. I’ve been recently trying to convince him to let me do some studies in his shop, because I have a feeling there’s a painting to be found there. Because of my location, and my rapidly advancing due date, it’s a work that won’t happen overnight, so I thought it made sense to post an earlier piece painted for one of my first shows, Mother Mary, Wicked Women and Other Stories, called “Dancing with Matisse”. It seems to be a good fit for the today’s Illustration Friday.

Dancing with Matisse (detail), Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

Reading Dorian Gray (Portrait of the Artist’s Sister), Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

I posted a detail of this painting several weeks ago, but the word for this week’s Illustration Friday seems as good a reason as any to reveal the rest of the image.

Between ultrasounds and looking after our first born, I’ve been keeping pretty busy these days, but I’m also well underway with work in pastel and egg tempera and expect to be able to post more new pieces soon. After a stormy couple of days I was able to get out for a walk and some oxygen and the light was beautiful.

Rhonda & Evan, Oil on Canvas; © Jennifer Pohl

This is a portrait of a friend and her son that I did one one night some years ago. Evan must be nearly grown up by now! (The second glass of wine was mine, not Evan’s, in case any one is wondering.)

Just wanted to plug the new blog of a good friend, Brad Reid, who has also started posting for Illustration Friday. Brad not only went to art school with me, but he’s been a life-long friend of my husband. He helped us move just before Christmas — he drove the U-Haul, and even cleaned the fridge, for which this pregnant woman will be forever grateful. An extremely talented and award-winning painter (you can see one of my favourite pieces here), Brad has packed in his brushes to follow the dream of becoming an illustrator. Somebody give this man a job!

We are almost unpacked, and my easel is set up and ready to go, so I’ll be posting more recent work over the next few months. I seem to be over the worst of the morning sickness and intend to make the most of my energy and time while I can.

Piano Man, Oil on Paper; © Jennifer Pohl

My interpretation of Illustration Friday this week is quite literal, in that this is a very small painting. I remember it being not much bigger than an index card. But the smallest paintings I have ever done are each only about the size of a pinky nail. If you would like you can see them in an earlier post: It’s Not the Size that Counts.

I may not be able to post new work for the next few weeks while we are busy moving. I’m also fending off morning sickness. It was much easier last pregnancy (when I had a boy), and somebody tells me that this sickness is a sign of having a girl. I’m not sure that’s very scientific, but you never know. Once I have a new workspace set up, I’m looking forward to getting back to the egg tempera, and am excited about trying my hand at pastels.

Update: I should have saved this piece for this week’s Illustration Friday word, which is blue. I wouldn’t usually submit it twice in a row, but take it easy on me! I’m pregnant and up to my ears in cardboard boxes. Less than a week to moving date. P.S.: I heard my baby’s heart beat this week.