Maximum Sunshine
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maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Maximum Sunshine
@maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
220 followers 200 following 220 posts
Begginer artist at the fantastic age of 40 something, cancer survivor, cat and human mom, friend, lover, queer. Struggles with SAD led to me deciding to be my own fucking sunshine one day and I haven't looked back. You can consider that a promise & threat.
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maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Finally, my good friend Chubby David is winterized.

Alt text is worth reading.
Michelangelo's David in mini form garden statue. Only, he's put on quite a few pounds, which makes him better if you ask me. Uh. He is family appropriate because he was designed with a leaf over his privates which the original David proudly has on display. My Chubby David is winterized with a crochet rainbow winter hat and matching scarf wrapped around his neck. These were custom made to his size by my good friend Jen, who isn't on bluesky so I can't tag her. This image is a full length of Chubby David. This image of Chubby David is a close up mid torso up to show off his winter wear. The scarf almost completely obscures his face, with his eyes peeking out over it.
November 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Then made sure my spinny thing was in one piece and hung proper (it hates the wind) but the wind is essential to its concept.
Wire frame work that can be a flat spiral circle or stretched into a sphere or something approaching a sphere. In the center are two light blue translucent plastic crystals that cast light when the sun hits it just right. This is hung outside my one cat's window which the blinds are pulled up enough it casts dancing light through the window into my room.
November 23, 2025 at 4:54 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Made sure my chimes weren't tangled.

Red set is down the other side of the house the other three are strategically placed around my bedroom outside so no matter the wind direction something is singing.

The alt text is worth reading.
Small set of red wind chimes hanging from a low Shepard's hook. They play a middle C-scale. Set of blue chimes, otherwise identical to the red ones, hanging from an identical Shepard's hook to the red ones on the other end of the house. Small set of wind chimes hanging from the roof (not gutter) overhang corner of my house. This set is light and tinkles. Very high scale above the c scale of the red and blue sets. Adds almost a fairy like qualities to the music the wind plays me. This is a large deep base set of chimes hanging from a double hook Shepard's hook. This set adds depth and when hit just right sounds like church bells if you're not used to them. This set was a gift from a now lost friend and will be cherished.
November 23, 2025 at 4:50 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Spent some time outside working on my whimsy.

First up was filling bird feeders. Plus the little tray to appease the squirrels. Squirrels count as cat tv so I've made my peace with them.
5 bird feeders, different styles with little repetition hang from a 5 hook Shepard's hook. All 5 feeders are completely full of black oil sunflower seeds. There is also a little wire tray PILED with the same seeds for easy squirrel access.
November 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
With today's tulips, my first (ever) 12 watercolor paintings are done, my workbook completed. Teaching myself art in my 40's is so far a fulfilling experience!

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #flowers #watercolor #tradart #traditionalart
A watercolor painting of yellow tulips in a mason jar. A couple shades of yellow, one brighter and one darker were used on the blooms. The greenery uses a mix of green, brown and yellow, as the base color, with a couple drops of black added to the mix to then go back over with highlights. A very very light shade of grey with tinges of green was used to make the mason jar look like clear glass and a very washed out shade of brown was used for the water. This time i remembered the shadow. It's the same basic shade as the slightly green shade of grey for the glass.
November 16, 2025 at 5:58 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Today's #buttercup isn't an outlet for stress. It's an outlet for been couped up all week sick. But also i just like painting. A lot.

This is my 11th watercolor ever and worked out of a workbook. I'm teaching myself art in my 40's.

#watercolor #beginnerartist #beginnerart #flowers #tradart
Watercolor of a yellow buttercup. Shades of yellow brown detailing highlight the base of the flower and overlap where the petals meet, plus the pollen. The stem is a dark greem. Off the stem is another flower bud not yet open.
November 15, 2025 at 3:35 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Today has been stressful so I channeled my stress into my watercolor workbook. I am teaching myself art in my 40's and this is my 10th watercolor (ever - outside grade school art classes)

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #flowers #watercolor #traditionalart #tradart
Light pink watercolor rose, with darker pink detailing. The stem and leaves use different shades of green showing leaf details.
November 8, 2025 at 6:40 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Here, please take this offering of cherry blossoms. I'm teaching myself art in my 40s and this is like my, I dunno, maybe 8th painting ever. It's out of a workbook so the lines aren't mine. The color mixing sure is tho!

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #flowers #watercolor
Watercolor painting of delicate pink cherry blossoms. They are sticking out of a teal glass bottle of water. The leaves use a couple different shades of green to add interest. The stems are brown since cherry blossoms of course come from trees, so this is in fact a small very thin branch in the bottle.
November 2, 2025 at 8:32 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Ash here had a cardiology workup at the vet (and earned a new diagnosis). He spent a few hours with them and they put him in a chicken hat and showed him off to everyone. He's a chill cat so he radically accepted it. He's been esa to a 14yo for 4.5 years. Unflappable.
Little grey cat with a wonky left ear wearing a chicken hat. He's slightly drugged because vet procedure but otherwise content to be held by vet staff and to tour the building and visit. He was inpatient there for 3 days a few weeks ago so he loves them and they love him.
October 31, 2025 at 11:32 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
He would meld with me if he could. He's my little bestie.

#CatsOfBluesky #JaskierTheCat #HeIsABard
Close up of my face highly obscured by a grey and white cat (he looks only white here, he's not) who clearly wants to be inside my skin he's cuddled so close.
October 28, 2025 at 6:31 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Here is another one if my #watercolors. Maybe number 4 ever? I'm teaching myself art in my 40's having a blast with the act of creation!

This is from a workbook so the line art was there, the colors are mine.

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #flowers
Watercolor of a sunflower. The petals are various shades of yellow, the center seed area is part black part yellow. The stem and two leaves utilize a few shades of green.
October 28, 2025 at 4:36 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Having a less than ideal, though not bad, day. I'm going to post a very pretty #flower in my favorite color to cheer myself up.

This yellow #hibiscus did not survive. But while it bloomed it was gorgeous!

#bloomscrolling
Close up of a bright yellow hibiscus bloom with a little bit of greenery and another bloom kinda blurred in the background.
October 28, 2025 at 4:32 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Not my favorite that I've done, but I am absolutely still learning. This is out of a watercolor workbook that provides lines and suggestions on what colors could be used and what it might look like. I chose to go brighter. No regrets!

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #flowers #watercolor
Watercolor painting of a bunch of white daisies with greenery, in a purple pitcher. The daisies are unpainted except for yellow pollen centers. The greenery uses a mix of different tints of green pulling in some yellow tones and some teal tones, all mixed with kelly green. There are about half a dozen different green tints used in the greenery. The pitcher is standard unaltered purple, except that some line work has black mixed into the purple so it's darker.
October 25, 2025 at 9:15 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Recreation #2
Also #oilpastels

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #CatsOfBluesky #catart
My recreation of the professional minimalist art of the scared cat standing and arching its back.
October 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Recreation #1. I used #oilpastels as my medium because i love the experience of putting oil pastels to paper it's such a great stim!

I am a #beginnerartist teaching myself art in my 40's so keep that in mind as you view my work.
My minimalist recreation of the professional art of the cat standing stretching its back legs.
October 19, 2025 at 6:10 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Shou Xin (www.instagram.com/shouxin13141/) makes some amazing minimalist cat art, which has inspired me, a brand new beginner artist to try and mimic as art practice. I'm showing the originals here, in replies I'll show what I've created.
A very minimalist controlled I'm not calling them scribbles but they are that but controlled and professional art of a cat standing and stretching it's back legs, tail arched up over its body. More highly controlled not scribbles minimalist art of a cat standing up back arched the cat looks scared or forlorn. There are face details but again the artist's intent was minimalist pencil drawings and it is well executed.
October 19, 2025 at 6:07 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
I think I'll also share a #watercolor today. This is my #poppy from my watercolor workbook. This is maybe my 4th ever watercolor?

#beginnerartist #beginnerart
Watercolor of a poppy on a stem with leaves. In this piece i practiced adding more ans less water to get different values of the same shade of red for the flower and green for the stem and leaves.
October 17, 2025 at 3:19 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Someone say #forestfriday? These are from a local #metropark trail.

#naturephotography #ThreeCreeksMetroPark
Photo of the woods. The trees aren't overly populated so there is lots of lush green ground cover and the sun peeking in through the branches and leaves. More densely populated bit of woods with younger trees. Again there is a good floor of lush green ground cover. Photo of the lower section of a moss covered tree with a protective wire net around it. The ground cover dominates this photo, while still allowing room for the trees in the photo. Some sky peeking through on this one.
October 17, 2025 at 3:14 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Blue sky, Blue Hills

#bluehills #wisconsin
Scenery photograph of the Blue Hills in Northern Wisconsin. This image shows fields of green with a scattering of trees indicative of Wisconsin being in the Northern Woods. Half the photo is sky which is a beautiful shade of what we've named sky blue, and the sky is full of white cotton ball clouds. More fields with a thick tree line in the distance and approaching on the left, the direction the car is heades. There are pretty tall, yellow wildflowers along side the road. Again the sky is an amazing blue with white clouds. The field in the photo is full of crops that i believe to be soy beans as a lot of corn and soy is grown in this area. The two crops alternate in the fields, one year corn the next year soy. The field is green and yellow as the soy crops dry up and lose their moisture, an essential preharvest step. It turns the fields a beautiful shade of golden yellow. The field goes all the way back to where it meets a thick line of trees separating the field from the blue cloud filled sky.
October 17, 2025 at 2:29 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
How about more learning to art in my 40's pieces? This is #JaskierTheCat. I've been working with oil pastels not long at all, so this piece turning out is luck!

#beginnerartist #beginnerart #oilpastels #CatsOfBluesky #CatArt
White and Grey oil pastel work on a black thick piece of oil pastel paper. Jaskier, the cat depicted, is a white and grey cat. This piece is focused on his head and is thus mostly white, but he has a grey patch up top and around back of his head almost like he has a head of blackish grey hair like a human might. There is a little touch of black for his eye included, as well as his little pink nose. The art does honestly look like the intended cat. It's fairly good beginner art. The reference photo for the cat art. The difference here is that you can see in the reference photo he's loafed on me in my bed, whereas I'm not in the art piece.
October 17, 2025 at 2:06 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Cat nap.

#CatsOfBluesky #JaskierTheCat #HeIsABard
Little grey and white cat curled up in a tight ball sleeping. His little nose is tucked under his arm.
October 14, 2025 at 6:48 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
I lied. This is the big beauty in the middle of the theater proper. Not sure where I found the first one in the original post, but I could see it sat in the center far back of the balcony as that's where I took the photo.
Wrought Iron chandelier absolutely dripping with crystals. It's placed centrally inside the main theater chamber.
October 13, 2025 at 6:32 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
I have always LOVED the #chandeliers in #OldTheaters. These are found at the #PalaceTheater in #ColumbusOhio
Central chandelier in the middle of the theater proper. It looks made of wrought iron and crystal. It has been upgraded to electric. This much smaller chandelier, there is a series of them, lights up the balcony. It's also wrought iron and crystal and has been upgraded to electric. This chandelier is outside of the theater proper, it's over the entrance lobby leading towards the hall leading to theater entrances, bathrooms, and concessions. Again it's wrought iron, crystal, and electric upgraded like the others. Of the 4 chandeliers photographed, this one is by far the grandest and most extravagant. It drops hundreds if not thousands of crystals. This is a directly underneath looking up view of one of the smaller chandeliers. It shows the wrought iron detailing has a leaf (maybe fern) motif. And of course more crystals. This one is in the concessions/bathrooms hall leading to the staircases that go up to the balcony.
October 13, 2025 at 6:27 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
Another video from this past spring. I mourn the loss of light by reminding myself the beauty it brings when it returns. It'll be back, it always is!

#bloomscrolling #lilacs #nature
October 13, 2025 at 6:09 PM
maximum-sunshine.bsky.social
As the days get shorter, I want to share the early spring delight of bright blue skies and fluffy clouds from the sun's return much earlier in the year. 6 months ago, 6 months from now, the sun always returns!

#sunshine #blueskies #whiteclouds #earlyspring #naturevideo
October 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM