A Surprise Visit

The In-Law Visit, 6 x 6, mixed media on board, sold

I was playing around with different characters and these two sweethearts appeared.  I'm having some fun with the idea of these two showing up for a surprise visit.  I just love the way the dad is so nonchalant, lagging back a tad, almost embarrassed and the mom is on a mission to see her son, bag in tow. Just fun stuff, right?

Sparky

Sparky 5 x 7 oil on board, sold

Such a sweet little girl.  I could eat her up!  And she's 11-12 in this painting.  So pretty.

How nice this would look on an end table or in a bookshelf.  (I didn't have a frame to fit, so I put it in this 6 x 6 frame and cropped the photo to give her owners a feeling of it framed.)

Candyland

16 x 16, mixed media

I love the reaction of my girl's friends when they see another new painting.  This one reminded one of them of the game, "Candyland".

This was inspired by an artist I love, Jennifer Lommers.  I love all her colorful florals....so fun.

"Show Off"



"Show Off", 6" x  6", oil on mixed media, Sold



I painted this butterfly in oils over a background of many layers of paper and acrylic.  As bright as acrylic is, the oil is so much more beautiful and bright.  I've used this frame to see how striking this piece could look in a black frame.

I finally realize why I love this style so...my dad was a housepainter and I saw this background many places as a child....dropcloths, old work shoes, paint pots, old wood...ahhhh the memories of childhood making its way back into my heart.

Dreaming Red

Dreaming Red  15" x 15", mixed media, Sold 

Finally,  my floral series is hanging up in the Green Earth coffee shop.  This is the fourth painting to go with the others and I have to say it is my favorite. It made my day when a young girl, Kat, who works at the shop wished she could buy all four paintings for her dorm...so sweet.  My hubby wanted me to make her a deal...hello, I just hung them up!

Floral Series

Black-eyed Susan, Sold

Finally, another addition to my floral series.  If you've been counting this would be the fourth, but unfortunately, the 3rd painting wasn't going my way and I wiped everything off and turned it into something totally different.  I will post soon.

Traveling for work and just work alone has left little time for painting or blogging, and I look forward to break real soon.

As I run off to catch another flight...What do all those cell phone messages say?  "Please enjoy the music, while your party is reached"...   Don't you think artists should have an app that transmits a slideshow of art during the holding process?.  :)

Sneak Peek Friday

16 x 16, mixed media SOLD

When I look at this painting, I see such a change from where I was 6 months ago.  You can see my art evolving, changing, taking shape.  The soul knows where its going...even if the conscious mind doesn't.

So many have said to enjoy the process and for me it's always been easier said then done.  As I was painting this last night with my art lover's group, I caught myself saying, "I'm loving painting this, not just loving what I was painting".    We talked about how other artists paint a series, and I can see why now.    I guess I'm not saying anything new, but let's just say "ahhhaaa"  moments do happen. 

At one point I removed my glasses and continued painting so I could see the value and not the detail.  It's kind of the same process of squinting to blur your vision as you look on your work. It's this push and pull process.  Paint on, rub off.  I've always loved artwork that had movement or a more impressionistic feel, light and color bouncing around the painting.   

My plan is to paint 4 of these paintings to put up in the Green Earth coffee shop.

Once again, I am linking up with Studio JRU and all of you lovely Sneak Peek Talents!

Apple Pear Duo

I've been painting this duo side by side whenever I have a bit of free time which is rare these days.  One thing I loved was being able to let one dry and work on the other.   It was so fun to keep switching gears.  This sweet little duo would look nice in someone's  kitchen.

I love this brighter version, but maybe I'll save it for prints, because the original is not quite so bright.  perhaps...a teacher's gift?

Apple, 4 x 6 on board, sold

This is from the scanner...a better representation.

Pear, 4 x 6 on board, sold

I hope you all had a lovely Father's Day.  We barbecued pizza on the grill.    My husband has a healthy pizza dough recipe, and it comes out soooo yummy.  Our own firegrilled pizza.

Sneak Peek Friday

Doing the happy dance over here to have sold my sweet canary painting.  I had enjoyed it hanging in my studio for a while.  Then, I was listening to an interview with Carol Marine,  who was asked "Have you ever sold a specific painting you wished you have kept?".  Her answer stuck with me.  She said, "No, because I can always do another one, it's a process".  So I grabbed this one to display at the coffee shop and now it will be off to a happy home. 

Oil on linen on sewed to watercolor paper

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend...Once again, I am linking up with Studio JRU and all of you lovely Sneak Peek Talents!

A Mentoring Story... Don't Miss Your Opportunity

"Quiet Storm" - sold

Quiet storm off shore...

Raindrops fall on the fishes
Without umbrellas.

When I was a kid living in NJ with my 3 brothers, it was a boy-dominated neighborhood.  We had 2 older boys living on one side and 2 boys on the other.  Thankfully, there was one other girl for me to play with.  Pretty much, it was a rough and tumble, sports-oriented backyard.  Anyway, this sets the stage for one skinny little artistic girl, me, amongst the male-oriented gender.

So the 2 neighbor boys who were much older than me had a very well built and desirable "clubhouse".  I'm not sure what this single room cottage was originally built for, but it was a very cool little house.  One of these neighbor boys, Jack,  had artistic talent and would use the clubhouse to collect and draw comic books.  Of course, even back then I was fascinated with his drawings.  Most of the time, the boys would keep me out, but occasionally I would be allowed to enter the super hero kingdom.

One of these days, Jack had sectioned off a piece of paper and told me what to draw in each square.  He told me to draw Wonder Woman lassoing a bad guy in one box and then the guy knocked out in the next.  ...stuff like that.  He coached me along, asking me what did Wonder Woman's costume look like, what color were her boots, what did a gun look like, and so on.   

Then, the next day when I came back to the clubhouse, there was a comic book made from my drawings which were all artistically enhanced by Jack with a title page and words added to make a story and folded up into a little book.  The first time, I had no idea he was going to do this.  To see my little 8 year old drawings look like a finished book was the best thing I ever seen.  How this made an impression on me.  I was an illustrator at age 8! 

So, the point to all this is that you never know, you never know how a small gesture will help nurture a creative talent.  I'm sure Jack had no idea of what an impression he was going to make on me.  So, here I am, some years later still pursuing art. In this busy, blogging, facebooking world, let's not forget to spend a little time to mentor our little ones. 

You want to know the best part of the story?  Jack just bought my "Quiet Storm" painting.  Yes, my first mentor is still supporting me!  How sweet is that!  Thank you, Jack.

I'm taking a little break from "Women Who Create Beautiful Things".  Thank you all for participating and if anyone of you creative gals has an interesting story/history/life to share, please shoot me an email.   I find them so valuable to me as an artist...I've learned so much from all of you sharing your lives.  I welcome you to read any past interviews in the tab above if you missed any.

True Center

True Center - 12 x 14 Collage, SOLD

This is a commissioned piece I did for a friend to give as a birthday present for a lovely woman who has a strong relationship with the Lord.  The idea came about when she saw the wave collage I did for my daughter.   Anyway, since I won't be there at the gift giving, I thought I'd add a card to the back explaining the collage:

"The true center of Lori's spirit is shown as the tree stands strong with its deepest roots entwined with the Lord.  The external world is always in flux as shown by the musical notes symbolizing the rhythm of life.

As the tree sways in the breeze, Lori's relationship with the Lord is evident as the notes dance in the wind and touch upon all who know her." 

I hope she likes it .  I feel a little uneasy, because who knows if she would like something like this.  I know the meaning is there, but will it end up in the spare bedroom?

Cat Oil Painting, Wasabi

Oil Painting on Board, "4 x 6" Wasabi

They will not go quietly,
the cats who've shared our lives.
In suptle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think
we hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them. . . and always will.

by Linda Barnes

I was approached to do this cat portrait for a group birthday present to a girlfriend who lost her beloved cat, Wasabi. Although I don't have a cat,  I can identify with the attachment one feels towards a pet and the sorrow of their loss.

Oil Painting on Board, Wasabi, 3-1/4" x 6-1/2"

I have been getting a lot of these remembrance portraits.  These 2 paintings are very small painted on prefinished boards...no need for framing.  It's a small intimate portrait you can tucked anywhere.  I painted this the way I would like to remember my dog, Tucker.  Just a small memory of him placed somewhere.  Gosh, there I go, I'm getting all choked up and he sleeping right next to me!  

Sneak Peek Friday

Last night, I was invited to show my art at my friend's Cabi party.  So I had a lot of preparation in order to have prints ready to purchase.

My friends let me hang artwork and prints around their house.

Jean, my friend's mom, purchased a print.  Fortunately, I had made this print as an afterthought before running out the door. 

The best part of the whole evening was meeting all these wonderful women, who wanted to support and help me however they could.

Not wanting to take over the clothing party, I tried not to tackle people and drag them over to my art as they walked in the door.  After all,  I did realized it was a Cabi party.  I had prepared an art survey and left it nonchalantly on the table by my prints.  The party started off slowly and most were interested in trying on clothes, of course.  Then, my new Cabi friend, Michelle, grabbed my survey and made people start filling it out.  It just sparked so much art conversation, and I was able to open up to people and they with me.  We talked about art in their homes and colors they like. Some signed up to receive my "someday" quarterly newsletter.   My landscape paintings triggered a commission from another friend. 

Another new friend, Lori from Dog Squad gave me a lot of invaluable advice.  She had left her day job 8 years ago, when she developed a line of little dog clothing.  See Charlie here modeling a couple of outfits at the party.  Everyone was trying on clothes!

Another very important thing I learned was that all people like different things.  I had one person who liked the serene landscapes and another who was drawn to the dark and brightest prints.  It was great to have them really look at my work as a whole and give me feedback.  It was the best evening ever!

Another growing pain as a developing artist is to put yourself out there!   Check.  I had so much fun, I'm thinking of doing a wine/cheese at my house before the holidays.  If you would like join us for Sneak Peek Friday, just visit Jennifer at  "In the Studio"  and give it a try.

Sneak Peek Friday

All true artists, whether they know it or not, create from a place of no-mind, from inner stillness. - Eckhart Tolle

 Welcome to Sneak Peek Friday everyone!  In lieu of showing my actual desk today, because I'm excited to show what I've been working on all week ...the process of my dog portrait paintings.  My intention is to add it as a page to the tabs at the top of my blog.  Here we go:

Image 1:
ROUGH DRAFT

I do a light pencil sketch from a photo of the dog on watercolor paper.  Then I start blocking in shapes and laying down the lightest color first. 

During this beginning stage, I give special attention to the eyes since they are the soul of the dog and if they aren't correct at this stage, I will never be able to fix them later on. 

Image 2:
INITIAL LAYERS

Next, I start laying down thin washes of color watching that there are no hard edges where they're not suppose to be.  I use 2 brushes at this point...a brush to put on the color and a wet brush to blend and wipe away.

Image 3:
SHADOWS 

Up to this point, there is no actual fur painted.  Even though beautiful Ella is a short hair Vizsla, the hair still needs to be stippled on top of the shading.   I still go back and forth as I work all the areas together as a whole. 

Here's the finished portrait of Ella, 12" x 16", on 140lb. Arches watercolor paper.

Here's the original photo...


To add a final explanation point to my painting, I made a little stamp with a paw print to work my signature around.  

If you want to join us in the "Sneak Peak" fun, just click on  "In the Studio"  and give it a try.

I will be taking a short creative blog break to go on a family vacation through Utah's State Parks.  Hopefully, I can post some awesome vacation photos during our trip. Thanks for stopping by! 

Annie

My daughter's friend, Alyssa, told me about sweet little Annie who had recently past and would be deeply missed by her grandparents.   She and her mom thought a portrait would be a nice memory for them.  Interestingly, this wasn't their first German Shepherd.  She said they loved the breed.

Some dogs are really special, aren't they?  Do you have a special dog?  Tell me about him/her.

All I can say is my dog, Tucker, is emmm "special"....and we love him.

College Wave Collage

I'm posting this once more to show the final collage.   I used some leftover drywall spray on texture to soften the droplets.  

The words are all meant for my college daughter whose struggling with what she wants to do in life.
I told her to listen to her heart and not pick a career for me or her dad, but what excites her, what she could be passionate about.

I should have her read the beginning of Kelly Roberts book, "Taking Flight".  In Learning to Listen, she talks about paying attention to what is really calling us.  "If we don't listen to our hearts' callings, we will continue to allow old decisions and comparisons to lead us down uninspiring and grounded paths when, all the while, our creative souls want to take flight".    My daughter has no artistic desires, but I think the thought universally applies.  She started out bio/med major and now is not sure that is what she wants to do.

Anything advice to help her find her way would be grateful.

Textured Shell

I'm very excited about taking a photoshop class with Susan Tuttle and just thought I post one of my projects.  The real shell that I had painted this from was about 2' wide and had lots of fossiling and moss on it.  By adding this texture layer, I think it enhances that feeling.

Already I needed  help from my high school daughter, but together I finally got it.  Auhhh,  the young.

Madison Collage

Madison gets a collage and notecards, too.
I pretty much copied same version as Sunnyman with a little variation.

Madison

Because the "Sunny Man" was such a big hit at Christmas, I had an opportunity to paint another beloved dog, Madison. 

Looking at his pictures, especially the one with the Birthday Prince hat on his head, shows how much this family loved him.  I've heard wonderful stories about special dogs, and you can see, Madison was one of them.

Sunny Portrait 2

I decided to do another portrait of Sunny to fake a sit up position.  Because all the photos I have of him are looking down , he's appearing chubby.  I think this one's a keeper.   He looks happy here.