Thoughtful - sold

'Thoughtful' sold

7" x 10" watercolor on paper

 

The thing that really struck me with this girl is her hand tucked under her chin. Such a sweet and contemplative gesture.

 

I also really liked punching up some of the colors in her skin tones. I wonder what she's thinking. Don't you?

 

And a very big thank you goes out to Steve Evans for use of his reference photo. I don't think I'll be traveling to Africa any time soon and I am so thankful that he's willing to share his photos. :)

 

Huzzah!

 

Alive - sold

'Alive' sold

7" x 10" watercolor on paper

 

"He who loves, flies, runs, and rejoices; he is free and nothing holds him back." - Henri Matisse

 

Sometimes it is easy to forget what a privelege it is simply to be alive. But horses don't seem to have that problem. They have no inhibitions, no social constraints holding them back from expressing who they really are. They are beautiful and powerful and honest about how they feel. Sometimes I wish I were more like that.

 

I finished a book by my favorite author Maggie Stiefvater the other day called The Scorpio Races. I loved it so much. So much that I wanted to paint something that would capture my feelings for this beautiful and moving book. This is my first effort. I'm sure I'll revisit this theme again. :)

 

Huzzah!!

 

Photo reference by Diedre T of her gorgeous Andalusian stallion, Enamorado. Thank you!

Of Sketchbooks and Birthdays and The End of Summer

graphite on sketchbook paper

Saw this beautiful girl at the dog show me and my son went to earlier this year, I think she's a Saluki.

 

This has been a busy week. Back to school shopping, meeting the boys new teachers at back to school night, my youngest son's fourth birthday party, and spending our last week together before school starts doing all kinds of fun stuff.

 

Happy Birthday to my baby boy!!

 

 I can't believe he's already four. We made puppy cupcakes, which has kind of turned into his tradition. He always asks for 'pupcakes' for his birthday. :)

 

It's been a good week. Crazy, but good.

 

The end of the summer always brings out mixed emotions for me. Part of me wants our routine back and yes, a break from brotherly squabbling. If I hear one more time "Mom he's touching me!!!" I swear. . .

 

But a larger part of me wants to have unlimited days of being at home together, afternoon trips to the park, art projects, long drives in the car while listening to Harry Potter, and swimming with the cousins.

So yeah, I'm going to miss summer. But at least it brings us one step closer to fall and Halloween, my favorite season of all. :)

Huzzah!!

She Stood in the Storm - sold

'She Stood in the Storm'  sold

7" x 10" watercolor

"She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails." Elizabeth Edwards

Sometimes I feel like this. Alone on a cliff top just waiting for one more gust of wind to push me over the edge. That's when I pray, and then help comes, and I can adjust my sails and carry on.

"Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child."

He is there for us. Always. So. . . Rage on storm. Rage on.


Reference photo by Tracy76stock on deviantart, thank you!

Always - sold

'Always'

6" x 10" watercolor on Arches watercolor board

sold

With this painting I really wanted to emphasize mood more than anything else. I loved the body language between this couple, and the light of the sunset shining through those bare spaces where their bodies don't connect.

This is one of my favorite paintings I've done in a long time, probably mostly because of the subject matter. I am and always will be a complete sap and hopeless romantic. So this "smitten" series is perfect for me. :)

And something you might find interesting (because I thought it was interesting) is that I only used four colors to complete this painting. It gives it a very strong harmony I think.

I'm still working on display photos. What do you think of these?

Special thanks to Kelsey's Love Fusion for the use of her reference photo!

Lucy and Gabriel - sold

'Lucy'  sold

private commission ACEO 2.5" x 3.5"

colored pencil on bristol

'Gabriel' sold

private commission ACEO 2.5" x 3.5"

colored pencil on bristol

A sweet woman contacted me a few weeks ago and asked for two commissions of her two pets. Don't you just love Lucy's face? And Gabriel looks like he's up to something doesn't he?

Today I opened up my watercolor palette and started painting and I had the most peaceful feeling come over me as soon as I started swirling my brush through the colors and water.

It was awesome. :)

Huzzah for stress-relieving art making!!

Ginger

'Ginger'

6" x 6" oil on masonite panel

click here to buy now

This is the last of my oil paintings for now. I've enjoyed painting with oils this last week, but I'm very ready to head back to my watercolors. It's like being on vacation for a long time. It's fun, but eating out every day and sleeping in hotel rooms gets old pretty fast. You start to miss home. :)

Watercolors are my home. Vacation's over and I'm feeling a little homesick. I think a portrait in watercolor is in order straight away! ;)

Reference photo by Reine Haru on deviantart, thank you!

Esoteric - sold

'Esoteric'

6" x 6" oil on masonite panel

SOLD

Something that I find really difficult with oil, or even acrylics, is achieving bright colors. I'm used to exploiting that white paper to get a glowing look and well. . . I can't really do that with oils.

But, I do really enjoy the process of painting with oils. I like how much easier it is to build up the portrait when painting alla prima. There's no layers and waiting for paint to dry it's just go, go, go. A lot like sketching that way which is probably why I like it so much. :)

I really loved this model's hair and those dappled trees behind her. And such Pretty light!

Photo reference by BelleDameSansMerci on deviant art, thank you! 

Cougar Kitten Sketchbook Saturday and some randomness

prismacolor on sketchbook paper

Just a little cougar kitten sketch that I did back in June. :)

Do you ever feel so excited to paint that every minute away from your easel (table, desk, what have you) is kind of torturous? I kind of feel like that right now.

I think I'm starting to get the hang of these oil paints (at least a bit), I painted my first portrait with them the other day that I'll post on Monday, and I can't wait to paint another one!

And then I have all these watercolors drawn out and ready to paint, and of course a colored pencil portrait in the works, three new commissions of darling and beautiful animals to start. . . . Who wants to vote to add more hours into the day hmm?? :)

And I found this quote the other day by Julia Cameron that I thought I'd share (I already shared this on my Facebook page so sorry about that if you've already seen it) because it seemed to fit my feelings of trying oil paints for the first time:

"Remember by being willing to be a bad artist, you have a chance over time to be an artist, and perhaps, over time, a very good one."

I love that. There's nothing to be gained by an artist who doesn't take risks and try new things. Constantly exploring new subjects and media is what keeps me inspired and I know if I keep doing that I'll be able to express the deepest feelings of my heart. . . But perhaps badly at first. ;)

And I can't leave you guys without sharing this pic of me with a streak of pink oil paint that somehow ended up in my hair. At least it washed out. . . mostly. :) I've always wanted pink hair anyways.

Huzzah!!! :) For pink hair!!! :)

Diaphanous - sold

'Diaphanous' sold

5" x 5" watercolor on paper

This is a rose from my mom's garden. She has tons of roses. Like TONS. Of all kinds of varieties. This one is one of her favorites. Or at least, she says that it is. But I suspect for her it's a little like trying to say which child is her favorite. :)

Roses will always remind me of my mom. She's the best. I hope I'm a little bit like the mother she's always been to me.

This was this week's DPW challenge, to paint a rose. And honestly I wasn't planning on painting a rose, but last night felt this restlessness when I sat down to paint. I've been working on a colored pencil drawing that is really coming along well, but did not feel like doing that.

So a rose it was. Anyone else ever get that restless feeling when they sit down to paint? It's like I'm being drawn to paint something but I have no idea what it is, just that it's not whatever is currently in front of me. Weird right? *sigh*

Huzzah. . .