Fairy Lights - F is for Fairy

'Fairy Lights' 

5 x 7 watercolor on paper

$100 plus $7 US shipping/$15 International

“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?”
― John Lennon

I saw this young woman at the zoo last year. And she wasn't wearing wings (not to say they weren't there. . . You just couldn't see them ;). I loved the swish of her dress, and the colors of her sun struck skin against her dark hair. But most of all what I loved was her gesture of holding her hand at her throat. I just so happened to catch her at the right moment and I've wondered ever since what it was that made her do that? Was it some news she had just heard, or maybe this was just one of those unconscious things she did when she heard something funny, or felt uncomfortable. 

In any case there was some magic about her that day it seemed. So I thought it only fitting to give her wings.  and a few will o' the wisps for companions. :) 

This is F in my alphabet series, for Fairy! Now it's time to go on to the next.

I choose gentleness

'Grace' 

6 x 6 watercolor 

available here

“I choose gentleness... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.”
― Max Lucado

 

This woman's eyes have always drawn me in with their gentleness and grace. And the tentative curve of her smile too. An older painting from the archives that I painted last year, but one of my own personal favorites. 

Yesterday while out running, I was trying to cross at a crosswalk, and the driver turning right wasn't paying attention to pedestrians. I was watching her and I saw that she was not paying attention to me, or else I probably would have been hit. I got angry. I smacked her trunk as she drove away with my fist. The thing that made me so angry was that the crosswalk I was at was right in front of an elementary school, even though it was too early in the morning for any kids to be there yet. All I could think of was what if a smaller child had been there?  A little one who trusted the cars to look out for them? What if it had been my child who had almost gotten hit, or worse, by this driver who was too busy to look around them?

My point is that yesterday I was not gentle. I vented all about it on Facebook. And I kind of regret it. Although, hopefully my fist pounding her trunk woke that driver up enough that she'll never speed through another crosswalk again. So the little ones who cross there will always be safe. 

 

Life is precious, and short. We don't need to make it any shorter for anyone by not paying attention, or choosing not to be gentle. 

 

Until. . . later my friends. I'm off to eat some cookie dough for a mid morning snack. 

What Lies Ahead

'What Lies Ahead' 

10 x 14 inches

watercolor on paper

$300 plus $10 US shipping, or $20 International

Lately I am fascinated with the back view of a person. I like the mystery and the unknown of what they're doing and thinking. And I am in love with back lighting. My favorite kind of lighting I think. 

I wanted there to be that unknown quality with this painting, so I made the forest background more suggested than detailed (also because I don't like painting detailed backgrounds :). There was a point when I was working on this painting where I felt like I was never, ever, ever going to be finished painting that dress. It took many, many layers.

So even though midway through I felt like pulling my hair out, in the end once it was done I felt more like doing this:

Because it turned out exactly like I pictured it in my head.  Which pretty much never happens. So I'd call that a success right? ;)

Until tomorrow friends! Huzzah!!

Reference photo by Jessica of Faestock on DeviantART, thank you! 

Penumbra watercolor portrait - Framed - sold

'Penumbra' SOLD

6 x 6 inch watercolor on paper - Framed

I got this painting back from the Randy Higbee gallery 6 inch squared show on Saturday and I have to say that I am very impressed with their frames. It looks absolutely beautiful! So I'm offering it for sale, fully framed, at a low price for anyone interested. Because I think she deserves to be loved and appreciated and hung on someone's wall. :) 

Here's a couple pics of the frame:

 In warm light in my kitchen. 

 In cool light in the dining room. 

 And the back, because I thought it looked snazzy. Speaks a lot about their attention to detail I think. :) 

In other news, I also FINALLY updated my website! It's right here if you want to take a peek: crystalcookart.com

In other, other news, I got an email on Friday telling me all about Kindergarten round up for my youngest baby, sweetest littlest Cook. *Sniff, sniff* I don't think I'm ready to send him off to school just yet! What will I do without my little best friend around me all day???? *tears*

My littlest monster. :) 

Until tomorrow friends.

Untamed - sold

'Untamed' SOLD

5" x 7" watercolor on paper

So, I missed my painting yesterday. Ah well, I don't feel bad about it at all actually. I always kind of planned on missing weekends and just painting during the week throughout this 30 in 30 challenge, so I will be doing 26 in 30. And that odd number is bugging me. I'll have to try and do two on one day or something. ;)

I have been wanting to paint this photo FOREVER, because I love her eyes and the way her hair hides part of her face, but for some reason I keep putting off painting the photos that I really love because I'm afraid I won't do them justice. Which is just plain silly right? Right. 

That's something that is turning out to be really great about this challenge, I don't feel like every painting is precious (Speaking of preciouses we went and saw The Hobbit this weekend and it was SO GOOD!!!!!) and has to be a success. Because tomorrow is a new day, a new chance to paint something that will be awesome.

For some reason I feel like I may have learned this lesson before. . .  :) 

This is painting 5/30 in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

Reference photo by Kelsey's Love Fusion, thank you!

And I also wanted to mention that Taryn Day, fellow daily painter, featured me on her blog 'The Art Room' where Taryn talks about art and artists. I'm really honored. :) Click here to go check it out!

Hidden in Plain - sold

'Hidden In Plain Sight'

5.5" x 7" watercolor on paper 

SOLD

Last year I had this idea that I was going to paint a big series of myself (because I'm a cheap model, I work for free) in a bunch of different masks. I was so excited. And then I started painting my first one. It was a close up of just my eyes and the mask. After that first one my excitement kind of. . . left.

It is wicked hard to paint yourself. It feels like the worst kind of narcissism to think that I am important enough to be painted, by my own hand no less. It feels like getting dressed up to go to the prom when you're actually just going grocery shopping, and you're a thirty year old woman who is just way too old to be getting dressed up for the prom.

I couldn't shake that feeling. I don't like looking at myself for a long time. So my project got set aside. Until now.

Because it's Halloween time (Almost! Chocolate, sugar, zombies, ZOMBIES!!!) and I love Halloween. :)

It also helped that I was wearing a mask so I could pretend that it wasn't actually my face I was painting, but some random blonde woman. He, he. :)

And now I shall end this entirely too awkward blog post, in this entirely too awkward way of telling you I'm going to end this blog post.

I think I need some chocolate. . . Huzzah!!