30 paintings in 30 days!

'Rhino's Spot'

Click here to purchase

It has been quite a while since I've done a single painting in a single day for lots of days in a row. I've been so preoccupied with painting the dailies that I have neglected blogging or uploading them (although I am uploading them every night to my Instagram and Facebook, simply because it's so much faster and I'm usually soooo tired by the time I finish painting them at midnight haha)!

It has been incredibly FUN to have a new painting to complete every day. Sometimes I can get caught up in a big painting for MONTHS at a time. Which can result in really cool and impactful work, but can also be stressful. Incredibly stressful. I am enjoying the heck out of this challenge and approach each day with an excitement for painting that I haven't felt in years!

I've decided to paint all of them in oil, simply because it's faster for me and time is very, very short. I am learning a lot each day with each new painting. And it has been a great time of growth for me artistically. I'll try and share one thing I've learned each day. As often as I remember haha.

I'm very behind in blogging about these so I'm just going to start with my favorite one so far, not the first one. This sweet pup (Rhino) belongs to the family that owns the gym I go to. They bring him to the gym with them every morning and he is a huge hit with the gym family. Yesterday he was in just the PERFECT spot of sun and held still long enough for me to get some pics with my phone. We call him the gym mascot and he is the biggest sweetheart of a dog you'll ever meet.

With this painting I realized the importance of painting in your brightest colors first and then working around them. This resulted in the glowing ear, with no mud from mixing white or greys near it! Worked like a charm. I know I've learned this lesson before, but seems like I'm relearning a lot of things this month.

Listening to: Higher Health Radio

Watching: BBC's Sherlock (for the 15th time)

Reading: Love and Gelato

Drinking: Diet Dr. Pepper

Snacking on: Caramel flavored rice cakes

The Sunny Spot, and a balancing act

'The Sunny Spot'

6 x 6 inches

oil on panel

Click here to purchase

So much of our every day life is just trying to keep everything in balance. Don't you think? Balance with work, family, hobbies, kids activities, school work, church work, yard work, house work. It's so tough to keep it all together. And I don't think any of us really do. Some do it better sure, but no one has it all together, as much as they want us to believe they do through social media posts.

The last few weeks my family has been really sick. My dad had surgery. And my sweet old dog, Chauncy is nearing the end of his life, and so we have to decide when to make that hardest decision that will separate him from us forever.

So my mind. . . it's been everywhere. My heart has felt so heavy. I'm not trying to sound like my life is terrible, because it's not. I feel so blessed to have the life I do. Loved ones that care about me, a warm comfortable home, and plenty of food to eat. But still. . . it's been tough, and I'd be lying if I said otherwise.

During this time of stress and sadness I've let a lot slip. But I've maintained as much as possible two things that help me feel balanced even in stressful situations.

Fitness. And Art.

I think we all have those things that clear our mind and rejuvenate us to tackle the day. And even if it seems selfish to take time to do them, we HAVE to. Otherwise there is nothing left of us to offer anyone else.

At the end of a long week of being a caretaker to many sick people and a dog I finally entered my studio. Turned on the lamp. Laid my brushes out carefully. And I painted. It lasted about 15 minutes. But it felt so good and restored something in my soul I had felt was missing that long week.

Art is so much more than just paint on paper. It is so much more than a profession. It is a balm to my soul. And I think that too often we forget that as we chase after professional goals and personal ones too. It was a good reminder to me. Hopefully it was to you too. When was the last time you got to do what rejuvenates you when you really, really needed it? I'd love to know.

Love,

Crystal

Watching: The Walking Dead

Listening to: Nirvana

Reading: Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

Drinking: water

Snacking on: protein bars (G2G are my fave)

Bitten by the Painting Bug

'Frenchie'

6 x 6 oil on gessobord

click here to purchase

I miss painting.

I miss blogging.

Lately all I've wanted is to just paint my heart out. But time has not been my friend lately. 2017 is the year I change that.

How are you all? Does anyone still blog? Leave me a comment if you do and I'll come visit you too!

Fast and Furious - C is for Corgi

'Fast and Furious' 

5 x 7 inches watercolor on paper

$65 plus $7 US shipping, or $15 International 

When Brodie and I went on our honeymoon we stayed at a little bed and breakfast. It was in Park City, so of course the surroundings were gorgeous, and this little place was kind of an undiscovered find. Not very many people stayed there. It was very quiet and homey. The owner had a little Welsh Corgi that strolled around the B & B greeting the guests and hoping to snag somebody's unprotected bacon. Ever since then I have LOVED these little dogs. 

So naturally. C is for Corgi today. :) 

I also wanted to paint a corgi today because of some fun little lore I just found out about them. Some folk legends say that Corgi's where once very mischievous fairies who were turned into a little dog as a punishment. Other legends say that they were actually the mounts for small fairies. With bridles and saddles and everything. That's what the 'saddle' fur patch on their back is supposedly for. I may comeback to this corgi one day and draw him with a fairy rider on his back. :) Because that would be awesome. 

Reference photo by Blissfully - Blind on deviantART. 

Mood: Hopeful

Reading: Creative Thursdays (which I highly recommend) 

Listening to: You Me & Apollo 

Watching: White Collar

Drinking: chocolate milk

Enchanted Golden

'Enchanted Golden'

5 x 7 watercolor on paper

click here to purchase

Magic.
Sandra’s seen a leprechaun,
Eddie touched a troll,
Laurie danced with witches once,
Charlie found some goblins gold.
Donald heard a mermaid sing,
Susy spied an elf,
But all the magic I have known
I've had to make myself.
― Shel Silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends

Fess Up Friday: For a very long time, probably since I was a little thing, I've wanted to create gorgeous fantasy worlds with my art (and words, truth be told), rich with details and never before seen magic. 

I just reminded myself of this the other day while browsing through Barnes and Noble at all the fantasy art books. So here is a baby step of mine towards that goal. A magic Golden doggie. :) The painting I did a few weeks ago of a little girl with fairy wings was another step towards that. 

In other news school is officially out!! Boo yah!! And Huzzah!! 

I'm looking forward to lazy summer days spent with my boys and nieces and nephew. I want to slow down this summer, paint more pieces that tap into this inner child that is clamoring to be set free, read fairy tales on a blanket in the shade, and just enjoy these days when my boys are all around me. It's going to be a good summer. 

 Field day at school with my middle boy and his good friend. :)

 Field day with my oldest (how did he grow up SO much?? He's 11 but looks 16 here!)

My sweet littlest Cook. We took a day and just played, savoring these last free days just the two of us before he starts kindergarten in the fall. *sniff sniff* 

What do you guys have planned? 

Thief - (SOLD) and a photobombing Giant Schnauzer

 'Thief'  - SOLD

5 x 7 oil on masonite

private commission***

This is the first little Yorkshire Terrier I've ever painted and I'm quite certain that he's also one of the cutest dogs on the planet. Seriously. Those little eyes just look straight into your soul! Thief is a champion show dog and this painting was a gift for my client's mother on her birthday. :)  I love being a part of gift's like that.

In other news, this happened:

Maggie Stiefvater is giving away illustrated bookplates if you send her a link to a photo of you holding her book, The Raven Boys. She also said you could send a photo of your pet and the book, if you were, um, as handsome as Quasimodo and didn't want to show your face. ;)

*So at first I took this picture:

But then I thought. Dude. That's boring.

So then I did this:

And this:

And this:

And then FINALLY, this:

So I hope this meets your specifications Maggie. Twas no easy feat to photograph my giant hound (who is sitting on my lap**) whilst holding your book at the same time. :D

*There's a part of me that often thinks that I need to be a "serious artist", and therefore this should be a "serious art blog", but. . . I'm not serious. I'm just. . . me. And that's what art is all about right? Unique individual expression.

**No animals, books, or artists were harmed in the making of this blog post. 

*** Why yes I am accepting commissions for pets or people, thank you for asking. Please Click here if you'd like more information.

Understudy - Italian Greyhound SOLD

'Understudy' 

5 x 7 inches oil on masonite SOLD

I started painting this beautiful girl because of that dramatic lighting and that beautiful soul shining in her eyes. And then when I finished it I stood back and thought she would have made a great understudy for the girl in Vermeer's painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring. All she needed was a little blue towel wrapped around her cute head. I was tempted to go back in and give her an earring after I noticed that. Oh so tempted. Reference photo, with thanks, by Just Chaos.

In other news. . . 

My super fantastic sister got me the Most Awesome Shirt ever! Suits me don't you think? Pink, check. Cupcake eating reference, check. Nailed it!

Listening to: The National, A Terrible Love
Reading: The Great Gatsby
Watching: The Vampire Diaries
Snacking on: homemade white chocolate and dried cranberry cookies  (the sugar ban is a thing of the past. Moderation people. That's the name of the game now. I eat healthy stuff too. Most of the time. )

Haven - SOLD

'Haven'  SOLD

5 x 7 inches oil on masonite panel

For a while now I've been wanting to paint a series of girls and horses. A reflection on my childhood and teen years I guess. And somehow when I was searching for photos of girls and horses I found this one of a girl cradling her dog (Italian Greyhound I think). They both looked so completely content. So safe and secure. Although the title could refer to the dog wrapped in the girls loving arms, I think it also applies to the girl finding a haven with her dog. At least, that's how animals have always been to me.  A refuge and a safe haven from the world.

In other news this weekend was cold and grey, but our family got to spend all of it together! We went to the park so the kids could drive their RC cars, but we also ended up doing some exploring. Littlest Cook started making his own little rock collection after finding a small abandoned gravel pit, and all three kids came home with pockets full of rocks. We saw a herd of newborn calves and momma cows (including a darling pure white calf which I will be painting), and a ginormous beetle (which I may be painting as well).

It was such a great weekend, I was sad to see it come to an end, but happy for the memories we made. Until tomorrow my friends. :)

Cold Nose, Warm Heart SOLD

'Cold Nose, Warm Heart'  SOLD

6 x 6 inches oil on masonite

I've been going through a lot of old art magazines lately trying to decide if I want to cut them up and put the paintings that inspire me in a  journal, or leave them as is. I've found SO many amazing articles that I never noticed before. I've found a painting demo by Richard Schmid and Scott Burdick (two of my favorite oil painters), an article about why an artist would want to paint in more than one medium (can I get a Huzzah for that?), and an article about painting with passion by Alvaro Castagnet, who always brings out my inner fangirl. 

So I've decided to not cut them up for now. Reading through them was one of the main reasons why I wanted to do an oil painting again. I keep telling myself that I *should* just stick with watercolors, because that's what I know, but I just can't. I was feeling really sorry for myself yesterday about some recent painting fails (watercolors no less) and at ten o'clock last night felt this strong desire to try and put some of what I'd learned from the masters about oil painting in the art magazines into practice.Which lead to 'Cold Nose, Warm Heart.'

And now I feel happy about my art again. Isn't it funny how much our moods can reflect how we're feeling about our art? Or am I the only crazy one like that? :)

Reference photo by sskennel, thank you! 

Meet Cute

'Meet Cute' 

5" x 7" oil on panel

$65 plus $8 US shipping, or $20 International 

Reference photo by Julia Ballarin, thank you! 

 

One of my favorite movies is 'The Holiday' with Jude Law and Kate Winslet. I love that little old man Kate's character meets who used to make old time Hollywood movies. That's where I first heard of the term 'meet cute.' I've been wanting to use it as a title for one of my Smitten paintings for a while so here it is. 

Meet cute: Scenario in which two individuals are brought together in some unlikely, zany, destined-to-fall-in-love-and-be-together-forever sort of way (the more unusual, the better). Definition courtesy of urban dictionary. 

This is another oil painting that I did a while ago but forgot to post. I don't know why I do that. It's not like I have ten different places all over the house that I put these little paintings and wait for them to dry. I only have like four or five different places. ;)

In other news, I'm still working on the colored pencil piece. I'll post a pic of it tomorrow. I don't want to interrupt my rhythm I've got going with it so I'm only working on this one until it's done. So there may be several days of work in progress posts of this one little drawing. 

Until tomorrow friends! 

 
Listening to: The National (listen to my favorite song here, if you're curious :)
Reading: Wool by Hugh Howey
Watching: Supernatural
Snacking on: Dove chocolates

Wolfish Grin

'Wolfish Grin' 

5" x 7" oil on panel

$65 plus $8 US shipping, or $16 International  

Okay, so this isn't a wolf, but it is usually so hard for me to come up with a title for each painting that when this one popped into my head I thought it was perfect. :) 

This dog's eyes had so many colors in them, pale amber, fiery burnt sienna, and even some sky blue. So beautiful. I used to wait to paint the eyes until I had the skin tones (or in this case, fur tones) built up a bit, but now I dive right into the eyes first. I don't like wasting my time to see if I got the most important thing right. 

Here's a peek at this painting in progress too: 

I was up most of the night with my little boy, who has had a recent bout with asthma, watching cartoons while he had his breathing treatments. I'm always overwhelmed with gratitude that he is my son, my precious little boy, when this happens. So thankful to have him in my life. :)

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay warm! Huzzah!!

Reference photo by Steven Bowler, thank you!