Smitten Photo Contest - you could win a custom painting!

'Magnetic'  part of my Smitten series

6 x 6 in gouache on paper - SOLD

 

 

Happy New Year everyone! I hope all your resolutions and wishes for this year come true. :)

 

Now, down to business, I'm hosting a challenge over on my facebook page that gives you the chance to win an 8" x 10" watercolor painting based on your photo. I'm looking for photos that represent love, along the lines of my 'Smitten' series of paintings. It can be love in all its forms, young or old, people or animals, your interpretation. But please no nudity, I'm keeping this family friendly. 

 

So what you do is click here (you can also just click on the banner at the top of my blog) to go to the contest and submit your photo before January 23. Voting begins on January 24, which is your chance to get all your friends to come vote for your photo, and the photo with the most votes wins the painting. Pretty simple. :)

 

I'd love to see all your photos about love! I think this will be a lot of fun.    

 

You'll probably be very sick of hearing from me this month because I'm joining in with Leslie Saeta and about a million other people to do the thirty paintings in thirty days (because I'm crazy like that). Gulp. Ambitious I know, and probably not doable for me, but what the heck right? Right.

 

Until tomorrow then. Thanks friends. :)

No Words Required - sold

'No Words Required'

6" x 9" watercolor on paper

sold

reference photo by the amazing Elizabeth Sescilla

 

A new addition to my 'Smitten' series of love, and this is the first non human one. :) This is 'Son of Lloyd' (the grey stallion on the left) romancing one of his mares. Special thanks to Elizabeth for the use of her reference photo, she take gorgeous photos, of gorgeous horses, and is so generous to share them with me. Thank you!

 

I wanted to emphasize the dreamy mood of this painting by using a background that simulated sunset colors. At first I was going for less variety, but then my brush and instinct took over and my brilliant idea got left behind in the thrill of the watercolor wash! ;) Love it when that happens.

 

And thanks so much to fellow artist Maria Reichert for the title! I posted a WIP of this on facebook asking for title suggestions and I loved what she came up with.

 

In other news this morning when I woke up it was oddly very bright outside. I got out of bed and looked out the window and saw the cause of all that brightness. Snow!!! All over the ground. Can you believe it?

 

Craziness.

 

Littlest Cook was very excited about this.

 

 

After we dropped his brothers off at school we came home first thing and built a snowman, followed by another snowman after he decided to smash the first one to smithereens, had a serious snowball fight (he won), made snow angels, then came inside for hot cocoa.

 

I'd say it's been a pretty good day so far. :) How about you guys? Huzzah for snow before Halloween! ;)