With her Best Friend

I took my dog, Hazel, out for a long walk this morning. She gets beside-herself excited when any of us get the leash out. And she loves absolutely every single thing about going walking.

Except...bicycles that zoom by and scare her, some birds that sound really scary and weird, and cars that loudly vroom overhead when we're under a bridge.

Except for all of that Hazel loves absolutely every single thing about walking.


I finished working on this painting this afternoon. Here's the final version and the last few steps that lead up to the end. And I only have a few photos from the tail end because I was so into it that I forgot to take pictures during the majority of the process. Oops!

"With her Best Friend"

You can see that I've added tons of details...all over!

I adorned her hair with flowers and a feather
and added details to her dress.

I think she's done. Just need to paint the
edges of the canvas black.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

With her Best Friend

After over four years of painting each and every day on our kitchen table or some other flat surface (not counting our hallway walls, that is), I finally splurged and got myself and easel! I feel like I'm a grown up artist now! I got it all set up right by our floor-to-ceiling windows last night, put a blank canvas in it, and went to bed. Then first thing after I ate breakfast and walked the dog, I started painting. What a nice thing it is to stand while I paint. And an incredible thing to have our kitchen table back!

While I was painting my big guy came in the room and said, "You need to move all your art stuff over by the easel." I have two shelves and an antique desk devoted to my art. So while Dave and my little guy were gone, my big guy and I moved all the furniture around in the living room. And it's fabulous! I love my wonderful big guy!

The painting I'm working on is inspired by Marie Laurencin. I think this may be the last one in the class I'm taking. I'll definitely revisit her style, I love it!

After painting the canvas gray, I sketched out a woman and a dog.

I began adding some color to her flesh, dress, and background. 

I added more details and began working on a fan.

I began working on her face, added a scarf, and continued working on the dog.

I'm excited to work on it more tomorrow!

 Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Contemplative - Part 2

I finished her! I was not happy with how I'd left her face yesterday so that was completely reworked. I actually left her sitting there for an an hour or so with only her eyes showing because I loved how she reminded me of a genie with a face veil. And then I decided I didn't love her that much like that.

I covered her face so I could redo it.

Finished!

And this morning I had my annual physical. While not much about having an annual physical is worth commenting on here, I must say that nothing makes ya feel more nervous paranoid awesome than the look of excitement in a phlebotomist's eye upon seeing how beautifully your vein pops right out. I think I made her day.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Contemplative - Part 1

I've changed how I'm doing my art and blog as I begin my 5th year as an artist. Read all about that here if you missed yesterday's post.

I had some time today to get back to a class I started taking a few weeks ago. We're working in the style of artist, Marie Laurencin. I was able to get through a few layers this morning. And, like I said in Tuesday's post, my art has to go through its "ugly" phases before I get it where I want it to be. It's a process.

First a quick sketch.

Adding some background.

Adding foreground color.

There's a lot I need to work on tomorrow. Thankfully I've learned to not beat myself up during the awkward phases of my paintings. And now for the remainder of today I'll plow through my "to do" list which includes making cookies and sewing patches on my husband's pants. Very soon his pants will all be more patch than pants. Love that he grooves on that style!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

In Flight

I had the close encounter with a mosquito today. It was in the school's bathroom flying around. As soon as I did my business and flushed I tried to get that mosquito. Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Miss...miss...miss...miss.

I gave up and left. And then I had to explain to the woman in the workroom outside of the bathroom that I was not, in fact, applauding for myself for a job well done.

I think she believed me. Maybe.


This painting is another in the style of Marie Laurencin that I've worked on as part of a class I'm taking. 

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Revealed

We made the decision to have our chickens live free range in our back yard. We love it. They love it. The cats love it. And even our dog loves it. Seriously, there's nothing quite as adorable as looking out your back door and seeing six chickens standing over a peacefully sleeping cat. 

But one interesting thing about having free range chickens in the back yard is that in the process of all the hunting, pecking, and scratching they do in what used to be our lawn, they have excavated years and years of buried kid toys. They've dug up matchbox cars, playset tools, parts of balls, and tons of scraps of unidentified material. They've even found toy soldiers (my kids never had those, so these must be from previous families' kids). They're digging up stuff that's been buried up to 25 years ago or more!

And what have I done with these treasures? Well, I've rather unceremoniously tossed them in our trash.

This painting is another in the style of Marie Laurencin that I've worked on as part of a class I'm taking. Such fun!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Outfitted

It's a funny thing what happens to art when it's framed. When one of my pieces is bought or if I buy someone else's work, and the piece happens to be framed, well, it's like it just got a huge promotion. Like they went from being a high school graduate to completing their master's thesis. It never fails to amaze me what a difference an "outfit" makes for art.

Now do I generalize this fabulous information to my own life and my own outfits? Nope...or at least hardly ever. I like to think of my style as being always ready for a workout or for getting dirty.


This piece was an exercise for a class I'm taking. We're focusing on the artist Marie Laurencin. Loving her style and I cannot wait till we get to her watercolors!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Divided

It's funny how people see things in different ways. But maybe it's just my Netflix binge watching that alters my view.

This piece I did with India ink is in a style reminiscent of the early work of artist Marie Laurencin. I think the idea is to have her look sweet, mild, and kind, but all I keep seeing is demon eyes a la "Supernatural". Ah, well, works for me. I like it.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!