A look at a painting in Progress

So due to things out of my control, I haven't been able to be working in the studio as much as I wanted.  However, I am getting around finally to posting one of the paintings I was working on before things got crazy again.  It isn't done yet, but I have tried to take photos throughout the process so you can see how drastically the painting can change during the process.  I am(was) working on two paintings and taking these photos so hopefully I can share the other one soon too.  Let me know what you think!  Here is a little slideshow of the process so far.

Another Birth Series Painting

So it's a good thing I have been taking photos at different stages of a painting, because the little blue painting background I had started (shown in the last post) I loved and then I totally messed it up trying something else.  maybe I can get it back.  

This is the last painting I think I have yet to share in the series of artwork dealing with the pregnancy and the birth process.  An obvious total departure from my normal style and subject, this one was also inspired from an exercise in the book Birthing from Within - which I highly recommend to all the pregnant mamas.  I used a variety of materials and spent quite a lot of time on it.  I really don't know why I chose to do it so large - it's 36" wide x 48" high!

The title of the piece is the Journey to the Door - but I will leave the interpretation up to you!

I carefully selected and tore tiny paper with chosen words from a text book and placed on many of the stair risers.  I used fabric, an actual mirror, acrylic paint and pencil so it's probably the most materials I've used in a piece.  Definitely got me out of my comfort zone! 

Days 3 & 4 - more sketching and some paint

So for the last couple of days, I worked on the drawing of my little musician some more - basically done for now on that I think, and I was able to get a background down for a painting. It's been a few months since I've painted so getting back into that was good.  

This afternoon as I was painting I even got my little one to paint - for like ... 5 minutes.  He has zero interest in coloring or painting so far.  He did do a couple of paintings before - quite awhile ago, but that was before he discovered the world of musical instruments.  Buy hey, at least he is doing something creative!  I also was putting up some blueberries and when I opened the freezer door I thought it was a neat look all lined up on the pan, so I grabbed the camera and took a super quick photo.. didn't capture the effect I was after but I really like the interesting textures like that!

A Creative Challenge to Myself

So it is time to choose... time to get creative again or not.  I am going to try to commit, and share with everyone, a creative endeavor or doodle... even if it's only 5 minutes... every single day for the next 30 days.  I need to ease back into art making... and making time for art!

I have redesigned my blog a little bit so let me know what you think and I hope to get a new website up and running in a few months.

My first project I kicked this challenge off with is a pencil study - of my little musician of course, I needed something near and dear to keep me engaged.  So far I have worked two days on this and am sharing both of those photos here.  This was after day one.

I want to begin testing out some ideas for some style change ups, but it isn't quite translating in pencil.  I think I will need a painting for that.  So stay tuned.  Here is what I have done after day two.

So today - as typical Monday's go - we will see what I can do, it isn't looking promising for much creative work to get done.  But... I must complete this 30 day creative challenge!  

I feel it's what I need to get back on track.  

So I've lost direction...

I am admitting it.  I've lost direction, focus and to an extent desire when it comes to my artwork.  I have desire but just don't know WHAT I want to do anymore.  I have lots of ideas floating around but they seem a bit incomplete.  my previous work I feel has been stuck in between two places and not quite where I want to be...

That being said I do want to try two specific ideas I have floating around - both drastically different from things I've done in the past -  but just need to get that inspiration going.  A few weeks ago I did get in the studio and just moved some paint around.  Trying to enjoy the process and not get caught up in trying to create anything specific.  I love working with thick paint as shown here, but it just costs a fortune so these small canvases were the perfect time to do that.  I actually had about 5 little things going at the same time which was nice to move from one thing to another when I got stuck with one.

I guess a lot of it is about priority and I have to decide is making large art pieces a priority right now?  I have so many projects I need to tackle and so many life moments I need to start experiencing and living.  SIMPLIFYING has been the word of the household and a moving toward a new way of life for our family.  Evaluating all the "stuff" and deciding what we really need and what we don't.  It's been hard to get rid of things because as an artist I will save every scrap of paper, fabric, ribbon, wood, (insert random object) because I just MIGHT need it someday for a project.  And believe or not they do come in useful sometimes!

 I suppose the conclusion of this rambling of words is sometimes we need a break from the pressure of the need to create a "masterpiece" that has this deep "message." something I've been caught up on too much I think.  Getting back to just enjoying the process of creating is something I need to do.

Children's Portrait

This drawing is another piece that I did a couple of months ago.  It's always a challenge to do more than one face in a piece of art... especially when working in pencil or charcoal or another unforgiving medium.  I was able to work from one photo and with the wonderful benefits of the computer, reposition everyone in a favorable layout while keeping the relative proportions accurate.  From past experience I think I'm making it a requirement to be able to use one photo with all subjects in it if I am not taking the source photos myself, otherwise it's just too tricky to make it work.

I really enjoy pencil work and hope to find the time to do more of it someday... I may even want to try loosening up my hand with it a bit, although that is often easier said than done.  For me, so often a piece of artwork comes out completely different than what I envision.  Of course I guess that is part of the process!

I see beautiful, detailed - yet loose - pencil and charcoal drawings dripping with emotions that draw you in, with such depth - and light - on toned papers... and long to be able to do something like that.  I did buy a book of nice gray paper that I hope to be able to try out - but first I need some appropriate subject inspiration fitting for such to strike and lately I'm just not having any of that.  For now I'll just go in to the studio every so often and rub the paper between my fingers - it really has a nice weight.. and I guess I have a bit of a paper fetish as that is probably fed by my graphic design work as well.  Although these days I never get to use any of those wonderfully textured premium papers that fill all the swatch books for the printed projects as most jobs tend to go to short run digital printing - which of course doesn't justify buying a pallet of parent sheet designer paper!

First Painting of a Car in quite awhile!

So i went out of my comfort zone on the background on this one!  This is a good example of how I had what I thought was a crystal clear picture and plan of how I wanted the painting to turn out when I started.... and then it turned into something completely different!

 I originally planned to have the dark car on a background of lime greens/blacks - choppy palate knife style brushstrokes that I like to do.   But after getting the car mostly blocked in and detailed, I realized it just wasn't going to work that way.  So I was thinking what would work with some of the highlight colors I had already placed in the reflections of the car body and a sunset seemed to pop into my mind.  Landscapes aren't typically my cup of tea, so I was nervous to try it but after lots of work in the end, it turned out ok I think! 

I must say painting a black car is not very easy at all!  Well painting any car is quite a challenge.. but the black seems to be more difficult than other colors... especially when creating a completely different background than any of your reference photos as the reflections where photos are taken are such a major part of how the car appears.

I also was able to find a great deal on those extra thick canvases which I think are really cool.  They add more dimension to the painting giving extra impact when hanging on the wall... or even allowing for the finished work to be set on a shelf! 

A return to sharing some art... maybe!

Well despite my best intentions.. I haven't posted anything in almost a year!  Can't believe it - well yes I can, Life has been busy and that is a good thing.

I don't know where to start really so I will start with some portraits commissions I did.  I haven't had any time to be in the studio working on any personal things lately.  I have lots of ideas though and hopefully will have some new pieces - or at least one - done within a month. In fact just tonight - with another sleepless night I went in and started throwing around some paint.  Nothing serious just getting back in the groove.

These portraits are 8x10 pencil drawings.  I do always enjoy portraits even though they can be challenging and stressful but I was happy with the way these turned out.

Another piece in the Birth Art Series

 

Here is another piece I did for my Birth Art series.  This is the 2nd interpretation of this idea. The first one, click here, was the watercolor on yupo paper that had the large blooming flower. 
    This one is a mixed media artwork on canvas where I combined acrylic paint, pastel, fabric, and a twine/yarn material.  I used a photo taken while I was in labor for this piece.  Titles are always difficult for me but I decided to call this one Bringing a Blessing.  I played around with swirling the white paint in the figure area mixing it with heavy body gel medium to retain the brushstrokes a bit.  I really only have a couple of more pieces done to show.   One was very large and way out of my comfort zone..  not really sure why I chose such a large canvas for it!  I'll share that one at a later date.

Birthing Art - Post 1!

Well it has certainly taken me awhile to get around to posting some of these.  While I was pregnant, I created some sketches as I went through some birthing preparation.  Sketches about different ideas of birth, translating feelings, perceptions and such.  This is a painting I actually did before I gave birth to my baby although I did go back in to work on it last year also.  The few other paintings I did were done over the past year. This one is an acrylic on canvas and is definitely one of my favorites!

A Painting in December

Although December seemed like a month set out to crush me, I did have the opportunity (and found the time amazingly) to work on a commissioned piece that someone wanted to give as a Christmas gift.  So working from a photo, I painted this 9"x12" portrait of their family dog in acrylic on one of those 3" thick canvases.  I like those thick canvases because you can display them easily on a shelf or on a wall.  After not doing much painting over the last year I was nervous as I begin, but was really happy with how it turned out.

Just Making Something!

Being a new mom, crafting, making art and things like that just aren't on the list of things that can be done... however - I did make the time to make something for my babe the other day.  Of course being as conscious and aware as I am of what is really in the food and products we consume/use/eat... i cringe at the idea of what is probably lurking in baby toys... and I just wanted to make something for the babe I love so dearly!  So I made this little shape book/teether toy.  I sewed 4 'pages' with organic fabric and organic ribbon and attached them to a natural, untreated teething ring I finished with coconut oil. I designed it so they can all be grouped together or taken apart.  So far apart works good so I can keep them all throughout the house.. and it's not so big! 

Finally!

Obviously I haven't been in my studio much the past year as I've been otherwise occupied.  But wanted to share something I have done recently.   Totally not my usual style, this is a watercolor/pastel, on yupo paper... and inspired of course, by recent life events :)  

I've done a couple of other birth art pieces and I will share those soon... and have more stored away in my mind and my pregnancy/birth sketch book (inspired from the journey and preparation I did for birth -  through the book Birthing from Within... that will hopefully make their way to a canvas sometime in the next year albeit transformed and evolved as the distance from the delivery grows.)

This particular piece took me months to complete - not only for the obvious lack of time to devote to it, but just trying to get it right.  I don't work in watercolor very often and struggle getting the results I want.  Finally I got something I was happy with.  Inspired by the last days of pregnancy (and modeled from a photo taken in the nursery the day I was in labor - --- - right before things got "real" ) and the flower represents allowing the body to bloom and open to birth the baby within.  I framed this one up and gave it as a gift to my wonderful midwife whose coaching, encouragement and wisdom helped me find the strength within to make it through the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life.

custom wall design

Custom Wall Design for Organic Spa

This is wall design I painted back in the spring - just now getting around to photographing and sharing it.  This was for the entry wall of a spa and salon.  The wall was textured so that presented a challenge but it all came out well in the end!

The Cycle

This is another one of my recent commissioned paintings...  It's an acrylic on canvas.. 16x20... I have painted cars and people but never a bicycle and lets say both the bike and the helmet were my challenges with this piece!  But it turned out well in the end.

Back to the Studio

Well after not being overly busy in the studio lately due to all sorts of other things in life... I finally have  been working on several new pieces.  This is a portrait of two sweet little girls I recently did.. a surprise birthday gift for the mom by the family.  I really enjoy doing portraits although they can be a bit stressful at times.. people are one of my favorite subjects to create artwork from.  This was a pencil drawing on bristol paper (had just gotten a new pad of 2 sided recycled paper that has a smooth and slightly more toothy side - i accidently started on the smooth side and blending was a bit of a challenge! but it turned out ok in the end)  a few accents of charcoal and light watercolor wash finished it off.

I Am Poseidon

This is another special painting. This one was painted from a funny photo that I happened to get of my husband coming up from the water after a dive in the pool. It was just such an amusing picture with the water coming off his goatee... I just had to paint it!

Sinking In A NightDream

This is a very special painting, one I created from a dream I had - probably about 9 years ago! I painted it back then but it just didn't turn out well at all... (so that version is cozily buried under 3 other paintings - the top layer being a non-objective palette knife artwork that currently hangs on my bedroom wall) but a few months ago I started thinking about it again and wanted to give it another try. So I enlisted the help of a willing friend to model for me and armed myself with an underwater camera.... and this was the result... I still had my struggles to feel like I had adequately pulled off what I wanted to accomplish and still wonder if I should have pushed it a little more but overall I really, really like it and glad to have the idea resolved.

Another Mustang :)

This was a commission I just finished for Christmas for someone I love painting cars! Especially the Mustang Fastbacks. Although this was probably the smallest complete car I've painted - on a 9x12 canvas! But I did it! I found the need to NOT abuse my brushes even greater here as I am notoriously bad at neglecting to properly care for my brushes.

The last week in pics

So it's been a VERY busy week... so this post is a "week" in pics.


1) Photographed a wedding

2) Set up a cool secret tent/fort with my niece and played with all the rudolph toys

3) Crocheted more earrings

4) Decorated my first gingerbread house at my Church Small Group Party

5) Made another beard had - this one with a little bill on the front

6) Finished up a commissioned portrait (no peeking on that)

7) Got in an order of fresh blank canvases :)

8) and painted more furniture