Wednesday, April 28, 2010

from start to finish


hardest part for me is the very beginning, just getting some paint on the canvas. I use my fingers as little measuring sticks, trying to keep proportions as I look from photo to canvas. --as in, the widest part of her face in the photo is the length of my index finger from tip to main knuckle and on the canvas it's 5 of those units. It's definitely not scientific, but sometimes this initial proportioning helps me get the bare bones started.




















I try to focus on just the light parts and then switch to focusing just on the dark parts. Rinse and repeat.





The fun part begins when the "structure" is
there and I get to start slopping color on, mixing, and making a mess. I have had to learn that sometimes, no matter how much I want to live with it, when something isn't quite looking right to me, it's worth it to go back and redo it...if I can even pinpoint what's looking goofy. I went back and redid her right eye after it was all detailed and nice (ugggghh) because it turned out being just a smidge too close to her left eye. Helped a lot...and the painting quit nagging at me, saying "I'm just not quite right."




Once I can finally pry myself away from touching up here and adding something there...it's true, an artist's work is never done...and I get to the point where I can live with it if I never touched it again, I put a little signature on it. Mine changes just about on every painting lately :)

wedding gift commission for my friend to give to this cute couple. Did you get all that? ;)

Friday, April 23, 2010

simple little project

We bought a few dusty ol' scraps at Habitat's Restore for a couple of bucks. That place is so fun to scavenge!



































This one has a new use :)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

piggy little toes*




here's the last of the series of these two sweet cheeks.




look at those toes!



























I love that mom was able to capture their personalities in cute candid moments...and that they weren't even posing for a portrait :)


*lyrics from one of Andrew Peterson's super fun songs for kids

Friday, April 16, 2010

auto-portrait




for a little fun at work, we all submit a 10" x 10" self portrait and hang them all on a wall together to represent the office in all of its creative and *interesting* glory.







Hi :) It's me through the camera lens

Thursday, April 15, 2010

siblings

remember this little brother & sister pair?



sweet & smiley kids

heritage

I am really starting to treasure old things.

My maternal great-grandmother Sallie was an artist! This is her sunshiney and beautiful still life we have in our office/*studio*. I painted the wooden frame to add a little more spice.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

*flashback* I surprised my sweetie with this when we had been dating 2 years


and to show its scale...here's Vanna

can you tell it has some texture? a la gesso

Monday, April 12, 2010

two in one, friends' babes





dolls, I tell ya! more to come for these two little ones...

bride & groom


I did this for our wedding, to have displayed instead of a bridal portrait. A year and two-thirds ago :)

Three

this ends my fun little series. Fun to explore some simple photographs in three completely different ways. Which one catches your eye?


Two


One



a surprise commission for three more of little star wars dude! Take one

Sunday, April 11, 2010

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