Charley

Charley

10 x 10

oil on canvas

This is a sample pet portrait I did to display at Long Dog Fat Cat :) Gotta love those puppy dog eyes! This is my uncle's family dog, Charley! Named for Hurricane Charley. What a sweetie!

How to plan a portrait (Part 2)

OK please don't judge me. This is not pretty, but it is the next step in my painting process. This is the underpainting. I like to do this for a couple reasons. It helps me to catch mistakes before I spend time mixing colors. If you look at the girl on the right, you can see that her body is much too small for her head. I may not have caught this as quickly if I hadn't done the underpainting. Also, it helps me to lay in some value structure (hence, the splotchy faces). It may not be pretty, but once I start putting color on top it gets better! Lastly, I really like layering lighter colors on top of darks because it gives the painting depth and interest.

One thing to remember when doing an underpainting... keep it thin. You want it to dry before you start painting color on top. (Also follows the "fat over thin" rule in order to prevent cracking). Stay tuned to see the final painting!

a day of gardening and sketching

Much of this dreary day I spent gardening and sketching. The gardening went well. I was able to get quite a bit done and I love being out there digging in the dirt! The sketching, on the other hand, did not go so well.  This was my best sketch of the day. I was fairly rusty. Between work and the yard calling for my attention, I haven't been able to draw and paint as much as I would like.  I started a sketch of a friend and no matter what I did I could not get it to look like her! I am grateful that I had the time to sketch today though... I need the practice!! Can't complain too much... a day of gardening and sketching is a dream day if you ask me!

Anticipation (detail)

Anticipation (detail/in progress)

19.5 x 25.5

charcoal

Available for purchase at VNA Art & Soup

Here is a sneak preview of a drawing I am working on currently.  I've been super busy at the flower shop because of Valentine's Day so I haven't been able to finish it quite yet!  Stay tuned for the completed drawing!

Gracy (in progress)

Gracy (in progress)

16 x 20

oil on canvas

I really thought I could finish this one by the end of the weekend but, alas, I am stuck.  I was going for a very simple composition with a background that just makes her face pop off the canvas.  I wanted most of the color to come from her face and hair.  I also wanted the background to have a lot of depth, but not distract from her face.  I thought I could achieve this by layering colors and mixing some different whites, but Mike (my husband) and I both agree it's not working.  So I stared at it tonight while we ate leftover pizza contemplating different background colors.  Grey/blue? A luminous yellow/orange?  Mike suggested maybe changing the color of the blanket. I am stumped.  I guess I'll have to stare at it a little longer and get some input from others.  I would appreciate any comments or suggestions!

Painting Preview

Gracy (in progress)

oil on canvas

I haven't quite finished this painting, but I am getting close.  I thought I would give you a preview before it's completed.  Her face came together pretty easily, but I wanted the background to have a lot of depth so it has taken a while to complete.  I've been layering colors, and we all know what that means when it comes to oils.  I am so impatient sometimes so I tend to rush it.  I've learned to work really thinly with my paint so that it will dry quickly.  I could never spend months on one painting. The background is actually really simple, I am just experimenting with layering colors to create depth.  I like how a simple background really frames the face.  Anyway, I hope it will be done by the end of the weekend and I will be able to post the final product!

Camilla

Camilla
(detail)
Oil

This is one of my personal favorites. I love the simplicity of painting in black and white. She is a little Costa Rican girl that has the most adorable cheeks!

Sweet Smile

Sweet Smile
18 x 24
oil

This painting will be in an auction at the Mosaic in downtown Omaha, this weekend Sept 19th and 20th. It benefits Mosaic Community Development which helps fight poverty in Omaha. The show is called "Neighborhood" and will directly benefit the revitalization of Park Avenue. I am looking forward to it and hope it is a success!

A Charcoal Sketch of Gracy

Gracy at the Lake
14 x 17
Charcoal

Sold

I love how raw a sketch can be. It is so different from painting in that way. With painting, I can go back and fix something, hide something and continue to layer until the final product looks nothing like the initial brush strokes. A sketch, on the other hand, must be carefully and meticulously planned and yet some of my favorite qualities in a sketch are the raw and imperfect smudges and lines that give it character. It is in finding this balance between raw energetic strokes and careful planning and measuring that keeps me sketching!