Work in Progress - excerpt of a Mother and Daughter portrait

These last weeks have been crazy-busy... but I really am working hard! Just to show you that I'm not being completely lazy, here's a little excerpt preview of the 16x20 portrait I'm working on right now.

These bigger, more detailed paintings usually take me several weeks, since I under-paint them with so many different colors (it's currently in the "purple and gold"-stage, as you can see.

 This painting is a new experience for me, since I'm painting it on so-called Aqua-board. This is in essence a layer of clay that has been sprayed onto a board. It's slick, and takes water (and color) very differently from what I'm used to. I am still trying to decide whether I love or hate painting on aqua board...

(oh, and the weird shiny blob in the top left corner won't stay shiny, i just painted protective misket over it so that I don't paint over the pink flower with the darker hair color)

"First Day Home" - 15x19 watercolor

It has been so long since I last posted - sorry! Life has been crazy with house guests, a family trip to my folks' house, and more house guests.

I have been working really hard on several larger pieces, as well as several custom paintings. This one still needs some small tweaks, but is mostly finished. It is a large version of my "I'll Protect You" painting, and I've named it "First Day Home." I wanted to capture the love and promise of protection from the Mom, as well as the little girl's mixed feelings of wanting to be snuggled and loved, but also still being really darn afraid.  

First Day Home 15x19

This painting comes with a cool story. As some of you remember, I painted "I'll Protect You" as part of my Everyday Art Project last year:

In addition to selling prints of the little painting, I also sent free ones to a few of the families in our agency who had been waiting at #1 for a long time. Just a week after I sent one of the Mommas a print, her family got a referral for their daughter... and she looked so much like my little painting!

I was thrilled and honored to have been able to bless and encourage this family with my art... not even knowing how it would touch their hearts!

Once sweet Baby O was home, her Momma sent me a picture of herself posed with Baby O in the same way as the "I'll Protect You" painting. The picture she sent me is the photo that I painted from when I created "First Day Home."

Prints will be available in my Etsy shop in a couple of weeks.

Work in progress - Kirsten - Finished!

I finished another painting a few days ago. Remember the 12x14 painting of my youngest sister Kirsten, playing her Cello that I've been working on in my watercolor class? Well here it is!

I feel pleased with how it turned out. I have learned so much in my watercolor class!

Work in Progress - Kirsten

It has been a few days since I last posted. Right now I am working on a 12x16 painting of my youngest sister, Kirsten, playing the Cello. 

I still need to add in the dark shades and shadows, but I think this painting is coming along nicely.

Here's a detail-view of her face. 

Work in progress - Little Nursling

Look what I did yesterday evening. I haven't decided yet if I even like this painting... I may keep working on it, or I may abandon it and work on something else. I don't like the yellow highlights on the baby's face because they make him look jaundiced, but the pigment in the yellow paint is a dyeing pigment, so I can't lift it back off...

Little Nursling - 8.5"x8.5"

Work in progress - Makeda - DONE! (I think)

I think I am finally finished with this painting. 

I have added some highlights to her lips and nose, and have blended the shadows on the left side of her face a little more.

Here is a detail view of Makeda's face. I love how expressive her eyes and mouth have turned out. 

Ps: I worked on Makeda's eyes a little more, and am much happier with how they look now (Feb 19). NOW she really is done. 

Preview - Paris!

Just to prove that I'm not slacking, here is a preview of 4 of the 12 Paris ACEOs I'm working on. I still need to add color, I think I'll experiment with some more fluid and sketch-like color addition though.

Arc de Triomphe

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

Venus of Milo, profile

Keep in mind that each ACEO painting is only 2.5x3.5 inches... the detail in the buildings is tiny!