Monster Whiskers in progress

Session I

 

Session II

Here is my little cat, Petey, whose whiskers are quite astounding and so a painting was born. The first session made some decisions about composition, tone and proportion.  Where did I want warm and cool color to dominate?  What kind of impact was I looking for and what did it seem his naughty little expression was telling me... The second session I focused on darks.  He is white and grey and so a dark background would make those whiskers sing.  There is bright sunlight in the photo I am referencing and I really want to show that contrast.  And then there are his eyes. Sometimes green, sometimes yellow,  always full of mischief, they are one of my favorite subjects to paint...

Contest

Something a little hot for these cold cold winter days!  Here is my entry for the 2015 Jerry's Artarama Self Portrait Contest.  Thought I would give it a try.  This is an excellent example of why I need to up my game on portfolio image quality.  When it was a camera and film, it was a little easier to keep high quality images. A good photo is a good photo.  With computers and digital images and the constant flux of technology, it is difficult for me to keep up! But I am working on it.  Anyway, if you click the link below, you can vote for my painting ~ voting is from April 6th to April 21st .  Winning prizes are all various amounts of store credit at Jerry's  and of course a little pride in your pocket.  A pretty good deal for an artist.  If you enjoy creating self portraits, please submit your image! You never know unless you try. Or as my husband likes to say "that ditch isn't going to dig itself." Good Luck! Happy Creating!!!
Painting details - "Self Portrait; Left Too Long" 2013 oil on canvas 20in x 24in. Painted from looking in a mirror during one of the hottest summers I can remember... message me for sales or any other inquiries.

http://bit.ly/1E95Vr4

Know When to Stop

So I have been documenting the progression of "Imperfection" and here is the latest and final version of it.  That snail shell kicked my butt.  This painting fought me every step of the way.  I do not normally paint still lifes. I do not enjoy painting fabric.  However, this was a good lesson. I stretched my observation skills.  I worked at an unusually slower pace. I figured out new colors and color combinations and pushed my layering techniques.  This is not a good painting to sell, but it was a very good painting for me to make.  I cannot progress staying where it is safe. 

Now this has been going on at the same time as "Imperfection" and I feel all those lessons and frustrations have given  me the insight and success I feel developing here.  So all that energy was not wasted at all.  Part of the progress and discovery of my craft is using what happens in the bad paintings to create the good ones, the specials, and the keepers.

Home is Where The Pup Is

"Come and Get Me!" 

Please join me and a great group of artists from The Electric Company in Bedford, on Friday February 27th, 2015 from 6:30 to 9:30 for a fun night at the Taubman Museum in Roanoke VA.  Many artists throughout the region have contributed animal themed artwork for this one night show to raise funds for the Roanoke chapter of SPCA.  Please come out and take home your favorite! (Maybe two!!) Several of us will be there and we would love to say hello.

This painting is a sweet snapshot of my black lab, Jezebel.  The whimsical house on her nose is a light hearted way of showing that her canine spirit truly makes our house a home.