Fleeting Vista

 

I've been painting a lot this past week and have been going to back to some favorite photos for reference. I would love to try my hand at plein air painting again, but for now, the studio is the most convenient.  I have always been drawn to the beauty of landscapes.  In fact, It is quite possible that I have more photos of landscapes and skycapes than of my own children.  Or at least an equal amount.  I've been known to either pullover to capture a moment or hand the camera off to whomever was in the passenger seat to snap a photo for me.  This particular painting is from a photo taken from the car, while speeding down the highway.  I had already had my husband pull over too many times, so another stop was out of the question.  This view was just too beautiful to pass up though.  The play of the light on the mountains and clouds, the wisps of rain fading into the sunlight and the repetition of plowed fields... I had to get this shot.  I actually love the resulting blurred motion effect.

Getting Warmed Up

It has been a while since I last painted so it was the perfect time for some quick color studies.  After drawing in black and white for the past few months I desperately needed a refresher... not only on color mixing, but painting as well.  I love doing these studies for several reasons.  These simple paintings are great practice, keep me loose and take the pressure off.  For each of these 3 studies I used a different limit color palette. While I am pretty happy with how they turned out, I am ready to move on to bigger things!  Lots of ideas are swirling around my head and I can't wait to try some of them out!

 

Commissions and New Goals

Now that Christmas has passed and we have entered into a new year, I feel like it is safe to post a few of the commissions that have kept me so busy for the past few months.  I am extremely grateful to have been trusted with such special gifts for so many families this past year.  The emotion and excitement I see in my clients eyes just can't be matched by anything. Delivering a finished portrait gives me the warm fuzzies!!  It is one of the few times in life that I am thrilled to see someone cry. 

 

With the New Year, of course comes new goals!  Although I love drawing, I am feeling more of a tug to paint. To be honest, painting has been a huge struggle for me in the past few years.  Between raising my kids, homeschooling and just trying to keep my home running smoothly I haven't made a great deal of time to be in the studio...it's been very inconsistent to say the least.  But, there are certain things in life that just can't be ignored and the creative pull is definitely one of them.  It can make me moody and generally unpleasant to be around.  For the sake of peace in my home I am determined to feed the monster.  Its time for me to start painting again! I have to admit that I am anxious to see what this year has in store.  I feel big things looming on the horizon. Be watching for for more posts and new paintings!  Happy New Year!

Taking On Challenges

I was recently approached by a client who needed a rendering of a car done for her son whose car had been accepted into a big car show.  While cars are not the typical subject that I work with, I thought this might make for a interesting challenge.  Why not??!  I have to say the process was much different from how I usually work.  For one, this was an extremely technical drawing and I'm used to working a bit looser than this on portraits.  Secondly, it has been years since I have worked in colored pencils.  Thankfully there are certain things you never really forget how to do. In the end, I have at say that I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the process went and the client was very happy with the work I had done.  It also doesn't hurt that over 60,000 people will see my work on display at the SEMA show in Las Vegas!!  

Who knows when or if I will ever draw a car again... for now I am happily back to work on my portrait commissions and developing ideas for new paintings.  

As the holiday season approaches, my focus is starting to shift to portrait commissions again. It is one of my favorite times of year.  There is something very special and rewarding about creating a drawing that invokes so much emotion and joy from the recipient. Whether it is capturing the wonder in a child's eyes or the essence of a loved one that has passed on, it is such a privilege to work on each and every one.  I am looking forward to getting started on several new jobs and excited about some of the new challenges they will present.  Check back, as I will be posting new drawings as they are completed. 
I currently still have space for a few more commissions this season, but the list is beginning to fill up quickly.  Contact me soon if you or someone you know might be interested in a portrait. 

Gritty City

Gritty City 6x6 Oil on gesso board

This was a first for me, I've never painted a cityscape before and may not have even considered it if it hadn't been for a challenge on Daily Paintworks.  I've been trying to push myself  to loosen up a bit and this was just the ticket! 

Guanella Pass

Guanella Pass 8x10 oil on canvas

I had to leave this one for a while and come back to it.  I'm pretty happy with the outcome. The reference photo for this was taken at the top of Guanella Pass in Colorado.  The brilliant oranges and yellows of the landscape was breathtaking.  I hope you enjoy my interpretation of the view.