Yoga Series #2 Done!!

Finished my second painting in my Yoga series.  This one is called "Strength" and the pose is the Reverse Warrior.  I didn't mention in my post that my previous Yoga painting, with the orange, yellow, and purple has been named "Tranquility" and a print is now available in my Etsy Shop.

My "Strength" Yoga Painting is a compilation of blues, yellows, and greens in many shades and tones.  I worked on the background first with energy and a combination of strokes.  Then I sketched out a rough drawing of the figure in light blue and added lights and darks in blue and green until the shape took a little more form.  I really like the combination of thin and thick lines helping the figure to take up space in the painting.  I'm posting three pictures in this pose, two are of "Strength" one a progress picture after I first started it (it is a little saturated because it's from my cell phone camera), and the other (top) the finished product.  Last, I'm also listing a picture of "Tranquility" taken in indirect sunlight which shows the vibrancy of color in it.  Enjoy!!!

First Sale on Etsy!!

I made my first sale on Etsy on Friday and dropped the painting off at the post office yesterday!  I am so excited to share my painting with its new owner.  The painting that was sold is my "writer's block" piece. I was experiencing a slump at the time and was unsure of what to paint or how to start it.  I was speaking with another artist that mentioned when he is having the same problem, he'll tape a playing card on his board and paint it life size.  He said he enjoyed the exercise because it's a 2D object and simple in color and components.  So I took a black and white pen and taped it to the wall and painted.  This was a fun little exercise and helped me get back into the swing of things.  I am so happy to sell my first painting and to share my work with someone else.

Yoga Series

Well, I am very excited to share the first finished piece of my yoga series!  As you saw from my last post, I layered on oranges, yellows and reds at first, then outlined the figure in a beautiful burgundy.  This elegant pose called for a swirl of energy where I added purple first, complimenting all of the orange.  Deciding to fill the figure more than just outlining it, I added pink, purple, burgundy, yellow, gold, violet, and more oranges.  I am super happy with how it came out and love the flow of enerby through the piece.  It is 9x12 and Nupastel on Colourfix paper.  I'm also sharing with you the second yoga pose in my series called "reverse warrior".  For this I'm layering blues, greens, and yellows.  I just began working on the figure and will keep you posted :)

Yoga Abstract Figure WIP

Working on a series of abstract figures in various yoga poses.  This is the first of about 8 and I definitely like where it's going.  I'm thinking about adding some lights and darks into the background but not sure if I should change anything about the figure.  Comments and suggestions would be much appreciated!  I will post more as I work on it!  The first picture is how it looked originally and the second is after adding some lilac purple into the background.  I love the oranges, reds, and yellows in the picture and have added the lilac, a dark purple, and dark burgundy to try and balance all of the hot colors.
Of course this is on a 9x12 piece of Colourfix paper and is made with NuPastels.

Antigua Sunset Painting

Hey! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  I did a lot of good eating myself and have plenty of leftovers.  While I was trying to find time the past couple days to finish my most recent sunset painting.  I decided to focus on spending time with family and friends.  Today I spent some time to work on it and am really pleased with the result! I don't think there is too much more I want to do on this one but as always let me know what you think! This is NuPastel on 9x12 Colourfix paper.  I'll also be offering this on my Etsy Shop as a print soon so keep posted.  I'm also offering a special to anyone who'd like to order from my Etsy shop, a refer-a-friend discount on any purchase after someone orders and mentions they were referred providing name and email address.  This is a great way to save on holiday gifts!

I really enjoyed layering this one.  In my previous post, you can see that I started the clouds with burgundy and bright pink. The water has blue, purple, burgundy, grey and black in it.  The sky was the most fun because in order to get the fading of greyish blue from the outside borders, I had to put in purple, orange, blue, grey and gold-yellow.  I'm so happy with how it came out, and that I was able to get the textured effect in the hills that I was aiming for. :)

It's Official: I'm on Etsy!!!

Well I have decided to open up an Etsy shop and attempt to share my work with a wider range of people. Hopefully something comed out of it.  I hope that you check it out and over the next couple months, I hope to get to work making more pieces to sell.  While the Etsy experience is fabulous, I had a lot of questions that weren't addressed as clearly as I would have liked on the FAQ sheet.  For example, I've never had a paypal or learned how it worked on the buyer end.  So now I had no clue as a seller if I needed to accept paypal by having one or how to hook it up.  Or, if I have a paypal that is connected to a credit card, would the money go to that? What if I wanted to use a credit card for purchases with paypal but wanted the money from selling art to go to my bank? So confusing... But I've figured out enough to get started and posted a few pieces.  What I'm looking into now is to have affordable prints of my work to sell, so that I have original work for any exhibitions that may pop up.  And that is a whole can-o-worms in itself.  Anyone who has any experience with any of this, please help.  In the meantime take a look at my Etsy Shop and let me know what you think or what you'd like to see!

I did start working on a new sunset piece yesterday and wanted to post my progress.  It is based on a picture I took in Antigua on vacation in 2009.  The sunset was beautiful, but painting it was surprisingly hard because of all the darkness.  I need to make the clouds a little darker and put some texture in the hills and water.  But this is what I have so far.

 This is the end piece, which I wanted to put first so that it was the picture for the post and so that you could see what I got before looking at all of the under layers.  This is on 9x12 Colourfix paper, which I really enjoy working on.  You can see the color is like this beige/grey that I thought would work well with the clouds and foreground.  Let me know what you think and any suggestions!!

Slow Month :(

I apologize that this month has been slow in terms of production. With midterms and my friends wedding, I feel like I've been running around nonstop.  My motivation for painting has been low and the time to do it has been low.  The good news is that the semester is over in about a month and with Thanksgiving coming up, I have a couple days off of work that I can use for me time and painting.

In the meantime, I'd like to share a fellow artist with you, who I absolutely adore!  Her work is extremely inspirational and vibrant.  I've bought 3 of her prints (from her citrus series) and hung them in my living room.  Her experience and style is impossible to miss when viewing her work.

Please check out her blog at this link.  She also has an Etsy Shop with beautiful original artwork and affordable prints.  She a wonderful artist and I'm sure you'll enjoy her work as much as I do!!!

Because I hate having posts with no artwork, I'd like to post something old :) Enjoy!

Step by Step Sunset Painting

Now that I've given my very good friend Erica her wedding presents, I can announce it on here and post the second painting in her sunset series.  I never remember to take pictures as I progress through a painting but remembered to take a few on this one. Here are the two finished paintings which I gave her this past Saturday!

Sorry about the glare.  Because the paintings are 9x12 I decided to use floating frames and am very happy with how they came out.  Here is my step by step process of the one on the right.

And one more with a close up of the other sunset painting.  Please let me know what you think.  And check out my facebook fan page!!

Sunset Painting

Finished my sunset painting.  I really like it and have started another one to accompany it.  I am taking pictures of this second one as I do it (when I remember) so that you can see how I layer and when I blend.  I'm very happy with that one too.  Please let me know what you think, and please check out more work on this site as well as my Facebook Fanpage!

New Piece: Just Started

Started a sunset picture which I took while I was in FL a few years ago.  I haven't done a whole lot of water pieces so it should be interesting how this comes out.  I've been working mostly on the sky and just putting my base colors on the sand and water.

This is Nupastel on 9x12 Colourfix pastel paper.

Progress on the Bike Picture

I think I'm just about done with this one.  I really like where it's at and the composition.  I feel the movement and am happy with all of the colors, especially those in the bike.  Please let me know what you think.  I plan on doing more of the bubble pictures because I really enjoy making them and think it's a great theme.  Hopefully I can get more with a variation of background and angles.  I can't wait.  I'd also like to do more figures and portraits, but with the start of school time is limited and I'll just have to take my time.  I'll get there.

This is Nupastel on a 9x12 Colourfix Paper, I believe it was a greyish purple color.

Also I just bought some amazing prints from a fantastic artist.  She does a lot of work with figures in pastel which grabbed my initial interest, but she also does great watercolor pictures.  The prints I bought were three from a citrus series.  Click here to check out her blog!!  I've also liked her on facebook, so if you check out my facebook page, you'll see her in the pages I've liked.

And Life Gets Busy...

Sorry for the delay in posting.  It has been a very busy week with school starting and working a lot of extra hours.  Here is my piece that I started last week and will be working on more today.  Please let me know what you think!!

This is another piece in my motion series.  NuPastel on 9x12 colourfix paper.

Update On My Work In Progress

Here is the update of my second bubbles picture, last posted as my work in progress.  I think its done, if I do much more I may end up pushing it to the dark side (not color wise).  Hope you enjoy it and I cannot wait to share more with you soon.  With school starting next week I'm hoping to still dedicate some "me time" to painting at least once a week.

This is 9x12 on Colourfix paper using NuPastel.  I have named it "Wind of Youth".

Current Work in Progress

Started working on another picture in my motion series.  Its another bubble picture and I like where it's going.  This was done in a couple hours, working on and off.  Total work time was probably about an hour.  It is Nupastel on Colourfix paper.  Hopefully I'll finish it soon. :)

Studio Tour

A lot of artists have beautiful big studio with a ton of space and lots of light, room to hang their work, etc.  I am not quite that fortunate as of yet.  But I have made a great space for getting my work done, while watching some tv, right where I can fit.  And I have some art on display. So here it is! My studio!!

Outside My Window

Completed another Daily Paintworks Challenge involving taking a black and white photo and creating a colored work.  It was fun and something I have never done.  I learned a lot from this exercise and am happy with what I've created.  Let me know what you think!  Check out the website, very fun place for artists to network and receive constructive criticism.

Flower Series #4

As a part of daily paintworks challenge to look outside and draw flowers using a specific palate, in less than an hour.  I'm really happy with what I've accomplished!  I think I did pretty well with the restrictions and am happy with the results!  Please let me know what you think.  Also check out my fan page on facebook!

Simple Exercise

Another artist who works in Pastel gave me the advice of taking a 2D object and painting it life size.  Well I grabbed the closest thing around, taped it to the wall and started working.  It was a good exercise and I'm happy with what I came up with.  It isn't quite life-size, about half an inch off but I like it for some reason.  I think I'll do more and try to put more of an artistic spin on them.  Enjoy!  p.s. I got my Pastel Journal, yay!

5x7 NuPastel and Pastel Pencil on Pastel Paper

Iris Study

Here's my experimentation with watercolor and using the pastels wet.  I'm not sure how much patience I have for watercolor lol.  After getting used to the immediacy of pastel and not needing to wait between layers, its hard to wait for the watercolor to dry before I put more on.  I also stretched my watercolor paper and still had issues with the paper wilting. :( But here it is...its a start.

Posing and experimenting with watercolor

So what's new?  On Saturday I posed for the Art League of New Britain's Saturday open figure drawing (clothed).  It was very interesting to see the different interpretations of me.  One of the gentleman did a fantastic charcoal drawing and let me take a picture for myself.  Check it out...

On another note.  I've decided to start experimenting with watercolor so that I can combine it with my pastel. I bought a cheap starter watercolor set, meant to get anyone started into it.  Well there isn't much instruction in the book on techniques or anything other that color wheels, mixing colors and stretching canvas.  Also, the brushes are rather cheap but if I can just get into it a little and figure things out.  Then I'll know if I'd like to spend extra money on better quality watercolor supplies.  I'll let you know what happens. :)

Reflections

Quick 5x7 Pastel inspired by daily paintworks challenge.  The challenge was reflections, this is my interpretation.  I'll probably work on it a little more.  I like where it's going! :)

Pastel Class Canceled

:(  One of the difficulties with doing Pastel for artwork is that not only are classes hard to find, they get canceled.  Its just not a popular medium compared to acrylic or oil.  Not only is finding one is a challenge, but finding one reasonably priced or priced for the hobby artist, is not easy either.  On another down note, I was not selected for the Step Up 2011 by Real Art Ways.  It was a contest for the emerging artist with minimal exhibition experience (I have none) and just out of art school (I never went).  I'm a little disappointed but I'm sure they had many talented submissions and I've only been doing pastel for a year and haven't taken anything other that a required art class.  I'll try again next year :).  I didn't want to write a post and leave it empty handed so to speak, so I'd like to post an older piece.  Orchids I did for my grandmother, Chalk Pastel on Drawing Paper 11x14.

5 Inch Heels :)

I finished the picture of my pink, grey, and black 5" heels.  It was a challenge on dailypaintworks.com.  I like the way it came out. What do you think?

Finished Paintings!!

Okay... so its been a little while.  I've been battling with my beach portrait photo.  I've been looking at it (my easel is in my dining/living room) everyday and thinking about what I want to do with it so that I don't over work it.  I'm happy with how it came out and don't think there is anything else I can do without throwing of the balance and spirit that is there.  Here it is! NuPastel and Pastel Pencil on 11x14 Pastel Paper.

The picture is not as clear as I'd like it to be but you get the drift. :)
Another photo I'm posting is a quite 20 minute 6x8 of a challenge on dailypaintworks.com.  The challenge was to do a piece based on balance.  And I figure, what's a better representation of balance than a pair of 5 inch heels?  Hope you like it.

On another note... I'm starting my first Pastel class tomorrow!!!  Actually, its my first art class since freshman year of high school.  I'm super excited about learning actual techniques and getting feedback.  Not all that excited about the teacher telling us to go get more supplies after the first class but such is life!  So I plan to bring my camera and take photos of my work as it progresses.  That way I can post what I work on and show the stages of it as I go.  Wish me luck!

It's Almost There!!

Another update of the portrait I'm working on.  I got a second wind tonight and decided to work some more.  I also chose not to do the red and white hawaiian print.  There were so many folds in the shirt, between that and the print itself, I was too scared haha.  So I made up a color mixing pinks, purples, maroons, and blues.  I still have the hands to finish and some other things to touch up but it's almost done!!

The vibrancy of the shirt may be taking away from the person...I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that yet....hmm... ideas?

Update

Worked on this some more tonight.  Just wanted to post an update.  I like where it's going, just need to think about what I'm going to do about the shirt... in the picture its a white and red hawaiian print, but that may be too detailed to come out nice.  White shirt? Blue shirt may cool down all the other colors...  Any ideas?

Finishing and Starting

So I worked on my "In the woods" piece last Saturday and I'm very happy with it.  I like where its gone, and the colors.  Here it is! Only 6x8, Nupastel on paper with Pastel Pencil details...

In addition to this, I took on a portrait on 11x14 size paper with an attempt to do more detailed work.  I'm not looking to do something that looks like a photograph, but something more detailed and life like than I have done.  I worked on it for about an hour and need some more tweaking on the building in the back.  I like the beach grass and what I've done so far with the hair and skin tones.  The shirt in the photograph I have is extremely detailed and I'm unsure if I'd like to keep it the red and white print it is, or change it.  Please let me know what you think!!!

 

Also, I stumbled across a couple blogs that I love!! Check out Edward Gordon's blog on the right!!

Mini Paintings

Just wanted to post some updates of things I've been working on.  I took one of my 12x16 Pastel Papers and cut it into four 6x8 pieces to do some work on a smaller scale.  I've got about 30 minutes worth of work on both of these pictures done but I'll be putting on more layers and working on the background of the scallions piece.  The pictures aren't the greatest because they're off of my phone, but I found that my phone takes better pictures without the flash if I don't have indirect daylight to take it with my camera.  One is scallion flowers, and the other is just looking down the opening of a wooded area.

The scallions were harder than I anticipated as I wasn't mentally prepared with all of the little petals, but I like it none the less.  The harder part is the background which is an out of focus garden (all green) and a hosta (spelling) that is light in value because of the transparency factor.  But I really like how the woods are going.  I would like to work on leaf detail in the trees more.  The woods picture is more out of focus than I thought it was when I took it... so I apologize.  With more work on them I'll take better pictures of both.

After watching a documentary about Van Gogh, based on letters to his brother, it was reported that he created over 900 paintings in 9 years, averaging a painting a day.  Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what my average production was.  Knowing it wouldn't be nearly as much between just starting pastels a year ago, working two jobs, and attending two colleges the past six month, including finish my Master's and thesis.  I have created 54 pastel paintings in the past year, averaging to one a week.  Posted here are numbers 55 and 56.  I'm going to take this opportunity to challenge myself and my production rate.  Let's see what happens! :)

Bubbles

So I usually visit my parent's on Sundays for dinner and today I decided to head up there earlier than usual with my bag of pastels, which was already packed from my figure session yesterday.  I had printed up pictures that I wanted to work on for my movement series and started one.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  A photographer that I"m working with had emailed me several pictures to get my input and when I enlarged them online I zoomed in much further than I anticipated.  Well this turned out to be one of those happy errors and I fell in love with the zoomed in pictures more than the photo as a whole. I started one of them and still have to work out some of the composition so that the focus of the picture is where I want it to be.  But I really like it and have impressed myself (don't you love it when that happens?).  Here is the first of two bubble pictures of the series. Please let me know what you think!
 



Here is another picture I took with my phone, without any flash, and in natural light.

Live portrait drawing #4

This is my fourth live figure drawing.  I'm pretty pleased.  The gentleman was from Trinidad and had a wonderful accent.  He was also a great model and held very still (and it was his first time!).  I spoke to the woman monitoring because I overheard her conversation about trying to get other monitors.  Originally, the Sat clothed figure drawing for July and August were canceled because she's been monitoring for 5 years and didn't want the obligation every Saturday for the summer.  Several members are trying to relieve her and rotate so that the sessions can continue.  Well I also heard her talking about needing models so I told her if she needed models, I wouldn't mind doing it but I don't want to do the nude modeling.  So I don't know if I'll do it once and they'll never want me to come back or if I can be someone's muse.  Anyway, back to today's session, the model was fantastic and I'm really happy with my work, especially considering this is my fourth live model. :)  Even the model liked it and took a picture on his phone for himself!

I took a reference photo and my work on it some more.  I would like to put more into the background and some detain in the small amount of shirt that is visible.  I would love to hear any comments!