New art update...

Some new artwork underway since the last time I posted!  Let me show you!!

This first one is called "Burning Bridges" and i finished it in the fall.  It's based on a picture I took of the sunset while going over a bridge near Newport, RI.  Don't worry...I wasn't driving! I love the vibrancy that came of the colors I used.  I always start very vibrant with my underpaintings.  I do have a step by step picture series to show how this painting came to life and will be posting that soon! It's NuPastel on 9x12 Colourfix paper.

This is my latest creation.  I'm not sure if it's completely done yet.  I love the color and the way the rocks came to life.  It's based on a picture from a couple summers ago of a beach in Clinton, CT.  I really liked the way the landscape framed the umbrella and decided to remove the inhabitants.  I'm not sure if I need to do anything to the far water underneath the trees... it looks a little pale to me, but I don't want to lose the depth of the painting. I don't have a name picked out for this one...but I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of "Summer Soldier".  Please tell me what you think...I'd appreciate any feedback! This is NuPastel on 9x12 Colourfix paper.

Long time no see...

So two years ago after I finished my stethoscope painting, I began nursing school.  This explains the extreme absence in paintings over the last couple years.  I do not have any that I am working on but over the summer of 2013 I did complete the one that I posted an underpainting for and I did two others.  It isn't enough, I have countless pictures that I cannot wait to turn into paintings but I need to finish school and get a job before I really dive into it again.  So as an explanation and brief update I'm putting this post up...
Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Step by Step Pastel Painting

Here is the step by step painting of a stethoscope I have worked on between work and school :)  Enjoy and as always, let me know what you think!

First I added all of the colors I saw in the photo in an underpainting.  I love beginning bright and vibrantly, and I think that when the painting is finished, those colors really help the painting pop!

Then I began adding some lighter colors that reflect closer to the colors of the skin and shirt in the reference photo I was using.

 Then I began blending and working on the shadows in the skin cast by the shirt and by the anatomy.  I also was trying to set the stage for the stethoscope to be added by putting in the shadow of it before I added it.

I was also working on the colors in the shirt and trying to get the light to cast correctly while keeping some of the vibrant colors.

 Now the moment of truth! Adding in the stethoscope.  I was nervous about this part because if I didn't do it right, correcting the underpating would be hard and it would lose the fluidity.

 I decided the stethoscope needed to be bigger that I had made it base on the rest of the scale.  But I was able to do it without muddying up the background.  I enjoyed adding lots of color to the head of the stethoscope to reflect its shape.

 Finally I added shading on the shirt and in the stethoscope to make it more rounded. And it is done :) I thoroughly enjoyed completing it!  Also below is my new piece that I have just started on!! The underpainting is in progress!

It's been a while...

It has been a while.  The school semesters and this summer have been gruelingly busy.  However I have been working here and there on a couple pieces.  Here they are :)

The picture above is a sunset over Lake Travis in Austin, TX  I really had fun with this one because it is on a new surface.  Colourfix paint (black) on gatorboard foam.  An artist friend gave it so me to try.  It has a lot of tooth and I really enjoyed using it.  Here is a picture when I had just started layering colors...

I am going to put the step-by-step pictures of the other painting I've worked on in another post :)

Shows!

I'm sorry I have been MIA lately.  I'm here but the school semester has started and life is getting busy.  I have also started a second blog to document my experiences applying to and being in Nursing School.  You can find this by finding it in my profile.  On the news front, I have 5 pieces of artwork being included in the Art League of New Britain Working from the Figure Exhibition.  The opening reception for that is this Friday.  I also have the following piece included in the Connecticut Pastel Society Member Exhibition!! The opening reception for that show is March 3rd.  So I have been a busy busy girl with shows, still working on my yoga series (#5), attending class (exam next week), applying to nursing, and still trying to have some "me time" between everything.  I have also been a lot less active on my Etsy shop.  But nothing is selling right now and I have to make school a higher priority at the moment.  I'm still around but just not pushing and promoting it as much during the semester.  So that is my update and hopefully I will be able to show you some works in progress and/or finished paintings :)

"Wind of Youth" 9x12 NuPastel on Colourfix.  Copyright MSSArtwork.

The Yoga Series Continues...

I have been motivated and productive lately, making yet more progress on my yoga series and then some :) I have completed two more yoga poses and started working on some new content on a new surface last night.  I have a little more work to do on the beach scene which is on Pastelmat.  This was a fun toothy surface to work on.  Luckily, completely the yoga backgrounds on my other paintings prepared me for bulking on enough pastel to be able to blend on this surface.  Here is the beach painting:

My most recent yoga painting "Fierce" is featured below.  Entitled "Fierce" because of the warrior pose she is in, I wanted her to pop and appear to take charge of the page while also complimenting her surroundings.  I loved the pop of orange/red encircling her while the background is meant to capture the colors of the beach, sand, and surf.  Any comments appreciated!

The third yoga painting in my series, isn't the best picture.  I took it with my camera and will change it as soon as I get some natural light for a photo :)  This is "Rooted" and attributes her balance and harmony as she is in tree pose.  I incorporated very earthy colors to simulate her sturdiness as a tree would be.  Enjoy!

The bottom two paintings are on 9x12 Colourfix paper while the top beach scene as I said is pastelmat. All are created with NuPastels.  Have a great day.

Featured in an Art Blog!

An exciting new adventure for me has recently occurred and I am so pleased to let everyone know that I was featured in an art blog today! A young woman who features new artists every Monday has interviewed me and posted that as well as pictures of my art, and links to my shop and blog.  You never know who you're going to meet or how networking will turn out in the end.  It didn't cross my mind that I would meet someone who would feature me as an artist on her blog on Etsy!  Please check out her blog and check back for new artist interviews! Just click here!

I am also happy that I got more prints of my art and posted some new pictures of them on my Etsy Shop.  The pictures aren't as zoomed in as the others so that you can get a better idea of what the prints look like.  I am working on getting  an 8.5x11 frame to post a picture of them framed as well. :)