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 :)

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. :)

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.

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. :)

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!!

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.

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.

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!