New painting "Serene" 20" x 16"

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. My goal is to change that and post more often.  I have things to say and they just roll around in my head, keeping me up at night so maybe typing it up here will be good for me and hopefully you too. 

For today, I just wanted to post my latest painting, "Serene". The model for this painting was so good at posing during the photo shoot that I let her run the show, sort of. She had so many ideas and didn't need me to tell her anything, she just struck a pose.

This painting was one of those that just flowed and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was excited every day to work on it. I believe that if you don't love what your painting, then you probably won't love the final result even if it's done technically well. Joy will come through in your artwork. 

I'm currently working on a very large commission of a horse and rider.  I hope to post that soon. 

"Daisies"

Orange and white daisies against a dark abstract background.  9"x12" oil on linen panel.  Comes framed in a matte black frame.  Available through the artist.  Email: arteffects@cox.net

Brainerd, MN portrait commission

Good Monday morning!  Here is a recently finished painting that was commissioned by a client in Nisswa, MN.  He wanted to surprise his wife with the painting because the reference photo was taken a couple of years ago of his daughter who doesn't take naps anymore and the beloved family pet who they fear is not going to be here much longer due to advanced age.  This moment was captured with an iphone camera with bright, cool, snow reflected, light coming in the window behind the sofa.  This gave me a very challenging lighting situation as the subjects had two different light sources falling on them.  Cool light from the window and warm light from a lamp.  I made the decision to choose one temperature, the cool, blue light from the window, to prevail.  The next challenge was to lighten all the areas that were not directly in the light.  I know from experience that those shadow areas would not have been that dark in real life.  The next picture is the actual reference photo I was given.

Painting the little girl and the dog was actually the easiest part.  I struggled most with the couch.  Because it is so shadowed and neutral it was hard to tell the actual color, I felt like I needed to get it just right. 

I think it turned out pretty nice in the end.  This next photo is my favorite:)

Now the exciting part!  I got to deliver this painting in person.  I live in Fayetteville AR and the client lives in Minnesota.  My dad's side of the family lives in MN and it just so happened that they were having the "Gross Family Picnic" that I rarely get to attend.  So I left the kids with the hubby and rode the 12hrs with my dad to Minneapolis and went to the picnic.  Then rented a car and drove 2 1/2 hrs north to Nisswa to meet this family.  They were SO wonderful!  Barely out of my car and the entire family greeted me with hugs.  They immediately whisked me away to lunch, by boat, to Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.  Then that evening we traveled by boat yet again to Madden's Resort where we played a little tennis and ate pizza.  Let me say that my actual tennis game that night didn't come close to the tennis game I had talked up beforehand.  How embarrassing!  I blame it on the nerves and the turf courts and the humidity.  Yeah, that's what it was.

The next day we visited Grandview Lodge and Resort.  Beautiful!  The gardens and grounds are perfectly kept.  Not a dead flower anywhere!  I WILL take my family there someday!

I can't tell you what a wonderful experience this was for me.  To have someone appreciate what I do and show such kindness and hospitality was just the boost I needed to keep me moving forward in my art career.  It can be so hard but also so very rewarding too.  I hope that isn't the last trip I make to Nisswa and Brainerd. 

"Hydrangeas"

Good Morning!  I wanted to share my latest painting "Hydrangeas" 16"x20"x2" oil on canvas.  Here in Fayetteville AR in May and June, hydrangeas are everywhere and they are beautiful!  I've wanted to paint them for a few years now but, I have to admit, I was a little intimidated by the complexity of them.  I mean, there are so many petals!  My fear was that I would overwork them and lose the softness and painterly look I'm working so hard to develop.  I'm so glad I did it now.  I'm finally figuring out that the best way to take on a big or difficult project is to JUST DO IT!  In my case, just getting paint on the canvas and getting rid of all that glaring white helps me get going.  As for all those petals, I think I was able to keep it loose while still making it clear that these are hydrangeas.  This painting is available from my website at this link.

"Nutcracker"

Oh how much fun I had painting this crazy guy! Some of these colors are straight from the tube without mixing in anything at all. This painting is available for sale from my website or from my etsy store. It will also be shown at the Artini Festival here in Fayetteville on Thursday night and Friday night. If you live here, I hope you can make it because it sounds like it will be a blast! Art show and Martini competition by local bartenders.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is enjoying the holiday season!

Eggplant and Apples

I sure wish eggplant tasted as good as it looks! I really can't like eggplants but I've wanted to paint one for a long time. So, I went down to the Fayetteville Farmer's Market and bought the eggplant and flowers and got right to it. I'm really happy with this painting. I think the colors go together well and I will definitely paint eggplants again. This painting is 12"x 6". Click here to buy or visit my website.

"Emma"

This is my most recent painting and one of my most favorite of all that I've painted. It's of my daughter who just turned 17 on May 26. I love this pose. It's a very important and pivotal time in a child's life. They are on the threshold of adulthood. So many decisions and opportunities ahead of them. Life starts moving pretty fast from this time on. I remember being scared and uncertain at this age. I pray she goes forward with confidence and finds her passion and a way to make a living doing what she loves as I have with painting.

This painting was juried into the 17th annual artists of Northwest Arkansas exhibit

"Lilies"

9x12 oil on panel Available. Click here to visit my website or to buy.

Green Beans and Blue Jar

I was commissioned to do this painting that would be given to a person who loved canning vegetables. Because I paint from life and because it's winter here, I had trouble finding some of the things I was told this lady enjoyed canning. I finally found some beautiful string beans and though this wasn't my first choice, I think it turned out nicely. This can be purchased as a giclee or fine art paper print. Send me an email for prices and information.

"Buster"

My latest painting is staying in the family. This is a painting of my mother-in-law's dog Buster. He posed perfectly for me and I HAD to paint him. I will deliver it to her this weekend.

"Jar and cherries"

Oh how I enjoyed painting this little still life. I've just started collecting the blue or blue/green jars. They are so beautiful! This painting was painted completely from life. I painted the fruit first because I knew they wouldn't last long then worked on the jar.

"Abby" pet portrait commission

This is the last commissioned painting due before Christmas and I delivered it today. What a cute puppy Abby was. I think this pose captures her perfectly! The client brought her to my house for me to photograph and she was so excited that we barely got her to sit still for anything. I think I will go to the clients house next time where the dog (or child) is in their own familiar surroundings. Live and learn, huh?

Now I can focus on Christmas for my family. Wish I felt better though. Woke up sneezing and now have a head cold that's making me just want to crawl back into bed. But I have art prints to ship and cleaning to do so no nap today. Merry Christmas to everyone!

"Sassy"

What a sleepy, rainy day this is. I just finished my first big show yesterday. It was the "NWA Boutique Show" in which I was the only fine artist participating. I have to say that it was a great experience and will make money for me in time. I got two commissioned jobs for sure yesterday plus many "I will definitely be calling you" remarks. If I do this same show in the spring I will definitely be bringing more examples of children's portraits and pet portraits as the clientelle of this event is primarily young women with small children.

The painting I'm posting today is called "Sassy" and it is a commission that I just finished. I will be delivering it next week to the client who is presenting it to his mother for her birthday. I think she will be happy.