Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Hey Horsey!

I was absolutely horse CRAZY as a kid! I drew horse after horse after horse, I talked about horses, dreamed about horses, and finally, when I was twelve, my parents got me my very own horse. But, I think I must have got sick of drawing horses, because this is the first horse I have painted in about 15 years! I made it look just like mine, Miss Peeti Poco. I miss her. She died when I was 27, and coincidentally, she was 27. Our birthdays were only a week apart. I really enjoyed painting this little thing. I may have to give horses another go! This is another ACEO for ebay. The detail is difficult, though, so it's quite hard to make it look polished, and the picture doesn't do it justice. 2.5" x 3.5" is so small!
Well, I have a portrait commission that I have to start work on tomorrow, as well as an assignment almost due for my writing course, so I don't know when I'll next be able to post. Maybe if the weather is good enough for pictures, I'll post some in progress ones of the commission. So, ciao for now.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Crazy ACEO's Craze



So, I decided to try a few ACEO's, I believe it stands forArt Card Edition Collectables. My mistaken assumption was that I could whip them off fairly quickly, thereby afford to sell them for much less on ebay. Well...let's just say, that I could have finished three 6"x8" paintings in the time it took to do four of these little suckers, and the fourth is not fit to show you! It's hard to get convincing detail into a 2.5" x 3.5" little square!
My brain feels like it's going to explode!!! The good thing was, that I could work on them at the kitchen table with the kids running around, I didn't have to hide in my studio.
My poor baby girl is sick right now, though! ArRrGghhh!!! What I wouldn't give for daycare sometimes. Not when they're sick, I mean, but on other days, so I could get something done.
Any other artists out there have any experience with ACEO's?
Are they worth the time and effort? I want to paint big!! Really big, actually. My arm is starting to cramp and pretty soon I'll need reading glasses, or to paint under a magnifying glass!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Queen Shiva



This is my beautiful cat, Shiva. She's a Burmese, with attitude. She does indeed think that she is the Queen! She loves the sun, and takes every opportunity to soak it up, and this is one of the few times that she liked to be outside. I'm pretty happy with this painting. I haven't had much luck at painting animals in oil in the past, but maybe I'm finally getting it. The scan doesn't really do it justice though, it shows the background as shiny and uneven, while I think the scan just picked up on directional brushstrokes. There's a little too much glare, too. Anyways, hope y'all like it.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

In Pursuit of the Perfect Wave


~In Pursuit of the Perfect Wave~ 16" x 16" original oil on canvas $400.00

This is a horrible photo of this painting! The colors are off, and the big white glare in the middle doesn't exist, it's from the light in the room. I can't get a good picture because I can't remember the last day that it didn't rain here! I finished this painting last night, and I really wanted to post it, so this photo is temporary, until I get a good day.
It's quite a bit larger than anything I've painted lately, but I really felt like I needed to breathe...take a break from the mini paintings and stretch my painting arm! How can you tell it's winter?...I'm painting beach scenes! I'm dreaming of the ocean, the sun and holidays! I can't wait till January.
This was from a black and white photograph that my sister took at Long Beach in Tofino, B.C. Check out more of her photography at www.ArtWanted.com/Karie.
TIP: For photographing your artwork, the best light is outdoors on a slightly overcast day. It gives a soft, even light which doesn't seem to affect the colors as much as trying to shoot indoors, under artificial light. Put your painting on a flat, even surface, or hang it on a wall. I usually try to zoom as much of the painting into the frame as possible, then crop it in photoshop to get clean edges.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

CRASH!


CRASH!! 6"x 8" oil on gallery wrapped canvas ~ $120.00 CAN







This one was really a challenge. I'm new to painting water. The painting "Beach Baby" was my first real attempt. It turned out well, and so did "Our Own Island", so I thought I'd try this one. It's from a photo that my very talented sister, Karie Goffic, took. You can check out her incredible photography at www.ArtWanted.com/Karie. I'm pretty happy with the results. The hardest part for me was to get the big spray to look convincing. There are sure a lot of variations of light and shadow and color in something that most people would consider just white!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Our Own Island



It was such a great day yesterday that I was able to finish two paintings! I completed this one last night after the kids went to bed and put the finishing touches on it this morning.
I feel like I've hit a new learning curve. There was something I was hearing for a long time, but it never really sunk in. With these last few paintings, I think I've got it. It's that when you start, do a general block in of shapes and values. It sounds very logical, but I think that I may have not been really doing it before. Not generalizing the shapes and values enough. Maybe it's all of the practice that almost daily painting provides, I'm simply getting better.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Beach Baby



Ahhhh...to paint!!!! What a wonderful day I've had. For the first Saturday in forever, my husban didn't work, and I was able to paint in the daytime, before I was exhausted, and for more than an hour. What an incredible experience!! I feel refreshed, inspired and re-energized. It helps that the baby is sleeping almost through the night these days, too. (KNOCK ON WOOD!!)

I am really pleased with this painting. It was from a photo I took a few years ago at Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, where I got to go for a family reunion. It was my son's first time at a beach, he was 2, and in heaven. A really great memory, and it turned into a really great painting.

Friday, November 2, 2007

The Little Artists



I have actually been painting up a storm lately and have been keeping very busy. I seem to have a hard time finding the minutes to get my images uploaded and keep updating my blog. Nothing is particularly new and exciting in my life, just mothering and painting. This is a picture of my two darling children, Jacob and Rhiannon. It seems they have inherited my desire to create. They both love to draw and paint and I try to encourage them as much as possible. I praise their silliest little doodles. That's what my dad did, and I've been an artist ever since!

My items on eBay