Little Drummer Boy

Little Drummer Boy for Sketchbook Project

I'm finally back at it. Something about the looming deadline made it not fun for awhile! What a typical Taurus I am. Tell me I have to do something, and I run the other direction...lol! It's also been pretty hectic with Christmas and parties and all that stuff. I tend to work best under pressure though...14 pictures in 15 days...I think I can do it!

I'm also competing in the Bold Brush Competition this month, with a few of my last paintings. Go to http://canvoo.com/boldbrush/painting/15714 and http://canvoo.com/boldbrush/painting/15707 to show your support by "liking" my paintings on the facebook tab. Thanks!!

Happy New Year!!

A Day at the Beach

A Day at the Beach - unfinished, maybe--12"x16" oil

Okay...this is what I've been working on for a few days. The color isn't the best in the photo. The sand looks the same color as his skin, and that's not the case. It's actually a lot lighter. I don't know if I'm happy with it yet, but my husband says STOP! I don't want to overwork it, but I feel like it maybe needs something on the right hand side...a blue bucket? I think maybe the green shovel should be blue, too, but I don't know...Does it feel balanced?  Am I done? I'm putting it away for a few days so I don't have to look at it for awhile, but your input and honest critiques would be so appreciated:) Sometimes one just gets stuck, and can't see what they're looking at anymore. 

Thanks in advance!!

The Computer Whiz

The Computer Whiz-for Sketchbook Project

My little angel, drawn from life the other day. She's playing a TreehouseTV game. It has always amazed me that they can pick up the laptop mousepad and all of it's functions so quickly! They're little sponges:)

Read Me a Story

Read Me a Story -- 8"x10" oil on canvas

You've all seen this image before, if you've been following, but I loved how the sketch turned out so much that I wanted to turn it into a painting. This started out as a color study, but I ended up liking where it was going, so I finished it. It may turn into a larger painting one day...who knows. This feels pretty finished to me, though. I really focused on staying loose, except in the focal point, and I feel like it is a pretty successful painting, which is unusual for me. I usually hate everything once it's finished. But maybe I'm on a roll. I've liked the last two, as well! Yay...I think I may be unblocked! I haven't done a large painting, yet though, so that is the next challenge.

Anyways, ciao for now...

Another Sketch of the Boy

Jacob's Art--for the Sketchbook Project

Getting there...I'm getting close to the end of the Sketchbook Project...maybe:)

At any rate, the deadline's coming up, isn't it?

Well, I drew this one from life the other morning. He was completely absorbed in drawing dragons I think, and the window light was illuminating his hair and shoulder in a beautiful way. So I drew him, of course!

Life is Golden

Life is Golden - 8"x10" for Julia Kay's Portrait Party-Flickr

I was having a bit of fun for Julia Kay's Portrait Party last night. I painted this from one of Tipsy Darkness' photos that she posted of herself. The bright areas are actual gold leaf...her eye highlight, ring, left corner and the bright lights in the background.

The "Old-Time Hat"

The Old-Time Hat -- 8"x10" oil on canvas NFS

This was my son's favorite hat for a while. We got it at Barkerville, an historic gold-mining village in Northern B.C. where they re-enact the history. He loves it there, and he calls this hat his "Old-Time Hat".

This is another painting I finished yesterday in a few hours. I'm really focusing on being loose and painterly, and not thinking to much. It seems like if I can mostly keep my head out of my art and use my intuition, it turns out better. I still try to keep "the rules" in mind, but in the back somewhere...:)

Festival Days

Festival Days 8"x10" 

oil on canvas panel NFS

This is one of my most recent paintings. When it comes to painting, lately, I have been very discouraged and uninspired. I had a really busy summer doing shows and teaching workshops, and as good as that sounds, it really took something away from my art and I feel like I haven't produced anything very good in quite a while. Every painting feels overworked and exhausted before it is finished. Sooooo....I decided to work on materials I didn't care about, so my intention wouldn't be selling, with my beautiful kids as my subject matter, so I wouldn't want to sell...and I whipped off this one in a few hours. I had a hard start, as I was still fighting that "block", and I wiped her off about four times, before I finally committed, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. I still feel like I could have gotten a bit looser, but, maybe next time:)

Fishing for leeches

Fishing for Leeches -- Sketchbook Project

This is from a photo of my kids at the lake this summer. My husband has a band, and he was hired to play for a wedding near Tatlayoko Lake, at a ranch way out in the middle of the wilderness...Bracewell's Lodge. We were given this rustic cabin on a leech abundant lake to stay in...no electricity or running water, with mice running over us in the middle of the night...but it was still a blast. The kids had so much fun, and instead of being grossed out by leeches, they were fascinated by them...so much so that they were obsessed with catching them, which is what they were doing in this picture.