Little Diva ~ portrait of my daughter

Little Diva ~  8" x 10" oil on panel

It's wonderful, and amazing, how your children so completely steal your heart forever. I am in love with them like nothing else! I could paint them every day, they're so incredibly beautiful and inspiring to me. I know that I see them through mommy goggles, and I'm afraid that others won't see them like I do, but that doesn't matter, does it? They're mine:)

This is a portait of my beautiful daughter, Rhiannon. I've been meaning to paint this one for a long time. It is from a photo shoot I did when she was only two. I can't believe she's six now!  And she's still obsessed with leopard print, lol! 

I am captivated by her grown up expression, her "diva" look...she seems to be the  embodiment of some glamorous fifties movie star in this pic. She was getting impatient with me, with the camera, and on the verge of getting tearful, and that shows a bit in the painting. Not so much in the photo. Strange how that works sometimes...

I realized when I painted this, that I am meant to paint people.  I know, I paint a lot of other things, because of market demand, but when I'm working on someone's face is almost the only time I'm so completely absorbed and involved in a painting that it is hard to stop for anything. I go without lunch, I get irritated with bathroom interruptions...I just want to keep going until it's finished! 

This painting will soon be on its way to the Federation Gallery in Vancouver. I was recently contacted by them and asked to send them half a dozen paintings because someone who bought my work last year was looking for more! Yay! Wish me luck...

The Red Shawl -- BC2Africa Project

The Red Shawl - 9" x 12" oil on canvas $425.00

I painted this one a few weeks ago, but I didn't post it until now because I can't get a good picture. It still looks quite glarey...(is that a word;)?)

I was experimenting with painting really thick, like, slamming the paint on with a palette knife thick. It was a lot of fun, and the painting came together really quickly. I left some passages a little unfinished and clumsy looking (not at all like me) and tried to loosen up. I'm pretty happy with the result. It has a spontaneity to it that many of my paintings lack that I've been trying to achieve. Now to get edges, values, and accuracy...sigh...the learning never ends! Lol!

I can't take credit for the reference photo for this one. It comes from babasteve, or Steve Evans, a wonderful photographer of people, whom I found on Flickr. He graciously gave me permission to use his photos. 

30 percent of the proceeds of this painting will go to BC2Africa. BC2Africa was formed by a group based in Bella Coola, with support from across Canada, working closely with the people who run the C.R.I.B. (Children Rescued in Burundi) and Nyakabiga facilities in Bujumbura, Burundi. The Bella Coola 2 Africa Hope Society was formed in early 2006. Their website is here.

Bubble Time

Bubble Time  2.5" x 3.5 " oil on canvas paper ACEO

Active on ebay right now... up on Sunday, June 12, about 6PM, PST

A new aceo for ebay...it's my son, Jacob.  I just can't help painting my kids! This one was too hard to resist. I actually want to paint it bigger, but I was impatient so I did it card size first. It does double duty as a color study, lol!

I'm probably going do be doing a lot less for ebay from now on. I really want to spend more time getting bigger paintings done, and maybe do aceos just to provide a break in between. It's been fun, though.

Her Very First Day of School

Her Very First Day of School--for Sketchbook Project

It was her very first day of school, waiting for the bus.  She's clinging to her big brother's hand. 

She's only four, but here we have full time pre-school. I kind of thought four was a bit young for full time and was of a mind to only let her go a few days a week, but she won't stay home! She loves it.

Putting the Star on the Tree

The Final Touch -- For the Sketchbook Project

I couldn't resist sketching this photo we took the day we trimmed the tree. Sorry my DH, I didn't do you justice...your face is just at a weird angle, lol! 

Only 12 more pages, and 14 more days left...

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...

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:)

Goodnight Sweetheart...

Goodnight Sweetheart for Sketchbook Project

The boy...I couldn't resist this one. There was still a lot of light coming through the window so I shut off the flash. The photo is blurry, but it captures the wonderful, soft window light.

I love my boy!

Cup of Tea?

Cup of Tea?  for the sketchbook project

I found an old family photo album the other day while digging around in a box for an art book. This is a picture of ME, age six, and my dog, Max. He was so funny...every time my parents would aim the camera, he would race to be in the picture, and pose perfectly.

My Little Artist

                                                     My Little Artist -- Sketchbook Project

My little darling Rhiannon, from life this morning after breakfast. As soon as she sees me sketching she jumps up to get her crafty stuff. She has to be creative if I am...I love it:) Except she cut a piece of construction paper into at least a million tiny little pieces today, which I had to clean off the floor...oh well, it's worth watching her enthusiasm, and also, it's a way to get her to sit in one place for a while, if not totally still.

Nuxalk, Native American Art, Regalia, original oil painting

"Light Dancer" 9"x12" oil on canvas $225.00

This is my newest painting in the Potlatch Series. I'm not sure of the original name of the dance, but the original painting shows some great backlight coming in behind her head, hence the title. The photo is a bit dark, I'll try to upload a better picture soon. I usually don't like painting red. I doesn't work well alla prima...the method of direct painting without glazing. It's hard to lighten red without it becoming pink, but I liked painting the contrast of the red and black in this one. I used cad yellow light to lighten the highlights to an orange, which seemed to work with the warm light source. I found the end result to be striking. I also enjoyed the abstract quality of the robes of the other dancer that are visible in the background.

Beach Babe

Beach Babe 6x6 oil on panel

My beautiful girl...Rhiannon at the Beach in Maui.
I started my monster painting today. I'm already struggling. I think it's artist's block, because it's big and intimidating. I need to think more positively for tomorrow. And I'll post my first in progress of it, too.
G'night for now.