Old Man Drawing

Old Man Drawing in my sketchbook with coffee, graphite and white chalk

about 4" x 6"

Realistic portraits are my default art. When I'm absentmindedly sketching, it's faces, always faces. Ever since I started drawing, as a child, I drew faces (and horses!)  And when I'm feeling directionless, I always go back to faces. It's what's familiar and meaningful to me. 

A human face...the first thing we see when we open ours eyes in this world. 

A roadmap of a life lived, a personality.  Anger, sadness, love, happiness, wisdom. A human being. 

Tahitian Dancer

Tahitian Dancer -- 12 x 16 oil on canvas covered panel $600.00

I finally painted something in Maui that I'm happy with! Yay! I've been painting plenty, but nothing good enough to share until yesterday...I was going to show you an in progress progression, and managed to remember to photograph the first step, but I guess I got so excited about the painting going so well, that I forgot to take any more pictures!

Anyways, we saw a Hula show last week, where they do a lot of traditional Polynesian dances. I managed to take quite a few good shots for reference. This girl was dressed in a Tahitian costume, which was very unique. I loved how her dark hair contrasted with the light background, and the strong light on her face made for a dramatic portrait. I tried to work loose and keep it fresh...I'm pretty happy with it.

The photograph of the painting is a bit contrasty, but it's pretty faithful to the colors.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Old Time Hat -- Accepted!!

The Old Time Hat  8" x 10" oil on canvas panel

I just got news today that this painting was accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists "Small, Smaller, Smallest" show! Yay!!

Barkerville Blacksmith

Barkerville Blacksmith 20" x 24" oil on canvas  $1400.00

I've been working on this painting on and off for ages, and I finally put the finishing touches (i think) on it a few minutes ago. I was so anxious to share, I photographed it right away, and came down to the studio to upload it for y'all! If there's anything that totally bugs you, or needs to be fixed...I appreciate and welcome constructive criticism, but for now, to me, I don't see any doozies. That might change in a few hours, though, lol!

Flamenco dancer

"Bonita" 6 x 6 oil on canvas (New photo)

This has been a fun little series for me. It's neat to explore a set color scheme and subject matter, and see how many ways you can find to fill it. I have to thank Aline Salazar on Flickr for her wonderful reference photos. I have changed it to suit my own tastes, but I got the idea from her.

This photo is horrible, unfortunately. I can't seem to photograph anything with dark backgrounds successfully, and the contrast is a bit off. It hasn't picked up the richness of the colors of her flesh, either, but oh well. I've tried to tweak it in photoshop, to no avail. We do what we can with what we have! At least the expressiveness is there. This will be up for sale on ebay on Sunday night, 6 pm PST.

The Dancer

The Dancer (new photo)

6" x 6" oil on canvas panel $49.99

 Click Here to Bid Now

A new daily painting for ebay

I loved the drama of this piece. I added the earring because I thought she looked like a flamenco dancer.

Thanks very much to Megyarsh on Flickr for the use of her fabulous reference photo.

Cheers, all

My Darling Daddy

Sketchbook Project -- My Darling Daddy

I was feeling inspired this morning as I was looking at the newest "Strokes of Genius" collection of drawings, so I decided to draw my dad. This is just pencil in my little moley, from life while having his morning cigarette...(Hack! Hack!) The eyes look a little freaky in the scan, they're darker than in the drawing so they look a little over-exaggerated than they do for real...oh well.

"Keiki Hula Girl" 14"x 18" oil on canvas

Aloha from Maui everyone,
this is one of my newest paintings, not from my upcoming show, so I feel like it's okay to show it:) The photo is horrible...the paint is still slightly wet and the camera seems to have managed to pick up previous layers of paint in the background...weird...you can't see them when you look at the original. In fact, I'm going to try for some better pics of this one. Anyways, here it is for now,
Enjoy

It wasn't Me!?

"It Wasn't Me!"

This is my daughter, shooting me a bit of a dirty look for some reason or another. She's probably getting sick of me following her around with the camera:) I love to paint my children. I love to paint all children, actually. The are so free, so unconcerned with how they look. With children you're always getting their "real" personality, no cover up for the camera.
And I have news! Real news, good news! I got a show, at a real gallery, with an opening reception, and wine and cheese! So for any local B.C.ers, it will be at the Station House Gallery for the month of April. Stop by and have a peek. This painting will be included, but I'm not going to show you any more, it will be a surprise till after the show.

Randy Hall

"Randy" 12" x 12" oil on canvas

This is my husband's son, Randy. He's a handsome guy, and he looked so intense in this pose that I thought I'd try to capture his intensity.

"Miss Wendle~Barkerville" 16 x 20" oil on canvas

Here's another of the previously "undercover" Barkerville paintings. I really liked the challenge with this one. The wrinkles in her shirt, the lace of the curtains, and the wallpaper patterning all gave me quite the hassle, but overall, I'm pretty happy with the result, although the paint took on a weird sheen in the far left where the glare is. The photo has quite a glare on the left hand side from the sheen that's not really there, though. I have to re-take all of my art photos now that I have the use of a good camera.

Mr. Grimsby

"Mr. Grimsby" 8"x 10" oil on canvas

This is one of the most memorable Barkerville characters, Mr. Grimsby. He does a great comedy skit at the waterwheel, as a miner selling his claim. I've had many laughs watching it. Dave, the guy who portrays Mr. Grimsby has been there since I was a child, and has one of the greatest, character-filled faces. I just had to paint him.

I Hope...

Hope -- 9" x 12" oil on canvas

...everyone had a great Christmas. I'm taking a break off of ACEO's for a week or so to paint something I really want to, and this was last night's result. About 6 hours to completion, I think.
Her eyes say it all...

Mo Cuishle

"Mo Cuishle" 2.5" x 3.5" oil on canvas paper

I've been meaning to post a few times this last week, but our internet service is really bad right now, and blogger hasn't been letting me upload pictures. Since this is mainly a blog about pictures, and I didn't have anything interesting to say, I just didn't say anything at all.
This painting is one out of this week's set of ACEO's. It is from a gorgeous photograph that my friend, James, took, and he graciously gave me permission to use it. His was black and white, and I used my imagination to colorize it. I couldn't think of a name for it that I hadn't already used before, and "Mo Cuishle" came to mind, because it means "my darling". In the book I'm writing, I had to do a lot of research on Gaelic endearments because it's based in Ireland, so the term was fresh in my mind. Anyways, I hope you all like it.
Bye for now.

Bucephalus

"Bucephalus" 2.5"x 3.5" oil on watercolor paper ACEO

This is one of my newer aceo's. I've actually been painting more than one a day lately, I've just been lazy about posting! So, you can have a look at all of the other ones on my ebay listings.
Have a great night,
Ciao

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.

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.

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!

Mother

Sorry, no posts in a long time. I've been working on an assignment for the children's writing course that I'm studying. This is a new painting though, that I finished last night. I think it's finished, anyways. I might put some kind of hanging in the background in really dark tones, I'm not sure yet.

I'm also ridiculously exhausted this last week. My daughter, who was weaned off of her night feedings, is no longer. She's waking up every hour or two all night to nurse, and I can't seem to wean her. I'm at my wits end! I also have no energy to do
much of anything, let alone paint.

Well, I'm sure it will get better soon.
Signing off for now.

BE HAPPY!!

I am painting new pictures, really! I just keep forgetting to photograph them in the daylight. Last night I did one of a flamenco dancer, an 8x10 study for a larger painting. I'll try to post it tomorrow.
The picture for tonight is one of my old favorites, one of my Dad. I chose this one because my blog tonight is about happiness, and he just looks so happy in this picture, it is how I usually think of him.

This is a quote from the Baha'i Faith. It is so true!
"When a man turns his face towards God, he finds sunshine everywhere. Be Happy! Be Happy! Be full of Joy! Joy gives us wings! In times of joy or strength is more vital, our intellect keener, and our understanding less clouded. We seem better able to cope with the world and to find our sphere of usefulness. ~Abdul-Baha~
~and here's another~
Happy the soul that shall forget his own good, and like the chosen ones of God, vie with his fellows in service to the good of all; until, strengthened by the blessings and perpetual confirmations of God, he shall be empowered to raise this mighty nation up to its ancient pinnacles of glory, and restore this withered land to sweet new life, and as a spiritual springtime, array those trees which are the lives of men with the fresh leaves, the blossoms and fruits of consecrated joy.

My wish is for everyone on the planet to be happy. If we were all happy, there would be no war. I know, I sound Pollyanna, naive, like a child...but is it so impossible?? I wish it wasn't, so goodnight and be happy!