The Eyes Have It

Today's painting for the 30/30 challenge is a study in composition and shape.  Again, I started out thinking I would do the entire head of my little Cavalier, Charlie.  But when I laid it out on the 3 x 3 inch canvas, I decided it was just another head shot, and wanted to make it more interesting.  I was intrigued by the way his eye seemed to echo one side of his nose, and how the shape of the red-brown fur around his eye was almost the inverse of the white on his nose and face.  I think my recent interest in Zentangles influenced this piece as well. As I painted, I completely forgot about it being my dog's face and immersed myself in the shapes. Imagine folding the piece in half:  the parts would almost fit over one another. This was a fun piece to paint!

After I warmed up with the daily painting, I moved on to one of my commissions.  Still a lot of fine tuning to do on this one, but here's "Hope."

And you know, it's not too early to be thinking about Christmas...so if you'd like to commission a portrait for that special someone, or as a gift to yourself (hey, why not???), just send me a note! I have gift certificates available, too. I also have a couple of special projects in the works. I'll be posting details soon, so be sure to check back!  

Through the Looking Glass

In my continued quest to learn all I can about art marketing, I've come across TONS of information. But the one that peaked my interest the most (well, at this time, anyway) suggested posting earlier artworks--I'm talking like back in the stone age when I first picked up a paint brush.  Well I can't go back THAT far because, silly me, I didn't keep any refrigerator art from my school days (and neither, apparently, did my mother) but I did head down to the studio/basement/garage and started pulling out old portfolios and files, canvases that were stacked along the wall--and discovered a small treasure trove of old work, student work, canvases I'd started and, for various reasons, either lost interest in or got stuck and quit.  Not only did I find paintings I'd literally forgotten about, but with each new discovery, I became inspired again.

I found an early self-portrait (above left), which not only made me laugh, but also reminded me of those early painting days. Back then, I didn't think as much about what I was doing.  I just jumped right down the rabbit hole and did it! And I think jumping in without a lot of thought isn't necessarily a bad thing. For me, anyway, because I have a tendency to over-think things and then I get so wrapped up in the thinking that I lose interest in the painting. I'm not saying there's no value in art education, workshops, etc.  I've benefited from all that. But I think you can spend way too much time analyzing, planning and critiquing, and before you know it you've lost all the emotion and freshness, as well as maybe some of the joy of painting.

Where Shall I Go
Watercolor Collage
by Stephanie Allison

Which brings me to why taking a step back and rummaging through earlier art is beneficial to your art marketing:  it's easier to sell artwork you are passionate about.  If you are brimming with enthusiasm over something you've created, your potential customers will feel that joy as well.  Sometimes (and I am guilty of this) we spend too much time painting what we THINK will sell, and pay no attention to what has actually SOLD and, more importantly, why.  So looking through my old stuff helped me see what I was passionate about and what I'm still passionate about. Digging through the bones of earlier artwork also showed me how I've grown as an artist--where I've been, and where I want to go.

Now I may have arrived late at this revelation, but I suspect I'm not the only one.  Lesson learned:  stepping through the looking glass into the past can re-ignite a lost or buried creative spark.  It has for me!

This Ain't No Hobby!!!

"Bad Hair Day"
8 x 10 Oil on canvas
SOLD

Whew! Being a full time artist is a LOT of work.  I have spent HOURS this past week tending to the business side of art--namely updating my website and, most recently, this blog.  I suppose if I were a computer geek it wouldn't have taken as long as it did, and I wouldn't be suffering with a headache, neckache and blurry eyes. Even with the use of templates, I found that I had to do a lot of searching online for "how to's" on adding things like my own banner, and getting it to look the way I want it to.  And I'm still not satisfied, but my eyes are about to bug out of my head, so this is it for now.

I have to wonder just how successful all this internet/social networking stuff is in terms of promoting art.  I'm sure there are plenty of artists out there who don't even have a website, and manage just fine. The weird thing is, despite the fact that it takes me forever to manage my website, blog, and Facebook page, I still enjoy it.  Just the little successes are satisfying:  like creating the banner you see at the top of this page.  Might seem pretty simple to some of you, but for the barely computer literate like me, it was a major feat.  Almost as satisfying as finishing a painting!

Here's a link to one site that offers some good advice on art marketing: Fine Art Tips with Lori McNee.

And speaking of marketing, there's a great animal support group called Labrador Life Line, and they are holding an online auction to raise funds. There are a lot of wonderful items available, not just for dogs, but humans as well--including a gift certificate for a pet portrait from yours truly. You can see the auction here: Labrador Life Line's Annual Heart Dog Auction.

So.... I don't have any new paintings to post--but let's consider the revamped blog and my new banner as the project-of-the-day. And the painting above, titled "Bad Hair Day" pretty much sums it up, only right now, my hair is in even worse shape!

Rollin' on the River

So this is the end of week two of my "retirement" and it's taking a little getting used to. I keep thinking I have to rush through things because I have to go to work the next day, but then I realize I don't, and so I stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning, and then I sleep late.  It's not the best cycle to be on and I imagine I'll settle into a routine that works.  But here I am at 2 a.m., wide awake and posting artwork online. 

The painting on the left is from a photograph I took back in 1991.  We'd just moved to Kentucky and were lucky to attend the riverboat race--one of many pre-Derby events.  This is the "River Queen" and we were on the Belle of Louisville.  I don't think the "River Queen" was in the race--but she looked pretty! This painting is #11 in the 30/30 challenge, 5 x 7 acrylics on clayboard. I've fallen behind on the challenge, but still chugging away!

This next painting,  "Milo," is an 8 x 10 acrylics. I started it the other day in the gallery, but didn't quite finish it.  Then I was lazy for the next two days and only got back to it this afternoon.  But hey, I completed two paintings in one day, so that's kind of a record for me.

I'll still be working on the daily challenge, but now I have to devote my time to a large commission: St. Michael the archangel fighting the 7-headed dragon.  I posted a study of the dragon a few days ago. I'm working up a study of Michael next, and if the client approves it, I'll be focusing on those two pieces over the next couple of weeks. They're large canvases, giving me a little break from the small artworks. Time to loosen up and paint LARGE!

Somebody Stole My Crown!

First, I woke up this morning convinced that it was Sunday, not Saturday. Once I realized my mistake, I felt relieved, because I wasn't 2 days behind on the daily painting challenge--only one. So after breakfast, I schlepped down to the studio to paint. But I got sidetracked when I realized that my crown--one I got a long time ago from Burger King or some such place--was missing. Now I haven't even thought about that thing for quite awhile, but I am, after all, Queen of my studio--and today I wanted my crown. Hmmph...

Anyway....I gave up searching for my crown and concentrated on painting. I managed to complete two small ones, both 5 x 7, and both in acrylics on clayboard.  The one on the left is of Buddy Sue--a cute little spaniel mix that crossed to the Rainbow Bridge several years ago. She was a goofy little thing but as sweet as could be.

Next, because my word for this year is "explore," I decided to play around with my palette knives.  I still don't quite have the hang of it, but here's the end result: "Maui on My Mind."  I did end up fine-tuning it with a couple of brushes and my fingers. But the goal was to explore, and I think that's exactly what I did.

One thing I struggled with today was a very curious little kitty.  This is Gracie.  She is my studio cat, although she used to be a prison cat until I sprung her from her life of crime. She has decided that she needs a front row seat to everything I do in the studio--and today she was particularly persistent. She jumped right in the middle of my palette--leaving a trail of paw prints across the table and floor. She hopped into my paint box, scattering brushes everywhere.  And then she climbed all over me and my keyboard--making it a real challenge to get anything done.  But I love her--and given her rough beginnings, you know, being born in a prison--hey, wait a minute.... maybe she stole my crown!! 

Day #3 -- Pig Smack

This is my first official day of retirement--so I was able to spend the entire day in the studio, painting.  First I did my daily painting--that makes #3 in the 30/30 challenge.  This is an 8 x 10, acrylics, painted on the edges.  

Next, I did a study piece for a commission that involves 2 large paintings depicting the archangel Michael slaying the 7 headed dragon.  It's been awhile since I painted any type of dragon, and I've never tried to paint anything from the Bible--so it's quite a challenge. The client wants the dragon on one canvas and Michael on the other, which will be another challenge for me because I need the two pieces to work together. This study is very rough--no details on the dragon other than base color and shape, placement of eyes, etc.  The background I borrowed from Raphael's painting although I'll be adding my own little spin to it in the final piece.  If you're familiar with the story of Michael and the dragon, the dragon has 7 heads, 10 horns and 3 crowns--and is red.  Each head represents one of the seven deadly sins.  I decided not to make each head different--but the client may decide later  that's what she wants.

So, that's it for me! Check back tomorrow for the next daily piece and maybe an update on the commission. 

30 Paintings in 30 Days--Oh My!

Well, that's the plan anyway. I signed up to participate in a new year's project started by Leslie Saeta.  The goal is to paint one painting a day for thirty days.  I've tried similar projects before and didn't get very far, but now that I'm no longer employed (my choice), I'm going to get back into the studio full time, and this seems like a good way to get started. 

Besides the daily painting, I have started work on a big commission:  2 large panels depicting Michael the archangel slaying the 7-headed dragon from the Book of Revelation.  This is quite a challenge for me--I'm excited about it, but also a little intimidated--it's been quite awhile since I painted LARGE and even longer since I created any dragons!  I'm working on a study of the dragon right now--will post photos when I get a little further along on it.

The other project is for a book, "Pawsome Patriots."  I will be painting images of service men/women and their pets.  I'll post more details later, so check back, especially if you or someone you know would like to be included in the book.

Here's another small painting I completed this week:  it's called "Lucretia's Snake." This little girl's family ran a small zoo near Puerto Vallarta, and I couldn't resist photographing her.  I've had the photograph in my desk for years, knowing I would paint it one day--and I finally did it!  So...that's all for now folks!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Moving Forward....

2012 is coming to an end and it has been a wonderful, productive year for me and I am very grateful. I've had the opportunity to paint some beautiful people and furbabies, and I sincerely appreciate getting to "know" the subjects of those paintings.  I made some folks cry, which I guess means I did a good job of capturing their loved ones on canvas.  And now, a new year is rapidly approaching and I am so excited!  I have decided to quit my part-time job and get back to painting and writing full time. I still have a nearly-finished novel simmering in a desk drawer, and all kinds of idea snippets tucked in various places.  I have one major art project in the works--I'll be posting more info about that as I develop it.  So here are the Christmas commissions I have been working on since before Thanksgiving, and I'm happy to say that I finished them all on time--although a couple of them were still wet when delivered! 
     The one at the top of the page is "Emma" -- a 4 x 5 mini painting.   Next left,  is a group of 4 dogs, I call "The Pack."  Then there's "Harley" on the right here, and "Puppy Mask" below left.  And finally, I did a large portrait I'm calling "Anna's Family." 

I loved painting all of these. Some are in acrylics, some in oil, and a couple are a combination of the two. I worked from several photographs which really helped, as did the little stories my clients provided.  I hope the folks receiving these paintings are not disappointed!

I'm hoping I can update this blog more often, now that I'll be home full time, and maybe share some "in process" photographs as well.  So....

Have a blessed and Happy New Year!

Dog Days of Summer Series #6

I was hoping to be able to paint one dog portrait a day during the Dog Days of Summer, but as usual, life gets in the way.  This is the 6th in the series. I'm hoping to get back on schedule now and produce one a day through August 11th. One can only hope!!

Available for purchase:  8 x 10 acrylic, $80.  Contact me if interested!

Dog Days of Summer Series #5

Here is the 5th painting in the Dog Days of Summer series:

8 x 10 Acrylics

$80

Contact me if interested in purchasing this cute little portrait!

Yep, I Only Watch the Super Bowl for the Commercials

I'm not particularly interested in football, but I do enjoy the commercials during Super Bowl. And being from New York, I am sort of in favor of the Giants....but mostly, I'm interested in painting, and today I actually got back into the studio and managed to work on a painting I started months ago.  This is Woody, one of the many beautiful animals housed at the Shelby County Animal Shelter. Thanks to Sheila Collins for use of her photo--this painting, when it is finished, will be donated to the Shelby County Animal Shelter.  This is part of an on-going project of mine. The paintings can either be given to the person who adopts the animal from the shelter, or used in advertising, or auctioned off at one of the many fundraisers held to benefit the shelter.  I also have a couple of paintings of cats that I will be delivering to the shelter soon.  This is one way I can put my talent to good use. By the way, if you live in the area, buy a ticket to the Monarchs, Mutts and Meows event on February 11.  There will be a silent auction  with a lot of great items (including a pet portrait painted by me!), as well as a wonderful dinner at Claudia Sanders and fantastic music featuring the Monarchs.   

And here's the mini-poem for today:

A pair of geese signal their approach,

circle low, then skid in for a splash

landing.



Introducing Ringo, and another Back Porch Poem

So this is Ringo, another member of my family.  Ringo was adopted from a shelter a couple of years ago and he is the sweetest dog!  He's not too happy right now, as he was trying to sleep and there I was shoving a camera in his face! But he got a treat for his trouble, so that made him a little less annoyed with me. This is photo #7 for the year, and here's the next Back Porch Poem:


January 7, 2012:  Moonlight colors the back yard now.
                              The church on the hill stands silent, constant
                              bathed in soft rose.  I close my eyes,
                              breathe deep
                              take in the night.

So that's it folks! 'Night!
.
                            

Holiday Creativity Overload!

So, we're heading into the holiday season and I am already running into creativity overload.  I just finished the portrait of those cute little Pekingese, Lucky and Buddy--I have to say, I miss seeing their big brown eyes staring at me from the easel.  But, like children, I do have to eventually let them go--and my client was thrilled to finally get the painting in his possession.  And, lucky me, he has commissioned another portrait! Yay!  I will be posting progress reports on that as soon as I can--hopefully this weekend.

In addition to working on the portrait, I was busy making jewelry for the Trims & Whims show held this past weekend in Shelbyville, KY.  It was my first "jewelry only" event--although I did bring promotional material for my portraits.   I was very pleased with the event, and made the biggest sales of my short career as a jeweler, and even got another pet portrait commission out of it!  All in all, it was a very successful weekend for me.  I'm beginning to feel ever more confident about creating jewelry, and look forward to experimenting with different metals and wire techniques over the winter.  The necklace on the left is completely handcrafted, including the links.  It is made with 18 gauge copper wire.  The necklace on the right is also copper, and I made most of the links, with the exception of the small chain links.  The earrings are copper and brown jasper. 

And, of course, I had to make some Christmas earrings.  The first pair are sterling over copper wire with sterling silver ear hooks and Swarovski red beads. 

 Next, a pair of free form sterling over copper Christmas tree earrings, also with sterling silver ear hooks and red and green beads. 

Finally, a pair of copper wire Christmas tree earrings, also with Swarovski red beads.  If you'd like to see more of my jewelry creations, visit my Facebook page:  Wit's End Studio.  

And then, the other night I decided to play around with different links made from copper wire, and the end result was the bracelet below.  Again, all the pieces except the beads were handcrafted.  I am really having fun, and hope to continue making beautiful jewelry and portraits! 

And now, it's back to the studio.  I have a lot of work to do before the end of the year.  Check back when you can to see what's new at Wit's End Studio!

What's on the Easel: Pet Portrait WIP Update

Been working steadily on this pet portrait commission.  The client sent me over a dozen photos of the 2 Pekingese, and I've been trying to create a piece that shows both dogs' personalities.  I've been playing with the background a bit...not sure this is the one I'll keep.  Mostly I worked on Lucky's eyes (the black dog).  Buddy's eyes are blocked in but still need quite a bit of detail.  I like to get the eyes done first; everything else falls into place more easily after that. I love painting portraits, animal or human, and working with the client to create a piece of art that captures the "essence" of someone very special to them. 

I do have to work on some other pieces, though--getting ready for the Celtic Fest in September, in Eminence, Kentucky.  There, I'll be showing not only my Irish-themed paintings, but some Celtic themed jewelry as well.  For more info, check out their website!

Meanwhile, back to the easel!

WIP -- Pekingese pups!

Took a break from playing with clay and beads to start this pet portrait of two adorable Pekingese:  Buddy and Lucky.  I'm using acrylics for this one, and I've just blocked in the images, not worrying too much about details yet.  Painting a black dog is very challenging--if you really look at black dogs, they aren't completely black.  This  dog also has very dark eyes--but we also know, don't we, that black eyes do have color in them--ya just gotta look! 

This is just the first pass with color. I'll be adding more details and have asked the client for his input--after all, who knows the dogs better than the owner?  I want to make sure the viewer gets a feel for the dogs' personalities. I will be lightening up the background a little, too, so the black dog shows better. 

It's good to be back in the studio. I have so many ideas for paintings as well as jewelry--I can't possibly do it all. I need to clone myself--several times! 

Check back soon for progress photos and maybe some new jewelry pieces. I've been experimenting with the Millifiori technique with polymer clay.  Will post photos soon.

Happy Memorial Day!

Hope it's been a pleasant one for all of you, and I hope everyone took a few minutes to say a prayer of thanks for those who gave their time and lives in service to our country--and that includes the thousands of K-9's who have been used in wartime since WWI, I believe.  Many of them didn't make it home either.

It's HOT here, and I've spent most of my weekend mowing. Ugh.  But I did manage to squeeze in a little painting time.  I finished one mini-painting, started months ago, and worked on a larger piece, also started awhile back.  I'm slowly re-motivating myself to write and paint at least for a few minutes a day.  Hard to do for someone like me, who wants instant gratification.  I'm not a very fast painter, although I am working on that. So here's a pic of the mini-painting.  This is a 4 x 4 acrylic.

Mini Kitty

  

Tomorrow I'll post another painting. Stay tuned!









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Feathers Fly, and TGIF

I admit it:  I need one of those "I brake for anything" bumper stickers. In my haste to get home this afternoon (because it's Friday, and the start of a 3 day weekend) there is one less cardinal winging its merry way through Oldham County. Anxious to get home for the start of my long-anticipated holiday weekend, I drove a tad bit faster than usual. I saw the bird lift off from the ground and try its best to get airborne--and though I slowed down, hoping the little guy would make it, my left front bumper caught him, and in the rearview mirror I saw a flurry of red feathers.  And I felt guilty--so much so, that farther down the road, as I came around a sharp curve, I braked for a lone vulture snacking on the dead racoon I'd seen earlier this morning.  He barely glanced at me, ungrateful buzzard.  Maybe there's a poem in there somewhere....I'll post it for sure if I ever write it.

Since I'm home relaxing and thoroughly enjoying the start of my 3 day weekend, I spent an hour or so reading through writers' blogs, and found some good advice posted by Laurie Hulse Anderson.  Most of it can be applied to painters, too, actually.

1.    Learn to live frugally and don’t get into debt.
2.    Write what you want, not what you think “the market” wants.
3.    Turn off the television.
4.    Don’t major in Creative Writing in college. Chances are it will drain the life out of your creativity.
5.    Never, ever criticize yourself during a first draft.
6.    Have the courage to revise your work.
7.    Read every night before you go to sleep.
8.    Do not pressure yourself by saying "I have to get this published by the time I am 20 (or 30, or 40, or
       80, etc.)
9.    Write the story in your heart.
10.  Pay attention to William Faulkner’s wise words. He said “Don’t be ‘a writer.’ Be writing.”

Stormy Weather

Spent another night listening to the weather radio, watching tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings roll across the bottom of the TV screen, but thankfully, we suffered only a few minutes of heavy rain, thunder and wind--lost a few more tree limbs, and I swear the weeds have grown another 6 inches overnight.  While I'm grateful for our luck, my thoughts are still with the town of Joplin, Missouri, and those in Alabama who are still reeling from Mother Nature's recent rampage.  I just cannot imagine that kind of destruction, and I hope I never have to see it up close and personal. 

I'm looking forward to a long weekend--haven't had one in awhile, and I have plenty to do, yardwise, though I would prefer to be writing and painting. I'm hoping to make time for some of that, but unfortunately, mowing and weeding take priority, assuming the weather cooperates. 

Thinking of Memorial Day reminded me of a poem I found some time ago.  It was originally attributed to "Anonymous" or sometimes credited to an unknown Native American--but it was actually written by a woman named Mary Elizabeth Frye in 1932.  It's called Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep.  You can read about it here:  Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep.  Here's the poem: 

Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

Different subject:  I don't know what's going on with Blogger, but all my Followers have disappeared! Not that I had that many, but I was grateful to have them, and now they're gone. Note to Blogger: Bring back my followers pleeeez! 

I'm Ba-ack!

     Wow, where does the time go?  This summer has flown past, and I'm struggling to catch up. I've been painting, but it seems like there's always something else going on that pulls me away from the studio, so what should only take a couple of weeks to complete, ends up taking months. I love summer, but I'm looking forward to cooler weather, and a chance to hunker down and PAINT, without feeling guilty about the grass growing and weeds taking over the gardens. 

     Lots of local arts related events coming up. The gallery where I hang my work, Shelby Artists on Main, is gearing up for the big 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, September 25-October 10. I'm also one of three artists who will be doing a one-day show on Thursday evening, October 7, sponsored by Failte Irish Imports in Lexington, featuring artwork created after our trip last year to Ireland and Scotland.  For a sneak preview, Shelbyvillians will be able to see the work at the Shelby County Community Theatre on Friday, September 24.  The two artists joining me are Sharla McClain and Mary Yaeger.

Ajax
8 x 10 Oil on Canvas

     Just completed two pet portraits commissioned by Krysta Manning of Louisville, KY.  Beautiful dogs--Luna and Ajax. Luna is the first blue-eyed dog I've painted, but I think I pulled it off.

Luna

8 x 10 Oil on Canvas

And here is what's on the easel now: 

Sacred Stones, Isle of Mull, Scotland
16 x 20, Acrylics

 

This piece isn't finished yet. I am struggling with the greens. Whenever I am working on a piece that involves the color green, it seems I run into trouble. Green is NOT my friend--yet.  But I'm not giving up. Till next time...scatter joy!