Wednesday, March 30, 2011

On the easel (er, newspaper)

I got about 30 minutes of painting time yesterday at the end of Little Man's nap. I have this commission piece in the works. I love doing pet portraits! This one is coming along immensely (he he! I think only Mike will get that). I'm wondering- from artists or pseudo artists like myself- what do you like to paint on? Traditional canvas? Boards? Glass? Something crazy and unconventional? This painting is done on board, which I have grown quite fond of painting on. I like how the paint just glides across the surface. For me, canvas is a bit too textured. There are some paintings, though, that I think look better on canvas than on board. Is it cheap to paint on board? Would you feel cheated if your original oil painting isn't on canvas? Does the surface really matter?

Anyway, here's the progress of this little pooch.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad

My parents just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. I was unable to be there to celebrate with them, so I sent this painting. They were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple and I thought that this subject was perfect. Happy Anniversary, you guys! Love you!

Eternal
18X24
oil on canvas

Friday, March 25, 2011

Maneki Neko

I did this little painting for the DPW Challenge wherein all the artists will donate the proceeds of their paintings to Japan through some organizations. I, of course, chose to donate to the LDS Humanitarian Aid, where I know that all of the money will go directly to the people affected by the tragedy. The auction has begun and the current bid is $25. Please click the picture or this link to place your bid.

Maneki Neko
(Beckoning Cat)
7X5
oil on canvas

Monday, March 14, 2011

Two new paintings

Actually, they've been done for about a month, but I just scanned them in so I could post them. This first one of Liam (surprise!) was a quick little thing to get me back into painting- it had been probably a month since picking up the brush so I needed to try to figure out how to do it again.
Yellow Shades
8X6
oil on canvas

And this painting I did for the DPW Painting Challenge. As you can see I am WAY late posting this, since it was the challenge for the week of Feb. 12. You may remember that I did a lot of the challenges at Different Strokes... blog, but I haven't done much by way of painting challenges since that blog went away. This DPW Painting Challenge is the first of these challenge sites that I have found interest in. I hope to paint more regularly to participate in more (and maybe get them in on time!)


Rose on a Windowsill
6X6
oil on paper

I've got a couple of really exciting pieces in the works. One that I can't say anything about because it is a gift, the other is a piece I will be entering into the juried show through the Gresham Art Committee! I am seriously so excited about this painting! It will be BIG- 36X16 and colorful and awesome (hopefully!)