Relaxing

This is one of my latest paintings. It still has a few problem areas that I am trying to work out but I have need a break from it. I hope to soon take some time to fix some areas of it. This is what I have for now though.

Clouded

This piece, Clouded, was the first of the recent three modern paintings. I had a hard time getting a good photo of it, so it is last up on the site. The color still seems to be a little off but I will keep trying to get a better photo.

With this I wanted to experiment with line work and a smearing technique. I love the lines and the splatters but the large clouded areas are still growing on me. I would like to do something with more lines and maybe a variation of widths, but like I said this was an experiment. My signature is in the corner as it is in other pieces. Hope you like this piece.

I should have another beach scene painting that I will be putting up in a day or so. Watch for it!

Meltdown

This piece was a little rough at first. I didn't like what I had originally done, but then I started experimenting with it and I think it turned out well. I blended some of the brown and cream to lighten the brown color and create a feathered look on the outer edge of the canvas. I then decided to add some blue and then let the colors drip in order to show some of the canvas coming through. Then it was just a matter of pouring on paint and letting it drip down the canvas.

Hope you enjoy the painting as well as the title! To me, its a visual of what a meltdown might look like. So, this is my meltdown!

Touch of Darkness

This painting is rather modern and abstract. I was inspired by the paintings I had done for my mother to do more modern paintings. This one I wanted to be darker and I just started painting. It turned out better than I had hoped for. After I had laid down and slightly blended the basic blue and brown colors, I had a hard time trying to figure out what else it needed. I think that the corresponding paint splatters really enhance the outcome of the painting.

projects

So, I have two shows coming up, a few in-progress pieces and not a whole lot of motivation. I want to put as many pieces into the shows as possible, but I have a few issues. 1 I only have so many paintings that I will enter into the shows. 2 I don't have a lot of time or money to get more canvases/frames or start more paintings. I took what canvases I had and went to work though. I did a few paintings that were similar to the more modern pieces that I had created for my mom. I had to get those turned in first so the last of them is drying, before I photograph them. I'm still working on the beach scene of my dad and I and attempting to have in finished in about two weeks. Its getting better but there is still so much to do. Hopefully tomorrow or at least by thursday I will have photographs of new paintings to post!

Something Different

Recently, my mom came to me wanting some paintings for her spare bedroom. She wanted something simple that would go with the color scheme of the room. So, we went out with paint samples of color found in the room. I then, went into my studio and had some fun! I've been wanting to do some modern pieces like this for quite some time but just didn't have an idea of what to do exactly. So, I just played around with some ideas. I used water in order to wet the canvas and get the paint to dip more than usual. I wanted the green to drip, the brown to be solid and the cream to be feathery. With the cream, I created these flower-like shapes that feathered into the canvas and other colors. Later, I laid the canvas on the floor and drizzled, dripped, and splattered the blue and cream paint over the canvas. I really like how they turned out and I had a lot of fun doing them. They are now hanging in my mother's house. I have some other ideas of some similar modern paintings, so if anyone wants any, just let me know!

Oh, I don't have any official names for these yet, but I'm working on it!

Mosaic Table

Well, believe it or not, I have been working on projects recently like a true artist. This summer I was given a small table that needed a little love. I decided to try something that I have never done before. I went and got some tiles from my local hardware store and then proceeded to smash them to bits. After a lot of hammer-swinging, sweat, and a little blood I had the perfect size tiles for my table. I stained the wood with a dark stain color that went well with the tiles that I had picked out. I used an old mirror that I had and placed it in the center of the table. Then little by little I spread my adhesive and placed my tiles. I also used a mocha colored grout that enhanced the tiles and the darkness of the stained wood. On the side of the table, the grout got a little messy. I think that I have come up with a way to fix this for the next time around so that it could be cleaner and more professional. Overall, I really enjoy this piece and I hope to do more like it.

Michigan

Well, I graduated from Grace College with my degree in Graphic Design and Drawing/Painting. Now I have moved with my husband to Michigan and am trying to find a job and some exhibits to enter. I did enter three of my pieces into a festival exhibition taking place this coming weekend. Unfortunately none of pieces were selected. The juror seemed to have a liked a different style and I noticed that where one artist's piece was selected, all were selected. I plan to go back to the Art Council office and see if there are any more exhibitions coming up and I hope to enter. I have been trying to work on some of my pieces that I did not finish while in school.
That's an update on me and my work. I hope to have more information and pieces soon!

Playing Around

Well, I did actually finish this painting by my own due date that I set. It was finished Sunday night and I photographed it Monday. I just haven't had time to post it until now. Its been such a crazy week! I really like it though, it turned out well. It is taken from a photographed of my two of my cousin when they were younger. i got permission from my aunt to paint it but none of my family has seen it yet. I hope they all like it!

Other news...I got my big untitled beach scene into the Fort Wayne Museum of Art Student Show. I delivered last night and the event is tonight. I'm really excited! Although it did take about a half hour or more just to get it into my husband's car. I'm looking forward to getting my work out there and seeing what other students are doing in this area of the states.

Well, back to more painting!!

Painting Days...

So, I just wrote out a forever long entry. Something that has been playing on my mind for days and weeks to be honest. Something that has been distracting me from my art. I think now its off my chest though. Just typing it helped. I'm hoping that now I get focused and finish things.

I'm almost done with my watercolor painting. It will be a surprise for my dad's family. I haven't told any of them what I'm painting but I think they'll love it! After painting the photo of my mother's parents I thought it only fair to do something for the other side. Plus when I saw this photo I was inspired and asked my aunt for permission to paint it. Its pretty grand already!

I got a little work done on my oil paintings todays. Not as far as I wanted to, but it was just one of those days. I got bittersweet news today and after that it was hard to go in and paint without welling up. So, if not Wednesday, then Thursday shall be the day for working!

Here's my goal... by Sunday evening, I want to have the watercolor finished and hopefully posted. By the last week in April, I want to have both oil paintings finished and hopefully posted as well. We'll see. I think I can do it. Hopefully I can still get all my graphic design work done too. Since I kind of need to finish that too in order to graduate.

Paintings days...

...working...

Well, still no new paintings to posts on here. But I'm trying to work on some things and get them done soon. I've one painting in process and another that I just want to start. I just picked a new canvas this week so once I get the image drawn out I'll be starting that. I'm anxious to get them both done, it just finding the time to do them that's difficult.

I'm hoping once I finish a few things tomorrow afternoon I can paint for a good part of the evening. I'll have to just really get focused tomorrow and not let anything distract me. Except for maybe some lunch and dinner!

The Honeywell Reception went well. I didn't know that they were going to call us up front to get our rewards. As soon as I found out I started shaking a bit. It was fine just a little nerve-racking. Of course they pronounced my name wrong but I got over it quickly. I better get used to that I supposed, but I'm still not even used to being called by that name when it is pronounced correctly.

Wishing I had Adobe Illustrator on my Mac right about now. It would make so many things so much easier! And I would probably have more time during the day to paint if I didn't have to always be going to the Mac Lab. Oh well, someday maybe. :)

an update...

Well, I don't have any new pieces to post yet. Although, I am working on one currently and I just got permission from someone to take a few photos and paint them. Now I just need the right size canvas to complete the idea in my head! I can't wait to get started though.

I have been up writing a paper that was due last week. It slipped my mind, but the prof is cool enough to be forgiving to all of us who still haven't turned it in yet...no I'm not the only one. I'm writing about the different styles of Michelangelo, Donatello, Verrocchio and Gianlorenzo Bernini and how they used that style to create their own unique sculptures of David. I'm pretty excited about it but I won't go into details now.

The senior show went extremely well. It was a packed house but that was alright for all of us that were in the show. We had fun and enjoyed to talking to people who came to see our work. I'm itching to be in more shows now! Looking forward to the Honeywell Reception next week and planning to enter a few more shows in the upcoming weeks/months!

Spring Break is next week and I'm hoping to get a lot of work done. Maybe in a couple of weeks I'll have at least one more work to post and show to everyone!

Nine County Art Show

This painting placed second in the painting category for the Nine County Art Show at the Honeywell Center. I'm so excited to have gotten it in and to have won second place with it!

My class travelled down yesterday to check out the show since three of us got in and won. Plus, two of our profs got in and a few alumni, so it was pretty exciting. The Center is pretty amazing but I wish there was better lighting on our pieces. I won't complain too much though!

Its been a pretty exciting couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to the Senior Show in about two days time!

Here With You

This is a watercolor painting that I just finished entitled, 'Here With You.' It is of my grandparents while they were at the Grand Canyon. My parents used to live in Arizona and this is of one time when they came out to visit. It is approximately 12x17.

It was kind of hard at times to paint since my grandpa has been gone for eleven years now. It wasn't easily to keep looking at his picture knowing that I won't get to see his reaction to my painting. And unfortunately, he has never seen or will see what I can do with paint, a brush and a canvas.

This painting, I finished in time for my senior show and it is up in the gallery now.

Game Day

This black conte drawing is titled "Game Day." This was a still life that I set up to draw a while ago. Its another of my favorites. It will also be in my senior show. It probably seems like there is a ton going in but really there are only six pieces that I'm entering. This is also on 24x18 size drawing paper.

Broken

This red conte drawing was a still life that I did in one of my classes. It is a 24x18 size drawing and is one of my favorites. It will also be in my senior show along with the two paintings that I posted in the last few days.

Untitled

This painting I just recently finished. It is Untitled as of now because I couldn't decide on a name. I used a photo for this painting that was taken by a friend on a mission trip to Thailand, from whom I got permission to paint. It is an oil on canvas and the canvas is large and square. I believe it is 42x42. This also will be in my senior show that is coming up.

Oh and I think that I forgot to mention that the painting "Looking Ahead" was based on a photo I took at Lake Michigan of some friends.

Now that I think about it, I probably should have posted some of my older work first. One, to show how I've improved and two, to raise the anticipation for my new work and save the good stuff for last! Oh well, I guess. I have a few new things still left to the imagination and I'll save those for a little later!

Love Remains

The title of this painting is 'Love Remains.' It is 24x18 size oil on canvas rendered in the same style as my previous painting.

I took this photo at Lake Michigan and i really enjoyed this couple walking on the beach. The seemed to really be in love and were walking up and down the beach holding hands. Then every once in awhile, they would stop and the man would pick up stones and skip them across the water. I could never do that, so I was a little impressed. haha

This painting will be in my Senior Show coming up. Hopefully I'll be able to enter it in more shows later.

Looking Ahead

Well, I just finished setting this up, and I'm hoping to start getting all of my photos up of my work. Hopefully, by the time I get up everything that I have I'll also have finished more to put on here. This image is a painting that I finished in the fall. I just entered into the Nine County Art Exhibit at the Honeywell Center in Wabash. I got a second place award in the painting category for it. I'm very excited to have gotten it in and to have had it win!

I like to keep the figures strong in my paintings. It is study of light, where the yellow ochre of the under-painting shows through in certain areas of the water, sky and sand. The title of this painting is "Looking Ahead." It is done in oils on an 18x24 canvas.

More paintings and things to come!