Creativity at its best

 So I've been quite busy lately working on some mixed medium pieces that I will post soon but for now I thought I would post some work I have recently been working on. Enjoy!

Paint munch

Hello all, Lately I've been playing with all sorts of creative mediums...paint, pen and ink, watercolor, and paper. I will be posting a lot more this month as I have had a lot of time to do work. Below are some paintings I have been working on.

The first image is of a face I just loved and sketched a while back from a picture I found. I finally did a painting of it.

 I was playing around on youtube looking up videos on art and found on a artist who use to be a forger and who now teaches people to paint like the old master artist. While watching his film he mentioned how a good way to learn and grow as an artist is to copy the old artist, so the image to the right is my beginning of copying a painting by Edward Hopper titled Barber Shop

This is a painting of poppies in a field with a hidden image. I plan to have this piece go along with my peeled acrylic series. It also is a work in progress.

Figurative work

 I'm excited to say that I have been accepted to participate in the Art at the Arnold this year. Last year I went to the Arnold Classic to see the artist work and get a feel for it. There were some amazing artist there last year and there are several amazing artist who will be there this year. I'm super excited because this is my first time doing competition art other then street painting. Below are images of me practicing figure drawings because it's been about two year since I've done any of that kind of work.

Zebra painting is completed; plus two requested painting paintings of trains

You Might recall a few post ago me mentioning working on a painting of some zebras.... well the pieces is finally complete. I originally wanted it to go with the peeled acrylic collection I've been working on but after working on it a while I decided it would be better not to add the acrylic peel pieces. I am very happy with how it turned out. The image I referenced was one of a mother zebra in the background and her young-in' in front of her. My goal in this piece was to have the two blend together. It gives that feeling of continued connectedness.

A dear friend of mine has a three year old son who just loves trains. She requested that my sister and I make some paintings for her to put in his room of trains. (I have a twin sister who also is an artist). So to complete this project my sister and I decided to do something we never have done before expect when we do street painting... we worked on both pieces together, taking turns adding, adjusting, etc. both paintings. As an artist this is not an easy thing to do. Relinquishing control of your piece to another person to see them make changes.. and sometime changes you may not agree with. It was a fun process; luckily. We worked well together and encouraged each other to make adjustments and would give each other feedback. We are truly happy with the outcome and so was our friend who requested them.

The pleasures of Pastel

Currently I have been working on pieces using pastels. This has to be one my favorite mediums to work with. I like to use the chalk pastels both on traditional paper materials as well as on the ground. I recently just got back from participating in at Street painting festival where artist use chalk pastels to create paintings on the asphalt. Using the pastel medium on paper verse the ground are very different in some ways and they each pose there own set of challenges. I've included images of the work I've done on pastel board as well as a couple of  images of street paintings I've done. The postive about using pastel on a paper or a pastel board is that it last where as creating pieces on the ground  deteriate and are no more with in a few days. The other challenge with doing chalk on the ground is the wear and tear your hands take. The postives are the pleasure others get from seeing you work as well as seeing your work when you are done which they don't get the pleasure of doing when you are working in a studio at home. The other great thing about street painting  is the community it creates among artist who never knew each other prier to the event.

"Motherly Love"  $350











Easton Chalk Festival 2013

Easton Chalk Festival 2012













Illusion street painting

Sarasota Chalk Festival 2013

First Love

As an artist it's fun to try different mediums. I have always been one for stretching myself and trying new things when it comes to art. I've played with paper piecing, chalk pastel, acrylic paint, murals, glass, etc., yet I always come back to my first love.... drawing. It doesn't have to just be in pencil/ graphite drawings I also enjoy using pen too. While working on the acrylic paintings I have also been doing some drawing and sketches on the side as well as working on an illustrated character. Below you will find images mostly of animals as that has been my current focus and interest.

This is the beginnings of a portrait of my pet

This is a sketch in prep for the tiger painting you saw in the previous post.

This piece is an abstract Native American face

Simple abstract drawing

One more completed

I have completed one more painting in the 'acrylic peel' style. It is of a tiger and it too is fitting for a child's room. My goal is to do several different animals in their natural environment and I desire for each pieces to have a whimsical quality to them.

 $250 "The Eye of the Tiger"

I am currently working on a pieces with a slight twist. I'm doing a painting of a zebra but this time I'm not doing it in its natural color of black and white. I decided to add some color to it. I will post a pic to this post as soon as I get it completed.