Progression Of An Angel . . .

 

Is it really Friday already??  lol  I have been painting more girls this time an angel.  I didnt know she was an angel when I started out.  This girl was inspired by a sketch I did a long time ago.  I think I am going to keep looking through sketches that never made it to a canvas and paint them.  

When I began I quickly painted a grey background and then loosely sketched her out with graphite.  I am trying to not get caught up in the details.  

At this point I knew I wanted her to have copper hair.  I was a bit scared to just go with it but I tried to go bold!

When it came to the wings it was Lou who suggested the patina color.  I did NOT like it at first.  But something about the patina with the copper just worked.  I used a small bottle of golden fluid in bronze to drizzle detail onto the wings.  I also lightly wrote out the words that came to me "Angels Carry Hope On Their Wings" along the left side of the canvas.  

As you can see from the first image I added lots of scribble detail and used stamps for the words.  My favorite part is when it all seems to come together.  Even when you don't think it ever will.  

Sharing with Paint Party Friday!

I have a new girl in progress that I am excited to share soon!  So be sure to check back!  

xo

Love Just Shows Up :)

Every morning I make a chocolate drink for breakfast.  I use rice milk, unsweetened cacao powder, and sometimes a bit of hazelnut creamer.  I head it up just to warm and it is yummy!  I am not a coffee drinker so I like to think of this as my morning cup of joe!  lol

Yesterday when I was almost finished I happened to glance at the foam around the edge of my cup and low and behold there it was.  A heart!!  Sometimes its the small things.  

So I grabbed my iphone and snapped.  I couldn't resist!  I just love hearts and I love when they surprise me.  They show up where I least expect them.  And that is the best!  

Hope you find some love today in your part of the world!

xo

Painting My Girls And Going Bold !!

For those of you who have been following my blog for awhile you may already know how much I do not like painting faces.  I love to sketch faces but when it comes to painting them I get too anxious and I end up with a stiff neck from stressing out trying to be perfect!  Last week I saw a link someone posted on Facebook for an art video by artist Karrie Evenson.  I was not familiar with her or her work so I decided to check her out.  And boy am I glad I did!  Her work is amazing!  She has many videos up on youtube on acrylic painting.  She is all about being free and being bold in life and in your art.  One of the videos I watched was from her tv show "karrie on canvas".  She was painting a woman with wild hair.  

Watching her paint and not get all caught up in the perfection of it inspired me to give it a try and paint one of my girl sketches.  I am still on a black, white and red kick so I thought I would continue with that palette.  I went big and bold choosing a 16x20 canvas no less!  I added molding paste for texture.  The first image is how she started out.  I was so inspired that I took a small bottle of black craft paint and drizzled her hair on the canvas right out of the bottle.  Then I scratched into it.  I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it.  I decided to not get crazy with her face.  I drew on the face with my Stabilo pencil and smudged with a brush for the details.  She has no nose cause lets face it, they are really hard for me to paint!  lol  And besides, I kinda like her face this way.  

Here is the finished piece.  I just love her!!  Adding all the details was just super fun.  I used some new foam stamps for the words.  This piece has lots of texture.  I am so happy to have discovered Karrie and I hope you will visit her website.  I think  you will love her too!!  If you want to loosen up and be inspired be sure to check her out!  

I have even started a new large canvas with another girl, this time an angel.  I will share her soon!  She is almost finished!  

Sharing this piece over at Paint Party Friday.  

xo

Love Is Enough . . .

"love is enough"

mixed media on 12x24 wrapped canvas

available on etsy 

This is the first time I tried a 12x24 canvas and really love the size and rectangle shape.  I went shopping last week and bought canvases as well as some new foam alphabet stamps and a foam heart stamp which I used on this new piece.  As  you can see I am still on the black, white, and red kick!  I may be stuck there for a while.  There is just something about black and white.  And red just fits so well with it too.  I have been using pyrrole red instead of a crimson.  The pyrrole red is an orangy red which I like better with the black and white.  When I used crimson it looks like blood to me.  Weird I know!  Ick!  lol

I added lots of texture with scrapes into the paint and drizzling black and white in scribbles all over.  Love the foam stamps.  This time the words were in my head before the painting.  I added the lines around the words with a faber castell gelato.  Its water soluble but looks like a crayon when u first draw with it.  I liked the look of that.  I needed something around the words.  They looked so lost out there alone!

I like the graffiti feel of this piece.  Lately hearts and love are the main subject of my work.  I have been feeling very out of sorts these days.  Anxious to the point that nothing even looks the same or familiar to me.  I really hate feeling like this.  Hope it will pass soon.  In the meantime I will try to just paint and get out of my own head.  Not an easy task but a necessary one.  

Sharing with Paint Party Friday.  Is it really Friday again already???  

xo

My Girls Are Back

I startled myself when I reached for my sketchbook today.  It has been a long time.  Yes I have been doing some digital sketching, and mostly painting lately but old school pencil to paper sketching has not happened.  

I prepped a 16x20 canvas with molding paste today which prompted me to quickly sketch out this girl.  I plan to try and paint her on that canvas very loosely and with bright colors.  We will see how that goes!  Painting portraits even whimsical ones stress me out.  Silly I know.  lol

The words "she lives for love"  came to me as I finished this sketch.  And then the little heart on her face just seemed to fit.  I am loving her hair! It was my favorite part to draw in.  

I am sharing this lovely over at Sunday Sketches.  Be sure and stop by to see some great work!

I have a couple of new paintings to share. Been on a black and white kick lately.  I will share them this week!  xo

Love Never Dies . . .

"love never dies"

mixed media on 20x24 canvas

I am in love with this painting!  I have to say that it is my personal favorite of anything I have done thus far.  I used a limited palette of just black and white with some red.  There are a couple of other undone paintings underneath.  I just didnt like what was happening so I gessoed over it and started new.  

Here is the first new layer done with just foam brushes . . . 

I thought I would have trouble with all the space but I am getting used to painting larger.  I used mostly foam brushes and a palette knife.  My favorite part was adding the white drizzles!  

The words always seem to come to me as I paint.  And these words fit the piece perfectly.  Last night Lou hung it up on the wall in our living room.  It will be making its way to my etsy shop soon.  

I am sharing this piece over at Paint Party Friday.  Its always a great time over there!  

I am already planning another black and white piece similar to this except I am thinking a burst of yellow hearts this time!  I do love some yellow with grey. 

Now its time for some ice cream!  lol  

(seriously though, when is it NOT time for ice cream??)

xo

Anniversaries . . .

Our Wedding 

May 31, 2003

10 years seemed to fly by in a flash.  Lots of love, lots of loss, but through it all what was constant always was our love. 

Love is something that never dies, it transcends time and space, it lives on forever.  

This photo was my gift to Lou for our 10th wedding anniversary.  The lyrics are from our wedding song "At Last" by Etta James.  Always loved that song.  I found a nice antique looking pewter frame for it as 10 years is tin, pewter or aluminum.  I love to create my own gifts and had fun working on this image.  

Lou surprised me with concert tickets to see New Kids on the Block who are touring with Boys to Men and 98 Degrees.  I was in old school glory last night!!  Now I know for sure he really loves me . . . he sat through a boy band concert!! lol  

Yesterday also marked my 12th year cancer free!  Now if I could just let go of the fear I would be all good!   There is just no time for it anymore.  I am still working on it everyday.   

xo