Tuxie - Pencil Puprait

I think this is one of my favorites! This is a puptrait (portrait, I really couldn't resist, I like messing around with words) ....anyway... a puptrait of a puppy I had many years ago. Her momma was Betsy, a beagle I rescued from the Az Humane Society who we bred with an AKC beagle named Billy and they had 6 adorable little puppies, Fritzie, GiGi, Tuxie, Bailey, Barney and I don't remember the others names. We kept GiGi and Tuxie and gave the others away. A few months later our gate was blown open in a storm and Betsy and Tuxie got out and were hit by a car. It was one of the worst days of my life. The neighbors who had Fritzie felt bad and gave him back to us so GiGi wouldn't be alone. Tuxie's belly looked just like she had a tuxedo on thus the name, she was a very fiesty girl. I drew this in pencil and it's ACEO size (2.5x3.5). SOLD

Manga drawing for a greeting card

I did this for a young woman at work who's leaving for college soon. I see her dipping into the donut samples frequently so this is how I drew her. It was sketched in Photoshop. Why I didn't color it??!?

onion picking

I'm not real sure why she's picking an onion, kinda like she doesn't want anyone to know. oh well, it was fun.

ahh some fun things

I'm just waiting for my cherries painting to dry a smidge in some areas so I can continue to paint and while I'm waiting I thot I'd post a sketch I just did. I did it entirely in photoshop. I do sketches almost everynight on paper but I thought it would be easier to post if I did it on the computer. I mostly want an online journal of my sketches to see where I'm going. When I do them on paper they tend to end up in many notepads, church bulletin, envelopes or whatever. I'll try to do this more often. If the Lord is willing I will illustrate children's books one day. I have lots of practicing to do yet and still working on my portfolio project for that.

What's up right now?

Yum! Some delicious rainier cherries. I set up a "live" still life for this one. The cherries are so pretty ... and delicious! I love the way they seem to glow from within. I love to contemplate the varying aspects of nature and the way God created some things with this glowing quality, the reflection of the cherries on the table, and so many other aspects that God did not need to instill in each thing that He allows us to view.

I'm obviously not anywhere close to being done with this. At this point I have to wait till some of the paint dries more so I can add more paint and do a little glazing. I guess I'll have to eat my still life display.......okay, that sounds good!

Charcoal Portrait

Sweet, sweet, sweet little girls! This is a recent charcoal portrait I was commissioned to do for Mother's Day. I used a reference photo from the client. I would love to have shot the photos myself (they are such cute girls with wonderful personalities) but this was a surprise gift to their mom and surely one of them would have spilled the beans! 11"x14" Charcoal on MiTientes paper

Mushroom

5"x7"
Oil on canvas panel

I'm going to give a shot at painting at least every couple days again, little "practice" paintings. Here's the first, for the second time. I have to admit...mushrooms are probably the most difficult thing to paint! They don't have reflected light on them since they are so dull/mat/dense and if they are fresh, that little area underneath is bright white! Usually things under something are darker so to make it appear to have some sort of depth it's tricky. I should probably practice another one sometime. A great lesson for me!

Rahab's Hope

16" x 20"
Acrylic on stretched canvas

This is my first attempt at a painting that's contemporary and using acrylics. (Please ignore the wavy edge on the wall, it's not like that on the painting but rather my distorted photo-taking abilities, then I went into photoshop to adjust the perspective of the canvas but the whole thing got tweaked.)

This painting is of the wall of Jericho with the window of Rahab who let down the spies and was told to hang a red cord out her window so she and her family would be spared when the Israelites attacked them (read Joshua chapters 2 and 6...in the Bible). It represents the hope we have in the blood of Jesus, hope of salvation, a new life, life itself, forgiveness (Rahab was a prostitute). The branch at the bottom right is the offer of new life extended to us when we hold onto the blood of Jesus (the red cord). I got the idea for this at church one Sunday.

It will be on display and for sale this coming Friday (July 3rd) at First Friday's in downtown Phoenix from 6-9pm. My rep is Kristi Vater with Divine Art Connections (www.divineartconnections.com) and most all of the art she represents is abstract. She is just launching her new business with a booth near 6th Street and Garfield at First Friday's although she says there is no guarantee she will get this exact location. I won't be able to be there as I will be working my part time job. ;-( If you have never been to First Friday's let me warn you...it is a show....not just art, crafts and music but just watching the people that go...they are works of art too...ALL kinds of people go.....well, I won't say anymore. Just go at least once in your life. It's open year round.

Cookie Series - Chanukah

I'm starting a series of cookie art. I love cookies. Yum! Besides Mexican food, there's going to be LOTS of cookies in heaven. ;o) This is the first, a pretty (and yummy) cutout cookie that I bought at the bakery. I still haven't eaten it yet......

This was painted in oils, it's 5 x 7 on canvas panel.
NFS

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Saviour Jesus. We also celebrate Chanukah. It reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the world.