and a...

merry christmas to you! 

day 10 - and i'm done!

commission, 16"x20", pastel on illustration board

this is actually the 10th and last piece of my countdown! yes, i know that i said there would be "12". but, during the twelve days, two of the project deadlines ended up being pushed back until after christmas (thankfully!). i started them, but eventually saw no need to push myself and finish when i didn't have to (save the countdown). i'm sorry to disappoint if you were actually following the countdown. but, thankful that i had a little more time to go christmas shopping and take care of things before tomorrow that i wouldn't have been able to otherwise. i'll post the belated two later on. thanks for following!

day 9 (ish) - longhorns

commission, 30"x60", acrylic on canvas

the longhorns. 

there are still some details that i want to change up in this piece. specifically concerning that far right cow, the background, and the grass. but, i thought i'd go ahead and give the longhorns a post, drink my mountain dew, and then call it an early night (mt. dew doesn't have much of an effect on me). good night!

day 8

commission, pencil on illustration board

detail of a portrait that i'm in the process of finishing up. 

day 7 - back in the saddle

commission, 2'x6', acrylic on canvas

i just wrapped this piece up earlier this evening and even got to go out for mexican food afterwards. chuy's chips and queso. so nice. and day 7 is now really day 7 again! this is the final piece in the healthcare project. that feels so good to type. now onward - to the longhorns...

 

reworkage

   triptych, 3'x6', acrylic on canvas

i wasn't totally satisfied with how this piece was looking when i posted it a couple of days ago. i didn't feel like the colors were working great with the overall color scheme of the project. i also felt like it needed more texture and was lacking in a meatiness that i was struggling to pinpoint. so, i reworked it a bit this morning.  i'm feeling better about it now, i think. 

*disclaimer - photos taken inside under globe light again

day 6 (a little late)

commission. 2'x6', acrylic on canvas.

it's thursday morning and super-drizzly outside, so i had to take another rough indoors shot. this is the fourth healthcare piece.

notice the tree skirt that i "made" (aka: a white fitted t-shirt sheet). at least he's not bare now. also, notice the two presents under the tree. those are for me. i have been advised not to creep on them, though. hence, i am not allowed to do any type of poking on the presents. realistically, michael is at work today. i could poke all i wanted and he would never know. but, i won't. i did give him my word, and i really do like to be surprised. it has also been suggested that i remove my glasses this afternoon when fedex comes to the door to deliver another package. that way i will not be able to read the return address on the box. 

day 5 on 6

commission. 20"x48", acrylic on canvas

a day late. i'm blaming it all on the icy weather we've been having here in dallas. i'm working on day 6 right now and will try to give it a post later tonight. 

day 4

                   triptych, 3'x6', acrylic on canvas 

a super rough photo taken inside at night underneath an overhead globe light. this is the third healthcare piece that will hang amongst the others. honestly, i don't know what i think of this one yet. i really haven't stepped back to look at it much until now. it is helpful for me to see it on the screen and think about it for a bit, although the colors look somewhat different in person - a little less saturated. 

day 3

3'x4', acrylic on canvas

this is the second of five pieces that i'm working on for the healthcare project that i wrote about earlier. it will be hanging in the same newly re-modeled office as the piece down below. three more to follow soon...

AND many many thanks to jason and his wife, joy, for building an outrageous number of wooden canvas frames for me over the last couple of months. they are not woodsmen/women by day (although they could be because they have impeccable woodworking skills), but have been so kind to help me out by building a number of custom frame sizes, many of which do not exist in an art store. they have been a huge help to me. not only is the construction quite time consuming, but it takes skills. carpentry skills that i do not possess. thank you so much, jason and joy! i really appreciate you. 

day number 2

commissioned triptych. 3'x6' (when all three hang together), acrylic on canvas

this is the finished piece created from the samplings that i wrote about a few posts ago. the color isn't great because i had to take the photos inside (as you can tell by looking at our little bare bottomed faux tree. i keep intending to make a skirt for him...).

day number two in the attempt and still going strong. 

12 days 'til christmas

11"x15" commission, charcoal on illustration board 

it is a busy time for me right now and for that i am very thankful!  today i realized that it is the 12th of december. and upon realizing it is the 12th of december, i also realized that i have 12 commissioned pieces to be completed by christmas eve. yes, 12. yes, i am feeling a bit overwhelmed. but, at the same time truly glad to be so busy. in all fairness, i did get a head start earlier this week on a few of the pieces. the first one is posted above. it is a house portrait created to be given as a christmas gift. 

so, i thought i'd attempt to do a countdown every day until christmas eve by posting each new piece as it is completed. *note* - i will attempt...

happy 12th of december to you!

two gray cats

two gray cats (and the birds that taunt them).   commissioned pieces created on 8"x10" canvas using acrylic paint, ink and paper.

samplings

these are three little sketch-painting samples within a series of eight that are being presented for possible use in a healthcare makeover project. if you line them up side by side, they all flow together. each sample is only about 4"x6" on  paper. the final pieces will be 2'x3' on canvas and painted with lots more density and texture. 

tagged. i'm it!

i am so honored to have been "tagged" by illustrator, vanessa brantley newton at oohlaladesignstudio.blogspot.com. she really is an amazing artist and i love looking at her work. i wish that i had her imagination. you should definitely take a trip over to her blog and look at all of her fun and inspiring illustrations. i am normally horrible at following through with tags and chain e-mails (you could actually add that to my list as number 8), but i was so honored that vanessa would think to tag me, i wanted to do it. AND i want to see how those friends that i tag might answer as well. i can only imagine. they are each very unique and special and funny and i certainly like them:

kelly: abouttheharps.blogspot.com

jen: patrickandjenhaney.blogspot.com

robin: robinfeathers.blogspot.com

marci: timandmarci.blogspot.com

meridith: lifenotforbreakfast.blogspot.com

virginie: therantreturned.blogspot.com

christy: abouttheogdens.blogspot.com

here are the rules:

1. link the tagger and post the rules

2. post 7 random facts about yourself

3. tag 7 friends and link to them

4. let them know they have been tagged by leaving a nice little message on their blog

so, here are 7 random facts you might not know about me:

1. i love to eat pure-sugar sweets like rock candy (or just pure sugar by the spoonful).

2. i visualize numbers in color (ie: "5" is sky blue, "6" is pink, "7" is yellow, etc...).

3. i would like to live in london again one day.

4. i've always wanted to write and illustrate at least one children's book.

5. i haven't eaten at taco bell since 1988.

6. i'm fascinated by the local restaurant, egg roll hut (see visual above), but have never been inside. i doubt i ever will. i took that photo one afternoon.

7. i loved watching "little house on the prairie" when i was small and still compare my circumstances to laura ingalls wilder when i think times are tough. just think of how tough laura had it out on the prairie...

alright, be tagged! 

what i worked on today

commissioned portrait in pastel/conte, 18"x24"

i tried to take several quick photos by sunlight as i worked on this little guy. there are a few details that i need to tweak before finishing. i'll try to post a better image with good lighting once it's complete. 

never made the cut...

i never did get around to posting several of the pieces that i created in preparation for the art show last month. so, tonight i thought i'd pay tribute to some of those that never made the cut. you can see these and more if you'd like, in my online store: darrahdeangooden.bigcartel.com.

a good night to you!

treasury

thanks so much to ARThiel for including this portrait in her "treasury" on etsy. a treasury basically features and promotes different artists work. ARThiel picked several portraits and grouped them together to be featured. i am honored to be a part! click here to view them all. 

ps: the listing will expire in 3 days. 

an octopus

8"x8", black ink on paper

a friend of mine asked me to draw this octopus. she is planning on turning it into a tattoo. i can't take the credit for it, as she gave me pictures to work from. but, i think it's an interesting image and had fun creating it. so, i thought i'd give it a post! my favorite parts are the multi-circular suction cups (or whatever they might be called). 

glitterati +

25x48x1.5  acrylic/paper on canvas

this week i've been wrapping things up in preparation for two art shows. one is this thursday night in tyler at a private residence. if you are in tyler and interested in coming, please e-mail me for directions: darrah@darrahdean.com. i'd be glad to get to meet you. 

the second show is this sunday afternoon at the tiferet israel synagogue in dallas. it's called the "glitterati holiday boutique".  it's put on by the altrusa club of dallas, and a percentage of all sales are given to the service organization. it is my first year to be a part of the glitterati, but it looks like there will be lots of unique and creative vendors there.  i'm quite curious to see for myself. click here to see more details about the event. 

perhaps i shall see you at one of the two!

mmMMMmoooooooOOOOOOOOOoooo!

48"x61"x2.5", acrylic on canvas

such funny creatures...

all bark. no bite.

3'x4', acrylic on canvas 

untitled

just experimenting with an idea in my head. 4'x4', acrylic, paper, and thread on unprimed canvas. i'm planning on adding some more threads...at least.