anemones (ah-nem-oh-knees)

i created this piece just for the joy. and for the blank walls.  i have been living in my house since september and have just recently started hanging things on the walls. i would prefer to hang other artists work, but haven't started collecting yet. anyone out there want to make a trade?

(more) fun with birds!

well, i seem to be on a bird kick lately! it's interesting to me, because i'm really not even that fascinated with birds in real-life. i don't dislike them, they just don't capture my attention in the same way that illustrated birds do as of late. illustrated birds seem to be the trendy thing in design these days. i suppose that is the reason why i've been so inspired.

*collage and acrylic paint on 30"x15" canvas

what i'm working on today...

this is a little commissioned piece that i've been playing around with lately. it is a wedding gift. i met with the bride and she gave me photos to work from. it only measures one foot by one foot, but it's been a bit of a challenge for me. sometimes when i draw/paint portraits i am able to capture personalities and faces more quickly than others. this one is more of an "others". i left it alone for a while in hopes that i would be able to discern its finality. i'm still contemplating it this morning...

a plug

just a quick side note entry to promote my husband's band, SHAPES STARS MAKE. they just finished creating a new cd and are having their release party this saturday night at sons of hermann hall here in dallas. so, if you're reading this and you're in the area, come on out! it should be a good time! you can find more info about the show and the band by going to their website and/or blog.

p.s.: my husband, michael, is the standing yellow-haired bear...yep, that is the one that i love! i'm so proud of him.

nest

bits and pieces of trash found around the design studio were recycled on a whim to create this piece. i like to call it "nest". 

bits include: chicken wire, pink wire, thread, ribbon, newspaper, packing shreds, purple moss, safety pins, faux leaves, black bird feathers, white-out tape

the piece is actually framed in an old black frame that i spray painted from gold. i just didn't snap a great picture of the frame to post. i'll put all of it up on etsy in just a bit.

a good day to you!

beginning to end

the above photos document my progress on a commissioned piece that i've been working on for a client in tyler. she has a blank wall in her dining room in need of some art. she gave me a swatch of fabric that the dining room chairs are covered in for inspiration and lots of photos of her friends and family that we decided to include in the piece. because the photos i was given to work from were primarily smiling faces from the shoulders up,  i had to get a little creative with the bodies and clothes (i do hope that they like what they're wearing!). 

this piece was different than any other that i've created before because i used paper collage, acrylic paint AND oil pastel all in one.  it was also a stretch for me because i'm used to drawing/painting realistic portraits. i've trained myself to work until i get an exact likeness of the person i'm drawing. it was definitely a challenge for me not to concentrate too much on facial detail, but to go with more of an abstract representation of each person, experimenting with color and composition. 

the entire piece measures 7'x4' and is broken up into three canvases. 

and more pastels...

i'm still on an oil pastel kick (see posts above and below). here is one of my latest little pieces on canvas. i'm contemplating whether or not to add another color into the mix. my critics (friend and husband) have already told me to leave it alone. i'm trying. i'll post this one on etsy as well!