Radiance

18 x 24" original oil

commission

This is an alstromeria lily. When I was little, we had a big (like 30x30" in my memory) framed lily painting in our foyer. I remember sitting on the cool slate tile and looking up at that painting and trying to figure out the order of each brush stroke and how the artist was able to make the background flowers look out of focus the but center of the lily crisp and in focus where it looked like it was coming off the canvas. My dad was mesmerized by this lily painting. My mom enjoyed it too, but I mostly remember how much my dad loved it. I think this early experience with a flower painting was a big influence on my current career path. 

Enjoy looking through the photographs below. Now you can be a fly on my studio wall as I work. My friend DC (who is also the one who commissioned this painting) came over and took a bunch of photographs of her painting coming to life. Thanks for the commission DC and I really enjoyed how this one turned out.

If you are interested in commissioning your own painting, contact me by clicking here or you can also contact any of my galleries. Thanks! 

(The color temperature in the below photographs is not balanced due to my bright work light so close the the canvas, so the lily looks browner than it really is, FYI)

I love seeing the brushwork in the glare.

This zoom-in of the petal reminded DC of The Wave, a red-rock formation in Utah that is popular with hikers.

I mix and hold the new color to the reference photo to decide if it's too warm, cold, dark or light, or my favorite, just right.

DC liked how I had some quick notations written onto my table. When Pandora is on and I want to remember a track to buy later, I take notes.

This one stripe had three colors. It went from yellow-orange to a darker pink to a pinkish-green. The trick is to work into wet paint and change color, but make the line look unbroken.

The Chaco shot: best shoe ever.

This droplet was the hardest because it was the biggest one I was unable to use my pinky for leverage with (since the surrounding paint was all wet).

Again, I love the brushwork shown by the glare. Fi-yah!

Workin' on a Lily

detail of a commissioned 18x24" oil in progress

browns, reds, pinks, ochres, golds, blacks, and a hint of greens

I'm working on an 18x24" commission of an alstromeria lily. The person who commissioned it is the same person who took the photograph, and they took one awesome photograph. All of my favorite elements of strong back lighting and drama are there. There are even water drops. At first I shied away from them like the devil, but to make the commissioner happy I added a few, decided they weren't evil, and am adding most of them now. They are my favorite part. I take none of the credit! The commissioner saw from the get-go that they were the magic makers.
To paint a water droplet alla prima, work dark to light. Find the darkest color in the drop and paint the whole drop shape that dark. Add the medium highlight on the rim or center, then add the whitest highlight dot. Bam. One water droplet. More work on this tomorrow! Stay tuned. 

Best Friend

 17 x 17" original oil

available at Gallery MAR

In the last year I have done 22 dog paintings and they've all been 6x6". The small wrapped panels are cute, chubby, able to sit on a bookshelf or dresser top, and so collectible. I decided I'd like to see what a bigger doggie looked like, and I'm so happy with it. I love this painting because the 17x17" size exaggerates the perspective of the nose-first photograph. It is so loveable and quirky, just like my Buttercup. I see more in the future that are larger like this, but I will still continue the minis. I just want to kiss that face! 

Detail of "Best Friend": The brushwork is so fractured and crazy, but that's what I love about it, especially the color changes on the  muzzle and her whisker spots.

Buttercup loves it! She highly approves of all her portraits.

Mu

8 x 8" original oil

sold

May's wee eBay painting is Mu. I knew when I chose to use the Greek alphabet to name each of my 2013 eBay paintings it would be funny when I got to Mu. Next comes Nu. ha ha. Not every eBay painting gets a name as cool as Delta or Alpha. I can't wait for Omega. 

This painting is bright, cheery, PINK, and ready for someone's wall who needs a pick-me-up. My originals start at $250 so these little eBay auctions are a great deal with the opening bid at $100 and you are missing out if you let this one slip by!

Happy Spring. It's time for watermelon, flip flops, the smell of cut grass, and the twittering of birds. This painting reminds me of all those happy things.

a detail of the juicy color and brush strokes

Note that this painting is on 3/16" masonite and very easy to pop into a custom frame or table-top easel

Mazie

6 x 6" original oil

commission

 

This beautiful doggie is Mazie. A couple was shopping at Deseret Book in Orem and saw some of my tulip paintings in the original art gallery. They fell in love with my painting style and when they found out I also painted dogs, they contacted me and commissioned me to paint Mazie as a surprise for Father's Day. The wife's father has a love for animals, especially dogs, and Mazie is his baby. I am so excited for him to unwrap his Father's Day present and see his little portrait of Mazie! I just love painting dog portraits, so contact me if you're interested in one, too. 

 

I love Mazie's coloring. The black, white and siennas are so pretty together and provide such a high contrast. Her face looks a lot like my lab's face, and I love the short hair. She is just beautiful. 

 

The hardest part of this painting was her eyes. They are looking right at the viewer and there are so many little colors and reflections in them, and the fur around the eyes has so many changes. I dabbled in this area for a good hour to get it right. The thing about eyes is that you can't get just one right, you have to repeat and get two right, and get them looking in exactly the same direction. I love her little muzzle too, with the whiskers and black nose. In the reference photo she is sitting and leaning against a couch. My dog does that too and it's so funny how they'll lean to one side like a person. My favorite thing about Mazie's pose is that she is leaning to one side, so her shoulders are asymmetrical, balancing the tilt in her head and pronounced ears. 

 

Happy Father's Day to Mazie's dad!! It was my pleasure to do this little portrait of your baby. ;) 

 

a detail of Mazie's face showing all of those little brush strokes in an area only a few inches by a few inches