Curtain Call

 30 x 40"

sold

I finished this tulip painting today. The flower that is peekaboo-ing open was the hardest, probably because I fretted over it being perfect as a natural focal point. I am already getting anxious to be in the flower gardens next spring, photographing new tulips for new paintings.

Here is a photograph showing the beginnings of the peekaboo flower. 

I'm working on a big one: 30x40". Yesterday I sketched out the darks and background blossoms; today I'm filling in the middle blossoms and greenery. It snowed this morning. It finally feels like Christmas.

Birthday Girl

6x6" oil

just sold

I enjoy paintings of food. Lighting makes food look better than it really is, and cupcakes are no exception. I just want to stick my finger in this frosting. I may have jumped on the cupcake bandwagon just a bit...there seem to be so many cupcake paintings on the market recently, but they are just so darn cute. Thanks to Lindsey Peterson for baking and frosting this one for me - I found her at the Provo Farmer's Market selling her gourmet cupcakes and they were just right.

Kaytlind

16 x 20" oil

sold

This is a favorite color scheme. I'd like to do more paintings of this patch of flowers. I can remember how warm it was the day I photographed these - the sky was an impossible blue. Today, it was windy and 28 degrees. It's December in Utah! To my dear friends the B's who are getting this painting: Merry Christmas, and I am so happy you had a good 2011.

This 16x20" oil painting needs to be done ASAP for a Christmas client. I love the pastels. Tomorrow I will mix the greens and work some more.

5 New Paintings

Today I finished the last of 5 new paintings. My lab, Buttercup, is the model. It is fun for me to share paintings of her with other art and dog lovers. I threw in a chicken painting. The painting is of my old chickens. They were little rascals about staying out of my flower beds and vegetable garden, but their eggs were sure tasty.

Walkie
6x6" oil

sold

Zen
6x6" oil

sold

Come
6x6" oil

sold

Tweet

6x6" oil
sold

3 French Hens
6x6" oil

sold

Little Dogs for the Holiday Boutique Show

For the last few years, I have participated in a holiday boutique show at Alpine Art in which my little 6x6" dog paintings are for sale. The paintings are due at the gallery next week so I've been busy getting the little pieces finished. I have a couple more I'd like to do tomorrow and Monday.

This photo above shows a preview of Zen. My dog will face the sun while sitting up and close her eyes. It's hillarious.

Holiday II

12 x 16" oil

sold

I love these colors. I'm so glad I took a lot of photos of this flower bed on this particular evening when the light was strong and the blossoms were full. White tulips have every color in them. 

Holiday II: Part I

Today I began a new painting, my first painting in a new series of work. I've returned from a week off after finishing my pieces in last week's art show. Being back in the studio was great. I really do belong there.
I took some pictures along the way today and here they are:

It is 12 x 16": small for one of my tulip paintings.

Zions Bank 14th Annual Artists' Reception

Many thanks to Zions Bank and to those that made it out to my show tonight. I had a successful evening. I was happy to begin a relationship with some new collectors, and it was rewarding to see old collectors again and send them home with their newest Cristall Harper original.  I am blessed to be able to do what I love.

The weather yesterday was horrendous. Yesterday was my assigned time slot to load up my art and travel to SLC to set up my space. The highlights were: getting the paintings loaded into the car in the rain, pulling over on the freeway in the blow-me-over wind to re-secure the protective plastic covering my lights in the back of the truck, driving on the freeway in rain and snow next to semi trucks, and navigating downtown SLC construction to find the artist loading zone. Thanks goodness for a helpful husband and Zions Bank volunteers. They were wonderful.

It's time to begin again on my next series of work. I am excited - it's like getting a new book and turning the first page. Art is great.

Harvest

30 x 45" oils

sold

This painting, Harvest, will hang in my upcoming show on November 2nd. I like the title for this piece and the expanse the word gives to the field of flowers. This is my largest tulip painting to date. It was great fun and a great challenge to paint. Enjoy the photos below showing the progress over many, many hours and days.

This is one of a few palettes used, scraped clean, and reused during the process.

I will be replacing some now-worn-out brushes and buying more oil paint this week. It's amazing how fast I burn through those supplies. At the completion of a large body of work, it's also satisfying to take inventory, order what I'm short on, give the studio a good vacuuming, and set-up for my next series.

And this photo shows the scale of the finished painting (catching glare from my windows).



Mademoiselles

18 x 18"

oil

sold

This shabby chic painting would look great in a girl's room. I pressed lace into the background paint before it was completely dry and then glazed a darker paint into the pattern so it would show up. See the detail shots below of how it turned out. Click on them to make them larger.

Mali

5x7"

oil

sold at the Mali Rising Foundation dinner auction 

Last year's painting I did for the fundraiser was similar to this piece. I like this year that my subject is older and in the sunlight. I love that head wrap and her beaded necklace. This one is hard to give away.