Tis the Season to Paint Houses

People love their pets. And I get that. Because I love mine too. This client wanted three of their dogs positioned near the home. Two fluffy ones on a bench on the porch and a beagle in the yard. I got the impression these dogs were owned sometime in the past and were being included as accessories, but beloved ones. Why did I think that? The quality of the photos of the pets was the main reason. They looked like old faded photographs from an album. Almost like a cell phone picture of a picture. You get the picture--not the best of quality. When I agree to include pets in house paintings I remind the client that I am only able to 'suggest' the animal due to size limitations. I think I'm spending too much time defending the two blobs of fluff I included in this painting. :)

11" x 14" oil on canvas

Lasting Memories

This is Mac, who lived to the ripe old age (for a dog), of 14 years. His owner, Ron, commissioned me to paint a picture of him after he passed away recently. Ron loved Mac very much and although he owned many other dogs, Mac was special. He thinks that might be because Mac was acquired after their children left the nest. I think we do spend more time with our pets when we're not busy raising children.  It's only natural that our animals might become like children too, especially if they are bright and energetic, as Border Collies tend to be. I own a Border-Collie mix and he is a sweet, yet determined boy who is fiercely loyal but too smart for his own good.

Ron did not have many good photos of Mac, so I used a combination of pictures to get the details right. He had one request that could only be accomplished by an artist-- remove the cataracts that clouded Mac's eyes in the last few years of his life. We know he's seeing clearly in Heaven so why not have those lovely bright eyes looking out at the world?

Mac 

11" x 14"

oil on canvas

Using Complements to Create Color

I have a collection of old photographs. Some are family and some are from various auctions where people seem willing to sell their family history for a song. I like the look of old photographs, especially silverprints. Many of the subjects who posed have a solemn, enigmatic gaze. The mouth is almost always closed because it's not easy to hold a smile for the length of time a box camera required. The edges are often blurred and there is a sense of mystery.

I admit to being fascinated by the fact that these people are gone, yet they lived and breathed and walked the earth and someone cared enough to make a record of a day in their life. Yet no one cared enough to save that piece of history.

These old photos have no copyright, they belong to no one but themselves; they are fair game for the artist who wants to practice her craft and experiment.

It's a challenge to create a color image from a black and white reference photo. I can think of only one way to do it and that is to use color theory. Decide on the color of the light-- in this instance I chose yellow and the color of the shadow will become it's complement: violet. Of course local color will affect the color of everything too but making a conscious decision about the color of the light in the beginning helps to speed the process.

I like to add some fun stuff in the background to make it more interesting when I can't see much of what is behind the subject.

11" x 14" oil on linen

Dr. Wright

I love art pottery

I buy "objets d'art" because they are beautiful and when I purchase them I am thinking about how wonderful they will look in my paintings too. Well, I am hoping anyway. I like original best. I like to pair them with organic objects like fruit. Complementary color schemes, analogous, doesn't matter.I like to paint and it's mostly about the process. If the painting looks nice when I'm done that's just a plus. The real reason I paint is because I enjoy it so much. It's almost like solving a puzzle- trying to get the pieces in the right place.

Avocado Dreams

12" x 16"

I love avocados... and avocado dip, so I always have them on hand.

A Winter Scene Can Really Enhance a House Portrait

This house is in a suburb of Buffalo, New York. The client originally wanted a fall theme but she provided me with two pictures of the house covered with snow. It was really impossible to guess on the color of mulch and the roof, so I painted it with snow and sent her the proof after realizing it was a very picturesque scene. She asked for the street sign to be added-- no problem, try doing THAT with a camera. It looks like a Christmas card now.

She was happy and so was I because I seldom paint snow scene.

Lamarck Ave - 11" x 14" Oil on Canvas

Some Dogs Have Personality Plus

Moose is an Old English Sheepdog. This painting will be presented to his owner as a Christmas gift. I can't say it enough- the key to a great painting of your pet is a great picture, which Moose's mom was able to provide. The multi-layered hair was a LOT of fun to paint.

16" x 12"

Moose

What to do when you are bored

I was stuck in a hotel room a few weeks ago and I don't really watch TV so I decided to paint a self portrait. It was pretty dark in the room but vanity lights over a mirror create surprisingly good light to work by. The problem was with the light behind me. It was difficult to see the colors I mixed so I stuck with a very limited palette to avoid making any garish colors.

The next morning when I took it outside to take a picture it was a lot better than I thought it would be. Maybe I should paint in the dark more often.

The Albert family

I have been working on this painting for a couple weeks. It's a commissioned piece for a friend of Jamie Hurley's. Two years ago Jamie had me create a really illogical painting of her being rescued by her boyfriend, who was riding a white horse and being aided by a giant Michigan Wolverine. A dragon and a castle were also included in the mix. Later Jamie married her boyfriend and I like to think my painting had a lot to do with that. Perhaps not. :)

Anyway, that's how I came to do this painting, which is a lot more traditional and showcases the couple's lovely home and even more lovely child. Plus their two dogs....one of which is paying attention and the other which is not.

18" x 24" oil on canvas

Ashley from our Painting Group

Everyone at the Hyter Group was in love with Ashley's long wavy hair. I give the girl a lot of credit - she showed up dressed as a cowgirl or something. Straw hat, cowboy boots and cute denim vest. I brought my pastels with me so I could be sure to get done in one two hour session.

Not sure of the likeness but I like the slightly pensive look that came out of this.

18" x 19.5"

The Model from Saturday's Group

I loved painting this model... she was beautiful and she held the pose so nicely. I love the painting I did too, and that is not always the case when you have two hours to paint someone.

Blue Pitcher with Pears

I need a break between large paintings sometimes so I set up a few pieces of fruit, which can always be found in the house of a perpetual dieter like myself. I add a piece of pottery for color, texture and contrast and arrange the composition into what i think are interesting shapes. I tackle the painting in the morning when I'm fresh and usually have an hour to work before I leave for work. When I get home I view the piece with fresh eyes and the paint is just dry enough to address some edges and tweak the values if I need to.

Painting from life is ALWAYS educational, not to mention fun.

6" x 8"

oil on Pintura Canvas ™

Another Look at a Previous Subject

As an artist, we realize there are numerous ways to present a picture or design of the image we want to share. A photographer has the option of changing f-stops and adjusting the white balance or shutter speed. A painter can easily move a tree, leave a figure out or even change the scene from fall to winter. It just takes a bit of thinking and the knowledge of how light changes as it falls on your subject.

I was recently asked to re-paint this scene of my friend Becca watering her plant. The client missed the opportunity to purchase the original because he waited too long. That one sold within a week of placing it in my on-line store. Initially, I refused, explaining to him that it's not very interesting to me to repaint a scene exactly as I have in the past and it's actually a bit boring. He then wrote me again a few weeks ago and asked if I might not reconsider. He had fallen in love with the image and he didn't want a print of the painting- he wanted an original. If I wanted to change some things and make it better that was OK with him.

So I agreed to do a "rework" under those conditions and I'm actually glad I did. This painting is the same size as the original: 11" x 14", but it differs in a few key ways. It is a cooler palette, with cobalt violet and ultramarine blue in the shadow areas instead of alizarin and ultramarine. I used a slightly cooler underpainting of asphaltum as well and the result is a quiet, harmonious painting with lovely golds and violets. I changed her arm so that she is pulling out a dead flower and raised her head slightly. The background is a made up assortment of interesting foliage that stays where it belongs-- in the background.

Becca Watering Plants

11" x 14"  sold

Some pears are better than others and then some foods are not good for you at all

We like the Anjou pears because they are versatile and ripen faster. I like to paint them because they are cute and compact. This 6" x 8" painting was done in an hour with a palette knife and the paint that was left on my palette after painting the one below it. So these two foods are kind of like "good" and "evil". Pears are healthy and green, hot dogs are red and artery clogging. Whatever... when you want to paint something food is always available and it comes in a multitude of colors, shapes and sizes. It is not about the subject to me; it is about the arrangement of shapes on the picture plane. Is it interesting or is it too static to be a good painting? I don't always know the answer until the painting is finished. And sometimes not even then...

I had a guy from the Russian Federation email me today asking why I didn't ship to their country. Basically he was saying that I should-- I lost a sale because I didn't. So I have amended my shipping exclusions at eBay Etsy and Bonanza. International sales are good and I needed to be reminded that we Americans are not the only consumers in the world. Two of my most recent sales were to Japanese collectors. It's a global economy!

What effect will the decline of the Euro have on American sales to foreign countries? I would think if the dollar is worth more our goods would become more expensive to people who use other currencies. THAT might not be a good thing.

ANJOU PEARS and ALL AMERICAN LUNCH