New work...

I usually work on my pencils in the evenings, so they take me a while to get done. This is a rancher from South Dakota that I photographed during a cattle drive. This horse's eyes never left the cows or strayed from the job at hand. You can't put a price on a horse like that.
This is a commission that I finished last week. This birdhouse is in a neighbor's yard and I have wanted to paint it for some time. I loved placing the yellows in contrast to each other. I call this one House Hunting. It is oil on canvas.

Chickadee

This is a commission that I have been working on. You have no idea how hard it is to paint a snowy scene when the sun is shining outside and it is 75 degrees! I have all kinds of reference outside my window. There are chickadees, goldfinches, woodpeckers and orioles everywhere. We even have a deer and two fawns that come every day to the feeder. The larger of the two fawns has found a taste for my tomatoes unfortunately and I end up running them off every morning.
I will post as often as I can, but I have broken two ribs recently and have not been able to sit for long periods of time. So when I am not painting, I am researching my reference for more paintings. So hopefully I will be able to post more as I heal up.

Venturing Out

Finished! Now on to the next...

Tuckered

This is my second time to paint this puppy. My friend's Golden Retrievers had 11 pups and the reference I got from them was invaluable! I took the photo of the sleeping puppy and put him on a quilt that my mother gave me. The colors blend together and have a soft dreamy feel. I have had this one in the works for almost two years...I don't know why it took me so long to finish it. I hope you like it.

Multitasking!

It has been said that women are separated from men by our ability to multitask. Well, I am not sure that is true, but I do know that it is a talent I possess. When I was working in college, I could study, watch TV, and read a required paper all at the same time. Well, I am at it again...I have an oil painting, a pastel and a pencil going all at the same time. A first for me. Although my studio is not really set up to do oils and pastels at the same time, I am trying my best to make it work.

"Venturing Out-Raccoons" Oil on board

This is an 8x10 oil commission. It is about 10 hours from being done. This has been a lot of fun for me as I have never done wood textures to this extent in oil. It has been a frustration and a thrill at the same time! I call it Venturing Out, it seems that these two small raccoons are on their first trip out of the den. They have all the excitement and reservations in their expressions.

"Untitled-Golden Retriever Puppy" Pastel on Board

This is a pastel of a friend of mine's Golden Retriever puppy. I photographed her entire litter, but the best pictures I got were from when they were asleep. All the tough stuff is done on this, I just need to finish the back of the puppy and the quilt. It should be done in the next two days.

"Ready, Willing, and Able" Graphite

Pencils by far are my favorite medium. It is the medium I learned to be an artist with. The only thing about graphite that is unfortunate is the time. A pencil takes me twice as long as a pastel or an oil. Yet most customers don't recognize this time commitment and rarely pay an artist for a graphite painting what is deserved. Even though color can romance the eye, just take a moment and look closely at a graphite or scratch board drawing...I challenge you not to be impressed by the amount of layering and detail it takes. Just look at the works of Terry Miller and Paula Waterman's black and white work and you will see it done in the best light.

I have played with all kinds of pencils and techniques but I have recently fallen in love with Cretacolors Nero pencils. They are a mixture of charcoal and wax, they act just like graphite, but have a dark rich quality I just love!!! I hope to have this done by the end of the week, but...there is a lot to do with it. I paint with the pastels and oils during the day, and while my hubby and I watch the Olympics in the evening, I work on this piece. I will post as I finish each.