"Hideaway"

A couple of weeks ago I finished a new painting, "Hideaway".  I've been going through a bit of a birdhouse phase with paintings, whether actually created or still brewing in my imagination so I decided to once again construct a little birdhouse that , this time has been tucked away in a patch of pink climatis and is home to small goldfinch.  I created this painting on a 10" x 10" gallery wrapped canvas.

Thanks to the wonders of photoshop and being lucky enough to live with someone who is skilled in using it, I was able to get the background taken away to offer this piece with a little more variety for art licensing.  Two designs for the price of one so to speak.

First, before I work on the canvas, I start with a sketch that I create on tracing paper.  Once I had my sky background painted in I was then able to trace the design onto the canvas with a minimum of erasing needed.

Here I've just started to get the bare bones of the design painted in.  Before I can work on shading and highlighting, there must be a base to work from.

Slowly and surely layers of color are built ..........

Until finally, an almost complete birdhouse has emerged on the canvas.

The same painstaking process starts with the flowers now, little by little I'm building the color until finally.....the finishing touches can be added.

At this point (and it always happens soooner or later) I either get lazy about taking more photos or I just plain forget and because of that, you will have to jump ahead and view the finished piece.   

This week I got a proof in the mail for my first ever note card and envelope set.  This is a picture of the card unfolded.  The image was cropped to fit a 4" x 6" format and on the back of the card I have all my contact information, website and title of the painting etc....  Really cool to finally see it in person this week and I'm looking forward to getting the box of these finished cards in the mail next week..  I'm starting to work on another batch as well as I know that if I start now, little by little, I will end up with a good supply of different designs in stock.  When we move I want to do craft shows and display paintings, tile trivets, note cards and tile murals created from my artwork.  Our big move is only 8 months away at this point and while we have a while to go yet, time flies by pretty fast and it will be here before we know it.  Next month is house shopping.  (that is what makes it feel like a reality).

"Fair Weather Friends" & Hummingbird Visitors

Early this week I completed "Fair Weather Friends" and this painting is now sitting on my diningroom table having dried thoroughly and is awaiting a trip to the basement for it's protective spray coating.  At the moment it looks like another birdhouse painting is in the works but I'm still figuring out exactly what size it will be, the colors, the house iteself, bird/birds or even, will there be a bird.  Decisions, decisions.......  For now though, thrilled to be finished with this large piece, it is available on ETSY -  www.artfulcreations.etsy.com  .

I tried an experiment yesterday with the hummingbirds to see if I could get even better photos then I did last time (see my post from a few weeks ago) by trying to stand outside this time, rather then in the kitchen and having to shoot through the kitchen door.

I went outside on the back porch and stood very still, as close to the feeder as I thought I could dare go and to my surprise, the sweet little female I call the "percher" came right over, to spite my presence so near the feeder.

She was the first of the hummingbirds to arrive this season and the first to feel at home enough to perch while she drank.  She didn't seem to mind me being outside at all so I was able to take quite a few nice photos of her and it really did make a difference not having to deal with trying to shoot through the screen door.

She still comes by on a constant basis each day and at least once a day, stops by with her mate or her girlfriend and they sit on the feeder and have a drink together.  Hopefully one of these times I'll be able to capture the birds feeding together with the camera , I'll keep my eyes out anyway, you never know.  (click to make any of the photos larger)

Bearded Iris Garden Almost Complete

 I'm almost finished with my bearded iris garden painting .  This week I managed to complete all the flowers and leaves, today I will start on the background for this piece.  First though, I wanted to get a great photo with no background to possibly use for licensing work.  I hope to put both to use, with background and without.  The new technique I've been working on for years now, that I've finally perfected for backgrounds, I've begun to use for the main focal elements in this painting, the iris blooms themselves.  I like the results so much that I will probably continue along this line with every new painting I create.  It is a time consuming process but I like the results.

 I do enjoy my iris garden each year, they bring me a lot of happiness when they bloom.  I love the purple but my favorites are the pinks.  These irises have traveled with with and moved with me for the last 17 years or so. 

 This will be the last year I will get to enjoy them as chris and I will be moving next summer of 2013 to a different area of the country, where these beauties I'm afriad, will not flower for me.  It is time though, onto another adventure and a new life.  We're ready for the change, something we're very much looking forward too.
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My irises though, will not be left to fend for themselves here in NY, they will go on a move themselves, via USPS this fall, to live with a friend of mine in VA.  I will enjoy the photos I have taken of them over the years and the artwork I plan to keep creating to celebrate their beauty.

Painting Some Bearded Irises.......

I started a new painting last week that celebrates the beauty of my bearded iris garden that blooms so faithfully for me each May.

This is a large painting, 20" x 20" with lots of detail so it is not a quick work. Good things come to those who wait though, or so they say anyway and I think the finished painting will be worth waiting for.

Right now you can see snippets of some of the individual irises and leaves in some of my favorite colors, purple and pink. I hope to show more of my progress on this painting next week. I hope lovely irises are blooming this spring for you, in your garden.

Sitting Pretty Monarch Butterfly

Another month has slipped by and I'm not really sure where all the time went. I've been working on some new canvases and making some changes in my marketing as well. The above is entitled "Sitting Pretty" and is a monarch butterfly painted against an abstract background. I'm in the process of painting some spring and summer themes at the moment and hope to finish up with those soon.

I love painting butterflies, all kinds of course but my favorites are the Monarchs. I find myself drawn to them again and again and somehow, they always seem to end up on my canvas.

All year I review butterfly photos that I've taken in the spring and summer to decide which beauties to paint. If you love to paint nature subjects, I highly recommend running around with your camera to capture your favorites on film, they will provide you with inspiration all year long.