Sunday, December 28, 2008

Masked Trogon


I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. I painted the above painting during my week off work. I really, really like it. Basically I wanted to take the idea I had in my previous post and take it to the next level. I wanted to limit my color palette to cool tones, focusing mostly on blues with a little bit of teal thrown in for warmth. I love how it turned out: a little bit funky and striking.

Update: This painting has SOLD!

Materials: 9 1/2 inch by 9 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch wood, acrylic paint, gesso.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Working Hard On Vacation


I've been off work all this week (well, it is just Tuesday) and have been determined to spend my time away from work painting, drawing, and generally being as productive as possible. In that vein, I present to you my new painting: the Coal Tit. (Stop laughing. No, really.) I wanted to try something a bit different with this image by limiting it to two colors. I rather like the outcome and I think I will do more birds (and possibly flowers) in this method. I think that some will have thicker lines and others something a bit more nuanced, but I am excited at the possibilities.

As (almost) always, you can find this item in the shop.

Materials: 9 x 6.5 x 1 (inches) beveled wood, acrlyic paint

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Revisiting the Cockatoo


You may remember my previous attempt at drawing a cockatoo. I felt like revisiting that image tonight and making it into a painting. I rather like it. I continue to enjoy my drafting table, and am proud to say that this little guy was painted on it. I was very conscious of my brushstrokes, and let many of them show instead of blending them for smoothness. I continue to struggle with how to paint feathers, but hopefully with a little research and trial-and-error, I'll get it down.

Edit: This item is now available in the shop!

Monday, December 15, 2008

New Drafting Table and Painting


I've been wanting a drafting table for a while. For ages, I've done my painting and drawing while sitting on the couch, the floor, or at my kitchen table (which is covered with paint). My parents and I found several nice drafting tables at Hobby Lobby, and armed with a 40% off coupon, they got me one for Christmas. I begged for them to let me have it early, and this weekend they agreed (thanks to some sly maneuvering on my part at the extended family Christmas event this past weekend in which I stole a Dirty Santa GPS system for my Dad from my cousin). My boyfriend spent a while yesterday putting it all together, and as you can see from the above, it's all kinds of awesome. The tabletop can extend upward to a 45 degree angle, and there are lots of storage areas attached to the sides of the tabletop and the legs. It even has a padded foot bar so you can rest your feet on it without them getting cold from the metal.

I gave the table a whirl for the first time last night and painted the below Blue Jay. I did it pretty fast, and I'm fairly pleased with it, although I have plans to do something that's a bit closer-up and more detailed. Still, it was a great way to break in the table!

Edit: The below Blue Jay is now available in the shop!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Time for Christmas Cards


Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to frustrate myself to no end creating Christmas cards. This year I wanted to do something a bit different: no traditional colors or immediate "Christmasy" themes. I guess I ended up with something a bit more masculine than I'm used to creating, but I like them just the same. I made 35 cards, which took me about six hours over the span of two evenings. By the end, I was covered in glue, and for days I found small pieces of gold stickers on my clothing. Next year I may just buy cards again. While I was in New York, I saw so many superior cards at the MoMA that I wished I had just bought some cards instead of making them myself!