O Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree 2010

Pine tree

 approx 6ft x 3ft 

Merry Christmas!! A different kind of art.  The art of Christmas tree decorating.  I love the way our tree looks. I love that my house smell like pine. I love that there is a story behind each ornament. I love the presents under the tree.  I feel like I am finally getting into the Christmas spirit :) Now back to painting the Christmas birds.  I barely have 1/3 of them done and Christmas is in 3 days!!!!

Christmas Birds

I started working on my Christmas presents today. I will post images of them after Christmas when I have given them to them.  They are looking pretty awesome :) 

On another note the rain we are having right now is pretty crazy.  2 days of non stop rain and it is supposed to continue into Wednesday. Really unusual for this area but we sure do need it.  Im just hoping we dont have too many mud slides.   

Finals- Skatepark, Draped Reclining Nude

Skatepark 

oil on canvas

 16 x 20

For Clothed Figure Painting. Finished. Im happy with the final product. Different then my usual work but I like it.  Previous step.

 

 

 Draped Reclining Nude 

oil on canvas

 18 x 24

For Clothed Figure Painting. Finished.  Tiny faces will be the death of me.   Previous step.

So so happy to be done with finals.  6 weeks of a break and then back to school. 

 

Finals- Popo & Poppy, Storytime

 

Popo & Poppy

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

For Head Painting. My husband's grandparents. Finished.  I brought this to class with Lynn Gertenbach again.  Her input was invaluable. I am very happy with the finish of this.  It is going to be Popo's Christmas present.  I hope she loves it. Previous step.

 

Storytime

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

Final for Composition and Painting. Using multiple references.  Just a few changes to this.  My teacher commented that I needed to lighten the bookshelf in the background and to add more definition to the toys in the foreground.  Previous step.

 

 

2 more paintings to do.  Due tomorrow.  I am very ready to be done. 

 

 

 

Storytime

Storytime

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

Final for Composition and Painting. Using multiple references. Finished.  I will take a better picture in the daylight and post it tomorrow.  I like the finish of this.  A sweet moment between two best friends.  From the previous step I finished the girls, darkened the floor and the wall, refined things, and added toys!

One final down 2 to go, 3 paintings due Friday.  So ready to be done.  Ive got a few commissions to do that I am pretty excited about! I will post more about them as I do them.    

Bubbles, WIP- Storytime, Skatepark

 

Bubbles

oil on canvas

 18 x14

For Head Painting. Probably my favorite painting of the semester.  I love the colors. I love the bubbles. I love everything about this piece.  Reference. 

Previous step.

Storytime (wip)

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

For Composition and Painting. Using multiple references. I fixed some areas in the background and worked a bit one the girls.  I am really afraid of messing up the left girls face... The next step is to refine the girls and the background, and add some toys! Previous step.

Skatepark (wip)

oil on canvas

 16 x 20

For Clothed Figure Painting. I didnt do too much to this. I just worked on refining the figure and the foreground a bit.  My instructor remarked that she liked the loose background and that all I need to do was refine in foreground.  We will see if I like it when I put more time into it.  Previous step.

 

 

 This week is Finals week.  I have 1 painting (Storytime) due Wednesday and 3 paintings due Friday (Poppy& Popo, Skatepark, and Draped Reclining Nude).  So much to do.  So little time. I am excited to be done with this semester.  It will be one less thing on my plate, at least for a few months. 

I have found the 6 bird refs I am going to use for my Christmas present paintings.  I am excited to get these started as I have like 25 to do and Christmas is next week.  Yeah, I'm going to be painting like mad.  So lots more work to come from me in the next few weeks.  Stay posted.

WIP- Popo& Poppy

Popo & Poppy (wip)

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

For Head Painting. My husband's grandparents.  I worked more on creating 3D forms.  I brought this to class with Lynn Gertenbach and she helped me to work out the shapes of the figures.  Im doing nice thin layers with this one too start.  Much different then I usually do.  Im liking the results though. Previous step.

WIP- Storytime

Storytime (wip)

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

For Composition and Painting. Using multiple references. Basic lay in, just putting paint on canvas.  I like to way the girls look but I need to fix the perspective in the background. 

WIP- Bubbles, Draped Reclining Nude, Popo & Poppy, Skatepark

 

Bubbles (wip)

oil on canvas

 18 x14

For Head Painting. Im having fun with this one.  I love all of the colors. Reference. 

Draped Reclining Nude (wip)

oil on canvas

 18 x 24

For Clothed Figure Painting.  From my personal reference files.  Softened out the skin tone and adjusted the background.  Im having issues with the face though.  I tried putting it in, hated it, and wiped it out.

Any tips?  That is still the biggest struggle for me. Tiny faces.  I think I get too caught up in the details.  Previous step.

Popo & Poppy (wip)

oil on canvas

 20 x 16

For Head Painting. My husband's grandparents.  Basic lay in, lights and darks.  The colors choices have to do with their races.  She is Chinese, he is Japanese.  I dressed her in red because that is a color of luck in Chinese culture.  I did the background green because it has positive meaning in both cultures.  I may do a glaze of a darker brown over the background to give it a bit more depth.

Skatepark (wip)

oil on canvas

 16 x 20

For Clothed Figure Painting. 

Super loose with this.  I enjoyed doing it :)
Not sure I like the background.  I think it needs more. Reference from my personal stash.

2 weeks left of school!! Im so ready to be done.
Im excited for the projects I am going to do during winter break since I will have time.  I want to get my creative juices flowing again.  For my brother in law I am going to do a giant (like 3ft x 5ft) painting of a wild fire because he is a wild land fire fighter.  It is his Christmas/ birthday present.  For Christmas gifts for our friends and family I think I am going to do little 8 x 10 watercolor paintings.  Something simple like winter birds.  We will see if I have time to get all of this done.  I hope so.

On a totally unrelated note, I have discovered Pandora and I love it.  It is great to have on while I am up to my ears in paintings.  Today I have been listening to Colbie Caillat Radio.  Great songs :)