Illustration Project... Day 1

Hi, I spent most of today working out some watercolor paintings of a little girl dancing under a willow tree. These pics are what I came up with. My biggest problem, in my opinion is faces. I think I will spend tomorrow on faces alone and get them to look semi human. I think the ones in these paintings are too doll like. I like the willow trees in each, but I think a combo of the two styles I used would be best. I want to work on making everything look a bit less cartoony. Opinions and suggestions welcomed.

OK.... I've taken a breather...

Hello all, Yes I took a bit of a vacation these past few days. I am working on a new project and I have been doing lots of research, sketching, reading etc.... I have been introduced to the possibility of illustrating a book. This would be a children's book so I would have to draw or paint lots of children...... as you may know, I haven't exactly done a whole lot of this subject. Yes, I know that I am 100% capable, I just need to review the basics of people drawing and start working. I will be continuing this painting a day blog, but I will be sharing my sketches and paintings with you as I develop a line of illustrations for this book. I am very excited about my challenging new project and I hope you will continue to follow along with me on this journey. I have also revamped my website a bit. I had to add an extra page for another gallery, so my still life and landscape galleries are separate now. I made a new navigation bar and simplified or altered some of my text. Go give it a look see here>>>
I will be back to posting more art tomorrow.

Day 24... "October Dawning"

This is a 16x20 inch acrylic painting on canvas. It is very early, some stars are still shining... the pumpkins are coated with a heavy frost and the sun is inching its way up to bring light and warmth to a brilliant fall day. I took my idea from yesterdays painting and expanded it. This is a much bigger canvas and I chose for it to be sunrise with a heavy frost, sort of like the morning after yesterdays painting. This painting is for sale in my Etsy store.

Day 23... "Frosty Harvest Moon"

This is an 8x10 acrylic on a canvas panel. This painting depicts a full harvest moon when the first frost usually comes to New England. It is a crisp night and the land and the pumpkins are getting a fuzzy little coat of ice crystals. This painting is for sale here>>>

Day 22... "Letting Go"

This is a 6x6 inch acrylic painting on canvas. There comes a time every fall when the maple tree must set it's autumn dress free to the wind. It usually happens within a matter of a day or two, when a wind and rain storm comes and takes away all of the colorful leaves. Pretty little landscape that tells a story. You may purchase this painting HERE.

Day 21... "Candy Corn"

This is a whimsical little 6x6 inch acrylic painting. A few candy corns have spilled out of a small plastic cup. Oh no! I guess I have to eat them..... and that's exactly what I did! This painting may be purchased at my Etsy Store.

Day 20... "Birches in Autumn"

This is a 12x12 inch acrylic on canvas. If you have never been to New England in the fall, you are missing out on some of the most amazing colors that nature has to offer. The yellow leaves on the birches are spectacular, but what amazes me is the color that can come from the undergrowth. Little saplings, grasses and bushes turn red, and orange, and warm browns. Poison ivy has some of the most vibrant red leaves of all. A walk through the woods in the fall in New England renews the senses and invigorates the spirit. The painting continues around the wrapped sides so framing is not necessary. So colorful! May be purchased HERE

Day 19... "Simple Beauty"

This is a 6x6 inch acrylic on canvas. The simplicity of an object is often taken for granted. Yes, it's an apple, we know apples.... but, did you ever stop to look at how the skin will reflect when it is polished on your shirt? Did you ever notice the shadows it will cast, and how apples will never sit quite straight? Anyway, I love to take the ordinary and bring it into a new light for all to appreciate. I think one of the jobs an artist has to do is show people how beautiful the simple things can be. I love my job... For sale at my store.

Day 18... "Harvest Prize"

This is a 6x6 inch acrylic on canvas. A special little reward for all the hard work put into the garden all summer long. A perfect, plump little prize awaits to reward all of your effort. I love pumpkin season! I guess I am on a fall theme lately... I paint what I see around me. I may not know what I am going to paint when I wake up in the morning, but usually by early afternoon I find my inspiration and put it to canvas. This has been cause for many a late night. I need to start getting inspired sooner. I find myself in the produce section of the market, looking at the fruits and veggies, choosing them for the interesting shapes and colors, not even thinking about what I will be making for dinner! Eventually my edible subjects do end up on our plates, after I capture all of its details on canvas. This painting for sale at my Etsy store.

Day 17... JonahMacs

This is a 12x12 acrylic on cotton canvas. Two very shiny JonahMac apples on a white cloth by a sunny window. My daughter has already eaten the one in the back... she thought that was so cool...

Day 16... "September Sun"

This sunflower took me all day. I find that the more I paint, the more detail oriented I get. I love this one. I will continue working in this smaller format, simply because it is more manageable for me to get a painting done in one day. I like the 12x12 inch canvas. This painting is for sale at my Etsy Store.

Day 15... "Monarch Days"

Well, here it is! This is a 12x12 inch acrylic painting of a Monarch Butterfly sipping nectar from a purple coneflower. I want to do more work like this where I can play with what is going on in the background. I am going for the very out of focus look, you know there are other things there, but you can't make them out. They are less important than what is going on in the foreground,... But, you can't have a foreground without a background, so it has to be there. I like the general softness of this painting. The crystal clear butterfly, with all of its contrasts, makes a nice balance with the softer flowers and blur in the back. Remember, this painting is for sale at my etsy store.

Day 14...(sneak preview of day 15)

Good evening all. I have been working on a new painting but I got started kinda late, so, instead of rushing it and doing a so so job, I decided to finish up tomorrow. I wanted to give you a tiny peak at what I am doing... stay tuned for tomorrows post.

Day 13... "Blushing Beauty"

Today I chose a pear... I know, it's a very popular subject these days, but there is a good reason for that. You can give a pear so much personality, you can tweek it and give it bumps and spots and different color variations. Again, I am discovering the potental of complimentary colors. I used red, green, yellow, some white and some black in this painting. Most of the shadows are degrees of red and green mixed together. Red and green are opposite each other on the color wheel, therefore they are "complimentary" Just as blue and orange, and yellow and purple. When these colors get mixed they create a muddy neutral color, sort of cancelling each other out.

Anyway, this is a 6x6 mini canvas, acrylic painting. Cute for a little nook in the kitchen. For sale at www.kre8or.etsy.com

Day 12...New Beginning

A house becomes a home when you know its story. People live and they love, they work and they change. All of these things are what makes a place more than a place. A house gains a purpose and gathers warmth when there is well deserved love inside it. A new beginning for a family that is close to my heart.

I haven't been here for a while. Went away for the holiday weekend, then I got sick, but I am back now and I am ready to march on with my daily paintings. This is a 16x20 inch acrylic portrait of my sisters new home. It is actually her wedding gift....so, If you happen to see this..... congratulations and I love you.