Tiny Bathroom Mural

 This tiny bathroom, which joins our bedroom, is so small you can literally sit on the toilet, put your feet in the shower, and your hands in the lavatory. It has no window, so in 2000 I decided to paint one in oils. Over the years, I have taken spells of adding layers to it with oil pastels, and I added another layer yesterday. 

The paneled wall gives it a rough texture. I'm still not happy with it. I know I got the willow trees too thick and heavy looking, but I'm not sure how to fix it. That's not a white circle in the middle, but an arch with double benches at the end of the path, and yep, that's a mouse sitting on a tube of paint reading a book on the window sill. My father-in-law made the cabinet over the toilet.

It's not actually this yellow looking. The light over the sink bouncing over the coral walls gives it a yellowish cast. Here is a close up of Mr. Mouse!

Kibbles Portrait Work

Last post draft that was waiting to be finished as soon as I finished this painting of our beloved little fur baby, Kibbles Marie, who was a gift from a friend, and was the closest thing we ever had to a child. She was with us almost sixteen years, before having to be euthanized in 1997 due to severe health problems. I still have not gotten over having to make that decision, all these years later, and miss her every single day.

Anyway, I started this large painting of her in the winter of the year she died (1997) in oils on a gallery wrapped canvas. I've worked on it some a couple of times over the years, but it has remained at this stage for several years now. It hangs in our dining room, and everybody thinks it is finished, but the eyes and muzzle, in particular need quite a bit more work.

I started this post early this year, with this picture of the wip painting, because I had full intentions of finishing it, but then I tore my work space/dining room apart to clean under and around everything and get stuff organized. I got under and around things cleaned, but the stuff I moved and put into boxes to be organized unfortunately is still sitting stacked up in the floor waiting, so I  have not been able to locate my oil paints.

 I painted pretty much exclusively in oils when I started this painting. I have since switched to open acrylics, but I need oils to finish her. Can use oils over acrylics, but can't use acrylics over oils!

So, for the time being, it stays like it is, and I will live with it. Maybe I will get her finished before I die! 😊

Class 10 PYH&S 2018 - Two Sides of Me- Double Portrait

Unfortunately, I, like many of you, tend to start classes that I don't get finished too.  No matter how fun they are, or how much I'm learning in one teacher's classes, I get sidetracked onto another and have several going at once. Inevitably, one gets pushed to the side for another, until I can get back to them, which rarely happens. I have actually finished a few, but have more that are still in progress.

The next three posts are from the classes with various teachers in Paint Your Heart and Soul 2018 with Olga Furman (see link on sidebar), which is wonderful and is new every year. I had so many online classes in progress in 2018, none of which I have finished yet, that I have refused to let myself sign up for any the whole year of 2019, no matter how tempted I was. There are so many awesome teachers and classes out there, and a couple of them I might have given in to, but they were out of my price range.

Anyway, this lesson is in painting with oils with cold wax with Lucy Chen, which I got almost completed in my large mixed media sketchbook. There are about 24 classes in the course, and I worked on one while another was drying. The subject for this class with Lucy is the two sides of myself, one happy, confident, etc., and the other the opposite of that. The don't necessarily have to  look like me, and they don't, just kind of the gist of me.

Pencil sketches looking for ideas in a different sketch book...

Still searching for an idea that clicks...

Found one, sketched it onto the mixed media paper and started laying on layers of oil mixed with cold wax and adding textures. I have to say that the smell of the oil and wax did not do my allergies any good, but I kept going, glad that this is a small painting!

I only lack the finishing touches and a few details here, and this is where it has been for over a year now. I love the effect of the oil and cold wax, and it's fun to paint with, and I like this painting, so I do plan to go back and finish it, as soon as I uncover the supplies I need from the chaos of my studio/dining room, and with better ventilation (maybe even outside) next time.

I don't take classes to copy the instructor's style or technique, but to learn new ways of doing things that I can work into my own style of painting and creating. Besides, I couldn't copy them, even if I wanted to. I learn by trying it, then using what I can remember and need to do my own thing. I love the doing of it!

Do a little bit of something you love every day. You'll be better for it! 😊

My First Original Art Calendar 2018

I got the idea to see what a calendar with my original artwork would look like this year, so I went to Vistaprint online, who happened to be having a half price sale on their calendars. I made new photos of some of my old and new artwork, favorite paintings that were handy, with as high a millimeter as I could get with my camera, which is 7.

I picked the calendar elements that I liked, placed my photos where I wanted them, added a caption, and placed my order. I was only going to order one to see what it would look like, but I decided to order ten to use as Christmas cards for part of my list. I figured they couldn't look that bad.

When they came, I was impressed with the quality and the look of the calendars, so I ordered ten more to give. I had to mail thirteen of them, but they all got to their destinations intact, and the recipients seemed pleased, which makes me happy.

The pictures I made of the calendar months/captions are not real good. I didn't take the time to get them just right, but here are the calendar pictures after it was done. Of course, the bottom half has the weeks and days with blocks to write in.

Cover

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Back Cover

I love my first art calendar, and my mind is already working on things for next Christmas! I hope those that received one instead of a card this year enjoy theirs as much as I am mine! Such fun!

Great-Grandmother Melinda Oil Portrait

Although I never got to meet her, she died way before I was born, I've always been fascinated by my great-grandmother, mostly because she was full blooded Cherokee Indian, and I loved to hear my Granny Prater sing her name off and tell me about her mother-in-law. I still love her name, which was Melinda Lucinda Valentine Sanders Prater. Isn't that a catchy name? I seem to remember that Granny said they called her Lucy!

Someone gave me an old black and white photo of my paternal great-grandparents, which I love, and I enlarged and printed it off on paper, cropping her head and shoulders, to paint on a six by six inch gallery stretched canvas.

Again, it's been a while since I started her, but I think I used a black stabilo pencil to sketch her off, then used a damp brush to shade her features.

Went over the background with burnt and raw umber oil paints

Added a little ochre oil paint to the light parts...

and a little flesh color, hair color, and some definition of features and dress. Her eyes aren't actually closed in the photo, but when I blocked her face in, I kind of liked them closed, like she might be praying, or really listening.

This is as far as I've gotten on this last day of 2016 on her. She is a long way from being finished, but one day I will pick her up, add more layers of oil paint, and possibly some cold wax, to complete her. When I do, I will be sure to post her!