About Artwithmycoffee

I live in Juneau, Alaska where the inspiration in nature abounds! I love taking photos of this beautiful place and then painting them. In 2013 I left my job in order to devote more time to my artwork. One of the ways I have been learning, is through online tutorials. I have been so encouraged with the amount of information that people share about their artwork. A few of my favorite sites are: Tuscon Art Academy on line, mhttp://thecompleteartist.ning.com/ by Richard Robinson, and http://www.dailypaintworks.com/ with Carol Marine. These have been extremely helpful as I have been working at my painting. This year my goal is to paint almost daily and to try to get outdoors more and paint en plein air (or out doors from life). I also hope to come up with something interesting to blog about it all ( =

New Miniature Paintings for 2021

I’ve been painting a whole bunch of new minis for the Juneau Artists Gallery this year. They have been very popular. These are all local Juneau, AK scenes

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Mini ornaments

These are a couple of miniatures that I painted for my kids-to be used as Christmas ornaments. The truck was my Dad’s who passed away several years ago. I did that one for my son to remember him by.

The church was just a picture that I loved, and I did that one for my daughter. I don’t think you can see it in this photo, but I used a gold pen to add a few fancy accents in a couple spots when this was dry. It was a great touch. My kids loved them. I really love to be able to make personalized gifts, it’s the best!

Snowy Trip to Corinth, ME

This is from a photo I took of a spot near my best friend. It is pretty farm country in central Maine. Again, I just love this snowy atmosphere where all the lines get blurred. It is challenging and thrilling to paint. I think I like to try to make it feel like I am enveloped in the painting sensing the snow all around me. This is an 8×10

Snowstorm in Maine

This type of atmosphere in a picture really interests me. It is challenging because of the lack contrasting lights and darks, but I really find it interesting. I love to be outside on a snowy day like this or a really foggy day. There is just something about it that appeals to me. It seems like I have a lot of photos of fog or really atmospheric scenes. And they always call my name to be painted.

In this one I felt it was very helpful, interest wise, to have that bit of thicker paint to describe the snow in the foreground. It was something I added in later.

Molly the Cocker Spaniel

This was another commission I had to do before Christmas. I used to have a Cocker Spaniel so I am very familiar with them. I had a very good photo reference for this which is always helpful. I thought I would show a couple pics of my process because I always enjoy seeing how others work through the process. Everyone has a different approach. This was a 10×8 and again the couple who owned this dog was so enthusiastic it was heartwarming (=

 

Dachshund Completed

It has been way too long since I posted…sorry everyone, sometimes life gets in the way.  But I wanted to post this first and show you the finished product. I think she came out really cute. The reaction of the owner when she saw it was priceless. It makes it all worth while when someone is so happy with their painting =D

The only thing I would like to change about this would be that it has no texture.  But in all reality, a Dachshund has such a smooth coat that I am ok with it. I was definitely a bit anxious doing a backlit picture. The dog is so dark and there was very little real definition in the photo I had to work from. I was unsure if I would be able to pull it off. But i have to say that I was pretty happy with it, and considering the response of the owner, I am pleased.

Dachsund painting

Mountains of Juneau

The mountains in Juneau, AK are amazing!  I never tire of them. I am always amazed at how many different faces they have depending on the light and weather situation. I enjoy the challenge of painting scenes with subtle variations, and trying to portray a certain lighting effect. These mountains are part of the Chilkat Range.

Maine White Pine

This is from a photo I took at our place in Maine. I love all the trees in Maine! The changing light throughout the day just makes me have to keep my camera very close. I am always ready for a pic ( =  I have been a bit afraid to try this scene for some time but have learned quite a bit from Phil Starke’s workshops and decided to go for it. I would like to do it again and do it looser, but was at least somewhat pleased with the outcome.