This is a commissioned piece. I really liked the way the shininess of his coat came out. I would like to have added a bit more warmth in it somehow. But even though this is very cool, it appeals to me. I usually prefer warm tones in a painting, but I really like the combinations in this.
This is a little painting of one of my favorite views. It is looking toward Mendenhall Glacier where my husband and I walk all the time. On this particular morning, the silhouetted trees stood out to me. And I just love the cool colors of the green and blue background. I also like that there is a little bit of balance to all the cool colors with the warm reflection tones (of almost orange) coming in from the lower left corner of the picture towards the center.
This is Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. It is only 4 miles from my home, and a favorite destination for walks. I particularly enjoy how many blues there are here. Blue is my favorite color, and they are so beautifully displayed in the mountains here! I tried to add some warmth to the sandy areas to balance the cool. It might even need a bit more warmth.
I have been wanting to do this for a while. I liked it because I tried something new and used a gray-blue toned canvas, to help with the gray mood of this day. Juneau is very rainy, so this mood is very typical. Something about that, as well as the conglomeration of buildings and objects made me want to paint this scene. I am definitely drawn more to a strong, sunny scene, but I would like to be able to capture different types of weather and light conditions.
I really enjoy small town scenes like this. I have never felt adept at painting them but this shot made me want to give it a try. The view of Mendenhall Glacier on our road is spectacular. On this particular day, my husband was driving and it allowed me to get a good shot. I think it is always appealing for local people to see a familiar scene. I like how this one worked out.
This young man with attitude is my youngest son. This is painted from a photo taken while he was on deployment in Afghanistan. In spite of the terrible situation and danger of this deployment and this job, it must be quite a cool feeling to be able to drive one of these big rigs. It looks like he was enjoying himself, at least at this moment. Thank God, he came home safely!
These are my best friends’ dogs. They are very cute and well behaved. I have had this photo for quite a while just waiting for the right time to do it. I have several others of them, as well, that I will be doing. They are good subjects for practice. This is one of my favorite pet portraits so far.
This was done for my niece. It was actually one of the more difficult pets I have done. It was difficult to find a photo of her that was detailed enough to paint from. I think it turned out cute, especially with the little dinosaur toy. The background is an interesting thing, I never know what color to use. The panel was underpainted with light red and when I put ochre over it, it came out this orangy tone, which I sort of liked. It wasn’t what I was going for but I thought it worked well, so I left it. I guess it is a good example of one of those happy accidents.
this is my first attempt at painting a portrait in oil. I have done many pencil portraits and a few in watercolor. This one was particularly fun because it is my grandson. I think that I will probably go back in and finish out the background, but I wanted to put this up here for now. I am really looking forward to trying a few more portraits. I took several cute photos of him while on vacation last month. It will make for great practice! This shot was in such beautiful sunlight that I just couldn’t resist giving it a try.
This girl is relaxing contentedly on her cushion. I’m sure it is only after hours of rambunctious play that she finally gave in to a rest. It seems like those eyes are even now, thinking about what sort of play may be up next.
This wiry coat can be tricky to paint. I found myself just the slightest bit frustrated in the process. It takes many layers to build up the depth of color in all those hairs. It can seem like one will never get the final stages. But the end results are worth the effort. Many different colors can be seen. It is especially nice in the sunlight.
Art with my Coffee 