In the spirit of the holidays, I've started developing a series of small paintings suitable for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers. The prices are marked to fit into any budget - small original acrylic paintings and mini framed prints starting at $35.
Also available of course are sets of assorted greeting cards - sets of 4 for $13, and sets of 8 for $25.
More small paintings are in the works - stay tuned!
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The original inspiration - photo taken at the Indiana Dunes
It's been a very long time since I worked in acrylic - however I was at Michaels Crafts the other day and saw some sales going on pre-stretched canvases so I thought I'd give it a try. Luckily, I still have loads of paint left over from the last time I painted in acrylic, which must be at least 5-6 years ago.
Now what to paint? I thought immediately of a photo I'd taken on a recent trip to northern Indiana - sand dunes central. I had forgotten how much fun acrylics can be, and this subject with the wind in the grasses lent itself perfectly to the task. What a huge difference from working with watercolor!
Watercolor requires planning and patience. You paint a bit, then wait for it to dry, then paint some more, and so on. Mistakes are very hard to fix, sometimes impossible. You learn to make the most of "happy accidents", but they're not always so happy.
Acrylic painting by contrast is much more immediate - you paint what you see. If you don't like something you can just paint right over it. I have to say, the easiness of painting in acrylic was a welcome change!
I have loads more canvases, I can see this becoming a "thing".
(Pictured above, "Rita's Back Yard", watercolor)
A lot of painters use a method called "plein air" - which means to bring your paints and paper and set up outside in front of an inspiring view and paint it on the spot. In my travels, I've seen this a lot. Florence, Paris, London, San Francisco, New York City - you see artists in all sorts of places like this, set up in the middle of a crowded square doing their thing.
This has not been my method of choice. Firstly, I'm a little shy about people watching me work. If I were to do plein air painting in Chicago where I live, guaranteed there would be some people watching. Maybe this is something I should work to get over, but for now, eesh. Secondly, what do plein art painters do to record a winter scene? Or a night scene? or a rainy day? I don't believe in suffering for art.
I prefer to use photography to record scenes that move me and then paint later, in the comfort of my own home. Two paintings finished recently, both derived from photos I took while visiting my Aunt Rita in Pittsville Wisconsin last spring. It was cold, wet when I took these photos, but I completed them in warmth, privacy and security, in my living room.
Autumn River
Ok - they're here! I spent the last two days packaging up all the little cards in singles @$4, 4 packs @ $13 and 8 packs @ $24. On sale now at the Galleria! I also put together some fun little framed birdie prints - stocking stuffers, priced at $35. Great gifts!
I may be in the minority but I love a good snow storm. Since I work from home, it takes away the stress of the situation and allows me to enjoy the beauty of the day. I often will take a long walk through the snow after a blizzard with my camera at the ready. Everything is clean and shiny and pretty after a snow.
With the holidays coming up I was brainstorming what I could add to my booth at the Galleria that might sell well during the holiday season. Greeting cards have been on my list for a while so I beyond the cards I already had in mind, I decided to develop a line of cards inspired by winter.
Of the images below, I've chosen to make cards from the snowman image, the winter trees, the snowflake and the snow angel. I'm also printing a series of penguins, and some of my still lifes of fruits and vegetables, sixteen designs all together. Envelopes and packaging are on order and all should be delivered by the middle of next week. Can't wait to see how they turn out!
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Featured above: "Up early" - watercolor painting inspired by Milly's garden
For every finished painting, there are also a few that are started and then set aside. They're always in the back of my mind as I am working on other things, waiting for the day I am inspired to finish them up.
I finally took some time this weekend to give some attention to five paintings that have been sitting half finished for a while. Quite a sense of accomplishment. Most of them were started back in August when I was on vacation in Canada.
One of them, "Up early" (pictured at left) was started a year ago and based on a photo taken of my Aunt Milly's garden - a splendid and remarkable place. Forty years of nurturing have gone into her creation of this masterpiece which surrounds her home on the coast of Lake Superior in a little town called Cornucopia, Wisconsin. Many of my paintings are inspired by Milly's garden, including all the images in the presentation below.
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