"Alone"

Up until now, I have always preferred to paint uplifting colorful artwork.  This piece is a departure.  I just had to find a way to channel my profound anger, disgust and sorrow over what is happening in my country.  So this work is not only for all the immigrant children but for all the children impacted by gun violence.
A few technical details:  I chose muted colors - a couple of blues, a dull green, black and white only.  There is iridescent pearl on the window panes and in the window reflections on the floor.  It shows up in the two different photos. 
This version in bright light from the right.

This one in light from the left.

This really IS the same painting.  Have I said before, I really like working with the iridescent acrylics?
Oh, and I coated the figure in matt varnish and the rest of the painting in gloss varnish.  It doesn't show up in the photographs; but I wanted the figure to have a flat appearance. 

StarChild

OK then...I really struggled with this one for a while - almost gave up.   The background sky was the problem.   It just wasn't looking like my reference image for the sky.   When I gave up trying to make it look exactly like the reference, things went a lot better.   You might recognize the child from two post down - the child in the blue panel of the Global Art Project artwork.   Also, when I first found that reference image for the child (from a royalty free site), I read it as being a little boy.   Since, about half the people who see it think it's a girl.   In a way, this is quite appropriate since the child is suppose to represent all children.

Global Art Project

My art partner this year is Denali from New Mexico.  I received her work last week.  It's taken me a day or two to get it photographed for this blog.  Her piece is done in pastels. 

 She explained that water is something that binds us all - and the elephant is a symbol of wisdom and joy.  Hers is a very powerful expression of spreading joy round the world.

Global Art Project for 2018

Once again, I am involved with the Global Art Project for Peace. 
http://www.globalartproject.org/   I decided to work with a computer graphic this year.  The idea was to match the faces with the colors - and have a good variety of nationalities.  Peace and the innocence of children always seemed to go together in my mind.

If I haven't mentioned it before - I found a royalty free website that I am going to be putting to a lot of use at:  https://www.pexels.com/
That's where I found all the photos.  As a matter of fact, I am so taken by the little face in the blue panel that I am using it in a larger acrylic painting.

Companion piece

This painting is the second one using the soft gel medium; in this case on the starfish.  I intentionally made the color scheme the same as my last post with the octopus.
"Seeing Stars"

Experiment

Somewhere along the line, within the last year, I acquired a free jar of Golden gloss soft gel medium.  Never used it before and thought "what the heck"...   So I've just finished this canvas (and have a companion piece started).  I think it's obvious from the photo where the texture is in the painting.
"Outreach" (16"  20")

Special Request

My husband doesn't have many photos from when he was a child.  One that we do have is this small black and white:

He asked me to paint a colored version from his memory of the colors.  This is acrylic on canvas - 12"X16".  "Patches" (circa 1950) 

CVG Show Opening

Wow!  What an experience!  I attended the Collective Visions Gallery opening reception and awards ceremony on Saturday January 20th.  I'd never been to one of these events - very exciting.  And though I didn't win anything, it's a huge honor to even be included.  Out of 900 or so entries only 162 pieces are in the show.  The categories are:  2D (oil, acrylic, watercolor and collage); Photography/Digital Art and 3D (sculpture, ceramics and woven art).
There was a cash bar and buffet at the reception - and then speeches, talks by the judges and, or course, the awards for First, Second, Third and Honorable Mention in each category. 
Again, I'm really grateful for the opportunity to experience this.

Show Entry

OMG!  I've been accepted into the Collective Visions Gallery show from January 20th to February 24th.  This gallery is a co-op - but periodically they host a state wide competition.  I've entered before, but this is the first time I've been invited.  Woo-hoo!  I'm especially excited because the piece that was chosen is the large female nude I did last year.  I had given up hope that it would ever be seen - outside of the one show I had at an art supply store.  If you remember, our local art group has difficulty finding public venues that will accept nudes (and political or religious subjects for that matter).  In some aspects, I can understand - but....ugh!  Anyway, I am posting this work again:
"Inside the Box"

Book Review

Second post in one day.   I recently finished reading a book that I would highly recommend:  "Leonardo Da Vinci" by Walter Isaacson.  Having sat through and been tested on many very boring art history classes in my college years, I have to say this book was extremely interesting.  I wish more of my college textbooks had been written like this one.  The author goes into much more detail about Leonardo's life - attitudes and influences - than in conventional art history books.  Very interesting read.

"Hermit Crab" and "Xmas 2017"

I have definitely been ignoring my posts - so this is "catch-up".   The first painting is an experiment so I've kept it light-hearted.  I am playing with the idea of adding texture to canvasses.   In this case, I've added sand and glitter to the acrylics.   And of course, it's intended on being humorous.

P.S. -- This piece sold - wouldn't you know...one of my least serious paintings would sell quicker that any of my other work.

Also, I wanted to post my 2017 holiday watercolor - a painting of my "Honeybee" who is the typical cat and loves boxes.

"Another Still-life"

I was working on this painting at the same time I was working on the one in my previous post.   We have a new hanging in four days, and I wanted to have them both done.   Made it!  (18" X 24")