Holiday artwork

I finished this first little miniature painting for my art league gift exchange. 

When my husband saw it, he asked for a painting in the same format but with hedgehogs.  He has lived in Germany before and fell in love with them.  "Hedgehog X2"

"Gaia Weeps"

We hang a new show at the market this coming weekend that will be up until the middle of January.  Hopefully we sell things for the holiday gift giving season. 
I am entering a new original - "Gaia Weeps".  It's an environmental theme; and yes, it will be interesting to see if THIS one ruffles any feathers.

I am realizing that people are more willing to buy prints rather than pay the full price for originals.  I can sell a well-made print for a quarter the price of the original.  I've sold two prints in the last month - after many months of no sales.  Will be doing more of that. 
I will be entering two prints along with this original this weekend.

"Summer Backroads"

Latest painting up.
I have not been in the painting mood for a few months - working slowly on a couple of pieces.  However, this one is just completed.  It's another piece done from a photo (with permission).

"snap-Dragons"

I felt like doing another "just for fun" painting...not much else to say about it.

I did want to mention:  the last two paintings in this blog ("Choose" and the portrait of my husband) were removed from the Central Market show we hung about a month ago.   Someone apparently complained that they were too "political".  I don't see it....but....I complied and replaced them with two older and more conventional pieces.  So much for "artistic expression".

"Choose"

Finished this just in time for the art league switch-out of art this weekend.  There are several levels of meaning in this work, but I am not going to go into that.  It's kind of up to the interpretation of the viewer.

New art up

I have two other pieces in the works.  This one just happened to be the first finished.  This portrait is of my husband, Ernie.  I plan on displaying it the next time we change art at the market venue.  Obviously, it won't be for sale.  (Yes, there is iridescent pigment in this.)

First New Art for 2019

OK - these were mostly finished in December 2018.  Just getting around to finishing them this month.  Both are from a friend's photographs, but with her permission.  Yes, there are iridescent colors in them - mostly copper, gold, and some blue. 

"Leaves"

This one is small - 8" X 10"

"A Friend's Garden" - 16" X 24"

Xmas 2018

Haven't done a lot of artwork for two weeks because of company - my son was home for a few days.  Some things are more important than painting - HA.
I DO have three canvasses going currently; but I wanted to finish and post this little painting.  It's for my art league gift exchange.  5" X 7" and doesn't have a title. I like to think this is how my flame-point Siamese would have looked as a kitten.  We got her from the Humane Society when she was about a year old.  Her name is HoneyBee.

As promised...

Here is the second painting from my friend's photo.  Not much to say here - not sure how I feel about this painting. 
"Forest Sunbeams"

"Stream Sunbeam"

A friend of mine was kind enough to let me work from a couple of photographs she too while on vacation.  The challenge with this painting was to get the sun rays to look something like the original photo.  Lots of iridescent color in this.

I'm about half way through another painting like this from another of her pics. 
It's been a slow summer for art once again - lots of other things to do as well.

"Salmon Rhody"

New art up!  This is my neighbor's rhododendron - gorgeous color.  I wanted to paint it because of that color.  But also...her 90th birthday is at the end of the month.  I want to make her a print (matted) and a set of cards as a present.

"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.