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Love Found in Hope – 2020.0608

"Love Found in Hope"
Acrylic and gold foil on Canvas
12" x 24"
Jun. 08, 2020
NFS

COVID19 and Unemployment Project

Many Americans, including myself, have been affected one way or another due to 2020's crazy COVID19 and it's lockdown. This year started out with a major punch to the gut. Due to our organization's acquisition, I was dismissed from my position at work as our marketing team was liquidated. Then COVID19 hit...

I've diligently applied to companies I could see myself working for, filtering for the highest-rated in job satisfaction. Until that time comes again to pour my heart and soul into my work, I've found another kind of work to dedicate myself to - my home, family, and art.  All the new homeschooling help with my son and getting to the honey-dos like wall paint touchups, multiple shelve installations, shoe cabinet building, repairing a leaky AC drainage pipe in the ceiling, birdhouse building, fence repairs, cabinet repairs, and bathroom tile grouting have been completed and I find myself without any significant repair to do that cost more time than money. That conundrum brought my attention to several unfinished paintings. This one was started back in April of 2019 and sat sad and forgotten in the spare bedroom closet.  With new enthusiasm, I dusted it off and set myself to work.

Punch up the color

I started this one out back in 2019 and forgot it with a job demanding so much from my eyes. The colors began rather boring and needed to look and feel more like my pastel work if I was going to be satisfied with the end product.  I swapped out my detail brushes for a larger brush and applied the strokes more as I would to my drawings. I also used the full rainbow of colors in every aspect so that the piece flowed together in a more balanced way. I love the results and to give it the final glitz to make this painting sing, I added some gold foil to the trailing ribbons. The title of this piece is because roses are symbolic of love and the large leaf cradling the roses is a hope philodendron. I'm sure you can put the pieces together.

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Apple Blossoms – 2017.0930

My original photo from my apple trees, in spring

Photo credit: Michael Hogan
Sept 30, 2017

Drawing in progress during the Chalk Art Festival.

 

"Apple Blossoms"
Pastel on Paper
36"x 36"
Sept. 30, 2017
$395

Crockett Row @West 7th Presents the Chalk Art Festival

I saw this event pop up in my facebook news feed and thought this would be a great way to showcase my pastel skills to the public instead of doing a live painting like I have in the past. When I arrived, I found a stop next to a young man named Granger, around the age of 12, that was drawing a comical image of an alien dressed in a sheep suit (he won 3rd place). He seemed like a talented and friendly guy. Can't wait to see what he does as a fully matured artist. His parents were pretty nice too. 

I myself had large goals and very little time to finish. The festival ran from 10am to 6pm. We each had buckets for "tips" that were eventually going to go for "The Art Station Benefit." While I didn't place at all, I did sell a few prints I brought along just in case. And as always, I really enjoyed talking to the patrons/audience and getting dirty on the ground.

Winners:

1st Place (& People's Choice) - Rainbow Zebra by Diana Gibson

2nd Place - Anythings Possible (Dr. Seuss Dream) by Soraya McGarrh

3rd Place - Alien Sheep by Granger Krajca

Framing Dilemma 

While I was pleased that we were able to bring our artwork home, I'm not sure how I'm going to frame up this bad boy. It needs to find a home STAT! I'll have to figure something out before the  October 2017 Arts Goggle!

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Embody the Rain – 2017.0817

"Embody the Rain"
Pastel on Grey Paper
5.5" x 17.5"
Aug. 17, 2017
$275

Grandma Marilyn Approved

Hostas have always reminded me of rain and Grandma Marilyn. She use to have them in her backyard as well as many other flowers that reminded me of a shadowed grove, canopied by pines and kissed by the beginnings of the Spring rains. If you looked closer, little lily of the valley bordered the sleeping beds and crocus emerge to say hello. So, it's no surprise that when growing my own flowers, I've selected very specific ones that bring back childhood memories of loved-ones.

Soothing Colors after the Bright Marigold

I knew from the start I was going to love this drawing. Not only are the colors soothing and calm but how can anyone not love the plump, voluminous leaves of the hosta plant. Instead of playing up the typical greens of most plants, I was able to punch up blue tones that many hostas are famous for embodying.  This too will be at the October 2017 Arts Goggle!

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Tulip Study – 2017.0215

"Tulip Study"
Watercolor on Paper
8" x 10"
Feb. 15, 2017
$148.71

Watercolor is hard 🙁

Prepping for an art show takes some work! I was grabbing every available surface and testing out my watercolors left and right. It only seemed right that I work some magic on a tulip study in anticipation for my very own tulips getting ready to bloom out in my front garden. Spring can't come too soon!