Bear of Many Colors

Wow, has it ever been a long time since I posted a new painting on here!  I have been busy with my new business creating unique furniture pieces and home decor.  But I have to say that I have missed painting... badly!  There is something in my soul that finds comfort and peace when I paint.  So this will not be the last post for awhile.  I plan to keep on painting and carve out time for myself to do it.

So I created this piece for someone that is very special to me.  She has a heart for bears, black and grizzly.. just loves them.  So I finally got around to painting one for her, and went with a really colorful palette!   I usually tend to work in Watercolors, but this piece is done in Acrylic.  It was built up with layers and layers of paint, until it was juuuust right. ;)  My husband told me many times that it was finished, but I tend to be a little bit of a perfectionist {that's an understatement} and I honestly couldn't count how many different colors this bear's face was. Haha!  But in the end, I am please with how it turned out.  I am looking forward to working with Acrylic more too.  It is definitly very different than Watercolor.

 Here she is with her painting!  Oh, she's my Aunti by the way ;)  Do you see that quilt right to the left of her there?  That is handmade by her, for me!  So beautiful!  She is very talented with her quilt making!

Bear of Many Colors

Acrylic

14" x 18"

Thank you so much for stopping by!  It feels so great to be painting again!  See you soon!

xo Jen

New Portrait Commission!

I was recently commissioned this piece as a gift to the parents of four daughters.  Isn't this the perfect picture?  I guess they were the poster couple for a trip or cruise.  They couldn't have picked a better looking couple!

There is still work to be done, but I'm getting VERY close I think!  Stay tuned for the next update!

Kate & Jake

I'm just waiting for the final approval on Kate & Jake's portrait!  So there may be a tiny adjustment here or there, or maybe it's great as is.. But wanted to share with you!

 

Well, I hope you are all enjoying your week!  Take care and thanks for visiting!

Kate's Update..

Here is where I'm at on Kate!  Working on her now, and will post another update soon!

Kate and Jake, Update!

Here is the progression on Jake.. Still so much to do with this lad, but he is definitely evolving!

First I lay down washes of warm reds, and yellows.  I slowly move into the cooler tones of blues and browns.  This is the stage where I begin to define the shadows and highlights.  

Now normally I wait to put in the hair, but I just couldn't help myself :)  But the hair isn't complete yet!

Painting the main features like the eyes, mouth, and nose, are so fun for me.  That is when the subject starts to come life!!

Here, I've got a good feel for the eyes and brows, gosh he's adorable!

Don't mind the white splotches on the paper.. the sun was beaming through the window when I took this update picture.

 

And that's where I'm at right now.. more to come tomorrow!  Thanks for looking!

Jake and Kate, Work in Progress

I have the drawing completed and just started the background yesterday.  So here is an update on this portrait.  I am working with two adorable kids!  I'll post the next update this afternoon!

  I know these are kind of hard to see.. but the drawing has to be light so we won't see it once it's painted!  Stay tuned!!  And have a great day!

NEW COMMISSION!

Well hello there strangers!  I know it's been way too long since I've posted, but I'm happy to share that I just got a new commission!  And I'm SO excited about it!  Honestly, it couldn't have come at a better time for me.  I've been in what you could call a rut with my painting, and now I feel a little more alive again!  

I have the honor of painting these two GORGEOUS children, brother and sister!  I'll be starting in just a couple of days, so follow along and watch this painting come to life!  

Have a wonderful day!

Portrait Special!!

I will be offering a watercolor portrait special starting now, and it will be good until May 12th, 2013!  Mother's Day!  Just email me your pictures and we will get in touch to discuss your desires and the process!  

I can work locally as well as through email, and mail!  Give me a shout!

Thanks, 

New Painting!

Good morning!  I hope everyone is ready for another week!  I plan to do a lot of painting this week, so get ready! :)

Here is one I started yesterday.. a new fly fisher.. 

I think I have a pretty great chance of finishing this today!

Have a wonderful Monday everyone!

Isabella, Finisheo!

Here is the finished portrait of my daughter Isabella (Bella).  I really enjoyed painting her sweet little face.  

 Originally I was intimidated by her dress and the details of it, but once I just relaxed and started filling it in, I started to love it! :)

 

While this portrait does not imitate the original photograph exactly, I feel like my little girl was captured.  Her sweet beauty!

Have a great night!

 

It's all in the eyes...

Good Morning!  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Saturday morning!  I worked quite a bit on Isabella's portrait last night and got pretty far.  I should have her finished this weekend!  

Here is my process from last night.

Okay, it's all in the eyes right?  Here is how I paint eyes in my portraits.

 First I started with a very light wash of Ultramarine Blue.  I added super watered down Payne's Grey mixed with Ultramarine Blue.  I then mixed up a dark blend of the two colors with Payne's Grey as the dominating color.  This is what I used to outline the main part of the iris.  

 Next I added the lashes.. and tiny little pupils..

I started to layer in her lips and add more detail to her nose..

 

Now I have gone and darkened shadows and color in her face, as well as her neck.  I have also started the hair, using colors and shades of gold tinted with with a hint of violet.  I feel like Violet tones done the golden color a bit.  I also darkened the arms with another layer.

It's amazing how quickly this portrait starts to come together as soon as you add the eyes.  And a mouth and a nose :) :)

Have a wonderful day!!

 

Isabella's Portrait Update

TGIF!

I hope you all are having a fabulous start to your Friday!  I have had a great morning and I'm all geared up to go full speed ahead with this portrait today!  To see the picture and where I started with this click here.

Here I am just showing my process of layering.. 

First, I start with my cool pinks (a light wash in Crimson Red) in the face and neck.. Then I quickly move onto my yellows (watered down Cadmium Yellow) to bring out the glowing spots and the warmer toned part of the skin.  I let this layer dry, and then proceed to my warm reds, which I love to use (Brilliant Red with a touch of Cadmium Yellow).  After this layer is dry, I darken my shadows with wet washes of blue (Ultramarine Blue with a touch of Crimson Red and Burnt Umber).  You have to be super careful with this step as the blues really tend to stain the paper and there is little grace when trying to lift it.  So be sure that the paper is very wet and workable, and be ready to lift the paint quickly if necessary!

Next I start to layer in the arms.  I figure I may as well, since I'm already working with these same colors for the face and neck.  As you can see, I tend to start with brighter colors.  I do it this way because it is really easy to muddy a watercolor and once it happens, there's not too much you can do to brighten it back up.  So starting with the bright colors will allow me to go back later and soften once I've had time to really look at it.

Here I have started to layer in her dress.. I have to admit.. I'm not too excited about painting the floral design on this dress.. Wish me luck! :)

Here, you will notice that I have done a few things to the background.  I really love a neat textured background but still blurred as you would see in a nice photograph.. So I simply swirl my wet paint brush in a small circular motion to form these glowing blurred dots.  I then can add a brighter yellow, or green to make that background pop again!  Kind of a fun technique :)

I will post some more tips and techniques later today as work on her.

Your comments and questions are ALWAYS welcome!

Thank you!