A little more smile :)

Barbara

Watercolor

16 x 20

I changed up her mouth a bit to give her a bigger smile!  She glows now and she is finished.  I apologize for the slightly blurry picture.  My camera is not working quite the same since I threw it when a bee landed on it!  Oh, the things I do sometimes.. :-/

Have a great day!

Marina, WIP

I was able to work on this painting a little during the Terrace Lakes Wine and Art Festival a couple weekends ago.  I still have a long way to go on it, but once I get started up again, it will finish quickly!  I love water and sailboats, so this is going to be one of my favorite pieces for sure :)

I think I'm getting closer...? :)

This has definitely been the most challening portrait I have worked on.  I gave her nose and eyes and chin some tweeking, and then added a little more depth to her hair.  I feel like she pops a little more now.

What do you think?

Okay friends.. I need some critisizm here.. constructive of course :).. Is there anything that I need to tweek here?  I have been staring at this painting for far too long and feel frustrated!!  It could be a simple fix, or maybe its finally right.. Please!  Suggestions are wanted :)

Barbara

Barbara

Watercolor

16 x 20

I finished this portrait commission today.  I am just waiting for the approval and I will make any nessessary adjustments.. But I feel done and satisfied :)

Starting Over!

I started this portrait over this morning.. The other one just wasn't turning out at all!  I am already loving this one.  I can tell from this stage that the painting has it's full potential back!  The other photograph I was working with was really faded and very hard to work with, so I'm using the other reference photograph that was given to me for this commission.  Stay tuned!! :)

Work In Progress..

I got a little further on this portrait today.. I may have to mess with the background a little more.. 

Mickey Blue Eyes

Mickey Blue Eyes

Watercolor

11 x 14

New Portrait Commission!

I just started this portrait today of a very lovely lady.  Her sweet husband commissioned me to paint it for her.  I think he plans to give it to her for her birthday.  The photograph I am working with was taken over 20 years ago.  He says he loves her glow and the gleam in her eyes.  So sweet!

I am in the beginning stage of washes.  Just laying down colors to get a feel for the shadows and highlights.  Stay tuned!

Wild Iris

 

Wild At Heart

Watercolor

11 x 14

I am surprisingly happy with the results so far on this wild Bearded Iris.  I have a few more details to add here and there.I really don't have much experience with floral subjects, and I still have a lot to learn.  I do love the colors in this painting and I've had fun with it :)  So I count it successful! 

Lavendar and Tuscany

I just started this painting yesterday.. I am participating in a Mother's Day Arts and Crafts show this weekend which will be held at Bitner Vineyards Winery.  So I have been inspired to paint Tuscan related paintings lately.  Anyway, thought I would mess around a bit yesterday, and this is where I'm at.  It's still a work in progress, but I should finish it up today :)

I started this Lily yesterday.. I'm still not sure where I am going with this one.. We will see..

Ready for the Spring Fling!!

I just dropped off my display for the "Spring Fling" fundraiser at my children's school.  It's this Friday, and I donated a gift certificate for a portrait. 








  This will be a great opportunity to gain some exposure, and help raise money for the school.  Can we say "Kill two birds with one stone"? :) 

April Showers Bring May Flowers

 I recently started working part time for The Craniofacial Pain Center of Idaho.  I am their new Marketing Representative, and will be designing Marketing Campaigns to promote our business.  So I just started my first project, which is pictured above.  

I painted a quick watercolor to go with my theme "April Showers Bring May Flowers".  So a new themed painting, along with flowers will become my personal trademark with this company. And these gifts will be hand delivered by myself to Doctors and Dentists around the valley.  

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited for spring!!!  It's finally here!

Minor Update..

The sky and tree line are complete. Now to the sailboats!!

WIP. I love it already!

I feel like I've got a pretty good start on this one. I'm just taking my time and putting several washes down to get it just right. I have been putting off this painting for so long, and now I'm wondering why!!? I love painting sail boats.. There is something so relaxing and peaceful about them.

Next Painting!!

I am nervous yet excited to do this one! I love all the colors and can't wait to get them on paper!!

Trees
Watercolor
10 x10

Aspens

So I quickly started this painting this afternoon.. I was feeling so frustrated with the oil painting I started a couple days ago. When you're used to watercolor and how fast they dry, well let's just say I was in NEW TERRITORY! I am sadly an impatient painter, so I love how watercolor washes dry quickly. And what's even more sad is that I don't even have enough patience to let those dry! I use a blow dryer to speed up the process!! :) I think I need to work on my patience? Hmm..

Anyway, I had fun with this one today.. I will wrap it up tomorrow. But I love the bright color!

My First Oil Painting!!

I just started my first oil painting! So excited to see how this turns out! It's so nice to move my brush around with freedom! With watercolor I have to plan every stroke! :)

Bighorn Sheep

The Bighorn
Watercolor
16 x 20

I just wrapped it up on this bighorn sheep. I really don't have too much experience when it comes to painting wildlife. I really want to keep exploring in this direction. I do live in the Rocky Mountains after all right? :)

WIP.. Not sure about this one..

I am feeling a little frustrated with this Bighorn Sheep. It's just not turning out the way I had originally envisioned it. But I'm going to finish it up and hope that by the end, I will like it somewhat! :)

Leslie Gulch

Leslie Gulch, Owyhee Reservoir
Watercolor
11 x 14

So this is the Owyhee Reservoir in Oregon. It sits just outside of the Idaho border. This lake brings back memories of long fishing days with my family, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and an ice cold coke! We had so much fun. And if you want to catch tons of fish when you go out, this is the place!

I had so much fun with this painting. I love using color and playing with new ideas. This is the first painting I have done with water like this, and I think I will continue to improve on it as I do more like this. I love the towers I had to work with here. These giant rock formations are breathtaking and the colors are stunning!

Sneak Peek!

I decided to put up a sneak peek of what I started yesterday.. It's different than any of my other work, but interesting and I LOVE IT! :) It's been fun playing around with a different idea, and I'm definitely going to venture into this more often. I will post the whole painting this afternoon! Stay tuned...

Another Painting of our beautiful Boise River!

Passing Through
Watercolor
11 x 14

The North Channel of the Boise River is making it's way through Star, Idaho in this painting. This is one of the many things I love about where I live.. It's such a nice feature to have a river passing through the whole valley. So whether you're out in the country, or downtown Boise, you have immediate access to this gorgeous river.. It is the perfect place for family pictures, a summer evening swim, and it makes for the perfect setting to paint!