Art Inspires The Soul

Eddie In His Nest

2009-03-29T16:56:00.003-07:00

I get a lot of inspiration from cats. Here is my "Eddie" in his nesting phase. He is trying to keep the little daffodil seedlings warm so that they can grow. I know I will be remembered as the crazy cat lady when all is said and done! I loved the lighting in this picture. Mornings are so great when the sun is out!

What The Heck Is That?

2009-03-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here is another assignment I teach in my classes. We begin with a simple contour hand drawing, a random object (in this case, an eye), and a choice of one of the 5 subtypes of rhythm (a principle of art and design). I also ask them to use their choice of analogous colors. Then we take it a step further and combine the three images. Then we take it even further by creating a mirror reflection. I made 3-4 reflections in this piece. It is fun to work with Surrealism because you never know what the outcome will be. Everyone I have encountered says "What the H is that?" Hence, the title: What The Heck Is That?

The Boyles circa 1929

2009-03-29T16:41:00.001-07:00

I painted this watercolor for my great-aunt Wanda's 80th Birthday! It is her father and mother circa 1929 during the Great Depression and Prohibition. They lived in Illinois at the time before migrating with their four children to Washington state to work in a cannery. I love my great grandmother's style! It is so 1920-30s flapper girl! I learned a lot about unconditional love from this family. I would have to say the commonality in their blood is kindness and love. I always feel safe when I spend time with this silent generation and I love hearing their stories! Appreciate every moment because that is all we have!

Spring Tulips!

2009-03-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

I am the most technically-challenged artist in the universe. Here is a watercolor painting I have uploaded from my mobile phone and it is actually 24" x 36" so excuse the miniature size. I am a naughty, naughty person because I borrowed this image from google and I can't even credit the original artist. I used it as a lesson for my high school students to paint complementary colors. It is one of the few paintings in which I have not used black! Guilt for "borrowing", wasn't it Picasso that said: Good artists create: Great artists steal!

Chihuahua sketch with crayon

2008-10-27T01:49:00.001-07:00

Can't Get Enough!

2008-07-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is a watercolor I just finished for friend of her little brother. The picture captured me because the little boy is so adorable with his eyes that couldn't be any bigger! I'm submitting this for this week's Illustration Friday because this little boy's eyes are imploring the "enough" right out of me. I've attached the original photo and some details. Hope you enjoy it!

Alexander the Great

2008-07-23T17:49:00.001-07:00

This is a monochromatic oil painting of my nephew signing the word "cat". Alexander! I took a picture with the laptop so it is backwards and not very focused. I will have to repost it later! You should take a picture of it with a digital camera when you go to G & G's this weekend so I can redo it!

IF: Foggy

2008-07-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

A lighthouse scene on a foggy day. Inspired by Thomas Kincade's color choices, I created this lighthouse and used complementary colors for a dramatic contrast.

Baby Girl Watercolor

2008-07-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is Natalia Elise, a friend's baby. I painted it this afternoon. Couldn't resist the lighting and those sweet chubby cheeks!

Connor's "Self-Portrait"

2008-07-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

This is a picture that Connor (my three-year-old) took of himself one day in the car this last May. I was very inspired by the chiaroscuro effect of the light and shadow, so I painted it in watercolor. I only had one small paintbrush to use as you can tell by the "scratchy" look. I gave the painting to my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.

IF: Sour

2008-07-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Maybe a little more sweet than sour, this is an image of my brother who was 3 at the time. P.J. always loved candy and sour lemon drops from my grandparents green glass dish. I suppose this picture was taken after he was being a little bit sneaky!

Sketch of Child

2008-07-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

One evening I sketched my son from a photograph. Please forgive my display, I am still trying to learn the best way to transfer these large images without the use of a camera (I can't find mine at the moment). I am using the camera from my laptop. The sketch is actually backward! I am working on an oil painting from this sketch inspired by the styles of both

Caravaggio and David.

Insomnia

2008-06-30T01:37:00.000-07:00

This was a happy accident I created while playing around with black and white photography. I call it "Insomnia" because it happened during a run with sleeplessness. I enhanced it later in Photoshop.

IF: Fierce

2008-06-28T15:23:00.001-07:00

Fierce. This was a challenging topic to illustrate. The dictionary definition of the word describes a violent and hostile temperament in a human or animal. When I turn on the TV, I am constantly hearing the word "fierce" in reference to a person looking gorgeous. I chose Medusa for this week because I think she is fierce in both uses of the term. Gorgeous and hostile!