A.W.O.L no more...

A.W.O.L. for the non-military folks stands for Absence With Out Leave. It's been a rough month folks and I apologize for being so behind in posts and responses.

I had to participate in the annual Different Strokes from Different Folks portrait challenge.

This painting does not do this lovely lady justice. I didn't capture her smiling eyes as well as I wanted and her face should be more oval. Her portrait of me is much more flattering and I adore it. You can see it on her blog HERE.

Because she finished hers within the first week, I was able to find out this is Christine Maclellen. This is actually the second painting I did of her. The first one, I thought I made her face too long. If I had time, I would paint a third and I am sure it would turn out "juuuust right".

8x10 oil on RayMar

Airport Aerobics

Most of us have participated in Karin Jurick's Different Strokes from Different Folks Blog.

I spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much time with this one. The disadvantage of submitting it so late is running out of clever titles for one thing and the inevitable comparison one does with the other awesome submissions.

Check out those fabulous paintings on Karin's site HERE!

12x12 oil on board.

DSFDF challenger- Macy's

I submitted this for the Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge. I thought she didn't post it but Lauren pointed out it was. *doi!* Thank you Lauren!

I had fun working with graphite powder and charcoal pencil for a really rough and rustic looking sketch.

8x10 graphite, charcoal on paper.

Confounding Cupcakes!

I thought this would be fun. I had missed a couple of challenges for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes from Different Folks blog. I thought....o, yummy ...a subject near and dear to my heart, "this should be easy." HA!

I have never spend so much time on a challenge piece! Four separate painting sessions, correcting most of the time and trying to keep from scraping it all off and starting over.

I thought I'd be clever and flip the image so the shadow was on the opposite side and then line them up vertically because the majority of the submissions were horizontal. [also because my fav artists had already painted my previous ideas of close ups and other lay-outs]

I started out with a off white background on a burnt sienna toned canvas. Wasn't happy with it, gave it a yellow wash; REALLY hated it and then gave it a green wash and then finally a bright green layer.

The cupcakes didn't turn out the creamy way I wanted like some of the other challenge artists did. They remind me of the display food Japanese restaurants have in their front window for customers to look at that can look a little dusty after time. Learned a lot though...[patience for one]

24x8 oil on canvas

DSFDF challenger- Boater

For my newer visitors, I've been trying Karin Jurick's blog challenge for several months now. I was a little intimidated with the process of interpreting a photo because the huge pool of talent that was already involved.

Even though it is not a competition, you cannot help but be humbled when you compare your work with some amazing pieces. Forcing myself to get involved has blessed me with a whole group of artist pals who have the biggest hearts in the world. They visit and encourage the participants and are always so generous with sharing their techniques. Joining in the challenge is one of the best things I've done since I've started painting professionally.

Please check out the original photo and the other fabulous entries at Karin Jurick's Different Strokes from Different Folks blog.

This piece is 6x8 oil on canvas

Feast or Famine

6x8 oil on canvas panel- DSFDF challenge

8x10 oil on RayMar- Memorial piece

6x8 oil on Ray Mar- Annie

11x14 oil on wrapped canvas - Rocky and Linen

8x10 colored pencil, marker and pen on paper

So the Kabrian piece I did last week for someone's 7 year old.  I had two in progess pieces I finished yesterday (Rocky & Linen, Memorial).  Then I went start to finish on Annie when I realized I needed to do the DSFDF challenge because it is due today!  Along with a couple of sick kids, I've have neglected my blogging and I apologize.  

I will also apologize for the next four days because I'm leaving at 5 in the morning to catch a plane to Minneapolis to visit a friend whom I've known since I was two.   I'm sure I'll be back on a regular course after that.  Hugs.

We'll have up days and down days right?

My Tibetan family didn't make it into the small show and I'm not totally happy about the DSFDF submssion this time but I did get one commission the other day so I'll be working on that.

The commission is for a black lab with a light background.  It should be an interesting challenge.

8x10 oil on RayMar

Practice for DSFDF challenge

So my follow DSFDF'rs found out what Karin's next 3 week challenge was.   I read her post very carefully and was impressed that she seems to know her followers well.

Instead of panicking this time, I went to all the websites she listed and also looked at her cityscapes.  She's right, I've never done a cityscape, never had an interest to but how am I going to learn if I don't constantly reach outside my comfort zone?  So last night I forced myself to try an paint a photo my friend took while we were walking around Pier 39 in SF.

It's not great but it's not as awful as I thought it was going to be before I started these challenges.  I consider it a warm up for the NYC image she posted.  Oy Vay!

8x10 oil on RayMar

Companion of Diana

When I first saw Karin Jurick's lastest challenge on Different Strokes from Different Folks, I thought,

1. "What the heck is she thinking?"

2. "She wants us to do the whole statue?"

3.  "What the heck is she thinking?" again...

4.  "Am I going to do this?"

Of course,  like always, Karin has a very good reason behind this lesson.  Drawing is a fundamental skill needed for any kind of painting.  So I thought, I would do this in pencil, then I thought I'd challenge myself with adding watercolor, then I settled on acrylic because I hadn't worked with it in a while.  

I am surprised that I was wrong in thinking this challenge did lessen the submission pool.  Take a look at the awesome entries from people around the world! 

8x10 acrylic on canvas board

DSFDF Challenge

So I was showing my 11 year old daughter the Different Strokes from Different Folks blog.

She told me she wanted to participate.

I think her multimedia 10x8 painting turned out so much more interesting than my 6x8 oil on canvas board.... *sigh*  [okay I'm just a tad proud too. ;o)]

California Roll

Okay so I was a little intimidated with DSFDF's challenge and it didn't help matters when I noticed some of my favorite artists like Gwen Bell and Dean Haven whipped theirs out like it was yesterday's newspaper and doing a wonderful job at it.  I also loved seeing  Deb Keirce's adorable adaptation of the challenge.

So when I started this morning, I was repeating Karin's mantra, squint and paint the shapes..  Unfortunately maybe it was to my disadvantage that I've had this California roll many times and I knew that there was fake crab [Krab], avocado, cucumbers and tobiko [flying fish roe] sprinkled on top.  I think the soy sauce has a 'brown gravy' look to it and I'd be interested to see what you used to paint your soy sauce.  Thanks in advance.

5x7 oil on canvasboard.

DSDF challenge- wig out

Okay so it's I just so happen to post this the day Karin's DSFDF and internet connection are back. I shouldn't have looked at all the entries submitted but I did. So with a little trepidation I'm posting mine.

I think it looks more like an illustration than a fine art painting. It could be because of the size (8x10) and the fact I used acrylic for the first time for a challenge.  [yeah...that's the ticket, it's because of the size...NOT!]

I think I'll use different mediums depending on the subject matter from now on. Hugs!

Nothing to see here...

I submitted my DSFDF challenge this morning thinking I may have missed the Wednesday deadline after working and finishing this last night.

*sigh* Alas no. So a quick explanation. I'm running low on oil so I used watercolor on a Fredrix Watercolor Canvas Board for the first time. (8x10) Pretty cool because no need to tape the paper down and worry about warping and wrinkling. It absorbs the water and color a little differently but it's easy to adapt. Please don't look at my image as an example of what you can do with this medium.

I shouldn't have peeked!!!

I tell myself this morning, "Don't look at the other paintings this morning because you know you're gonna be intimidated instead on inspired at this juncture of the challenge".

So I just went to the DSFDF blog just to see if there were any comments to her post regarding photographing a dark scene. Lo and behold, several generous and kind professional and experienced experts gave wonderful tips on doing just that. This artist community is so generous and has a huge heart! Thank you for always taking the time to help us newbies.

I've stopped trying. I am not happy with the painting but I am happy that I decided to finish and submit despite my reservations.


Fellow DSFDF , I know the composition experiment fell flat. The paint is over worked [it is my forth attempt ] and I would give it a C- this time. I did learn that I need to paint more buildings and night scenes!!! I hope you are having a great day, thanks for stopping by.

Sculpted Sculptor

Oil 16x20

Another artist asked me to paint his torso for him.














The one on the right is my first concept but it looked too anatomical to me. I ended up changing the color and a little of the form to end up with the finished painting on the left. Some days I think I should have left it but the subject said he likes the second one. What do you think? Oh, and that question you're asking yourself right now? It's yes. He sculpts stone and marble so he needs to be fit to be able to manipulate and maneuver several tons of mass for his project.

Now I will be trying to psych myself up to force myself to do Karin Jurick's next challenge on Different Strokes from Different Folks having never done a night scene or a building!!! Check it out. Fabulous artists are ALREADY finished with the project. *Argh*