Painting again!

It's been a while since I have posted here... 5 years! Eek! And while I have painted, I haven't shown anything except on instagram... With Paint Party Friday ending at the end of Year 11, I wanted to post at least once more.

One of my friends collects Santas and I really wanted to paint one for her, and I always love adding to my nutcracker collection...

Santa for Yolanda

Nutcracker 1

Santa Nutcracker

Three Kings Nutcrackers and their portrait

I have a few other works in progress which hopefully I will finish before I need my dining room table but...

Thanks to all of you who continue to participate in Paint Party Friday! I'm not very good at visiting these days but I do look at much of your lovely art when preparing the posts with Kristin each week.

Paint Party Friday - December Art Journal so far...

How can it be Christmas in less than a week? This year has flown by so quickly! I sure haven't painted as much as I would have liked... :(

Oh well - on to a better effort in 2013! I decided late last month to create a journal for December, combining some art with some reflection on the year that is almost complete - painting on one page and journaling on the back sides about the questions asked in Reverb 2012.

I also prepped 6 canvases with great intentions but so far no follow-through... Here are some of the journal paintings that I have done so far... I started off well but have fallen behind after being busy with speaking at a conference and Christmas parties and shopping activities. 

 

Ornaments (I need a better watercolour red...)

5 "Calling" Birds - they called to me to be painted...

A nutcracker, of course!

A broken off poinsetta

Santa

Snowman

Treetop angel

Tree (using ink paint brush)

Branch

I want to wish all of you a very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season! Merry Christmas! (And of course a happy PPF!)

EVA

My Favourite Things...

(As some of you participating in The Butterfly Effect may already know...) I just finished painting a series based on a few of my favourite things!

Nutcrackers!!

I've always loved the Nutcracker Ballet, the music, the story, the characters and the source of the inspiration - the Nutcrackers. I have a big collection that emerges every December...well over 100 and decided to augment my collection with painting portraits of the main characters in the ballet. (Much more detailed views in previous post.)

Here are my answers for the game:

1 - What is your favorite flower to bring to your enemy’s grave? Hmmm - can't think of any enemies and I can't imagine leaving them any flowers...

2 - What is your favorite bird to dress up as if you were in a parade? A parade? Gotta be bright and loud -  a parrot!

3 - What is your favorite pet quality you’d like to own? I'd love the ability to nap anywhere (and everywhere)! Napping is a skill I haven't yet acquired...

4 - Which one of your favorite celebrities would you marry if you could? Marry? {...a totally different thought/question than I'd normally think about when thinking of celebrities ;)  } 
Hmm - thinking of my answer to #10 - maybe Jon Bon Jovi...

5 - What is your favorite food to order when your in-laws are paying for the meal? My in-laws were gone/deceased before I arrived on the scene but who pays has never affected what I'd order.

6 - What is your favorite drink to accidentally spill on a person you like? Definitely water as it would cause them the least grief (and me the lowest drycleaning bill....)

7 - What is your favorite destination to vacation and/or live if you won a million dollars? Tough one! There is so much of the world I haven't yet seen to choose the one place where I'd like to live. To vacation there are so many places I have yet to see and would like to! One thing for sure that I would like to do is to go snorkeling and see beautiful fishies.

8 - What is your favorite color to wear to your best friend’s wedding? I wore turquoise but really it depends on what fits, looks great and is the stores at the time.

9 - What is your favorite book or/and book character you’d take with you on a lonely island? My sensible side says a survival manual of some kind and/or MacGyver! (Showing my age that I remember him... - hmm - do TV characters count?)

10 - What is your favorite song to sing in the shower? I don't usually sing but I have belted out It's My Life by Bon Jovi on occasion...
Fun quiz NatashaMay!!

And for Day 11 of Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February, inspired by the above quiz, here is my attempt to capture Jon Bon Jovi...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Paint Party Friday - Week 48 - The Nutcracker Quartet

I think I am finished! (Yay!)

First, THANK YOU!!! I really appreciate everyone's comments last week as to how to fix/improve my backgrounds, etc.

Clara's hair stayed blonde and I added the raw sienna and other high/low lights that people suggested to her hair and eyebrows.

Lots of you liked the copper - which was actually before the beige (not after - I probably wrote my description poorly). I had immediately painted over it as it looked so ghastly (photo didn't do it justice). Because so many liked it though I wondered what else similar I could do....

Stephanie suggested all the backgrounds be the same and that was my thought (but poor execution) too.

CarlaRey suggested stamping holiday symbols or music notes on to the background and that idea leapt out at me and said "Yes!" ...though since I didn't have such stamps, I spent some time painting music notes on the backgrounds (in my rather shaky and imprecise hand). Then I added a thin coat of gold paint and another of bronze (NOT copper). Now I am much happier plus they coordinate well with my living room!

Here they are!

The Nutcracker by EVA

Professor/Herr Drosselmeyer by EVA

Clara by EVA

The Mouse King by EVA (whiskers added after rest of the photos below were taken)

Together - leaning near where they will eventually hang (more separated) during Christmas season...

With their models...

...and in an assortment of groupings...

 

Whew!!

Thank you all for your help and encouragement! And to Heather, for making me laugh saying how early I was on my Christmas painting when I was thinking I was SO late! Love your attitude! ;)

Oh! I guess I should sign them...

I also have continued my efforts on Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February and today's is another in the "scientist series"...

Sir Arthur Eddington - astrophysicist

Have fun at Paint Party Friday and see you over the weekend!

P.S. Brandy just finished her pages for my Travelling Sketchbook and they are AWESOME!! First time in a while since I've seen any of the work done in my book. Wow!!

Paint Party Friday - Week 47 and #3 of 29 Faces

Finally! A productive week and a great way to start February. (Already?? How the heck did that happen??) Inspired and encouraged by your responses to my pages in the Travelling Sketchbook last week, I decided to get my act together and work on the Christmas paintings I started in December. This is a foursome that will eventually hang together in a grid - at least that's the plan...

I think I have finished the Nutcracker. I need some advice though...

Nutcracker - finished??

I am uncertain about the background for these. Last time someone suggested underpainting it red and green. I think that helped. Then I thought copper might be nice...

then I didn't...

This painting (below - my favourite by my now-deceased sister) will come down and the four paintings will hang here over the holiday season. (I decorate with paintings too -  is that weird?)

The wall is a creamy colour with a hint of yellow and I want to co-ordinate with that. 

Clara - WIP

Clara is the second in the series and for Clara I also need some help. Again, I'm unsure about the background, and I know I need another coat of paint on the nutcracker... but what about her hair? I think of her as blonde but might black hair be more effective? What do you think?

Clara - WIP - with her model nutcracker... (against that wall)

I also did a bit of work on the remaining two paintings:

Mouse King - WIP

  

Herr/Professor Drosselmeyer - WIP

Any recommendations are appreciated!

I also started Ayala Art's new challenge for February - 29 Faces. Great inspiration - especially if you are like me and want to practice "portraiture".. (Doesn't it sound fancy saying it that way!)  Here is #3...

(Charles Darwin)

Want to join in? 

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday or creating Faces in February!

Paint Party Friday - Week 46 - Travelling Sketchbook for December

I finished December's Travelling Sketchbook this week! Yay! It was a fun one to do as December is a very full and eventful month. This book belongs to Brandy. I started with a nutcracker, as December always starts with nutcrackers for me. They start their exodus out of storage on December 1st and slowly emerge until the tree is up when the rest burst from their confines, onto the Christmas scene. 

Brandy has pink hair, so in her honour my nutcracker asked for his hair to be painted pink.

Spread with words about my Decembers

 

My other spread... wordless at this stage...

Snowman Spread with words/poem

Snowflakes

(to the tune of "twinkle, twinkle little star")

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down,

On the trees and on the ground.

I will build a man of snow,

Tall black hat and eyes of coal,

If the sun comes out today,

I will watch you melt away!

Brandy also gave us butterflies to paint and use as sign in cards - this is mine - green is the rear view and red, the front view - and in her book it has my contact information written all over it. (They are small, only about 2 inches in size, if that.)

This book is a bit out of order and is now on its way to Carmen in the UK! I'm still awaiting the September, November and January sketchbooks. Until they arrive, I hope to get some painting done on canvases. And gasp  - maybe finish one? Maybe my nutcracker painting?

What are you planning to do this week?

Hope everyone has a great Paint Party Friday!!

Sweet Saturdays - Not food but these are sweet to me!

Christmas is over and the General said "Prepare to retreat!"

And they did...

Now all my nutcrackers (well almost all - a few are acting as models for unfinished paintings) are in their boxes and tucked away in their furnace room storage. When the  nutcrackers are out, they are very sweet to look at - so I am linking to Diana's Sweet Saturdays.

Are you undecorated yet?

Paint Party Friday - Week 41 - WIP - Nutcracker

Sigh. (Do you ever do that? Say "sigh" when you are sighing? Or am I as tired and weird as I think I am?) Christmas is almost here and I feel totally out of control. I'm probably not but I need to write a few lists to see what is left undone - and do it! Then I may feel like it is Christmas. A little snow would help too.... very unlike us to be almost snowless.

No more painting got done this week, sigh (lol). I was hoping to show you a finished painting but can't.  :(   Instead I am going to show you my WIP! This is my nutcracker painting where I left off...

Nutcracker Work In Progress

He needs another coat of paint in most places and needs his body widened and his hat narrowed. I'm not sure what to do about the background. He will probably hang against a cream coloured wall in a room with lots of browns and blacks so I was trying to match that somewhat. Any suggestions?

I also did a little bit on painting #2...

the beginning stages...

I want to wish all of my friends at Paint Party Friday a very Merry Christmas!! Happy Hanukkah - if that's what you celebrate! Or a happy holiday season if it is neither of these. 

However you celebrate, I hope you have a great time this week. Please help yourself to some eggnog while I am in the kitchen. I will stop by to visit you when I can!

After Christmas, I will have more time to visit. I hope to stay in my pjs for a few days, see all your artwork, do a puzzle, paint and read. Hope your post Xmas week is happy and relaxing!!

Paint Party Friday - Week 39 - Gingerbread Man!

I think I am slowly getting into the Xmas spirit - at least painting-wise that is! I had so much fun with last week's snowman that I am continuing with paintings to complement my decorations. First the snowman to hang out with my snowman collection in the dining room - which is slowly starting to gather.

This week, the gingerbread decorations that live in the kitchen said they need a painted companion too! 

With friends!

Bottom view...

Top view...

We all liked (Thank You!) the wraparound effect so much, I continued it here. These thick canvases are great for that!

The nutcrackers will come but the models that want to pose are still in storage - this weekend they should join in the decorating fun. I gessoed some canvasses (4) so it will be interesting to see which model poses first! (Ambitious project ahead!)

I also painted a photocopy of my Three Blind Jazz Mice header (see way above!) to make it more Christmasy. I discovered I can reverse images on my scanner and thought this one was especially fun!

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday! I look forward to visiting you - though with everything going on at this time of year, it may take me awhile...  :)