"Two-gether" - SOLD

This painting is an ode to what was meant to be, but didnt happen. it is an ode to the oneness that 'two-gether' should be, and an ode for the ideal that should continue to be upheld, despite what goes on in the world around us. A wonderful reminder from one of my daughters 'interpreting life' drawings.

Purple and a Personal Challenge

I am gearing up for my application to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit and i have to have photographs of 10 of my works for submission to the jury. i do have about 8 or 9 in the arsenal, but i wanted to get 2 or 3 more done in 8 weeks so i could feel like i had a choice in which ones to submit. i average 4 weeks per painting, so it was going to be a bit of a stretch.

SO, the goal was to get this following painting done it a week. ONE WEEK! the drawing came from my daugthers bed... yes, her BED (naughty little girl :)...) so it invovled removing a large wooden door and taking it down to be photocopied at STAPLES. that was fun. no one even batted an eyelash as i walked in with this 2x6 slab of wood and proceeded to lay it on the copier! truth be told, i was a little disappointed. i would have loved a reaction ;)



as far as the colour inspiration, it was found in a multi pack of swarovski crystals i found at micheal's (green, pink, and iridescent). They are the dots on the dress (about $20 worth of crystal on this painting!). It's unfortunate that you can't really appreciate the full sparkly crystal effect on this painting. But if you click the photo, it should open up a new window with a large version to scrutinize :)... Purple just seemed the perfect background for these. It is a true amethyst colour. for awhile i had this painting hanging in close proximity to a large chunk of amethyst that i have and they looked fantastic side by side.

The day i finished the painting, i displayed it at "evening of class" (fancy dinner thrown annually in thunder bay) and it is on hold for a customer! i will be sad to part with it so soon, but i am glad it may have a home to call its own!

all photos on this site are courtesty of my good friend, lizz busby check out her flicker page.

The Pink Dresser Movie

i thought it would be fun to photograph each little step i took while creating "The Pink Dresser", so i set up the tripod and the sony handycam in the studio (not super good quality photos, sorry to those who care...) and painted away. this took a few weeks and i'm really happy with the results - minus the fact that the last image never fully loads as the video stops premature of the ending. but i'll post a link to a better version for you soon.

special thanks to my brother, jon, at transparent-mastering.com for creating the soundtrack. if you have sweet speakers then you will enjoy his music to its fullest!

soon i will also post a good quality photo of this painting, because the handycam really did the process justice, but not the painting itself!

a work in progress...

this is the original drawing given to me by Josiah's mom. this drawing is great, isnt it? so much thought went into what Josiah was drawing! the feet inside the boots, the big belts... with Josiah's mom we decided to use the one soldier on the right for the painting. i knew i had to keep this guy black and white and just play up the background because i didnt want to take away from what he had created, especially the feet/boots combo.

18"x24"

i decided this was the painting on which to use a colour scheme that i have been loving for the past year or so! i first saw it on a friend's sweatshirt and have been secretly obsessed with this colour combo for a couple of years now! i added a slight white outline around the figure to make him 'sticker'-like, and also to help him pop out a bit more from the background!

this guy isnt quite finished as i am still working on the gradient on the helmet/body, etc to make him a bit more 3D, and then it'll be off to his new home!

The Woodland Fairy

above you see the original drawing. i decided i would go with a white outline on a dark background just to try something different...

20"X24"

i was happy with the result... a cute little fairy - note there are no arms! because who needs ARMS when you have wings :)

for this masterpiece i started by painting a woodgrain texture, then overlaid it with a dark brown leafy pattern. i was pleased with the 'transparent' effect i achieved on her wings by using a watered down pearl glaze. why white hair? i dont know. i just liked it that way :)

i also knew almost immediately after painting her dress in a subtle green gradient that i wanted to spruce it up with a little something-something. i ended up embellishing her dress with swarovski crystals. and adding a complimentary headband as well :)

this painting is for sale and can be seen at global experience.

The Rock Monster

My son does not draw as much as my daughter does. But the amount of 'girlie' drawings piling up around my house became a bit predictable: fairies, princesses, mermaids, girls wearing pretty dresses with big hair... so i approached my son with a deal. i said to him, "i need some BOY drawings" and i told him i would pay him ;) ha ha. he jumped at the opportunity! :)

he drew me a monster! and i loved it! the detached head... the scribble mouth... the BIG eye and small eye... the scribble mouth really reminded me of Tim Burtons 'Nightmare Before Christmas' because everyone was sewn up.

at the street fair this painting drew in a lot of unexpected spectators - teenage boys! (and 20 year old young men too!) upon discussion with these gentlemen, i decided that this painting will most likely be turned into a tshirt design down the road. they all seemed keen on that idea! :)

this painting is sold, but can be reproduced for you upon request.

The Bird

This simple, yet adorable, drawing was done by my daughter. i found it as i was flipping through one of her many sketchbooks.

i couldnt get over the charming fact that the bird was showing us its profile, but still the eyes and feet are facing directly towards us :)

This bird will be featured on the band t-shirts for 'Sparrows' ... you can check out there music at http://www.myspace.com/thecedarsoflebanon.

this painting is for sale, or can be custom ordered to your favourite colours!