An Original Peace Lilies Painting and a Bevvy of Lily Related Prints!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Lost and Found" and is Hera visiting the fairy realms.  I also have additional art prints here with a calla lily theme, they're based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "Night Lily" a blue and purple stargazer lily, "Intensity" a purple calla lily, "Leda and the Swan" a piece loosely inspired by Leonardo da Vinci with pink calla lilies, "White Lily" a white stargazer lily, "Vivid" a vibrant budding and blooming stargazer lily, "Zen Water Lily" a pink and yellow nymphaea, and "Flowing Grace" a pink and yellow calla lily.

Most of my art is also available on my website at http://www.lisarusso.com; however, I like to offer some art on ebay at a lower promotional start rate for the duration of the auctions!

I'm also listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "Peaceful Trinity" and it is of three white peace lilies...

I don't have this one up on my website yet, it's my most recent floral painting; but when I do, I'll post the link.

Little Bird on a Wire Sketch...

My grandfather loved these little birds.  I'm not sure what they're called.  They're small, brown and white, and tend to be a little round.  I think they might be sparrows, but I'm not sure.  Anyway, here's a little sketch of one of them, I was thinking about my grandfather and looking at some photographs of them that I took for him.  The quality of the photograph isn't good enough to use as reference for a painting, those little birds are difficult to photograph, but it was just fine for a sketch...

I've progressed a bit with my mermaid sketch, it's on canvas with a bit of paint a post down.  I also finished my oaks painting that I shared the sketch of, it's a few posts down.

To view more Sunday Sketches, please visit:
http://www.bluechairdiaryillustrations.com/

Mermaid by a Cathedral Original Painting Work in Progress...

Here is a work in progress image of my mermaid by a cathedral.  I resolved some of my issues from the sketch, which is a few posts down; but in putting this up I see something else that needs fixing.  For some reason when I look at an image on the monitor, I sometimes catch things that I don't see when I have it up on the easel or in my sketch book...

I finished the oak tree painting I was working on last week for Nibblefest, it's on ebay here and it's also a few posts down if you'd like to take a look.

I'm joining in this week with Paint Party Friday.  To see more participants, please visit:
http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

An Original Saucer Magnolia Painting and a Bevvy of Tree Related Prints!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Hidden" and is of a magical forest spot.  I also have additional art prints here with a tree theme, they're based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.  Some of them may seem a bit of a stretch for the theme, but I'll digress below...

They are "Enchanting Light" a magnolia flower blooming on a magnolia tree, "Mushroom Village" red mushrooms in a tree knoll, "Apple of My Eye" Snow White by an apple tree, "Untitled" a tree reaching across a waterfall, "Deep Forest" some trees in bloom by a river, "To Fly or Not to Fly" a kitten on a tree branch, "One Tree" an expressionist tree, and "Earth Magic" an impressionist forest of trees by a waterfall.

Most of my art is also available on my website at http://www.lisarusso.com; however, I like to offer some art on ebay at a lower promotional start rate for the duration of the auctions!

I'm also listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "Elegance" and it is some pink saucer magnolia flowers, which in tandem with my theme, also grow on beautiful trees...

If you miss this seven day auction, this painting also lives on my website here.

The inspiration for my tree listings this week came from painting some oak trees for Nibblefest.  You may see this original painting here.  Turns out I've done more art with trees than I'd realized!

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh at the Norton Simon Museum...

One of my favorite paintings of a tree resides at the Norton Simon Museum of Art.  It is by Vincent van Gogh and is titled "The Mulberry Tree."  A while ago I posted a Part I here of a lecture I attended and one of his self portraits, I have yet to write up Part II; but, since my focus is on trees this week, I have decided to share a painting that inspires me as an artist although my art varies from his.  Vincent van Gogh said his brushstrokes were "firm and interwoven with feeling, like a piece of music played with emotion."  While there can be no substitute for seeing the art in person if you have the opportunity, I have put together and cropped some images and close up images of the painting here that I hope you will enjoy.

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh Detail 1

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh Detail 2

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh Detail 3

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh Detail 4

"The Mulberry Tree" by Vincent van Gogh

Also, happy Earth Day to you!

I am linking this post with Inspire Me Monday

http://www.create-with-joy.com/

Sketch of a Mermaid and the Ruins of a Cathedral...

Here is a mermaid sketch I am still working on the details of.  I've sketched her tail fin separately and I want to add it in and tilt her head a bit.  I'm going to try doing so in photoshop.  Alex was looking at cathedral images and I realized I wanted to incorporate one into a painting and I also had an urge to paint a mermaid, so I've decided to combine the two...

I did finish the painting based on the sketch I posted last week of the oak trees, it's here on ebay or a post down if you'd like to take a peek!

To view more Sunday Sketches, please visit:
http://www.bluechairdiaryillustrations.com/

Finished Original Oak Tree Painting...

I've finished my oak painting for Nibblefest, it's on ebay here.  Sometimes I struggle with what to write about my art and when I was looking at information about these Coast Live Oak trees that I photographed at Descanso Gardens, I learned that they are a “keystone species” and support the existence of hundreds of other species.  So in addition to being quite beautiful, they are a very important component of their environment...

Oak Tree Original Painting Work in Progress...

Here is a work in progress image of my oak tree painting.  I'm a little bit farther along then this, but I thought it would be fun to post it with just the sky and some of the leaves since in my sketch all it was was the trunks and branches...  I'm hoping to get this done by tomorrow for Nibblefest.

Anyway, I'm joining in this week with Paint Party Friday.  To see more participants, please visit:
http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

An Original Fairy with Her Fox Squirrel Friend Painting, an Abstract Cloud Butterfly Amidst Roses Print, & More!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Cloud Butterfly" and the abstract butterfly is flitting by some roses.  I also have additional art prints here, they're based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "Violet Dreams" a gothic angel loosely inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, "Turning" a gray horse, and "Standing Tall" a purple bearded iris offered both in 5x7 and square format.  I think I was in a bit of a soft mood and my choices for this week reflect this.

Most of my art is also available on my website at http://www.lisarusso.com; however, I like to offer some art on ebay at a lower promotional start rate for the duration of the auctions!

I'm also listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "More Than One Way to Fly" and it is of a fairy and her fox squirrel friend who have just missed their hot air balloon...

If you miss this seven day auction, this painting also lives on my website here.

I've started working on my little oak tree painting.  Although I started thinking about this painting a while ago, I seem to be once again close to the end of my time alloted...  Ah well!  I haven't painted a tree in while and this topic has reminded me of how much I enjoy painting them, so I think it's all for the good...

Sketch of Entwined Oak Trees...

This is a bit of an incomplete sketch in that I haven't drawn in the leaves of these two oak trees.  It is my intention to use a cropped portion of this sketch for my Nibblefest painting.  It is also my intention to lay the leaves in in a manner more impressionistic than precise, so for the intended purpose of this sketch, I've just drawn out the bones of the trees.

To view more Sunday Sketches, please visit:
http://www.bluechairdiaryillustrations.com/

An Original Sweet Pea Flower Painting, a Bull Mastiff Dog Print, & More!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Cuddle Time" and is of a napping bull mastiff and just the bare feet of the dog's person.  I also have additional art prints here, they're based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "Alegria" a pink rose and rose bud, "Sienna" a magical fae, "Heart's Wish" pale yellow orchids with a crimson heart, and "Lost and Found" Hera visiting our realm as a fairy.

Most of my art is also available on my website at http://www.lisarusso.com; however, I like to offer some art on ebay at a lower promotional start rate for the duration of the auctions!

I'm also listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "Budding Blooms" and it is of two pink sweet pea flowers...

If you miss this seven day auction, this painting also lives on my website here.

Thanks very much for the input on my tree quandary!  I've decided to go with an oak tree, or rather part of an oak tree, for Nibblefest.  Now I have to go through my reference shots and decide which one to use.  Although I do think I will be using the reference more as a starting point rather than attempting to do an extremely realistic version.  I haven't painted a tree in a very long time, so it should be fun...

Almost Complete Peace Lilies & A Question of Trees...

I think I'm almost done with my peace lily flower painting.  I want to take a look at it tomorrow and see if I feel the same way.  Once I've given it a more final look, I'll try to take a better photograph, but I think they're pretty much there...

I'm also thinking about Nibblefest, this month the theme is trees.  I am torn between a palm tree painting or an oak tree painting...  Any opinions?  The ones above are not necessarily the specific images I'll use, but they are amongst the ones I've photographed as potential reference...

Edit:  Thanks so much for the input, I've decided to try my hand at painting an oak tree...

Anyway, I'm joining in this week with Paint Party Friday.  To see more participants, please visit:
http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Ariel the Little Mermaid from the Disneyland Parade Photograph...

On Wednesdays, when I get a chance, I like to share a photo that I've taken.  This photograph was taken at Disneyland during one of the parades.  I went there a while back for the first time in many years.  It was much more crowded than I remember it being, but it was still nice.  Anyway, I picked this photo of Ariel the little mermaid to share because my theme for the week's art auctions is mermaids and magical creatures...

Although I'm somewhat Wordy, I am participating in Wordless Wednesday.  To see more Wordless Wednesday links, please visit:
http://blog.aquariann.com/
http://www.create-with-joy.com/

An Original Mermaid Painting, Magical Foal & Unicorn Art Prints, & More!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Mystic Foal" and is of a magical resting foal.  I also have unicorn and mermaid art prints here, they're based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "Blending" blue mermaid with purple hair, "Freeborn" and "In This Moment" two abstract unicorns,  "Soft Light" an elegant mermaid, and "The Gift" a mermaid with a sea turtle and fish friends.

Most of my art is also available on my website at http://www.lisarusso.com; however, I like to offer some art on ebay at a lower promotional start rate for the duration of the auctions!

I'm also listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "Twirls and Curls" and it is of a mermaid with long blue hair and a some fishie friends...

If you miss this seven day auction, this painting also lives on my website here.

I'm thinking about Nibblefest, this month I really do not want to leave it to the absolute last minute...  This month the theme is trees.  I haven't decided yet which type of tree to paint, there are so many and although I very rarely paint them, I love trees....