Work in Progress Views of a Nesting Fawn...

I've been working on this original acrylic painting off and on for a while, but I haven't posted any work in progress shots because I wanted the finished piece to be a surprise for a very dear friend.  I finished the baby deer on Saturday or Sunday, but I'll post the finished fawn image on Tuesday as my featured print...  

Also, I'm joining in this week with Paint Party Friday.  To see more participants, please visit:

http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

An Impressionistic Sailboat Original Painting, a Blue Landscape Art Print, and more Prints!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Blue Vista" and is a blue landscape.  I also have additional water themed art prints here.  They're all based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "CA Coast" a seascape, "Soft Light" a blue mermaid fairy, "Untitled" an early waterfall, "The Gift" a mermaid with a sea turtle friend, "Twirls and Curls" a blue haired mermaid with some fish friends, "Zen Water Lily" a pink and yellow waterlily,  "Earth Magic" a fall landscape with a waterfall, and "Hidden" a secret spot with a pond and 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...  The prints have a Buy it Now that's approximately 20% off and the original art has a start price that's approximately 25% off!

I'm listing this original painting here and the print of it is here.  The title is "Misty Afternoon" and it is a soft impressionist sailboat on the sea.  

I'm sorry I ran out of time on Sunday to post about the last drawing class I took, we were having an early birthday celebration for Alex; but I'll try to do a post about it this coming Sunday.

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

A Leonardo Da Vinci Inspired Drawing, a Gothic Angel Art Print, and more Prints!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Violet Dreams" and is a gothic angel loosely inpsired by Leonardo Da Vinci.  I also have additional portrait themed art prints here.  They're all based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "Leda and the Swan" a gothic angel and swan loosely inspired by Da Vinci, "Drowning" a self portrait, "Lace Wings" a Latina fairy, "Little Bo Peep" a nursery rhyme inspired girl, "Apple of My Eye" a gentle Snow White, "Azure Haired Beauty" a blue fae,  "Blood of the Nile" an Egyptian fairy, and "Strength and Beauty" a big eye Wonder Woman.

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...  The prints have a Buy it Now that's approximately 20% off and the original art has a start price that's approximately 25% off!

I'm listing this original drawing here.  The title is "Leda" and it is inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci's study for Leda and the Swan.  

I don't always have a theme, but this week most of my listings are inspired by the theme of "Portraits" for Nibblefest.  To see my angel Claire portrait for NFAC, please visit here.   All entries start at 99c, no reserve...

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

Original Angel Acrylic Painting...

This is my painting for Nibblefest, it's on ebay here.  I usually paint a small piece specifically for Nibblefest, but I saw this portrait I painted of Claire and decided she was perfect for this theme.  The painting measures 8"x10" and is an original angel fantasy acrylic painting on gallery wrapped canvas.  If you'd like to see her photograph and see my initial sketch as well as some work in progress shots, I put them together here.  

One of the fun things about Nibblefest is that all entries start at 99c, no reserve.  The theme this month is portraits, if you'd like to see all of the entries, search the keyword "NFAC" on ebay...  The contest ends on the 27th.

Flower Drawing Class at the Norton Simon Museum of Art

On Friday I attended a flower drawing class taught by artist Jamie Sweetman.  I love drawing and painting flowers, so I was really looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint.  I'm usually very fond of my eraser, but for these classes, I've been trying to go without it.

She started by doing a demo about basic shapes, suggesting that loose ellipsis shapes are very helpful for drawing flowers.  The iris was actually the last flower I drew, but since I ran out of time and didn't finish it, I've decided to share it unfinished.  You can see areas where I've lightly blocked in some of the basic shapes for proportion so that when I went into more detail, the basic form would be correct.  This was based off of a fake flower she had brought in, that I didn't manage to photograph at quite the angle I drew it at...

We started the class in the garden of the museum, but when we lost the light, we went inside.  I chose to sketch some lilies in the garden.  She suggested in starting out that to warm up, we should start with the buds, since they had simpler forms, before moving on to the open flowers.  I think the buds were quite beautiful.

She suggested choosing subjects to draw that would make you feel good.  Ones that would challenge you but not be so difficult that you would give up on them.

To draw the forms she also suggested to look at the negative space, the space between the objects you are sketching, to see the form and proportional relationships.  She also said that if you'd like you may use a viewfinder, a rectangular form either created with your fingers or one of paper to help determine composition.

She said that drawing is like a sport, practice is very important.  It's also key to relax and focus at the same time and not worry about what it looks like, just get into it.  She suggest doing a lot of drawing to analyze forms and to do throwaway/practice drawings.

I know I sometimes forget to draw just for the fun and practice of it, but it really is a wonderful way to spend an evening!

This was my third class with her, the final one is next Friday.  To read about the Still Life Drawing Class, visit here and to read about the Animal Drawing Class, visit here.


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

I am also linking this post with Inspire Me Monday
http://www.create-with-joy.com/

A Portrait of Claire...

Claire was the editor of ImagineFX, a magazine I subscribe to.  The project was to do a zombie version of her.  The magazine focuses primarily on digital art.  My concept was that I was going to paint her portrait and then turn her into a zombie digitally with some assistance from the amazing digital artist Alex Ledante.  However, I found I could not convince myself to transform her, so I went with the idea of having her be an angel.  This project was a few years ago, and I've posted these work in progress pictures before, but they were pretty small.  I'm posting them again because I've decided to list her for Nibblefest and thought that it might be interesting to see them.  I've made a slight adjustment to her hair, but I'll post that when I list her on Monday...  

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


Edit:  To see her completely finished, she is now here on ebay...

An Original Beetle Bug Insect Painting, a Little Bo Peep Art Print, and more Prints!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Little Bo Peep" and is of a nursery rhyme girl who lost her sheep.  I also have additional art prints here.  They're all based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.

They are "Crossings" a small sailboat on the sea in San Pedro, "Cleo" a purple winged angel, "Reminders" an ocean sailboat also in San Pedro California, "Blood of the Nile" an Egyptian fairy, "Eternal Bird of Paradise" a vibrantly hued flower, "Waiting for You" a lovely tan cat, and "Summer Sun" a yellow sunflower against a soft summer sky.

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...  The prints have a Buy it Now that's approximately 20% off and the original art has a start price that's approximately 25% off!

I'm listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "Found" and it is of a Scarab beetle resembling bug that I found, I'm not actually sure what the proper classification of that insect...

It's so hot right now, I'm not doing that much painting.  My paints tend to dry on the brush before I can even lay them down on the canvas at this temperature...  I'm hoping to finish one of the paintings I'm currently working on in not too very long though...

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

Animal Drawing Class at the Norton Simon Museum of Art

On Friday I attended an animal drawing class taught by artist Jamie Sweetman.  The title of the class was "Drawing the Horses of Degas," but in actuality it was geared towards animals in general.  In addition to the Edgar Degas horse sculptures that were at the museum, she brought in a lot of animal figurines.

Sculpture of a Horse by Edgar Degas

The first one I went for was a Degas horse.  She recommended starting with a loose rendering of the entire form and then breaking it up into simple shapes, like spheres and cylinders.  After that she suggested going into general details, followed by shading and putting in the core shadow.  The core shadow is the darkest part of the object and helps to define the subject.

My Sketch of the Degas Horse

She compared the finishing details to the desert, with the prior steps being the main course.  I didn't really get to finishing details with the horse.  Degas didn't consider his sculptures to be finished, they were a way to see them better.  

My First Sketch of the Polar Bear

The next animal I chose was a polar bear.  This was my first sketch.

Jamie Sweetman Polar Bear Sketch One

The instructor decided to sketch the polar bear.  She said it's important to stay loose for as long as you can.  She decided the proportions in her sketch weren't quite were she wanted them, so she flipped the page and put the bear to the paper and did a loose sketch.

Jamie Sweetman Polar Bear Sketch Two

She refined it further.  She said when she doesn't understand something, she draws it again and again.  I love the bulk of her sketch, it really has the feel of a polar bear.

My Polar Bear Sketch Two

She said if you get too into it, stop and draw another one and that each time you draw you learn.  I gave it another go, putting it down first for the proportions.

My Scorpion Sketch

After that, I decided to go for something a bit different.  I decided to sketch a scorpion.  She told the class that when laying it in, it's good to be always adjusting, also she said that you can chart the angles.  She also said it was good to jump all over the place while sketching.

This is my second class with her and I'm looking forward to the third.  To read about the first class, visit here.

Happy Mother's Day!

To view more Sunday Sketches, please visit:

http://www.bluechairdiaryillustrations.com/

I am also linking this post with Inspire Me Monday

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

Norton Simon Museum of Art Lily Pond Photograph...

On Wednesdays, when I get a chance, I like to share a photo that I've taken.  This photograph was taken at the Norton Simon Museum of Art.  In addition to a phenomenal art collection, they also have a luscious pond and garden that includes a pathway around the pond and various sculptures.  Right now the water lilies are just starting to bloom.  This is what I saw when I entered the garden...

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 Fairy Painting, a Siamese Cat Art Print, and more Prints!

My featured print auction for the week is on ebay here.  It is titled "Make Time to Cuddle" and is of a huge eyed siamese kitten.  I also have additional art prints here.  I didn't really post with much of a theme this week, I just went with what I felt like posting, although there's a solid grouping of sunflower paintings...  They're all based on my original paintings and are starting today and ending next Tuesday.  

They are "Ocean Born" the goddess Venus Aphrodite, "Little Owl" a small barn owl, "Azure Haired Beauty" a blue gothic fae, "Dreamer" a fairy puppy on a sunflower, "Emerald" a ruby throated hummingbird by a sunflower, "Violet" a purple hued hummingbird also by a sunflower, and "Sunlight Sunbright" a vibrant yellow sunflower. 

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...  The prints have a Buy it Now that's approximately 20% off and the original art has a start price that's approximately 25% off!

I'm listing this original painting here and the print is here.  The title is "Gossamer Moon" and it is of a predominantly blue and purple gothic fairy with crescent moons in her wings...

It's been a while since I've done website updates and when I have done them, I've missed some pieces.  I intend to start doing some updates though....  This one is up though.


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

"Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables" by Frans Snyders & Cornelis de Vos at the Norton Simon Museum

"Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables" by Frans Snyders & Cornelis de Vos

I recently attended a still life drawing class at the Norton Simon Museum of Art and this is one of the paintings the instructor referred to.  If you'd like to see more about the class, that is here.  I thought this painting was so magnificent that I wanted to share it and some detail views of it here.  It is a huge painting, it measures 68-1/4 inches by 101 inches (212 cm x 308 cm), which is more than 5 feet tall and more than 8 feet wide.  The details are exquisite.  The fruits and vegetables are layered in a heirarchy, with the most valuable at the top and the less valuable at the bottom as ranked in the time period painted.  The piece was a collaboration between Frans Snyders and Cornelis de Vos.  Frans Snyders was a master of  Flemish Baroque still life and painted the still life elements.  His brother-in-law, a portrait painter, painted the two figures.  It was painted c. 1625-1635 and is an oil on canvas.

Detail of "Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables" by Frans Snyders & Cornelis de Vos

Detail of "Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables" by Frans Snyders & Cornelis de Vos

Detail of "Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables" by Frans Snyders & Cornelis de Vos

Detail of "Still Life with Fruit and Vegetables" by Frans Snyders & Cornelis de Vos

I am linking this post with Inspire Me Monday

http://www.create-with-joy.com/ 

Still Life Drawing Class at the Norton Simon Museum of Art

On Friday I attended a still life drawing class taught by artist Jamie Sweetman.  While most of my sketches are pretty loose, these are even more so because we were sketching with colored pencils and the erasers didn't work with them...  She had us look at an incredible and intricate still life painting by Frans Snyders, that I will try to post some images of tomorrow.  Then we went into a different gallery and she had us pick some plastic fruits and various objects to sketch from.

She advised that we start with a general shape and then refine it from then.  She also suggested that we shade from light to dark and mentioned that the darkest shadow on an object is called the core shadow.  Once that is in place it helps to define the object.  She also talked about negative space, the space between the forms of the object and how it can help in seeing the object more clearly.  She also suggested prismacolor or faber castel colored pencils for drawing.

She then set up a more elaborate still life and said we could attempt to sketch it or continue sketching the individual objects.  I blocked in the basic shapes and then went into some of the smaller details, I'm pretty slow though, so I didn't do much in the way of shading.  I'm not sure why, but I think what I really wanted to draw was the plastic bug...

It was an interesting class.  I don't usually sketch from life, she calls it observational drawing.  She says there is a definite difference between drawing from life and drawing from a photograph due to the 3d versus the 2d nature of the experience.  I am definitely far too slow to paint from life though, my flowers would wilt before I could finish.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the class since I feel quite self conscious sketching in public, but it was definitely an enjoyable way to spend an evening!  Which is good since I've signed up for three more of her classes at the Norton Simon...

To view more Sunday Sketches, please visit:

http://www.bluechairdiaryillustrations.com/