Happy National Panda Day! Rough Sketch of a Giant Baby Panda Cub Climbing a Tree....

 

Happy National Panda Day!

This is my first time sketching a panda, I love pandas!  In this rough sketch, this baby giant panda club is climbing a tree, one of their favorite activities...

Gothic Latina Big Eye Fairy Angel Fantasy Surreal Original Art Painting! Art Prints & ACEO Prints! March Sketches...

This Week "Flowers in Her Hair" Original 10"x14" Painting here

8"x10" Open Edition print here

ACEO 2.5"x3.5" Limited Edition LE 1st of 25 here

I am listing "Flowers in Her Hair," an original fantasy painting.  This gothic Latina fairy angel has big brown eyes, blue green teal hair, and wings inspired by a Painted Lady butterfly.  The original is painted on a wooden plank.  The art has a soft lowbrow surreal feel...

I also have additional giclee art and ACEO prints here this week from Tuesday to Tuesday with a theme of fairy angels...  


Most of my art is also available on my website at www.lisarusso.com; however, I like to put some art on ebay at a lower promotional start rate for the duration of the auctions...  I have been updating my website.  It's an ongoing project, but there is now an excellent selection of art available!

Here is a sketch of a bear cub.  It is climbing a tree.  I doubt I'll paint him, my reference image was super tiny, but I did enjoy sketching him.

I've decided to try and do a sketch a day in March.  This is day 1.  

This is a rough sketch.

The Sweeter Side of Artist Alex Ledante...

Here is a custom piece by artist Alex Ledante, it was made as a gift.  There is a beautiful fairy lass touching the nose of a bear; what a sweet fairytale Alex has composed...  She has lovely violet accents against a gorgeous forest and the bear is filled with wonder.  This is a scan of the print, actual colors are even more rich and beautiful.  His website is here and his facebook page is here.  He also runs weekly auctions here.  This is the sweeter side of The Darker Side of Passion...

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

My Drawing of a Cheetah Bear from Jim Benson Norton Simon Workshop & Spider WIP...

Here is a charcoal drawing I did at artist Jim Benson's workshop on contrast at the Norton Simon Museum of Art.  My drawing looks a bit like a combination of a Cheetah and a Bear, I call it my Cheetabear...

In the workshop, he talked about how with contrast you compare and contrast and contrast refers to difference.  High contrast has a high degree of difference and low contrast has a low degree of difference.  For example, high contrast has sharp edges and focus, while low contrast has blurred edges and is out of focus.  He also talked about using contrast in the foreground vs. the background, with the higher degree of high contrast marks in the foreground and the lower contrast mark making in the background.  It was a fun and interesting workshop!

I am also participating in Sunday Sketches.  To view more Sunday Sketches, please visit:

http://www.bluechairdiary.com/blog/

Here is my work in progress view of my spider.  I meant to post him yesterday but I woke up too late and had to leave.  At this point I've just done the background, I am hoping to have him done by Tuesday and then start work on the bunny, but it remains to be seen how much time this arachnid will need for me to complete him.

Baby Bears Rescued...

This is completely not art related, but so amazing!

 

 Couple Rescues Baby Bears Trapped In Dumpster (WATCH)
 By Neil Morton

"A mama bear's three baby bears got stuck in a dumpster recently, and it was a couple that came to the rescue.

The mama bear stayed up all night by the dumpster listening to her cubs cry, until Ruidoso, New Mexico couple Tom and Shirley Schenk arrived at light in their pickup truck with a ladder after hearing the bear cries as well.

"They know how to open the latch to the dumpster," Shirley tells ABC News. "This mother is notorious in the neighborhood."

While Tom backed the truck up to the dumpster -- with Mama bear watching -- Shirley lowered the ladder into the dumpster.

"I was not scared," she says. "I had my husband driving and I knew we'd drop it and go. … I would have never done that on foot."

Watch for yourself their amazing rescue effort..."

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/07/26/couple-rescues-baby-bears_n_1707085.html