Technical Difficulties & My Original Clownfish Fish Painting +Art Prints & ACEO Prints! June Sketches to be Shared Shortly...

Due to technical difficulties, I can’t upload any of my sketches or new images, but I have been sketching daily and I will share them soon.  For now I hope you will enjoy “Oh Fishy,” he’s available at the promo start rate until Tuesday next…

This Week "Oh Fishy" Original 5"x7" Painting here

5"x7" Open Edition print here

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

In addition to this sweet clownfish fish original and my mermaid with clownfish original, I also have giclee art and ACEO prints here this week from Tuesday to Tuesday with a theme of mermaids and sea animal friends.  This is the last time for a while that I will be doing auctions in this way, in the future I plan to run some fixed price print and LE ACEO print auctions with a theme on the 1st Tuesday of the month.  Originals will be available on my website, so if you've had your eye on either of the two originals I have up this week, now is the time to get them at the promo start rate!

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!

After the auction, "Oh Fishy" will be available on my website here if unsold.

Two Original Paintings! A Mermaid with Clownfish & a Clown Fish! Art Prints & ACEO Prints! May Sketches...

This Week "Three Friends" Original 11"x14" Painting here

8"x10" Open Edition print here

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

This week I am listing "Three Friends" my original fantasy black gothic mermaid with clownfish friends painting.  The art has a surreal lowbrow feel...  I had so much fun painting the clown fish, I painted one solo.  I'll post the image and links to him on Thursday.  I've finished "Pandora," but I'm holding her for someone at the present time...

I also have additional giclee art and ACEO prints here this week from Tuesday to Tuesday with a theme of mermaids and sea animal friends.  This is the last time for a while that I will be doing auctions in this way, in the future I plan to run some fixed price print and LE ACEO print auctions with a theme on the 1st Tuesday of the month.  Originals will be available on my website, so if you've had your eye on either of the two originals I have up this week, now is the time to get them at the promo start rate!


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!

After the auction, "Three Friends" will be available on my website here if unsold.

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

Here is a sketch of a couple more angel fish for one of my mermaid's hair.  You may be thinking, how many fish does one mermaid need...  I probably won't use all of them, but I like having more than I need.  I'm considering painting one solo, but I haven't decided yet, or which one if I do.  I'm now ready to put some of them together in photoshop with my mermaid sketch.

I've decided to try and do a sketch a day in May.  This is day 31.   

This is a rough sketch.

Big Eye Face 26 Sketch for the 29 Faces Challenge & Clownfish Original Painting Website Update...

This is face 26 for the 29 faces September challenge.  She is a big eye fairy angel or possibly mermaid sketch.  Although her eyes make me think of a cat's eyes a little bit...  For 29 Faces, the challenge is to share 29 faces during the given month.

Oh Fishy Original 5"x7" Painting, Open Edition 5"x7" Giclee Prints & Limited Edition Giclee ACEO Prints Here

Oh Fishy is of a clownfish by some sea anemones.  As I was painting it, I kept thinking "oh fishy, fishy, fishy, fish;" hence the title.  The style is a soft realism.  This piece available as an original, as prints, and Limited Edition ACEOs!  

Every week on Tuesday, I try to list a small original, some giclee art prints, and giclee LE ACEO prints at promotional prices. Visit here to see what I have available this week!

Two Original Paintings! A Mermaid with Clownfish & a Clown Fish, Plus Art Prints, & ACEOs!

"Three Friends" Original 11"x14" Painting here

8"x10" Print here

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

This week I am listing "Three Friends" my original black gothic mermaid with clownfish friends painting.  I had so much fun painting the clown fish, I painted one solo!  I also have additional giclee art prints here.  This week my theme is ocean dwelling 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...

"Oh Fishy" Original 5"x7" Painting here

5"x7" print here

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

This is another original painting that is up this week in addition to my black gothic mermaid with clownfish!  I also have additional giclee art prints on ebay here.  This week there are mermaids, clown fish, and seahorses.  My theme this week is ocean dwelling friends.

LACMA Show Fashioning Fashion I & Mermaid with Clownfish Work in Progress

I was looking through my reference images files, and I came across two folders with images from the LACMA show Fashioning Fashion: European Dress in Detail, 1700–1915.  I love fashion and find it very inspiring.  Here are some of the images to the show, I hope that you will enjoy them.  I will post more from this show on other Mondays, although probably not consecutively.

If you'd like to see what I have up of this show thus far, please click here.

I am linking this post with Inspire Me Monday

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

I've been working on my mermaid with clownfish painting and my little clown fish solo painting.  In the work in progress piece with the mermaid, I think I am now pretty much finished with her face and I'm on to her hair...

Mermaid with Clownfish Painting Work in Progress, Solo Clownfish, & Orchid Sketch...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting and a small clownfish painting that I've started.  I'm trying to complete at least one small painting a week.  I'm very inspired by the people painting 30 paintings in 30 days, but I'm not nearly fast enough at this point, so I'm trying for one a week.  Although she looks very similar to the last time I posted her, I've finessed the mermaids skin tones a bit.  I have a little more do to on her skin before I move on to her eyebrows, eyelashes, and lips.  Of course she also needs her hair done, but it may be a little while until I get there...

In this photo you can see my easel crammed with paints in the holding area, I have to put some of those back in their drawer soon!


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

Here is a sketch of a yellow orchid.  It is a potential option for next week's small painting.

Sogetsu Ikebana Japanese Flower Arrangements at Descanso Gardens Part II & Mermaid WIP

On one of my visits to Descanso Gardens, they had a show of Sogetsu Ikebana.  It is a Japanese art of flower arranging.  The emphasis is on expressing the spirit of the moment.  I found the arrangements beautiful and compelling.  These pieces were contributed by the group Yokou.  Here are some of my favorites.  I especially liked the pieces with birds of paradise in them, but there were so many wonderful pieces!  This is part II of II, part I is here.

I am linking this post with Inspire Me Monday

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

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  The flash went off, so it's a bit brighter then it is, but I think you can see some of the details of the clownfish that haven't shown that well in all of my shots.  I am working on the mermaid's face.  She still needs a bit more attention to her shading, then a wash, and then her features; however, I may not be able to do all of that in one session.  It depends on how much time it takes me to finesser her shading.  Oh and also she needs her hair, but that's a ways away yet...

Mermaid with Clownfish Painting Work in Progress Continues...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I've started working on her neck and shoulder.  I feel that I may have some more work to do on this part of her, but I'm not entirely sure.  I may work on the neck a bit more before I move on to her face or I may move on to her face and then go back to her neck.

Although I think I am feeling like working on my unicorn painting today, so this quandary of what to do first may wait until another day...


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

Work in Progress Mermaid with Clownfish Painting, Big Brown Eyes...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I have started work on the mermaid.  I'm not very far in, but her big brown eyes are almost done...

Work in Progress Mermaid with Clownfish Painting, Clownfish Fini...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I am pretty much done with the clownfish.  The differences on the monitor from my last update are probably fairly subtle, but I've enhanced some of their shading and added some slightly translucent elements of their fins.  When I get there, I'm going to have some of the mermaid's hair going over the little guy in the lower right hand corner, but some of it is behind, so I had to block some of her hair loosely in for the translucent bits...

It's my birthday today and my mother and I are going to go to Descanso Gardens or the Norton Simon Museum of Art (two of my favorite places).  Today is also the Winter Solstice.  Happy Winter's Solstice to you if you celebrate it!

Work in Progress Mermaid with Clownfish Painting, Clownfish Near Completion...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I want to add some accents to the clown fish, but I am almost finished with them.  Soon I can start with the mermaid...

Lego Sculptures at Downtown Disney Part II + Mermaid with Clownfish WIP...

I saw these sculptures at the Lego store when I went to visit the Wonderland Gallery at Downtown Disney, I didn't take any pictures at the gallery because I wasn't sure if it was allowed or not; but, when I saw these Lego pieces at the Lego store, I was thrilled.  I took too many photos to post all at one time, so I posted a Part I here last week.  I hope you will enjoy them, it's a little different from what usually inspires me, but I thought they were fun!  

Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie

Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie

Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie

Toy Story, Woody and Buzz Lightyear

Toy Story, Woody and Buzz Lightyear

Background to the Toy Story Sculpture

Background to the Toy Story Sculpture, Close Up 

It looks a bit like Impressionist art...

A Wizard

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

I've been working on my mermaid with clownfish painting.  In this work in progress view, I've added some more layers to the fish and completed the black accents of the first fish.  After I do all of the black for all of the clownfish, I will probably go back in and work with the fish a little more, but they are coming along...

Mermaid with Clownfish Painting Work in Progress Continues...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I've done a little bit of work on the third fish.  Yesterday I took some time to go with my mother to an event she wanted to go to, so not so much work on the painting, but definitely a change of pace.  Now the phrase running through my head is "Oh fishy, fishy, fishy, fish" from Monty Python.  There's something about this piece that just lends itself to fishy thoughts...


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

Mermaid with Clownfish Painting Work in Progress...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish...  Okay, so actually there are three fish and they will all be shades of orange and have black and white accents; but, that keeps running through my head as I paint them...  I have started on the clownfish, two out of three have most of their base coats and I have started on the third.

Work in Progress, Mermaid with Clownfish Painting...

Here is a work in progress view of my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I saw this shade of blue in a documentary about coral reefs and fish populations.  When I saw it, I knew it was the background color I wanted for this painting.  I've just begun the painting and I am looking forward to starting on the clown fish...

Line Art for Mermaid with Clownfish Painting...

Here is the line art for my mermaid with clownfish painting.  I haven't put any paint on the canvas yet.  I'm almost done with my seahorses painting, but I need to be sure before I start my paint palette box anew.  Before this, I put the mermaid sketch and clownfish sketches into photoshop and played around with the composition until I was happy with it.  Now the line art is on the canvas and I've put two coats of varnish on it to lock it in.  Usually I only put one, but I felt some areas were uneven, so I wanted to even it out a bit.

A Sketch of Some Additional Clownfish...

Here is a sketch of two more clownfish.  I felt like I needed at least one more for my next mermaid painting.  I'm not sure about the one at the top, but the bottom one is definitely in...


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

Clownfish in Waiting Sketch...

Here is a sketch of two clownfish.  I haven't decided yet if I'll give my next mermaid seahorse or clownfish friends.  It depends on what works best in the composition.  I've sketched some clownfish and I have some seahorses sketched to use to see what works best when I scan the sketch of the mermaid in.


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