Tone Oil Painting Exercises

My first tone oil painting exercise after several drills with my awesome teachers.

My second tone oil painting exercise - on my own, November, 2014

(I can see the progress already)

I am so thrilled with my progress in tone painting and feeling very grateful for my ahhhmaazzzing instructors, Michelle, Melissa and Susie.   The founder of Mission Renaissance Larry Gluck was in class yesterday and gave us some great words of wisdom regarding how to build a painting and seeing tones.  It was exactly what I have been craving as an artist.

Plaster Cast Animal Studies

Boar Study (cropped)

Camel Study (cropped)

I really like making the drawings more lifelike with a few more details in the face.  I even erased the head straps off the camel to show off his face a little more.  They have amazing eyes.  I am really happy with the boar's snout - a difficult shape to create - but I think I pulled it off.  

Tone Drawing Studies 2

Three Objects Study

Two Objects Study

My tone drawing course is going pretty well.  It's challenging to keep the original shapes while adding the pastel and not allowing the objects to feel outlined.  The idea is to have a nice transition of tone between objects and create any lines at the end with the lightest lights for highlights and the darkest darks for deep shadows.  Overall, I am getting better at seeing the tones and matching them to the original still life.  I am still working on getting faster at each step to make the overall process go quickly so that I may demo it for my students.  One day at a time.

Animal Sketch From Plaster Casts Studies

Sweet Rabbit Sitting on Hind Legs

This sketch is in charcoal on newsprint done from observing a plaster cast at work.  When I get home, I add lifelike features such as fur and sparkles in the animal's eyes. 

Tone Drawing Studies

Three Tones Apple Study

Three Tones Cup Study

Here are my first two studies for the tone drawing course at work.  I'm enjoying the process thoroughly and absolutely love my job with Mission Renaissance!

Watercolor Study  4" x 2"  August, 2014

This is a portion of a copy of an original painting by Larry Gluck.

The purpose was to learn about layering and mixing original colors and utilizing a variety of methods of washes and watercolor painting techniques.  

Watercolor Studies

Green Apple Study  5" x 5" watercolor on arches, August 2014

I absolutely love learning everyday about methods in art at my awesome job.  This is a study from life using complimenary colors in watercolors using simple flat washes.

Animal Sketches From Plaster Casts Studies

These sketches are all in charcoal on newsprint done from plaster casts studies at work.  When I get home, I add lifelike features such as fur and sparkles in the animal's eyes.  This has been a fun way to learn from observational drawing while my subject sits perfectly still.  

Needless to say, I absolutely love my job teaching children with Mission Renaissance. 

New Sketches of Animals

Baby Squirrel Resting in a Tree, charcoal on newsprint, July, 2014. 

I had so much fun with this sketch that I finished for my Class 2 Instructor class at work that I brought it home to Pyar.  He promptly had it framed for our living space.  

New Sketches of Animals

Baby Polar Bear for Pyar, charcoal on newsprint, August 2014

This sketch was started from a plaster cast exercise that I created for work.  After my supervisor's approval, I added some fur and details on the face to make the baby polar bear more lifelike.  

Watercolor and Ink ~ Recipe Cards

As an Art Teacher, I must try out lessons prior to giving them to my students.  I learn where they may struggle and how to best articulate instructions for the process once I have gone through it myself.  This is one of my favorite new lessons!   The combination of observational drawing, designing an interesting composition/layout and personal ideas creates a unique opportunity for artistic expression.  I was inspired my the art form from Japan known as Etegami.  

In my 3rd and 4th grade classes this term, we are exploring ideas in our own sketchbooks that the students make themselves.   Students will design,  experiment and explore materials and techniques in their sketchbooks prior to creating a larger scale piece of art. 

November, Insects, Animals, Environment and Flowers Series

Grasshopper and Orchid

acrylic on paper, 5" x 7", 2013

This is a study for a series that I am working on with animals/insects and their environments.  I am painting the natural settings where the animals thrive and love to live, trying to recreate what our earth was meant to be and not how we have manipulated it to suit our needs. 

Traffic Doodles

Kenter, Imagine no Traffic

Bundy, Ahh, the Exhaust

These sketches were completed over the course of several days.  I sat in traffic in the exact same spot for a minimum of ten minutes - sometimes as long as 25 minutes - watching the lights turn many times without moving an inch, just creeping along Sunset Boulevard after teaching at one of my schools during Summer Art Camp.  I love the freshness of the sketches, maybe the only good thing about L.A. traffic. 

Ocean Views

Jelly Fish (study)

10" x 10" acrylic on board

Painting on wood panels or gessobords enables me to work fluidly.  I do not care for the 'punch' of the canvas nor the texture.  Many of my artworks that are not for commission are layered with textures similar to this painting.  I start with a loose drawing using conte crayon and work in thin layers using brushes, towels, and plastic bags.  The affect is ethereal and somewhat abstract.  I had so much fun combining a somewhat realistic image of a jelly fish - inspired by a succulent plant on my studio wall, with texture that resembles water.  I would like to utilize this fluidity in some of my pet portraits.  

Floating Chrysanthemum is now . . . Underwater Bag and Blossom

Underwater Bag and Blossom, 16" x 20" acylic on gessobord, June 2013

The Floating Chrysanthemum painting wasn't complete after taking another look weeks after my post on March 31.   I knew it needed a shift to further push the sense of floating, water and the light rays penetrating the space.  I repainted shapes of the shipwreck and sea creatures that I had previously covered and subdued the nearly dead centered flower.  This image is much closer to my original vision.
It is part of a current series called, "MANY, MOST, NOT ENOUGH"

Sunny and Star in the Truck

5" x 7"

acrylic on panel

These two friends are some of my favorite models.  They love to play on the beach and ride in their parents' truck to go anywhere!  We first met Sunny and Star in South Dakota when visiting Jordan and Gail at the end of our hiking and hoping trip.  Now, they call the coast of Oregon home.

to see more custom pet portraits, visit my site

www.kittypuppytown.com

Ballona Creek Wetlands

Ballona Creek Wetlands, Winter 2013, acrylic on board  5" x 5"

Ballona Creek is within walking distance to my home in Playa Del Rey.  It is a stunning oasis just before you get to the Pacific Ocean from the major thoroughfares of South Los Angeles. I painted this after a long walk with Jack along one of its shores.

New Paintings, Inspiration: JAPAN

Swimming Cranes, acrylic on gessobord, 16" x 20"

I continue to be inspired by origami, to practice perspective and form in space.  I especially love the origami crane, symbolizing peace.  Here, the cranes are swimming and flying and floating and playing in a beautiful blue, tranquil paradise.  

Floating Chyrsanthemum, acrylic on gessobord, 16" x 20"

Flowers are always a particular challenge.  I started drawing the chrysanthemum during my drawing a day years.  I particularly like the idea of something floating without string, without helium - like a feather in the breeze.  Here, the chrysanthemum floats in a beautiful sea, just above an abandoned boat and among sea life.  I think it symbolizes hope for the Earth.  

Website Launch!

My pet portrait website has now officially launched, please check it out at www.kittypuppytown.com

I am truly grateful for the opportunity to paint everyday and grow my business.  I will continue to post here and in a blog on my website.  Here is another glimpse at my pet portraits.

Belly

7" x 5" acrylic on panel

Belly was one of my best models!  She is lovely and enjoyed relaxing on my lap while I painted her portrait.  She did not even mind when I needed her to sit back in position or look up at me so that I could try to capture her lovely spirit in those great eyes, thank you Belly. 

Pet Portraits

Little Jack

5" x 7" 

acrylic on gessobord

I have sketches and photo reference for the images to complete the "Painting Across America" series, but for now, it is on hold.  I just added Illinois with a painting from Horseshoe Lake.  I skipped Kentucky when I posted Illinois since the Kentucky painting is not ready for posting.  Also, will have works from Missouri for the series, since that is the last state we hiked.  I may also include works from our road trip that got us from Missouri back to Oregon, even though they are all drawings at this point.  

When I make the time to paint, I have been painting pet portraits and having a blast.  Here is a glimpse of my pet portrait portfolio with my favorite one of Jack.  I am creating my website with the help of Pyar www.kittypuppytown.com which will soon launch.