Practice, practice, practice...

This is my attempt today to improve my eye rendering. It's in soft pastels just in my sketch book. I don't normally work with pastels so it is very challenging, but I'm very pleased with the result. Need more practice though. This is for a class in wetcanvas pastel forum on the fundamentals of portrait and figurative painting. Wonderful opportunity to improve oneself. : )

My art journey.

Lloyd, thank you for your interest in my art journey. I did reply in the comments but thought then perhaps it should be a posting for all to see. (I'm new to blogging and still feeling my way around)

Since I was a youngster, I've loved to draw and sketch, and I think I was pretty good at it anyway. Here are a few sketches I did when I was 18-20 yo.

This one was from a photo.

This one was from life.
This one was done plein air.

But it wasn't until I had the opportunity to participate in folk art lessons with a lovely local lady that I realised that adding colour to my drawings wasn't that hard that my art really took off. I then spent almost a year painting at every opportunity and selling them on ebay. That time was really good for the practice I got and also the encouragement of others liking them enough to spend their money on. : )

Since we started our house building project, time has become scarce and hence my paintings have become more opportunities to seriously improve my art. I spend more time reading and then putting into practice what I've read. So I haven't completed as many pieces but have spent more time on each one, and have learnt heaps. I actually failed art in grade 8 because I didn't like learning the theory ( the teacher was disappointed as I was good on the practical stuff), but now I have as my bedtime reading art articles on colour theory and art history (I see the value for it now). It's funny how we change and how our priorities change. : ) If anyone is interested in learning more about art from wonderful artists then check out a brilliant art website that covers all styles mediums and even the business and social side of the artists life. I have learnt so very much at wetcanvas. Go and have a look for yourself.

Worship through Art at our Church - WIP

Our church is holding our first worship through art morning in a couple of weeks and my daughter and I are going to participate. The idea is that we meditate on the text the Pastor has selected, in this case John 1: 1-18, and then we begin our painting in any style, any medium and then in 1 hour during the service we complete it as an act of worship. I'm very much looking forward to it and then to the finished painting. My idea is: the God that created the universe by His word chose to come as a fragile newborn to this earth to live amongst us. So hence the painting contains a portrait of a baby coming out of the Bible (word of God) and the moon and earth viewed from in space. I'm still to add more to the painting... I'm painting in acrylics on a MDF board 29cm x 50cm. Here it is after working on it in bits and pieces during the last few days, still lots to do before I'm ready for the last hour. : )

Portrait Painting - Annie

Well, I've been busy the last few weeks doing a portrait painting. At wetcanvas.com I took part in a portrait swap. It was a great lot of fun. We got paired off, swapped photos and then got busy producing a portrait. I did my painting in acrylics, on a linen canvas. I actually did 3 before I was happy with the 3rd. Learnt heaps I did and am very glad of the experience. Anyways here is the portrait painting of Annie a wonderfully clever artist and here is the link to her portrait painting of me. Be sure to check it out.

My fave acrylic painting of horses

Time flies. It has been a month since I posted. Anyhow, I thought I'd post my favourite painting I've done. It is 2 plough horses (draught horses), doing what they do best, ploughing.
A couple of years ago our homeschooling group visited a field day at a local farm here in the Lockyer Valley and there I snapped a photo of these horses.
I paint in acrylics so this one is acrylics on canvas.
What I love the most about this picture is how I managed to paint it in an impressionist fashion. I always strive for a looser feel to my paintings but usually end up putting in heaps of details and lose the loose feel. Anyways here it is.

Painting for fund raiser

This painting, acrylics on 91cm x 46cm canvas, was done as a favour for my nephew. His church youth group is holding an artie auction to raise some funds. If you live close by to Maryborough Queensland and would like to go and check out the auction then go to http://www.tinanacf.org.au/index.html and click on News/Events Events calendar for more details.
Whenever we go to the beach, I like to sit and watch the sea and boats, with the salty sea breeze brushing past my face. It lulls you into a peaceful state. Ahhh....I think some time at the beach is in order.
Anyway, for this painting I used a reference photo from the wetcanvas library, so thankyou to the contributor.