Esther: Part 1

I snapped this photo of my friend Rachel's daughter Esther when they were visiting this summer, and I'm getting ready make an oil painting of it. To me this image is irresistable - the hat, her sly look, the bright colors - I have to paint it. So I've never done this before, but I'm taking photos of each step of the process and I'm going to post them here.

1) The original

2) Cropped to fit a long narrow canvas, which seemed to suit this compostion

3) Black and white

4) In photoshop, removing some of the unnecessary elements, the cross, the cup, the table in the background

5) Changed to outlines in photoshop so I can print what I'm going to sketch. This makes it so much easier!

6) Added my grid

7) My actual rough sketch on the canvas. It's pretty light.

8) In photoshop, I removed the stripes from the shirt, changed it to green, and manipulated the background color. I also adjusted the shadows and highlights. All this could be done when I'm in the painting process, looking at the orginal, but I prefer to get it right in photoshop, print it out, then just paint what I see.

Next step - PAINT! Stay tuned for more.

Lyrebird

What Can Man

Dogs Playing Poker

I think I finished a painting! This one has been in the works for maybe over half a year...It was my first commissioned painting, so I had nothing to do with the subject matter. I will say that it's harder to paint that way, because you don't share the passion for the subject in the same way that your client does. However, it was still fun and challenging to paint all these different animals. By the way, this is not a copy of one of the C.M. Coolidge paintings. I only borrowed the concept - and one of the dogs. All the dogs are my originals except for the little English bulldog which I adapted from his painting, "A Friend in Need".

Walking Tour of Spiders in the Woods

This (or something pretty close to it) is going to be the cover for the album I'm working on. This is a really difficult process. It is hard to step out and do something you've never done before, even when you really want to. Sometimes there is nothing and no one to encourage you, other times encouragement comes freely. It is a shaky and uncertain venture. I have to keep forcing myself to move ahead, though I hear voices saying it's pointless, why am I even trying to accomplish this...

A Song with Heidi

Heidi wanted to record this song that she likes with me. It's "One Thing Remains". I love to hear little munchkin voices singing worship.

Watery Burn

Eggplant Man

Every once in a while, you find an eggplant that just has to be.....put out there, you know?

Laundry Room Door

A while ago my mom and I painted a peacock on the glass panels of an old door that we installed going from our dining room to a powder room. Jason and I remodeled our kitchen this year, and we had a door just like it going into the laundry room, which is always a mess. Since our kitchen now looks nice, I got tired of looking at the laundry room through it and painted the door. Then I scraped half of it off with a razor blade and painted it again. I think I like it now? Not sure yet. The peacock was so much easier because I ripped the design off of a tshirt. I made this one up myself, wanting to keep the same style but a different picture. So here it is...for now.

More Dresses

My sewing room is about to be occupied as living quarters for my brother's family in moving transition, so I got really motivated the other night to finish up some unfinished projects. Heidi is in Elephant Dress, which is for sale as a sewing kit at Mamma Made Designs. Elsie is in a dress that was a collaboration between me and Rachel Galloway. This is the only good photo I got, in between the bug-bite scratching and nose picking.

Old World Birds Dress

Here is my Old Worlds Bird dress on Elsie. Size 5. I can't help being inspired by my Slovak heritage. I've always loved their artwork and traditional dress. Coming soon, this will be available as a sewing kit at Mamma Made designs.

Our Kitchen is Finally Done!

We started remodeling back in November 2010 and our kitchen is finally finished. Here are the before through the after photos with all the messy details in between.

Starting with the old...

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Winged Lion

I've entered this in the "Imaginary Animals" Spoonflower contest this week. If you like this and you have nothing better to do with your next three minutes, you could vote for me!

Living Creature

Conga!

I made this fruit hat to wear at the Danielson concert in Washington DC next weekend. I will be leading a conga line for "People's Partay", because I felt bad that nobody went for it in Pittsburgh.

Psalm 103 excerpt

Who pardons all of your iniquities

Who heals all the diseases within you

Who redeems your life from the pit

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion

The Lord is gracious

Slow to anger abounding in lovingkindness

He has not dealt with us according to our sins

Nor rewards us according to them

For as high as the heavens are above the earth

So great is his lovingkindness toward those who fear his name

As far as the east is from the west so far

So far he removed our transgressions from us

Just as a father has compassion on his son

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear him

For he himself knows our frame

Oh he is mindful that we are but dust

But the lovingkindness of the lord is from everlasting to everlasting

octopus guitar house

Uncle Ralph and Boots

I just finished this portrait of my wonderful Uncle Ralph when he was young, sitting with his dog Boots. Uncle Ralph passed away this year, and I'm giving this painting to his widow, my beloved Aunt Rita.

Oil on Canvas
16x20

Many Sparrows

Many Sparrows

I have numbered the very hairs of your head

Therefore, do not fear, do not fear

You are worth more than many sparrows

You will find many troubles here in this world

Take heart, do not fear, do not fear

I have already overcome it

I myself will go out before you and stay

With you, do not fear, do not fear

I won't abandon or forsake you

Peace I leave with you

My own peace is what I give

Not like the world has

Not how the world lives

Not what the world gives

You are worth more than many sparrows

Not Waiting

"And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

Luke 13:16

Sewing Kits Now Available

Wahoo! Some of Rachel's and my sewing kits are now available to buy at Mamma Made Designs. Get them while they're hot.

Hearts and Hummingbirds

Here is Elsie in "Hearts and Hummingbirds dress" which will soon be available as a sewing kit at Mamma Made Designs.