More Recent Work

Hi! Here are two adorable girls who were the subjects of recent portraits. I am in the midst of the busy holiday season and am enjoying it more this year than most!

Recent Work

Here are some recent portraits. Sorry this is so short. Back to work!

Archbishop Raymond Burke

I have finally finished and presented the painting of Archbishop Raymond Burke...and here it is. I was pleased with the final results and I hope the archdiocese was as well. This oil painting measures 36 X 48 so it is one of the larger paintings I have done recently. The subject is life-size. I had difficulty photographing the magenta in the clothing so this photo isn't perfectly accurate. Reds are difficult for cameras. Thanks for looking!

Pastel of Boy

A recent pastel of a handsome little fella. 16 X 20 on prepared panel.

Recent Dog Pastel

Here is a recent pastel portrait of a poodle. Ms. Personality this one was. 16 X 20 on prepared panel.

Sports Artwork

I have been doing a lot of artwork of famous athletes and sports figures in the past year and thought you might like to see a few of the paintings/items that have passed through my fingertips. This year I have embarked on a journey into the sports collectibles arena (pun intended) and have been working on some pretty interesting pieces which I will post soon. I am very excited about the long term possibilities...still getting to paint portraits, but in a whole new way!

Below is a piece of the dugout floor (I think) from old Busch Stadium which has been torn down. This is a VERY small piece. The painted image is only about ONCE INCH in height...so you are seeing it FAR larger than it really is.










The image below is a commissioned piece for the St. Louis Rams in honor of Mrs. Georgia Frontiere (Rams owner) who passed away last year.




















This painting of Dick Vermeil (below) was commissioned by the Rams last year to honor his great accomplishments on behalf of the team.




















Below is a Stan Musial signed baseball with a hand painted acrylic image of Stan the Man. Again, this is a TINY image. I promise you are seeing it so much larger than it really is. Truly, it looks better in person.














Again, another image of Stan the Man. This time it is on an old Busch Stadium rail pad! This one is a bit larger, about 7 inches in height.

Recent Work

Here is some recent pastel portrait work. I am fortunate to have such adorable subjects! I am embarrassed that it has been so long since I have posted. I am going to be better this year (I have said that before).

Leaf Well Enough Alone

Oil on canvas--18 X 18
This falls in the "WHAT WAS I THINKING?" category. I was thinking I would start a little painting that I could work on for relaxation between portraits this busy holiday season. How hard can leaves be to paint? PRETTY DARN DIFFICULT!!! Well, once I started I couldn't stop. I chose a pile of leaves from my back yard and brought in the ones I liked that had just fallen off the trees. For a painting like this I wanted to make sure I had the leaves right in front of me. It wasn't until I began painting them that I realized how incredibly complex each leaf is; the colors so varied. They are amazing. Still to do: Figure out why I keep choosing such challenging subjects for my down time. I am a glutton for punishment.

Orchid

Here is a pastel I completed recently. Loved all the differing shades of white and white shadows. What a completely divinely created flower.

Having a Screw Loose

Oil on canvas. Normally I work on prepared panels but I have a few canvases I need to use so I grabbed one for this painting and enjoyed having texture for a change.. Wet paint.
Fond of painting shiny objects, I barely noticed my little container of odd screws, nuts and bolts. For some reason I feel compelled to hang onto leftover hardware just in case I actually did forget a piece when I put together the last household item. Lots of times I buy something that requires assembly only to find I have been shorted the necessary pieces. Other times I have extras and doubt my ability to follow directions. It's that latter that makes up the subject matter for this painting. This puppy is 18 X 18 which was quite a calisthenic routine to paint. Next time I think I will work a bit smaller. All in all I am happy with it. I did have a little trouble deciding which side should be the "up" side. I have settled on my original plan. Thanks for peeking!

First Communion

A portrait to celebrate a special time for a special young lady. Oil on canvas.

Twice the Fun---Twin Portraits

Truly twice the fun of one portrait. Here are recent portraits of adorable twins.

Another Portrait

And yet another portrait of a lovely young lady. Some adults couldn't pose this nicely! I need to get better photos of this one in daylight. I may switch the photo out for a better one then. At least I posted something for a change!

Recent Portrait

A recent portrait commission for an out of state client. I LOVED painting this! I really like the drama of dark backgrounds.

New Still Life

Greetings! Here is a recent still life commission that I finally finished. I love doing these and hope to do many more. There's nothing like food as subject matter for paintings. Gosh I love food.

Art Friends, Try This!

I have to give my artist friend, Billie Crain credit for this. She found it on another artist friend's blog and I thought it was great! You can put your own artwork in a "gallery" and save the picture to your computer. Click HERE for the link to make your own.

New Shelter Puppy Paintings!

Well, have some new shelter puppy paintings. 50% of the sale price will go to help my animal rescue friends. You can use the link at the right to visit my Etsy shop and get more detailed info. I really enjoy doing these paintings!

2008 Women of Achievement Portraits

Congratulations to the St. Louis 2008 Women of Achievement!

Finally, the portraits for this year are finished and are in the process of being framed! I adore doing these portraits every year even though it does take some energy. I invite you to read more about these amazing women at the Women of Achievement web site. Thank you to Trotter Photo for providing the reference photos for me to work from again this year.

Marigolden-Original Oil ACEO

3.5" X 2.5"--TINY! In fact, you are probably seeing the painting larger than life! Oil on prepared illustration board.

Hello! It's been a crazy busy month. Again this year I am doing 10 portraits for Women of Achievement. It's a lot of work and I need a break now and then. So guess what I did! I am just learning about ACEO's...Art Cards, Editions and Originals which are apparently artist trading cards of sorts which are now being sold to collectors. Evidently these little paintings are to be the exact size of 3.5" X 2.5" or the reverse. Well, sounded like fun as well as an opportunity to take a little break so I did this little piece below. Hope you like it! Oh, and I have just started a new Etsy shop at which you can buy my prints and the ACEO originals since I plan to do lots more of them. Thanks for peeking and have a great day!

New Portrait, New Pastels

Soooooo...I am working more frequently with my new Unison pastels. Love them. Here is a recent portrait using the fantastic little sticks. I might add I love this little girl as well. Daughter of two of my favorite people in the whole world, this is a surprise for the mom. Odds are she won't see this blog so I think I am okay for now. If she sees it, oopsy, hello and call me so I can explain!

Recent Portraits

Well hello! My computer died an untimely death last week and I just received my new screaming computer from Dell. After finally setting it up, I thought I would post a couple of recent paintings. The oval one is cropped in this way because the liner will be oval shaped in the final frame. It is an oil while the other little young man is done in pastel. Both are adorable children of course!

Video of Marshall Faulk Retirement Previously Mentioned

Here is the video. Don't blink or you will miss the painting! You can see it at the very beginning on the right side of the screen and it peeks through a few more times. LOL.

St. Louis Rams Project

Ooooh, I need to post more! It's been VERY busy these past few months! Holiday time is always crazy and this year was no exception. In addition to the usual dozens of portraits, I was fortunate to be asked to do a painting for St. Louis Ram's RB Marshall Faulk to be presented to him at his retirement celebration. Limited edition prints were made of this painting in addition to having it shown on national TV! FUN! Above is the painting along with two shots from the ceremony during which the painting showed on TV. LOL. It barely showed, but hey, better than nothing! Well, hope to post more soon. Happy New Year! You can see the whole retirement ceremony at Youtube by clicking this link:
Marshall Faulk Retirement Ceremony

Pastel Pair

I recently completed the portraits above of two adorable children. I was pleased with the results though that may have more to do with the handsome subjects than with my abilities. I think the final pieces will look great with the framing my client's chose. These are both done in pastel on panel and measure 16 X 20 unframed.

Shelter Puppy 4

Here is Puppy 4 from my shelter puppy series. Each of the 4 puppies are available for sale and a portion of the proceeds will go to help the puppies and find homes for them. They are all oil on panel and measure 12 X 12. Prints will be available soon so even more people can afford to help! More on the way...

With regard to prints, each puppy painting will be available individually OR you can get one print showing the first four which will look like the example below.

All Personality

Here are two of my most recent pastel portraits. While these two brothers sure look similar (anyone other than me jealous of those curls?), they have different personalities. I hope that came across in the portraits. That's always my hope...that the portraits reflect the individual subjects. That being said, both boys did a terrific job at sitting time. I was impressed! These are both pastel on panel. Each is 16 X 20.

Little Wet Noses

Each time I paint one of these puppies I remember my own dogs as puppies. There's nothing like the smell of a puppy and those little cold wet noses. I feel like I am on a roll now. This is so much fun and I really hope these will sell so I can start helping out the shelter volunteers. They really need it. If you are interested in this 12 X 12 oil on panel or any of the other puppy paintings please contact me. I have to say all three of them look great together and would really be something special on one wall.

Another Shelter Puppy!

Awwwwww...Here is the second in the series of shelter puppy paintings. Their little faces are so heart-tugging, aren't they? Who could resist adopting one of these little fuzzballs? Again, this is a 12 X 12 oil on panel. With any luck I'll be able to make a dent in my own little way through the sale of these paintings. Let me know if you are interested in purchasing the painting and helping a great cause.

Save the Puppies!

Well my latest painting is the first in an effort to help shelter dogs find permanent and loving homes. This is the first in what I hope will be an ongoing series of square format oil paintings (12 X 12) on panel of actual shelter dogs and puppies. A portion of the proceeds (not sure of the amount yet) from sales will go to animal shelters or organizations that help place the little 4 leggers. This puppy is from a shelter at which my sister volunteers. If you are in the Memphis area and want a new family member please check out the Marion Animal Shelter blog for more information. If you wish to purchase this painting please contact me.

Triple Play

Yesterday I delivered this portrait of 3 lively Pugs. It had been a while since I had the opportunity to paint this breed. Pugs always make for a fun project. These 3 were too cute and each had its own unique personality. I was pleased with the way the background set off the subjects. With neutral (tan/cream/beige) dogs it's sometimes difficult to chose a complimentary background. I rather like this choice and I think it will look great in the client's home.

Name the painting below I beg of you

I still can't think of a title for the pool ball painting below so for the three people who drop in here from time to time I ask you to help me. Any ideas? I draw a blank (pun intended). Could it be because its FRIDAY THE 13th? Nah. If my dear husband would ever check my blog he would likely come up with a great title. Or I could just ask him. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

32

I could NOT think of a title for this, at least not anything entertaining. I'll sleep on it. In the meantime I just titled it "32" for probably obvious reasons. This is a very large painting so seeing it online is misleading. It is an oil on panel and is 40 X 25. Each billiard ball is about 10" in diameter. I have been wanting to paint these for months and finally got around to it. It really was a blast. Now if I could just find a buyer who might want it for a rec room...or hallway...or bathroom...or den...or kitchen...

Mom's Memories

This one was a real departure for me but so much fun! My client had a small favorite photo from a memorable vacation years ago and she wanted me to paint larger for above the fireplace. I was so excited to paint it because I could see why she loved it. It really captured a moment in time. A different kind of painting for me because it was more painterly and allowed me to leave visible brush strokes, something I don't normally do especially since much of my portrait work of children is done in pastel. What a great summer painting experience. It really got me in the summer mood! Oil on panel. 36 X 24.

The Beauty of the Irish

Who can resist the sweet expression on this dog's face?! I loved the challenge of painting all that gorgeous fur. You have to admire folks that keep their dogs looking so beautiful. Oil on prepared panel. Approx. 16 X 24.

Just Presented!

Monday I presented this portrait to the client after many, many hours of work. Fortunately the client was pleased! I have to say that I was as well. This is one of my favorites of the past year. This portrait was done in oil on prepared panel and measures 40 X 33....not tiny at all. Well, back to work!

Meow

Just kidding. Here is a recent oil portrait done for a client who already has three I have done over the past 10-15 years. I must to say that part of the fun doing this work is seeing past clients again and these clients are no exception.

Pastel Pair

This week's most recent work had me using pastels for a portrait of these adorable boys. If only my children would get along as well as these two seem to get along!

Solo Exhibit was a Blast!

Last week my opening reception for my month long solo exhibit at Framations Gallery in St. Charles went GREAT! LOTS of people came by...possibly hundreds. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Many of my portrait subjects stopped by. I also had the bonus of a visit from my 7th grade science teacher who brought a painting I had done for him when I was 12 years old! That was so much fun to see. To anyone who came by I thank you for being so supportive and making the evening memorable for me. I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Thank you to Julie who came from Indiana to help me get ready and did what she does best...be a great friend. Thanks also to my extremely patient husband and kids. They sure put up with a lot from me these past few months. Special thanks to Sarah and Amy who own the gallery. They were awesome!

Women of Achievement Portraits Unveiled in St. Louis

Finally on May 15th the finished and framed portraits of this year's Women of Achievement (St. Louis) were unveiled in the reception ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton. All 10 portraits were displayed around the room for viewing by those attending the luncheon to honor 10 amazing women. If you click on the picture above you can see a larger version. Though I only have a few weeks to complete these each year I am so honored to do these portraits.

Women of Achievement 2007

It was my honor to do pastel portraits again this year of each of the 10 Women of Achievement in St. Louis. I am finally finished with them and they are in the process of being framed. Next Tuesday at a luncheon to honor these amazing women at the Ritz Carlton, each woman's portrait will be on display for about 800 attendees and then the portraits will be presented to the women to keep. Above are each of the portraits done in pastel and measuring approximately 16 X 20 unframed.

My Middle Name

Well this is my final painting for my gallery show tomorrow. It will be hanging at child-hand level and is still a little bit tacky. Yikes! I really am a Starbuck's addict even though I drink decaf and "Starbuck's" really should be my middle name. This is on a deep cradled hardboard and was done in oil. It measures 12" X 12". I'm looking forward to seeing some friends tomorrow and hopefully making some new ones too!

Loaded with Personality

Here is my most recent oil painting of a child. This little doll was loaded with personality! Does it show? I hope so. This painting was a bit more painterly than usual, especially in the treatment of the background and dress. While a bit of a departure in that respect, I think it has a fresh feel and works well with the more detailed facial features. 16 X 20 oil on canvas.

Gallery Show May 12th!

I hope anyone within eye-shot will attend my gallery show! The more the merrier!

Two Beauties

Still in process but getting closer on this portrait of two lovely young ladies. Maybe another day of work and it will be finished. This was also a large painting measuring 40 X 38. Oil on panel.

Tiger Face

Here is a close-up of the tiger's face.

Stripes and Solids In Process

Meow. This is an "in process" view of my most recent undertaking, a 6' X 4' oil painting on prepared panel of (in case you can't tell) a tiger. After much research together with consultation with my lovely client we arrived at this composition. I knew this would be a difficult painting because of its size and complexity especially with regard to the composition but I had no idea how long it would actually take me. We are still fine tuning the details but I hope to have it completed very soon. I am anxious to see what type of frame my client will choose and with a little luck I will see it hanging in its final resting place. I wish I had more opportunity to paint large pieces like this. It has been a challenge and a learning experience.

New Features Added!

I'm not as bright as I thought I was and I wasn't particularly impressed in the first place. I spent more time than I will ever admit trying to figure out how to enable RSS and Atom feeds. Further, I have been insanely jealous of other bloggers who have offered the option of e-mail blog updates. FINALLY, I believe I have figured out both and am now offering them (look to the right and down for both). My arm hurts as I have patted myself on the back several times in the last hour or so.

Iris

I have to fess up I know almost nothing about flowers and I frequently bring about the early death of any flower within a mile from me. I understand these are some variety of iris (perhaps you can tell me). I found them at my sister's house, growing like weeds in her yard. Go figure. The only things that grow in my yard ARE weeds! Plant killing aside, I thought the flowers might be fun to paint and darn it, I haven't painted flowers in...well...I don't know how long. It's been a long time. This is another oil for my gallery show in May. 7 X 5 on prepared panel. Have a great day!

Shell Game

The latest little still life effort produced an odd combination of nature and manufacture. An artist has to do what an artist has to do. Hope you enjoy! Oil on panel. 7 X 11 1/2.

Breath of Fresh Air

I'm not very good at coming up with titles. I apologize. This little painting is yet another painting for my show in May. At this point I can't imagine doing a painting that doesn't have reflections in it which is probably why I should paint one without them...but likely won't. This oil painting measures 10 X 8 and is on a prepared panel. Have a great day!