Do you all remember the post I made about painting a large profile photo of a client? Well I finally took the time to make a video about BOTH the painting and the photo session. This gives you an idea of what I was talking about. Enjoy….BTW I LOVE your feedback. Thanks for taking time out to visit. Please click the link below to see the video. Hugs to all.
Tag: Calgary
Red Blouse
My latest portrait is titled Red Blouse. What I so love about this painting is that the red from the blouse has reflected onto my model (Cheryl) not only under her chin, but also the lower lip, the nose and eyes. This was so appealing to me and I am very happy with the results.
I am including two progress images.
Until next time, thank you for stopping by, please feel free to share this post.
Helping Children Escape…or is it Discovering Life?
I love children. I have my children who are all grown up now, and my grandchildren plus a new baby granddaughter on the way and I am happy about that. When the last of my 5 children were younger I decided that I needed to home school them for various reasons. The sheer joy I got from seeing them learn something new was phenomenal; the satisfaction that I felt was bursting inside of me.
I taught art classes in schools, at art centers and in my own studio for several years, that was another time period where I was filled with that deep sense of accomplishment when these students soared in their creativity and at that time I felt that my life was so meaningful…(yes there are times that I lose sight of that).
When I saw this article that a friend of mine shared, I felt confirmed that what I chose to do in teaching my own children academics and art at home as well as art for other children, had possibly been quite an important commitment that I made for over 19 years. I often imagine (especially when I needed a boost) that the children I taught would grow up and remember the good things that they learned from me and that they would have fond memories or felt inspired by something that I may have brought their way…well perhaps that is the case and maybe I will find out one day, if I am meant to.
Here are some images of some art students.
Here is the article.
View at Medium.com
Enjoy and have fun creating, happy painting.
Pink Ink
Pink is a colour that I have lots of fun creating with and associate with so many joyful and positive things such as, believe it or not, serenity (although I know most people think of blue or purple for serenity); love; babies :D; beauty; softness; happiness; health and life in general. So it is understandable that I chose Pink Ink as the name for my latest adventure at “Society 6”!
Yes, I am venturing into this online store and having so much fun putting some of my creations in prints and on items such as tote bags and pillows. It takes significant time to work on a piece, upload, size, and price it but then VOILA! It’s a terrific way for many to get original artwork to grace their homes or to give as gifts, either in a print or on a canvas or some other useful item.
I feel so humbled by all of your love and support over the years and I wanted to thank you by making my artwork available to anyone and everyone!
Have fun going to the site and sharing it with your family and friends! I hope you will like what you see and will offer me suggestions about other things you would like to see my artwork on!
Thank you again and I look forward to serving you and sharing our love of all things pink! (And blue and green and yellow … )
Please click on the link to see it.
https://society6.com/pinkink
Paintings in Photography – Inspired by Gustav Klimt.
Here are the results of my paintings that were inspired by Gustav Klimt. This is an awesome and very involved project. I feel as though there is a whole world that lies underneath this inspiration and my finished product cannot keep up with all of my ideas. Once I get a refined flow happening, I’m sure that even though it will still be very involved, I will be able to reach the finish line much quicker (hoping so anyway.)
In the last months I have been fine tuning my portrait studio with some painting and organizing, meeting with clients and models, learning new work flow techniques, tending to my dad who has been quite ill and just regular everyday life. Speaking of a busy life did I mention I am going to be a grandma (gramma) again? I’m so excited about that cute little bundle of joy arriving.
About this painting / portrait. In stage one I painted the two canvases as you may have seen in my other post, if not here is the link https://agentbluewhale.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/blue-and-blue-two/
I then had set up a photo session with my daughter Cheryl, I had Carolina one of my make-up artists come in and my friend/assistant Kathy come in to help with this shoot. It was so much fun!
Here are two of the photos that I was satisfied with and I intend to paint both of them…yes that is the intention. I create paintings to incorporate into my photography and then use them as my subjects for paintings. This is an elaborate way to get to the finished piece, but to me it is more satisfying knowing the process. I understand that all of this could have been accomplished in a program such as Photoshop, and I love Photoshop for many reasons, but I had to paint the props / backgrounds myself that is just who I am.
Andrea
Have you ever been in a sleep and had such a vivid dream that you see it so clearly…and in color? I have them all the time, sometimes I may even take the time to write them down; I find it helps to bring them back to life when I read about them months or years down the road.
I had another such dream last night and I am so excited to paint that one…but for now let me tell you about this one.
As you all know I am working on my two passions, painting and photography. I had a lovely lady that was scheduled to come in for a portrait session. About 12 days before the session I saw, in my dream, that I needed to paint her profile photo on a giant canvas and shoot her portrait in front of it. The idea was that I wanted it to be like a painted wall, well it isn’t as big as a wall, maybe next time I can do that.
I have to say I am so happy with this one and her portraits turned out great, I have some post work to do and after she views them, then I will post some on here.
For now, I get to share the painting.
Enjoy. Thanks for stopping by and for all of your patient support and love.
Blue and Blue Two
It has been so exciting and inspirational to paint these two beauties. They came about because of my desire to create stunning portraits by using hand painted canvases as backdrops….marrying two art forms that I am deeply involved with.
I have so many ideas of making unique fine art portraits using beautiful paintings running through my head…I just need to get all the other work done first so that I can free up some time to do it.
I will keep you posted as to my progress and am eagerly waiting to bring to life my portraits using these two canvases.
Thanks for your continued support and encouragement and thank you all for sharing my experiences.
Blue Two
24″ x 48″
Blue
24″ x 48″
The Drawing
There is not any present moment that is unconnected with some future one. The life of every man is a continued chain of incidents, each link of which hangs upon the former. (Joseph Addison)
Marks on canvas
Shadows and light
Connected together
Creating the drawing
The foundation
A base for the painting.
Just as the present moment is connected to the future moments,
so are the edges,
the lines,
the smudges
all in relationship to each other
which brings life to the form which ones eye has seen…
a time past,
a moment gone by,
captured for the future
in a relentless gaze of the innocent asking
what is waiting for me?
~Heather Dawn
Sparrows
Click to view larger
2 Sparrows
16 x 20
Oil on panel
Available
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I came from a family of nine children, I think it was common back then for couples to have larger families. I love my siblings very much yet I often found myself playing alone. I thoroughly enjoyed being by myself playing quietly; digging in the dirt was one of my favorite pastimes. Not just digging, I would be creating roads, whole communities where my imaginary citizens would live in perfect harmony, it was my creative outlet at the time, that is probably why that I chose Ceramics as my major at the Alberta College of Art and Design… I love dirt 😉
Growing up in a small village it was always rather quiet and so hearing the whisper in the breeze was ever present, in my heart I knew where the still small voice came from and it was ever-present, speaking to me. Another familiar sound that is so endearing to me are the sparrows songs. The sparrow has such beautiful songs that hearing them makes me feel so at peace, so at home….it always brings a smile to my face. I know that sparrows are viewed as pests, but for me they bring comfort. Here is a link to some of the songs. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Song_Sparrow/sounds
I recall dreaming and earnestly desiring to be a bird, I didn’t know what kind of bird, but I just wanted to fly, free in the air…they seem so carefree, so happy, so free…that is what I wanted.
It’s no wonder that I have chosen sparrows as my subject because the symbology (art of expression by symbols) of sparrows is very telling and I feel it is no surprise as to the accuracy of this symbolism that has been attributed to them, this is how I see sparrows and because they are a small bird that seems to have no significance, I can relate. These symbols of the sparrow are very much the attributes of that still small voice in the breeze that I have been so familiar with for all those years.
SPARROW~
- Joy
- Inclusion
- Creativity
- Simplicity
- Protection
- Community
- Productivity
- Friendliness
Still Small Voice of the Pure Breath that I heard in the breeze.
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Long-suffering
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faith
- Meekness
- Self-control
The Native American symbol of a sparrow is: Sparrow: Symbol of desire and fertility; manifests new love in someone’s life; understands the aspects of race; ability to use the power of song; understands all aspects of color.
It wouldn’t be too far fetched to say that sparrows are a symbol of love, not just manifest love, not just fertility, but LOVE.
Love is understanding, love is truth, love is compassion, love is forgiveness, love is kindness, love is empathy and much more.I know that I am being taken care of, just like the sparrows who have no worries. I know that HE has been watching over me all my life and continues to do so. I know that I am clay, He is the Potter and HE is the One who has kept me all these years. I am so thankful.
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Yasha is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches me.
Civilla D. Martin
*Jesus or Joshua are English translations of the Hebrew name YASHA (Yahusha) here is the Hebrew number, meaning and name.
H3467
ישׁע
yâsha‛
yaw-shah’
A primitive root; properly to be open, wide or free, that is, (by implication) to be safe; causatively to free or succor: – X at all, avenging, defend, deliver (-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save (-iour), get victory.
Rise Above
Click image to view larger
16 x 20
oil on panel
available
My younger sister always used to say “water off a duck’s back” whenever anyone was faced with adversity. She would motion with her hand as if stroking the back of a duck…that movement looked like an airplane diving and then at the last second taking off up into the air…and it is a good saying and a good motion because both of them imply rising above the strife, rising above the toils, the troubles and pain of this life.
This painting ‘Rise Above’ is a little sparrow that has flown up high into the air and turns to look down at the place where s/he once was, to see that s/he is not trapped by the snares of this life, s/he sees that s/he has power, power to choose.
I am choosing to paint sparrows right now because they are considered to be a pest and are not given much significance. I have often felt that I was considered to be a pest, not very significant…a sad truth, but I repudiate that image that was placed on me.
I Rise Above the labels, the voices of the past, and even some voices of the present that do not agree with what I stand for. I Rise Above because I choose to live a life that is real, a life that is filled with truth and love and understanding. I choose to live a life that is aimed to do good, to help others, to love others freely in the best way that I know how. I Rise Above because I have decided to be the change that I want to see in this world…to love mercy, to do justly and to walk humbly with the Creator.
When one can Rise Above and overcome, then one can truly listen enabling others to be heard, to be free, to Rise Above.
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered! Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:7
heatherdawnfineart 