Another Return

Yes, I know, I am not very good at posting regularly. But there were some really good reasons this time- everything from vacation to moving to starting work to starting full-time work (which I someday hope to be paid for) to some very stressful personal stuff.

But, I'm back now! I can't promise to post often as I just don't have that much time to paint right now. I'm a full time intern working as an animator on a kid's show, and that takes up a lot of my time. Almost all of it. I've also been sick more times than I can count this fall, which is unusual as I'm usually healthy as a horse.

I've said enough about all that though. On to the paintings!
(as an aside, I apologize for the blurry pictures. I'll try and redo them during daylight hours this weekend)

I started painting this at the family reunion. Unfortunately, painting by the water at sunset in the summer... ow, mosquitos. I could only stand so long before I had to retreat inside (which, with the company and the wine that was constantly around, was not so bad). So I finished it at home with some advice about depth from an old teacher, and am fairly happy with the result. Not my favorite by far, but something I learned from and don't mind.
I am not happy with this one. I painted it on the family reunion, but redid it afterwards. I lost a lot redoing it, and I don't like the colours I chose. I might redo it again, but I think it'll just be a learning piece for me and be tossed aside.


This is my latest and one of my new favorite paintings. I did it referenced off a series of photos I took at the old place (Oh how I miss the sunsets off the balcony!). It's the biggest piece I've ever painted and I love the colours. I am going to paint more with those colours.
I also had an amazing time painting it. I actually split up the painting into two sessions for once- when I start things, I want to finish. I think it made a difference as I went back and touched things up the second go around. It's currently up in our hallway and I think it makes the place look brighter.

Also- I love painting so big. This painting is almost twice the size of the next biggest I've painted.

For size reference-

(please ignore the empty wine bottles on the fridge. I mean, an artist needs to have a glass with dinnner, right?)

more sunsets and still lifes

Lately, I have been painting sunsets and still lifes.


I am finding it really relaxing and enjoyable, though I am unfortunately usually busy during sunset hours. Next week, however, I will be on vacation (family reunion!) and hopefully will get out during the evening to paint.

Strawberries are my favorite. It was hard to leave them there to paint, they smelt so good...

This was a fun experiment. I am not entirely happy with it, but it was fun and I learned a lot from it.



This is my least favorite sunset. The cityscape just didn't work out properly. The sky itself is also nothing special, and I'm pretty sure it's because I tried to work from photos. It's just not the same.


My latest sunset! The sky was an amazing deep glowing pinky red, and I just had to try and paint it. I'm fairly pleased with the results.

new paintings

Updated a lot of old photos with much better ones. You can see the paintings a bit better now instead of the poor photography.

I've been painting a lot lately. I've gotten on painting clouds and sunsets and am really enjoying it.
My first sunset. I really enjoyed this... painted it after an awesome but tiring weekend at a cottage, so it was a quick, sleepy thing that really relaxed me after getting home!

My first clouds. I really like this one. In fact, it's up on my wall now. It was so much fun to paint that I just wanted to keep painting more like it...

... so I did. I had a lot of fun with the swirlyness of this one, though I don't like it as much.

There are a few more drying on my easel now, so expect to see more.

portrait finished

I finally finished this. Got the best picture I could. Am pretty much happy with it, and I wish I had more chances to do this kind of portrait work. I love it!

update- pretty parasol

a new version of the self portrait I posted awhile ago. Finally got a shot of it.

new pictures!

I updated the pictures on two old posts now that I have a better camera.

another landscape

I'm done school. It's weird to no longer be a student. Right now I'm looking for work, so when I'm not putting together cover letters and the like or animating, I have a chance to do some painting.
I' d done some painting since the last post, but mostly a few touch ups and rough starts of stuff. I really needed a few weeks to decompress from all the stress of the end of my school career.


Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous so I headed out and painted this.
I'm pleased with it... I feel like it has more clarity than my previous landscape stuff. I also used a larger brush for most of it than I usually do, which is something I kinda struggle with. This was painted over three hours.
The sunburn was worth it!

trying my hand at landscapes

I finally got a new camera and got a chance to take a new picture! I'm leaving the old one up for comparison.


This is the start of my second real landscape.
I started this painting on the family reunion trip to California. We were staying in Kirkwood, California, near Lake Tahoe. I hiked up the mountain behind the resort one day and started painting. I didn't have a huge amount of time and it gets pretty darn cold at 8000 feet, so I only did a rough sort of sketch to get a feel for it. I took a picture to work from.
Well, I didn't get around to working on it again til the other day. It wasn't anything to look at before this, and this is still only partway. I'm planning on adding more detail to the foreground and glazes of colour of the background to give it that blue washed out sorta feeling that you get looking at distant mountains.
I really want to work at landscapes, because they don't come naturally to me like figure work does. I also want to try my hand at cityscapes, but I'm taking baby steps here!

self portrait wip

First stage of a self portrait. Mostly done cause I got this parasol for Christmas and wanted to paint it.

quick study

Did a quick small study of a candle last night. It's about done, but I want to throw on some wash layers to brighten up the flame. Used acrylic for the base coat as I am too lazy to wait for oils to dry.
4x5"

Mantlepiece Portraits, part 2

Got a new picture of it finally! Leaving the other for comparisons sake.


I've been painting, really! My camera hasn't been working though, so that's why I haven't been updating. I'll be posting stuff all week. Really need to get the camera a new battery now that I know that's the issue.
Anyway, progress on the mantlepiece portrait. Need to get canvas for Renée's.
Mine is nearing completion now. Need to add some highlights and some more washes of colour on the skin, but just about finished.
Just a note- the picture made it much redder than it is. I'll get a better shot for the final once I can take more than 5 pictures without my camera battery dying...







Now it's time to animate! Cheerio.