This painting was done in watercolor with colored pencils and a stamp.
Girl in Blue
Friday, September 02, 2016
On the 2nd Day of September
Twas the 2nd Day of the (29 Faces) Challenge and I barely managed to do a quick little painting; scan it, blog it and post it - get it online before the clock strikes 12!
This painting was done in watercolor with colored pencils and a stamp.
This painting was done in watercolor with colored pencils and a stamp.
Getting Back in the Groove!
After being the child care provider for my little granddaughter for the past 5 years, Miss Lily started Kindergarten! That has freed me up to make a heck of a lot more effort towards my art adventures.
Hooray! I will miss my daily dose of Lily Rain, but I still get to see her a lot as she lives right above my place.
A few years back I joined a facebook group called 29 Faces with Ayala Art. Currently there is a September Challenge to paint a face a day. I painted one yesterday but didn't get a chance to post it.
So here it is.... I love challenges because they help me to paint daily and explore mediums.
Hooray! I will miss my daily dose of Lily Rain, but I still get to see her a lot as she lives right above my place.
A few years back I joined a facebook group called 29 Faces with Ayala Art. Currently there is a September Challenge to paint a face a day. I painted one yesterday but didn't get a chance to post it.
So here it is.... I love challenges because they help me to paint daily and explore mediums.
A Few More Days of Summer
Watercolor
One thing I wanted to experiment with is painting on a DIY absorbent ground.
I had a book of watercolor paper that I didn't like the way it absorbed the paint, so I decided to paint the ground on it and see what happens. The ground is not as absorbent as paper of course, but I liked the way I could lift off the colors. I think I will paint all my 29 faces with this ground and see where it goes and what I learn about it. I am also trying to paint a bit more loosely.
Saturday, July 02, 2016
Are Commissions Scary? Tips on doing Portrait Commissions
Are commissions scary? Well in several ways they can be, especially if it is a portrait of someone. I have done quite a number of portrait commission and I still worry about getting a good likeness. I can't help but wonder if the person who commissioned me will be pleased with the painting. So yes, I kinda think doing commissions can be scary, but not enough to say "no" to one!
This past week I completed a commission of a darling little girl named Alice. The painting is done in watercolor and it was commissioned locally, but in the past I have had quite a few requests from online. Over the years I have come up with some guidelines that I follow to insure success with the client.
1. Get to know something about the client and the subject of the portrait.
Whether I am meeting with them in person or am corresponding through email, I ask about the person they wish me to paint. Getting to know something of the personality is helpful, because I rarely get to meet the subject in person. I also find out what is the occasion for the commission. In this case it is for Alice's birthday and she is the client's granddaughter.
2. What does the client want included in the portrait?
The client gave me a photo of Alice and I asked if he wanted me to crop the photo so that it was a more traditional portrait of face and shoulders, or would he like the pose as shown? As they often do, he asked me what I thought. I explained my preference for the whole pose because I thought it added more of a story about Alice. He agreed (obviously!). I then asked what size he wanted it done in. The client was going to get it framed himself. A lot of times people are not familiar with standard frame sizes, so I showed the client how different sizes would look. He ended up choosing an 11"x14" painting and it would fit in a 16"x20" frame with mat.
I also asked if he wanted the same background in the photo or would he like to choose other colors for the background. He wanted to keep it the same as the photo. It's best to confirm what you are going to paint!
3. Keep the Client updated.
I asked for the client's email address with a promise that I would email him the drawing to get his approval before painting it. I also asked when he would like it finished by. It was the third week of June, and he said Alice's birthday was in mid-August and they were going to California to celebrate it with her. I estimated my commitments for the next little while and told him I could have it done by the first of August. It is best to make sure you allow yourself enough time. Then if you get it done sooner, the client will be pleasantly surprised.
I asked Mr. Client if he would like me to email a photo of the finished painting. He chose to be surprised and see it when he came to pay for it.
Normally I charge 20 -25% of the purchase price upfront (non refundable) and collect the balance when the painting is finished. A lot of work can go into doing a commission and this insures that your efforts are covered in the event of a cancellation. Don't forget to mention that you will collect tax on the purchase price.
4. Drawing the subject.
This is where I spend the most time of the whole process. It is very critical to get the best drawing you can do before you start painting. I usually draw it, then wait til the next day to look at it again. It seems with a fresh view I can fine-tune the features so that I get a very good likeness. I used to not do the second step and quickly realized how important it was. Once finished I take a picture of it and email it to the client for approval.
Don't be too discouraged if the client suggests a few changes. For this commission it was approved as I had drawn it, but in the past I have had suggestions given. I found this was very helpful, especially since one of them was a commission from the internet. I usually only get to see one photo of the subject, but the client knows the person and their personality so their suggestions help me create a better portrait.
5. Ready to paint!
Tips on materials: Make sure you use quality paints and paper/canvas for your commission. If you use a student grade paper or watercolor paint, you will fight with the lack of quality and it's just not worth your time and can affect the quality of your painting.
Make sure you don't rush through the painting process. You owe it to your client to do your best work and it should be fun!
6. Finished!
Once I was finished, I made sure I had fulfilled all the client's requests. For the Alice commission, the client requested a Certificate of Authenticity. Some artists always include these with their artwork, but if you don't there are numerous websites that offer templates to download. In this case I used a COA from an online group I belong to.
7. Packaging.
Because this was a local commission, I placed the painting on foam core that was cut to the size of the painting. As previously mentioned the painting was 11"x14" and I allowed an extra 1/2 inch on each side so that I could tape the paper down for painting. That way no white edges would show through the mat when the tape was removed. I then either use clear plastic envelopes to protect the painting or wrap it in cellophane. I sign my name on the back of the watercolor paper with the title and date it.
On the back of the foam core I attach one of my business cards as well as the Certificate of Authenticity.
8. Success!
The client was very pleased with the painting, and noted that he loved my style and felt that I had carried it across to the commission. He chose two of my blank cards with images of my artwork for family birthdays, etc and I told him that they were my gift to him for giving me the commission. With my online sales, I usually include one of my blank cards as well when I ship a commission. I always feel very grateful when someone purchases my art, so I like to give them a little gift!
So is painting a commission scary? Not if you do the best you can and communicate well with the client. Oh and one more thing, I charge a little more for commissions than I do for artwork that I create for the gallery. I do this because of all the additional steps that are involved when working with a client.
One more thing... I practice drawing people all the time so that I can improve my skills and I would recommend that to anyone who is interested in doing portraiture.
My largest commission ever?
The largest commission I have ever done was a cow painted on a 4'x8' piece of plywood that a client wanted for the side of his barn in New York. Shipping was a bit tricky but I managed!
This past week I completed a commission of a darling little girl named Alice. The painting is done in watercolor and it was commissioned locally, but in the past I have had quite a few requests from online. Over the years I have come up with some guidelines that I follow to insure success with the client.
1. Get to know something about the client and the subject of the portrait.
Whether I am meeting with them in person or am corresponding through email, I ask about the person they wish me to paint. Getting to know something of the personality is helpful, because I rarely get to meet the subject in person. I also find out what is the occasion for the commission. In this case it is for Alice's birthday and she is the client's granddaughter.
2. What does the client want included in the portrait?
The client gave me a photo of Alice and I asked if he wanted me to crop the photo so that it was a more traditional portrait of face and shoulders, or would he like the pose as shown? As they often do, he asked me what I thought. I explained my preference for the whole pose because I thought it added more of a story about Alice. He agreed (obviously!). I then asked what size he wanted it done in. The client was going to get it framed himself. A lot of times people are not familiar with standard frame sizes, so I showed the client how different sizes would look. He ended up choosing an 11"x14" painting and it would fit in a 16"x20" frame with mat.
I also asked if he wanted the same background in the photo or would he like to choose other colors for the background. He wanted to keep it the same as the photo. It's best to confirm what you are going to paint!
3. Keep the Client updated.
I asked for the client's email address with a promise that I would email him the drawing to get his approval before painting it. I also asked when he would like it finished by. It was the third week of June, and he said Alice's birthday was in mid-August and they were going to California to celebrate it with her. I estimated my commitments for the next little while and told him I could have it done by the first of August. It is best to make sure you allow yourself enough time. Then if you get it done sooner, the client will be pleasantly surprised.
I asked Mr. Client if he would like me to email a photo of the finished painting. He chose to be surprised and see it when he came to pay for it.
Normally I charge 20 -25% of the purchase price upfront (non refundable) and collect the balance when the painting is finished. A lot of work can go into doing a commission and this insures that your efforts are covered in the event of a cancellation. Don't forget to mention that you will collect tax on the purchase price.
4. Drawing the subject.
This is where I spend the most time of the whole process. It is very critical to get the best drawing you can do before you start painting. I usually draw it, then wait til the next day to look at it again. It seems with a fresh view I can fine-tune the features so that I get a very good likeness. I used to not do the second step and quickly realized how important it was. Once finished I take a picture of it and email it to the client for approval.
Don't be too discouraged if the client suggests a few changes. For this commission it was approved as I had drawn it, but in the past I have had suggestions given. I found this was very helpful, especially since one of them was a commission from the internet. I usually only get to see one photo of the subject, but the client knows the person and their personality so their suggestions help me create a better portrait.
5. Ready to paint!
Tips on materials: Make sure you use quality paints and paper/canvas for your commission. If you use a student grade paper or watercolor paint, you will fight with the lack of quality and it's just not worth your time and can affect the quality of your painting.
Make sure you don't rush through the painting process. You owe it to your client to do your best work and it should be fun!
6. Finished!
Once I was finished, I made sure I had fulfilled all the client's requests. For the Alice commission, the client requested a Certificate of Authenticity. Some artists always include these with their artwork, but if you don't there are numerous websites that offer templates to download. In this case I used a COA from an online group I belong to.
7. Packaging.
Because this was a local commission, I placed the painting on foam core that was cut to the size of the painting. As previously mentioned the painting was 11"x14" and I allowed an extra 1/2 inch on each side so that I could tape the paper down for painting. That way no white edges would show through the mat when the tape was removed. I then either use clear plastic envelopes to protect the painting or wrap it in cellophane. I sign my name on the back of the watercolor paper with the title and date it.
On the back of the foam core I attach one of my business cards as well as the Certificate of Authenticity.
8. Success!
The client was very pleased with the painting, and noted that he loved my style and felt that I had carried it across to the commission. He chose two of my blank cards with images of my artwork for family birthdays, etc and I told him that they were my gift to him for giving me the commission. With my online sales, I usually include one of my blank cards as well when I ship a commission. I always feel very grateful when someone purchases my art, so I like to give them a little gift!
So is painting a commission scary? Not if you do the best you can and communicate well with the client. Oh and one more thing, I charge a little more for commissions than I do for artwork that I create for the gallery. I do this because of all the additional steps that are involved when working with a client.
One more thing... I practice drawing people all the time so that I can improve my skills and I would recommend that to anyone who is interested in doing portraiture.
My largest commission ever?
The largest commission I have ever done was a cow painted on a 4'x8' piece of plywood that a client wanted for the side of his barn in New York. Shipping was a bit tricky but I managed!
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Exciting Things Going on in May!
May is slipping
away, but before it's totally gone, I need to tell you a couple of exciting things!
First I have been working very hard for my show up at the University of Utah's
Pioneer Theater Company's Loge Gallery (whew! that's a mouthful). It's now in
full swing and here are the details:
“Artful Miscellany”
"AffirMEtions"
Featuring the art from Irene Rampton and Catherine Darling
Hostetter.
This collection will be on display during PTC’s production
of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” May 6 through May 21, 2016.
For full details click on this link
Please note that you do not have to attend the production,
the theater is open during business hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
The Loge Gallery is on the 2nd level.
So, enough about me! I have another exciting thing to
announce... Do you like night photography. What's that, you ask?
On May 25th, Shayne Shaw, an award winning photographer will
teach how to photograph the amazing night skies. Shooting almost any
subject at night can add mystery, intrigue, and a special beauty that shooting
the same subject during the daylight can’t match. In particular you will learn
how to capture the beauty and majesty of the Milky Way along with light
painting an interesting foreground landscape feature.
Topics covered include:
Best lenses and equipment for shooting at night
Proper camera settings
How to find and forecast the position of the Milky Way
How to compose and focus at night
How to properly light paint foreground landscape
features
Don't miss it!
Date: May 25th 6:30 pm
Location: Local Colors of Utah Gallery in Sugar House (1054
E. 2100 S., Salt Lake City)
Cost: $35
Register here
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
Cathy Darling's Pure Art Studio: Where Does the Time Go?
Cathy Darling's Pure Art Studio: Where Does the Time Go?: The past couple of months have just flown by! My workshop "Follow Your Inspiration" was a lot of fun and I got to know some really...
Where Does the Time Go?
The past couple of months have just flown by! My workshop "Follow Your Inspiration" was a lot of fun and I got to know some really wonderful ladies from it. That was in February! Since then I have been busily painting for an upcoming show in May at the University of Utah's Loge Gallery.
But what I really want to tell you today is that I have been a featured artist at Local Colors of Utah this past month. There is a reception this Friday during the Sugar House Art Walk.
But what I really want to tell you today is that I have been a featured artist at Local Colors of Utah this past month. There is a reception this Friday during the Sugar House Art Walk.
The gallery is located at 1054 E. 2100 S. in Salt Lake City.
Hope you can come!
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Cathy Darling's Pure Art Studio: The Art of Dreaming Big
Cathy Darling's Pure Art Studio: The Art of Dreaming Big: O ver a year ago I came to the conclusion that I needed to make some changes in my life. I am an artist, used to be full time u...
The Art of Dreaming Big
As my darling granddaughter turns 5 this year and kindergarten looms ahead, my thoughts turned to making better use of my art time. For several years, I told myself that this is the 'season' for grandkids and my art was put on the back burner, so to speak.
In order to get more organized with my art, I started reading books geared for success and self improvement. I soon realized that my life could be whatever I chose it to be! I begin to think about what I wanted to accomplish with my art, something that I hadn't thought about since pre-child care. Surprisingly I found my mind blank regarding art goals. As I studied more, goals began to emerge and I began to take control of my life, rather than life controlling me.
So, I started dreaming big, as big a dream as I could think of. I continued to study and as I focused on my art dream, ideas and opportunities started coming my way. It is all pretty exciting!
This Friday, I am teaching a workshop for the Utah Watercolor Society (in case you missed my earlier posts!) and it is all about zero-ing in on becoming the artist that you want to be and branding your art with your unique flair.
There are still a few seats left, it's not too late to join the fun. Come on, take charge of your art life and dream big with me!
Catherine Darling Hostetter
February 19-20
Learn how to use your imagination to personalize and add the unexpected to your watercolor style. Catherine focuses on animals and people in her artwork and often combines them with a whimsical twist. You will learn how let go and use your imagination with fun exercises. Follow your inspiration; where even the most traditional artist can incorporate creative ideas into their style!
February 19-20
Learn how to use your imagination to personalize and add the unexpected to your watercolor style. Catherine focuses on animals and people in her artwork and often combines them with a whimsical twist. You will learn how let go and use your imagination with fun exercises. Follow your inspiration; where even the most traditional artist can incorporate creative ideas into their style!
Monday, February 15, 2016
The Art Within
I am preparing for my workshop this Friday and Saturday and I am really excited! I have so much to share! This workshop is not about teaching you how to paint like me, but it is about teaching how to reach into your subconscious mind and really make your artwork you! I have always thought that in order to stand out in the art world, you either have to paint exceptionally well, or you put yourself into it so it stands out uniquely from other artwork. Not that you can't do both, but perfecting our craft takes much practice. Meanwhile...
We can arrive at being unique in our art now. My students will deepen their understanding on how to listen to our inner voice and have the courage to paint what we think, This can apply to the most traditional artist. We will do fun painting exercises that make you really think.
I believe goals are important and we will talk about our goals as artists. Lewis Carroll wrote: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there". I love that each of us are beautiful, unique individuals and when we apply this to our art, we share that beauty!
Only a few seats left! To join me for this workshop adventure, click on this link!
See you soon!
Saturday, February 06, 2016
It's All About You and Your Imagination!
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Utah Watercolor Society | PO Box 581005 |
Salt Lake City | UT |
84158-1005
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Monday, January 04, 2016
I am the Guest Artist at the Utah Watercolor Society Meeting!
I love the Utah Watercolor Society! I get to start the New Year with them sharing some tips on drawing from within to add your own uniqueness to your paintings. Then in February I am teaching a workshop titled "Follow Your Inspiration". What fun! Join us at the meeting tomorrow night- see the info below for details. I will also be talking about setting some artistic goals for the new year. If you are not a member of UWS, come check it out, there is no charge to attend the meeting.
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Monday, October 19, 2015
Going 60 MPH
I am moving along at 60 MPH -(Mature Personal Happiness)!
Saturday was my 60th birthday. Holy Cow! that seems old, but I really don't feel any different than I did, say... 30 years ago! Or maybe even 45 years ago. This was especially noted when I had breakfast with my elementary school friends. You'd think we were still school girls- at least we thought so until a young woman came up to our table and referred to us as elderly ladies! (She came back and apologized later).
A couple of my friends commented that this (60th) birthday bothered them. I guess it did me too, since I had started thinking about it several months ago. My grandmother had passed away at 65, which at the time seemed old to my 17 year old mind. Now, it seems pretty young!
I have to admit that I have been dying my hair for years to cover that "premature grey". Now that I can honestly claim it, I decided to bleach out the color and let it grow in naturally. I am now a platinum blonde with my new/old(?) hair color growing out happily unchecked.
Here is a watercolor painting of my grandmother that I painted 12 or 13 years ago.
Grandma was a wonderful cook and introduced me to many a comfort food. Thinking about her made me seriously consider my health and weight. Too many cookies for me in the past few years! I really don't want to be a fat round little old lady at 60. So I am now participating in a 'biggest loser' contest with my family. To date, I have lost 25 lbs with a number of pounds left to lose that won't be named.
So it's official now, I am buzzing along at 60 mph. I am determined to make the best of the next 30 years, enjoying my age and not shaving my legs anymore (just kidding!)
Saturday was my 60th birthday. Holy Cow! that seems old, but I really don't feel any different than I did, say... 30 years ago! Or maybe even 45 years ago. This was especially noted when I had breakfast with my elementary school friends. You'd think we were still school girls- at least we thought so until a young woman came up to our table and referred to us as elderly ladies! (She came back and apologized later).
A couple of my friends commented that this (60th) birthday bothered them. I guess it did me too, since I had started thinking about it several months ago. My grandmother had passed away at 65, which at the time seemed old to my 17 year old mind. Now, it seems pretty young!
I have to admit that I have been dying my hair for years to cover that "premature grey". Now that I can honestly claim it, I decided to bleach out the color and let it grow in naturally. I am now a platinum blonde with my new/old(?) hair color growing out happily unchecked.
Here is a watercolor painting of my grandmother that I painted 12 or 13 years ago.
Grandma was a wonderful cook and introduced me to many a comfort food. Thinking about her made me seriously consider my health and weight. Too many cookies for me in the past few years! I really don't want to be a fat round little old lady at 60. So I am now participating in a 'biggest loser' contest with my family. To date, I have lost 25 lbs with a number of pounds left to lose that won't be named.
So it's official now, I am buzzing along at 60 mph. I am determined to make the best of the next 30 years, enjoying my age and not shaving my legs anymore (just kidding!)
Friday, May 15, 2015
Retrospect: Two Weeks Gone By
I do intend to write in my blog more often, but before you know it a week has passed and then another. Tonight I am heading to Bountiful, Utah for the BDAC Statewide Show and Grand Opening of their new facility. I was fortunate to have a painting selected to be in the show. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of if before I took it in. I will get one tonight.
Recently I finished a portrait for a girl in Canada. It is to be a gift for Mother's Day for her mom. Due to longer shipping times from the US to Canada, it will get there late. She ordered it a week and a couple of days before Mother's day and I shipped it the Wednesday before MD.
As I mentioned in my last blog entry, I am reading and studying a book called 'Success Principles'. My goal was to read a chapter a day and really try to change all my habits into positive ones. I am on Chapter 6 (obviously not a chapter a day), and I have come to realize if you really want to do something life changing, you can't restrict it to a chapter a day. So I decided I need to focus on a chapter until I feel like I really get it.
I am currently working on a painting titled "Walk With Me" it is about half way done and is acrylic on cradled panel. I plan on finishing it tomorrow, and making at least one print of it to frame and donate to a fundraiser. I should have a picture of it to post in the next few days.
In June our Gallery, Local Colors of Utah is having a group show of our artists and we are doing a 'Green' Theme. The art has to be made of recycled or re-purposed items to be in the show. After I finish the "Walk With Me" piece, I will start on my upcyled piece. Busy times ahead!
Mother's Day Gift by Catherine Darling Hostetter
Recently I finished a portrait for a girl in Canada. It is to be a gift for Mother's Day for her mom. Due to longer shipping times from the US to Canada, it will get there late. She ordered it a week and a couple of days before Mother's day and I shipped it the Wednesday before MD.
As I mentioned in my last blog entry, I am reading and studying a book called 'Success Principles'. My goal was to read a chapter a day and really try to change all my habits into positive ones. I am on Chapter 6 (obviously not a chapter a day), and I have come to realize if you really want to do something life changing, you can't restrict it to a chapter a day. So I decided I need to focus on a chapter until I feel like I really get it.
I am currently working on a painting titled "Walk With Me" it is about half way done and is acrylic on cradled panel. I plan on finishing it tomorrow, and making at least one print of it to frame and donate to a fundraiser. I should have a picture of it to post in the next few days.
In June our Gallery, Local Colors of Utah is having a group show of our artists and we are doing a 'Green' Theme. The art has to be made of recycled or re-purposed items to be in the show. After I finish the "Walk With Me" piece, I will start on my upcyled piece. Busy times ahead!
Monday, April 27, 2015
Success is in Your Head, if You Want to Dig it Out!
"Follow Your Inspiration" Catherine Darling Hostetter
This weekend I was reviewing what I had coming up on my calendar, and realized that I am not accomplishing nearly enough. I am one of those artists that is not the most organized. I thought "what am I going to do to change this situation"!
I remembered a few months back when my son and I were reading a book together, called The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. I recalled during the time that as I was studying it and applying it's principles to my artistic existence, I was accomplishing more and felt very productive in all aspects of my life.
So... I dragged the book out yesterday and determined to read a chapter a day and work it like I was going to school with assignments and all. This time through the book, however, I am not going to read it and then forget what I learned. I will diligently try to make it a part of my life habits. Having experienced already that if I don't focus and make a goal of this, I will fall back into old habits. I know that for a fact, it's the story of my life!
Chapter 1: Take 100% Responsibility of Your Life. Don't worry I am not going to go through the whole book here on my blog. But I will summarized some of the amazing info found there.
I would like to quote from the book something that made a lot of sense...
"Ninety nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses"
George Washington Carver
Great advice, take accountability for your own choices and don't make excuses. Another great insight from the book - If you don't like your outcomes, change your response. Sure, a lot of things happen in our lives that we don't have direct control of , but we do have the choice to determine how we respond to it.
The last thing I want to mention is: You have to give up blaming and complaining.
That's it for today. If anyone is interested in joining me as I change my life and would like to change yours, get yourself a copy of the book, and lets go for it!
Friday, April 24, 2015
Art Mingled with Friday
I consider my Fridays my day off. In addition to working in Local Colors of Utah art gallery as president and working on my art whenever I can, I tend my handicapped grandson Anthony 4 days a week, for 3 hours each day Monday - Thursday. Plus this month I have my 3 year old grand-daughter, Lily Rain during the weekdays. She lives in Portland OR with her mama and is here to visit.
Being an artist is nice because I am able to be flexible for my family and grandkids.
So what am I doing today? Well next Friday I am participating in a fundraising event hosted by the Bradley Center at the South Towne Mall in Sandy, Utah. Today I am getting art ready for that event.
The Bradley Center supports children who have lost one or both parents. 30% of the sales go to the Bradley Center. Come see me next week!
Another particularly nice thing about today is that I am a featured artist on Jennifer Love's Blog!
Jenny is a good friend and has interviewed me and featured some of my art.
As she said we are kindred spirits, which I totally agree.:-)
I have been thinking of doing features on other artists and Jennifer has provided a great example of how to do it!
Also on my friday agenda is to paint a couple of paintings I have been working on. I hope to get them done for the show next week.
"Juggling Life" by Catherine Darling Hostetter
How is your friday going?
Monday, April 13, 2015
Six Sisters and a Dog Painting
Patience is a Beggar's Virtue by Catherine Darling Hostetter
She was calling to see if I wanted to go to "What a Woman Wants" at the South Towne Expo Center. My sister is a lot of fun, and I love hanging out with her, so I said yes!
We planned on going at 10:00 am and I figured I could make it to the paint-out which was at 1:00 pm.
So what does a woman want? Apparently the vendors there thought clothing, jewelry, crafty decorations and essential oils was what was wanted. It was fun to look at all the stuff. I have an art show in a couple of weeks, so I also looked at the way the vendors displayed their merchandise.
The WWW show featured guest presenters on stage. One that interested my sister and I were "Six Sisters". They are sisters that grew up in Utah and when they began to reach adulthood and some were getting married and moving out of state. To keep in touch with each other they began sixsistersstuff.com blog. They shared recipes and craft projects and soon they noticed they had a following.
Since their blog start in 2011, they have published cookbooks, do blog conferences and I don't know, sounds like they have a lot of fun together. I can understand this having a fun sister myself. Only in their case it's "the more the merrier"!
Anyhoo, on Saturday they demonstrated some of their recipes. One that I thought was interesting and tasty (they served samples afterwards) was the Funfetti Cake Batter Dip If you like to lick the bowl when you bake a cake, this dip is for you! You dip Vanilla wafers in the dip. Yum!
To make a long story a little shorter, I didn't make it to the paint-out. No worries though, there is always one another day.
I mentioned a dog painting in my title, didn't I? My artist friend, Sandi Olson curates an art display at Great Harvest in Sugar House. She asked me to pick up my aspen painting from the last show and to bring in an animal painting. It inspired me to paint a new painting for the show, a cute black lab-mix.
I titled the painting: Patience is a Beggar's Virtue
If you are a Salt Lake City local, and love animal paintings visit
Great Harvest in Sugar House at 21st and 21st.
Be sure and check out the Six Sisters blog for lots of yummy looking recipes.
Monday, April 06, 2015
Spring has Sprung with Portrait Commissions
Spring has sprung here in Utah, and I have been keeping
busy doing portrait commissions from my etsy store.
The first commission came from Canada, a lady asked me to paint in
watercolor her son Archie and her baby daughter Rosemary.
It has been a wonderful opportunity to brush up on my drawing watercolor skills.
About the same time I received another commission from California to paint a lady's brother and sister in law as a gift for their 25th anniversary.
For more information about watercolor portrait commissions, click on my etsy store!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Daily Painting 5: Experimental
Yesterday was Sunday and I decided I will not be doing daily paintings on that day, so here is today's painting. I chose to do a little portrait;
size 3.5" x 2.5"
Title: A Red Head
It is done in watercolor, and I used the same technique that I used on Daily Painting #4
This art card is available for sale
$25
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Saturday, February 14, 2015
Daily Paintings 3 & 4: Trial and Error
I am continuing painting in watercolor. Since these daily paintings are studes, I have been painting on Canson 140 lb. paper. This is not my preference of papers, but I had a pad of this paper so why not use it! I have a few sheets of the really good stuff, but thought I would use it for the Spring Show for the Utah Watercolor Society.
The Canson paper is not too bad though, better than some papers. This Canson is not bad if you don't over work it, and if you like to lift color, it is good for that. All in all, I figure if I can learn to paint successfully on this paper, I should do ok on the better paper. Is that logical?
So on day three, I painted 3 sheep. I did them with a little landscape behind them. I am not big on doing landscapes, but I have a many friends that are excellent plein air painters, and they go to plein air paint outs and have a lot of fun... so I decided I needed to practice painting landscapes so I could do some plein air this summer.
As I did the landscape, I really overworked it. It turned out ok, but it's not my favorite painting. I will show it to you anyway, just because I feel kind of obligated since it's one of my daily paintings.
Three Sheep
6"x 10"
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You can be sure that I will be working on landscapes again... You know, practice makes perfect, or so I hope! But for Valentines Day I am not going to do a landscape!
Oh by the way, I forgot to mention that I may not post daily paintings everyday, just because I figure it is more important to get the painting done for the day, and sometimes that doesn't leave time to blog about it. So today is a double whammy!
Watercolor takes a lot of thought, and I decided that my daily painting for today I would put down color and try not to go back to it,so I don't over work it.
I drew another sheep, a big woolly one and since the paper is great for lifting, I decided I would do some lifting. I like the way this one turned out. I still overworked the trees in the background though. *sigh*.
Fancy Ewe
8" x 10"
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Thursday, February 12, 2015
Daily Painting 3 - Disaster!
I was so discouraged with my painting yesterday that I didn't post it. I had a busy schedule with tending my grandson, taking my daughter to the airport, and going to an opening of a friend's show (more about that in a bit!).
For my painting subject I picked something that I thought would be fairly easy, a sheep. I have painted many sheep over the years and thought it would fit best in the amount of time I had to paint.
It is a watercolor, and I thought I would do a sussex sheep image that I had taken at the State Fair a few years back. I felt in a colorful mood so I started painting the sheepy's head in purple and windsor blue rather than shades of black and grey. I also thought a few flowers would be nice.
What I ended up with is a very pastel looking painting, and it was awful! It was time to go and tend my grandson, so I had to leave it. Painting something you don't feel good about is really a downer!
Thank goodness I had a reception for an artist friend of mine to go to! Jeff Clay is a wonderful photographer who really puts the art into his photographs. Here's his link: Jeff Clay PhotoBlog
Jeff has recently returned from Cambodia, and he has photos from there that are featured in his show, along with international scenes as well as the amazing shots of New York, the beauty of southern Utah, and it's northern deserts.
Looking at good art always cheers me. Jeff had 75 images in his show! If you want to see it here is the info: Jeff Clay Exhibit
Ok, so back to my 3rd day of Daily Painting. I woke up this morning kind of blue... like my sheep. So I went to my desk and looked at it. Now if you are an artist, you know you can't keep your hands off the painting if something needs to be fixed. So I spent about 20 minutes with it and I think I can post it now.
It was a bit whimsical to start with but when I finished touching it up, it is now definitely whimsical!
I darkened some of the colors as it was pretty low on contrast. Then I scanned it in... On the computer you can often get a good idea of what needs to be fixed next. It was still too pastel. So I did a wash of a golden brown over the whole painting. I knew I needed a pretty wide brush so that I wouldn't wipe out the painting with a lot of small brushstrokes. I grabbed my trusty Sterling Edwards flat brush and painted a light wash over the painting. I love those brushes! It's a must have. Visit the link, Sterling also has a bunch of free painting demos too.
Ok, back to the painting. After the wash was dry, I lifted some of the white in the sheep and surprise! A halo also developed! So suddenly I had a title as well: Angel of the Morning.
Angel of the Morning
8" x 10" Watercolor on 140 lb. WC Paper
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Contact me for international shipping costs.
Now on to the daily painting for today! What to paint? I am doing watercolor all this week, now for the subject matter...
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