Painting Angels

I had this and a few other angel paintings on display in a small gallery/frame shop nearby, and it was recently returned to me.  Several of the others sold, but I was kind of glad this one didn't.  It's hanging next to my computer, and I like looking at all the layers of collaged papers (click on the image--all the details show up beautifully in the enlargement) peeking through the painting (first time I had tried this technique).

I also like to remember actually painting this one:  a good friend let me stay at her magnificent beach house in Seaside, OR a couple months ago, and I spent dreamy hours painting away while the beach was just steps away.

 

I'm so anxious to go back!  I could use a change of scenery and a bit of inspiration.

Collage Challenge for March

With the start of a new month, Mary Green has posted another collage challenge.  I kept my offering pretty simple and a bit silly this time, going with the theme of the nursery rhyme featured in Mary's images.

Guilty

Here are the three images we had to work with:

I'm realizing that all of my entries so far have been very tightly executed.  Next month I'm going to try to go a little looser, not so rigid, a little more free-form.  Maybe.  Stay tuned.  And in the meantime,  go to Mary's blog and check out the other entries.  It's always fun to see how others have interpreted the same challenge.

The Blahs

I can tell already this will be a 'blah' post.  I have the winter blues.  I am so ready for spring, and everything around me just feels grey and blah, and I'm so unmotivated to get anything done.  I've been working on an illustration, and can tell my attitude shows through in it.  It's just blah.  I wasn't feelin' it. Here it is in progress:

It's for a small cell phone pocket purse, made by my same client that does all of the big tote bags. This illustration will go on the hang-tag as well as the display-unit topper.  I was feeling pretty good about the initial pencil and ink drawing, above.  Here it is with color added (the paper is actually white, but I can't seem to take a picture of it without it turning grey):

 

I'm starting to not like it anymore at this stage because I was using a new batch of my illustration board that costs a fortune, but it was faulty.  My watercolors seeped into the paper very blotchy and unevenly, especially on the skin-tones. So frustrating.  I had to overcompensate for the blotchy-ness while shading it, and was just. not. feeling it!

This is the final art, above.  The little purse is left blank, so that any of the designs can be dropped in digitally.  It's going to be enlarged quite a bit for the display unit, so I'm especially worried about the blotchy-ness. All flaws get greatly enlarged when a piece is blown up.

It's overworked and stiff.  It's just blah. Just like how I'm feeling these days.  I need some sunshine and a break from the rut I'm in.  Next post will be more chipper.  I'm getting some fun crafty stuff together for a couple of Spring Boutiques.  Maybe the sun will be shining by then.