'Apple Blossom Nymph'

Here's another "in between" sketch as I work hard on my large Alice piece: A sweet nymph with apple blossom branches and a butterfly adorning her wind-swept hair. Doing these smaller pieces while the large one sits and simmers a bit seems to be helping me from getting too frustrated with it. This piece is done in pencil and watercolors on mixed media paper. One thing I have to say against this particular paper is its inability to take a good scrubbing from my brush when I need to lift color. Otherwise I love the smoothness of it.

Work in Progress - 'Alice and the Flowers' Part 4

Painted the rose and most of the tiger lily (the tiger lily is my favorite of the flowers in this painting). Now that I'm more than halfway done I'm trying to decide if I should use any color at all for the background. I'm worried that adding more will detract from the image itself.

Work in Progress - 'Alice and the Flowers' Part 3

Slow and steady. I've completed almost half of the painting now!

She Certainly Seems Up To Something...

I managed to paint up this very sly looking lass a few days ago.

Work in Progress - 'Alice and the Flowers' Part 2

And the larkspurs have been added. Now I'm hard at work on the English Violets. I'm also getting a few small pieces done in between (it's much easier to work on a small piece while the kids are tearing up the house, so these have been coming out during the day and my Alice painting only comes out while the house slumbers peacefully).

Work in Progress - 'Alice and the Flowers'

Slowly but steadily working on my newest illustration for 'Alice and the Flowers'. Here I've painted in the pansies. Two are quite happy and even a bit amused by Alice, but one has had enough I think. Perhaps the larkspur will be next.

'Alice and the Flowers' ~ Watercolor Illustration

Here's the sketch for my latest illustration attempt. Last year I completed a triptych commission for a wonderful lady based on Alice in Wonderland meeting the flowers. I thought it would make a great piece for my illustration portfolio, but unfortunately the layout of the original (over 3 gallery-wrapped canvas and on music sheets) wasn't ideal for that purpose. Here I've reworked the entire piece in pencil on watercolor paper, changing the entire layout to fit each of the images together seamlessly. I'll be adding color soon!

Illustrating Away...

You may have noticed that my Etsy shop is sleeping away. This is because I'm working hard on my illustration portfolio. I am nervous, I am scared, but I am also determined. I want nothing more than to illustrate children's books. And so I'm sketching away, and fiddling with watercolors, and basically trying my best to leap over the doubts that are raging through my head. Here's the first illustration I'm doing just for the sake of working on my techniques. I started it early this year and finally got up the nerve to finish it. More to come!

'Time Has Brought Your Heart to Me' ~ Acrylic Painting

This painting is based on a line from another Christina Perri song, 'A Thousand Years'. It took quite a bit of sketching and trying out new techniques before I was able to get it just right. It is also only the second painting I've completed with a man in it! It measures a huge (for me) 16x20 on a gallery wrapped canvas. As in 'Jar of Hearts' I used paint soaked antique lace to add texture to the background.

'Jar of Hearts' - Acrylic Painting

I've been really touched emotionally by some amazing songs lately, and so inspired that I'm starting a new series of paintings based on them. The first has been eating at me for weeks, and I've finally managed to bring her to life. This piece is called 'Jar of Hearts', based on the Christina Perri song of the same name. That particular song is so powerful, with amazing, deep emotions. I couldn't help but be inspired by it. It is a 16x20 acrylic painting done on gallery-wrapped canvas. The background has been worked in whites and grays, and textured using paint soaked antique lace.