Multi-tasking And Multi-painting

I'm definitely a type A.  I make lists and try to get in as much as possible during the day.  So, no surprise, I'm working on three paintings this week.  I've actually never done this before, but I have a custom house portrait to finish

plus I'm trying out two different kinds of paper.  I always use Stonehenge, but lately I've had a hankering to try some sanded pastel papers.  So the first one I bought was Ampersand pastel paper which comes in several colors but I bought white.

This is 11" x 14".  The paper is adhered to a hard board and my plan is to use fixative and varnish when I'm done.  I can then pop it into a frame without glass.  I also ordered Uart pastel paper 800 which comes in a tan color.

Love this paper, but it eats up pencils like crazy!  I've already gone to Dick Blick to buy pencils twice this week!  I also plan to use fixative & varnish on this one.  I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Painting Inside And Outside The House

I spent the weekend painting inside and outside the house.  I saw this lovely dining room on Houzz:

So I decided to do it in my dining room.  Wood Icing Gallery, where I sell my colored pencil paintings, also sells wood refinishing products.  I decided to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  Everything I've heard about it is true, I didn't sand or prime (I did wipe it down, but that just took a minute).  I did the first coat in about an hour.

I'm on to the second coat today, then the wax.  I'll show you the finished dining room next week.

I also did a house portrait, a lovely home with spring plantings.  I enjoy doing these house portraits!  If you're interested in having one done of your house or a special place (maybe the church where you were married or the your childhood school), you can order one here:

                                Custom House Portrait 5 x 7 $170 8 x 10 $250 But It On Etsy

House Portrait As A Holiday Gift

I finished my commissioned house portrait!  My client loved the painting and will be giving it to her parents for Christmas.  She gave me several photos of the house.  She asked me to paint snow (the photos had green grass) and her parent's Christmas decorations.  She has fond childhood memories of Christmas, so the decorations were important to her.   Just before I finished the piece, I sent her a photo via email.  After her final approval I sprayed the artwork with Prismacolor Gloss Fixative.  I put it in a ClearBag plastic sleeve with a backing board for protection.  I included my business card and a hand written thank you note.  I also had a greeting card made with her house portrait printed on the front.  I gave her this as a token of my appreciation, but I also wanted to show her what could be done with the house portrait image.  I now have a happy client who agreed to be on my monthly e-newsletter mailing list. You can sign up for my e-newsletter right on this blog!  You'll receive information about art, shows and my new colored pencil work.  Here's the finished house portrait:

Custom House Portrait

I'm working on a lovely custom house portrait for a client that came in to Wood Icing Gallery a couple of weeks ago.  She gave me several close-up photos of her parent's home, a big sprawling white house in New York.  It's challenging, because there are so many angles and roof lines!  A perspective nightmare.  We talked at length about what she wants and her main objective is to include the Christmas decorations in the front yard.  I prefer drawing a house at an angle, which is usually more interesting, but this meant a straight-on view.  I sent her my initial sketch for approval and then forged ahead.  It's a white house and she wants snow, so I decided to put in a clear blue sky for a pop of color.  I'm aiming for a cold snowy day, not too sunny, but enough shadows to show off the drama of the house.  Here's my project so far:

This is my initial sketch, done from several reference photos.  I drew this on tracing paper, then transferred it to an 11" X 14" sheet of Stonehenge archival paper, using Saral transfer paper.

At this point, I'm about 1/3 done.  I got her approval and now I'm finishing the piece, which I'll post next time.