Pelican 14"x16" Oil Pastel

A commissioned piece that gave me a lot of creative freedom, this piece let me do some exploring with color and a medium I haven't used in a long time. Oil pastel comes in sticks of oil that go on like crayons, and with blending of different colors the oil becomes smoother, like oil paint. It is a difficult medium to work with because there's only so much pastel the paper can take, so the artist has to be careful not to over-saturate the page.
I'm very glad I got to work with color, because I really took advantage of it and tried to experiment with the varying shades and complementary colors to get some depth to the picture. The original photo print-out that I had was not a particularly good one, so I had to take some liberties with the colors--adding some purple and yellow to the pelican's head, some red and yellow into the wing feathers, and grays and greens into the water. It was challenging, but very rewarding for me (and trust me, the piece is much more vibrant in real life, the photo I took was not particularly well-done:)

2004 Mustang GT 9"x12" Graphite Pencil

So it's been a while, but I had to wait to post this one (it was a gift, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise). This was a bit of a challenge for me, as it's the second car I've ever done (the first being the old red Ford) but I really enjoyed it. Getting the perspective right was a bit rough, and I had a very hard time getting the front of the car to accurately match the back. I played around with it quite a bit, but I think it looks much better than the first time I thought it was done. Doing the shading on a black car, with the paint job reflecting light the way a car's exterior does, was something new for me. Originally I was thinking of doing something in the background, but ultimately chose to leave it blank, as I thought it would detract from the car itself. The shading is so busy as it is, creating a backdrop would have swallowed the car, and I didn't want that.
I really enjoyed this project, and the next is going to be something much bigger and more colorful. I'll keep you posted--now that school's underway things should be coming along a little faster, I hope:)

Skidmore Yearbook Cover? 11"x14" Graphite Pencil

So I know it's been a looooong while, but I finally finished something. (Although I did finish a piece a few weeks ago, it's a present for a friend so I have to wait before I post it, but trust me it's worth it) A friend of mine here at Skidmore asked me if I'd be willing to do the cover of the yearbook as they were looking for something in particular, so I whipped this up over the past month. The yearbook theme this year is "In the Moment," and I thought this picture embodied that sort of idea.

I have some great Autumn themed pictures that I'm looking forward to doing with some pastels, but school's been pretty crazy so those might be a while in coming.

Have a great Halloween everyone and I'll be sure to the post the next piece as soon as it's fixed!

Monkey 11"x14"

I absolutely love how this piece turned out--I had been planning on doing this one for a while but put it off until I was down on Long Island and had a Saturday to myself. I finished it relatively quickly as I worked on it while working at the Farmer's Markets. I'm thrilled with how the shadowing came out, because that's what really drew me to the picture (taken by my brother Shaun) and I was  adamant that I capture that lighting because it made the picture so dynamic. I chose to do this piece in graphite pencil because I knew it would capture the depth and drama of the shadows, as well as give that sense of texture that you get from Monkey's fur. I'll have this piece made into prints as well as cards that will be available at the Farmer's Markets and select stores around the Southern NH area.  

Margaret: In Loving Memory 8"x10"

Although this piece took me a little longer than I originally anticipated (a bit over two weeks), I'm really pleased with the outcome. I had a picture to work from that I was able to reproduce pretty accurately and then added a background that I thought would compliment the colors of the dog. This portrait was also done with colored pencils, which I think was a great medium to convey the coloring and texture of the dog, as well as add an interesting look to the background. The layering of the colors took a long time, and getting the tiny details (the teeth, the brindle coloring) was difficult but I'm really happy with how I was able to capture those little pieces that truly make the piece as accurate as possible to the subject.   

Old Ford 11"x14"

I finished this piece a few weeks ago but have only now gotten the chance to post it. I love how this one turned out--I started it with high hopes, didn't like the way the colors were turning out (i used colored pencils for the color) and put it away for a while, focusing on some other work. Finally I came back to it three weeks ago and played around with the colors, trying a little more layering and working the color until I got the bright red that I was looking for. I have this prints of this piece with me at the Farmer's Market as well as for sale at Moulton's Market in Amherst, NH. 

Frenemies 9"x12"

So finally a piece with animals that aren't horses;) I saw this picture and thought it was so adorable that I just had to do it. I had a hard time getting the texture of the kitten's fur to look realistic, as well as accurately convey the color variations in its coat. The cat was grey, but each hair is a different value, and that's difficult to portray with pencils on paper. I think I did a good job of it though, and it doesn't look too flat. I love the puppy's wrinkly face being squished by the kitten's paw, and you can tell the puppy has an amazingly patient disposition, which I also tried to capture in this piece. 

This drawing will be for sale this week at the Amherst Famer's Market, so stop on by and see what else I have to offer or commission a piece of your own! Thanks for everyone who came out last week, it was nice seeing you and getting to chat!