"My Dragon Eye" - Colored Pencil on Paper

This is a new WIP done in Colored Pencils, based on a beautiful painting made by Christopher Drochen called "The Jade Spring" which is the close up of a leopard's eye which is simply stunning. I wanted to practice technique by copying another artist, yet changing it as well just for fun, so mine will be a dragon's eye in the end, rather than a leopard. 

My boys and I have been watching the Netflix series "Dragon's Race to the Edge," which is everything that happened between "How to Train Your Dragon" 1 & 2, so I have dragons on the brain like crazy! I'm just stuck on what color to make it, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Oh, and here's Drochon's gorgeous painting (or rather part of it - it's a little bigger but the image is in my book, and I don't want to ruin how beautiful it is by showing the crease...):

It's so pretty, and as you can see I changed it a bit, but definitely have to give him the credit! He's an excellent Painter!!!

"Feeling A Bit Unraveled" - A Colored Pencil Painting of A Peeled Orange in High Contrast

"Feeling a Bit Unraveled"     2.5" x 3.5" (ACEO)     Prismacolors and White Gel Pen on Acrylic Paper

So I absolutely LOVE works of art that are done in high contrast, so when Lela Stankovic posted the reference photo for this piece on her blog site, "Paint And Draw Together," I just about went giddy with excitement! It reminds me of the works done by the old Masters - well, her photograph does anyways... I tried as hard as I could to do it justice, and found that working on such a minitiature scale required a different way of getting in my bright white highlights, and oh did I stumble upon the best tool ever! I never would have thought to use this over colored pencils because I just wouldn't think it would actually draw on top of them, especially with how wonderfully waxy Prismacolors are, but earlier this week I had done a Tangle on a Black Tile with a White Gel Pen and I thought, hey, why not try it out? And it worked out so perfectly for what I was hoping for that I just wanted to dance a little happy dance right then and there, even if it was the middle of the night (added bonus - everyone was asleep so no one would see me making a fool of myself - smart, right?!). =0) Before the whites were so dingy and dull, and now they sparkle with a brightness that's just how I pictured them. I love it when things work out that way!

Oh how I hope you are having a wonderful day today. I'm nursing my sore gums - I had an oral surgery last week to remove a molar that was so extremely painful - it had an abscess in it for over a month and yet our dentist, who's no longer our dentist, kept dragging his feet to even see me for it. The new dentist we have now is so incredible - their surgeons are so kind - and even though it took a long time in coming, I'm glad I waited because I got better care in the end. Turns out my roots are so long they actually go into my sinuses (crazy, right? Only me, only me... I seem to be the "it only happens to the 1 in 1 million" person - though I imagine this is more common than that) that they had to do a bone and membrane graft as well, which is so weird. I feel like I'm starting to become a little Mrs. Frankenstein - made up of more of other people's parts than my own... Lol! Oh man, you just have to laugh at this stuff, it's so ridiculous! =D Well, I'm gonna go paint and try to not eat all the ice-cream in the house - it just feels so good on my gums right now - so I bid you farewell. I'm almost done taking the last pics of that painting "Hospitali-tea" with the Mice and Chipmunk having tea under the Mushroom so I'll be posting that soon, so keep your eyes open for that! Alright, bye now! =)

"Teal Owl" Coloring Book Page

Lately I have been absolutely enamored with all the beautiful Stress Reducing Adult Coloring Books that they have been making these days. I have the feeling 2016 will be remembered as the year of the Adult Coloring book they have become so popular! I honestly want to design my own some day soon - how fun would that be? But for now, there is so much joy and peace I find in relaxing and sitting down to color, and the greatest gift they've given back to me, an unexpected gift from God, is that my boys come join me. They got so excited about them that they ended up wanting their own, and so we found some really cute Star Wars ones at Costco for them. So now I have the joy of pulling out my Prismacolors and having my little loves surround me, and of course they want to use mommy's pencils, because let's face it, Prismacolors are just the best! So we all color together, and it's like a little taste of Heaven here on earth. Praise the Lord - little things like this make me feel so blessed!

Teal Owl from "Midnight Garden Coloring Book"

I chose this particular color palette because frankly, I absolutely just love these colors. Teal, coral, just about every shade of blue, lime green, mint green, deep forest green and a touch of purple and hot pink - ooh, they just tickle my senses and make me smile deep down inside myself! I wish I had added a few more blueish and purpleish  flowers up top, but all in all I like how it turned out for my first page. I have to admit, I was actually nervous about messing it up, but the farther in I got the more I let loose and just enjoyed myself, and that's when I started seeing how it really does help relieve stress. So if you're in debate about whether or not to buy one of these books, I say go for it (and they are way cheaper on Amazon than at Barnes and Nobles - with a huge selection as well). Well, I hope you're having a great time out there my friends, and let me know if you're a fellow colorer too and if so, what book is your favorite - I always love hearing back from you! =0)

"Hospitali-tea" - A Sneak Peak at a Commissioned Painting Series based on a Children's Farmhouse Theme

Flower and Butterfly Detail from "Hosptitali-tea"     16" x 20"     Acrylic on Linen

 

Oh what joy I've found in doing this project that was commissioned by my church's Antioch campus for their youth department. It's something I get to do alongside one of my best friends, which makes it all the more exciting to do, and the theme is "Welcome to the Farm," which as you can imagine is right up my alley!

I'm having a blast with the imaginative process of this commission - and the fact that in the end there will be such a large number of works to add to my portfolio is a massive plus! At first all I felt was overwhelmed by the idea of jumping into something like this, but I knew God wanted me doing it, despite how hard it could and would end up being, both related to time and physical effort. But somewhere along the line, He showed me the true blessing of it all- that all the artwork I'd done in my whole life had built up to this moment where I could give back to something far greater than myself - where I could give back to my church and more importantly serve my Creator. He showed me the story of Behaliel and Oholiab, two master craftsmen who were gifted in many different trades in the arts, so that they would one day be able to build the temple, God's resting place, and make it a place of sheer beauty befitting the greatest King ever! I don't know if you know the pure, unadulterated joy of creating with the very one who created you, but it's beyond spectacular, trust me on this!!!

I've prayed so often that God would allow me to become gifted like those special men in that way, that I might be able to serve Him with it, and I have seen such growth in the moments when He takes the wheel and steers for me. It's like you get lost in this creative zone, and if someone were to ask you how to do it again, honestly, I'm not sure I could, because it was so thoughtless, so "in the moment" - almost like I'm floating on air and I'm not even in control at all, but that God IS, that I'd be hard pressed to recreate the exact same thing again. I think that's partly why I never did well doing my work in school settings - I could never ever get totally lost in it, and that's when I do my best. Same thing around certain people - I have to be insanely comfortable with you to be able to paint - otherwise I fidget and get nothing done, it's the oddest thing. I wonder, do any of you out there struggle with this in your own art, from photography to graphic design, it doesn't matter what it is, but do you ever feel this way too? I'd love to hear from you!

I've still got a long way to go before I'm finished with this project, and this here painting is only a few brush strokes itself away from being done, (these little butterfly pictures are just a little sneak peak at it) but I have a feeling I've found my calling for sure! It's definitely children's books and illustrations for me that lie in my future - now I just have to figure out how to get discovered! Hhhhmmmm.... That could be interesting...

Well, I really hope you have a wonderful night (or day for my far away friends) and if you ever hear of someone needing an artist for their new children's or fantasy book, maybe you could send them my way... Hey, a girl can hope, right?

Butterfly Detail on "Hospitali-tea"     16" x 20"       Acrylic on Linen

The Mysterious "Pastel Mountaintops"

"Pastel Mountaintops"     3" x 5"     Pastel on Paper

This "pastel painting" as it were (I never quite know what to call them - they end up feeling more like paintings in the end than a drawing, so I'll go with that) is one of a few I did what felt like only a year ago, but apparently I've been slacking on posting up my work even longer than I thought! Anyways, I remember creating this piece, and being quite happy with the color palette and how the colors tended to harmonize with each other, but for the life of me, I have no idea where on earth I took my inspiration from. I'm not sure where these mountains are from. It's possible these mountains may actually live somewhere quite far away in fact, on the way to Montana or the like, and either been painted on that drive or done at home (or at a hotel or destination while on vacation after being captured by phone). Or perhaps they are from one of what feels like my MILLIONS of Doctors appointments I've been through over the last few years - seriously, I literally would have 4 or 5 a day 3-4 days a week for months on end - no joke - it was so bad!!! If so, then the mountains would be our very own little beauty called Mount Diablo, one I never get sick of seeing, even if it gets harder and harder to with all the development going on around here.

I remember when I was little we could see it from our house in Brentwood, a clear, gorgeous shot with orchards in the foreground and from spring to fall we would go up there and jump ginormous rocks or try to catch the ridiculous amounts of blue-bellied lizards and tarantulas that lived there. It was such fun! I haven't been there for ages though, and sadly the best view left of it that's accessible for most people is from Kaiser - gee, isn't that ironic? Maybe I just don't get OUT out enough... Still, it's always a treat to see snow on it, that's for sure, even now as an adult! I suppose I'm just going to be left wondering whether or not this is that. Especially since I've no idea where the original picture is or if there was no picture at all in the first place and I just drew it while my lover boy drove me around (love ya Ty!) - which is quite possible... Oh well, sometimes having that bit of wonder is actually more fun than knowing for sure, and either way, the best part for me is making the artwork and having something to look back on, so I guess it's a win-win!

"To Be Set Free" - A Colored Pencil Drawing And A Work In Progress

"To Be Set Free"     Colored Pencil on Paper     11" x 20"

"To Be Set Free"     Detail of her face

So here's the next installment of "To Be Set Free." I still need to go back and add some fly away hairs in the front like I did in the background, and the Bokeh (the circles of light and darkness) needs some serious blending, but other than that, I think all she needs next is her wings. I'm not sure if I'm dreading that or looking forward to it, to be quite honest... But I do know it's going to be a challenge to get those textures just right, especially getting them to look further back behind her without blurring them out or making them appear too detailed. This could be interesting...

"To Be Set Free" - A WIP (Work in Progress) in Colored Pencil Over Graphite

This originally was a graphite drawing I started in college, but I saw my friends black and white colored pencil drawing and immediately fell in love with the way it made everything look like a photo, and so I set to work right away on re-drawing it right over the original with colored pencils. Right here it's in both phases, so you can see the hair is graphite, as well as from her shoulder and collar bone and down, and the rest is colored pencil, just of white and black, though I'm adding grey in later as well. It's got a long way to go before it's even close to being finished. Definitely a Work in Progress at this point. By the way, the blackish brown lines around the outside are just my couch. Not part of the picture. Just really wanted to get this posted because I miss blogging sooo much!

God has been working on my heart in ways that you wouldn't even be able to believe or imagine. He's brought some absolutely amazing women of faith my way that have been such needed encouragers of the faith and speakers of God's truth through LOVE  that they have taken this wretched woman in me who has been engulfed in bitterness and anger over losing soooo much in my life - nearly everything I hold dear - and I mean it - when my illnesses hit, it was like our lives stopped dead in their tracks - both Tyler and I are still reeling from the suddenness and severity of how intensely we lost nearly everything we held dear to this absolutely mind boggling constant and excruciating pain. I know I've said it before, but my pain is literally so insanely bad that nearly every specialist I've seen - like my Dr. at the pain clinic, my rheumatologist AND Sleep Study Therapists have ALL said is off the charts it's so bad - that I have pain so severe they've never seen anyone with it worse than me for what I have, and that it literally doesn't get any worse than what I have. And to add insult to injury, the sorrow on their faces as they empathize with us over our age and the fact that we have two little babes at home is just heartbreaking. They all tell us how sorry they are for us - it's been crazy to finally be validated, and yet heartbreaking in it's own right because not only am I the worst they've ever seen, but usually you start out really bad and get better each year but for me it's not been the case. It's gotten worse and worse each and every year - it's just crazy town. But God gave me this burden to bear, and I am convinced wholehearted that He is going to do AMAZING things out of it!!!

Detail of her mouth, chin and some fly away hairs - still working on it - needs it's highlights for sure on those lips and a lot more blending to make it smooth. Loving to work on this again. God is sooo good!

And what's even better is that God is now speaking hope into my life again. Showing me that joy and praise, not bitterness and anger, are the way to a happy, positive and God-filled life, even if it's a life lived on the sofa just about 24/7. And yes, that means it's my lonely little bed if you're wondering... Anyways, God is teaching me that to let go of all the pain of the past AND present, of all the hurt I have over abandonment by friends, or loneliness, or any other host of issues. But to hold on to the pain is to give Satan a foothold over my life, and I just WILL NOT HAVE THAT ANYMORE!!! I RENOUNCE HIM FROM MY LIFE, AND I CHOSE THE LIFE OF REPENTANCE FOR ALL MY OWN SINS, FOR THE UNFORGIVENESS IN MY OWN HEART, THE BITTERNESS, THE ANGER, THE DARK PLACES I GO TO WHEN I FEEL SO MUCH PAIN THAT I JUST WANT TO BE REUNITED WITH MY KING! I CHOOSE JESUS, AND FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE, JOY, AND HAPPINESS. To try to be a peacekeeper instead of stirring up drama, to try to love others and realize that when they sin or hurt me they do it out of their own brokenness, and I'm no different. I want to be FREE and POSITIVE and full of HOPE again, SO THAT I CAN SERVE God in MIGHTY, MIGHTY WAYS,  AND BRING HIM AS MUCH GLORY AS I CAN - TO BE A CONQUERER FOR HIM, because I LOVE Him sooo, soooo very much.

What I found very odd about all this, is that when I started making these choices in my life and asking for forgiveness, forgiving others, uprooting these ugly roots of bitterness that so deeply entangle me, well, I started getting passionate about my art again. And I mean VERY passionate about it. I've been drawing again, with a Godsend of a friend who met because I saw one of her gorgeous drawings and immediately had to introduce myself, we immediately hit it off right away, and now she comes over just about every week to draw together. And now I have the blessing of being able to try to paint again as well because of another one of my Godsend friends who was sooo sweet that she sat down in Hobby Lobby for like who knows how long and literally sat with EVERY lap easel in her lap to find the lightest one for me for my birthday knowing that I can't paint because of my pain, and so she knew that if the easel was light enough, I could do so (isn't that such great love?) that I might be able to paint again - I am soooo truly blessed!!!

In fact, we're hoping to start up a little group of artists who can come and pray and read the bible and do art together we're sooo inspired by all this. God is soooo good!!! And what I've noticed so fully and truly is that in order to truly get rid of all the filth inside - the anger and bitterness and unforgiveness - is to fully fill our minds with praise and all that is pure and lovely. As the Bible says:

 Philippians 4:1-9

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

² I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. ³ Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Final Exhortations

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

So basically, I've learned that I have to get my heart right by forgiving those who hurt me, by becoming a peacekeeper rather than someone who tries to constantly fight or be "the one who's always right all the time" and by giving up this spirit of arrogance and rebellion that I've had for FAR too long - something that at times I'd confuse with confidence and pride and get all mixed up until I was all twisted up inside. But by coming to God DAILY first with a heart of praise, thanking Him for all that IS good in my life, praising Him for His Glorious creation - one that is soooo breatakingly beautiful and that I have the privelage to try to re-create WITH Him as I do my art and spend time with Him in worship. There is almost nothing more that I love to do than to sit alone with God and paint with Him by my side, or draw with Him out in nature, marveling at all the glorious beauty that he has created! My, what a Majestic and Artist and Gifted God do we serve!!! <3 The more you sing praises to Our King, the more that peace and tranquility creeps into your heart and soul, as the light, the GLORIOUS LIGHT pushes out the darkness because where there is LIGHT no darkness can reign. Halleluiah! I am so on FIRE for our King, let that fire NEVER falter, let it never grow dim or burn out, but Lord, let it grow and grow until it is all that people see when they see me - You and Your light in me. AMEN to that, right?!