Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

#blessed I have had a big year sharing my art in ways I didn't dream possible. In 2015 I did my first oil paintings (since college) and displayed (and sold) them through the Springfield Regional Arts Council at the airport gallery. I also enjoyed adding a new skill of LIVE CARICATURE to my list of offerings. In just over one year, I've been lucky enough to draw at 5 events and meet all kinds of wonderful people. From a business grand opening, to a church volunteer appreciation banquet, to private parties, I gained a lot of experience honing this new skill of making funny faces with markers. Through my drawing at an event by 417 Magazine at the Springfield Art Museum, I was contacted about drawing at a private Christmas party last weekend. Thanks to Kyle and Kaye for the opportunity! They told their guests it was their Christmas card for the year. The drawings sparked a lot of lively conversation throughout the evening and really added an element of "ice-breaker" I didn't expect. Kyle and Kaye have a beautiful home, and if you're lucky enough to be invited to their annual Christmas party, it is a treat. Here are some shots from the party.

The gracious hosts asked me to make a custom stationery to draw on that would include a digital caricature of the two of them. I decided to blow it up and bring it to the party as a gift for their hospitality.

I am excited to see what 2016 brings, but when I look back, 2015 was a very good year! May God bless you in the new year as much as He's blessed me!

Blondie gets "Hanged"

News from my latest foray into the fine art gallery world: I recently finished an oil painting of Clint Eastwood for a gallery show with the theme of old Hollywood entitled "Glamour, Glitter & Noir: A Celebration of the Silver Screen." It was the second oil painting I've done (in the last month) with water-mixable oil paints which are increasingly addictive. They are so fun to play with and mix on the canvas that time simple slips away while working with them. SO FUN! I have painted with water color and acrylic a lot, but only recently was I turned on to this medium. I started with a digital caricature I had made in Adobe Illustrator to simplify shapes and work out basic details using those precise computer tools. I then projected the image from my computer to the canvas to get the basic framework, then the painting began. I tried underpainting first with a light blue wash which I originally thought would just end up being the final. One color looked cool. But the important parts weren't standing out so I added Yellow Ochre to warm it up a bit. Being the entertainer that I am, I wanted to tell a bit of a story in the space of Blondie's poncho. Since the movies that made Mr. Eastwood famous were (notoriously) made in Italy, I painted Italian landmarks to be the image woven into the fabric. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Coliseum, and a vineyard are all clustered together. I also painted a tag and scratched in the word "ITALY" into the fresh white paint using the sharp, metal end of a math compass. I also scratched some other detailed texture in his blistered, sunburned lips. I wanted an old, weathered barn-wood frame reminiscent of the buildings in "The Good, The Bad, And the Ugly" movie, and asked a colleague's carpenter husband to make one. However that same weekend I found one the exact size and shape at an antique/craft mall in Ozark, MO and snatched it up. The new (old) frame leaned decidedly red in hue so I knew my blue underpainting with yellowish brown highlights wasn't going to be enough. I had to get some red into the painting to make sure the frame looked right. I made notes to myself to extend his chin and add an ominous sunset. I had originally planned on leaving the sky blank since I was in a rush to meet the gallery hanging deadline, but once I finished the main character, I thought of ways I could use the sky to carry out some implied lines and add some more red. I am happy with the final piece, and out of the three I submitted, this one is getting the most buzz. Canvas is 16x20, but the frame makes it around 21x25. Currently for sale through the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

I invented these Post-its

I am taking part in a fun show at my favorite little gallery Arts & Letters tomorrow night 7-10 p.m. The Post-it Show! All artists were asked to submit anything they wanted as long as it was done on/with a 3x3 post-it note. There are some pretty creative people out there. I did my best with my fat markers on the tiny square. The goal is to make art affordable so every Post-it will be on sale for $2 each split between the gallery and artist. Whatever is left after tomorrow night will be for sale the rest of the month of February. Here's a story about it in the newspaper. See you there! http://sgfnow.co/1zUcTQM