The Perfect Wedding Gift!

So I had a friend approach me about doing a painting as an anniversary gift.  She asked me to do a watercolor painting of the ceremony site - Convict Lake in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

I LOVED THIS IDEA!  I don't know why I didn't think of it before! I would have loved a gift like this because it's such a special way to remember your wedding day.

I took some progression pictures of the painting so you can see my process:

First I started with by sketching out the image.  When doing watercolor, it's important to have a plan (especially if it's supposed to be a more realistic painting.)

Then I laid down a wash for the sky. While it dried I started blocking in the shadows on the rocks.

Next I started with laying some light washes on the mountains.  I like to build up my colors, so I tend to move from light to dark.  I also start pretty broad and get more and more detailed as I go.

While the brown wash was drying, I started blocking in the color on the other mountains.

And here's where I start moving around the whole painting, blocking in colors by shade.

Now here's where I started just going for it, and I totally forgot to take pictures.  I basically blocked in all the color on the mountains, making sure all the defining characteristics of the mountain would stand out.  Then I moved to the water where I did a wet-in-wet wash, adding different blues and greens and a little bit of purple and brown.   

Lastly, I put in the details on the rocks, and the trees on the mountains, and I was done! 

Here's the final painting! 

Daisies

Daisies really are the friendliest flowers, which is why they're one of my favorites! Here are a couple small acrylic daisy paintings I made recently. Enjoy! 

More Macarons!

Sooo... I'm still on a macaron kick aparently! Here are a few small macaron gouache paintings.  My friend said the pink one with the chocolate filling looked like a pink burger, which made me laugh because it actually kinda does! My favorite is the Blue Moon Macaron though.. maybe because my reference photo was one I took of a macaron I made myself... and the bite out of it, that was me too. ;)  Enjoy!

Chickens!

Lately I've been exploring my options of things to paint, and I've discovered that chicken paintings are really fun! Here's a few of my latest acrylic paintings that are currently for sale at the French Farmhouse in Redondo Beach where I've been teaching painting classes a couple times a month.  I'm currently working on more chicken paintings in various sizes, amongst my many ventures. I hope you like them! Prints may be available on my Etsy shop soon, and I'm always up for commission work and new ideas to paint! :)

Sunsets and Pups!

Lately I've been inspired by one of my 8th grade students.  She always comes in and paints a new sunset every week, and it looked so relaxing that I had to paint some of my own.

This first one is a sunset that I found a photo of on Pinterest.  The contrast and colors were so pretty, I knew I had to try and paint it.

This next painting is an original design I was working on for the Art Night's I teach a few times a month.  A couple of ladies approached me after one of my classes and suggested that we do something with a local sunset/sunrise and pink clouds.  It was definitely an experimental picture for me, and I was a little nervous creating something without the help of my boss, but I love the way it came out!

 

This next little watercolor sketch was something I did while teaching class when my boss was dog-sitting.  One of the many perks of my job - hanging out, painting cute pups and getting paid for it?? Yes, please!

Good News!

Hey everyone! I have some good news!

I have just added a few NEW listings on my etsy site! I've been playing around with captions and phrases to add to my prints, and these are some of my favorite! Let me know what you think or if you have any captions you'd like to see more of! :D

Here's a sneak peak of what's new in the store now:

My Etsy Shop is OPEN!

Hey everyone! I'm opening my own shop on etsy.com! I'll be selling original artwork and prints. There are only a few items on my page at the moment, BUT I will be adding more as often as I can.  Click here to check it out!

Here's what I have in my shop so far:

Enjoy!

Owens River, CA

Here's a mini-painting I made of the Owens River.  I love this place.  Just another one of the landmarks in Mammoth I've been visiting with my family for years... and it's where I've unsuccessfully tried to learn to fly fish.  Maybe one day I'll actually catch something here, but I guess I can just enjoy this amazing view until then! ;)