Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Diesel

Diesel, 6x6 Acrylic on Art Board Panel

Not for Sale

From customer:
"Omg,  I'm speechless,   truly amazing.   Consider yourself hugged!   She will not be dry eyed when she opens this.   A beautiful Memorial for sure.   Can't thank you enough." 

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Norman

Norman

6x6 Acrylic on panel

From customer:
"Everyone loved this! She actually cried when she opened it, because Norman doesn't look like this anymore, of course, but will always be her baby. Thank you so much!"

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - YumYum

YumYum

6x6 oil on panel

From customer:

"Just beautiful!!"

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Lily

Lily 

6x6 Acrylic on Panel

To see all of the Garuda Aviary Pet Portraits Visit My Gallery

From customer:
"I posted to Facebook! She came today and I love, love, love it!"

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser- Jackson

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser- Jackson

6x6 Oils on panel

Customer Comment:

Your portrait of Jackson took my breath away this morning when I first saw it. Not only is it a wonderful likeness but you have captured something very powerful about his inner self, very hard to put into words but very recognisable and truthful. I'm so delighted with it and feel blessed to have discovered your work.

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Wendy the Baby Goat

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Wendy the Baby Goat

6x6 Oils on panel

Comment from customer: "Wendy looks fantastic!  Thank you so much.  I think the painting looks great."  

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Sprout

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Sprout (or as I call it, Sprout's Snout)

6x6 Oils on panel

Customer's comment: "Perfecto!!"

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Oliver

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Oliver

6x6 Oils on panel

Customer comment on her three portraits:

They r fabulous thank you so much!!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Serena

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Serena

6x6 Oils on panel

Customer comment on her three portraits:

They r fabulous thank you so much!!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Chen Lee

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Chen Lee

6x6 Oils on panel

Customer comment:  I love it! Can't wait too see it live. Thanks so much!

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Jannelle

Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Jannelle

6x6 Oil on Panel

Customer comment on her three portraits:

They r fabulous thank you so much!!

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

Pet Portrait Garuda Aviary Fundraiser - Jada

Queen Jada - Pekingnese 8x8 Acrylic on Board

Photo difficult to capture as the background has metallic gold paint, which glows, but not so much in photo.

Customer comment via gifter: "She loves it. She says you nailed it, especially the eyes!"

Kindness Makes Me Smile

I love it when people are so kind, and take the time to tell you what has happened to the paintings they've purchased. I received this just now and it made my day!

 Elizabeth,

Just a note to let you know that I gave this painting to my sister (in OK) for her birthday. I also gave her the delightful one of the colt looking inside the stable while it's snowing. We framed them in simple wood frames and they turned out great. She hung the snow colt below some horses running in the snow and above a signed etching of a farm scene from the Oklahoma panhandle. The Surfing painting is in her kitchen below a colorful ceramic Mexican Sun.

I'm so happy with all art I've gotten from you over the past couple of years!

Kindest regards,
Dianne

Pet Portrait September Challenge

6x6 on Board panel

...and a challenge it has been! Haven't posted but have 17 paintings in various stages of nearing the finishing touches.  I know I said these were to be 'studies', ie, not fussed over the details but I can't help myself. Keep going back to 'fix just this' and so it's taking me longer but think the results will be worth it.

Here's one I'm really happy with, as I had to take two photos and take elements from each to give the donor what she wanted.

Remember, you have until September 30 to make your donation to win a pet portrait. You can send your reference photos whenever you get them, so don't let that hold you back!

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THE GARUDA AVIARY FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE

Day Two: 30 in 30 for 30 - Angel

Angel, 6x6 oil over acrylics on panel

For the benefit of The Garuda Aviary, NFS

I have several pet portraits in the works at various stages of nearing the finish....and felt Angel was ready to fly home to her mom in Oklahoma. I sent her the photo and she loves it, so she'll (the painting, not the mom) will get varnished and shipped.  

28 to go before 9/30.

Day One of 30 Day Challenge

Pug Wants to Go for a Walk! 

6x6 Oil over Acrylic on Wrapped Canvas

Click to Gallery to Buy

Day one, done. Have several more almost ready to post for the Garuda Aviary Fundraiser, but will post one a day to coincide with Leslie Saeta's Challenge. 

Hot Peppers!

No pet portraits today...just hot peppers! Love those reds!

Hot Peppers in Hot Sun

6x6 inch acrylic on panel

Click to Gallery on Daily Paintworks to bid

Pet Portrait Mania Setting In

Wow, I am getting great response to my 30in30for30 Challenge to benefit the Garuda Aviary.

 CLICK HERE to see how you can participate.

Meanwhile, it was my daughter's birthday and she'd been asking for these for a while. Her sweet babies Henry and Stella. She loved the paintings and now they're getting their 15 minutes of fame on Facebook Shares!

Stella and Her Goat, 8x8 acrylics on linen panel

Henry in his Yoga Pose (he quietly stares at my daughter while she does yoga). For an hour. 

8x8 acrylics on linen panel

I love painting anything and everything, but must say there's something special about painting animals. At a certain point in the process, you 'feel' them. I'm sure other pet portrait painters can relate!

Sign up for updates in the right-hand column!

30 in 30 for $30 Challenge!

Yep, going to do it! Paint 30 pet portraits in 30 days in September as part of Leslie Saeta's Challenge

CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN GET A $30 PET PORTRAIT 

AND HELP THE GARUDA AVIARY AT THE SAME TIME

Really, I HAVE been painting!

Painting, not posting.

I built a new website on Weebly, which includes a blog. AFTER doing all the work I find out I can't put my Daily Paintworks widget on there, and it's more difficult to handle e-mail signups. So I have only been posting to DPW for a bit and deciding what to do. I am going to stay with Blogger and just use DPW for my Gallery. Hard enough to find time to paint with working full time, so will make my online stuff easier. Oh, and Facebook. However, that's a 'whole 'nother' headache IMHO.

Anyway, finished some fun pieces this week:

A commission pet portrait: (9x12, acrylics on wrapped canvas)

A Daily Paintworks Challenge from a photo of Carol Marine's: (6x6, acrylics on board)

And a Paint My Photo Challenge for August, theme is ROOFS: (8x10 acrylics on board)
Homage to Clark Byers, the sign painter who traveled around painting these marketing ploys - ploys because they have never proven you actually can see 7 states from Rock City. Hey, it's marketing.

The bottom two are up for sale on Daily Paintworks. Click the badge in the margin!

Crazy About Reflections

I painted American Chrome below for a "heavy metal" challenge on Paint My Photo. But it has me hooked into exploring more ways to paint reflections, in metal, water, glass....so keep an eye out. These two are my first.

 American Chrome, 6x8 acrylic on canvas

SOLD

 

Breakfast Reflections, 8x10 acrylic on mdf panel

CLICK TO GO TO GALLERY

Daisies and Grapes

Daisies and Grapes...and some Lilacs

8x10 Oils on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Visit Gallery to Purchase

A still life done in my Weekly Painting Class with Dan Edmondson. Took me for-ever and a day. But finally got it where I wanted it. Hope you like it, too.

The Travel Chicken Comes for Mother's Day

The Traveling Chicken (and entourage) and Bella

8x8 Acrylic on Linen Panel

SOLD

Yes! It's true! I waited over a year for my name on the waiting list to come to the top and it finally happened! I got to host Ms. Chick, Senor Gallo and Bianca (with her chicks). My conure Bella, was not too happy with me on Mother's Day when I sat them by the flowers my daughter gave me and treated them to one of Bella's favorite treats, Avi-cakes. 

Visit The Travel Chicken blog for the whole story!

Hawaii Surf

Hawaii Surf

8x10 Oils on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

SOLD

Continuing with my crashing water phase - what is it about the ocean, waves, rivers that is so mesmerizing? I loved painting this one!

Palette Knife Painting - Storm Waves

Waves in Storm

8x10 Oils on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Visit Gallery to Purchase

Pursuing my fascination with moving water, I painted this one with a palette knife, giving it a loose, wild feel - like the storm itself.

Gorgeous Horse in Sunlight

Horse in Sunlight

8x10 oils on panel

SOLD

Janine Suurenan in Spain posts the most amazing horse photos on Paint My Photo. This is one that really inspired me to paint. I love looking at horses - just terrified being near them! Now I want to paint more, they are so elegant and noble.

"My painting of Horse in Sunlight is the most beautiful piece of art that I have acquired in years. It really speaks to me! So much so that, although I intended to give it to the girl who has cared for my horses for me while I've been ill, I cannot part with it! It is stunning, so much more beautiful than the posting showed it. I want to thank you for painting this so that I can have this beautiful rendering of a horse who looks just like my Howling Moon.

I'll just have to look for something else to give Alma!  lol  

Thanks again for enriching my life so much and please accept my apology for not letting you know it arrived."

Poudre River, Colorado

Poudre River

12x12 Oil on mdf panel

Visit Gallery to Purchase

Painted in my Weekly Painting Class with Dan Edmundson. I am fascinated with painting water; it's hard for me so this took quite a few weeks to get to the point I was happy with it. Hope you enjoy it, too.

Storm Has Passed - redux

Storm Has Passed

8x10 Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas $50

Click to Buy

I reworked this painting because it kept bugging me - added more violet to the sky and foreground and am very happy with it now! Proceeds help support The Garuda Aviary, so thank you!

Indian Ringneck Parrot

Indian Ringneck Parrot

6x12 inches, acrylic on canvas

SOLD

I have an online friend at Paint My Photo who lives in Bahrain, and was putting together a fundraising calendar for the animal rescue there. The rules were to use photos from PMP, and to paint animals that live in the facility there. This is my entry for her calendar and it is also on sale to benefit parrots here in the USA, The Garuda Aviary. Thank you!

This made my day...my week!

Dear Elizabeth,

I was writing to you earlier to let you know I received this delightful painting. I clicked on some key and it disappeared and I have no way of knowing if you got the message or not, so I'll repeat some of it:

I like this painting so much because it reminds me of my grandmother's porches, flower and plant filled every time I visited when I was growing up. She would put flowers in any "container" she could find, including planting marigolds in my grandfather's worn out boots.

Thanks for bringing my memories to life with this painting!

Best wishes,
Dianne

Orange Peel and Grapes

Orange Peel and Grapes

6x6" $29

SOLD

Painted just for fun and to test my mettle on a curling peel. The inside colors were a challenge. 

To benefit The Garuda Aviary.

Red Onions, Garlic and Grapes

Red Onions, Garlic and Grapes

8x10" Oil on panel $50

Click to Buy

Dan's course is certainly challenging but I'm learning so much. I posted this earlier but it wasn't dry enough to put up for sale - now it is! I also went back into it and tweaked some things he advised to do which made it better. I love it - people say it has that "Old World" feel to it.

Pear Martini

Pear Martini

8x10" Oil on Panel
SOLD

Painted in a Dan Edmondson workshop, the challenge for me was make the strokes and leaving them alone. I surprised myself! The colors are very rich in this - it's hard to photograph a dark painting as the camera wants to balance toward middle gray. Lots of deep color and juicy strokes.

E-mail from buyer:

The painting has arrived, safe and sound and secure and it is BEAUTIFUL!  Thanks so much for the great work!

Lilacs in Copper

Lilac in Copper

12x12 oils on panel $50

Click to Buy

As I mentioned previously, I am deep into Daniel Edmondson's Weekly Painting Class and this one I am very happy with. I love the contrast of dark shadows and light on the flowers. 

Hope you enjoy it, too!

Sussex Coastline

Sussex Coastline

9/12 oils on wrapped canvas

SOLD

I had posted this in January but had not yet put it up for auction as it wasn't dry enough yet. I would so love to travel back to England, but don't think it will happen. It warmed my heart when I posted this on Paint My Photo, thanking the photographer, Nicola B, for use of her shot, that a gentleman who lives near here wrote to me saying I had "nailed it". He gets to walk along this coast every day!

Proceeds benefit www.garudaaviary.org

After the Storm

 "After the Storm"

 8x10 in oils on wrapped canvas

ON HOLD

Please note that all computer monitors show colors slightly differently.

I have been really busy taking an oil painting class so have not been posting lately. This is a painting I actually finished in December, but just haven't had time to photograph and post! I will be posting quite a few more in the coming weeks, as I don't want to post them for sale until they are dry enough to varnish and ship. 

The proceeds support the Garuda Aviary which is currently in great need of extra funds. Sadly, one of the Greenwing Macaws, Red, had to have surgery and didn't make it. So we are raising funds to pay those vet bills, as well as the ongoing care of all the parrots. So thank you for supporting this work.

Painting Like a Madwoman

Haven't posted a lot lately, but that doesn't mean I'm not painting! I'm learning to work with water mixable oils, as well as taking a painting course from Dan Edmondson, which is turning out to be fantastic. I also signed up for his new WPC - Weekly Painting Course - which includes personalized critiques and group webinars. You don't know what you don't know till you know. He is a wonderful teacher and inparts knowledge as well as encouragement and how to relax and just paint, learn and have fun.

Here is the second still life I completed from his Still Life Course. It's just a phone photo so unfortunately doesn't show the wonderful brushwork, which I am learning to leave alone and not lick down to mud. Once I learn my new camera I'll post better photos. These can't go on sale for a bit as they are oils and need to dry thoroughly before varnishing.

Pear Martini

8x10 oils on hardbord

The next one I finished was from Module 1 in the Weekly Painting Course:

Module 1: Red Onions

8x10 oils on hardbord

This one was a real challenge in mixing the different reds without them becoming earth tones. May redo the grapes a bit after it dries - they are too uniform, I think. I also tried to really think before making brushstrokes so that the onion skins and the garlic were done in very few strokes, which gives them a free energy I love.

Then, for the January Paint My Photo challenge, which was to paint waves and water:

Sussex Coast after photo by Nicola B on PMP

8x10 oils on canvas

There's another one I've done from PMP photo but haven't shot a pix yet. So finishing four (and a half - my cows are almost done....) is not too shabby for one month!