Wishing You All a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 Frankie, one of the several kittens born in the garage this year, a real sweetie!

Thank you all so much for reading this blog, I truly wish you happy holidays and a great new year.     Angela

Tasha and Chiaroscuro

I certainly enjoyed do this portrait -- loved working on the strong contrasts!  I have lightened the dog's right eye more than was true to the darkness of the reference/lighting conditions.  I am being urged by a related onlooker to do it more for the recipient's sake.  It is a gift,  I don't think I will, if the recipient does not appreciate it as is, I will offer to do another and keep this one.

This is only 5x7, but I sure did enjoy working on it.  There are alot of colors in it, even if that is not apparent overall. Tasha does have a skin condition which leaves her thinned hair and hairless in places.  I have only hinted at it in the portrait, but did lots of layers of colors to capture it.

The use of strong light and dark contrasts in art is referred to as chiaroscuro.  If you would like to read more about chiaroscuro, you can click this link: chiaroscuro.  I could not recall how to spell this term, but first went to the Wikepedia site to look at Rembrandt, hoping to find the term, and I did.  I am surprised that Wikepedia says the Expressionists often used chiaroscuro, I always think of the Renniasance artists,  when thinking of this term.  Since the Expressionists are my favorite grouping of artists, I will have to look at this connection between chiaroscuro and the Expressionists more.

I am not sure wether or not I will do more to Lokie's portrait.  After I do some more getting ready for Christmas tasks, I may do him over if there is time. I have to clean up some dust on Tasha's background, but I think I am calling her done, also.  ( P.S.  after posting and looking at this a little more, I may be modifying Tasha's nostril's just a little to make it a little more aligned.)

Though busy getting ready for company for Christmas and a second gathering the day after, I am enjoying every day of being home lately.

Have a great weekend, thanks for stopping by!

Two Dobes WIP -- Christmas Presents



Here are Lokie and Tasha.  Lokie is probably finished, but I will look him over while working on Tasha.  I think something is a little off with Lokie, but I don't have good reference photos of him, but have met him several times.  He had an expressionist quality for a while which I may experement more with.  However, I am aiming for realism for the most part because I do not think the gift recipient will appreciat it otherwise.  I am enjoying working on the sunlit qualities in Tasha's reference photo.  



Lokie - Main Reference









Lokie - Nearly Finished Portrait






















  

































Tasha - Main Reference



Christmas Portraits Done & Good Links on Success

Here are Daisy's, the Collie,  and Izzy's,  the Cat, portraits finished:

I am enjoying some time at home before starting a tax preparation job in January.  I have finished this year's Christmas card, will share it the day before Christmas on the blog.  I will be do a couble of small portraits as a family gift. I plan to enjoy beading a necklace for a gift.  It is snowy here today and it is doubly nice being home with these two projects to work on.

I have been thinking about how to achieve better art business success. Moneywise, things seemed to go more backwards this year even with more action and effort.  I wonder if my ladder is on the wrong wall sometimes.  It could be just a step in the process of climbing.  I just don't know.  I have been reviewing seminars and consulting services -- getting some help is one of my goals for the coming year.  I did really enjoy David Barney's post on this subject today.  His post refers to two other posts on this subject, all of which are quite good.

Hope you are all having a warm, cozy and enjoyable day!