Passing Storm, seascape, knife painting

"Passing Storm"

© Fawn McNeill, Dec. 2025

This painting is over a year in the making. I created it totally from memory.  (Usually, I work from my photos and/or sketches, but this time I worked without any references.)  

I experimented with contrasting the very smooth background with thick knife applications. 

I got carried away with the flowers and enjoyed splashing colors at odd angles.  My lighting and wind direction are not consistent, which was an attempt to create the feeling of shifting wind and light.

I'm proud of this one.  It turned out better than I anticipated, as most of my work this year remains unfinished or was destroyed.  Felt good to sign it!

~ Original Knife Painting

~ Acrylic on Hardboard

~ Professional Materials

~ 9 x 12 inches

~ Ready to frame

~ $450.00 (includes shipping)

Click here to see more art

 

Rainy Day Angels, stormy sea, oil painting

 

"Rainy Day Angels"

© Fawn McNeill September 2025

This site is working again, so I am going to post here and try to keep up with my website blog.  I like this format much better.

It has been a hard year, with the passing of my Son, Kyle, on March 21st, 2025.  Words cannot express the anguish and sorrow I still struggle with.

I am trying to get back to painting, so hopefully these pages will come back to life. For now, please bear with me as I post a few older works to get started.

The rain slows, and light shines through. A broken gray heart fades in the clouds. Ministering angels tend to it.  Symbolic in deep levels.  Waves of emotions take me under. Rain for tears, sunlight for hope to see Kyle again one day, and angels to remind me Father God loves me and I'm not alone. 

Read more at: Fawn's Art () - Fawn McNeill Art and/or Random Thoughts

~Original Oil on hardboard
~11 x 14 inches
~Not for Sale

Click here to see more art

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Christmas Shore, mixed media

Christmas Shore

9.50 x 12 inches

mixed media on wood

Just added the starfish and sand dollars to this fun project. 

Started this a few years ago, but I wasn't sure if it was finished. I was using the wood grain for the sand, which I have done before.  Gives it a nice effect. I truly love the small sand dollars and tiny starfish!  they add the extra something I was looking for.

• Original
• Exclusive art
• Mixed media
• Professional materials
• Sealed
• Not available

Click here to see more

 

Jesus Loves Me, girl writing in sand at the beach

 "Jesus Loves Me"

I've worked on this painting for over a year! 

It truly speaks for itself.

~ Original Art

~ Acrylic on Canvas

~ 14 x 18 inches

~ Not for Sale

Email me for prints of this image! Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Related Posts:

 "Blessed"

Sea Star

New Every Morning, sunrise, beach, waves, sandy shore

"New Every Morning"

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come 

to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

 (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Looking for patterns in the woodgrain for sand and then using that to find the waves is quite satisfying. It is challenging to add layers for the illusion of transparent water and exciting to add the details of seafoam with its interesting patterns and shadows. 

I revisited this painting after hanging it in my bedroom for two months. (I noticed a few things I wanted to change each time I studied it.) This is risky, as I have ruined a painting and had to start over completely.  But now I bravely removed a few shadows, added more seafoam, and brightened some of the splash. I am happy I did it!

I never allowed myself to go back over a painting, thinking, "That was how I interpreted things then, and I should not change it. Don't want to risk ruining it either."  But now I find myself enhancing and correcting some of them, thinking, "It is mine, I can change it if I want!"  (The older I get the the more courageous I get! Too funny.)

This painting is framed in a floater frame. Well, sort of.  I inverted a cradled wood support and painted it to bring out the colors of the sand and then I put the painting in it as if it were a floater frame.  It turned out perfect!

ENJOY!

~ Original acrylic on cradled hardboard

~ Professional Materials

~ 12 x 12 inches (including frame)

~ $800.00 (free shipping in the US)

Click here to see more 

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability or to have something similar created.

Click here to read about the trials I have been facing this year.

Related Posts:

 "Sandy Daze"

"Morning Treasures"

 

Calming Shores, beach, foot prints, knife painting

"Calming Shores"

© Fawn McNeill 2020

Look for the footprints fading away into the water, and a dove in the waves! 

This is part of a series of shoreline paintings, except this one is not mixed media.  I was more interested in the effects of the palette knife and trying to get the footprints to be saturated with water than I was in adding fun beads and shells. The dove shape just showed up, so I enhanced it.  Way too cool.

(I created this just before the pandemic. But because of shutting down my gallery, I never got around to posting it)

• Original Knife Painting
• Acrylic on hardboard
• Professional Materials
• 9 x 12 in
• Ready to Frame
• $790.00 (Free Shipping in US)

Email me for availability or for information about having something similar created in a size you prefer!

Click here to see more

Related Posts:

 "Morning Treasures"

"Deep Calling"

Below the Surface, turtle, fish, starfish, shells

"Below the Surface"

© Fawn McNeill 2022

Experimented with a limited palette. Wanted the texture to be the main focus. Added actual starfish, seashells, and clay objects that I created from molds. Used the palette knife to create the interesting textures of seaweed and sand. Peaceful. 

~ Exclusive Art

~ Original Mixed Media

~ Professional Materials

~ 6 x 6 inches

~ Sold

Click here to see more

Related posts:

 3D Sea Star

"Coming Storm"

 

Cliffside, ocean, trees

"Cliffside"

© Fawn McNeill 2019

Never posted this one, not sure how I overlooked it! 

Playing with texture, I added gel medium with a knife to create a buildup for tiny branches and bark on the trunks. When that dried it was interesting to add colors that enhanced the effect.

Enjoyed the whole process!

• Original mixed media
• 8 x 10 inches
• Custom frame
• Professional materials
• Sold

Click here to see more

 ge.

Look Up and Pray, beach sunrise with Jesus

"Look Up and Pray"

Happy New Year!

This is my first painting of the year, what an awesome start! It is amazing how it came about: it was a rush order and I happened to have something similar in progress so I agreed to do it. I added Jesus, in place of the sun, and was able to get it to the client in a few days instead of months!

I have done angels in place of the sun, but this is the first time I painted Jesus there. Had to use tiny brushes, and redo it several times.  I also added more clouds and highlights before I signed it. I love the way it turned out!

• original art
• Acrylic
• 11 x 14 inches
• Not available

Please email me if you would like something similar! fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

 

Joy, Love, Peace, Christmas beach, ornament

"Joy, Love, Peace"

SOLD

"Joy, Love, Peace, 2"

SOLD

Fun little projects. The letters were the hardest part, but once I settled on the right colors I was happy with it.

These could be used as ornaments or wall hangings.

 

• Exclusive original art
• Acrylic on wood
• 6.5 x 4 inches
• Painted and sealed with professional materials
• SOLD

Click here to see more 

 

Sea Biscuit Shoreline, beach

 

"Sea Biscuit Shoreline"

Was exploring the odd texture of this organism, which I wanted to take advantage of for the sand and seafoam.  The prep involved bleach to clean it, and 3 coats of clear primer, but that made it easier to paint on.  This is my second sea biscuit.  I love the raised flower shape and added stronger shadows there to make the shallow wave stand out more.

I created this a few months ago and never had the chance to post it.  (Two hurricanes and many health issues for my husband and me have put me way behind this year!)

ENJOY!

~ One of a Kind Original Art

~ Acrylic Painting on a Sea-Biscuit

~ 5 1/2 x 4 1/2  inches

~ Painted and Sealed with Professional Materials

~ Front and Back are Painted and Sealed

~ $365.00

~ Free Shipping in USA

Click here to see more

Email me for availability: Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com 

Related Posts:

Sea Star

"Coming Storm"

 

Relax 2, carved wood, word art, with sailboat

 

"Relax, 2"

Painted the sides (and the back).

Walking through thrift stores and sale isles at different outlets, I keep my eyes open for anything made out of wood.  It makes a great base for the effect of transparent water and sand.   Most items have to be cleaned and/or sanded before they can be primed and painted.  I use a clear primer where I want the wood to show through and white where I want bright colors. (Used both for this one, plus a primer for metal on the sailboat.)

This piece caught my attention because I liked the sailboat and because I had painted a coat hanger that said 'relax' in sunset colors which turned out awesome! 

I chose this color scheme for something a little different, plus these are my favorite hues! 

• Exclusive, original art
• Acrylic on wood
• 22L x 3W x 6H inches
• Sides and back are painted and sealed with professional materials
• Sold 

Click here to see more 

Related posts:

 "Blessed"

"Sea Star"

Blessed written in sand, beach, painted on wood

"Blessed"

I grinned and held back a laugh as I watched someone try to run his fingers in the "groves" because he thought the letters were carved out. This is a fantastic illusion! It is all paint, nothing was carved out of the wood.  

I love the curve and the softer colors in the letters.  Captured a bit of perspective too.  

This board has rough bark across the bottom, which I used as dirt and sand. 

ENJOY!

• Exclusive, original art
• Acrylic on wood
• 5 x 12 inches
• Sides and back are painted and sealed with professional materials
• Wired for hanging
• No longer available 

Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability

Click here to see more 

 

Bark edge

Side

Related posts:

"Beach Reflections"

Sandy Daze

Hope written in sand, wall art, cheeseboard

"Hope"

Cleaned, sanded, and primed this cheeseboard before writing the letters on it. I painted over the straight vertical letters I had previously drawn on it, not just once, but three times.  Could not get the water and waves to make sense with the letters.  Each time, I painted sand over the letters and tried again. 

Frustrated, and tired from painting late at night, I gave up and prayed about it as I went to bed:

"Lord, can you help with this? How can I get the letters to tie in better with the sand?"

As I closed my eyes, it all came to me in clear images.  (This is not the first time I have seen the answer to a painting I am struggling with after I stop to ask for help.) You would think I would learn to ask first!

I fell asleep at peace with it. The next morning I couldn't wait to get started!  It is obvious now - people don't write in the sand vertical along the shoreline! So I turned it and tried to get some perspective, which is what I saw in my mind after I prayed about it.  This is the first time I tried to make the letters look like they are carved in the sand, which is another aspect I believe Father God showed me. 

This became quite interesting to learn to do, and I am so excited that it worked! I have a few more in progress and I am getting the hang of making the illusion of letters written in the sand.  I love the extra detail and the way it looks like the wood has been carved!

ENJOY!

• Exclusive, original art
• Acrylic on a cheeseboard
• 14 x 4.5 inches
• Sides and back are painted and sealed with professional materials
• For decoration only
• SOLD

Click here to see more 

Related Posts:

"Blessed"

Heart Beach

 

Love, wall art, beach shoreline at sunset

"Love Shoreline"

Found this wall hanging at a thrift store.  It was a solid dull blue-gray and covered in grime. I cleaned it up, sanded it down, and painted it with lovely sunset colors. Quite satisfying!

• Exclusive original art
• Acrylic on wood
• 19 x 6 inches
• Painted and sealed with professional materials
• SOLD

Click here to see more 

 

Drifting, shoreline on driftwood, mixed media

'Drifting"

19 x 6 x 3 inches 

Painting this cool driftwood turned into quite the project.   Love all the layers and holes throughout the piece - adds interesting depth.

Had to be careful while cleaning the fragile pieces of wood. I also used a clear matte sealer to hold it together before adding color.  

Striving to get the wood to resemble sand, I used very little paint in the lower areas.

Finally, I got to add a tiny starfish and some shells in key places! Then I put a final clear coat on it.

~ Hand painted, unique original art

~ Professional materials

~ Nautical décor

~ Sealed on all sides

~ Ready to hang, or set on a shelf

~ Sold

Click here to see more

3D Sea-Star, Starfish, beach shore on rope

Cleaned up this old gray rope décor before adding two coats of bright white primer.  Then I got to paint my favorite colors of sand and sea.  The primer made it easier to work on the rough surface and it made the colors stronger.  It took a few tries to get the colors to blend on the bumpy surface, but I love the way it turned out!

Enjoy!

• Original art
• Hand-painted 
• Acrylic on a 3D rope structure
• Approximately 14 x 14 x 3 inches
• $375.00 (plus shipping)

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

 

 

Serene Beach, shoreline, accent table, solid wood furniture

"Serene Beach"

© Fawn McNeill 2022

 

This is my first piece of furniture.  I started it two years ago!  I was working on it just before COVID shut everything down and I had to close my gallery.  Most everything has been in storage since.  

Lately, we've been remodeling, and I've been cleaning things out.  It has been good to finish up some older projects.

Originally I did a practice painting ("Invitational") on a canvas after ordering the table. Wanted to figure out how to make the woodgrain appear to be sand under the transparent water and to gain some confidence that I wouldn't add too much paint and lose the woodgrain.  It took a few tries to get the effect I wanted.  (See below.)

I left more sandy areas on this painting because I loved the wood grain showing through.  It required thin layers of paint, so I used a matte medium instead of water to make the paint transparent. I also added more seafoam than on the practice painting.  Just got carried away.  

I used a semi-gloss finish, sanding between each coat with fine-grade sandpaper. Five coats of finish! It made a beautiful hard surface that should not scratch easily.

• One-of-a-kind, hand-made original.
• Acrylic painting on a custom-made table.
• Solid wood accent table (a little taller than a coffee table).
• 5 coats of clear sealer.
• 22W x 40L x 21 H inches.
• SOLD

Click here to see more

"Invitational" 

© Fawn McNeill 2020

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 24 inches

Sold

Coming Storm, seascape, knife painting

"Coming Storm"  © Fawn McNeill 2022

This painting started as a demo for one of my children's art classes. We used different tools for different textures.  The clouds were made with crumpled paper towels dipped in paint.  The water and waves were created with a painting knife, and the sand was tapped in with a stippling brush and some knife work.

The support is a mat board that was sealed on both sides with a clear primer before we started.  Some of the dark color of the mat board peeks through.

 Love the way it came together. I went back later and finished it up with more layers and details. 

Enjoy!

• Original art
• Acrylic on mat board
• 8 x 11 inches (matted to 11 x 14)
• Suede mat (see below)
• Ready to Frame
• $400.00 (Free shipping in USA)

Email me for availability or to have something similar created in a size you want!

Click here to see more

A note about framing: Artwork on paper should be framed behind glass with a mat around it to keep it off of the glass and protect it.  This includes photographs and prints on paper.  Those on canvas or wood should not be framed behind glass.  Original oils and acrylics are usually done on canvas or wood and need to breathe.  If they are done on paper or mat board they should be framed behind glass with a mat to keep them off of the glass. (Glass can trap moisture and ruin the artwork.) 

Related Posts:

 Transparent Shore

Breathtaking Impact

Beach Pines, seascape, cardinals, knife painting

 "Beach Pines"

With COVID came a few unfinished lesson plans.  This painting started as a fall scene with deciduous trees.  After it sat in storage partly painted (due to closing the gallery),  I went back over it and exaggerated the beach.  It took over from there! No resistance from me either.  I got carried away with adding larger tree trunks, bark, and pine needles (all created with a knife), which added interesting contrasts to the smooth brushwork in the sky.  The male and female cardinals were an afterthought because I wanted to add some brighter color back into the composition - which led to the dead needles to give it color balance.

Acrylic on canvas

Knife painting

11 x 14 inches 

Ready to frame

SOLD

Click here to see more

Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for information about having something similar created in a size you prefer.