Showing posts with label Inspirational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspirational. Show all posts

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Floods My Soul, path, fingerprint flowers, rain






 "Floods My Soul"  
© Fawn McNeill 2026

(The title is from lyrics of the hymn "He Touched Me," by Bill Gaither)


     The shiny gold textures in this specialty mat interested me. I thought a golden path would make a nice setting for some fingerprint flowers.  Impulsively, I scattered green weeds along each side of the path, which already seemed present even before I started. 
    
      No toe prints this time.  I wanted more control of the paint and smaller flowers.  Globs of paint on wiggly toes is way too fun, but also much messier and more random.  I didn't want to lose the golden highlights in the path.  

     "Too many blue flowers. Need to brighten it." So, I added a bit of yellow.  That cheered me up.  Finding joy in the midst of all the sorrow is a huge victory, which is what this imprinting series is all about!

     The rain started as a way to soften the background and add mystery to what is beyond the path. Then it flowed down the path without a second thought. (Rain is symbolic for tears.)
 
The song, "He Touched Me", which says, "The hand of Jesus touched me . . . and oh the joy that floods my soul . . ." is a perfect description of how I felt.

    If you've seen any of my imprint paintings in this series, you know I've added blue flowers to several of them.  (Blue flowers are symbolic for 'a yearning for heaven'. Yellow is symbolic for joy.)

~ Original Art
~ Fingerprint, Imprint Painting
~ Acrylic on Matboard
~ 6 x 9 inches, matted to 9x12 inches (see below)
~ Ready to frame
~ $270.00 (includes shipping)











Saturday, May 23, 2026

Morning Greetings, pink flowers, fingers and toes imprint painting


"Morning Greetings"
© Fawn McNeill 2026

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come. . ."
Song of Solomon 2:12

With the end of our winter themes and the beginning of spring we did a few projects that were not focused on realism. We created fingerprint paintings, as well as imprinting with sponges and basting brushes! Wonderful messes and beautiful paintings are in the making. These children's classes inspired me to take things a step farther. Their laughter and silliness touched my grieving soul. 

Honestly, I was not brave enough to have my students put their little toes in the paint, but I wanted to try it for myself.  I wanted to experience that childlike joy. 

This was one of the first practice pieces that survived. Small sizes are less intimidating and tossing a muddy looking mess is not so discouraging. (Besides, I had to get my toes wet before jumping in!) Squishing toes in the paint is easy but adding globs of white on top of bold colors (wet in wet), with hard to control wiggly toes made a glorious mess. Laughter ensued. Challenging yes, but also fun, and more satisfying than I imagined! 

I went back and added fingerprints for the dark centers and also for extra leaves (wet over dry). Then I used a small brush for details.

The subsequent session on slightly larger pieces included a plastic tablecloth on the floor, a larger palette, old towels, and a foot washing tub with hot soapy water!  I have a few more to finish up, but I haven't been this motivated to create anything in so long. 

It feels good to find something that helps with the extreme anguish. Since my son, Kyle, passed, I have struggled with just about everything. 

~ Original Art
~ Fingers and Toes Imprint Painting
~ Acrylic on Matboard
~ 5 x 7 inches, matted to 8x10 for easy framing (see below)
~ $250.00 (includes shipping)






 


Monday, May 04, 2026

Homesick, knife and imprints painting, flowers, and path


"Homesick" 
© Fawn McNeill 2026

Did some imprinting lessons with my kids' art class.  Pure joy!  We used sponges, crumpled towels, palette knives, and fingers.  I love helping them discover new methods. I love their excitement and delight in the wonderful messes we make!

This is #5 in a new series I started after we did a few weeks of playing in the paint. (I'm still working on the first few, trying to get good images and give them titles. They won't get posted in order.)

I needed some healing in the grief and anguish of this past year.  (Read more.)

Blue flowers are symbolic for longing for heaven. I did not know that until recently.  It was cool to look back and see that these blue flowers have been showing up in my work a lot lately.

This painting actually started with globs of paint on a large palette on a tablecloth on the floor!  White blobs printed over dark blues and purples were imprinted with my toes! Some green toe prints were added next.  After the painting dried, I used a palette knife to add the path, and some of the grasses.  Loaded more globs of paint on my fingers to add detailed flowers and leaves. A fan brush was used to dab on some weeds. then I used my fingers for the fog once everything was completely dry.

Silly, fun, and messy, but satisfying as each piece is so unique and random! 

~ Original Art
~ Knife and Imprints Painting
~ Acrylic on Hardboard
~ Professional Materials
~ 9 x 12 inches
~ Antique gold, custom frame (see below)
~ SOLD









 

Thursday, January 01, 2026

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)




 

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Christmas Church, mixed media


"Christmas Church"
© Fawn McNeill 2025



 

I just love this little country church on a snow-covered hill. Metallic paints dress up the ornaments and glitter paint makes the snow sparkle.  Red beads add another dimension to the berries on the bushes.  My young students still teach me to have fun with our Christmas projects!

I'm currently teaching a small private group at my home studio.  It is so healing for my broken heart.  

Read more at: Random Thoughts


~ Original acrylic on stretched canvas

~ 11x14 inches

~ Ready to Frame

$550.00 includes shipping

Click here to see more art


Saturday, January 20, 2024

Take the High Road Home, winter landscape


 "Take the High Road Home"
8 x10 inches

This was created completely from memory.  I made it up as I went along.  

I loved the snow when I was young, but now I'm quite content to live in the mild winters of Florida!

I've been working on this little painting since last month.  I have to rest my right hand, but my left hand just doesn't do as good of a job.  I started this painting with my left hand. I actually created a great deal of it with my off-hand. But not the details.  My left-hand cramps and is not used to the motion of the strokes, so it is slow and cumbersome.

My dominant hand, my right hand, has been in a brace for 5 months.  The wrist is still tender and swollen. The pain runs up to my fingers and down to my elbow.  The tendon from my thumb to my wrist had a couple of small tears, and my wrist and hand had five cists.  I went through two rounds of steroids (pills) and one round of antibiotics. 

The doctor wanted me to come in for steroid shots in my wrist, but I chickened out and did not go back.  

Overall, I am better: I can do more with less pain, but things take longer.  I am careful not to stress it. I also wear my brace (which immobilizes my thumb) if I am doing anything that requires lifting or pulling.  When I forget, it sure lets me know!

I have several small paintings in progress, but I am not pushing myself to get them done. 

Enjoy!

~ Original Art
~ Acrylic on Canvas
~ Professional Materials
~ 8 x 10 inches
~ Ready to frame
~ SOLD




Related Posts:


Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Endless Life, angel, knife painting

 


"Endless Life"
© Fawn McNeill 2009

I haven't been painting much, due to an injury to my right hand/wrist.  So I am posting this older favorite little knife painting.  I created it when I was doing a lot of small palette knife paintings. I did this for Christmas back in 2009!  
Click here to see the link to the original post and the symbolism I used for this little gem.

~ Original Acrylic 
~ Knife Painting
~ 6 x 6 inches
~ Not Available

I would love to create something similar for you in a size you would like! (Custom orders are priced by size) Email me for more information: Fawn@FawnsArtStudio.com
Click here to see customer feedback.

Click here to read more about my wrist and my son battling cancer.

Happy New Year!


RELATED POSTS: 













Friday, November 10, 2023

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




 

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

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


Related Posts:




Sunday, May 28, 2023

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)


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








Related Posts:








 

Thursday, April 13, 2023

In the Rock, pine tree, waterfall

 



"In the Rock"

Pulled this out of storage, cleaned it up, made some corrections, added a little waterfall, and put it in a new custom frame with an interesting texture. 

This painting originally started after a visit home to Montana.  I was staying with my brother near Glacier National Park, so I was thrilled to get to go hiking in the mountains again. It had been 5 years or so!  I saw this young pine tree growing right out of the rocks and thought about how life is like that sometimes.  You just have to put down deeper roots, hang in there, and trust in the Lord as your firm foundation.

I added the waterfall for two reasons.  First, I remember crossing a waterfall on a mountain hike when I was 12. It was the first time I froze up while mountain climbing. I should not have looked down!  It was a steep drop-off.  My friend's dad, Paul Miller, rescued me.  He reached back for me.  He helped me walk the thin log that made the bridge for us to cross over.

Second, I thought it would strengthen the composition and give the little tree a drink!

~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Acrylic
~ Professional Materials
~ 8 x 10 inches
~ Custom Frame (see below)
~ $750.00 (free shipping in the US)

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com




Related Posts:












Sunday, April 02, 2023

Heaven's Glory, Jesus, lion, lamb


"Heaven's Glory"
© Fawn McNeill 2021

I'm not sure how to explain this painting.  I added so much symbolism but had so much uncertainty all at once as I created it. 

Jesus is called the Lion of Judea in the scriptures, and he is also called the Lamb of God. (He was the final sacrifice, the only sinless person, spotless.  Yet he willingly took our sin.  The sacrificed lambs were innocent and carried the sins of the people away each year.)

 Anyway, I was practicing for a large worship painting that I was going to do on stage in front of a large crowd.  But that never happened and this painting was put aside.  I was so disappointed, and I was not sure if it was finished, but I didn't want to change it because it was such a sacred experience while creating it. 

The colors were spontaneous. It made total sense as I moved through the spectrum of energy and light.  I have not altered it. 

I just wanted to share it.  

Blessings to you for Resurrection Sunday!

~ Inspirational Art
~ Original Acrylic
~ 18 x 24 inches
~ Not for sale


Related posts:








 

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

On My Way, path, palms, cardinal




 "On My Way"

"I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the
 Father except by me."   (Jesus speaking)  John 14:6

Exploring this path at a paint-out last year gave me some amazing photos! When the sun peaked through the clouds it inspired me to catch the memory in this painting. I've worked on this painting several times in the past few months and recently put the finishing touches on it.

The Plein air works I did that day were watercolor studies from a different area of the Ancient Oaks Preserve in Fort Pierce, Florida. 


~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Acrylic on hardboard
~ Professional Materials
~ 11 x 14 inches
~ Custom Wood Frame (see below)

SOLD





Related posts:

Monday, February 06, 2023

Sea Angel, shells


"Sea Angel"
© Fawn McNeill 2020



 Played around with the patterns on the shells and they reminded me of a skirt, so I went with that and found some shells for the wings and head that were shiny.  Fun little project!

 I created "Sea Star" when I created this project.

Enjoy!

~ Exclusive Art
~ Original Mixed Media
~ Professional Materials
~ 6 x 6 inches
~ Not Available


Email me if you are interested in something similar: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Related Posts:

Friday, January 27, 2023

Streams of Joy, knife painting


"Streams of Joy"
© Fawn McNeill 2020

From a demonstration painting originally. It is a little harder for students to get the hang of when you take the brushes away! Too much fun!

I added extra details and some butterflies later to finish it out.  

ENJOY!

  • Original Knife Painting
  • Acrylic on canvas
  • 11 x 14 in
  • Ready to frame
  • Not Available
Click here to see more

Email me at fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for information on having something similar created.
Custom orders are priced by size.





 

Thursday, January 19, 2023

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



 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

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


 

Monday, November 21, 2022

Christmas Pearls, mixed media painted tree

"Christmas Pearls"

How do you find just the right little jewel?  I actually go on treasure hunts at different thrift stores and department stores for the right pieces! I couldn't find a string of pearls the right size, so I had to carefully place each pearl to create the rows. Then I chose different charms, beads, and earrings for the ornaments. 

I laid it all out before adhering everything to the painted tree. Changed my mind a few hundred times! Or so it seems.  I used Liquitex matte gel medium to secure it all one piece at a time.  (No hot glue). 

This tree is smaller than  "Christmas Hope".  It has a similar feel to it with the background snow and glitter paint setting off the jewelry. 

  • Exclusive art 
  • Original mixed media on wood
  • 6 x 12 inches
  • Professional Materials
  • Sealed
  • $520.00 (Free shipping in US)

  • Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

    Click here to see more 




     

    Saturday, November 12, 2022

    Christmas Hope, mixed media on wood




    "Christmas Hope 2"




     I added crosses, flowers, angels, and angel wings from jewelry. The red beads set it all off nicely, and the glitter paint adds extra shimmer to the snow. I love the way these turn out!

    I can't put into words what this piece means to me personally. It goes out with prayers for those who will find comfort in it.

    • Exclusive art 
    • Original mixed media on wood
    • 14.5 x 7.5 inches
    •  $300.00 plus shipping
    Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

    Monday, August 08, 2022

    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

     

    Bark edge


    Side



    Related posts: