Lake Sunset, palm tree, watercolor

"Lake Sunset"

© Fawn McNeill 2022

Isn't this an awesome little demonstration painting?  Demos in watercolor don't usually turn out as well as I would like, but this one went well from start to finish, and includes great memories while teaching it!

I like the simplicity of it as well as the calming colors.  Of course, the strong contrast is always a plus. The cabbage palm tree really sets it all off.  

I just matted this painting.  Enjoy!

~ Original Demo 

~ Watercolor on acid-free watercolor paper 

~ Matted to 8 x 10 inches

~ Ready to Frame 

~ Not available

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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 artwork or photograph is done on paper or mat board it should be framed behind glass with a mat to keep the image off of the glass. (Glass can trap moisture and ruin the image.)  Click here to read more about framing.

Click here to read about the trials I've been overcoming lately.

Related Posts:

 Beach Study

Morning Splash

 

New Morning, plein air, lake

"New Morning"

© Fawn McNeill 3/18/2023

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end: 

They are new every morning... Lamentations 3:22-23

Didn't get a chance to post this one. I had a hard time getting a good image of it:  too much glare or too much exaggeration of the canvas grain.  

I went out with a new painting group in Vero Beach. We met at the Savannah's Preserve in Fort Pierce. It was a bit windy, but still a lovely morning. I haven't had a chance to get out since, but I do plan to paint with them again.  

~ Original Plein Air Painting

~ Acrylic on canvas

~ Professional Materials

~ 8 x 10 inches

~ Ready to Frame 

~ $525.00 (free shipping in the US)

Email me for availability: Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com 

Click here to see more

On a personal note, my son, Kyle, is fighting cancer and I have been keeping my grandkids when he has treatments, appointments, or trips to the ER. It has been (at times) 3 or more times a week (when he had complications). I enjoy the kids, but it has been rough watching them struggle with watching their dad suffer.  Right now he seems to be doing better. Praying he beats it!

 Between work, teaching classes, taking care of my husband and grandkids, plus trying to find time to paint, it can get overwhelming. But joy does come when I focus on positive things.

Click here to Read More

 

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Gravel Path

Across the Lake

Breakthrough, water lilies, mixed media

"Breakthrough"

The young flower was coming up under a lily pad. Got some interesting photos of this area while I was out working En Plein Aire (on location).  Originally, I just wanted to capture the warm morning sunlight chasing the cool shadows away.  It made the many shades of green into a feast for the eyes!  But I got carried away with the impasto, hidden critters, and beads. I also added glitter paint here and there for a little extra shimmer in the water.

The impasto effects are made with heavy gesso and a palette knife. Some of the lily pads, lotus flowers, and the little stick that the snail is on are built up with it.

 The baby turtle is actually a metal charm that I primed with a primer that is made for use on metal (so the paint doesn't peel off).  He was just too shiny to leave unpainted!  I wanted him to blend in more.

The dragonfly is made from paper clay, which is an air-dry clay with paper fibers added to it for strength. I used a mold to make it. Paper clay is wonderful to work with for mixed media projects. It receives acrylic paint well. I added iridescent paint into hues of blue for his color.

The snail is made from a resin mold that a friend gave to me. Resin molds are harder to work with and are not easily painted over.  I used a special primer (different than the one used on metal) to get the snail to receive the acrylic paint. Again, I wanted to get him to blend in.

Gel medium (matte) and acrylic modeling paste were used for adhesives. (I use professional-grade primers, paints, mediums, and sealers for longevity.)

~ Exclusive Art

~ Original Mixed Media

~ Professional Materials

~ 8 x 10 inches

~ Elaborate Gold Frame (see below)

~ $800.00 (Free Shipping in the US)

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Related Posts:

 Lovely Ladies

Eternal Joy

 

At G-36, rim canal, knife painting

"At G-36"

© Fawn McNeill 2010

I recently framed this small painting in a custom gold frame to set off the foreground. 

En Plein Air (out on location), I did this a few years ago at lock G-36 on the rim canal.   It was my first try at painting with a palette knife on location.  I had painted with knives before, but not from start to finish while working En Plein Air.

It was early morning and very windy, which made the whole project more of a challenge. I was quite happy with the outcome! 

ENJOY!

• Original palette knife painting
• Acrylic on hardboard
• 8 x 10 inches
• Unique gold frame 
• $695.00 (Free Shipping in USA)

Click here to see more 

Related Posts:

 "Big Lake Sunset"

Indian Hills Morning

 

Enchanted Morning, water lilies, great egret

"Enchanted Morning" 

© Fawn McNeill 2010

Just reframed this little favorite painting.  I did it on location (en plein air) quite a few years ago at White City Park, in Fort Pierce, Florida.  White City Park has always been one of the best places to do a paint-out.  It is hard to decide where to set up my easel!  By the river or near a pond, it doesn't matter because every painting turns out amazing.  

This is one of Kathy Papasso's frames I purchased at the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

Enjoy!

• Original Plein Air painting
• Acrylic on canvas
• 8 x 10 inches
• Elaborate gold frame
• $800.00 (free shipping in the USA) 

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more art

Related Posts:

Indian Hills Morning

Early Reward

 

Lovely Ladies, flowers, mixed media

"Lovely Ladies"

Normally I create a painting and then put it in a complimenting frame.  But this painting was a little backward.  I had this amazing custom frame that belonged to a dear friend that passed away, so I wanted something special that looked fantastic with it.  (See below.)

Honestly, it was too elaborate for most of my country and wildlife paintings until I tried it on this painting with the pretty yellow flowers, it looked like it might work. 

 I painted a few more flowers in key places (and let it dry) before moving some charms and gems around on it.  I tried different pieces. They looked okay, but I wasn't satisfied.    I wanted something demanding that stood out and grabbed my attention.  That way the frame would enhance the artwork and not take away from it.    

I found some earrings, broaches, and pendants at a thrift store within the next week, and I knew that the gorgeous red flower would be perfect for this project! I added the sparkly white flowers, some beads, and the pretty butterfly for balance. I thought it all came together nicely.  The digital image doesn't do it justice.  The way the light hits it at different angles is truly delightful.

Custom frames are quite expensive, but I love it.  This is a tribute to my dear friend, Deborah Flowers, who had exquisite taste.

Mixed Media

8 x 10 inches

Elaborate custom frame

$895.00 (includes shipping)

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Spring Showers, arrowhead plant, swamp, mixed media

"Spring Showers"

Fun little knife painting that was a study of this water plant.  I found it a couple of months ago while going through some things in storage.  Thought I should finish it up and add some bling! 

I was thinking about the winter colors of oranges and reds giving way to lime greens and all the bugs coming out as the flowers start to bloom. I darkened the background and added some blues to symbolize rain, then added more texture with acrylic modeling paste to make the leaves jump out more.  I also added charms and beads to emphasize the ideas of spring. They catch the light at different angles.

  

About this Painting:

Mixed media 

6 x 6 inches

custom wood frame (see below)

$485.00 (includes shipping in the USA) 

Click here to see more

Love the classy wood frame, which added the finishing touch. 

Hint: frames can really set off a picture, or kill it.  They also protect the artwork from damage over the years.  Look for something that enhances the art or brings out the colors first, and then something that also goes with your décor. 

 

Indian Hills Morning, palette knife, plein air painting

"Indian Hills Morning"

What a beautiful day yesterday!  Wonderful cool weather, partly cloudy, and the birds singing to me!  I haven't been able to do very many paint-outs, so I was excited to get back out there.  It was well worth the drive over!  The Plein Air Painters of the Treasure Coast met at Indian Hills Recreational Area, in Fort Pierce, Florida.

This painting turned out great, but it was actually a failed attempt at a new technique!  I wanted to use a brush to create a dark underpainting and then add the thick knife work over the top in bright colors.  I ended up painting over the underpainting entirely, so I will have to try that idea again.  I am usually a little stingy with the amount of paint I add, so I was also working on applying generous amounts of color.  I got carried away with all the thick textures.  I did like the way the underpainting gave me a guide as I slapped more blobs of paint onto the support!

Here is the painting in progress.  The palms were off to the right of my easel.  I added some more highlights and the egret when I got home.  

8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inches,

Acrylic palette knife, original Plein Air painting,

Sides are painted, framing is optional (see below),

$700.00

Click here to see more 

Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability 

Thanks for stopping by!

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Spoonbills Feasting, mixed media, wild flock, Florida art

"Spoonbills Feasting"

© Fawn McNeill 2019

This is an older painting that I have revisited by painting more details and adding some bling.  I also put in a new frame.

Here is what I wrote about it a few years ago:

This was an amazing site! I have seen spoonbills at zoos, but this is the first time I have seen them in the wild. The evening sun was shining on them and the pink feathers were just dancing all around. I tried to capture it from memory because I forgot to take my camera! 

I added beads and aquarium stones for more interest.  I enjoy the reflected light on the objects.

8 x 10 inches

Mixed Media

Unique custom frame (see below)

$550.00 (free shipping in US)

Click here to see more

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability

Thanks for stopping by!

 

FYI: I use professional artist grade materials for priming, painting, adhering, and sealing my work.

This one has aquarium stones and beads added to the shore and in the flowers.  

 

At the Edge, mixed media, blue heron

"At the Edge" (Lake Okeechobee)

© 2020

Original Mixed Media 

A few years ago, I did some plein air studies during a drought at Nubbin's Slough.  This experimental painting came from those studies.  Here I used paper-clay for the rocks.  (Paper fibers are added to the clay for more strength).  These hand sculpted rocks have a cool looking 3-D effect.  I also enjoyed building up the weeds with gel medium to create interesting patterns of texture.  

I hid some angels in the sky and used tiny brushes for the distant birds and extra details.

9 x 12 inches

Custom wood frame (see below)

Sold

This painting is also available at Unique Boutique, Okeechobee Florida!

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Click here to see more

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability or information about hosting a private show and/or having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  
Price list by size.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Rocky Shore, plein air, birds

"Rocky Shore"  

Fawn McNeill © 2007

I recently repainted part of this older plein air painting.  (Done on location.) 

The water level was very low, and the rocks made interesting patterns. It was challenging, to say the least!  

The little blue heron stayed off to the far right most of the morning, and just before I finished up, the water turkey (anhinga) poked his head up a few times (near the bottom).

I loved all the colors and the rhythm in this painting, but I went back and toned down some of the rocks, mostly on the left and a little near the top, in order to direct the viewer's eye toward the bird on the right. 

8 x 10 inches

Acrylic on hardboard
$625.00, ready to frame

Click here to see more

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability 

Thanks for stopping by!

Click here for customer feed-back to see what others say about my work!   

Autumn Bridge, fall leaves over water

"Autumn Bridge"

14 x 18 inches

Acrylic on Canvas

Fun impressionistic painting lesson.  This is an original class demo, created before class as an instructional guide.  It was the first, then I painted another, similar one, with my students step-by-step.

Click here to see more

 Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for information about hosting a private show and/or having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  Price list by size.

Thanks for stopping by!

Click here for customer feed-back to see what others say about my work!  

Woodland Stream, demo painting

"Woodland Stream, Demo"

12 x 16 inches

acrylic on canvas

$395.00 ready to frame
  

Love the feeling this demonstration painting emotes as well as the contrast from the shadows against the grasses. This lesson went well and my students did an awesome job! 

HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

Click here to see more

 Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for information about hosting a private show and/or having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  Price list by size.

Thanks for stopping by!

Click here for customer feed-back to see what others say about my work!  

Old Barn, pond, duck with ducklings

"Old Barn"

14 x 18 inches, 

Acrylic painting

Sold

This painting started as a demo for my adult class last spring. Added lots of extra details, like the ducks, hay in the barn, a fence, and birds flying overhead.  I don't always finish the demo's, but I liked the way this one turned out, so I stayed with it. 

Enjoy!

Click here to see more original art

 Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for information about having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  Price list by size.

Thanks for stopping by!

Next Morning, Florida landscape

"Next Morning"

Acrylic on canvas board 

original  8 x 10 inches

$350.00

Finished up an old one that I had in the studio for a while.  Added mist and the nice little sunlit trees in the distance.  This started as a plein air painting, but I have rearranged everything and added the pond.  Like it much better!

I'm also working on getting stronger focal points, with a nice lead into the painting.  I think I achieved that goal this time.

Click here to see more original art and my gallery pages, (prints and many new gift items available with my art on them!

 Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for information about having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  Price list by size.

Click here for customer feed-back to see what others say about my work!

Thanks for stopping by!

Over the Dike, Lake Okeechobee, Florida Art

 "Over the Dike"  

9 x 12 inches, 

Acrylic on hardboard

©2006     $350.00

Here is another older one of the Lake.  Below is a comparison to the same area (lock G36) when we had a drought for a couple of years.  I was fascinated with the new bright greens that showed up more and more as the water receded.  Haven't seen anything close to that since.

"Over the Dike, 2"  ©2007

9 x 12, Acrlic on watercolor paper

In the Morning, Lake Okeechobee

"In The Morning"  © 2007 

Acrylic   12 x 16

Sold

Had a request for paintings of  Lake Okeechobee.  I have done a lot of them, but it has been a while.  This one is probably my favorite of all of the lake paintings I have done over the past 30 years.  Hard to believe I have been here that many years! (I moved 15 times as a child and 5 times as a young adult.)  I guess I wanted to settle down, ha ha ha! 

As I painted it, I was singing a song that has this verse in it: "Oh Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up . . ." Psalm 5:3

 Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for information about having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, religious themes, etc... )  Price list by size.

Click here to see more original art and my gallery pages, (prints and many new gift items available with my art on them!

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http://fawnspaintings.blogspot.com

On a personal level; I'm excited to partner with Lynne Barletta, and her Visionary School of Arts in their out reach:  Catch the Wave of Hope!

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Easy does It, Florida Art, palms, turtle, gator

"Easy Does It"

Love the little turtle on the trunk of the closer palm and the birds in the dead tree. I was inspired to paint this while out on a fishing trip.  It is cool how the palms grow upward after being blown down in a storm. Cycles of life are so fragile, and so evident.

Enjoy!

Size: 24 x 30 inches

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Sold

Click here for gifts and prints of this image! 

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  Price list by size.

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Winter Marsh, Florida landscape with egrets

"Winter Marsh"

This is an old favorite.  Something about it speaks to me.  Florida winters give way to some fall colors, and the memory of this day is windy and cold.  Well, cold for us is in the 40's, but still, it is a nice change from the normal humid air.  I also like the way the birds are flying out of the picture, you get the sense that they will be gone in a moment.

Acrylic on hardboard

9 x 12 inches

$525.00

Enjoy!

Click here for prints and gifts of this painting!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created! (Animal portraits, kids with pets or livestock, homesteads, inspirational art, etc... )  Price list by size.

Click here to see more original art and my gallery pages,

Thank you for passing this link on!

http://fawnspaintings.blogspot.com