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

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Sugar, white cat, mixed media

"Sugar"

©Fawn McNeill, Dec. 2018

Beautifully strange colored eyes. Sugar made herself at home under my gallery in the spring of 2018.  My students loved her and called her Snowflake.  She would dash in each time the door opened. 

 I felt sorry for her and fed her because she was so skinny and nursing three kittens.  She looked like a kitten herself!  I'm sure it was her first litter.  She was wild and skittish, but she warmed up to us a little.  We found homes for her kittens and I had her fixed. 

I created this painting for my students as an example for one of our classes.  We made the eyes bigger than normal and played up the fluffy fur.  It was a fun class!  

White is a challenge for young students because they don't want to add shadows.  (The cat had to be painted light blue, beige, and pink before the white was added over the top so the fur would show up.) 

Later, I went back and added more details and a few beads above her eye and one on the collar.  It was one of the first in my new mixed-media series and I wasn't too sure how much to add or whether I would like it or not.  The custom blue frame was a perfect match!

I'm not sure why it never got posted. I had it on display at some shows as 'not for sale' and then finally put a price on it at the Unique Boutique when I started selling some of my mixed-media pieces. I think subconsciously that I just wanted to keep it. I've enjoyed the memories it carries of my little gallery and teaching center before the pandemic shut it all down.

~ Original Mixed Media

~ Acrylic on canvas

~ Professional Materials

~ 11 x 14 inches 

~ Custom frame (see below)

~ $750.00 (free shipping in the US)

Click here to see more 

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability or for information about having your pet's portrait created in a size you would like! (Custom paintings are priced by size.) 

Related Posts:

 Tabby

Delightful Mischief

 

Set in Stone 2, flowers in a stone planter, mixed media

"Set in Stone, 2"

© Fawn McNeill 2020

Close-up view in warm lighting.

Flowers jumping off the page! Literally!  This is a wonderful combination of color, pattern, and elements.  It is like a song with a beautiful melody.  Even the colors harmonize. Very few compositions come together so well, but this was the second one. The first was a learning experiment, and it was almost as lovely! 

I created this just after closing my gallery from the pandemic, and now it is framed in a wonderful gold frame that sets it off more than I could have hoped for!

Some of the flowers are actually charms that created nice cast shadows. This gives an extra emphasis on the painted shadows. Other flowers have beads in the middle that catch the light as you view the painting from different angles.

If you can't tell I am very partial to this piece!

~ Exclusive Art

~ Original Mixed Media on Hardboard

~ Professional Materials

~ 11 x 14 inches

~ Elaborate Gold Frame (see below)

~ SOLD

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Cool lighting

Warm lighting

Related Posts:

 Lovely Ladies

Eternal Joy

Sea Star, beach

 

"Sea Star"

© Fawn McNeill 2020

Found this starfish at Walmart. It was bleached white.  It was smaller than others I had found, so I thought it might work well on this small cradled hardboard.  I painted it and adhered it with acrylic modeling paste after I created the beach.

 I inverted the support and primed and painted the beach on the back so that I could use the cradled edge as a frame. Usually, the cradled back is used to hang the art and the sides get painted, so framing becomes optional. But this way I had a built-in frame!

(It is quite difficult to paint the inside edges of the cradled wood without ruining the painting!)

 I had done this once before and really liked the effect ("Shoreline Treasures").

Also, I created "Sea Angel" at the same time as this project.

Enjoy!

~ Exclusive Art

~ Original Mixed Media

~ Professional Materials

~ 6 x 6 inches

~ SOLD

Click here to see more!

Related Posts:

"Seabiscuit Shoreline"

Seahorse 3D

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

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

Related Posts:

 Sea Star 

"Blessed"

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.

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

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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

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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

 

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

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Defender of the Weak, angel with sword

 "Defender of the Weak"

© Fawn McNeill 2019

    Had just started experimenting with adding found objects to my paintings when I created this angel.  I used metallic gold paint, beads, and gems to give it stronger emphasis. This is part of a series of palette knife angels paintings I used to do quite often. painting with a knife creates unique mixtures of color and thick texture.  Exciting and fun!

• Original knife painting
• Mixed media
• 9 x 12 inches
• Sold

Click here to see more 

Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, or information on having a similar painting custom-made in your favorite colors and in a size you want!

Busy Morning, mixed media, colorful flowers, insects, and a frog

"Busy Morning"

    What can I say? I certainly got carried away with this little piece! 

    Honestly, I wasn't happy with it at first. It started as a palette knife painting. Nothing seemed to be working out.  I added more knife work and even used paper clay to build up the flowers.  (Paper clay is an air-dry clay that has paper fibers in it.  It dries stronger and is better suited for mixed media projects than regular air-drying clay.) But I still was not liking it. 

     Carol Jones (https://www.facebook.com/CarolsTreasuresFromTheSea), a close friend of mine, sent this resin frog as a gift with my order of seahorses and starfish. It made me smile each time I looked at it.  I moved it all around to see if it would look good and where I might add it.  It cracked me up! That got things moving.  I added some charms and then purchased some molds to make insects and flowers out of paper clay.  Thought I would use resin at first, but the paper clay worked so well I just kept making more.  

    The advantage of paper-clay is that I can paint it any color I want.  Resin stays as it was created, so you have to get the colors right when you make the mold.

    Painting the molded insects and flowers was time-consuming but enjoyable.  Each piece gave me a new idea of what else I wanted to add. I had to make myself stop because it was too much fun to keep adding more! 

    This breaks so many rules on so many levels!  So I went back and added shadows to the bottom and the left side of the painting (to tone it down some) and also to keep the viewer's eye in the painting.  I also used a solid color scheme of complementary colors throughout the project to harmonize the painting. 

    To top it all off, I made a shadow box frame for it and sealed it behind glass.  This added to the whole notion of a child capturing a frog in a jar!  So far everyone that sees it starts laughing.  That makes it all worth so much more!

ENJOY!

• Original art
• Mixed media
• 8 x 10 inches
• Gold shadow box frame (see below)
• SOLD

Click here to see more 

 

More Joy, Christmas ornament, snow, mixed media

"More Joy"

© Fawn McNeill 2020

I liked the first one so much that I taught this class again to a different group of students.  I added extra snow, and bling to this second Christmas Joy ornament painting. This one is a little larger.  Both were from separate demonstration paintings for art classes. I finished them up later with details, metallic paint, and glitter paint. 

Original Demo

Acrylic

11 x 14 inches

Ready to frame

$525.00 

Click here to see more

 

Christmas Snow, Christmas tree, mixed media

"Christmas Snow"

© Fawn McNeill 2018

I went back and embellished this painting by adding glitter paint, and metallic paint.  I have done 3 of these, and each one is different. Daytime or night, a path or a pond, and of course the Christmas tree placement. This one has lights coming down, reminiscent of a hint of  Northern lights, and a suggestion of a frozen lake or pond. 

This is also a fun lesson sample for the children's art class. I encourage my students to add their own ideas, like a snowman, wildlife, or sunset colors.

I framed this painting in an ornate frame, which set it off nicely (see below).

Original Art

Mixed Media

11 x 14

Elaborate silver frame

Sold

Click here to see more

 

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

Working the Edge, tricolored heron, mixed media

"Working the Edge"

I saw this heron while we were out fishing in the rim canal at Lake Okeechobee.  He fished that edge for quite a while and I got some nice pictures of him.  This was a fun little impressionistic painting with lots of loose brush strokes and bright colors.

I hid some clear colored beads in colors that match, so it is a somewhat hard to see them until the light hits them.  There are some peach and orange beads on the hill, green ones among the lily pads, and a few blue ones near the rocks in the water.  The blue ones show up the best, which was the goal, so it adds more sparkle to the water. 

 Framed it in a nice wide custom frame and embellished it with silver lace along the inside lip (see below).

Enjoy!

5 x 7 inches

Mixed media

Sold

Click here to see more

 

Seahorses, mixed media, starfish and shells

"Seahorses"

This is a fun little piece.  I inverted a deep cradled board (wood block) and used the outer edge as a frame.  I painted all sides, including the back.

The seahorses and the white starfish are resin. My friend, Carol Jones, made them for me. You can find her art at: https://www.facebook.com/CarolsTreasuresFromTheSea/  

They are perfect for mixed media!  I added shells that Carol and I found together.  The tiny starfish are real.  I also added some beads and pearls for that extra sparkle. 

Mixed Media

6 x 6 x 1.75  inches 

$45.00 plus shipping

Sealed with a clear permanent sealer for protection.

Click here to see more

 

Near The Window, mixed media flowers

 

"Near The Window"

Nice little mixed media painting. I only added a few beads this time.  Wanted to keep it simple but then I put it in a beautiful fancy frame (see below.) Really sets it off.

Thanks for looking!

Mixed media

5 x 7 inches

Custom frame

$385.00 

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Back to the River, mixed media

"Back to the River"

I've been revisiting some older works. This is a scene on the Kissimmee River.  I was interested in the  blue shadows on the sandy road from the morning sun.   This is a somewhat of a knife painting with beads and charms for added interest.  I did some parts with thick texture by using a palette knife and I left other parts smooth for contrast.  I love the way the beads catch the light.  Too much fun!

Mixed media 

5 x 7 inches

Unique custom frame

(Not available)

Email me for a custom painting done similar in a size you would like!  Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more