Showing posts with label People. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People. Show all posts

Monday, October 25, 2021

Victorian mural, woman, palms, flowers and egrets


Approximately 10 by 11 feet, located above the walkway cabinets across from 
the kitchen in a beautiful home.

(Sorry for the glare on the image, but there was no way to get a good capture.) 


This image has less glare


Finished this today! What a challenging project this was.  Totally out of my comfort zone, in subject matter, style, and the level of danger!  Really stretched me.
I got the wall primed in late August, and then got sick with COVID the next day.  It was 3 weeks before I got the first lay in started, and I wasn't handling the after affects very well at all.  Scroll down for the in-progress images...


I had to climb up onto the counter top and then climb up on top of the cabinet via the opened door and bottom shelf on the far right.  There was about 10 inches to stand on to reach up, so there was very little space for moving around.  Standing on a small ledge and reaching up was quite exhausting, especially since I was easily tired and still week from being so sick.

 I used a roller to prime it, and trimmed it with large brushes, but it was too difficult to use the roller to get the blending of the colors, so I used large brushes for that.  I had a couple of scary moments with trying to climb up or down: my hand slipped in the small space between the cabinet and the wall (my fingers just fit enough to pull my self up) on the top right side. Thought I was going to have to leave early to change my pants.


I searched rental shops and online for some kind of split scaffold.  I lost sleep over trying to figure out how to build something to make things safer.  I even asked the Good LORD to help me put something together.  This small scaffold idea came to me after I prayed about it! 
 I used clamps to make it easy to move and take apart, but still keep it sturdy.  Climbing up and down was still dangerous, and my body ached in more places than I could have imagined. I expected some soreness in my shoulders, hands, wrists, knees, and legs, but I did not know your ribs in your back had muscles that could get sore! Even my bottom hurt.  (I had already been achy in my joints from COVID, so I wasn't sure how much was from the awkward positions and how much was from the after affects.) Needless to say, I only put in a couple of hours at a time the first week, and I didn't go every day.


In the image below you can get a better look at the way I put two 1 x 4 boards together for each leg to stabilize it, and I made a bracer bar on the top and the bottom of the legs. I screwed that whole base part together. I made the top brace equal to the length of the plywood so I could clamp the base to the platform. I could slide the whole thing down as I moved to the right of the mural.

You can also see that I found an extension ladder that was perfect for this project - I was so excited about that!  So much safer.
I did put drop cloths on the whole length of the counter and the floor, which was a good thing when my bucket of dirty water went over board!  Oh, and my phone bit the dust on another day, cracked the screen protector.

Once I got to feeling stronger, I stayed for longer periods of time and started making good progress.  Staying for 4 to 5 hours each session sped the process up.  It was a total of five and a half weeks from when I actually started painting, but just over two months if you count the time I was quarantined.  

I am so proud of myself for sticking with it and finishing it up!  There were some serious doubts! 

Let me know what you think!
 

Saturday, February 01, 2020

Timeless Moments, sunset beach, seashells




Timeless Moments
"His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136

Finished this painting a few months ago.  I haven't posted anything here in a long time. 

This painting is full of thick impasto layers. I also added actual seashells, sea glass, sand dollars, and two hand sculpted clay items (a turtle in the foam, and a starfish on the shore.)  The clay items are a new element. I truly enjoyed creating them and painting them after adhering them to the canvas.  I'm using paper clay, which is clay with paper fibers added to make it stronger.  It is a lightweight clay and is something I want to explore further.

I was going through some personal issues when I painted this and thought about how somethings seem to transcend time. Some memories are as fresh as yesterday even though they happened years ago! Some things can happen in no time and seem like forever.  This led to the concept that we make time, it is in us and not just something that happens to us.  We choose to enjoy it, use it wisely, or do nothing with it.  So all of that is  flowing through this painting as the woman contemplates the vastness of it all.

I hid an angel in the sky, but not in the clouds per say, it is in reverse. The blue of the sky is in the shape of an angel by the clouds around it.  Makes it harder to find, but I wanted to make it bigger than the small ones I usually paint in the clouds.

24 x 36 inches
Mixed media
Elaborate custom frame (see below)
Sold







Thanks for looking!  Please share!

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

I Am, true immortal, Jesus


"I Am"
20 x 24 inches
Acrylic on canvas

By far the Most challenging thing I have ever painted.  More than a year of work, and many tears went into this painting.

I kept thinking about the focus of Halloween: fear, death, blood, the un-dead, etc....  I thought about the one who brings love, life, forgiveness, joy, and restoration.  I'm not talking about religion or rules or tradition.  (I'm talking about the man who gave us two commandments: Love God Almighty with all your mind, heart and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself.) So I wanted the focus to be on him!

"Very Truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I Am!"  John 8:58






Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, February 01, 2017

Healed, inspirational art, beach, girl, angel


"Healed"

Started this painting completely from memory. Made it up as I went along.  (Used reference photos of different children to free-hand the girl onto the painting.) 

This is all about inner healing, accepting yourself, forgiving yourself, and letting go of the past.  But, sometimes we have to deal with the issues and do the hard work to get past it, which this painting really did for me as I struggled with my stormy past.

Lots of symbolism:  The shadow of the cross, the face of Jesus in the sand, a dove hidden in the wave near her head (for the Holy Spirit), an angel dancing in the clouds, the heart shape encircling her, and the storm moving away.


20 x 24 inches
Acrylic on canvas
The original is not for sale
prints available 


Thursday, October 08, 2015

The Father's Word, Jesus


"The Father's Word"

Created this one in oils years ago. The face in the sky is symbolic for our Heavenly Father speaking his timeless word, Jesus. This painting is now available in cards and prints! (Available with or without the scripture of John 1:1 printed on it. )



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

Thanks for stopping by!  


Saturday, January 05, 2013

Jen and Little Grey, horse and rider

"Jen and Little Grey"


Painted this custom order for a Christmas gift. Feel like I captured a likeness for both of them! Love the colors.

I was in the hospital just before Christmas, so I was thrilled to get this done in time! (Click here to read more.)

Acrylic on Hardboard
11 x 14 inches
SOLD


Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for information about having your own custom painting created. 


Click here to see what others say about my work!

Thanks for stopping by!





Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Baby Doll, little girl, ballerina

"Baby Doll"


Reworked this older painting, made a few corrections and softened some of the shadows. I named it "Baby Doll" because the whole time I was working on it I kept thinking 'she looks just like a baby doll...'

I took pictures of this little girl dancing around before the performance at an outdoor art festival. She looks a lot like one of my art students, who takes dance lessons with the same studio that performs at the festival. So I asked her mother about it and she said it could be her! I took these pictures more than 3 years ago, so that puts her at the right age too. Isn't that cool?

Media: acrylic on canvas board
Size: 8 in X 10 in (20.3 cm X 25.4 cm)

Click here to see my gallery pages!


Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and purchasing information or about having a custom painting created. Prices are by size.


Click here to read what customers say about my work.

Thanks for stopping by!


Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tears

"Tears"


About This Painting:
For my Daily Painters 'out of the box' theme on Wed. Definitely something out of my comfort zone!
I have been working on this for a few weeks. It wasn't intended to be a self portrait, but I did use myself as a starting point, then I thinned out the eyebrows and plumped up the lips. I used thin layers of interesting color combinations, like orange and violet, or light blue in the shadows. I really like the colors.
Ready to frame.

Media: acrylic on hardboard
Size: 5 in X 7 in (12.7 cm X 17.8 cm)

Click here to see my gallery pages!


Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here to see what others say about my work!

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Let's Talk About This . . .


"Let's Talk About This . . ."
8 x 10 inches
Acrylic on canvas
NOT FOR SALE


This was way out of my comfort zone! My Daily Painters group is posting self portraits for tomorrows page. So I wanted to paint my portrait to include my husband, Robert Barr. I may work on it some more, but it is close. I painted yellow in the background for the joy he has brought to my life, and the red is for his genuine passion. I added some blue to symbolize my cold shoulder that I often turned his way when we first got married. (We have been married for almost 9 years now.)

His favorite saying is "Let's talk about it . . ." of course talking is not on his mind, and of course, all I want to do is talk about the issues at hand (and not in the bedroom!!!) We have always been able to laugh about it. He usually wins me over. He still has a great sense of intelligent humor, even with all the illness we have had to deal with these past few months.

His beautiful curly hair is all shaved off now (He had a shunt put in his head just before Thanksgiving.) He has lost 13 lbs or more in the last three weeks from having migraines. But today he didn't have the severe headaches he's been having, and was able to eat more than a few bites. We go back to Shands hospital this week to have more tests done and discuss the small tumor that is in his inner ear.

Please keep us in your prayers!




Click here for more original art and to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 


Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Morning Breeze, seascape

"Morning Breeze"
5 x 7 inches
Acrylic on canvas panel

Just a fun little painting. I made this one up from memory. I wanted to play around with that impressionistic look, reminiscent of Monet and Renoir.

Click here to see my gallery pages!


Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here to see what others say about my work!

Friday, January 04, 2008

Sweet Dreams, Surrealism, Spiritual Art

"Sweet Dreams"
24 x 24 inches
Oil on canvas
Not Available

This is a painting I did back in 1995. I was in my early thirties then. I had always struggled with nightmares most of my life. They were usually about the abuse I endured in my childhood. As I went through more counseling, I began to ask Jesus to heal my sleep. This was the first of many good dreams. It smelled wonderful. The wind was gentle and it was blowing the fragrance of the flower all around me. The path was moving with the petals, making it hard to move forward. It lead toward heaven in the center. I woke up feeling refreshed and at peace. I have had very few nightmares since then. I can even sleep soundly through most things now!
check out a poem I wrote with this painting.

Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 


Click here to see what others say about my work!

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Heaven's Touch, seascape, horse and girl, 30 x 40

"Heaven's Touch"
30 x 40 inches
Acrylic on Gallery wrap canvas
(sides are painted)
$5,000.00


Detail:

I have been working on this painting off and on for almost a year now. It is all about contrasts and texture, as far as the technical aspects go.
This painting is far reaching too. Emotionally we all have things that need healing. Sometimes a sunrise or a sunset, a cup of coffee with a friend, or a moment of silence can touch us deeper than anything else at that time. This painting combines some of those ideas: dreams I have had, horses I have ridden, prayers cried out from the depth of my soul in my most turbulent times. Always God reaches out and heals the hurt a little more.

Thanks for stopping by!



Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here to see what others say about my work!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

The Real Deal, cowboy, daily painting

"The Real Deal"
5x7 inches
Acrylic on gessoed board
Not Available

Wanted to practice portraits. I usually struggle with getting a likeness. I built this painting up with thin layers of paint. This is a friend of mine, he is a true cowboy and has been all of his life. I tried to use colors that symbolize and emphasize his occupation. I think I captured him fairly well.

to see more:  http://fawn-mcneill.artistwebsites.com

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Pony Tales, Happy Fourth of July!

"Pony Tales"
5 x 7 inches
Acrylic on watercolor paper
Sold

This is a painting I did of my boys' cousin when she was younger. I love the bright colors and the good memories it brings up.

Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created. 

Click here to see what others say about my work!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Carrot? original painting realism


"Carrot?"
9 x 12 inches
see detail below

Detail of "Carrot?" Horse painting

"Carrot?"
9 by 12 inches
Acrylic on gessoboard

$950.00


This is one I did a couple of months ago. I didn't finish the painting I started for today. This has to be my favorite painting. The horse is a quarter horse that lived down the road from me. I made up the girl trying to make friends.

Click here to see my gallery pages!

Email me at: fmcneillbarr@gmail.com for availability and/or information about having your own custom painting created.