Sandy Daze, beach, shells, sand dollar, mixed media

"Sandy Daze"

Here is a free art lesson:

I cleaned and sealed this unusually large sand dollar, which was bleached white, before adding color to it.  I used very thin glazes of paint to get subtle value changes.  I would add color and rub it off, leaving a soft stain behind.  This made the flower shape stand out, which is what I wanted.

Next, I tried it in a wooden tray, a shadow box and on a regular canvas.  But I wanted some kind of wood support to give it more protection, without it being so deep.   This inverted cradled wood really set it off!  I liked the way I could use the edges as a frame too.  It was the perfect depth to show off the sand dollar and still give it some protection.  I primed the wood surface and then created the sandy colors for the beach.  I used professional grade acrylic modeling paste (which doesn't crack or loose its hold as easily as student grade) to adhere the sand dollar and build up thick areas of sand at the bottom.  (I added some sand color to the modeling paste before using it.) The shells in the sand gave it more balance and interest.

Painting transparent glazes (thinned paint with acrylic matte medium) for the water gave the illusion of the sand dollar being in the water instead of on top of it.  Then I used gel medium to adhere beads and create some texture for the splash.  (The texture is rendered with a palette knife by tapping gently onto the thick gel medium.)

  I used a paint brush and more opaque paint as I moved away from the sand dollar.   I love the sandy areas in the water, and put some of those back in when they disappeared. Using small detail brushes for extra shadows under the splash and under some of the shells gives it more depth.  Then small liner brushes are nice for extra details and lacey lines of seafoam. Had fun adding some pearlescent paint for extra shimmer in the water (as well as on some of the small shells at the bottom).

I painted the back and then the edges of the frame before using matte gel medium to adhere the shells to the corners.  Then I sealed the whole piece with two coats of an acrylic semi-gloss clear medium and varnish.

 I use professional-grade acrylic colors and mediums also because they have more intense hues and are thicker in viscosity. 

Feel free to email me with questions if you want to try to create a mixed-media piece of your own! 

fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

About this painting:

Mixed Media on Cradled Wood

10 x 10 x 3/4 inches

$800.00 plus shipping

Click here to see more 

Click here for another free lesson

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Be Still, wood plaque

 

This was a little plaque I found with the words already on it.  It was plain white with a bit of wood grain showing.  I cleaned and primed the surface before I painted over it in thin layers.  I added the letters back onto it where they had almost disappeared.  I used a matte medium to make the glazed colors so they would be transparent.  This glazing technique adds a nice luster and depth to the painting, and it also ensures that the integrity of the paint is not jeopardized.  Then I used a semi-gloss sealer over the whole thing to give it a uniform shine and to protect the painting.

I generally do not like words in my art, but this was simple and the words didn't overpower the painting.  It really spoke to me.  There is always a refreshing of the soul when I  go to the beach. (I also like the nice twist of creating my art over the words.) I will most likely do a few more of these and see how it goes.

Enjoy!

Be Still

Acrylic on cradled wood

10.75 x 5 x 1.5 

SOLD

Blessed Shores, painted bowl, seascape, angels

"Blessed Shores"

I found this interesting bamboo bowl at a thrift store.  It goes perfectly with my seascape theme.   The painting is small, and the large bamboo sides of the bowl frame it out dramatically.  

I painted it with thoughts about when I lived on Guam, where I graduated from high school.  I was part of a youth group that put together island adventures frequently.  We explored hiking trails that led to hidden waterfalls, swam in crystal clear pools in deep caves, and had many beach parties and retreats.  Amazing memories!

This bowl was in rough shape.  I cleaned it up and repaired the broken corners before priming the bottom. The bamboo was gray and dingy at first, so after I cleaned it up (with alcohol) the colors came back to a warm brown tone, which I loved.  From there I tried to use similar colors in the sand to give it harmony.  The angels were added for symbolism of my new found faith as a teenager.

Enjoy!

Acrylic in a bamboo bowl

image: 5.5 x 5.5 inches

Overall size: 12 x 12 inches

SOLD

Click here to see more

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

Thanks for looking!

 

May Flowers, mixed media, bees

                

"May Flowers"

                                                     

This little painting has charms and beads added to it.  The original photos came from pictures I took on a misty morning with all the wild flowers  lit up from the sun peeking through.  The beads and bumble bees came later when I wanted to have some fun with it.

Enjoy!

Mixed media on hardboard

5 x 7 inches

Custom frame (see below)

SOLD

Click here to see more

 

Hand-crated original art, professional materials, and sealed with a clear acrylic sealer.

All Wrapped Up Again, mixed media, heart

 

"All Wrapped Up Again"

Added some beads and glitter paint to this old gem.  I love the way it shines when the light hits it from different angles.  I also strengthened the tiny black shadows.  

I've been having too much fun with these mixed media pieces!

Mixed media on hardboard

5 x 7 inches

Custom frame: classic black

SOLD

Click here to see more

Enjoy!

Time Out, boxer dog and butterfly

 "Time Out"

Started this as a portrait of a friend's boxer.  It didn't turn out too well at first, so I scrapped it.  I changed the colors and then added a butterfly.  (It is always better to start over if things aren't working out, then I can play around with the one I wasn't happy with).    I like it much better now. It will make nice greeting cards. 

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 16 inches

Ready to frame

$575.00 (Free shipping in the US)

Click here to purchase

Click here to see more 

email me for information about having a custom painting of your pet!

Fawn@fawnsartsudio.com

Related Posts:

 Maggie Mae

Black Jack

Let it Shine, blue zebra

"Let it Shine"

. . . Let your light shine before men . . .  Mathew 5:16

I took pictures of this little zebra out at Antlered Acres last year.  Her name is Karen.  She is not tame, but she did let me get close enough for some nice photos.  The sun lit up her stripes and her main to show all kinds of subtle color changes. Of course the photos only captured a little of that, so when I sketched different ideas for this little painting I knew I wanted to exaggerate the colors.  

I zoomed in and cropped the composition so I could make her eye the focal point and try to capture her intense expression.  Plus I wanted some detail of the fur instead of making the stipes all smooth (which some of them absolutely were on her face, especially close to her muzzle).

Originally I thought I would create her all in sepia tones (as a monochrome), but the shadows of the white were such a beautiful light blueish gray that I kept dipping into blues and purples, which led to the stripes getting more of the same. This accented the wonderful contrast of the browns and oranges in the highlighted areas.  

I have worked on this painting of and on for almost a year. It was a tough year.  I closed and moved twice and then had to have major repairs on the home studio as well.  So I ended up moving things in and out of storage again! (Click here to read about this past year ).

 But more than all that, I think I just didn't want to be done because I enjoyed it so much. It was one of the bright spots in the middle of such difficult times. I just kept going back and changing the placement of the stripes, or shadows, or the shape of the eye.  I finally made myself stop and sign it!

About this painting:

Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

The sides are painted, framing is optional

8 x 8 x 1.5 inches

$395.00

Click here to see more 

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

Thanks for looking!

 

Seahorse, shoreline, mixed media, 3D painted plaque

Seahorse Seashore

24 x 6 inches

$850.00

A friend of mine got this plaque for me, it was varnished wood.  I had to strip it, sand it, and prime it before I could even begin painting it!  It was well worth the time and energy!  Once I started painting the blues and teals I fell in love with it.  When I added the beads and shells and more details, I wasn't sure if I would be able to part with it!

The eye is made from a small shell that had a pinkish color to it and a cool spiral pattern on it.  I turned it so the shape of the shell curved up in the back, like the eye is looking down a little. I painted black around it and added black for the pupil. I added pearlescent shine just below the eye and some tiny beads. 

I love these shells for fins!

The tail has beads and a shell, but it needed more, so I added some shallow waves to tie it in with the rest of the seahorse.

Thanks for looking!

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

 

Mountain Rush, waterfall, knife painting

 

"Mountain Rush"

I have done this scene as demonstration paintings a few times. This one I decided to go back and rework the entire painting with palette knives.   This makes it unique and more interesting as it becomes full of new color mixtures and thick textures.  Knife paintings are a little harder, especially if I want details and realism, so I have to remind myself to keep it suggestive.  I do use tiny brushes for the extras (like the eagle). 

I wanted to use knives because of the rough texture of the rocks, which a palette knife renders very nicely.  

Original knife painting

Acrylic on canvas

11 x 14 inches

Ready to frame

$650.00 (Free Shipping in US)

 Click here to see more

Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com   for information about having something similar created in a size you would like!

Morning Splash, beach, seascape, watercolor

 

"Morning Splash"

I painted three of these (three tries), each a little different. (See below for how I tried to fix the sand on the first one.)  I was practicing different ideas for the sand and ended up liking the use of a tooth brush over a fan brush because the grain of the sand turned out smaller and a little easier to control. 

Watercolors are a little more difficult for me because mistakes are harder to correct.  With acrylics, I can paint over things and change my mind as often as needed.  I usually start over with watercolors if it does not capture my intended effect.  In this series, I managed to salvage the two that I was not as happy with at first, and I ended up with three nice paintings.  The one featured below has a little more depth with the extra sand dune.

Watercolor on acid-free paper

11 x 14 (including the mat)

Ready to frame (should be framed behind glass)

$500.00 (free shipping in the US)

Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, thank you!

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.) 

Thanks for stopping by!

Click here to see more

"Morning Treasure"

watercolor

11 x 14inches (including mat)

Not available

Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for more information.

Transparent Shore, small wave

"Transparent Shore"

Just finished this one! It is a take-off from "Invitational" (see below), but this is much smaller.  Also, I experimented with painting it on a royal blue mat.  I primed the matboard with a clear primer to use the deep blue for some shadows.  I used acrylic paint in glazes to create some interesting layers of colors. Then I used the paint thicker for a more opaque and solid effect in the sand area.  I added the foam and splash last to give it more movement and contrast.  I sealed the whole painting with professional-grade semi-gloss acrylic sealer.

This small painting took longer than most, but I enjoyed it immensely!

Acrylic on mat board

Ready to frame (should be framed behind glass)

8 x 10 inches (including mat)

$500.00

Email me for availability: Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

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.  Artwork 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 matboard they should be framed behind glass with a mat to keep them off of the glass. (Glass can trap moisture and ruin the artwork.) 

Thanks for stopping by!

"Invitational" © 2020

12 x 24 inches

Acrylic on canvas

SOLD