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. 

 

Rough Shore, sand dunes, waves, mixed media

"Rough Shore"

"...in this world you will have trouble... Take heart,

 I have overcome the world!" 

 (Jesus) John 16:33

 Learned how hard it is to undo things that have been adhered to with acrylic modeling paste while I was working on this painting (off and on for the last couple of years)!  It certainly is difficult to change my mind once it has dried.  (This was one of my early experiments with mixed media.)

 I started it just before I closed my gallery and teaching center because of the pandemic.  Worked on it several times, but I struggled to resolve the texture issues that are left behind when you remove items that aren't working.

I wanted to contrast smooth areas (created with a brush) with thick areas (built up with a palette knife).  I was after the effect of waves crashing against rocks near the shore.  This proved to be quite a mess at first.  Needed to resolve texture issues and correct the size and placement of waves coming onto the shore. Finally found the effect I was after.

Then I got to have some fun! Added sea glass, beads, shells, and aquarium stones. Rearranged them several times before deciding on exactly where to place them.

I framed it in this lovely textured frame, which complements the whole effect I was trying for.  

• Original Art
• Mixed media on hardboard
• Professional materials
• 11 x 14 inches
• Textured custom frame (see below)
• SOLD

Email me if you are interested in something similar! Custom orders are priced by size.

fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Thanks for looking!

 

To and Fro, beach, crabs, waves

 "To and Fro"

Palette knife painting on a small wooden plank.  This was actually a failed attempt at transparent layers of water rushing up over the sand.  The wood grain was perfect for the sand and made interesting patterns that I wanted to exaggerate.  But the wood its self was damaged in a quite a few places and the thin layers of paint exaggerated the odd scars in the wood, which went in the opposite direction of what I was trying to achieve.

So I squished out large blobs of paint and took my palette knife and covered the scarred wood with wonderful mixtures and textures!  I added some pearlescent paint in the water and two little crabs running back and forth on the beach, which made me laugh.  Good memories.

About this painting:

Acrylic knife painting

(mixed media)

Wood support, wired and ready to hang

12 x 5.5 inches

SOLD

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Thanks for looking!

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

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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

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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