Thursday, July 01, 2021

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


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!



 

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

May Flowers, mixed media, bees



                                                     


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



 

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

Friday, June 18, 2021

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






Enjoy!


Thursday, June 17, 2021

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)


email me for information about having a custom painting of your pet!
Fawn@fawnsartsudio.com

Sunday, April 25, 2021

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




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!


 

Friday, March 26, 2021

Seahorse, shoreline, mixed media, 3D painted plaque


Seahorse Seashore
42 x 6 inches
$250.00

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



 

Sunday, March 07, 2021

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

$225.00 (Free Shipping in US)



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

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

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 I want.  I usually start over with watercolors if it does not capture my intended effect.  In this series, I did salvage the two that I was not as happy with, 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)

$175.00 (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)


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

Monday, February 08, 2021

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 so I could use the deep blue for some of the shadows.  I used the acrylic paint in glazes to get 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)
$125.00 (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.  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 breath.  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
 

Friday, February 05, 2021

Hot Pink, hibiscus flower, knife painting


 "Hot Pink (hibiscus)"
original knife painting

This started as a yellow flower when I did the demo for an art class in 2019.  I never finished it, so when I came across it last week I decided to use a knife to add some detail and strengthen the contrast. For some reason, I was just not in the mood for yellow!  I wanted to play around with red violet and really push the shadow in the center by adding dark purple.  

I also love the softer background, which is part of the original demo.  So the contrast of the softer (more blended) brushwork in the background is emphasized by the thick almost abstract effect of the texture from using the knife on the petals and the small leaf.  That was what I was experimenting with.  I tried this a couple of times recently but did not get the results I was after.  This one turned out as I had hoped it would!

Enjoy!

Original knife painting
Acrylic on canvas
8 x 10 inches
Ready to frame
$195.00 (Or bid at a lower price)



Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability or for information about having something similar created!  
Price list by size.

Related Posts:

Spring Breezes, seascape with flowers, knife painting


 "Spring Breezes"
Original palette knife painting

This was started as a video lesson, but when I went back to finish it later I decided to add the flowers blowing in the wind.  I love the thick impasto effect of the knife work in the flowers. It was fun to use more paint than usual and challenge myself to leave it alone and not detail it out!

Enjoy!

8 x 10 inches
Acrylic on canvas
Ready to frame
Not Available


Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  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.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

Crashing Waves, shore line, mixed media knife painting


"Crashing Waves"

I love these transparent waves! This was originally a knife painting, then I got carried away with extra thick gesso and gel medium for the texture in the splash.  After that I added some beads and clear aquarium stones for extra bling.  I put it in a custom wood frame with a gold lip.  The frame really sets it off (see below).

9 x 12 inches
Original mixed media
Custom wood frame
$190.00


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.




 

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Morning Flight, angel, knife painting


"Morning Flight"

This was a demonstration for a video lesson, but the video cut off during the session and I didn't know it. I did the whole thing thinking I was still recording!  LOL.  I went ahead and did another demo knife painting with the angel facing the other way, which recorded fine. I think this one turned out better, so I framed it up first. 

 I like the transparency of the angel and the soft colors. I also like the way the bottom could be sky or water.  Palette knife paintings lend themselves to abstract qualities which leaves room for the imagination. It is also fun to load up thick amounts of paint and smear it all together.

Thanks for stopping by!

Original Art
Acrylic knife painting
11 x14 inches 
Ready to frame
$220.00  (free shipping in US)


Email me: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com  for availability or for information about having something similar created!   
Price list by size.