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

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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

 

Fluffy, bunny portrait, knife painting

"Fluffy"

This is a take off of "Peter" which I did years ago.

I thought I would add mixed media and thick layers of impasto, but I stopped here because I really liked it and didn't want to mess it up by adding too much.  It is much harder to undo mixed media than it is to change knife paintings.

I apologize for the glare on the images. I usually do my photography with a professional camera, but these were taken with my cell phone, because they were spoken for before I had a chance to get a better capture. The glare is in a different place on each image, so you can get a good overall idea.  (Images never capture the way it truly looks in person because the camera can't capture the subtle changes in values and hues.)

I made the little custom frame for it.  I mitered, joined and then embellished it.  I love the little bit of gold lace on the inside lip.  It adds a nice texture and enhances the painting too.

6 x 6 inches

Knife painting

Not Available 

Email me if you would like a portrait of your pet or livestock: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

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

$85.00 

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Morning Path, knife painting

 

"Morning Path"

© Fawn McNeill 2021

The plants lit up when the sun hit them just right. The orange and yellow really caught my eye along this pathway. I took lots of photos. There were birds and wildlife greeting me at every turn!

I updated this little gem with a couple of palms, a bird, and a little bunny.  I also put it in this custom frame, which I painted with a lacy gold trim.  I love it!

Enjoy!

~ Acrylic on hardboard

~ Original palette knife painting
~ 5 x 7 inches 

~ Unique custom frame (see below)

~ $155.00 (free shipping in US)

Click here to purchase

Click here to see more

                                             

Related Posts:

 On My Way

Gravel Path

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

 

Mountain Air Too, colorful knife painting

 "Mountain Air, Too"

© Fawn McNeill 2020

This was originally a demonstration painting for an art lesson last year.  I was doing semi-private lessons after everything closed down from COVID.   I went back later and repainted it as a knife painting to add more texture and details.  It quickly became one of my favorites!

~ Original knife painting

~ Acrylic on stretched canvas

~ 11 x 14 inches

~ Ready to frame 

~ $290.00

Click here to purchase

Click here to see more

Related Posts:

 First Snow

Smokies

Heaven's Grace, Knife painting, Dove

 "Heaven's Grace"

© by Fawn McNeill, Dec. 2020

This is a demonstration painting from last year. I was using the knife to paint over a smoothly painted background (used a brush for the background).  I wanted to exaggerate the contrast of the smooth texture against the rough texture. 

This painting is special to me because I sign my name with a dove as a thank you to God the Father.  The dove is symbolic for the Holy Spirit.

Acrylic on canvas

11 x 14 inches

Ready to frame

$225.00 (Free shipping in the US)

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

Click here to see the demo video

Relax, beach scene, sunset, coat hanger

"Relax"

I found this wood sign in a thrift store.  Went back to it several times, but I really did not want to clean it up.  It was old, grimy, and smoke stained. It also needed some wood glue to hold the letters in place as they were coming loose.  

The scene on it was cartoonish, and the shells were dull browns. I wasn't sure it would be worth the time to clean it and prime it.   

First I repaired it, then I tried to clean it.  What a mess.  It did not come clean, even with strong cleansers and rubbing alcohol.  So I sanded it down to get most of the dirt and paint off.  Then I primed it with a couple of coats of white primer.  

The shells and starfish are made from some kind of hard plastic.  I used a special primer so the acrylic paint would not peel off.  (Acrylic paint does not like slick surfaces.)

 Now I could see it would work.  I drew my seascape on it and got the first layer of color started. That's when I knew it would be worth it! I always love painting the colors of the ocean, and this was one I could really exaggerate.  I also added some pearlescent paint to my colors on the shells and some in the painting too.  When you view it at different angles it shines.  

The idea of taking something I would have thrown away and turning it into something beautiful and valuable really made me feel good.  Made me think about how God rescues us so often, and He turns our lives around for good.

Description:

Original hand crafted art

Acrylic on wood

Coat hanger (see below)

15.5 x 8.5 inches

SOLD

Click here to see more original art

Thanks for looking!

 

Casper, white calf, knife painting

"Casper"

Revisited this older painting.  Corrected a few things, added flowers, and exaggerated the eyes to make it even cuter.   I also changed the name and put it in a new frame. 

Sometimes they go into storage and when I bring them out for a new frame I just have to fix the things that don't look right to me now.  

Too funny how we see things differently over time!

Description:

Original art

Acrylic palette knife painting

Image size: 5 x 7 inches 

Custom frame (see below)

$155.00 (free shipping in the USA)

Please email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com or to have something similar created!

Click here to see more

 

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)

$185.00 (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

Click here to see more

Thanks for looking!