Defender of the Weak, angel with sword

 "Defender of the Weak"

© Fawn McNeill 2019

    Had just started experimenting with adding found objects to my paintings when I created this angel.  I used metallic gold paint, beads, and gems to give it stronger emphasis. This is part of a series of palette knife angels paintings I used to do quite often. painting with a knife creates unique mixtures of color and thick texture.  Exciting and fun!

• Original knife painting
• Mixed media
• 9 x 12 inches
• Sold

Click here to see more 

Email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, or information on having a similar painting custom-made in your favorite colors and in a size you want.

Busy Morning, mixed media, colorful flowers, insects, and a frog

"Busy Morning"

    What can I say? I certainly got carried away with this little piece! 

    Honestly, I wasn't happy with it at first. It started as a palette knife painting. Nothing seemed to be working out.  I added more knife work and even used paper clay to build up the flowers.  (Paper clay is an air-dry clay that has paper fibers in it.  It dries stronger and is better suited for mixed media projects than regular air-drying clay.) But I still was not liking it. 

     Carol Jones (https://www.facebook.com/CarolsTreasuresFromTheSea), a close friend of mine, sent this resin frog as a gift with my order of seahorses and starfish. It made me smile each time I looked at it.  I moved it all around to see if it would look good and where I might add it.  It cracked me up! That got things moving.  I added some charms and then purchased some molds to make insects and flowers out of paper clay.  Thought I would use resin at first, but the paper clay worked so well I just kept making more.  

    The advantage of paper-clay is that I can paint it any color I want.  Resin stays as it was created, so you have to get the colors right when you make the mold.

    Painting the molded insects and flowers was time-consuming but enjoyable.  Each piece gave me a new idea of what else I wanted to add. I had to make myself stop because it was too much fun to keep adding more! 

    This breaks so many rules on so many levels!  So I went back and added shadows to the bottom and the left side of the painting (to tone it down some) and also to keep the viewer's eye in the painting.  I also used a solid color scheme of complementary colors throughout the project to harmonize the painting. 

    To top it all off, I made a shadow box frame for it and sealed it behind glass.  This added to the whole notion of a child capturing a frog in a jar!  So far everyone that sees it starts laughing.  That makes it all worth so much more!

ENJOY!

• Original art
• Mixed media
• 8 x 10 inches
• Gold shadow box frame (see below)
• SOLD

Click here to see more 

 

Wedding Roses, white roses

 

"Wedding Roses" 

© Fawn McNeill 2007

Here is another one I just reframed.  I think this fancy frame is perfect for it!  

Click here to see the original post.

This is another one of Kathy Papasso's frames that have been on sale at the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

• Original art
• Acrylic on hardboard
• 5 x 7 inches
• Elaborate silver frame
• $125.00 (Free shipping in USA)

Click here to see more 

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Enchanted Morning, water lilies, great egret

"Enchanted Morning" 

© Fawn McNeill 2010

Just reframed this little favorite painting.  I did it on location (en plein air) quite a few years ago at White City Park, in Fort Pierce, Florida.  White City Park has always been one of the best places to do a paint-out.  It is hard to decide where to set up my easel!  By the river or near a pond, it doesn't matter because every painting turns out amazing.  

This is one of Kathy Papasso's frames I purchased at the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural Alliance.  Her husband donated her equipment and frames (and many of her paintings) after she passed away from COVID last year.

It brings me comfort and joy to use her frames.

Enjoy!

• Original Plein Air painting
• Acrylic on canvas
• 8 x 10 inches
• Elaborate gold frame
• $325.00 (free shipping in the USA)

Click here to see more art

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Related Posts:

Indian Hills Morning

Early Reward

 

3D Sea-Star, Starfish, beach shore on rope

Cleaned up this old gray rope décor before adding two coats of bright white primer.  Then I got to paint my favorite colors of sand and sea.  The primer made it easier to work on the rough surface and made the colors stronger.  It took a few tries to get the colors to blend on the bumpy surface, but I love the way it turned out!

Enjoy!

• Original art
• Hand-painted 
• Acrylic on a 3D rope structure
• Approximately 14 x 14 x 3 inches
• $225.00 (free shipping in the US)

Email me for availability: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

 

 

Serene Beach, shoreline, accent table, solid wood furniture

"Serene Beach"

© Fawn McNeill 2022

 

This is my first piece of furniture.  I started it two years ago!  I was working on it just before COVID shut everything down and I had to close my gallery.  Most everything has been in storage since.  

Lately, we've been remodeling, and I've been cleaning things out.  It has been good to finish up some older projects.

Originally I did a practice painting ("Invitational") on a canvas after ordering the table. Wanted to figure out how to make the woodgrain appear to be sand under the transparent water and to gain some confidence that I wouldn't add too much paint and lose the woodgrain.  It took a few tries to get the effect I wanted.  (See below.)

I left more sandy areas on this painting because I loved the wood grain showing through.  It required thin layers of paint, so I used a matte medium instead of water to make the paint transparent. I also added more seafoam than on the practice painting.  Just got carried away.  

I used a semi-gloss finish, sanding between each coat with fine-grade sandpaper. Five coats of finish! It made a beautiful hard surface that should not scratch easily.

• One-of-a-kind, hand-made original.
• Acrylic painting on a custom-made table.
• Solid wood accent table (a little taller than a coffee table).
• 5 coats of clear sealer.
• 22W x 40L x 21 H inches.
• SOLD

Click here to see more

"Invitational" 

© Fawn McNeill 2020

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 24 inches

Sold

Coming Storm, seascape, knife painting

"Coming Storm"  © Fawn McNeill 2022

This painting started as a demo for one of my children's art classes. We used different tools for different textures.  The clouds were made with crumpled paper towels dipped in paint.  The water and waves were created with a painting knife, and the sand was tapped in with a stippling brush and some knife work.

The support is a mat board that was sealed on both sides with a clear primer before we started.  Some of the dark color of the mat board peeks through.

 Love the way it came together. I went back later and finished it up with more layers and details. 

Enjoy!

• Original art
• Acrylic on mat board
• 8 x 11 inches (matted to 11 x 14)
• Suede mat (see below)
• Ready to Frame
• $175.00 (Free Shipping in USA)

Click here to purchase

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.  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 they are done on paper or mat board they should be framed behind glass with a mat to keep them off of the glass. (Glass can trap moisture and ruin the artwork.) 

Related Posts:

 Transparent Shore

Breathtaking Impact

Beach Pines, seascape, cardinals, knife painting

 "Beach Pines"

With COVID came a few unfinished lesson plans.  This painting started as a fall scene with deciduous trees.  After it sat in storage partly painted (due to closing the gallery),  I went back over it and exaggerated the beach.  It took over from there! No resistance from me either.  I got carried away with adding larger tree trunks, bark, and pine needles (all created with a knife), which added interesting contrasts to the smooth brushwork in the sky.  The male and female cardinals were an afterthought because I wanted to add some brighter color back into the composition - which led to the dead needles to give it color balance.

Acrylic on canvas

Knife painting

11 x 14 inches 

Ready to frame

SOLD

Click here to see more

Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, or for information about having something similar created in a size you prefer.

Sanderlings, shore birds

 "Sanderlings"

© Fawn McNeill 2004

Drip, drip drip. Spritz the paint, tip the painting back to slow the runs, and watch the colors bleed into each other.  Way too cool.

Fun memories! Just pulled this large painting out of storage.  It is part of a 'drippy' series I did years ago.  I believe I did 10 in this style.  The paint is harder to control and similar to watercolors, but on canvas it spreads differently.  The goal is to create an abstract background and then add realism with thick paint and details over the top. This gives it more contrast in transparency against the opaqueness. 

When acrylics are thinned with water instead of with a gloss or matte medium, it is not as permanent and can be easily damaged even after it is dry. Using thin runny paint actually jeopardizes the integrity of acrylics. So I sealed it when I was finished with a few layers of semi-gloss medium and varnish to protect it. (I prefer using professional grade paints and mediums.) Once sealed, the integrity of the painting is restored.  It can be cleaned with a damp cloth if needed without lifting off any of the color.

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 30 in

Thin custom wood frame (see below)

1,500.00 plus shipping

Click here to see more

Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, or for information about having something similar created in a size you prefer.

Reaching Up, abstract iris, knife painting

"Reaching Up"

© Fawn McNeill 2010

Fourth in a series that started with a little watercolor painting inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe. I just got it out of storage and cleaned it up!

Original acrylic

Knife painting

16 x 20 inches

Ready to frame

$270.00 (free shipping in the US)

Click here to see more

Please email me at: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com for availability, or to have something similar created in a size you prefer.

 

Beach Reflections, blue heron

"Beach Reflections"

This gorgeous sunset with vivid colors set off the silhouette of a great blue heron as he posed for my friend Carol. 

I used a palette knife for some of the dramatic highlights in the foreground, which gave the painting stronger contrast of not only the highlights but also the thick layers against the smooth brushwork.

The frame (see below) is heavily textured wood, which I slightly accented with gold throughout and then gave it a stronger gold inner lip.

Original art

Acrylic on canvas

14 x 18 inches

Unique custom frame

SOLD

Click here to see more

Enjoy!

 

Winter Morning, sunrise reflections

Winter Morning

© 2021

Just rescued this old demo from last year.  Painted over most of it. Turned grays and rocks into lovely morning colors dancing on the snow and the water.  Love the unruly pine tree too! 

That's how life is for me lately, turning the struggles into something, although I'm not as sure about the outcome with life situations!  Most of it is good.  God is faithful.  (Romans 8:28, He works it out for good if you love Him.)

8 x 10 inches

Acrylic on canvas panel

Ready to frame

SOLD

Please email me for availability, or if you are interested in having something similar painted in a size you prefer: fawn@fawnsartstudio.com

Click here to see more

 

Christmas Trees on shells

 

Shell ornament, front and back: Morning Christmas Trees

Fun little projects for the Okeechobee Arts and Cultural  Alliance gift shop.

Approximately 3 x 4 inches.  (Pearlescent paint on back.)

         Shell ornament, front and back: Christmas Eve Trees

The colors of these seashells have a wonderful effect that reminds me of sunrise and sunset. The Christmas eve shell also suggests mountains on an ice-covered lake in the distance. 

The shimmer on the back reflects the lights nicely when hung on a Christmas tree. (In case the ornament gets turned.)

Click here to see more

Please email me if you would like something similar: Fawn@fawnsartstudio.com