In the month of August, I was awarded a Special Merit certificate for entering the Light, Space & Time Online Gallery “Nature”. Although it isn’t a top prize and I am one of several, it’s a delight to seen my name on the list, and see my submitted entry in the YouTube slide show. You can view my entry at 3 minutes 11 seconds into the video.

I was also shortlisted for the Rise Art Insider promoted artist. The curators complimented and praised my submitted body of work, and gave me some insightful suggestions for improvement for future promotions. While you may enjoy what you do, it’s nice to be told other people like it too. It makes you feel like you might just be going along the right road.

I’ve started, by accident, to create photo montages of clients’ vacation photos. And discovered how fun and enjoyable it is to create a piece of artwork that is so specifically for them, of them, and by them. You take the photos; they’re your memories, your vacations, your summer sun. I arrange, edit, layer, and artistically organize a unique and very personal family album, in essence, which you can display in your home. Call it a reconstructed photo album. All those JPEGs on your computer presented into a piece of artwork that is also full of stories to share from your holiday. It’s a privilege for me to be invited into the holiday, into the moments of relaxation, the selfies, the care free moments away from the old 9-5 job. Families, couples, friends: it’s a real treat for me, the artist.

I haven’t done too many animal portraits, as I prefer people. But it was wonderful to be painting again, and there was barely an ‘ugly’ stage to this painting! Almost every painting has some ugly stage: when colors are put down quickly to cover white canvas, when the perspective is off a little and needs adjusting. But this was a most enjoyable process from the first pencil marks to the last varnish layer. I’ve painted the background with looser brush strokes, less details and duller colors to add depth to the painting. Only the dog is painted with fine brush marks and details to emphasize how close the dog is to the viewer. Although, I am painting from a photograph, I don’t want it to look like a painted photograph. The difference between hyper realism across the whole painting (like a photograph) and suggested foliage, trees and skyline with the subject and focus being the dog.

I hope the lady for whom this portrait is for will love my representation of her dear departed four-legged friend. I hope she sees the essence of her pet through these layers of paint, glaze and varnish. My client shared with me that this photo of the dog is an absolute favorite of the lady for whom the painting is for. This photo sums up her dog’s character and lovable self. It was used as screen savers, image on her bank card, everywhere. It makes it very apt that this is the photo to be painted for her.

Until next time, many bright and colorful blessings

Evelyn