Friday, February 24, 2017

News from the Studio 2/24/17

Hello my friends,

I have some good news.  It may be mostly just good news for me, but I hope it will be good news for this blog and those of you reading it as well.  As the Lenten season begins next week, I will be taking a much needed break from the horrendous chains of the social media platform known as Facebook.  On the one hand, it is probably my greatest tool for promoting my work, and it's going to be challenging without it for 40 or so days.  But on the other hand, it has gotten to the point where I am almost sickened by it every day I log on.  I actually find that the days I'm not on Facebook at all are the genuinely good and productive days.  In that sense, it will be quite easy.  I sometimes think about how much I miss the days when social media didn't exist. 
So, my Lenten hiatus from Facebook means I will happily be able to spend more time productively keeping this blog page up to date.

The Blue Springs Art Show is next weekend, March 4th - 5th.  And of course, I am participating.  It is back again at Vesper Hall, 400 NW Vesper, from 10am - 5pm on Saturday, and 11am - 4pm on Sunday.  As it goes, I will have two paintings showing.  I hope to see you there!

My series of paintings, Light Up The Darkness, is still going.  Going slow, but it's still going.  I am working through a lot of ideas for paintings in my head, and I have found that I sometimes like to change my mind about things midway through a project.  So these paintings sometimes go slower than usual.  But here is a tiny glimpse of what I am working on right now:



I have also recently finished a new commission.  A few years ago I painted a portrait of this young man named Mason:


Most recently I painted his brother Logan, who is now a high school senior himself.  I will be able to post the finished piece later, once I have handed it over to the family.  But I do have a small peek of it I can show now:


I had a fun time painting this one, and Logan did a pretty awesome job sitting for me.  And speaking of Mason, it was awesome to hear that he began Marine Corps boot camp back in September.  He dealt with some illness that delayed the process, but I am happy to say that after the grueling final test known as the Crucible, Mason became a United States Marine on Thursday morning, February 23rd.  I may just have to paint him in uniform at some point.

By the way, I would love to paint a commissioned portrait for you or a family member/friend.  It is a perfect way to celebrate a high school senior in the family, as with Mason and Logan.  But I am ready, willing, and happy to paint any portrait for any occasion.  I use all professional high quality oils and canvas (linen or cotton) to ensure it will last for generations.

On that note, I wanted to mention a special portrait commission that came to me last year from a mother wanting a memorial portrait of her daughter.  And what a pleasure it was to work on this one.  Sometimes, it's all about capturing a good memory and essence of a loved one, which is what this special portrait was all about.  With permission, I am happy to show it to all.

Nadia
oil on linen
14x11 inches
2016

More to come later, my friends!