Ringing in the New Year (or drawing it in?)

This is my last finished project for 2012. All told, I completed around 22 pieces, which isn't so bad considering I had to squeeze them in here and there around a full-time schedule.

You can tell that the original photo was taken with a flash, which I encourage people to avoid if at all possible. In this case we couldn't get around it.

Unveiling the surprises

So I've been sitting on these images and not able to share them until they were delivered to the new owners, but now I can let you see them. Woo hoo! They were fun to do. I can't wait until my next drawing. Who will it be?

Someone hired me right before Thanksgiving to do this portrait. Normally I'm a slow painter, since I tend to build in thin layers of color, so I had to push myself out of my comfort zone to get it done in time. Also, there was the possibility of more last-minute work which could show up at any moment (and did), so I was glad that I kept pushing and made the deadline. 

I knew about this project months before we actually found the right photo to draw. It was hard because it was a secret, but it was so worth it when the right image came in. A good photo to work from makes all the difference in a portrait!

As soon as I saw the baby's expression, I thought, "That's Winston Churchill!" Of course it wasn't really, but he did look kind of imperious, all the same. It's as though he takes life far more seriously than his older sibling who is in the middle of a belly laugh! Children are fabulous to draw!

The only thing I can post

I've been working a lot, but this is the only thing I can show you until after Christmas. It's not finished yet, but it's moving along. Took my last two Christmas jobs on Friday, and that's all I'll be able to squeeze in before the 25th. Afterwards I'll put up pictures of the drawings and paintings that were gifts. It's been so fun to work on these pictures, and I hope each person who receives one enjoys looking at it as much as I enjoyed painting or drawing it!

Art class Christmas party

I feel like I've completed one of the last hurdles before Christmas is here. We had our art class Christmas party on Friday for the younger group. The moms brought cookies, I made frosting and bought sprinkles, and the kids provided the creative talent. 

It was a little like doing Jackson Pollock art with frosting, so the clean up took a LONG time, but it was worth it. I'd show you pictures, but I was a little sticky at the time, and I've already eaten all of my cookies yesterday. (I have a feeling many of my students have, too.)

Little by little

This is my most recent project. I can post it because it isn't a surprise for anyone, but was purchased at a silent auction.

This photo was taken with a flash,
so it's going to be a bit more challenging.

Pencil drawing finished

Well, it's a little dark, because in the winter the sun goes down early and it's tough to take photos, but I finished up his hand and the right corner tonight. Busy this time of year, but I wanted to finish it.

: )

Art class Friday : )

Art class, as usual, went over well on Friday, but not as I expected (also as usual). The idea was to do a 3D project of something kind of high tech/space age with robotic type critters. However, when I suggested that they could do household rooms, Christmas scenes, etc., they took off from there. My own and my eldest daughter's examples were the only mechanized creations. One boy did the Chicago Bear's locker room with football players. Another did a library. Yet another did a room in a house with a Christmas tree (and zombies). It went on from there.

Did they have fun? Yes. Did they accomplish the point of the assignment? Pretty much, since it was to make a 3D-ish creation with stand-alone characters of some kind. Were my junior artists satisfied with themselves? Immensely.

And I think that's what it's all about.