U-Mo'n-Ho'n (Upstream)

One more post and this should be done. I believe I've got the regalia done to my satisfaction. I'm waiting until the workable fix is workable before I start on the coloring in the face. I will probably also liven up the head dress some more also.

Lizzie

This is a picture of my niece Lizzie. It was taken at the Sunken Gardens in Lincoln. It's done on cream colored pastel paper with Carbon Pencil. This is another new medium for me. It's like a cross between graphite and Charcoal. It doesn't give the glare that graphite does but not as messy as charcoal. I can't wait to try it on Bristol Vellum paper.

U-Mo'n-Ho'n (upstream)

I decided to use the more earth tone colors to do the regalia. They remind me of fall indian corn. I've done the research I wanted and now I have a title U-Mo'n-Ho'n which is the indian word we translated into the word Omaha. It means upstream.

I always feel better once I get the eyes in! Still a lot more fine tuning to be done to the face but I'll wait until I get some values into the clothing. The actual outfit has very brightly colored. I did a rough with some earthier tones of the same colors. Haven't made up my mind yet. Any opinions?

I've been waiting for awhile to work on this picture! It was taken when we were at the Macy Powwow. I haven't named it yet because I want to do a little research. I plan on putting it in the show at Bellevue Little Theatre in March. Along with another I took while there. Cross your fingers I get them done and they are worthy!

Relative

I did this for my Aunt. Now I can't remember if it's my Grandfather or Great Grandfather. It was from a old out of focus picture of him and another relative.

Madison

This is a close up of the graphite drawing I did for a friends birthday. It's her new granddaughter Madison.

Black Hills

With some money I've made from some commissioned pieces I bought myself a computer toy, a graphics tablet. I have ideas how this will be useful in my fine art endeavors. I'm still learning how to use it. This is completely computer generated, not what I bought it for but kind of cool. It's a photo of a friend of ours taken during the Sturgis Trip.

Well my brother said it's been too long since I posted. I've been working on pieces that are gifts so I couldn't post them. So you get something old. This is about 5x7 experiment in water soluble graphite. Although she has a long neck I think it got too long.

Katie and Alex

I'm done! Hope you like it Marsha. I just loved how Alex's expression turned out and Katie's hands. Hands are hard. I hope Katie likes what her teeth look like after I took her braces off too.

Working to get this done for Christmas. I anticipate less than a week. The faces are done which are the most time consuming. The shirt will be simple and tie quick. The washes only take a few hours. I did a little transparent paper overlay to see how his coat on her would look darker and will be darkening it up. It really makes everything around her stand out more! I'm really please at how this coming out. I can't wait for Marsha to see it in person. It looks so much better in person!

Katie & Alex

Getting started on another picture for a friend! It's going quite fast. Surprisingly. I plan on doing the same watercolor wash as I've done before. This time I used block watercolor paper. I had some problem with the Bristol Vellum warping on the last one. It says it will take a light wash, but not so much. I worried about rough paper not doing well with the pencil shading but I quite like it. click on picture to see closer.

Hadari

Another "Quick" sketch I did at the zoo. Two hours qualifies as quick for me.

"Hadari" 6.4 lbs.Born 27 July 09

Mother Timu age 13

Father Samson age 14

"Mothers Patience"

Saturday the BAA group went to the Zoo and did some sketching. It was great fun! This one of Orangutans was finished up later from a photo I took. They move around too much for a finished sketch. I need to practice drawing faster and being less anal about the process. I think I'll spend a lot of time this winter visiting the Orangutans and sketching!

"Allis Chalmers"

This is an old broken down tractor I did that sits along one of the running trails I run. Kind of liked it more without the watercolor wash. Graphite and Watercolor

Sleeping Gorilla

I took this picture at the Henry Doorly Zoo. I decided to try out my new graphitint watercolor pencils to draw it.

"Sisterly Love"

I got this one done for a friend of mine. My paper is a little warped so it makes some shadows. I gotta fix that!

Paula and Jeff

These two pieces are also winners from the Silver Palette Show. The one on the left is my neighbor Paula's. It took 1st place in landscapes. The one on the right is also my neighbor Jeff's. It took 2nd place in Three Dimensional! Congratulations Jeff and Paula.

Silver Palette Show 2009

We had the Silver Palette Show today. In Animal Category I won 1st. place with "Breaking Through". In Portrait Category I won 2nd place with

"Bootlegger". It was a great show. A total of 23 artist and 65 pieces of artwork!

Sisterly Love

15 hrs. in and can see the finish line. Ashley's hair needs to be darkened more and some more contrast in the skin then I'll be off to start the wash which shouldn't take longer than an hour or two.

Sisterly Love

I'm about 11 hours into this drawing. I'm not the best photographer and am always disappointed in the drawing when I see the photo. Graphite glares easily and my darks and lights contrast too much in the photo but not on the piece. I can't wait to get started on the watercolor wash!

Sisterly Love

This is a drawing for a friend of mine. We lived in Okinawa together. She was pregnant with her oldest daughter when she moved there and pregnant with her youngest when she left. I will probably do a watercolor wash on this to finish it off.

"Bobby"

Finished! Here's a little information about "Bobby" from my sister-in-law.

He died Jan 29, 2009 from a Grain Elevator accident where he fell 80ft and left us that cold day.
My Uncles death has made awareness to me how unsafe work places can be, and how important it is for employeers to make their employees safe.
January 2008, the state of Nebraska signed an act called the Conveyance Safety Act, which excluded Agriculture companies out of state inspections to elevators, manlifts and many other lifts. My question, how can you exclude something as big as Agriculture out of an act when Nebraska is nearly 90% Agriculture based. Today my Uncle would have been here if that was signed I truly believe that, and I am working hard for this Agriculture to be added to this act this January.

"Breaking Through"

Finally done! (I think) I really like how it pops with the black mat.

Doodle Day

So I spent a week at Disney World and bought myself a Disney Sketch book while there. I decided to do all Disney Doodles and Sketches in it. Why my shoe? Well 12 hours of walking a day at Disney for a week and your shoes seem to the most important things to you.

"Breaking Through"

Just got back from vacation and back to work on my art. I'm trying to get this series of ocean wildlife done for a show at the Bellevue Little Theatre.

"Bobby"

Almost done! I've got a little fine tuning to do but not much longer.

Another glaze of shadow and color today. Next will be some shadowing on the shell.

Artist of the Month Sept. 09

I entered this picture in my local artist clubs Artist of the Month competition last night. The category was portraits, my specialty. There were many great portraits there! Thanks to all who voted for me. Next I'll enter it the Silver Palette Competition in October!

"Bobby"

I got a little more of Bobby done this weekend. I'm about 7 hours into to it but I anticipate it will go much faster once the mouth is done.

"Let sleeping dogs lie"

Doodle Day!

This is my dog Belle looking out the window. It's water soluble graphite.

"Bobby"

Another in progress drawing. This is a drawing I'm doing for my Sister-in-law. It's a photo of her Uncle that recently past away. She's going to write me a little something up about him to tell everyone of his untimely death at a grain elevator and how we can stop others from needlessly dying.

"Breaking Through 2"

I just realized how putting this in progress painting on my daily blog could have been a bad idea if the painting doesn't turn out. Well we learn by our mistakes and others hopefully. Today I got a little wash done on the body. The shadows on the body I thought turned out nice. I'm using Derwent Graphitint watercolor pencils. The water is "Ocean Blue" and the shadows are "Shadow". How appropriate! The Graphitints don't come in yellows so I used Derwent Signature watercolor pencil in "Diazo (Hue) .

"Breaking Through"

My in progress painting. This is a photo I took for the Henry Doorly Zoo Photo Contest. It was my favorite out of all I took but I put it up to my friends and family to pick the photo to enter and they all liked the Gorilla best. He didn't win but I'm not a photographer either. I would like to do a series of ocean life paintings to show at the Bellevue Little Theatre in March.

"Bootlegger"

"Bootlegger" This is done in Water soluble graphite. This was my first attempt with this medium and I was hooked. It works just like graphite but wetted it acts like watercolor. The pencils come in different hardnesses like other graphite but even the hardest is still quite soft. Have a pencil sharpener handy. This is an old picture of my Great Uncle Alvin. My mother assures me he wasn't a bootlegger. That was a different uncle :) I've always been fascinated with the photo as a child and imagined he was a bootlegger so the name stuck. It won artist of the month in my local Artist Association.

"Mt. Trashmore 2"

This is the complementary picture of the one I did on 19 Aug. It also is graphite with a watercolor wash. It appears my computer distorted the colors a bit. I did the best to correct that here. I found the face in shadows was a lot harder then the one of his sister in full sun. The old wood turned out better than I anticipated . The bits of old white paint popped out once I got the watercolor wash on. I plan on putting one or both of these paintings in the Silver Palette competition in October. Once I find out more guidelines.

"Pall Mall Man"

As I'm finishing my current painting I thought I'd post some old ones. This is a watercolor of my father-in-law called "Pall Mall Man" The wrinkles were done with watercolor pencils. I'm new to watercolor. This was my second serious attempt. I learned a lot and have so much more to learn. It recently won 2nd place in the 2009 Bellevue University Summer Art show!

"Mt. Trashmore"

This is a drawing from a photo of the daughter of a friend of mine. Her and her brother where visiting their grandparents and playing at a park called Mt. Trashmore. It used to be a land fill that was turned into a very nice park. I did a graphite drawing then added a light watercolor wash. I love the old colorized photo effect it gave it. The complementary drawing of her brother is almost done!