“Coming Soon” — tiger honey batik bearded iris.
Baboon bottom bearded iris
(I need to confirm this, it is more peach than pink – I think they sent me a different variety!)

Two fuchsia wave petunia bags flank my garage door. Full of blooms. Love!!!

Recently relocated allium – doing just fine!

Lollipop gerbera daisy. OH YEAH. Gorgeous. Hold still for your close up, Lol!

She’s a stunner!

One bloom remained on the plant, it’s doing just fine. :thumbsup:

And then, she had a wet iris competition:

oooooooooOOOooooo…

aaaaaHhhhhHhhhhh…

And the winner is…

Today begins Week #20 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Shannon’s Boston Terrier, Sir Reiko Suave. That look! That’s where the saying “puppy dog eyes” comes from. Love it. Thanks for sharing Reiko with me, Shannon!

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend
Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frames

available through Dick Blick. Sox & BJ (below) are framed using this frame:

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

WEEK 20 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Open (pets, animals, people)

Deadline

: Friday, May 15, 2009 (5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions,

leave a comment with your story

as your entry, attach your photo to an e-mail separately, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Note: *G* Rating only

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Download 1024×768
 
I’ve captured my very first white Iris bloom (and named her Taba) on camera, and created a desktop wallpaper for you to download.
 
Just right click on the download link above, save to your computer, and enjoy!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Q: What do you call four male goldfinches on a line?
(continue reading for the answer)

The vegetable garden is in! I planted Eggplant, cucumber, green peppers, beefsteak tomatoes, bush beans and broccoli. I can’t wait to watch as it grows and starts producing veggies!! I just loved cutting fresh broccoli last summer and steaming it – there is nothing better, no store bought broccoli compares!

We were lucky, I guess, in that I really didn’t have to deal with many bugs at all in my garden. This may have been because I use Cutter backyard spray on our grass to keep the bugs at a minimum – the spray lasts about 4 weeks, so we can enjoy our yard without being bitten or pestered (much)!

Keep reading »

Today begins Week #19 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Karen with her stunning German Shepherd, MoJo. She shared a beautiful poem about their relationship:

I am worried…..
you are there.
I am so sad…..
you are there.
I reach out and touch you…..
you are there.
I am so very joyful…..
you are there.
I will never take for granted one minute of our lives…..
that we have been blessed to share.

KAT

Thank you so much for sharing, Karen! I know I’m not the only one who can relate to those words!

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend the Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frame, available through Dick Blick.

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

WEEK 19 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Open (pets, animals, people)

Deadline

: Friday, May 8, 2009 (5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions,

leave a comment with your story

as your entry, attach your photo to an e-mail separately, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Note: *G* Rating only

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Today begins Week #18 of my 2009 weekly graphite portrait giveaway! Each week, one winner will be selected to receive one 5×7 graphite (pencil) drawing from their photograph.

Last week’s winner was Stephanie’s adorable Budgie parakeet, Pippin. Pippin passed away a little over a month ago, but while she was here, she made a huge difference in Stephanie’s life. You can read her first entry here, her most recent here.

A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend the Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frame, available through Dick Blick.

Weekly Contest Announcement!

 

Each Monday, I post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait (above). I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.

Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon around 5PM CST, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I’ll announce the winner on Saturday and post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.

Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com. Your entry, however, should be included in the comment section below, with your story – should you choose to include one.

The Selection Process: In case you’re curious, I’ll share my little artsy process in selecting the winner. First – I do not read any entries at all during the week. I do not read them because I don’t want anyone’s entries to have any more time than any others to settle in my creative brain. At the end of the week, I close comments. When I sit down to go through all of the entries, I read the story first, and open the photo link in a new window. When I finish reading, I flip over to the photo and my initial reaction is what I go by.

If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.

WEEK 18 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

: Open (pets, animals, people)

Deadline

: Friday, May 1, 2009 (5pm CST)

To Enter

: Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions,

leave a comment with your story

as your entry, attach your photo to an e-mail separately, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.

Note: *G* Rating only

Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.

Good luck!!

 

Put this button on your blog to remind yourself to enter each week!
Link it to:
http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/Or just copy and paste this code:
<a href=”http://intricateart.com/browse/blog/getting-creative/graphite-portrait-giveaway/”><img src=”http://intricateart.com/wp-content/uploads/leannewildermuth125.jpg” title=”Leanne Wildermuth, Artist by Nature” alt=”Weekly Portrait Giveaway” border=”1″/></a>Get the latest updates – Subscribe by Email!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
for just $70.00 right here in my shop!
(Checkout using PayPal)

Rock’s portrait is complete (pending client approval). What a day, what a week! I’ve been painting my fingers off, whiskers and fur flying from my paintbrushes faster than they have in a long time. I did take a lot of photos as I painted today to kindof share a little tutorial about how I layer the fur. I’ll try to put that together for you next week.

I’ll post the final scan once it’s dry. Have a great weekend – I hope your weather is great and the sun is shining wherever you are!!

I am so excited to share Cuddles’ completed portrait, I think this one is my new personal favorite! The feathering and dimension in her portrait combined with that beautiful background gradient, definitely makes me proud to sign my name to it.

I’ve worked quite extensively on this piece the last couple of days, sang a lot of songs, uncrossed my eyes several times, and even forgot to eat.

Here’s the previous progress shot:

My client wanted her beloved kitty to watch over her now that she’s passed over the rainbow bridge, and I am so honored to be able to provide her with a visual reminder of her lifelong furry friend.

Enjoy!!

If you’d like to order a custom portrait and want to have a look at my pricing,
you can do that right here in my shop!

I’ve completed the under painting on Rock’s portrait. I’m using two reference photos – the left is obviously the pose for the portrait, the right photo for coat and eye color accuracy.

I’ve used a palette of burnt umber, burnt sienna, indigo, cadmium orange for the darkest hues in his coat. (You can see my normal palette colors up above the reference photos, too!) I used mid tones for the primary coat shadow and lighter tones for the eye area. You can see the previous progress here.

Once this under painting is dry, I’ll start applying fur one stroke at a time, building those layers from dark to light over the top of these dark colors to give it dimension and life.

Stay tuned, this portrait will be back on my easel tomorrow for the final painting session!