Get creative with me!
This is a 5″ x 7″ custom cat portrait in oil. I’ve used a canvas panel for Mari’s portrait so it’s a very portable painting, destined for an active person who will take her portrait along on travels.
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 finished the background and started the under painting on Rock’s portrait – I’ll get the rest of his under painting completed today and share it tomorrow.
I expect to complete Mari’s portrait at some point today, so I’ll be posting that completed painting later on. I got about halfway through yesterday before wrapping it up to tend to the girls and get the little one off to her very first swim lesson.
I’ve got a lot on my easel – so off to work I go! I hope you’re doing well and staying dry (and warm)!
Last week’s winner was Mellisa with her beautiful Golden Retriever, Nana. Her pose, thoughtful and a bit hidden, reached out and touched my heart on a rainy and chilly afternoon. You can read about how Mellisa rescued (and bought a home especially for Nana!) here.
A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend the Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frame, available through Dick Blick.
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 17 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme
Deadline
To Enter
leave a comment with your story
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!!
You can see his previous work in progress here, with the under painting beside the photo.
Tabby cats are always interesting painting because they have salt & pepper fur that can be a challenge to paint! I start first going over the under painting with a dark tone, followed by a creamy tone, then further enhance the darks. I worked in the warm whites and then completed the painting by going over and painting in all the whitest furs and whiskers – only this time I did a little fancy signature, where I painted my sig before the whiskers, then painted whiskers “through” my sig and one whisker lying on the top. I thought that would give it more dimension.
Would you like your own custom painting? This 4″ x 4″ custom portrait in oil is just $55 in my shop! Order yours today!
I hope you have a great weekend! I’ll be working in the garden, grilling, and gardening s’more!
This male Goldfinch looks a little messy – he’s in the middle of his spring molt. He and his mate have been visiting us for about a week now. We have 2 finch feeders for our finches, one is a sock (pictured) and the other is a plastic feeder. I prefer the socks, because they’re easier to clean and cheaper to replace, but the squirrels just rip them open so they have their faults, too. Last year I bought a domed sock, so it’s helped keep the squirrels off of them.
That’s some pleasant eye bling though, when you look out at your feeders and see the Goldfinches. When they’re not eating, they’re sitting on the wire above the feeders talking to each other, the male reminds me a bit of a dorky teenager saying “pleeease? pleeeease?” (have a listen here – it’s about 32 seconds in.)
This morning I awoke around 3-4 am to the sound of a Great Horned Owl outside my bedroom window. Amazing. I must have thought it was a Mourning Dove, because it startled me awake thinking I had overslept! Then, as I was taking the trash out – I caught a glimpse of a large bird taking off from my backyard with something in his talons. I quickly ran out to see what he had, and found a pile of feathers and the (gross alert) head of a male sparrow. It was an American Kestrel, who frequents our yard for small edibles. What a day!!
Right now I have several cat paintings in my studio at one stage or another – and plan to dive in tomorrow and start finalizing those portraits. I’ve had some delays on a few projects, so I am going to have to table them so that I can get things finished in a timely manner. I am really out of sorts with being so far off schedule!
If you’re interested in this sized portrait, you can find my 6″ x 6″ portrait package right here in my shop.
Zoey’s reference photo has her lying in a heap of tissue paper (she was working away at shredding it into confetti, my guess is there must have been a graduation party coming up), so in lieu of drawing something not everyone would recognize, I opted to place her on her favorite white oval braided rug. It translates better (though my daughter asked if it was a dinner plate. Not kidding. Would you like fries with that?) – my littlest Chickeymonkey’s reaction was “ooooh FLUFFY!” and that was perfect for me. Fluffy on a dinner plate.
In all seriousness, I love to get the first reactions from my girls because it tells me if the portrait needs more work. It’s honest and raw. In this case, I was already pleased (hence the signature) so their confirmation (after we cleared up the rug thing) was all I needed to feel finished with the portrait.
Last week’s winner was the one who best fit the Easter theme for the week – a Pug Bunny named Brewski! Brandy saved Brew from being euthanized, and he’s been a wonderful part of their family ever since. You can read Brandy’s entry here.
A note on framing for portrait winners: I recommend the Nielsen Bainbridge Archival Gallery Frame, available through Dick Blick.
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 16 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme
Deadline
To Enter
leave a comment with your story
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!!
