The bird feeders are full – and within 10 minutes of filling them, a pair of nuthatches were all over my trees. I love how he’s stretching out his wing, as if to say “it’s been a long winter – I’m ready.”

Yep, me too!!

Last week’s winner, Willie, was a much loved Maine Coon cat that was rescued by Ammie. Her love for him is still apparent, even after his passing. Willie is pictured above, next to his completed portrait.

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 4PM 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 7 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

:

KIDS

(Babies through age 5)

Deadline

: Friday, February 13, 2009 (4pm 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/

Willie holds a special place in my heart. He’s my “first born” and my “first love”. He was such an amazing cat.

I rescued him when he was around six weeks old. He was starving and I stole him out of my step-brother’s yard. My brother and his family were neglecting him. He was thrown outdoors to fend for himself because he had been chewing up the baby’s bottle nipples.

When I got him to the vet, the doc said it was a good thing I took him when I did, he was starving, less than a pound, close to six weeks (which meant he had been taken from his mama and litter mates at less than a month old) and would have starved within a few more days.

He grew though. And his hair grew. And his tail! it was so long and bushy that my uncle mistook him for a raccoon.

I used to walk him on a leash to take him to my grandparents for Sunday dinner. My grandfather loved that cat and often tried to talk me out of him. Others did too.

He was laid back. Cool. And big! All fifteen pounds of him under that long hair. He wasn’t pedigreed but he was clearly a Maine Coon from all the descriptions I read.

He began turning white in 2006. A few hairs here and there. I didn’t think anything of it. Then one day I picked him up and discovered he’d lost weight. A lot of it. He felt like half the cat he used to be. I took him to the emergency vet clinic and learned he had FIV and Felv. It would take thousands of dollars just to treat him to give him a little more time with us. He had stopped eating and was severely dehydrated. We didn’t have thousands of dollars and I made one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to. And I couldn’t even stay while they did it. I couldn’t handle it. I was weak and I will always regret that.

Willie was cremated and he sits in a box on my bedside table. I know–it seems a morbid. Maybe even sick.

Oh how I loved that cat. Still do.”

I remember the day Ammie shared that her boy Willie passed over the rainbow bridge. I remember shedding a tear for Ammie knowing how hard it was for her to say goodbye, and how much he meant to her. I have secretly always wanted to paint Willie’s portrait for her, so I am glad to finally have that opportunity.

Will post Willie’s portrait on Monday, along with the Week #7 call for entries.

I finished Taysia’s underpainting today. This is the scary part, for those of you who might be seeing one of my underpaintings for the first time. These are the darkest darks, the colors that I see in the shadows of Taysia’s photo.

My palette is the same as always – I think that gives my work consistency and makes each piece recognizably mine. If you’re looking for a natural earthy palette, try these colors: titanium white, yellow ochre, naples yellow light, magenta, french ultramarine, sap green, indigo and raw umber. I sometimes add and subtract just depending on the coat or eye color of the animal – but for the most part, that is my palette!

The indigo always extends the dry time – even with a medium to help dry faster, indigo is the slowest to dry. Since there is so much in her coat, it may take a couple of days for this underpainting to dry before I can proceed.

The next session will be the last – I will work the painting to completion and share the photo when she’s complete!

I’ve worked in Taysia Blue’s background color – which is a gradated combination of yellow ochre, burnt sienna and burnt umber. The photo makes it appear a little darker than it is – it’s a beautiful warm amber color. I pulled the ochre and burnt umber into the mix because I’ll use those in one of her bi-colored eyes (one blue eye, one brown) and it’ll make her eyes pop.

Taysia reminds me of a Husky named Sam that I met when I was a kid. Sam belonged to one of my childhood friends, she was so beautiful and I was so captivated by her – I swore that one day I would have a Husky of my own. I’ve learned quite a bit about the breed since then though, and know that they really require a special environment for their well being – so I will continue adoring the breed through art and photos!

I have to say – my client has been spot on in background color suggestions so I’m excited to see all of her portraits together on a wall with just vivid jewel toned backgrounds. It’s going to be lovely!

Welcome to Week 6! Last week’s winner was a touching story of a beautiful baby boy, Dylan. Dylan is pictured above, next to his completed portrait.

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 4PM 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 6 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme

:

PETS

(any and all critters welcome!)

Deadline

: Friday, February 6, 2009 (4pm 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!!

I’ll be working on an oil dog portrait this week of Taysia Blue, a beautiful Siberian Husky (black & white) with bi-colored eyes. Taysia’s family portraits include Elsie, Badger, Jambalaya and Kona.

I’ll post another progress shot when I get the background painted in, if all goes well – that will happen either late today or tomorrow morning.

Although it is so simple in it’s nature, this photo means so much to me on so many different levels. To me, this photo really is worth a thousand words.

On a general level, when I look at this photo I think of the miracle of life; I think of peace and purity; I think of new beginnings and hope for a bright future; I think of the wonder of discovering things for the first time; I think of endless opportunities and dreams to come true.

On a personal level, this photo makes me think of so much more. Of the thousands of photos (literally!) I have of our son this one is my favorite. It is my favorite, not because it’s the cutest photo, or most impressive photo, but because of the meaning behind it. This photo was taken on the day our son was placed with us (for adoption), just minutes after I held him in my arms for the very first time. To me this photo means an answer to our prayers, a dream come true, a lifetime of commitment and the end of a very long journey that brought us to this tiny, precious, little being. It means great responsibility and lots of fun times ahead. It means tons of hugs and kisses, and a lifetime of unconditional love. It is the moment our lives changed forever, and the most amazing experience of my adult life. It is the moment that our family grew beyond husband and wife and we became parents.

Amid all the happiness and joy that this photo means to us, it also has one more meaning. It has a meaning of complete and total thoughtfulness and consideration on behalf of our son’s birth family. It stands for one family’s unselfish act to give this child the best life possible. It means grieving for a child they love and care enough about set him on the path he was meant to follow. “

I think Deb’s story says it all. Thanks so much, Deb – for letting us all have a glimpse into such a deeply personal and profoundly meaningful experience.