Private Art Students

Here's a picture of my darling private art students.  Oh, goodness.  Today was my last lesson with them and now they're leaving for another country. 

Gonna miss you guys. :(  You're going to be a lot older when I see you next.

Guess What This Is!

Take a close look and tell me what this is.  Scroll down to the bottom and I'll tell you. :)  No peeking until you guess!































Bubbles!  Their surface tension is reflecting all those colors.  Wow!  What an amazing world we live in.  What an amazing God we serve.

Illustrating a Book

I've been commissioned to illustrate a book!  I'm not at liberty to give any details about it, but my life has fallen into a pattern these days.  Another artist was hired for this project but dropped the ball by not coming through with art, so I've got a serious deadline.  THREE MORE WEEKS!  I've been at it for two weeks already.

So, here's my daily routine.  I've set a goal for myself at one painting a day in order to get this done.

- Read the text
- Do quick thumbnail sketches of ideas for the page
- Pose family members and take photos of us in the correct positions
- Send to the printer and print those puppies out
- Find inspiration for the entire scene
- Lay out my discoveries and do more detailed sketches
- A couple sketches of whomever I shot
- Final pencil on watercolor paper, transforming my real people into cartoon, jewel people
- Ink in the pencil with technical pen
- Paint

This includes sending ideas/sketches and final pencil to the author, and a lot of discussion between the two of us.

Trust me.  The painting part is easy.

This particular picture is a FAST sketch of one of the legs of one of my characters.  Sorry, that's all you get right now.

My Prizewinning Painting! (Professional Under Glass)

This weekend was the Lone Star Art Guild Convention at the Marriott Hotel here in The Woodlands.  I was really glad it was here, because artists in this league hail from all over Houston and its surrounding areas, many having to drive 100 or more miles to get here.  I know one of the leagues came from Victoria.

We also held a judged show, with over 700 entries which had already won prizes in their individual league shows.  You could not enter a painting that had not already ribboned.

ANYWAY, here I am with my prizewinner!  This was in the Professional Under Glass division.  Yay!

Big Commission

Well, I just got a big commission and am going to eat, sleep and drink it for three weeks.  Due August 9, I'll be busy right up to that time.  So... I hope you don't miss me too much!  Right now, I'm not at liberty to say anything about it, but you'll hear in due time. :)