Crochet Fiber Art Wall Hangings

I have been crocheting non-stop for a couple of months because I am displaying fiber art in a local shop in Altadena, called Hoopla Emporium! I love to crochet and create different kinds of things like fiber wall art, free form with no pattern. It's sort of like painting with yarn. Some of my crochet artwork was on display in Altadena, California, at McGinty's End of the World Gallery May 3 thru June 28, 2019. Check back here to see lots more of my current Amigurumi Ruth Bader Ginsburg and some new mermaid dolls.

Pet Portraits for PPF

Experimenting with Canvas Paper

This was a fun experiment. Usually I paint with watercolor on 140# or maybe 300# paper, and the paint sinks into the surface and you can glaze on top, but this time I used Fredrix canvas paper, which says can be used for any medium.  If you have ever used Yupo, then you would probably be comfortable with this surface, except it is not slippery, but has tooth and texture. The fun part is that you can lift very easily for highlights. That is also the frustrating part, because adding more color sometimes lifts the color beneath. No chance for glazing here. I used Higgins White ink for the whiskers and final highlights. I am pleased with the results, and will probably do more like this. 

Lola, a Rag Doll Kitty, with her mom, 

9x12 watercolor on Canvas Paper

This month I am doing 30 paintings in 30 days and mostly practicing my pet portraits. I want to be familiar with all breeds of dogs and cats, but sometimes it is difficult to be sure that I have described the animal correctly. Owners are very particular about that! These are all for sale in my Gallery at DailyPaintWorks. 

5x7, watercolor, Chinese Crested Dog Pet Portrait

5x7, watercolor, Dixon, photo ref by Sally Bernard

5x7 Watercolor, A Pine Marten, not a raccoon

Photo ref by Kim Allsebrook

5x7 Watercolor, Bunny Rabbit

Photo ref by Chris Allsebrook

5x7 Watercolor Squirrel

Photo ref by Kim Allsebrook

5x7 Staffordshire Bull Terrier "Happy Dog" 

Watercolor and Pen, photo by Paola Richey

This 8x10 was done in class this week. I have been in a watercolor class for a couple of years, and I am really enjoying it. I can see now, after scanning this, that it needs some work. Still Life is not my favorite!  LOL.

Reptiles, Toad in the Road and Iguana, plus Abstract PPF

It has been a fun week for me in my painting world. I might call it "Reptile Week:  Unusual Pet Portraits," since I painted two really odd critters. 

Here is My Iguana, which I call  "Here Lizard, Lizard."

Painted from a photo by Hazel Lewry on Reference Photos for Artists.

9x12 Mixed Media, Watercolor (Brusho), pen and ink, gouache and acrylic on heavy paper. These are my first amphibious reptilians. LOL.

"Toad in the Road" was painted for a challenge on PaintMyPhoto.ning.com. It had to be a photo from their site, and the title had to rhyme. I was going to paint a frog on a log, but the toads were more interesting. Acrylic on canvas board 11x14.

"Bold and Bright" Abstract Landscape, beautiful luminous colors using Brusho and Bleach. I like the purple mat because it sets off the mountains in the background. Done on 140# watercolor cold press paper.

Jinx the Orange Tabby Cat. 5x5 Illustration, Watercolor and Pen. 

This was a commission for a Christmas Gift, so it is SOLD. It was done from a really tiny photo, but I guess it looks enough like the actual cat to please the owner.

I plan on doing more watercolor and pen sketches like these because they are so much FUN. And the buyer wants me to paint another one after the 1st of the year. 2015 will be a banner year!

NFAC, Whippet, Donkey, Cat, Windmill, Owl PPF

Art projects I completed this week

My Wildlife Fowl Owl

Whom are you looking at?

11x14 Acrylic Psychedelic Owl Abstract Impressionistic Impasto using Fluorescent Neon Paint that glows under Black Light. Done for a challenge on Daily Paintworks, from this photo. I don't like painting owls, so I challenged myself to do it with style!  Now I have some really cool paint to play with!

My 3 Paintings for NFAC, Nibblefest Auctions on Ebay

which End on July 26th

Animals with Hats - starting at 99 cents. The auctions for Nibblefest happen every month on the 20th for 7 days. Some great bargains can be had for the bidding, and sometimes they go for a lot of money. One that started at 99 cents is already at $304 - Wow! Mine are much more reasonable.

"Whippet, Whippet Good!" 11x14 Devo Dog with an Energy Dome Hat, or is it an Italian Greyhound? Acrylic on canvas board.  

"Hee Haw" 5x7 Original Acrylic Donkey Mule Horse Jackass wearing Old Hat. Auction starts at 99 cents for NFAC - one week only! Thanks to Marcus Moller on Paintmyphoto.ning.com for the reference photo.

This one from the Rainbow Cat series had a hat already, so I entered him, too, because we can do three. ACEO for 99 cents.

Cat in a Top Hat and Bow Tie

*****

This landscape "Sunrise in the Country" is for Auction on DPW

The challenge: Paint a windmill. I found a great reference photo on the FREE paintmyphoto.ning.com website. After cropping, it is a 9x12 Gouache on 300# paper. 

I usually use Goache when my watercolors go south. Sometimes I can save them and sometimes not. This one ended up sort of expressionistic or surreal?

Rainbow Kitties and Hairy Dogs, Plus Self Portrait

Rainbow Kitties and Hairy Dogs

This month I joined a challenge on a friend's facebook page to do 30 ACEO cards in 30 days in June 2014.  I usually pick a theme or subject for a challenge like this, and my theme here is Rainbow Kitties. These are all 2.5 x 3.5 inches. They will all be for sale in my Ebay Store listed under Rainbow ACEO Kitties/Animals.  I am using various mediums including watercolor, pen and ink, Acrylics and Gouache. Here is the first week's work:  #1-7

Rainbow Kitty #1

Rainbow Kitty #2

Rainbow Kitty #3

Rainbow Kitty #4

Rainbow Kitty #5

Rainbow Kitty #6

Rainbow Kitty #7

And here are this week's puppy dogs . . . 

7x7 inch Schnauzer Watercolor, Pen and Ink

5x7 Yorkshire Terrier, Yorkie, WC, Pen and Acrylic Inks.

I mistakenly called this a long haired Chihuahua at first, and people corrected me immediately. I guess it's a Yorkie. Who knew? I have only had Chihuahuas with short hair, so my knowledge of dog breeds is limited. But I love to paint them all, and this one is taken from a photo by Bill Muck on Artist Reference Photos.

And I did a challenge on  Paint My Photo's website using inspiration from Matisse and his Lady with Green Eyes to paint an expressionistic Self Portrait from a photo. Here's me . . .

5x7 Watercolor and Pen

Day 21: TUXEDO CAT PPF

Paint Party Friday:  I painted a lot of stuff this week, mostly food, but this is my favorite and it only took me about 20 minutes.  Sometimes it just feels right!

I painted this cat for the Daily Paintworks Challenge of the week, using only burnt sienna, deep turquoise and Tit. white on a wooden panel-  very smooth surface with acrylics and it almost painted itself. 5x7, with 3/4 inch sides.  I love this tuxedo cat!!!

$75

The Zorn Challenge, Painting a Cat with a limited color palette PPF

The challenge at Daily PaintWorks this week:

Paint something using only Black, White, Red and Yellow Ochre

This 4 x 4 was done with Acrylics on a wooden panel using my son's photo of his new kitty.  It doesn't look anything like his cat, but I like the end result and the challenge of using so few colors.  A little frustrating, but I do love a challenge.  His actual Christmas present is still on the easel getting final touches.  This is the 4th Pet Portrait Painting I have done of his cats.  I will post the final one next week.  It better be done by then because I have to have it in the mail by the 15th!

For auction on my DPW site.

Cat Art: Nibblefest Entry for February

Here is a photo of a black and white cat pet portrait of Sargeant Pepper, painted in acrylics, 8 x 10, which I am planning on putting up on Ebay for the Nibblefest Art contest this month. All bids start at 99 cents so you have a great opportunity to get an awesome deal on lots of great art. Check out http://nibblefest.blogspot.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/nibblefest for more information.  

You might recognize him from my banner on top of this blog and on my facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/PennyPaints