PRINCESS AND PROCESS

PRINCESS MIKAYLA
click photo to enlarge

I am a very frustrated person this week. Don't let anyone tell you that switching website providers, or transferring domain hosts is a simple thing. Nothing seems to have gone right with the process, so my website continues to not be available online, and I continue to struggle to ask the right questions in order to get answers that actually make sense and work. THERE!!! Now I feel better. Thanks for listening to my rant. I truly expect my website to be up and running by Monday. I can't even think beyond that possibility!


Last week, I finally met with the mother of "Princess Mikayla", and delivered this 9" x 12" oil portrait to her. You may have seen this piece posted a number of months ago, but this friend is a very busy mom who also works full time, so finding time to meet has been a challenge. She loves the painting...and would like me to do her 2 other children sometime in the near future. :-)


I also delivered a pencil portrait this week - of a mom and her daughter. The husband commissioned the portrait as a birthday gift for his wife, and since I don't want to chance spoiling the surprise, I won't post the photo of the piece until next week, after he has given it to her. It was fun for my husband and I to drive up to his vehicle in a parking lot, exchange the portrait for the fee, then, as we were driving away, to see him call the friend who was going to meet him in the parking lot, and take the piece to hide it until the birthday next week. Very clandestine...


And, today I received a commission to paint a piece which will be presented to a gentleman at his retirement. Have I told you how fun this is??? To be able to create art that is given at special moments in another person's life is SUCH a privilege. I really am grateful to be able to bless people in this way. Sooo special.

ON THE EASEL TODAY

oil painting currently on my easel

I got to work on this painting for a bit this week. Although this photo doesn't do a good job of showing the pink blush on her cheek and forehead, I am pleased with how the painting is progressing. There will be several more hours until she is done...I have to let the painting dry before I go back in with more detail. I have left out the dangling earring she had on, so once that area is completely dry, I'll lay that over the skin and hair in that part of the portrait. The day I took this photo, she told me she did her hair all by herself, and she looked like a princess! Strands of individual hair will show how she had it in a ponytail, wrapped in ribbon, and then doubled up and under the headband. So very, very cute! LOVE how the oil paint blends so smoothly!