A Pet Portrait: Scout

{oil on canvas, 2009}

I just finished this little 4"x4" portrait of my parents' Boston Terrier, Scout. He has quite a lot of personality, so it was important that I catch a little gleam of impishness in his eye! I will be giving it to my dad for Christmas, but its really for both of my parents. If you are interested in a mini oil painting pet portrait please e-mail me at candartist@aol.com. 4"x4" pet portraits are $50 and I just need a few pictures of your pet to choose from and a few weeks to get it done and in the mail!

Marv Painting

{Oil on Paper, 2009}

I finished up this painting of Marv from Sin City for Scott. You see part of the process on THIS post. In my current paintings, I am trying to be less controlled on every single aspect of the piece. I think you can see some of that with the background and jacket.

Portrait Commission

{Graphite on Bristol Paper, 2009}

I was asked to do a portrait of a friend's child as a wedding anniversary gift. I couldn't share it right away because I didn't want to ruin the surprise! However, since the recipient thanked me for it, I am going to go ahead and assume its safe to post! :)
On another note, if you follow me on Twitter at all, I mentioned that I was hoping for good news! So here is the story:
I made a poster to submit for my neighborhood fall festival (Beaverdale Fall Fest, as it is lovingly called). I submitted it to the Fall Fest Committee last night, and out of 8 entries, it made it to the final two. I have to wait until June 24 to find out if my poster will adorn doors and windows throughout my lovely Des Moines neighborhood. The festival is a pretty big deal around here, so I have my fingers crossed that my concept/illustration will be chosen! Once I find out, either way, I will share my whole poster concept in a post!

Pet Portrait Commission

{9"x12" Oil on Canvas, 2009}

I just finished this up today. Its a pet portrait commission of two very cute cats! It was somewhat of a challenge to piece together pictures of them since they are shy and also don't spend much time with each other. This got me thinking... maybe I should do a painting of Oliver! (you know, when I have free time...)
On a completely different note, I am super excited that one of the links I sent Craftastrophe was put up as today's nasty little crafting gem! See HERE!

Winter and Spring

{Graphite on Bristol, 2008}

I finished this today for the Crossroads Iowa Conference and Showcase. The piece is titled "Winter and Spring" and is graphite on bristol paper. I think it might be fun to do an accompanying piece of Summer and Fall too!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and is getting a jump start on all of the holiday traditions, festivities and wonder that surround this time of year!

Watercolor Sketch

Illustration Friday- Wrinkles

This is a painting I did my sophomore year of Undergrad at Kendall College of Art and Design. The professor was Jon McDonald and he really encouraged us to do an illustration of a Blues singer for this particular project. I don't remember the name of this man, I think. Muddy Waters? maybe? Either way, since being introduced to the blues and jazz through illustration, I've gone to see some other singers and musicians. Des Moines is a great place to see some down home blues. I even live next to Steve George, who has been inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. Not too shabby. I love the culture surrounding the blues...all the experiences, hardships and successes. Wrinkles are a lot like the blues.