More birch trees...

Another commission for birch trees: this one is an 18x24 acrylic on deep (2" cradled) wooden panel. Such an honor to be asked, and a pleasure to do this for great friends! 

The reason I love the birch trees on wooden panel is the wood grain causes the watered down paint to spread horizontally, imitating the horizontal striations that naturally exist on these trees. See below.

I began by dripping paint down the panel, then turning it over and dripping it the other way. By letting the paint do it's thing, it produces kind of an organic, natural pattern. I don't think this would work for just any forest, but a birch forest doesn't have many lateral limbs- they are tall and skinny, mostly straight up and down. 

Then I darkened the background of the forest, leaving some "light space" for trees in the foreground.

Color washing the foreground in:

... and the leaves... one of my new obsessions is what I unofficially call "back-painting", essentially painting around an object (or branch in this case)... instead of drawing in something, you paint what is behind it, and leave the object as negative space... does that make sense? this works ESPECIALLY well with leaves- it gives a soft look that implies light is coming through from behind.

Palette knife in almost abstract squares in the foreground.

  

I used a different palette knife stroke, almost a fan-like sideways spread for the leaves....

Finished, thought this shot is a little bright.

 And a close shot:

Thanks for following!

A "welcome home" gift!

This is a delayed post- A friend commissioned these as a gift for her husband upon his return from deployment! These were completed in June, but I waited to post to maintain the surprise!

I always feel honored to be asked to do a painting for friends!

 These were the first projects in my studio in our new house!

 In progress:

Finished:

Photograph and painting...

 Finished:

Photograph and painting...

The two together on the easel. Both are 12x12 acrylic on canvas. I really like how the colors of the 2 photographs coordinated, and I ESPECIALLY loved the picture with the tennis ball on the beach!

After I completed the paintings, I got to meet these pups- their personalities were TOTALLY captured in the photographs. I love that!

As always, thanks for reading!

Paintings from August.....

Update: I love my "real job", but I'm not exactly practicing dentistry full time. The good news is that gives me more time to paint, which is WONDERFUL!

Up first: 24x36 acrylic on canvas painting completed today!  This is a piece for the Terrier Ball silent auction for Wofford's Homecoming. I hope it raises some money for the Terriers- I can't wait for Homecoming! This is Old Main on Wofford's campus.

Below you can see the progression from sketch to final painting.

 Finished and hanging to dry:

 Up next: a 16x20 acrylic on wooden panel with palette knife. This is the larger version of some birch trees completed for Claire. See the previous post  if you're interested in studies- I posted the 2 smaller 5x7 pieces she gave as a gift a few weeks ago. I really should have taken pictures as i went for this painting- it went through some transitions!

  I can't remember if I've posted this, but an 8x10 charcoal on paper drawing of the house my husband grew up in- a beautiful house on Main Street in Union, SC. This comes into focus more as you back away from the drawing. This was  completed Spring 2012. Sorry for the glare- I really didn't want to take it out of the frame.

In June I visited Angel Oak for the first time on John's Island with Katie, Anna, and Caroline (after graduation before everyone else dispersed for residencies, and before I started working). It was a wonderful afternoon. From some pictures I took at the tree, I started this painting for behind our couch. This is 32x48" acrylic on canvas.

Below is how it appears right now- it's not finished yet, but I'm letting it sit for a few weeks to decide where it's headed and what it needs.

Thanks for reading!