NELVIA'SART.COM

                      MERRY CHRISTMAS It is beginning to feel like Christmas and I guess it should since it is already here, ready or not.  Thank you to all from friends who have followed my art journey this year.  I hope you have a very merry joyous Christmas with family and friends. Thanks so much for all your stopping by this last year.

Well for the foreseeable future life is just going to get in the way.  Got a lot of other painting projects, unfortunately not the kind that you do in the art room.  But necessary to do that too as when completed it looks so fresh and clean.  Just what is needed to perk up these long gray drizzly days that we are not getting. Was able to tell myself it is ok to take today and work a bit in the studio for a couple of hours on this big boy.  Am continuing to work on getting things blocked in.  It just takes longer than I think it will.  I am continuing to work with different brushes to see if I can get the kind of strokes that I want to on the finishing layers.  Haven't found just the right combination yet.  But I am hopeful that over the weekend I can get the remainder of the block-in done. I am uncertain on how to best place the last piece, horizontal or vertical  What do you think guys?  I think I am almost leaning towards the hor...

                                                                   Pow Wow                                                                      8"x12"                                                                       Pastel You can say a lot of things about the internet, many bad, but, I have learned so much from so many sharing artists across the world.  No way would I ever have tried some of things I have.  Yep, another experiment on yet another gray an...

Well  I pretty much have the one panel blocked in, at least enough now to see where I am going.  Probably will go ahead and work on blocking in the second and third panels too so that I can get it to the same stage and then overwork the final coats together so it is more uniform. Lots of changing going on with this big guy as I work through it.  I lost my drawing, so am just guesstimating where things are placed.  Also I am switching it up with the brushes trying to find the one now that can give me the final fur textures I am looking for. I think I forgot to tell you that for me this is a pretty huge piece.  Total size will be about 24"x23".   That's one big cat. It shocks me every time I look at it.  I knew it was going to be large, but man, I sure didn't realize it was going to be this large.  When I get the other side in it might equalize it.  I know many people who work extra large, this really isn't large compared to many, and I...

Many thanks to my blogger friend of many years, Nancy Goldman.  She is a brilliant artist in many mediums ranging from acrylics to encaustics.  Yep she uses the blow torch like a pro.  If interested see her many beautiful pictures at http://nancygoldmanart.blogspot.com. As mentioned previously I really have been in the doldrums and couldn't started painting again after my Thanksgiving break.  Nancy however just completed an 18 canvas wall mural depicting a landscape.  She posted it on her blog and it is quite awesome and got me wondering and feeling that underlying excitement.  Nancy was so helpful in outlining her process.  Well spent the weekend trying to just find a picture I wanted to paint, as this would be a substantial size, so you got to like it.  Then next step is to try to decide how to break it into several parts.  But, of course ended up using something I was going to do and already had the drawing in place, and now just to ge...

 Ok, so you have to understand we live in the South, pretty far in the South, and so for us what is a dusting for most of you, is quite the event here in Atlanta.  We had about 8", the most I have ever seen since we lived here.  When you don't have to go out it is quite beautiful.  Even though this was a really wet snow it looked light and lovely coming down.   It snowed starting Friday morning and went into Saturday morning, so it was of long duration.  The only bad news was the trees came down and so did the power.   We were very lucky in comparison to others in the area as our power came back on Saturday. So what does one do when they have to go on "device" withdrawal.  One puts on lots of warm clothes and gets out one of those unfinished projects.  Since it had gotten cooler here I had gotten busy again on my weaving.   I was fortunate enough several years ago to go to the Folk Art Center in Asheville on weaving day.  One of...

Here is today's card effort.  Not sure that all of these are going to make the cut, (edit:  one already bit the dust) but it has been interesting to give it a try.  I think I am going to give the word tree (this is neat, but I really botched it so it is dead) another shot, but this time I am just going to pick one color and do it.   I tried it in silver, as I can't find the gold alcohol marker, but it really didn't stand out enough.  So maybe will try it in red and not put in anything to make it look like a tree, just use the words.  I have enough other cards that I can throw that and the poinsettia away if I wake up in the morning and don't like how it came together. I forgot to tell you that I don't send that many cards and I really haven't done handmade but about 4 or 5 times.  My mind says yes, but I procrastinate and it ends up being bought cards.  One year though I tried to use a program easy on to draw a card design and then reproduce...

Well it looks like whatever was going on with all those whacko views from Denmark has finally gotten itself straightened out.   Even with going dark I went to Google to see if they could figure out and block it, and maybe that is what happened Since today is kind of dreary and gray, we are going to get rain and a really cold snap, I decided to finally attack my Christmas cards.  Don't want to say I am slow or anything, but I started thinking back in October it might be nice to make cards again this year.  Usually  no one says anything, but the next year when they don't get them I hear they really enjoy whatever the theme is for the year. Since I have done, Santas reindeer, angels, poinsettias and am feeling kind of lazy - part of my not really inspired feelings, I decided to look out on YouTube.   I love all the people out there who share and get a kick out of the fact they like to create videos.   Anyway, I am making some of the designs that they hav...

                                                                  The Snarl                                                                    16"x12"                                                                      Pastel Well am still having motivation issues.  So while I am at loose ends just thought I'd have little fun with they portrait.  I like the way he has his muzzle wrinkled up in a snarl.  And since I was feeling a bit unconventional, hence the colors ...

                                                                       Pirouettes                                                                         16"x12"                                                                          Acrylic I find that some times when I am away from painting every day I have a problem getting back into the groove and finding inspiration.   That is where I am right now, not really sure what I want to do so ...

                                                                       Les Fleurs                                                                          9"x12"                                                                         Acrylic Well took a bit of time to settle back in to being home and in the studio.  So yesterday was destined to be a messy day but one which was inspired with some of the modern art I saw in DC.  "Just let ...

Ok trying again, me and technology haven't gotten along too great lately.  So this is how I made my flight go fast, saw this face in the flight magazine and just has to do him.  He is primarily .5mm mechanical pencil on plain white paper.  Later went over his dark areas with 4B pencil.  Used the old finger to blend.  I haven't drawn much lately so was surprised how quickly he came together. Also met the flight attendant who wants to start drawing, hoping I gave him enough information to start.  No such thing as talent, just posts of practice. Thanks for stopping by to take a look

                                                                In The Shadows                                                                     16"x12"                                                                     Acrylic No the title isn't the name of this picture, it is a name for me!!  Well today's philosophical question is does anyone else ever get scared of their painting.  It might not be cool to tell how insecure one is, but I got to tell someone.  As you know...

                                                                        Tooter                                                                        16"x12"                                                                        Acrylic Ok, I have made it through a couple of days now after I went dark/private and it appears that whoever or whatever has lost interest.  Hope it stays that way.  I don't think I was hacked, not sure how I would ...

Well going to give this a try and see if all the views from Denmark return.  I know that I was getting hit with bots or something but really have never in all the year seen anything like this.  Only way I could fix was to go dark. This is a 9"x12" quick sketch I did yesterday.  I had lots of canvas backgrounds drying, it was cloudy and dreary foretelling today's rain.   The paint was really drying slow.   Matter of fact I took off some of the stuff I was experimenting with and one background was still wet after all day - tried more drying last nigh and hope to be able to paint today.  Anyway, I digress, I have wanted to do a series for many years with Native Americans, so thought I would check this idea out.  Also wanted to see if I could pull my acrylic method over to the pastel world.  Not sure it worked, but  did give me a good idea in color sketch form of whether or not to continue with this idea. Thanks for stopping by and hope I a...

                                                                Galactic Wolf                                                                     14"x11"                                                                     Acrylic First let me apologize for asking you to prove you are real.  I don't know if this will help but I am getting hit by hundreds of supposedly views, all coming from Denmark.  I don't know exactly what it is or how to stop it, but I am trying different thin...

                                                             Borrowed Time                                                                 15.5."x12"                                                                    Pastel Yes, I do get itchy when I go for any length of time and don't do something with pastels.  Still my first love as far as mediums go.  But I thought this was something I wanted to do especially as a direct impact of our visit to the zoo.  As I mentioned we did a trip to t...

                                                           Flamingo-esque                                                                 11"x14"                                                                 Acrylic I know the title is kind of funky, but the post that she has makes me think of a flamingo dancer.  They are always to dramatic I definitely have to find a picture to do of one, all those ruffles and attitude. This is trying to do a minimal background.  I had a bottle of Spanish wine that had a ...

                                                                         Galactic Lion                                                                             10"x8"                                                                            Acrylic Well since I haven't been in painting shape, we decided to take trip to Birmingham, AL.  It is a pleasant drive, even though the roads leave a lot to be desired, lots of co...

                                                                  Centerline                                                                      11"14"                                                                     Acrylic Centerline is the next of my performers series.  It is actually hard to believe this is #13 and I still have a few more I want to do.  I guess they say the right amount for a series is 20-25 pictures so I am on a good track to have a nice width ...

                                                                     Spanish Guitar                                                                           14"x11"                                                                           Acrylic Well first off I want to thank Carla and Stephen for giving me the encouragement and support to get this piece brought to completion.   Been fighting with it for over a week now and certainly total...

                                                                    Oh Baby, Baby                                                                          11"x14"                                                                          Acrylic Well there was a purpose to this piece besides the fact that I loved the look of this little guy.   He looks to me like he is already practicing stalking and on the hunt.  Of course, he probably really...

Contemplation 14"x17" Acrylic Here is another in the performer series.  Not sure where she found a porthole window like this, but thought it was pretty neat.  Well this one was done with a vision and a big prayer.  I had to believe in the fact that I would like it after I put phthalo blue washes over my grisaille.  I liked it really well just with the grisaille and figured if I had to I could go back over the blue washes with the grays again.  But now I do like how she kind of glows, and I especially like here against the darkest dark of the  lower  background. Then I was pretty tentative with my first saturation of the phthalo blue, and figured, in for a penny, in for a pound.   I went over it several more times with heavier washes to achieve the finished painting.     Hope you like it.  Thanks for stopping by. Grisaille before washes were applied

                                                                    Rumba                                                                     9"x12"                                                                    Acrylic Well been a busy week.  We had a few cooler days and I took advantage of them to get the garden final trim, pine straw spread, weeds sprayed/pulled and generally ready to be a closed garden for the season.  Yes, we are supposed to get some effects from...

                                                                       Triangular                                                                          12"12"                                                                          Pastel Well today was just a fun day and trying my street performers out in pastel on black Artagain paper.  I was getting itchy as I haven't painted with chalk now in quite a while.  Actually the ins...

                                                              Tango Criollo                                                                    9"x12"                                                                   Acrylic We thought I would use the cardstock that I made for the piano man.  I took a piece of cardstock and ran it through the printer to get the music on it.  I couldn't figure out exactly how to utilize it in that piece.  So thought I'd put this couple on it.  Since...

Piano Man  18"x14" Acrylic Here is the next in the performers series.  Well I think I am finally done fighting with this piece.  I want to thank Diane who told me I couldn't start over and had to figure out how to try to salvage it.  Going to show the stages I went through because originally I fell back to what I always try to do, be  more realistic.   I just didn't have a clear plan for this one and just kept adding and changing on the fly.   Hope at the end though I finally got it right.  The biggest struggle with this one was trying to get movement and some life into the picture.  The piano and player are pretty stagnant, so I decided to add the dog.  Believe it or not I think putting the water bottle in on top of the knapsack also helped.   Here is where I started out, was going similar to the reference photo putting him in the park outside with lots of people walking by.  But boy I sure didn't like where it ...

                                                                     The Leap                                                                        9"x12"                                                                       Acrylic Well as they say all good things probably come to an end.  My roll, because that is what it has been, has come to an abrupt stop.  I hit the piano picture and came to a screeching halt.  It just doesn't have any life ...

                                                                 Break Dancer                                                                     14"x11"                                                                    Acrylic Well we don't watch much on our tv but PBS, sports and weather - can you tell there is a guy in the house?   But I have to admit that I am a fan and either insist on watching or tape So You Think You Can Dance.  Comes from wishing as a kid I could danc...

                                                                The Guitar Weeps                                                                         12"x16"                                                                         Acrylic This is the fifth in my street musicians series.  While this isn't a true drip painting it is a quasi drip and ties in with the title of the piece.  I did this background one day and had to let it dry because there was a lot...

                                                                  Heart and Soul                                                                        12"x16"                                                                     Acrylic/oil This is one is ready to be done, the fourth in my street musician series.  I just loved the concentration that this guy has for his music, and yes I think he is making music from his heart and soul.  I also really like the connect...

                                                                          The Beat                                                                            9"x12"                                                                           Acrylic Forgot to say, we made it through the storm and were very fortunate.  Many here in Atlanta lost power due to falling trees.  I guess we were in a less hectic area and got out of...

                                                                     The Horn Player                                                                              9'x12"                                                                            Acrylic Well think I am going to get this posted before we lose the power.  Yes!!  Tried to get this finished while we wait for the wrath of Irma.  Thankfully it got really cool...