NELVIA'SART.COM

                                                                            Freedom                                                                               9"x12"                                                                               Acrylic Well, this was fun.  It started with using the knife to do the background and I kind of like the mottled effect that I got.  Also I am really liking Ph...

Not exactly sure why, but this horse is tiny, 4"3.5".  So it was a bit of a challenge to get some of the features in - but boy this guy had some ears and I got all of them I guess.  Anyway the background is pan pastels - oh I just love them for the even backgrounds and smooth gradations.  It did take an additional layer though at the end to add a bit more depth to the color and also clean up the edges of the horse.  Most of the horse is done with pastel pencil and the bridle is done with color pencil so I could get a bit more control. Since today is the day that we did all the parades (yes I was doing this on 1/2, I always try to be ahead any more then  I can miss and still post if needed)  I just wasn't in the mood to do anything this morning, but I persevered and so do have another day in the bag for when I want a break or to be lazy farther into the challenge. Thanks much for stopping by and taking a look, much appreciated.

                                                                       Moonlight                                                                          14"x11"                                                                     Color Pencil This challenge is always a good time for experimentation.  Here I wanted to work on a black support, used black mat board, and only primarily white and gray color pencils.  There is a bit of orange and terra ...

Auberge du Tresor 16"x12" Acrylic Well finally I am going to call it done,  unless someone has some suggestion for improvement.  I am pretty happy with this as I said before as I think I caught the essence without trying to put in all the details (something that is a challenge for me).  I put up the original reference photo - how do you think I did at capturing the scene.  I always love your feedback as it usually makes me stop and think. I always do a bit more studying when I am working on challenges and some of interesting the things I came across is that you should try to work in a series.  So I am going to give that a try and have selected a couple more of my photos from our Canadian trips that I am going to try to paint.  I want to go ahead and try to stay in this looser style and definitely experiment with the underpainting colors.  Again I came across some pastel advice where you should put 3 different yellows and blues as the bl...

                                                                       The Bond                                                                           20"x15                                                                          Acrylic Well it is finally finished and I am pretty happy with the results.  It has taken time, guess this is close to two weeks of work with just a couple of day off.   Thanks again to Susan Fre...

Well it is so darn hot here, and we are getting no rain, ground is like concrete and the lawn and garden are struggling.  Got to say that I am looking forward to the end of summer and cooler temps.    Matter of fact sweats are sounding pretty good right now.  But it is inspiration to stay in and work on projects. Pretty much have gotten this mostly blocked in.  Will have to spend some time looking for an arm that will fit in the right-hand side as it doesn't exist in the reference photo. Not sure but I think I may have figured out the honey-brown color, just had to break down and put yellow ochre on my palette.  I know you are supposed to be able to mix this stuff but I think there are just some colors I use all the time and will just automatically add them, like burnt sienna, yellow ochre. Thanks much for stopping by to check on this journey.

                                                           Dancing in the Sunlight                                                                       12"x16"                                                                       Acrylic I'm back!!!  Good news is I finally got rid of that HP Vista piece of garbage but now am having to learn a new system.  However my language has cleaned up quite a bit since the old computer went to the boneyard - well not actually, it will get str...

                                                                        Legs                                                                        8"x10"                       ...

                                                                   Running Free                                                                       20"x16"                            ...

Here is an update on my painting Running Horse.  We are having another gray rainy day, after such a nice little taste of Spring, so I am indoors and can't get a really good shot.   I learned a lot on this painting - like I got a lot more to learn.  Painted the Indian's hair yesterday and let it dry overnight, but when it is damp/rainy paint dries a whole lot slower - hmmmm, duh!!  Oh yeah, and white seems to dry the slowest.   So when I did the Liquin glaze, I got smear and then eventually it took off the white hairs, so I had to do some repainting on the Indian but I think I do like the stronger color.  I used a blue/black Liquin glaze covering the original acrylic background (what a learning experience as it tends to streak and really shows stop and start brush strokes).   It is very reflective, so some of the background variation you see really isn't there.            ...

Ok guys, this is where I am getting a bit apprehensive and feeling a bit vulnerable.  This is the point where you can really start to see where this is going and I am hoping that you all feel this is going to work.  My biggest fear is that they won't read/connect into one image.  As you can now see the connection is between the indian's blowing hair and the horses tail.  Maybe I need to lengthen the horses tail?              Does it work - let me know your thoughts.              Also my first thought was to keep the indian misty-like without any color so he reads                    ghostly-spirit like,  again your thoughts? Thanks much for stopping by and your honest comments will be much appreciated.

I have a love/hate relationship with my computer.  It tends to just stop and freeze and do nothing so I then do something rash and end up, like now, am waiting for it to do something while I post this via iPad.   It appears when I forced it off this time I really made it unhappy as I have the black screen and white letter and techie talk stuff happening, so .....    Been thinking of a new one and I might have blown it up so may have no choice now.  This is a huge painting for me, 20"x20" and I think I am getting the base coat In  fairly well on the horse.  Got to add  and refine the mane and tail.  The tail placement especially is integral to making this work.  Once it is I place I can go to work on the Indian.  I think I am going to have to do some final tweak blending so I can  get rid of some of the hard edges but still show the color changes I want.   Feels kind of like a paint by number right now.   Overall ...

Thanks much guy - my wonderful support group, YOU ARE THE BEST, fact is I did a Jillian Michaels DVD (can you say ouch!) and then yesterday I over did cleaning and then walked 3 miles.  Since I am getting old by the time I got to paint time the body didn't have any energy for Mohave Point.  But back to it today and am starting this new painting, part of my Spirit series called Running Horse. This painting has haunted me for more than 10 years.  Never could get it out of my head and certainly couldn't get it on paper.  My challenge here is to make the two key elements tie together for one cohesive image and not stand alone like two separate paintings.  Finally found a dynamic running horse, which I can convert to an indian war pony, running at an angle that I think I can connect it with my spirit Indian chief.  At least that is the game plan and we will see how it is going to come together. Since the challenge any oils I have done I am working with a p...

Norma's Eye 9"x12" Pastel/Sanded Paper (terracotta) Ok, it is kind of a strange subject, but I just love to do eyes, so....   Thanks to AinslieG at Paint My Photo for her reference photo of her first horse.   While not a horse person I think their eyes really are the windows to what they are thinking, plotting or scheming to do to us.   Oh wow, just got an email from the owner/photographer and she humbles me: "I am all teary!  You have captured her eye perfectly.  That is her soul coming through.  Wow.  I am really very touched and feel emotional (in a good way!).   I love it. :)"             For an artist, it just can't get any better than that.    Congratulations to Alexander as you guessed a horse, and thanks to Danielle for taking a guess.    This was on my "how good is your imagination" earlier post.   This is on the...

                                        HAPPY 4TH OF JULY - INDEPENDENCE DAY Atlanta is having the most beautiful day, for the absolute middle of summer, when we have been well over 95F multiple days we woke up to 66 degrees, lesser humidity and a light breeze and so it is wonderful.  Not sure how much of this is courtesy of the hurricane that went up the coast these last few days.  But it is sure wonderful and must be enjoyed while it lasts. I thought my horse might be close to done, but as I see this on screen I am finding a number of things I am going to want to tweak.  But at least he is to the point where I can have him on the board just to look at for a bit.  1) Might have to do a bit more with the grass, I only wanted a sprinkle so that he looked grounded so ...

  Here is the start of my new scratchboard picture from Steve Lyddon of PMP, of a draft horse.  My big challenge here is to take a very dark horse and make him stand out from the dark background.  This is a 5"x7" scratch and right now I am trying to color with pastels, but not happy with the look.  So might dust it off and try it with watercolor pencils.  Think I am a little frustrated so am going to stop on this for a while and work on a photo reference by my husband from the Birminham Alabama zoo of a couple of juvenile elephants - boys of course!!! Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a great painting week.