Painting Class

 Here is a very late post filled with finished works produced in my painting class this last winter semester. I learned to work with oils, stretch canvas, make my own wood panels, and various painting techniques. The above triplet is a portrait of author Franz Kafka done three ways.

Above and below are two grasaille paintings - studies of light and shadow.

This one I've named "Chairries" and it is a fusion of two different artists' styles, colors, composition and techniques.

Many classmates seemed to really like this bird collage. My teacher encouraged me to frame it, but first I need wall space to hang it....not much to go around in this little apartment.

 This simple apple still life might be my favorite of all. Figuring out how to paint the shaft of light while working in the studio at midnight was a surreal experience. It felt God-like to create light in the darkness.

 This last one was an exploration of layering techniques. It was interesting to me that in the process of layering and stripping paint on a panel, certain symbols for my life started to emerge unintended.

The apple represents choice

This honeycomb pattern, which actually happened by accident, represents my new home = The Beehive State.

The plethora of "4" is the new number of humans in my family covering up the old number of humans in my family. 4 is a very dear number to me. 

Part of the panel has a dark glaze over it, contrasting the lighter portion. Life has definitely taught me the difference between light and darkness. Both have their purpose.

Learning all I did in this class has encouraged me to paint more when I eventually get the time. Right now I am in the middle of my ethnographic field work studying the Daughters of Utah Pioneers museums which is a 40+ hour a week job, with late nights and semi-attention deprived children. 

One day, I will paint again. A girl can dream, right?

Little Unreliables Christmas Plaques!

Most of you have seen my Twilight inspired Christmas Postcards. They are prints made from the original paintings I did on these wood plaques. I am selling these original paintings in my shop update tomorrow, however the cards will still be available now through December, as well as holiday seasons to come and I will also be selling prints, print sets or other various items featuring these Christmas characters in the future too. So they won't be gone forever, but how nice to own an original! The plaques themselves are so cute, they would make great Christmas decorations.

Little Unreliable Angel Vampire

5x7 acrylic on wood

*The back of all the plaques will have their corresponding Christmasy greeting as seen on the back of the postcards. The greetings will be handwritten by me complete with my signature.

Back of this plaque: "Oh, come, let us adore him!"

Wolfy Pup Boy

5x7 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "Jacob with your nose so bright, won't you guide the dog sled tonight?"

Little Unreliable Santa Vampire

6.5x9 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "I saw my Twilight Mommy kissing Santa Claus."

I love the little swirls on his hat I was able to create with the paint.

Chew Toy

5x7 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "All I want for Christmas is Edward's two front teeth."

Tiny Elf Dancer

6.5x9 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "She knows if you'll be bad or good, so be good for goodness sake!"

Chilly Chill Pill (Jasper inspired)

5x7 acrylic on wood

Back of plaque reads: "All is calm, all is right."

I left his hair the color of the wood. I love how this turned out!

Just wait until you see the Chill Pill (Jasper) doll! He will be part of the update tomorrow too.

Stay tuned - more posts about new items to come possibly later tonight or early tomorrow before the update!

Upcoming shop goodness!

Thank you to all those who stopped in the shop to have a look. There's not a whole lot of items in there now but there will be!

I thought I would show you the little postcards of The Teller Queen sketch. They come signed by me with any purchase of $30 or more (obviously without the copyright watermark across them).

Here's a list of new items I plan to blog about and have in the shop in the next 2 months!

This week - Pixie Pillow Talk with holiday and Twilight themed pillow packs (more details on this later in the week).

10/5 through 10/9 - Pumpkin week! Pumpkin photos and hand sculpted-hand painted pendants of pumpkins and other spooky things.

10/12 through 10/23 - Halloween versions of Edward, Alice, Jacob and Jasper dolls!

10/26 through 10/30 - Victoria doll and doll accessories (this one is going to be hilarious!)

11/2 through 11/6 - Carlisle, Bella and Rosalie paintings

11/9 through 11/13 - Emmett and Esme paintings

11/16 through 11/29 - Shop closed for Utah New Moon Experience (which I will be selling my merchandise at) and Thanksgiving.

11/30 through 12/4 - Ornaments and quilled cards just in time for Christmas!

12/14 - Do your Christmas shopping! If you order by the 18th, your merchandise will make it to you by Christmas Eve.

I'm very excited about this! Hope to see you in the shop!

Evil Little Red

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Do not be deceived by the angelic glow that surrounds her for though she is child-like, she is older than most civilizations and can bring unbreakable immortals to their knees with her wicked ways. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Not Little Red. Wolves are a mere appetizer.

Inspired by Jane from the Twilight saga, Little Red Riding Hood and ghosts of long lost children, Evil Little Red loves lurking in dark tunnels and blocking the way out to the hope-filled light.

Prints of this painting and all previously posted will be available at my booth, The Black Pumpkin, at TwiCon 2009.

Phasing

8x10 acrylic on canvas

After all, aren't all men constantly on the verge of turning into a hairy beast?

Inspired by Jacob Black from the Twilight series, Wolverine from X-Men and shap-shifters in general, this painting depicts the question, what would a werewolf look like in mid-phase? The light and shadow represent the duplicity of his life, as his eye reflects the new moon. I can almost hear his howling now...

Fallen Angel

8x10 acrylic on canvas

Our ultimate hero with a tragic flaw. Our angel, both heavenly and destroying. He is everything to everyone, yet nothing to himself. His eyes speak of that "ancient sadness" and his face could launch a thousand ships. He's as old as the stars, yet no life could be long enough, for no matter how much good he does, to him it will never be adequate to fully redeem his soul. But that's the best part, isn't it? Indeed, true beauty is in his paradoxical glory.

This painting was inspired by Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga, Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars saga, and birds - who sore so high, so close to the sun, they burn.

Just a Taste?

8x10 acrylic on canvas

"Just a taste?" he asks with smoldering, dark orbs that draw you closer. Even though you know exactly what fate awaits you in his embrace, how can you possibly resist? Calming, lush colors surround him, like cool grass and a smooth stream on a hot summer's day, yet it is not water he thirsts for as he licks his dry lips.

This painting was inspired by not only the dangerously tempted Jasper from the Twilight series, but also the stereotypical James Dean, bad boy vampire who hungrily pursues the damsel in distress and renders her powerless by his hypnotic eyes.

Yes, I think most of us have met one or two...

The Teller Queen

8 1/2" x 11 on acrylic paper

Inspired by Alice from the Twilight book series, fortune tellers, evil queens and pixies, The Teller Queen has a permanent wink of one eye and a constant twinkle in the other for she knows what is in store for you, and whether good or bad, it's going to throw you for a loop. Her smirk alone holds infinite dark secrets yet it's a happy one, for no matter what fate befalls you, she will still be queen of everything as she skips her way through the rest her immortal life.

For my first portrait painting ever, I am very pleased with the outcome. I was a little scared to jump right in without a paint class or two in my past, but I guess, like most everything in life, the best way to learn is by doing.

This print will be for sale at TwiCon and in my shop thereafter. My shop will be part of a TwilightMOMS boutique where THE Lisa (creator of TwilightMOMS) will be selling New Moon-ish TwilightMOMS shirts, Georgia (aka *gypsy wings*) will be selling her gorgeous butterfly wing pendants along with Twilight inspired jewelry and artful photographs, and I will be selling my new shop items along with the newly designed New Moon rhinestone t-shirts from Amy of Girly Girls' Closet. We will be sharing a booth with The Mitch Hansen Band so look for our banners!

Hope to see you there!

Many more items to come...

Oh! p.s..... I will also have postcards of the original black and white pencil sketch of The Teller Queen at TwiCon. They are a limited number of 100, are signed and numbered and will come free with a Black Pumpkin purchase of $30 or more. ♥

What is The Black Pumpkin?

I have a black pumpkin. She's a decorative pumpkin mind you, but her personality is very real to me. I found her at a home decor store and when I saw her wonky shape I just had to have her! And black is my favorite color so she seemed destined to be mine. ♥ I'm pretty sure if she had grown from the ground she would be classified as a Fairytale pumpkin - the kind Cinderella would have ridden in.



Depending on the light she's in, she can be a dark black or an eggplant color with deep reds and purples. She's just so rich and bold.



And she's the crowning glory to my Halloween decor, of course. She loves the spotlight - to be front and center. She looks pretty wicked surrounded by potions, crystal balls and candelabras, I must say.

I kept repeating the phrase, "My black pumpkin" when I first got her and was placing her all over the house. The phrase stuck with me and when I dreamed of opening my own shop with all of the fantasy and faeries and darkness I love, I thought this would be the PERFECT name for it.




When dreaming of my shop, I could see my shop sign displayed proudly above the doors just like my new logo above. I'm so pleased with how it turned out! I can't wait to show you the business cards and other supplies I just ordered when they arrive!!



This is my first ever Black Pumpkin painting!! Not bad for the first try, eh? It will be used in all my logo goodness for a while. =)

So I hope you will join me on my journey and check back often as there are many more Black Pumpkin updates coming soon! I hope you have as much fun as I will!


Have a delightfully dark weekend. ***