I no longer like metal.

Frames, that is. For years, I framed all originals and prints in aluminum frames. The idea was that the thin metal frames were secondary to the detail of the paintings and would not detract from the subjects. Okay, they were really cheap. Now, after listening to advice from other artists and having access to quality wood frames through my workplace, I have gradually reframed almost all of my art in attractive wood. What a difference! If you come to one of my shows you'll see what I mean.

The Making of a Portrait

Most of my portraits begin as a snapshot, supplied by the customer. In this case, she felt this photo best demonstrated the pet's personality. It's unusual to include inanimate objects in a portrait, especially vibrant blue purses, but it's crucial in this case. We didn't want to show all of the other extraneous items, though, and I eliminated them from the completed portrait. I offered to draw the portrait in graphite instead of colored pencil, but she felt that the bright colors enhanced the cat's mischievous personality. Here are before and after pictures:



















My goal was to keep the visual clutter to a minimum while still preserving the essence of the picture - a moment in time when the cat was in the bag.

Staying Productive

I've just finished another painting, actually a combination of painting and drawing. I'm still working on creative ways to blend watercolor and graphite. This latest work does that, I hope. Over the years I've done many goldfinches and coneflowers, in many combinations, and this is a new variation on that theme. I wanted to depict the coneflower in different phases of growth, typical of botanical art, but I admit that painting the seedheads gets a little too picky for me. So, by adding graphite instead of paint in that area, I can still be accurate without getting bogged down in the details. Here it is:

Goldfinch and Purple Coneflower by Anne Gilna

Portraits, too.

Until now, this blog has been concerned with my watercolor bird and botanical art, but now I'd like to show an example of my work in portraits. I have just finished this colored pencil drawing of a wheaten terrier (called "Reilly", by the way). I worked from the customer's photos, which is the usual situation. She e-mailed me four images, and told me which was her favorite. Since that particular image was somewhat out of focus, the other images helped to fill in the blanks, so to speak. Using a combination of the images provided, I was able to create a completed portrait of Reilly showing him looking his best. The customer was delighted, I might add.

I Just Can't Stop Painting Downys

Here is my latest watercolor, inspired by the deep red sumac berries in fall, and the ubiquitous downy woodpecker. I enjoy painting fall and winter scenes, because I admit that though I love botanical art, I prefer not to paint green leaves. It seems contradictory, but a lot of green gets, well, tedious. The reds and browns are more appealing to me, and don't compete with the bird either. Here is a preview:

It Doesn't Take A Lot. . .

So, I got a voice mail from a customer from Art in the Barn who bought the "Cardinal and False Indigo" painting. She called to let me know how much she loves the painting, how good it looks in her home, and that she appreciates my art. This keeps me going! Thank you , Renee, for thanking me. I'll do some more painting in the off season.

End of Shows

The 2008 art show season ended today, on a positive note. I haven't been commenting lately on this blog, because, well, I hadn't had much to say that wouldn't sound negative. It's been generally a negative year. Fine art just hasn't been a priority for most people lately.

The Art in the Barn show, which was this weekend, was extremely well attended, but most of us felt that customers were not confident in spending much. My sales were better than the other 2008 shows, though. All that aside, I was in the "upper barn", which really is a barn, minus livestock, but with many residual barnlike characteristics. It was good to be inside (though the weather outside was good this year), but there was a definite lack of natural light. More lamps and extension cords will be necessary next time. I enjoyed the company of my neighbors.

What about next year? It remains to be seen. . .