Orchid (2009), 5 x 7"

The background for this painting was originally black, but I decided that it looked too flat. I outlined the flower in teal blue and faded that to black instead. I think the contrast of the teal outline and magenta in the petals highlights the flower better. Plus, there is a feeling of depth in the painting now.

Gallery Opening

My art on the wall at the Art Vault!

Some of my newer paintings are being shown at The Art Vault Gallery in Paxton, Illinois! The grand opening of this new gallery is November 6, from 7-9pm. The address is 106 S. Market St. Come check it out!

Also, I am happy to take commissions for paintings. If you have a photo you would like me to paint, send me a message or leave a comment! Email me: audraziegel at gmail dot com

Water Lily, Lake of the Woods Park, Mahomet, IL (2009), 16 x 20"

Though I am pleased with the finished painting, I struggled with the textures in this one. The problem is that lily pads are flat! I brought out what little variations in color and texture they had, and I think the result is convincing. The water in the photo was also mirror still, so I added a wave-like texture. This helps with the perception of the reflections (under the petals on the lily especially).

Rocky Ocean Scene (2009), 16 x 20"

I love painting water. Not only is turquoise one of my favorite colors (I have many favorite colors), but the texture of rough waves is fun to work with.

This painting is for sale at my etsy page.

Field of Poppies (2009), 16 x 20"

This painting was a real challenge. Painting the stems and grass was tedious and extremely time-consuming. I love the depth of this painting--how the poppies fade into the distance.

(Painting based on a photo by Mike Warren, found on flickr.com:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikewarren/18962691/
Photo used under a Creative Commons License:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)

SOLD

Purple Sunset with Tree (2009), 8 x 10"

I hope it is obvious that there is a tree in the bottom right corner! Otherwise, this painting doesn't make much sense; though, I love the color scheme. I found this photo on morguefile.com, a free image-sharing website, and was absolutely compelled to paint it.

SOLD!

Sea of Galilee (2009), 5 x 7"

Based on a photo my brother took while in Capernaum, Israel.

This painting is for sale on Ugallery.com.

Middle Fork River Forest Preserve (Summer and Fall) (2009), 8 x 10"

In the tradition of Monet, I painted two different versions of this forest scene. For the fall version, I turned everything orange that was green. The major challenge was duplicating the shapes and placement of the trees.

Both paintings are available as gicleé prints--visit my etsy shop.

Both paintings are sold.

Ocean Sunset (2009), 16 x 20"

This painting is for sale at my ugallery site.

Burgess Falls, Putnam County, TN (2009), 10 x 20"

THIS PAINTING HAS BEEN STOLEN. Please contact me if you see it anywhere.This incredible waterfall is another one of my favorite places to visit in Tennessee. I edited the original photo so that the rocks appear to be blue. I think the monochromatic color scheme works well for this subject.

Gicleé prints are available here.

Sunflower, Meadowbrook Prairie Organic Garden, Urbana, IL, 10 x 14"

Every painting presents a new challenge. Here, the sunflower seeds were especially difficult. I chose to only suggest their spiraling pattern and not to focus on depicting individual seeds.

SOLD! Available as a gicleé print--visit my etsy shop.

Plumeria (2009), 11 x 14"

This painting is probably one of the most realistic and labor-intensive I have done. I spent huge amounts of time sketching and matching colors to the original photo.

Bee Rock, Monterey, TN (2009), 8 x 10"

Bee Rock is one of my favorite places to visit in TN. This small tree is perched right on the edge of this giant weathered rock formation, overlooking a tree-filled valley.

Here is a link to my other Bee Rock Painting (4/8/11).

Prairie Sunset (2009), 8 x 10"

This painting was inspired by a sunset I saw while driving. The photo below was taken on my cell phone at a red light. Usually, I don't like to change anything from the photo, but I felt that a prairie scene was much more attractive than roads and power lines.

Purple Mountains (2008), 24 x 36"

The largest painting I have done, this mountain scene was a Christmas gift for my parents. I can almost feel the coldness of this scene. There are a great amount of subtle tone changes in the snow, which are difficult to appreciate in this photo. This entire painting was completed using only two small paint brushes.

Pet portrait: The Bun (2008), 5 x 7"

The one and only time I have painted an animal, this is a painting of our pet rabbit, Bun. We no longer have the Bun, so I am glad to have a painting by which to remember her.

Foxglove (2008), 12 x 24"

My favorite painting of all I have done. The texture of the background is rough and spiky while the flowers are textured yet shiny. In the original photo the background is a blur of light pouring through the leaves of trees. I painted the slightest indication of branches in the background and included a bit of blue to suggest the sky.

Poppies, Lake of the Woods Park, Mahomet, IL (2008), 18 x 24"

I entered both this painting and "Puerto Rico" in the 2008 Champaign County Fair art contest in the oil painting category. I had no expectations to win, but to my surprise my paintings took first and second place!

Rose, Dogwood Park, Cookeville, TN (2007), 12 x 16"

My first flower painting. I tried to recreate the photo as closely as possible, while working within my style. I think the three-dimensional quality of this painting is striking and when glanced at quickly the painting almost looks like a photo.

Wyoming (2007), 12 x 24"

This painting is based on a photo took in Wyoming on my honeymoon. This painting has much more texture, especially in the sky, than previous paintings. I especially like the color of the sagebrush in the foreground.

Puerto Rico (2003), 16 x 20", and Smokey Mountains (2003), 8 x 10"

The painting above is one of my favorites. I love the luminosity of the setting sun and the texture of the water. I frequently agonize over details in my paintings, but I would not change a thing about this one.

Based on a photo taken by my dad on a family vacation in the early 1990s.

The Smokey Mountains painting below has changed a bit over the years. The sky used to be very swirly and I received many compliments stating how much this painting looked like Van Gogh. I love Van Gogh, but I didn't want people to think I was trying to copy his style. I re-painted the sky to have a softer look and I am pleased with the change.

Grand Canyon (2002), 18 x 24"

This is my second oil painting. Here, I used thicker paint, and experimented with different brushstrokes--angular brushstrokes for the rock and individual dabs of color for the sky.

Niagara Falls (2002), 18 x 24"

This is the first oil painting I ever did. It was a high school art class project; we got to pick our own subjects and paint in our own style. The painting is based on a photo my dad took of Niagara Falls, back when my family lived in Buffalo, NY. I tried depict swift movement in the water. The mist was a special challenge; I tried to make it both three-dimensional and transparent.

As I recall, my art teacher was not thrilled about it.