Billboard!

Here's a picture of my billboard in action!  If you want to see it for yourself, it is located near 705 W. Marketview Drive in Champaign (near Lowes).

Remember Nhu Art Gala April 11-13

I will be showing four pieces at the Remember Nhu Art Gala!  Art works will be for sale by silent auction.  This event coincides with the 2013 Boneyard Arts Festival.  Be sure to check it out--Remember Nhu supports a great cause!

Billboard!

One of my paintings was recently chosen to be on a billboard as part of the "Sky Gallery" campaign, one of the 40 North organization's public art projects. My billboard, along with five other winners, will go up on April 10--I'll be sure to post pictures!  Here is a link to the press release about the Sky Gallery winners.

The Iris Farm (2013), 9 x 12 in.

It feels so good to be painting again.  This is actually a painting I have had sketched for a long time...I had forgotten about it and found it recently when looking for a blank canvas.  This painting is based on another of my sister's gorgeous iris photos--I've painted two others Irises II and Irises III.  I just love painting irises because of the rippling, lacy shape of their petals and their vivid, varied colors.  This scene in particular was appealing to me because of the multitude of blooms and colors!  I want to visit this iris farm myself!

Roadside Thistle (2013), 6 x 6"

Finally, a new painting!  I was asked to paint this for a fundraiser for 40 North 88 West, a local arts organization.  It will be for sale along with nearly forty other 6 x 6" canvases by other Champaign-Urbana artists at the Gala on February 9.  I'm so excited to have completed my first painting of 2013--I haven't painted since my son was born last May!  I hope to get back into painting more in the coming months.

I've been wanting to paint a thistle flower for a while and I thought it was a great time to try out the subject since I was limited to such a small format.

Beach Grass III (2012), 8 x 10"

Beach Grass II (2012), 8 x 10"

Commission: Cattle Egret (2011), 11 x 14"

I painted this graceful bird as a commission. I decided to paint it in a more realistic style than many of my paintings, because I wanted to be sure to capture the character of the bird, not just its general shape. I am really happy with how this painting turned out--from a certain distance it looks like a photograph. Below is the original photo along with the different stages of progress.One other interesting bit about this painting is that I didn't know in the beginning what kind of bird this was. We originally thought it was a Great White Heron (a genetic variant of the Great Blue Heron), but they are pure white over their entire bodies. This bird has brownish/orangish plumage on its head, back, and chest. After doing some internet research I was able to find out that it is actually a Cattle Egret. Here are some other photos I found:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cattle_Egret_%28Bubulcus_ibis%29_-Florida_Keys2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cattle_Egret_%28Bubulcus_ibis%29_-Florida_Keys.jpg

Paintings for Sale!

Many of the paintings that are pictured on this blog are for sale. I have updated all the links in each post to go to current listings on Etsy and Ugallery. I also have several giclee prints for sale on Etsy as well, so check those out.

Pet Portrait Commission: Maddie the Beagle (2011), 12 x 12"

I've been working the past few weeks on my latest commission. I didn't post about it earlier because the commission is actually a surprise birthday gift for the recipient! The person who commissioned the painting wanted to surprise his wife for her birthday! This painting was a special challenge, because the photo I had to paint was in black and white. I did have several other color photos for reference, which was extremely helpful. Here's the original photo:
And here is a color photo I used as reference:I did a detailed sketch as usual, and completed painting the head and body in one sitting (so cute!):
I was instructed to leave the background as nondescript as possible, and to use a palette of muted greens or browns. I decided on greens since that contrasted better with the color of the dog's fur. I used really thick paint and chunky textures, especially in the top section of the painting. I mixed five subtly different shades of green/blue-green and placed them randomly next to each other without any blending. I really love how the whole painting turned out! Here is the finished painting along with some close-ups:Check out my other pet portraits here:
Olive, the Boston Terrier
Bear, the Yellow Lab
Bun, the Mini Lop

Want to commission a pet portrait of your own? Contact me here: audraziegel@gmail.com