Abstract Art

Well its been a while since I've posted. Most likely because I found an awesome forum where I can pick the brains of artists of all kinds! - WetCanvas.com - I love it! They tear me to shreds....but in a good way, lol. There's classrooms you can visit and even a Reference Image Library where people have uploaded photos for anyone to copy or create from without all the copyright mess. I highly recommend it.

I've noticed that I have a lot more fun when I do abstract art. There's not a lot of rules to follow, and I can envision something without all the measuring and dimensional aspects, although those are always good to know. So my latest piece is above and was inspired by our lightning storm we had last night. Let me know what you think.

The Eye

I thought it would be good for me to practice on things that I find hard to create...like facial features. This was actually supposed to be Keith's eye, but I made it too almond shaped. His is definitely more round. Overall, its not too bad. Hopefully I can refine my details over time....and I think I need some china markers!

Playing with Colors

There is a very cool artist on youtube who makes fantastic portraits of people using bright, vivid colors. This was my attempt at something similar. I find that capturing every detail and facet of peeople's faces is hard, but I will say that this one was a lot of fun!

Meet With Me

I REALLY should be in bed right now, but at least I finished another picture! I'll probably regret this tomorrow....but that's what coffee is for, right?
This one captured that sentiment I get when I really just feel the Lord near me. I guess it could be a continuation of the 'Contentment' painting. The one draws me to the other. Lord, I'm here to meet with You, come and meet with me.

I'm not sure exactly how I feel about the technicalities of this one. The chair is not exactly as I had planned, nor the rock, but I think it still captures the mood. I'm learning that mixing too many colors on top of one another will come back to bite you. They start to get muddy on the paper due to the texture not being able to grab the oils in the pastels anymore. One step at a time... :)

Contentment

This is today's creation, most of which I did while the boys were napping. I titled it 'Contentment' because its something the Lord is teaching me right now. I love change, and the excitement it brings, but there are seasons when I need to just be happy and at peace with where I am. Thank you Lord.

Copyright Laws...

Well I guess it was inevitable that I would need to educate myself on copyright laws as I get more into my oil pastel drawings or 'paintings'. Some of the ones I have done so far were based off of photographs I found online, though not complete replicas. At this point, I think I find it safer to try and do things on my own (yikes!), or at least just use the photos as inspiration for other pieces, and not as the model for my stuff (or does that infringe on the idea/expression dichotomy...although I don't believe so)
Crating art on my own will be a big step for me....I hope it works out, haha!

Feet of Jesus

This one was difficult, I'm not very good at getting shadows and depth perception down, but it turned out ok. I was inspired by a photograph online and wanted to make it a little more meaningful which is why I made it the feet of Jesus.

He was persecuted for His love, but overcame. Can we walk as He did?

One Drop, Many Ripples

Couldn't sleep...so onto another drawing! Inspired by another painting I saw, this one is not near as good, but I love the many ways this could be interpreted. I love the warm color hues together.

One drop may not seem like much, but look at all the ripples it creates...

Summer Rain

I saw a painting similar to this online and loved the imagery! Enjoying the summer rain in the summer sunshine :o)

Heart Piece Continued...

Well, I've done more on the Heart piece, but still not very happy with it. I like the colors, but I can't get past the shape of the heart not being how I want it, nor it being centered on the page. I'll probably leave this one as is, and start a new one soon. :o) I do like how the colors look like flames around the heart. Blending is so fun!

Progression of Worship

I know, I know. This is like my 4th post today...but at least I'm being productive! Its just so much fun!
Ok, so this is the one I made today during the boys' naptime. Your first thought is probably "Skittles....taste the rainbow", but alas, that is not the depiction.
To me, this not only symbolizes my family's love of music, but also a progression of worship to the Lord. So often, we are caught up in ourselves and our circumstances but as we begin to praise and worship Him, our focus changes. We are no longer trapped by selfish thoughts, but as our "thoughts are stayed on Him", our worship becomes pure and passionate. Truly its all about Him.

Tree In Sunset

This is the one I did yesterday, while my son was making a birthday card for his Mima.
I really like this one! I was inspired to do this while on a drive down a country road at sunset, looking at all the beautiful trees still in slumber from the harshness of winter. I had some blending issues with this one, but I checked out some youtube videos to give me some blending techniques.

Second Piece, Unfinished...

This is the second piece. I based it off of an image I found online. I have an artist friend helping me with this one, so its still under construction. I'd like to do a nice background color, but haven't decided what color yet.

First Oil Pastel Piece

So this is the first piece I've done. I copied it from a painting I have in my home. Lacks a lot, should not have used charcoal pencil underneath, but I do like the flower and the background colors!

Trying Again!

So I tried to keep a blog not too long ago, more about personal things, and I think I made about 2 posts, haha!
This time, I'm more excited!I've been wanting to learn how to use art as an outlet, but without art classes, I didn't know how to start. I'd only really done pencil sketching. But as of late, I've discovered the wonderful oil pastels! Kind of like pencil sketching...but prettier and more forgiving! So this blog will be an outlet for me to share my journey of learning art, especially with oil pastels.
I'd love to hear any comments or especially tips, if you're an artist yourself!