http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCmDgxGxyhU&context=C4feb606ADvjVQa1PpcFNIlyZgKwjGo4YqwuvZJZBjLHixQyG1s9E=
Creating s sketch of your subject allows for additional creativity and expression in your painting. A sketch in itself might become a finished work of art. Learn to sketch by hand. This video will inspire you to do so.
Below is the final painting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXGmzsQim48&context=C3dee137ADOEgsToPDskKjoyY7OK5cl4wSX7FTj7TT
See how I visualize and compose a painting, Add impasto texture to your painting. This video demonstrates these processes.
I recently discovered just how much I enjoy photo restoration, that is, restoring treasured images of family members. I am excited to offer this as a new service in my business. In September 2008 a women approached me and pulled a small wallet sized photo from her wallet. “Can you do anything with this” she ask almost apologetically, “this is a photo of me with my girls, I have had it is my wallet for 13 years. ” I looked at the dis-colored, faded, orange spotted photo of years gone by and ask if I couldn’t create a portrait of her with her daughters now. “No she replied, we want this photo”. I can do it, I told her, and I took her tiny treasured photo with me.
Weeks later I called Joanne to see a 16×20 full sized proof of the restored portrait. She was delighted and she ordered
three 16×20 portrait canvases, one for her and for each of her girls. Joanne flew to
New York to deliver her Christmas gifts to her daughters in person.
It was the treasure of her family she knew it would be.
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George saw my work while displayed at the Athletic Club in town. He decided to commission a portrait of his
daughter and her year old daughter – both of whom he adores. After seeing the beauty of this portrait,
he wanted a portrait of his wife. She had not yet consented to have her portrait created at the time
I had Christmas dinner in their home. At the end of the evening, however, Barb said to me,
“I don’t have any good image from our wedding 22 years ago. Can you do something with some of the
images I do have?” I left with their album andthe one 8×10 she had of this very special day.
After careful scrutiny, I selected the above image
because I loved her expression and beauty.
George looked handsome as well.
It was mid January. I called George to view the image on my computer. I suggested that if a woman chose
to have a wedding portrait as her special portrait after 22 years – perhaps it would be a great Valentine’s Day gift for her.
George agreed and added that he had proposed to her on Valentine’s Day. I love it when I get it right! He then told
me of his plan to gather friends at a favorite restaurant on Valentine’s Day and at the appropriate time he would have
the restored and enhanced portrait presented to her. It was a perfect plan. I had the portrait printed, framed and ready for its debut.
I was in New York for this Holiday but I checked in when I returned. The tears had streamed he told me.
It was the perfect gift. They were happy and so was I.
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This image was taken with a cell phone when Alice traveled to visit her mom. Although the image quality was very poor,
Alice loved her mom’s expression and decided it was an image she would like to have corrected, enhanced and preserved.
I loved the idea of restoring a special portrait of Alice’s mom.
Hello World!
This is me more than 99 percent of the time. I am positive energetic, creative and believe the sky is the limit.
This does not mean that everything goes my way or that I do not have challenges – but rarely does it get me down and for not very long. I pay attention to my thinking and try to stay away from negative thinking, limited thinking and judgment. These type of thoughts get us in trouble. When one thing is out of my control, I direct my attention to things I can control and attempt to have positive impact there. When the economy slowed and I had less business, I used it as a time to create my book. Hence I remained focused, optimistic and fully engaged with an activity that was important to me.
I also engage consciously in positive self talk – you know, that little voice we hear all day long giving us feedback. That voice can be trained. It can be trained to tell you things you need to hear to move forward. It can be trained to offset the negative voices which may be part of your past – which may be holding you back – really it can. It is amazing how much I like to hear myself praise myself for doing really good work. I can feel a what feels like a separate being within me just “glow”. I like to feel that I am in charge of how I feel and how my life goes. If something is not working no matter how hard you work at it – well, it just may be that you need to let it go and to move in a new direction. Sometimes we just need patience.
This image was taken by Pete Snell from Victoria when group of us were in Vegas for WPPI and went to the desert to a ghost town to do a shoot. The environment was so beautiful and I had my fabric with me to use for the models so I complied when the guys told me they wanted to photograph me. This is a fun image so I am glad I allowed it to be created.
