Season's Greetings

This morning we woke up to a snow winterland. Just enough snow to cover the trees. My husband asked if I wanted to go out and take photos, so I jumped at the opportunity! The roads were slick and a gal had run off the road. My husband stopped to see if she needed assistance and she was fine. As he was helping her, this was the view out my window.

So what a great story to start the holiday season and a great way to wish you all a Very Merry Holiday Season!

Diane

Sea Creatures

Here are a set of 6 sea creatures that are being submitted for another project at Royal Brush Company. These are for sketch kits for 3-5th grade level junior artists.

Royal Brush Commission

Over the past few weeks I have been working on a series of drawings for Royal Brush company. These images are going to be used 8 x 10" sketch kits. The age level is teenage to young adult.

Church of the Land - Living History Farms

"The Church of the Land stands as a tribute to the idea that people of different religious faiths can live together peacefully.

The Church of the Land in Walnut Hill was built in the carpenter gothic style. The narrow points at the top of the windows, the ends of the pews, and the pulpit imitate the gothic cathedrals of Europe. During the 1870s, it was popular to mix different kinds of woods in the same room. At the Church of the Land, the ceiling is made from hemlock, the dark beams are cedar, and the pews and altar are red elm. The doors, window sashes, windowsills, and baseboards are pine, while the floor is fir.

The Church stands on the same hillside where Pope John Paul II spoke to an estimated 350,000 people on October 4, 1979. " (for more information, visit www.lhf.org)

This drawing will be available as open edition prints and notecards.

Fiber Artist - New Website

I am so excited to share this new website!

http://www.fabricationsbydoris.com/index.htm

Doris Deutmeyer is an extremely talented artist who creates beautiful artwork by using fabric. Visit her website today and email her to welcome her into the international world through the internet!

2-1/2 Moos and 2 Barns

The grass was really bugging me...so I chopped it all up. Instead of creating long wispy grass, I figured short choppy stuff might be better. It's looking better, but still needs some work.

Here is an update on the barns. I think I'm almost done. I've really attempted to develop strong tonal values through out the scene. I think it's working to bring everything together. Now if I can just figure out the clumpy grass and rough ground...it's just not quite right yet.

Well, the cows are in place. It seemed that I was losing the spacial depth between the two barns, so I have sketched in some fence. Hopefully this will put some distance between the two barns and put the cows in better perspective.I have more details to put on the barns and the roof needs to be shingled yet. The grass needs to be clumpy and the ground roughened up. I'm pushing the darks further as well.

Step one - Working on the the barn on the right and the shingles....

Moo.....

The original photo: The cropped version:
The cows....

Home Portrait Continued

July 13, 2008

Well, I think for the most part this portrait is completed. I've added the driveway rock center, added shadows from the trees across the driveway and planted the hostas and grass in the foreground.

The foreground tree has been quite a challenge. It has enough detail to add interest to the portrait but I've had to be careful that it doesn't steal the show. I have a bit of gardening to do to plant some hostas around the roots and the driveway is left to do. Getting closer!

I've started working on the foreground tree here. The leaves are canopied to lead the eye to the house.

Here is an update to my current drawing. it's been slow developing but I really want to capture the wonderful details of this home. Springtime was a perfect time to take a photo as it allowed more open skies and the background trees are delicately placed in with light rendering.