getting ready for a show...

i've been busy...vewwwy busy.  i have been painting like crazy trying to get ready for first fridays in

lake oswego.  i first had the august 3rd date, but changed it to september and am glad i did.  i would be frantic if it was now!  so i will be there september 7th...my birthday...kind of appropriate.

here is my banner for my booth...i really like it.  i ordered it from vistaprint and am really happy with the quality.

 i started painting pets purely by accident.  i took this pic of my sister, kim's dog, and have always thought it would be fun to paint.  so i did and posted it on facebook on her wall for fun.  she loved it and everyone started saying that's what i should start doing. 

so i started painting...next was my dog, buddy...

and my friend caroline's dog, spike...

and a visla...

i'm working on another one for my sister....one that i donated as a commission for an auction for gales creek camp for kids with diabetes...a birthday gift commission...and another soon to be commision, all while preparing for this show!  and i have a few non-pet paintings that i had started and need to finish!  so...i'm verrry busy.  and i want to finish them before the show to have more samples to show for (hopefully) some orders!  i'd really like to focus on pets...i treat them just like i would a human portrait.  there are the eyes, nose, mouth, hair...and each one looks different.  i jsut started a website too...

www.loridiane.wix.com/petportraiture

for my portraits.

and her are some of my biz cards...

here's one that will show the pet side of my art...

 pets include horses...

 i really like how my postcard came out...i didn't think i'd like glossy, but like it more than the matt.

here's my buddy on display in my home...i really like having a portrait of him on display.  he is such a sweetie.

and i've been busy teaching...

 on top of teaching art classes at michaels in tualatin....i took over oregon city as well.  that store has been really slow.  they haven't promoted it, so most weeks i don't even teach.  but, i'm hoping that changes.  they are building a classroom and are going to start promoting.

i am also really excited that i started teaching at The Stafford Boutique Retirement Community in lake oswego.  here was my first class..we painted Van Gogh.  .two of them have been coming to my michaels class prior to this.  i'm there during the summer on fridays at 10am and in september it'll be fridays at 3:00.  i just love it!

 and here is Gladdie...she's one of my regulars.  we painted multnomah falls.  it was quite complicated, so she worked on it at home during the week, and brought it back finished so I could see it.   look what a great job she did!  i am so proud of her!

what i love about her too is her child-like enthusiasm about having creativity in her life.  she looks forward to not finishing in class so she can have homework during the week...something to work on. 

i told her it is feeding her soul...and she agreed.