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.

art abandonment

i recently became a part of a new group called ART ABANDONMENT.  It was started by Michael DeMeng.

he started this group on facebook just a few weeks ago, and there are well over 3,000 members worldwide already!  the purpose of this group is to create some kind of art - a drawing on a napkin at a cafe, a painting on canvas, a poem, words of support, whatever you creatively do - then leave it somewhere for someone to find with a note attached that says it's a gift for the finder, and if they choose to reply back via e-mail to say how they felt or what they will do with it.

Michaels was immediately surprised at the response and the growth of the group.  he started a separate blog.  This is what he writes about the group:

"Art Abandonment is a group designed to encourage random acts of art, left in various locations around the globe. The idea is that folks can make something and leave it for a lucky unsuspecting person to find. Artists can then post locations and photos of abandoned goodies…and finders can let everyone know that they are the lucky finder! O' sweet abandon!

So leave some art. Leave a contact email for the finder…and if you get notified share the message with this group. If you prefer you can use the contact email: i.found.artwork@gmail.com we'll be checking it often and share the results. Have fun!"

how fun and wonderful!  hope you join the group and become part of the movement!

there was a new baby born at our barn.  there is nothing like a little one with long legs.

 just 2 days old

 and when i went to pick up my daughter the other day, this is where i found her.

 she has a way with animals.  she thinks of what they are thinking or feeling and they feel safe.

the owners of this horse were calling this little filly a wild one.  they were saying it would be hard to try her out with a halter.  they need to have my horse whisperer daughter do it.

 even mama approves.

vaca in the sun...

we spent spring break in palm desert.  oregon right now is wet, wet, wet.  it seems the weathermen say it's raining, sprinkling, showers, etc...they just try to make it sound different every day...but it's rain.  so going to where it was warm - like 80-95 warm - was shocking and soooo needed.  these are views from our room...

we ate out lots and one place was so lovely...palm desert is laden with flowers and palm trees, and this place was no exception....

the rooms had that 1920's glamour...with the vines growing up and over the arches...

and having a cold one outside in the warm air was wonderful!

we stumbled on a polo club which we didn't even realize was there...and we've been going to the desert for so many years...

there were canopies where you you sit under to watch the match and stay out of the sun...

 here are some of the statues and beautiful grounds....

here's a mermaid in the pond...

and on to the art museum...they were having an exhibit with rodin so had to go...only sculptures here...

rodin...

picasso...

and driving home just love seeing the wind power of the desert...

it's futuristic looking...and beautiful...notice the blue skies.

we then stopped by my sister, dolly's beautiful house where my mother has recently moved in and had such a great time there.  then off the next morning after a home cooked breakfast to drive the rest of the way home...and like clockwork, the rain started just after we went through southern oregon...

i'm loving my iphone and the photos apps available!  here's a picture of a statue i have...

here's another painting i did recently...this shows the progression and my re-working...

 i used acrylic and pastels...

i wasn't happy with the color on one side...i then put color on both sides, and kept working on her face.   i still wasn't thrilled, so i kept at it. i gave her more hair.   i lightened it up quite a bit and added flowers.

then i didn't care for the flowers and how detailed they looked.  i painted and pasteled and chalked over them, leaving a bit of color showing through.  i then added more of a creamy color to the white, which looks better with her hair and the tones in the painting.

here's the finished piece.

chalked another event board at native foods cafe at the bridgeport mall.  i just love the whole vibe i get while in there.  i am blessed to be able to do their event board at the end of every month for the next month.  it feels great to be a part of such a cool place.

and my grumbacher paint classes at michaels are so much fun.  my students are churning out such great work!  i'm really proud of them!

we did a series of van gogh paintings...here is the still life...

here's the floral...

and here's the landscape...