I am so happy to finally be able to start my portrait of Pieps the mouse (by Steiff). I won him on Ebay back in June and I knew already how I wanted to paint him. I love how his arms are outstretched, it gives him so much emotion! I decided to leave the little hole in his ear left by the Steiff button that is lost, I think it gives him character. This is the underpainting done in burnt umber and white but I imagine the final won't be far from this as he is all beige with just touches of pink in his ears.
Gentlemen Doves
For some reason I didn't post these in progress. Probably because they are a little different in style and I wanted to see where they were heading. I sketched these out over a year ago and even converted them into needlepoint charts which I'll probably be working on for the next year. The sketches have been hanging on my wall of ideas waiting for me to decide how I wanted to approach them and finally a few weeks ago I just dived in and began. I am very happy with them; they are a little whimsical but I think they convey the warmth and dignity of the humble mourning dove which is after all my favorite bird.
Mousy finished
I am very happy to have finished Mousy this week. He was a challenge as he is so old and worn but what character he has in his face! I just love him.
Mousy Painting
This week I was determined to get the under-painting of Mousy done. I like to start off with burnt umber and white on a gold toned ground. It gives me a good foundation to work up from.
Drawing of Mousy
This is the preliminary drawing on canvas of a new portrait I am working on. It is of a stuffed animal named Mousy who is the beloved childhood toy of a very dear friend of mine . He is worn and floppy and shows all his years of love and affection. I've gotten very attached to him as I've been working on the portrait and I can't wait to see how it develops!
Curious Portraits
I am very happy to finally have my new ETSY shop Curious Portraits up and running. It has taken a lot of work but I think I finally have all the little details ironed out! I've already made a few sales and have been featured on 4 different treasuries (2 of which I've posted below) so I am very encouraged. I hope you will take a look and let me know what you think.
www.curiousportraits.etsy.com
Squirrel Portraits
I finally sat down this week and finished my portraits of Daisy the squirrel that I began about 2 months ago. She really posed for me this way which shows just what kind of squirrel she was. She had just had a litter of "kittens" which may be why she looks so maternal!
Parisian Puppy Portrait
It's been awhile but I managed to finish the Parisian Puppy Portrait. So named because I found him in a shop in Paris in 2000 and thought I'd love to have a real puppy just like him. I never guessed that Bingo, who looks so much like him, would come into my life the very next year! I started painting him weeks ago but have been busy setting up my new Etsy site Curious Portraits which I hope will be up and running by next week. Here is the final and two shots of the portrait in progress.
Awake Bunny ptg 4
Steiff Bunny Portraits
Finally I was able to finish the latest is my portraits of childhood toys. These are 2 Steiff bunnies I picked up in an antique store in Lambertville, NJ a month or so ago. I only intended to purchase one but in the end I couldn't leave the other one and I am so glad I went back and got him! They make such a haunting pair. I just loved their tender expressions.
Sleeping Bunny ptg 4
Teddy Bear Portraits Begin
PONYTAIL BARBIE SERIES
This weekend I was determined to finish this series of Barbie portraits. The more I paint her the more I see differences in her expression and mood. I think for the next set I will work larger and on canvas. (These and the Bubble Head Barbie series are painted on 6" x 6" wood panels). I am toying with the idea of background or even clothes. The fashion possibilities are endless, so many favorite outfits I remember from my childhood. ..
Sock Monkey Portrait
A few years ago my friend Keith loaned me his childhood sock monkey to photograph for a project I was working on. I took some great photos with the intention of eventually doing a formal portrait of it. I had done a portrait of my favorite childhood toy, green bunny years ago and always wanted to do a whole series of toy portraits. Well last week I finally felt inspired out of the blue to do the portrait. It came together so quickly and I couldn't be happier with it. 
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Daisy's Portrait Continues
Slowly but surely Daisy's portraits are progressing even though I never seem to find enough time to work on my own stuff. I am still excited about these portrait;. Daisy's expressions and personality are so apparent in all the photos I have of her and it is a challenge to capture them. Let's face it, most squirrels look alike. I have 5 of them now that I feed (all descendants of Daisy no doubt) and I must confess that I cannot tell them apart. Maybe squirrel features develop over time, after all Daisy was at least 4 years old and the present squirrels are 1 year at the most. It will be interesting to watch them grow and see if my theory holds water.
Squirrel Portraits Continue
I managed to put some time into the portraits of Daisy this week and here are the preparatory drawings on the boards. Hopefully I can begin painting this weekend!
