It's a normal occurrence to see bald eagles around our home because we are surrounded by south jersey farmlands with multiple lakes in the area. Usually around 7:30 A.M. I can spot an eagle on it's daily route from the nest (near the lake) toward the power lines. After making breakfast for my family yesterday, my husband spotted two eagles across the street from our home. I quickly grabbed my camera and went out the door to see how close I could get for some pictures. I started sneaking up the hedgerow next to our house; the eagles were not phased. I walked across the street to get a better view and noticed what the birds were interested in: a dead possum. I was about 25 yards from the eagles and they couldn't have cared less that I was there!
Later in the morning, one of the eagles remained in the tree keeping a close watch on the possum. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to photograph when it swooped down to pick it up the road kill. However, I did get some action shots of two hawks trying to take the possum from the eagle.
Have you spotted any bald eagles? I'd love to see pictures! Please leave them in the comments below!
On a beautiful afternoon in the early fall, I took a short drive to Daretown Lake for reference pictures for an upcoming exhibition with my good friend, Janice Chassier. The joint show will be in Kennett Square, PA at Mala Galleria and I decided I needed to create more paintings that reflected the habitat of Janice's favorite subject: Canadian Geese. Below is the video progression of the painting.
I can't wait for warmer weather and more sunshine after all of the rain we received earlier this week. On this cold, windy day I'm thinking of spring! What better way than to view some flower artwork?! Here are some recent works of art completed by my private art lesson students.
The first is a watercolor painting by my 9 year old student. It was her first attempt using this medium and I think she handled it very well!
The next is a colored pencil drawing completed by my 17 year old student. She was interested in the overlapping of the flowers and experimenting with the colors.
My most recent commission was a custom leather jacket painting. It was the first time I painted on a piece of apparel which, I must admit, made me a bit nervous. Especially being a special leather bomber jacket!
I researched the best type of paint to use and came across Angelus Direct. It is a specialized acrylic paint for leather that is guaranteed not to crack or peel.
Here is my delivery - so excited to get started!
I am lucky enough to have a neighbor who creates custom equestrian apparel and was able to pick her brain about what type of pencil would be best to draw the designs on the leather before painting. She advised me that she's had the best luck with quilter's pencils and even sent me home with one and some scrap leather to practice on.
Below are some progress pictures of the entire project.
Airplanes drawn on
Airplanes on the front right chest
Progress picture of the "patch" on the left arm
Finished "patch" on the left arm
Close up of the grim reaper's cloak
Close up of the American Flag
Almost finished!
Below is the finished piece of artwork being modeled on the client
My new painting, "Too Far Gone", was created from an iPhone photo I took while searching for reference pictures with my dad. He drove me to Shoemaker Dairy Farm in Hopewell, NJ for the beautiful architectural barns. After talking with the older gentleman who lived at the farm, we walked around the property for different vantage points and stumbled across this awesome Mack truck. I couldn't resist taking some photos of it!
I loved working with the colors in this painting; especially the rust of the truck. This was my first painting that features a vehicle as a main subject within a landscape and I was enamored with all of the shapes and values. I'd like to do a series of abandoned trucks found on the side of the road that have become consumed by their surroundings.
This past weekend I set up my paintings, prints and greeting cards at one of my good friend's ceramic gallery. You might remember her from previous posts, Janice Chassier. It was a lot of fun to meet new people experiencing my artwork for the first time and others who came specifically to see me. I saw some old friends, like my high school classmate, Jessica. A mother of three, avid blogger (you can read about her family's adventures by clicking here) and owner of Happy Goats Soap Company.
It was a great opportunity to reflect on the year and discuss our plans for 2016. I'm so grateful for everyone who came to support us!
One of my best friends from college, Don Macavoy, is
a professional photographer that travels the country and documents his journeys
through amazing landscape photographs. While he was in the south Jersey area he
took the reference picture for this painting. The beautiful sky and the
contrasting silhouette of the corn inspired me. I really enjoyed working with
the positive and negative spaces created by the corn stalks.
To view
more of Don’s photographs, please visit his website: dmphotographics.com
To purchase prints or greeting cards featuring this painting, click here
