Thing-a-week: Digital commission

Earlier this summer, I received an e-mail from a fellow writer living in Edmonton. It was rather out-of-the-blue -- we hadn't spoken for a couple of years. Apparently, she'd been surfing the web for pregnancy-related art and stumbled across a digital painting I'd posted on my ImageKind.com account.

She loved the mood of the piece, and the aesthetic, and wanted to see more of my work. A few weeks later, she came by to view some of my other pieces (all acrylic on canvas) but nothing really resonated with her. There was something about the digital painting that really appealed.

As we chatted, it dawned on me that I could create a new digital piece, similar to the painting she loved, with a figure that resembled her. After a few tweaks, we came up with the image above. I had it printed on stretched canvas and will never print another on canvas, to ensure she has the 'original.'

It was a fun process and makes me want to explore digital painting a little bit more. It took years for me to warm up to the idea, but I've been tinkering with photoshop and my Wacom tablet for about a year now.

My goal is to upgrade to a larger, fancier tablet later this year. I've got my beady little eye on this one...

...which is what Mike Kendrick uses in his day job as a graphic artist. I'm more than a little jealous!

Speaking of Mike, check out his thing-a-week too. He's posted some old, and new, drawings from his sketchbook which chart his growth during the year. Very cool.

I think this thing-a-week business is paying off for both of us!

Thing-a-week: Tasty times

I'm an awful baker. Like, really awful. While I realize it's more of a science than an art, I tend to measure ingredients haphazardly and add them in the wrong order. I despised the domestic arts as a kid and somehow managed to avoid all practical knowledge pertaining to baking. Last month, I discovered that you actually have to cream the butter (ie. mix it with the sugar), rather than microwaving it and dumping it in. Who knew?

Fortunately, while I stink at the culinary arts, I can paint a tasty-looking cupcake. So, after my little cupcake foray at art walk, I decided to take a cupcake book out of the library - not for baking, but as a photo reference for painting.

Here's the fruits of my labour. Oh - and as I mentioned in my first-ever e-newsletter, I'm doing a draw for a cupcake painting at the end of the month. Join my newsletter list for your chance to win free, original art. (BTW, I don't send out newsletters more than once a month).

"Calories be damned," Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 6"

"Eat dessert first," Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 10"

"Blackberries make it healthy," Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 10"

This week, Mike Kendrick filled up a sketchbook of goodies. I tells ya, that kid is just brimming with creativity. Although, I think his Justin Bieber dinosaur is my favourite.

This week's (unfinished) thing

It's been a helluva week! Oodles of writing deadlines and school work. Had to fight the urge to hibernate but, with some help from yoga and too many cups of coffee, I managed to stay on track. No loafing for moi.

That said, there wasn't tons of time for my Thing-a-Week. Since I was clearly deluded about my schedule, I started a large painting (it's about 2-ft wide and 4-ft tall), and didn't finish. I've been very conservative with my paint usage this time, in an attempt to have more wiggle room with editing it. At the moment, I'm unhappy with the expression of my figure, as well as her lower hand. It doesn't suggest a sleeping posture, as I'd intended -- nor does her facial expression. And, there's something out of proportion with the shadowed side of her face. And don't get my started about that flower. Bah!

I'll likely repost this in a few days with some design improvements and finishing embellishments. :)

Mike Kendrick had a busy week too, but his Thing-a-Week is snazzy. That Bunny Boss will haunt my dreams tonight.