"Pears"

A neighbor kept us in pears for weeks this fall!  Good food, good props!

6" x 8" oil on canvas board

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com 

"Something's Fishy"

Isn't this terrific?  My daughter Laura created this collage for her art class. The rubric asked for the following:
     *Collage is clearly a portrait, still life, or landscape.
     *Collage exhibits Surrealism by using metamorphosis and/or combining realistic objects in an unrealistic way.
     *Objects and shapes are neatly and accurately cut.
     *There is a clear background and foreground. Images are organized into a clear
       picture, not randomly placed.
     *Design is balanced.
     *Similar art elements are included to give the collage a sense of unity.
     *Differences in art elements are included to add interest to the collage.
     *Collage is neatly glued with no tears or peeling edges.
     *There are no stray marks.

She had so much fun doing this project!  I had so much fun watching her enjoy the process! I'm pretty certain her teacher is going to love it! What do you think?

8" x 10" collage on fiberboard     $10,000.00    :D
   

"Emma"

Another sweet girl to paint!  This is on a small 4" x 4" canvas.  I've got several I'm working on this week.  Emma started out in acrylic, and I finished her in oils this morning.  The photograph picks up the weave of the canvas, but in life, it's not as severe as it looks here.

Sometimes I paint the sides a dark color so they "float" on the wall.  I wrapped the image just a bit on this one.

4"x4" oil on wrapped canvas

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

The Cute Girls ~ Finished!

Yes, I have finally finished their portrait. The family has been so kind and patient with me.  These girls are absolutely adorable! I know, I've said that before, but everything they do is cute! Everything they wear is cute!  Every time I see them, I want to do another painting of them! Okay, I will not stalk these girls with my camera! To view this portrait in progressive steps, click here.

16" x 20" pastel on Wallis paper

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

7 Links Project

The purpose of the project is "To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again"

I have been tagged by my artist friend Azra Iqbal to list paintings in the following 7 categories.

Your most beautiful post
Your most popular post
Your most controversial post
Your most helpful post
A post whose success surprised you
A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved
The post you are most proud of

                                      So, here we go... My most beautiful post, in my opinion, and in the comments and emails sent is "That Dog."  Sera was a joy to paint, and the story of her name was included in the post.

My most popular post, if you went by pageviews would be "Wild Violets."  Hmmm, it's a cute little painting, however, I would never have thought it would be viewed by so many!  It's my favorite little flower, but did you know that some folks spray poison to kill the sweet things in their yards?

I'm not sure that I have a most controversial painting, I'll work on that, but for now I'll go with "Fire and Ice".  It caused some friction in the family over reflections in the vase, too many, too few, wrong colors, too tight... ah... family!

My most helpful post, and I take that to mean to other artists as well as to myself would be "Boogie Samantha."  It's the first post to include in-progress photos.

The painting whose success surprised me the most would be "Black Eyed Susan."  It's a little 4"x4" oil on wood.  It's quite plain, but folks liked it.

The post I feel didn't get the attention it deserved is "Bands of Freedom."  I loved painting our countries flag!  I am proud to be an American!

The painting I am most proud of is not quite finished yet... it's "Those Cute Girls."  Now that my kiddos are all settled in their classes, the daily routine is becoming, well, routine ~ so I'll be back in the studio soon!

Thanks for taking a look at my art! Thanks for the tag Azra!

The Cute Girls...

Update~ The picture on the left is where I started today.  The one on the right is where I had to stop.  Looking at them side by side and having the work in front of me, I can see that there is a lighting problem.  The skin tones of the girls are very similar, not as different as they seem in the photos.  It could also be a light leak in my camera!  I'm still working on the older sister.

The cute girls have been patiently waiting for me to get back to work. Those life things keep happening!  So ~ I'll be working mostly on the girl in blue today.  I may have to go visit the girls before putting down the final strokes.

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com 

More of the Cute Girls...

As you can see, I've started filling in the background.  I'm adjusting lights and shadows on the girls as more colors are introduced with the flowers.

This is where I am starting today!

I have received a couple of emails asking about time spent on a portrait.  It depends on so many things: size, number of subjects, amount of detail.  On this particular pastel, what you see above is 20 hours.  I estimate at least another 10 before I'm ready for the client to view.  Although ~ my clients are welcome to see the work at any time during the process.

I work in 30 minute "pomodoro" (my timer) segments.  Actually, it's 25 min. then I back off for 5 minutes.  This works well for me, because with pastels I stand at my easel, and when my timer goes off, I can move around a bit, mark my time, and wash the pastel off my hands.  I find that this allows me to really focus on what I'm doing and it relieves me from the parental tendency to watch the clock.  Also, my kids know that if the timer is a-tickin' ~ unless it's a 911 situation ~ don't interrupt!

Okay, time to set that timer!

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

Those Cute Girls continued...

Today, I'm working on the older sister.

I've added more layers to her face, hair and dress and I've started on the lace trim.

That's it for today. The lace is in, it needs a touch here and there. I've started putting some of the flowers in the background.  I see that my Ottlite has cast a shadow across the board. I'll be more careful on the next round of photos.

In progress ~

I've started a new portrait of 2 lovely girls.  I toned a sheet of Wallis sanded paper with Prismacolor olive green, brushed out with Gamblin odorless mineral spirits. It's a bit more even than what you see in this photo. Once it was dry, I used blue/violet to sketch the girls and a kneaded eraser to remove some pigment from areas that I want to keep light.

I used mostly Rembrandt pastels here. With pastels, I usually work from top to bottom, left to right, to minimize loose pastel falling on finished areas. Once the older girl is in, I'll start working in circles around the paper, adjusting, shading, and highlighting.

I didn't have much time in this sitting.  Still using Rembrandt pastels.

Yesterdays work.

I see a few things I need to adjust before moving on.

These girls are so cute, I find myself smiling through the entire painting time!

"Bands of Freedom"

My son named this painting.  His 20th birthday was yesterday and I didn't think the title "The Day After Jay's Birthday" would be appropriate.  Cat and I took over 100 photos of American flags in different locations around our fair town. Although many were great photos, they weren't what I was looking for to paint.  When Karen Werner posted "Old Glory 2", and then Dana Cooper posted "Stars and Stripes", I decided to follow their lead.  I took the flag from our porch and leaned it against the wall in my studio and there was my painting!

Have a fun and safe Independence Day!  Remember those that have served and those that are currently serving our country to secure and maintain our freedom!

6" x 6" oil on gessoed fiberboard

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

"That Dog"

This is Sarah.  Her real name is Sera, short for Seraph, the single form of Seraphim.   We adopted Sera, and Rubi (R.I.P.), short for Cherub, the single form of Cherubim, about 11 years ago. We chose those names as they imply the high ranking class of celestial beings that surround the throne of God.  Seraphim, according to Christian angelic hierarchy, are the direct caretakers of God's throne, and sing "Holy, Holy, Holy..." 24/7 !  Cheribum, are described as "almighty and fearsome winged beasts and guardians of Eden."  NOT the innocent childlike being that Renaissance artists would have you believe them to be. The sisters, Sera and Rubi, although not always "angels," have many crazy stories about their life with the family ~ Frazier.  Sera is now retired (right Carol?), and enjoying her days as guardian of the ranch where my SIL keeps her horse.  She is old, as you can see by her graying face, but seems to have endless energy. She is loved!

6" x 6" oil on gessoed fiberboard

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

"Black-eyed Susan"

Black-eyed Susans are still blooming down here, I'm so glad!  This is another attempt with the oils from the attic.  It was very hard to get a brilliant yellow, or rather, to keep it brilliant yellow!  In the actual painting, it's a bit more yellow-orange. They kept getting muddied-up.  I did have fun with the bottle, it's more removed paint than applied paint.  

4" x4" oil on gessoed fiberboard

untitled

During a recent adventure into the attic, my husband found my box of oil paints.  They are at least 24 years old, some even older!  To my amazement, they were not all dried up!  Many of the tubes had fused together, and broke open when I tried to separate them.  I put those in snack size baggies.  Otherwise, they seem to be fine.  So, here is my first oil painting in... well... 24 years!  (Yes, I was a baby when I started painting!)  What do you think?  Any suggestions for a title?

6" x 6" oil on gessoed fiberboard

"Boogie Samantha and Relda"

This portrait was commissioned by the owner of "Mist" for her friend in Texas.  Sam is a gorgeous Tennessee Walking Horse/Arabian mix.  She has the richest color coat I've ever seen on a horse! The painting arrived at its new home today, and Relda, the rider, is happy ~ so ~ that makes me happy!

24"x 30" acrylic on stretched portrait canvas.

I used purple/white for an underpainting.  This was confusing to folks that walked by, causing them to think it was going to be a purple horse!  :D

Acrylics do make it easy to start and stop without too much fuss.

As I moved away from the subject to the edge of the canvas, the landscape became less detailed.

At this point, I met with the buyer, and a few adjustments were needed.  I removed some grass from directly behind the rider, and opened Sam's eye.  It was hard to tell if the eye was just in the shadows like the riders profile.

24"x 30" acylic on canvas     SOLD

"Fire Escape"

This is a close up of a sunflower from the  "Fire and Ice" painting.  I've yet to find any sunflowers as intense as these were!

4"x 4" on gallery wrapped canvas

"me"

Well, I'm a bit behind to say the least!  This is for the dailypaintworks challenge a few weeks ago, "All About You"or is it "All about Me"?  I started it promptly, but then got distracted!  I thought it was rather cool that somehow the light refracted yellow on my face around the lenses... a tad jaundice-looking, but cool.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenge/85C8095F-A49E-41B2-823B-E26B94D87276

4"x4" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas 
 

"Bucket"

Kim Rempel, over at EAT DRINK PAINT  http://eatdrinkpaint.blogspot.com/, is posting things mundane from her garage, and invited us to join her.  There is beauty in the ordinary!

6"x6" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard

"Dogwood"

Dogwood blossoms are so beautiful.  I always wish they would stay a bit longer!

6"x6" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard

Color-Changing Mist

This horse belongs to an online friend. His name is Mist and I promise he changes color!  I think he is a beautiful gray ~ but I saw purple, blue...gold!  My girls think he uses a crimping iron on his mane and tail!  :D

6"x6" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard    NFS  

This is the underpainting done in my van by booklight!

Health Class

My 15 year old daughter drew this in Health class. Pretty nice shading considering she only had a mechanical pencil!  I think it's pretty great!

"Cerises II"

Another mini painted by booklight.

4"x 4" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

"Fire and Ice"

Sunflowers may very well be my new favorite flower.

6"x6" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard   Sold

"Trois Cerises"

This was a fun little painting... that bad boy in the middle kept rolling over, so I left him that way! It's almost like he is taking a bow.

4"x 4" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard

elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com

"Wild Violets"

My favorite little flower! 

4" x 4" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard       nfs
elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com  

Nightshade Jewels

I know, everyone paints tomatoes, but these were so red!  I painted this in the van, er, mobile studio, while waiting for my dancers.  The only light I had was the from the glow of the computer screen (my mater foto), and 2 little book lights on my cardboard easel!  Oh... another book light on the palette!   Hmmm....maybe I should always paint in the van by book light!

6" x 6" acrylic on gessoed fiberboard    
elizabethannfrazier@gmail.com  

"Summer Snowflakes"

These tiny little "snowflakes" are about the only snow we see here in Louisiana.  My sweet daugher took lovely photos of them in our back yard, remnants of her great-grandmother who lived here so many years ago!   They just seem to dance under the trees!

4"x4" acrylic on wood panel     Sold

"Cochise"

I originally started this pastel as a study using pastel pencils on Wallis sanded pastel paper.  My plan was to work in my mobile studio,(my 12 passenger van with a bench removed for my supplies), while I waited on 2 of my daughters in dance class.  It's an hour and a half drive to get them there, and not a lot for me to do in the city at that time of day.  At least nothing that doesn't involve spending money.  So... pastel pencils seemed like a great idea.  When I had finished the sketch, I tapped the back as usual, to remove loose pastel!  Horror struck as right before my eyes the drawing slid off the paper and onto the ground!

There was just a ghost of a sketch left!  My regular pastels are staying nicely on the Wallis ground, and I am finding that I really like this paper.

10"x10" pastel on Wallis       Sold