Thursday, December 2, 2010

Christmas 2010 painting

Christmas painting completed and post cards of this painting ordered. Underpainting in acrylic then color pencil over lays on gesso acid-free matboard. Size: 8 1/2" x 11 3/4". These are my granddaughters, based on a cellphone photo my son sent me(it was so very dark and lacked so much detail so I had to paint this very painterly with less line than I normally would have done. It was an interesting learning experience, I really loved doing this painting in my own value levels so it is so much more visable the relationship of the girls comes thru brighter than the photo could ever do. That is one of things I so enjoy painting from a photo, I can do it what ever way I want, even if the photo to begin with was poor lighting. The actual painting is so much more brilliant and the colors really focus on the relationship of the girls way more than this upload scanned copy. One day...with God's help I'll upload them better.

This time I scanned it right into the computer but it still did not come out like I wanted. I'm beginning to think it is more my computer that is the issue or the program I'm using to get it uploaded, ever since I got this new computer I've noticed a huge difference in the quality of my scans and photos that I print up or up load, this means I really will not have the time to figure it all out, esp now: I'm going to the US for 6 months starting mid-Dec of this year. This problem will have to dealt with next year when I return to Okinawa.

New Zealand "Portrait of the Artist" exhibitionhttp://virtual.tart.co.nz/exhibit.htm


The Portrait of the Artist Exhibition is now up on line for the month of December. Five non-participating artists are going to judge and select 25 out of an estimated 75 paintings in this exhibition to be included in a semi/permenant exhibition on line and large reproductions in a book which will include one painting from each artist who participated in this exhibition.
As I keep saying my photo skills are not very good so the colors do not come out like the original painting but they are close but the original is much more vibrant. I really want to figure out how to improve this skill but I don't have the time that is required to do so, sooo...I just have to let it be for now.
Stop by the exhibition, if you desire, they are rotating the paintings every few days since there are 3 pages, to be fair that everyone will have first billing at differing times. I must warn you there are some painting that may be offensive and uncomfortable to view. I wonder what happened to painting being about creating beauty, it seems now a days beastly, gross and drab are in, but for me I prefer representing beauty, for God created and desires beauty to be enjoyed and expressed.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Quilter's Hands #3
















Quilter's Hands #3 (9" x 12")

Completed Nov 20. Still working on how to photograph my paintings, so this is not how it actually looks. It is matted and framed ready to be wrapped and given as a gift for a Christmas gift exchange. I have it in my livingroom for now so I can enjoy it for a few days before it goes to its new home. It is underpainted with acrylics and painted with oil bars.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Granddaughter Kimiko born!

Kimiko Marie, our newest granddaughter, was born August 28, 2010 Saturday, 1240pm Florida time, 1140pm Okinawa time!!! We are praising God for blessing us so greatly! Kimiko means: upright righteous child, child without equal and Empress/noble child. She has long fingers like a promising musician, but that is in God's hands. What God the Father wants for her will be best for her and that is what we desire too.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Carolyn and Izzy

Ok I know there are 2 of the same picture, but the way I photographed them the results are different on certain parts, the darker of either are the more correct values. It seems when I was taking the photos I didn't realize that, I was focusing on just trying to get a better shot. Anyway I completed this one, the one I started here way back. I plan to deliver it tomorrow. I sure hope they like it, if not I'll be glad to take it home because I am pleased with it.

I thank God the Father for giving me all that I need to be able to do what I need to do esp in the art work, I hope I am giving God the glory in all I do.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Sanchez children

1. My process seems to be having a flow now, not so much stop and go. Since doing the art from 12am-4am for 4-5 days per week things are being made. I still need to work on getting enough sleep and I still need to figure out when I can put in a regular exercise schedule when I am awake but not too tired or too busy with the rest of my life. I know in time with God in Christ Jesus it will all work out.

2. I finished all 3 gift portraits, varnished, photographed, designed and made a carrying box for them and delivered(they liked them very much). I was given permission to upload them to my blog(they plan to upload to their facebook page).

I finished the gift portrait I had set aside and it has 1-2 more coats of varnish before I take a photo and deliver it. When it is completed I plan to upload it here.

I started the next 4 gift portraits, 2 of which I have completed the inked in under-drawings.

I got prepared for Children's church craft project, didn't take too much time, since most of it was pre-prepared by the manufacture, just needed to make a sample.

Watched part of a new watercolor portrait instruction dvd.

3. Insights I have made is that the more time I do work in the studio the easier it is to want to be there and do the art. Resistance is not too high the more times I go up per week. This is really a relief. For me the key to keep resistance down is to be at work in the studio & pray before, during and after.

But I've noticed my resistance has increased in the area of exercise, I just don't want to do it and I resist doing it, I feel it wants to take away my time in the studio or I am just so tired the rest of the time I am awake I resist exerting any energy on exercise. It is the same thing I was doing when I was resisting doing the art time. So my insight is that my resistance is still always around it just goes into another venue, need to pray and hand that over to God in Christ Jesus.

4. I still have not gotten to any of my quilting. It seems the more I do the painting the less I want to do the quilting, also if I do the hand sewing at night before I do the studio art time my eyes get strained more so I want to reserve my good eye sight time for the studio. Priorities are changing and I need to work the rest of my life around these changes over time.

5. I would like to get the 4 gift portraits all drawn, lettering transferred and the no-tan finished by next week. I'd also like to get some of the quilting finished too. Also to prepare for next weeks Children Church program too. To have finished the varnishing and photo of the gift portrait, I set aside and restarted, then to deliver it to the recipients.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Sneak peek























Week 7 Check in:

1. I am so thankful I finally finished the 2 gift portraits in the set of 3 I was working on. #2 was the most difficult. I had to redo that portrait 6 to 8 times, in fact the last time I finally got it right I stayed up for 12 hours straight. I need to varnish them all.

I'm still going to use the oil sticks to complete the gift portrait I set aside so it will be consistent in style using that media, but after that I'm going to use only acrylics for a while. I'd really like to learn to use the water based oils but I will have to start my paintings 6 months in advance to the time I plan to give them since they have to dry 6 months before varnishing them. So I think I'll use acrylics for gift portraits and try the water based oils on my own paintings of local children so I can wait the 6 months and try to sell them after they are varnished. But I've got to learn to use them first, I tried before and just couldn't figure out the consistency but I really didn't stick with it long enough to really get control of that media.

Didn't get to any of the quilts stuff, did a bit of children's church stuff and will have to do some catch up over the next 2 weeks.

3. My plan for the coming week is to get the children's church stuff ready. To complete the gift portrait I set aside to do the 3. Varnish, photos, box up & delivery of the 3 gift portraits I completed. Work on the quilt stuff too.

I thank God the Father thru Jesus Christ that I was able to do these portraits. Sorry I can not post the full images until I receive permission from the recipients, when I do I'll post all 3 fully.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

2010 Spring challenge & sneak peek






















1. I feel my progress right now is progressing, as for my process I'm having some difficulties with the oil sticks, it seems they do eventually dry out quicker after you've used a stick even if you remove the dried layer on top, also I had a weird reaction to one of the colors while I was using it, I felt like I had been toxic attacked. I am working on returning to using only acrylics with color pencils and some times water color. I am learning as much as I possibly can from books and from my own practice using acrylics. My last set of 4-5 portraits I plan to do in the next month I'm going to not use the oil bars so I can learn more.

2. I did finish my challenge quilt and it won a prize at the quilting guild I am in but I can't remember which category it won in, HA! There is a $25.00 reward. I was really shocked I won, I really didn't think I would this time, it was not really my best work due to the conflict I had with using such a overwhelm colored fabric. Anyway I am pleased every one liked it. I hung it up with my other picture quilt I have, maybe some day I'll part with it, but not now. I call it: "Chiyo-Marie in Flowerland" the photo here also includes the material piece I used(we had to grab from a paper bag without seeing the material, I show the upper material and the inside of the material since I used both).

I completed 1 of the gift portraits, except to varnish it and am almost finished with the 2nd, I would have been finished with the 2nd one but I used the wrong colors and had to wipe it all off and start again, that is one advantage with oils than acrylics, but acrylics are easier to go over again.

I prepared 5 canvases for the next set of gift portraits and I purchased boxes to put all 7 in so they can be packed up for their transfers to the USA.

3. Insights I have made are that I get frustrated when my medium doesn't work like it should or I would like it to behave. I am painting regularly now that I am in the studio by midnight-4 or 6am Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat. My sleep is doing ok too. Even though I am sleeping at 4:45 or 6:30 am and up at 12-12:45. I'm sleeping deeper and I wake up more rested. One thing though I haven't figured out when to get my exercise in daily yet, since by late afternoon I need a nap(which I take, sometimes 2 naps: 1 in the early evenings too). Over all I am so thankful I'm doing the art!

4. I haven't gotten the drawings transferred to the new set yet, nor have I started #3 of the 1st set. My husband is traveling to China next week for about 4-6 days so I'll have extra time hopefully to get more completed. The thing that has gotten in the way of not completing is my being so slow in the process.

5. What I want to accomplish before next check in is to complete #2 & #3 gift portraits and finish up the one I set aside then start up the gridding and transfer the drawings to the next 4 -5 gift portraits. The reason I say 4-5 is if I don't get to #5 before it is time to give it to the recipients at least I got 4 done and # 5 can be canceled. I still have Children's church to prepare for and I want to find some time to at least baste the baby quilt I've had to set aside. I also will need to varnish #1 gift portrait too. Again only a section is shown here because I do not have a model release but this shows you pretty much what all has been completed. I am so thankful to God that it came out as well as it has and I am praying the rest will too.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Portraits progress update






















I'm a couple of days early for my check-in and still plan to check in on Sat/Sun but wanted to go ahead and post up my progress on the portraits. Only partials due to not having model release forms. Still have much more to do but for this part of the progress I blocked in the main colors for the figures and backgrounds then I went ahead and completed the background. Backgrounds didn't come out like I 1st planned but turned out better than I expected. The photos didn't capture the underlying purples and greens in the background, I'm going to have to work on my photo skills some day for them to show correctly the colors.

I've been sick the last few days so I'm way behind. I'm hoping and praying I can get these completed over the next 2 weeks, Lord God I need Your help to do this for surely it is more than I can do on my own.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Lettering portrait background






















Week 4 check in:
1: Feel my progress is slow but progressing. There is so much I have to prepare first before I ever put paint to the surface it feels so slow progressing.

2: What I have accomplished: I am adding parts of the 3 paintings I have in progress in the photo section in my album. Sorry the 1st 3 progress photos were difficult to see anything. Hopefully this one will be better and you will see what progress I've done, again I can only show parts because of lack of model release forms.

I've prepared for 2 crafts for Sunday's Children's Church program.

I had to rearrange some of my studio again so I can get to the air conditioner to clean it out as needed, actually it made things better organized in the studio and much easier access to what I need when I am painting.

I was able to pin the baby quilt together(quilt top + batting + backing material)after adding the border which I drew sea turtles outlines on the border.

Drew only 1 day for my daily drawing but did some art study reading.

3. Insights: Hmm...not sure I have anything to add but what I put in #1. Well, I did realize I want my paintings, no matter what I paint to have more blue in them since that is my favorite color and it so me. And I want to find more time to draw something daily.

4. Things I would have liked to have done but didn't was: did not finish my challenge quilt but I did get to the binding and I did sew the hanging sleeve together. I wanted to concentrate on my going to bed earlier so it cut into my sewing time that I usually do in the evenings.

5. I do hope to have gotten the color blocked in on the main areas of the portraits and to have finished the backgrounds. Hopefully, too, to have started putting on the oil stick paints. I do hope I have finished the challenge quilt since it it due May 6th. I also will be redoing our church bulletin board backgrounds and flowers too this week.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Progress by request


Here is a photo of the progress of the portrait I was working on. I had to set it aside because I have 3 more I want to finish by the mid-May and this one doesn't need to be finished until the first part of June. Priorities. I can see by the photo where I need to do some touch-ups on the part I thought I was finished with, will remember to photo in progress more so I can see what I may have missed by just looking with my eyes. It seems I look at things as I want them to look and not as they are so progress photos would help correct that problem. Thank you Pattie for the suggestion to take a progress photo.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Earthquake 6.9 on Okinawa

Praise God for His protection, had a 530am wake up call from an earthquake here on Okinawa. My studio stuff had the most damage, 3 ceramics broken & 1 chime(whole chime collection fell down-about 50 chimes, so 1 out 50 not bad). Pictures & a few other items fell down & some cabinets shifted. Downstairs 1 cooking pot fell down & busted 1 han...dle off so it goes in the trash. Yes, this was a rough one, thank God it was not worse!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Me,Myself and I photos and grid drawing for Art House project

Was able to grid my photos and grid the canvas that I plan to do an Art House self-portrait challenge. If you are interested in process I'm going to upload the grid photos and the grid canvas here on my blog.


One cool true story from the dvd was about how we were all created to create beauty really touched my heart. It was about WWII prisoners of war in a Japanese Occupied territory. In one camp the prisoners found whatever they could to make musical instruments and a few had instruments already. Anyway while they were performing in their makeshift orchestra some new prisoners, who were starving to death, came into the camp, on their way to the place where they would get some food, they stopped mid-trail when they heard the music and stopped to listen. Their souls were more hungry for beauty than food. This to me is so inspiring that what I do as an artist has value in just the fact that it is something beautiful that blesses others. Hope this story inspires you too. Of course I condensed the story.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Million giraffes drawing


Still sick but couldn't stand it any longer not to do anything artwize so I learned of this challenge of 1 million giraffes project so I decided to draw 1 and upload it there and now here. Of course I didn't do this in my studio area, but I have a clipboard of paper and pencils downstairs so I could at least do something. It was fun. I used a photo model courtesy of photo8.com, they let me use it free if I acknowledge them or even if I don't, they have tons of photos with the same policy if any one is interested.

Anyway I uploaded it to this site, maybe you'll want to do the same:

http://www.olahelland.net/giraffes/blog.php


Praying that I will be well soon, but thankful I can still draw something sometimes while I wait.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year & begin 90 day posting



Happy New Year! I'm back to start up my 90 day posting but with a twist I'm going to post every other day so I'll be posting #s 90 then 88 then 86, you get the idea. I realized daily posting caused me a ton of stress and since taking this break I realize I could be more relaxed if I posted every other day so that is what I am going to do. Hope every one had a great New Years, I sure did with my church family here on Okinawa! I am so blessed with the members of my church, they are all so giving and encouraging.







Dec 31 I completed my Christmas hand sewing quilt(photos: front and back).