Wishing You The Best This Holiday Season!

Hi, Friends! Can you believe that the holiday season is here already and 2023 is just around the corner?

Because I’ve never painted a portrait but wanted to use this on the front of our Christmas card, drawing and painting of the Holy Mother and Child began in August just in case I had to find a back-up idea. We saw this statue of Mary and Jesus at Castel Gandolfo‘s St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Church when we visited Italy in 2015. I was taken by the detail and beauty this statue evoked but knew I wasn’t skilled enough to try it until this year, and even then, I reluctantly painted and put it away a few times while reflecting on how to do the best I could.

Holy Mother and Child Statue

From our home to yours, may you have a very peaceful, joyful, and relaxed holiday season. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Winter Solstice, Happy New Year, and Happy all other occasions celebrated this time of year. May 2023 be kind to all of us! ❤

Draw A Bird, May 2022

This portrait of a bossy blue jay was a pleasure to paint: so calming and meditative, which is the exact opposite of a blue jay’s personality!

While they are known to be bullies at the feeders, they also “jeer” a loud call in order to track their mates and to warn of impending threats. When that happens, all the birds fly off and take cover.

Bossy Blue Jay

Hearing their urgent, incessant caws gets our attention, too, and we try to figure out what all the squawking is about. Usually it is a cat or large raptor getting too close for comfort. Blue jays truly are the town criers of the avian species!

Meet Nala

Meet Nala, who was a big, beautiful pooch. Doesn’t she look like she was a sweetie, and I love her sleepy eyes?

Meet Nala

Animal portraits are one of my favorite subjects, and I am thinking about attempting a human portrait sometime soon. I’ve got a lot of practicing to do, so wish me luck!

Pets – Meet Matty

This is Matty, and actually I’ve never met him, so we are meeting him together. He’s been gone a long time, but his owners, some friends of ours, asked me to paint him. He certainly seemed to have a lot of personality, and he certainly needed some orthodonture 🙂

Matty

They were very happy with the outcome which made me very happy, too!

Meet Chewie

This sweet little dog is named Chewie, and even though he is a bit older, he still has lot of spunk. He loves long walks on a sunny day and any food that is dropped on the floor.

Chewie

When I presented this painting to his owners, I found out that recently Chewie had been to the dentist and had many of his teeth pulled, so I’m happy I was able to capture his toothy grin before that dentist appointment!  Have a great weekend!