The Ellis Bunch!

The picture above is my latest commission. These adorable poodles are snuggling up in a festive fall orchard. It's the perfect piece for fall. You can almost smell the leaves and apples...

The drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 11x14" in size.

Where's My Dinner?

The piece above is my latest pastel. I felt that it was time to satisfy my interest in drawing a Persian cat. I took a lot of reference pictures of Persians at a cat show in Nashua this past spring. There was something about their cute, up-turned noses that gave me the giggles. Their expressions are priceless and their coats are absolutely stunning.

I decided to call this piece, "Where's My Dinner?" in honor of the high-maintenance cat. To this cat, it's owners are the "staff". Dinner will be served promptly every evening in a crystal bowl with a brocade tablecloth underneath. The high-maintenance cat lives to luxuriate. This particular cat is on the verge of a feline tantrum. Dinner is late and that is unacceptable.

This drawing is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. It is 11x14" in size and available for sale.

Art In The Park Award

I just received the latest newsletter in the mail from the Monadnock Area Artists Association (formerly the Keene Artists Association). There was a write-up on the Art In The Park festival with a list of award winners. After browsing through the list of winners, I was surprised to see that I won an Honorable Mention in Category Three (pastel, colored pencil, charcoal, pen & ink, and original printmaking). I was standing at the main tent when the awards were announced and didn't hear my name announced. I thought that I hadn't won anything. It was a fun surprise to see that I won an honorable mention in my first year of participation. The piece that won is posted above.

Piccadilly Pooches

The piece above is my latest commission. The three pooches above were very special to the owners of Piccadilly Hutch. This drawing is in memory of three very special dogs. One of the awesome things about portraiture is that our pets and people that have passed away can come alive on the canvas. While the actual pet may not be visible to us anymore, their portrait serves as a reminder of their adorable eyes and personality.

"Piccadilly Pooches" is rendered in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. The dimensions are 11x14".

Piccadilly Hutch

The kind owners at Piccadilly Hutch Antiques & Art Gallery in Woodford, Vermont have taken an interest in my original artwork. They are now selling my originals in the art gallery, which is absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't have found a more perfect place to sell my work. The gallery is filled with beautiful antiques, jewelry, art, and country giftware. It's location is on Route 9, just before Bennington (the main route between Vermont and New York). I hope that if you're driving through the area, that you stop by and take a look at this unique gallery. I promise you that it's friendly and comfortable and not at all stuffy. Items are reasonably priced as well, which is a breath of fresh air in the current economy.

Art In The Park Pictures/Recap

Art In The Park was a success! This past weekend, I participated in the Art In The Park event in Keene, NH. I had a sizable booth to display both my original drawings and giftware. I also advertised fine art classes, which I will be holding in my studio on an ongoing basis.

Saturday and Sunday were both very busy, with a constant flow of people visiting the various booths at the event. Throughout the day, I worked on a study of a duck in pastels at an art table in my booth. I think that it was a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate my pastel techniques.

All in all, it was a fun event. It was an excellent opportunity to introduce myself to the area as a professional artist and meet other artists. I was able to show my giftware to a large amount of people who may not have come across it in area gift shops. I sold some cards and magnets, which is always a good thing : )

Above, I posted some pictures of the event : )

Deep Meditation

The piece above is my latest pastel drawing of my own dog, Sasha. I've drawn Sasha several times, but I wanted to draw her in a peaceful, spiritual way. She often naps in the sunlight and I love how the light plays upon her coat. She's a girly girl, so I captured her napping on iridescent tulle. I snapped several photos of her sleeping and then drew this portrait using my favorite photo as reference.

"Deep Meditation" is 11x14" in size. It is drawn in pastels on smooth, white vellum paper.

Art In The Park

Hello! The latest news is that I'll be at Art In The Park in Keene, NH this coming weekend! Art In The Park is an exhibition of New England artists and also a juried competition. It's the perfect place to find a new painting if your walls could use some sprucing up. I will have a booth at the event with framed original pastels, as well as magnets and greeting cards. If you're in New Hampshire, please stop by!

Art In The Park
Saturday, August 30 & Sunday, August 31
10 am - 4 pm

Ashuelot River Park,
West St.
Keene, NH

Chicken With Attitude

Here is my latest pastel, called "Chicken With Attitude". I met this particularly grumpy hen at the Cheshire County Fair in Swanzey, NH. I was snapping reference photos in the agricultural area and put the lens of my camera through the chicken wire to snap some pics of the chickens. Most of the chickens were happily pecking at their food. This chicken, however, moved closer and closer to my camera with its head cocked to the side. She wanted to attack and I wanted to move my camera as fast as possible. The photo that I snapped during this moment was the inspiration and reference for the drawing above.

"Chicken With Attitude" is 8x10" in size. It is drawn with soft pastels on smooth, white vellum.

Froggy

The piece above is my latest pastel, titled "Froggy". The inspiration for this drawing came from Fireside Gardens in Langdon, NH. I was exploring Nancy's garden about a month ago, and zoomed in on a bullfrog in her pond. He didn't move while I snapped several photos of him from different angles. I think it's amazing how frogs are so patient with me when I photograph them. I'm able to get some great reference shots.

The piece is drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum. "Froggy" is 8 x 10" in size.

Jaffrey Riverfest!

Saturday was an amazing day! I was a vendor at Jaffrey Riverfest in Jaffrey, NH. Riverfest is a town celebration, featuring artisans, historical town tours, an art rescue, hot air balloon rides, good food, and musical performances. Above, I've included some pictures of my booth at the event.

All in all, it was a successful day! I sold many of my giftware products, which was fantastic. Given the state of the economy, I was unsure if it would be a lucrative day. It was interesting to see which images were popular and to get feedback in person from my fellow townsfolk.

I also brought Sasha and my family along for the day. Sasha proved to be the perfect mascot. Many people stopped by just to get a look at her up close. She's blowing her coat right now, so she really is quite a sight. She has these cotton ball wisps of hair that fall off of her like dust bunnies.

I want to thank Tom and my family members for keeping me company in the booth. Also, thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth to view my work. You made the day a success!

Cheshire Medical Center Art Exhibit

I just hung my work at the Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, NH for a solo exhibition. My pastels are on display on the 5th floor of the hospital (the Farnum Rehabilitation Floor) until September 11th. I'm really proud of this exhibit, since it will be viewed not only by visitors, but patients who are in the healing process. I included pieces that I created during my own period of healing to spread some positive, hopeful energy.

If you're in the area, feel free to stop by and view the artwork in person!

Lakeside Buddy

The portrait above is of a special golden named Buddy. I call him Bud and sometimes "Big Guy". He's also known as Buddha Bud, because he has gigantic ears like the Buddha. I swear that if you rub his ears, he'll warm your soul and your face with a series of kisses.

Mr. Bud is reclining next to Dublin Lake in this picture. He wasn't actually there, but I wanted to draw a summery golden retriever portrait. I combined reference from my own landscape photos and some reference photos of Buddy. Then, I tried to create a serene rendition in pastels. The result is the portrait above.

"Lakeside Buddy" is 8x10" in size. It is drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum.

Just Ducky

Here is my latest pastel, titled "Just Ducky". I'm not sure what I think of the piece just yet. The thought of creating a pastel painting with baby ducks was irresistible to me. It seems like there are baby geese and ducks everywhere in the countryside currently. Yesterday, I had to stop the car to allow baby turkeys to cross the road. They sort of hobbled and attempted to fly, although they were quite bad at it.

The drawing is 8 x 10" in size. It is drawn on smooth, white vellum with soft pastels.

Dziadzio's Friends

Here is my latest commission, a special landscape/wildlife portrait called "Dziadzio's Friends". The commission was for a Maine landscape scene, so I chose a section of the Nubble Light lighthouse site in Maine. This particular spot is very special to me, as I used to travel here with my family when I was little.

My grandfather was especially fond of Maine and Nubble Light. I can remember feeding the gulls french fries with him. He thought that seagulls were magnificent and I am reminded of him whenever I see them. This piece recreates a scene that I would've experienced with my grandfather when I was young.

The title comes from his nickname, Dziadzio, which is the Polish word for grandfather. Whenever we go to Maine and watch the gulls, we say, "There are Dziadzio's friends!"

The portrait itself is drawn with Dziadzio's pastel set that he used while he was alive. It's drawn on sabretooth pastel paper to create texture and is 8x10" in size.

Norman

This adorable pup is Norman. He is my latest commission and was a pleasure to capture. I wanted this portrait to be reminiscent of the classic dog portraits of the 19th century. During this time, outdoor dog portraits often featured a simple foreground with a tree-line background and a blue sky. I brightened up the colors a bit and gave this theme a try.

Norman's portrait is 8x10" and drawn with pastels on smooth, white vellum.

Waiting For The Rain

The piece above is part of a series of pastels that I am working on for Fireside Gardens. The gardens are owned by my friend, Nancy, and I sell my artistic wares in her gift shop. I thought it would be a neat idea to start a series of animal portraits set in Nancy's gardens. The location is so colorful and lively. I couldn't think of a better background for my work.

Last week, I visited the gardens and snapped several pictures. I also took several pictures of Nancy's schnauzers, Whitney and Ida. For fun, I super-imposed one of the girls on a work bench area of Nancy's garden on my computer and printed out the reference. Then, I drew the scene in pastels. The piece above is the result!

I plan on creating more Fireside drawings in the near future. The pastels will feature Nancy's dogs, as well as a few cats, relaxing around her gardens. If you are in New England, I recommend making a trip to visit Nancy's gardens and gift shop. It is the perfect place to find just the right plants, flowers, and country gifts.

Clawing Her Way To The Top

Here is my latest portrait, called "Clawing Her Way To The Top." While I've never been the type to viciously climb my way to the top, I thought that this title puts a funny spin on a kitten portrait. I'm more of the type to work like a mule while being fed morsels of success here and there.

This kitten, however, operates differently. She is a show kitten that I photographed at a Cat Fancier's Association confirmation show. I believe that she is a Maine Coon kitten, but it is hard for me to tell with the low lighting. I snapped the reference photo just as she was climbing a raffia scratching post to impress the judges.

The portrait above is drawn in pastels on textured pastel paper. It is 8 x 10" in size. I hope that you enjoy this depiction of ruthless competition. Meow!

New Look

You may have noticed that this blog looks a little different, along with the Golden Illustrations website. I decided that it's time for a new look. The black background of the old blog and web page was kind of depressing. Now that I'm living in NH and am happy with my surroundings, it's time to have a web page and blog that reflect that.

I hope that you enjoy the new look. There is even a new gallery on my web page to browse through. We used a new gallery program that presents my artwork simply, without a lot of text clutter. To me, simplicity is best.

Dreams of Mice and Everything Nice

My new studio is a bit unconventional. I work on an antique table with a wrought iron base and a set of chairs with mustard/golden colored cushions. The chairs have seen better days, but it's good to work on worn furniture since my pastels tend to cling to the wood.

My cat could care less about the distress of my chairs. To her, the fluffy golden cushions provide the perfect napping place in the sun. Rays of warm sunlight filter through my studio windows every afternoon. Any toasty spot entices my kitty. I snapped the reference photo for this piece while she was napping on a studio chair and tried to imagine the images floating through her head. She looked so content, she must have finally caught a mouse or her bird toy.

This piece is 11x14" in size and drawn in soft pastels on smooth, white vellum paper. With luck, I will manage to cover the piece with tracing paper for protection before my cat decides to nap on the drawing. She has been known to nap on drawings of herself. The drawings of other animals don't intrigue her as much as her own portraits. I'm not sure if all of this artistic attention is going to her head. Or... Maybe I just have an active imagination. It's probably both.