Hey there! If you're reading this journal, you're probably either subscribed to my newsletter or you've seen my art at the Amelia Island Art Association Gallery in Fernandina Beach! (If you aren't subscribed to my newsletter and would like to be, you can subscribe here.)
Below is a behind-the-scenes look at my entries to this Nouveau Art Show.
"RESILIENCE"
It's been a minute since I've done any paintings, but when I saw that this art show's prompt was "Natural World" I got inspired. I wanted to paint a couple realistic paintings for this show. Painting realistic portraits was a life-long goal for me. When 2020 I mastered the skill after painting a realistic portrait series of the characters from Angels' Compass, I unlocked a world of possibilities for myself. I really enjoy sitting down and fiddling with a painting for hours. It's like therapy; my mind gets a break and, in ways, is restored.
If you have been following my work for a while, you may recall a painting I made of my eyes. This was on my first business cards, which I handed out from 2020 to 2022. With the Atlanta Writers Conference coming up, I decided I wanted to repaint this for the sake of keeping my business card art updated. So naturally, this became one of my entries for the show.
I named the painting "Resilience" because I have always associated this word with myself. I may encounter delimmas or hardships, but I will never give up on my calling. Below is the finished image as well as a process GIF to show you my process of "digitally painting" this piece.
"GOLDEN IS A STATE OF MIND"
For my second piece, I chose a leisure piece I worked on for a little over a month. I'd always wanted to paint gold, but never really had the time to sit down and focus a lot of energy on it. For this piece, I knew I wanted gold on it, but it took me every bit of my three painting sessions to get the it just right. This one started with the inspiration "We Bleed Gold." I've always associated this line with Venatrix, so she is the one I chose to paint.
Here you can find another process GIF of my digital painting of this piece. The best part of the process was my visit to the print shop to complete the entries. After seeing the images, the woman helping me told me she wasn't sure how the gold would turn out in a print!
All my hard work paid off. :)
Because gold was my theme and inspiration for this show, I decided to try something I've always wanted to do - gold foiling! I ordered a couple white frames and a gold foiling set off Amazon and got to work. During Hurricane Ian I dedicated some time to putting my skills to the test. For it being my first time ever gold foiling anything, I'm very happy with how they turned out!
If you are interested in seeing these pieces in person, they will be hung at the Amelia Island Art Assocciation Gallery during the months of October and November. The gallery is located at 18 N 2nd St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034.
I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look. If you'd like to know more about my work, feel free to check out my author page and a sneak peek at my illustrated fantasy book series, Angels' Compass.