Art Awards

I was honored to be informed that my "Yaquina Lighthouse" painting was selected as a featured item at Digital Brushstrokes on RedBubble.com.


Meanwhile, super-talented artist and blogger Lydia Velarde was kind enough to give me the "Passion for Painting" award several weeks ago. I am only just now responding. Sorry for the delay, Lydia, and many thanks for thinking of me. I hope everyone will check out her charming and whimsical blog, Arty Velarde.

Since I've already "tagged 7 bloggers and listed 7 things I love," I will graciously accept this award with gratitude and get back to painting... Please consider yourself tagged if you are reading this, and, if you'd like to, post 7 artist bloggers and 7 things you love.

Purple Orchids

Title: "Purple Orchids"
12"x12" digital painting
© 2009 Christine Pierce

The Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Honolulu has an entire wall covered with live orchids. I have never seen so many beautiful orchids in one place. Here is a picture I took after we enjoyed lunch there recently. The wall is two stories tall (although for some reason this picture remains small when clicked on):

Title: "Wall of Orchids"
Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Hawaii
© 2009 Christine Pierce

But, lest I think I've seen a majority of orchid varieties at the orchid wall, here's a fun fact from Wikipedia: There are about four times as many orchid species in the world as there are mammal species. That's a lot of orchids!

Princess of Kaua'i Floral Headdress

Title: "Hawaiian Headdress"
12"x12" digital painting
© 2009 Christine Pierce

We happened to be in Hawaii during the 93rd annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade. It ended in the nearby Kapi'olani Park which was filled with live music and several food and craft vendors.

I saw a beautifully-dressed woman sitting in the audience listening to the concert. She was wearing traditional Hawaiian leis and garlands topped by an extravagant floral headdress. I think she was one of the festival princesses, Gayle Fujita Ramsey, Princess of Kaua'i. I took a photograph of her ornate headdress, and used it as a reference for the digital painting, above.

Honolulu Sailboat

Title: "Honolulu Sailboat"
12"x12" digital painting
© 2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

I love to sail and was happy to look up from our veranda in Honolulu and see this solitary sailboat flying across the water. Nothing but blue sky, azure sea and racing sloop. The trade winds were especially strong that day; the boat was really heeling and looked like it might tip completely over, but, fortunately, it did not.

Here is the same painting in a woodcut style:

Title: "Honolulu Sailboat, woodcut"
12"x12" digital painting
© 2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

We had a wonderful tropical vacation and I look forward to sharing my paintings from Hawaii as I finish them.

Aloha!

Title: "Hawaiian Breeze"
12"x12" digital painting
© 2009 Christine Pierce

I'm heading off today on a vacation to Hawaii with my family. I probably will not be able to post any art while I'm away, so I leave you with the above digital painting. It is based on a photograph I took a few years ago, from Napili, Maui, looking northwest toward the island of Molokai.

Aloha!

Dog Portrait Updates

Title: Major (framed)
5"x5" digital art (14"x14" framed)
© 2009 Christine Pierce

I'd like to provide an update on my recent dog art. First of all, thank you to all who voted and sent comments regarding which version of Major (above) to give to my Dad for Father's Day. It was a close call, but, after much consideration I decided to go with the softer version. Ultimately, it is easier for older eyes to "read" that version.

And secondly, I gave the printed painting of "Saucy, the Bernese Mountain Dog" to my friend yesterday and she was so enthusiastic! She said that it is "gorgeous" and that I have "captured the essence of her soul!" She is saving the picture to give to her husband for Father's Day, as Saucy was his special pet. I am so happy she liked it!

Title: Saucy, Bernese Mountain Dog
8"x8" digital print
© 2009 Christine Pierce

By the way, I had the Saucy portrait printed by a Portland company called Plywerk. They use an interesting process of adhering the print to a wood panel and then laminating the surface with a lustrous finish. This is a wonderful way to have one's art stylishly printed and immediately ready to hang. (Also, artists, photographers and students who show or sell their work qualify for an immediate 20% prodeal discount).

I discovered this company through friend and local blogger, Mrs. French, who writes a beautiful blog called Bliss. I encourage you to check it out!

Common Foxglove

Title: "Common Foxglove"
12"x12" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

I painted this foxglove from a reference photo I took at the beach last summer. It is my first entry in an EBSQ art flower-of-the-month challenge.

I love the striking purplish-pink color of the foxglove and its towering height. And here's an interesting fact: not only is it a beautiful plant; it is also the source of the heart medicine digitalis. The drug's name comes from the plant's botanical name, Digitalis purpurea.

Drinking Chocolate

Title: "Drinking Chocolate"

18" x 18" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce

I may have mentioned that my favorite place for imbibing hot "drinking chocolate" in Portland is Cacao. I had my camera with me on a recent visit and photographed a demi-tasse of hot, spicy Mexican drinking chocolate. Mmm-mm, so good!

The actual cup and saucer were bright, white porcelain. I added a woodcut filter and some borders in Corel Painter 11and Photoshop to get this swirly-effect.

Yaquina Lighthouse

Title: "Yaquina Lighthouse"
12"x12" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

This lighthouse is located in Newport, Oregon, on the Oregon coast. We stopped by last summer and enjoyed a walk around the grounds.

In this painting, I tried to capture the blustery quality of the day. Even though the sun was shining, it was very windy out on the point.

Which One?

Title: "Major with Bright Color"
5"x5" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce

Title: "Major with Soft Color"
5"x5" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce

For Father's Day, I want to give my dad a painting of his dog, Major. I've done two new versions, and I need your help, dear readers, in deciding which version I should give him. I could ask my dad, of course, but I would rather surprise him (and no, he does not read my blog)!

The top painting is more bold and graphic, but loses some of the detail around the forehead and eyes.

The second version is easier to "read," but is somewhat blander.

To make it easier, I've added a poll to my right side-bar. Please feel free to take the poll and/or leave a comment. The poll will be open for 5 days.

Thank you so much!

Suburban Lion

Title: "Suburban Lion"

12"x12" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

This majestic beast is one of a pair of stone lions guarding our neighbor's driveway. We walk by him nearly every day and I thought it was high time I painted him!

Kiwi Slice and Fruit Jelly

Title: "Kiwi Slice and Fruit Jelly"
12"x12" digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

The back-story: A couple of months ago, my friend Jenny and I spent the day photographing various fruit still lifes. Jenny had the terrific idea to slice a piece of kiwi fruit very thinly and hold it up to the light, letting the sunshine glow through the translucent fruit.

Easier said than done! But, after many comical attempts, we finally managed to get the thin slice of kiwi fruit to stand up on the plate by adhering it to a glob of sticky fruit jelly. Here is the set-up:

©2009 Christine Pierce

And here is the quickly-snapped reference photo I used for the painting:

©2009 Christine Pierce

Title: "Seaside Reverie"
30" x 25" digital interpretation
2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

This painting is based on a picture I took last summer of my then-15 year old son during our summer vacation at the Oregon Coast.

Granny Painting

Title: Grandma Margaret in Fuchsia Shirt
12x12 inch digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce
(please click on image to enlarge)

When I was visiting my grandmother today, I realized I had not painted her picture in a long time. This digital painting is based on a picture I took with my phone awhile ago.

I can only hope to come close to capturing her sweet nature and terrific good humor in a painting. Did I mention she's 98? To put this in historical perspective, President William H. Taft, the U.S. 27th president, was in office the year she was born.

New York Cheesecake with Berries

Title: New York Cheesecake with Berries
12x12 inches digital interpretation
©2009 Christine Pierce

Yay, it's blueberry season! Well, in some areas, anyway. The blueberry bushes in our garden have tons of berries, but they are still quite green.

This digital painting is based on a picture I took at a local bakery. I love how the pastry chef left the green stems on the strawberries; they make such a nice contrast to the creamy yellow of the cheesecake.