48 - Rusty

Rusty 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord Commission Painting

SOLD

One of my good friends had me do a commission painting of her and her boyfriend's cute dog! He's a Shihtzu/Yorkie mix. Isn't he adorable?! If you're interested in me doing a commission painting of your pet, flowers, objects, anything as long as it's not gore or animal abuse, contact me here!

47 - Mystic Forest Glow

Mystic Forest Glow 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

“The forest cries out to me,
time to come home.
Wander, 
take inspiration, 
and write about my beauty it says.
Come home my child.
The birds will sing for you, 
leaves will rustle, 
and the wolves howl. 
Come home, 
and I will heal you.”
- source

I used a lot of blacks which is a mixture of alizarin crimson, phthalo green (blue shade), and ultramarine blue in equal amounts then I used titanium white to make the glow. I wanted the glow to have a purple hue by using more of the alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue with titanium white. The teal color is always brighter than light ultramarine blue. To make teal, mix ultramarine blue with almost equal amount but a tad bit more of phthalo green. I love the mystical glow and I got this stock from deviantart here.

46 - Daniel's Horse

Daniel's Horse 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

There's a park near where I live called Daniel's Park. Next to it are pure breed buffalos and some horses in large patch of land with a fence around it. This horse looked majestic and I wanted to paint in a multi-colored, slightly geometric way, why not? I like how I used the blues and greens to darken the shadows instead of dark red.

45 - Moonlight Sea

Moonlight Sea 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Yesterday
I saw the moon
and the wind
whispered
to me
I saw your face
in the stars
And your voice
chase me through
the night
and it still chases me
this morning
- source

I'm drawn to the moon, glowing objects, mysteries, interesting light sources, and bodies of water.  Beautiful. I used one the beautiful stock photos at Deviantart here.

44 - Mermaid

Mermaid 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I chose to paint a mermaid because I love mysteries and fantasy. The glowing lights are meant to be in the water although it looks like it's a reflection of the night sky. I tried to make the mermaid look like she's glowing but I realized that wouldn't work unless the mermaid itself is brighter than the glow. I'll keep that in mind next time I try to make something glow. I also realized using the bright teal color is a better glowing color than the typical white. The white actual dulls the brightness. That's what I learned. Despite the mistakes, I love this one!

43 - Yellow Flower

Yellow Flower 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Spring is coming! I can't wait to see all the multitudes of colorful flowers blooming when spring comes! Yet our winter in Colorado is just getting started...locals say March is the snowy month. I enjoyed adding contrasting colors and texture to the background which helps make it pop.

42 - Dahli

Dahli 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Oh how I miss her! She's my family's dog and she's the youngest of the six. She's so adorable and is very clingy once you pet her...you'll be stuck petting her for hours. :p

41 - Mist in the Woods

Mist in the Woods 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Mist all around
the distance blurred
below white clouds
cool and moist lured
me here with the deer
- I

I really like painting mystified scenery with 2-3 colors to keep it interesting. I'd like to experiment with more colors to evoke different emotional reactions like a strange dream.

40 - Midsummer's Night Dream

Midsummer's Night Dream 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Cerulean deep blue
Glowing orbs that mimic stars
What is that rings true?
- I

I adore mystery and spiritual art as it can mean differently to anyone with their unique experiences. Mystery makes things interesting.

39 - Earth Blooms

Earth Blooms 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I wanted to do an experiment with these flowers by changing its hue to a more blueish teal color and give contrast to the background to give it a sense of deep Earth. This painting reminds me of someone waking up in the deep woods and finding these strange beautiful flowers blooming in the moist dark soil, as if to give hope. Where all seem to go wrong, there is still beauty in the midst.

38 - Red 50's Chevy Pickup

Red 50's Chevy Pickup 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I was in Atlantic City with my girlfriends and there was an antique car tour right on the boardwalk! This is a beautiful shiny red 50's Chevy pickup truck.

37 - Hibiscus

Hibiscus 8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord $100 - Buy it here.

Lovely hibiscus
drop of dew on its petals
there's beauty in us
- I

I would walk outside where all the potted plants and flowers are and see my mother watering her hibiscus. She had a variety of them coming in different colors. One in pink and white, and others in purple with dark purple specks. They are so delicate and beautiful.

The painting results: I made a mistake of adding too much dull tan paint color in the petals but then quickly resolved it by adding brighter cream colors. It looked much better. I'm also content with the way the purple/pink flower in the top right corner appears. It just looks bright and fresh! Adding hints of bright orange/yellow really brightens up the piece. I picked bright green and teal for the background because it is a contrasting color to red/pink. This would be a great addiction to any bedroom and be reminded to smell the roses once in a while.

36 - A Rose for You

 36 - A Rose for You 8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord $100 - Buy it here.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Have you read
that I love you?
- I

Roses are lovely to paint and fun too! I enjoyed adding bright colors to enhance its vibrancy and saturation. It's my first to do an 8 x 8 gessobord and it was easier since it's bigger. I hope you are all excited to eat chocolates tomorrow. :)

35 - Pink Rose

Pink Rose 5 x 7 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

and if you don't 
like me, as I do you;
I understand.

because who would
really choose
a daisy, in a field
of roses?

-Julie Martinez


Valentine's Day is coming! There's flowers and hearts everywhere! I'm fortunate enough to be able to go out on a romantic dinner with my fiancè...we're thinking Thai and then eat some raw chocolates. :)

Painting flowers are a bit of a challenge as there's dramatic lights and darks in the petals. This is my first time doing a 5 x 7 Gessobord. It was odd at first since I'm no longer doing an even square but a rectangle! I had to keep in mind the composition and not have the subject to be in the center as it's more interesting not.

34 - Oopsie Daisy

34 - Oopsie Daisy 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

I want daisies in my hair,
green tea in my hand, and
love in my heart. - K

I noticed this has more bold colors and intensity than the other paintings. I really like how I've used more reds to make it more rich. To make it dark, like shadows around the petals, I used blue and that was a good choice rather than mixing the usual grey of white, red, blue, and green. The results really made me proud. I'm getting there! So to make colors darker, try using more of the same color or some blues. Adding yellow can make the hues lighter. This is the guide that can help give you an idea.

33 - Blue Bird

Blue Bird 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

Found this little blue bird at Estes Park, Colorado. It was hopping along the trail on pieces of log. Seems unafraid of us humans since they are probably used to it from them walking there everyday. Very cute!

32 - Farm Goat

Farm Goat 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

My mother and I went to an Amish farm to buy some flowers for her yard. I came across this cute little goat laying in the sun...he (or she?) was so docile and calm. I took a picture and I'm really happy with the painting results! The base background color was a blend of bright fuchsia (Alizarin Crimson)  to Ultramarine blue. I loved how I dry brushed the background, it really makes it pop! :)

31 - Sunset at Lily Lake

Sunset at Lily Lake 6 x 6 Oil on Gessbord

SOLD

This beautiful sunset was taken at Lily Lake near Estes Park, Colorado. I love the way the colors make it very bright and leaves a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy. :)

30 - Rat-Cha

Rat-Cha 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $50 - Buy it here.

A Rat-Cha is a Chihuahua and Rat Terrier mix. Found this adorable puppy named Roxy at my younger sister's apartment at college who happens to be neighbors with frat boys who owned several of these puppies. So cute!

29 - The Road to Estes Park

The Road to Estes Park 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $45 - Buy it here.

I love the red back drop that makes it pop with the teal sky! I'm liking this one. :)

28 - Full Moon

Full Moon 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $45 - Buy it here.

I love this painting style! It was so much fun and I really enjoy this color since it's my favorite...teal!!! I like the imperfections and slightly cubic about the paint strokes...it reminds me of a cubic version of Van Gogh's Starry Night.

27 - Twin Sister Trail

Twin Sister Trail 6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord $45 - Buy it here.

This is one of the most beautiful hikes in Estes Park, Colorado. The Twin Sisters Peak has a hike of 7.2 miles with an elevation of 2,388' gain one way up. It was quite a view at the top! Super windy and sunny! Took me and my fiance's family about 3-4 hours to the top. Next hike, we'll be looking for a fourteener! A fourteener (14er) is a mountain that is over 14,000 ft in elevation and there are 53 in Colorado!