Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Congratulations - July Give-away Winner!

Congrats to Alison L. for winning "Patriotic Pear."  To be eligible for my August give-away, simply sign up for my mailing list.  You can do so by clicking here.

In other news, I"ve made progress on my Mahjongg Players painting...here is the latest version:

Also, my painting, "Ocean Dip II" is currently up for auction!  This is a 16 x 16 inch square painting.  The bidding ends on Wednesday, July 31 at 9 p.m. CDT  To view the auction, click here:

"Ocean Dip II" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Win this painting......

"Patriotic Pear" - 5 x 5 inches - oil on paper
Each month, I randomly select one person on my mailing list and send them a gift.  It could be a pack of greeting cards, a print, a copy of my book, Paint the Town!, or, even an original painting!

For July, I'm giving away this painting called "Patriotic Pear" which I painted on July 4.  To sign up for my mailing list and be eligible to win, click here.


Thursday, July 25, 2013

"Ocean Dip II" and other summer news.....

"Ocean Dip II" - 16 x 16 inches - oil on canvas
To purchase "Ocean Dip II", bid in the DPW auction by clicking here.

It's been a busy summer so far and I've managed to stay out of trouble (for the most part).  I've got a new commission that I'm working on of a subject that is very different for me...more info to come.  So, here are few things that are keeping me busy...

Summer Sale on "Ocean Dip II"

I decided to have a "Summer Sizzler Sale" and put my "Ocean Dip II" painting up for auction on DailyPaintWorks.  This is a larger painting (16 inches square) and I've started the bidding at $100.  To participate in the auction, click here.  (FYI, if you live in the Westford, MA area and pick up the painting, I will refund the shipping charges).

Radio Broadcast

Today is my last day to co-host the Artists Helping Artists radio broadcast with artist and marketing expert Leslie Saeta.  We will be highlighting 20 artists who do creative things to sell their work.  We start broadcasting live at noon EST but you can listen to the show at any time as they are all recorded.  To listen, click here.

Recent Sales

Here are a few paintings that recently sold and have been shipped off to their new homes in Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

"Pear Pear Pear II" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Pear Pear Pear II" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I did a similar pear painting not too long ago and decided to paint it again.This time, I went much bolder on the colors.  I never get tired of painting pears.  They have great personality and "body" language!

Someone recently asked me how I decide on my next painting subject.  My answer is that I like to mix things up.  So if I've done a landscape or two, I'll want to do a still life.  If I finish a painting that is very tight and exacting (like an architectural subject), then I like to follow up with something looser.  No matter what, I'm always inspired by strong lighting, shadows or reflections.

In other news, my final "Artists Helping Artists" radio show broadcasts at noon EST on Thursday July 25.  I've had a great time co-hosting the show this month and, as always, learned a lot.  You can listen to the show live (or after the fact as it is recorded) by clicking 
here.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

"Molly" and other news...


"Molly" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD
I always feel a great sense of responsibility when working on a commission - especially when trying to capture someone's beloved pet.  Molly was quite a challenge since she was under the weather when I took my reference photos.  Her ears were a bit curled (from her medication) so I straightened them to make them look rounded and healthy.  Also, I opened her eyes a bit more to show their beautiful blue/green color.  

I was tempted to paint a dark background to add more contrast but kept it beige which is the color of the carpet she was lying on.  I also let the pink under-painting shine through as I wanted to give the portrait a soft, feminine look.  She is a beautiful cat with unusual markings so I really enjoyed painting her.  Hopefully Molly's health will improve but in the meantime, I'm very happy to report that her owner was very happy with the painting.

For information on pet portraits, click here.

In other news...

I've been selling paintings on eBay in an auction format so it is a great opportunity to pick up a painting at a bargain price.  You can go to www.ebay.com and simply search for "Laurie G. Miller" or just click here to bring up the list of paintings.  (If you live locally and pick up the painting at Art on Main, I will refund the shipping costs).

I'll be doing my 3rd radio broadcast this month on Thursday July 18 starting at noon EST.  The program is called "Artists Helping Artists."  Each show focuses on a different topic and are mostly ideas and tips for artists to help boost their careers.  You can listen live (or after the fact since all the shows are recorded).  To listen, click here.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

"Just Jellies" and other news.... SOLD


"Just Jellies" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Boston Kreme Stack"
Ok, I have a little secret.  I bought these jelly donuts a few weeks ago at the same time that I bought the Boston Kreme Donuts.  So, these little guys were hard as rocks when I painted them.  I'm surprised I didn't get an ant invasion in my studio!   "Boston Kreme Stack" sold to a collector in Maryland and was shipped off earlier this week.

In other news....

I'll be broadcasting live on Blogtalk Radio at noon today (July 11) for my 2nd "Artists Helping Artists" radio show this month.  This week, Leslie Saeta and I will be interviewing artist Kathleen Dunphy -- she is an amazing plein air painter -- I'm really looking forward to the show.  To listen, click here.  The show is recorded so you can click the link to listen at any time after the broadcast.

This weekend, 
Art on Main is having a special reception to celebrate the art and life of my friend and colleague Joyce L. Youngberg.  If you live in the Westford, MA area, stop by the gallery on Saturday, July 13 from 2 - 5 p.m.   We are collecting art supplies to donate to local elementary schools in Joyce's memory.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Pears, pears and more pears....


























I painted this pear as a warm up exercise to get myself in the pear painting mood -- I'll be giving this pear away at the end of the month for my July give-away so stay tuned for the winner.  If you aren't subscribed to my email list, click here to sign up and get the opportunity to win my monthly give-away.

I recently gave a small group of girls a painting class.  My brief lesson covered shapes, form, highlights and shadows.  When I say brief, I mean less than 10 minutes as the girls were itching to put paint to canvas.  I showed them a number of examples of pears and how they come in all different shapes and colors.

I prepped the canvases in advance with a wash of bright green color.  I helped them draw the outline for their pear but they did everything else by themselves.  I found it very interesting that the littlest one was very open to using whatever color she pleased.  Kids make the most amazing artwork as they aren't confined by fears and expectations and rules.  They all did a great job and really understood the basic concepts that I tried to convey.

After our pear painting, we spent some time painting rocks...you can see their creative handiwork below.










Monday, July 1, 2013

Making progress ...

I'm currently working on a commission of a sweet kitty named Molly.  Unfortunately, Molly has been under the weather so she isn't feeling too perky.  I spent some time with Molly and tried to get as many photos as I could and then presented the owner with a selection of choices for the portrait.

I started by glazing my canvas with a light pink background using acrylic paint.  The pink will shine through the final painting and give it a nice glow and a cohesiveness that is otherwise hard to achieve.

I then stretch rubber bands across the pain
ting to create a grid so that I can accurately transfer my reference photo to the canvas.  I use my tablet to display my reference photo which is incredibly handy since I can enlarge an area to get a closer look.

You may notice in t
he color photo of Molly (see below), there is a blank gray area above her head.  I added this space so that I could straighten out her ears and give a little breathing room at the top.

Whenever I work on a commission, I really take my time.  I will start rendering Molly's eyes and nose since they are the most critical elements.  Hopefully I'll have an update to share very soon!