991. Paulie

 Introducing Paulie, my new grand-dog.  He was rescued from Alabama along with presumably his two children.  Apparently, if the owner of a dog is not identified within three days, the dog is euthanized.  He is very timid, but with all the love and loving care given to him by his new "Mom and Dad" is gradually coming out of his shell.  The painting is a birthday gift for "Mom," and she was very happy to receive it today.  

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/991-paulie/830392

866 Kate and Will

I just returned from Brewster, Massachusetts Cape Cod where we attended a most beautiful wedding of my god-daughter, Kate and Will, the perfect compliment to Kate.  The wedding was an elegant, yet warm and welcoming celebration of their love and future.   Kate loves succulents, and her wedding was draped with gorgeous flowers, greenery, and of course, succulents.  The above painting was part of my wedding gift and hopefully they will find a place in their home that will remind them of all the love, pride and admiration I have for them, and of all the heartfelt wishes I send for a beautiful life together.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Charlie, the Best Dog looked quite dapper in his tuxedo.
You may remember that I have painted Charlie numerous times.  He is the perfect subject!
Congratulations, Will and Kate, #pairofkings.

817 Connemara, Ireland

As I mentioned in my previous post, my niece recently visited Ireland, and this is one of her favorite scenes.  The reference photo was taken in Connemara, Ireland, and we both love the mossy rocks and trees.  I am happy that she likes this painting, so it will be framed and gifted to her.

"817 Connemara, Ireland"
acrylic - 16x12 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/817-connemara-ireland/507277

dianecampion.blogspot.com

794 Purple Pineapple

This is a birthday gift for my neighbor friend, who will gift it to someone who loves pineapples and the color purple.  She photographed the pineapple in Costa Rica and was so excited that she could satisfy both desires.  I never accepted the challenge in the past, but am glad I did this time.

Not sure what it is about pineapples, but the other day I came across two other pineapple paintings.
Maybe it's a new trend and I'm just out of the loop.  A warm beach and a pina colada would satisfy me right about now.

"794 Purple Pineapple"
acrylic - 8x10 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/794-purple-pineapple/472335

dianecampion.blogspot.com

784 All Dolled Up

This is a drawing of my late mother-in-law.  I always hated the bad rap that mothers-in-law get, because she was a very loving second mother to me and a really great Nana.  Everyone adored her.  The photo reference for this drawing was taken on the evening she and my husband and another Mom/son couple went to see Frank Sinatra in concert in Milwaukee.  I know it was a perfect evening for all four.

"784 All Dolled Up"
graphite - 8x10 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/784-all-dolled-up/451249

dianecampion.blogspot.com

768 Nick the Horse

"768 Nick the Horse"
acrylic - 8x10 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/768-nick-the-horse/442093

dianecampion.blogspot.com

754 Imposter

yep, there is a story here.

"754 Imposter"
acrylic - 10x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/754-imposter/436605

752 Avery

This is Avery's official portrait, given as a gift to a special family for Christmas.
"752 Avery"
acrylic - 9x11 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/752-avery/435787

737 Avery, a study

It is strongly recommended that artists paint a study of a scene portrait to get colors and proportions right.  I tend to be impatient and often skip this step, but I have learned that it takes much more time to correct errors in the painting, so the study is a very valuable tool.  This is Avery, my best friend's granddaughter. Although she looks sweet and innocent as can be, she is a feisty little girl and gives her parents a run for their money.  I just love that about her!!!

"737 Avery, a study"
acrylic - 8x10 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/737-avery-a-study/432754

735 Fifth Grade

There are some people who will always bring warm thoughts to you.  My kids' fifth grade teacher, Mr. H. will always be that person.  I was his first parent volunteer in 1993 and worked for him until he retired many years later.  For all these years, he has remembered me at Christmas with a beautiful poinsettia plant.  He is the type of teacher who adults credit with their success, having had him as a teacher in the fifth grade.  Although he is retired now, he still substitute teaches.  He is a master teacher, and a dear friend.

"735 Fifth Grade"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/735-fifth-grade/431692

733 Loyal Friend

This painting is a gift for our son-in-law, so shhhhh.....don't tell.

Aeris is an old dog, so beautiful with her shiny black coat, and a pleasure to paint.
"733 Loyal Friend"
acrylic - 6x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/733-loyal-friend/430763

728 (My) Brown Eyed Girl

There are a few things off in this portrait, but one of them is not the eyes of my Brown Eyed Girl.
It's really telling that when you paint a painting, you almost become too involved with it, and you cannot see the errors.  But give a little distance and time and perhaps a view of her staring back at you on a computer screen and I see that the nose is a little too long and the lips are a little off.  The "attitude" in the reference photo is missing, and she is softer in the photo, less tough.  Taking all of that into consideration, I still feel good about his painting because I only started this portrait course 23 days ago, having never painted them before.

"728 (My) Brown Eyed Girl"
acrylic - 9x11 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/728-my--brown-eyed-girl/429242

724 Pretty in Pink

The online portrait class is definitely a challenge for me, but I'm enjoying it (most of the time).  These paintings take much longer to complete, and I am hoping with time, I will be more familiar with the process, facial construction, and therefore more comfortable painting portraits.  I am determined.

"724 Pretty in Pink"
acrylic -

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/724-pretty-in-pink/427716

723 Daydreaming

"723 Daydreaming"
acrylic -

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/723-daydreaming/427252

722 So Tired

I need lots of practice with the lessons I have learned so far in my online portrait class.  These exercises are very gratifying but I have far to go.   I may have bitten off more than I could chew with this one.  The angle of the face was challenging for me.  I am still having trouble with the colors---I don't want them to look clown-ish, but I don't want to be so realistic that there is nothing exciting about the painting.  The last portrait is a good example of that.  I tried to be a little looser with this one.  (For some reason, yesterday's painting did not get posted to Daily Paintworks, so please refer to it via my blog if you would like.) 

To get accuracy with the image, I employed a few of the suggested tools to measure size and placement of features.  I also, as recommended, turned the photo and my painting on it's side, at which time glaring errors became evident.  Then I turned both images upside down, and bingo! that's when the greatest improvements were made, especially in shading.

I am very excited about learning something new and am enjoying Chantel's class very much.  She is an excellent instructor!

"722 So Tired"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/722-so-tired/426832

648 Pepper

It's been awhile since I've painted a pet portrait.  Pepper is my friend's father's dog, and he is the only dog I've ever met that actually poses for the camera.  I took only three pictures of him, all decent, because he sat and looked right where I wanted him to.  Most of the time I have to chase the dog around hoping to get a nice shot. 

"648 Pepper"
acrylic - 6x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/648-pepper/395351

"Opportunity"

"Opportunity"

40" x 30"

acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

For my daughter

I have a keen appreciation for Wabi Sabi.  In case you are not familiar with the term, it is derived from the Japanese words, "wabi" which meant living in solitude and loneliness, but more recently means quiet, rustic simplicity.  "Sabi" meant withered, but the more positive, modern interpretation is the beauty that comes with age, faded or weathered, and includes such things as rust and patina, which I love. 

Several years ago, I visited an architectural artifacts store in Chicago, in fact it is called just that:  Architectural Artifacts.  It was a mind boggling experience---three floors of amazing old things filled with textures and hints of imaginable experiences.  I saw this gigantic door and was able to get close enough to photograph it.  I knew someday I would paint it.

There is much symbolism related to doors in literature, mythology, religion and art.  Being both an entrance and an exit, it can be a passageway to a new beginning or an ending to something, depending on if the door is open or closed.  It can symbolize a way out or give a hint at what lies ahead.  A closed door can symbolize imprisonment or a dead end.  If you notice, this door handle is slightly turned, so being the eternal optimist,  I say it is open just a crack, and the possibilities that lie ahead are endless.

I have many large products in the "UFO" category, as one of my artist friends calls UnFinished Objects.  In the weeks ahead I hope to get some of them finished including several paintings and a very large quilt that is sprawled out on a bedroom floor, waiting to be stabilized and sewn together.
I may not be painting small with much regularity but you can be sure I will be back to painting daily works as soon as possible.  I have struggled with making this decision because I am so afraid of losing momentum.  

440 Bela

Bela and Gracie (yesterday's subject) both left for the giant dog park in heaven within days of each other.  Bela was a loyal companion to my friend and her family for many years.  Her presence is missed greatly.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I am painting in my first plein air competition.  I would rather not think of it as a competition because it is too stressful.  I just want to enjoy the day in a lovely setting and paint the best painting I can.  

439 Gracie

Three of my friends lost their dogs within a short time.  This is Gracie, a springer spaniel.  I know firsthand how heartbreaking it is to lose a four legged friend.

438 Moonshine

A friend's daughter is getting married and this will be a gift for the couple.  There  is moonshine in the history of the groom's family, so this is meaningful to them.