What happened to Leo?

I never posted an updated photo of the painting I did of Leo, my spunky mini poodle/jack russell mutt. So here it is:

Wondering what the initial stages looked like? I'll leave you with the link to the first post I created for this painting... http://melissasmall.blogspot.com/2011/12/happiness-is-in-heart-not-in.html

The Process

I'm a huge fan of taking "in-progress shots" of my paintings as I work on them. It's pretty amazing how paintings evolve from the original idea they spring from. There have been countless times when I think of something that I really want to paint, and I form a mental picture of what my painting will look like. My paintings NEVER turn out the way they appear in that initial daydream.

The great thing about being in an art school is that I'm surrounded by so many artists, all of which have unique artist's eyes. Whenever I hit a wall, there is always someone close by that is willing to critique my work and help me progress. Because I am lucky enough to receive so much input regarding my paintings, I think it is even more important to document the changes that happen from beginning to end. These changes are a reflection of what I learn from class, the advice I get from professors, the opinions of my studio-mates, my own self-reflection and so much more.

And so... here is an example of painting evolution:

This is where I am right now. I'll keep you posted on when the paintings are complete.
Better quality photos on my website are to follow.

Metallic Seduction, Embrace, Temptation, or Euphoria... What's your lip color?

In-progress painting... one of my lipstick triptych

Another day at the office

Nothing beats the feeling of coming into the studio ready to paint the day away. It gets lonely and frustrating in here... but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Alex Kanevsky

Finally made it to the J. Cacciola Gallery in NY. Any Kanevsky show is a must-see. Leaving inspired.

Sunlight

The morning light came through the window and blinds, and danced across my painting while I was working on it. Usually I would get irritated by this, but it looked beautiful and inspiring.

More quick studies

.:. Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances .:.

In-progress painting of my little Leo. I ate a piece of Dove milk chocolate and on the inside of the foil wrapper it said, "Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances." I instantly thought of my dog Leo who openly embodies this saying everyday... as we all should.

Coffee Addict

The filler in busy schedules, a great way to catch-up with an old friend, something to sip on while getting to know a new friend, a beautiful start to the day, or the dessert at the end of a savory meal... Oh, how I LOVE this stuff. I'm surprised I didn't draw inspiration from this sooner ;)

.:. quiet times .:.

11"x14" oils quick study

Writings on the Wall

"Wine Night" 11" x 14" acrylic and oils on canvas (still in progress)

I'm moving from the figure and working towards the combination of text and still life. My orchid paintings sparked this transition. In my figure/text paintings- the thoughts and emotions expressed in text were enhanced by the figure. In my still life/text paintings- the text are the thoughts or word associations which reflect the object.

What finally became of this...

Magical Change

Final Thesis Progress

My ideas keep changing for my final thesis. I'm still not completely satisfied with anything I've created towards the project so I started doing quick studies of figures I may use in future paintings. I'm hoping that as I do quick studies, ideas of how I want to portray the final figures/portraits in the bigger pieces will become clearer.

Still Life Quick Studies