For today's special, I'm posting this original watercolor painting of David Bowie titled "Bowie 5: Smoke" for half price. I was asking $150, but it can be yours this weekend only for $75 (plus applicable shipping). This is a 8.5"x11" painting on watercolor paper completed February 4, 2018. The special will end Sunday at midnight. First one to message or e-mail me at shellydenning1@gmail.com gets it.
Earlier this year, I completed a painting of my client's two cats, Grady & Jynx. It was a fun little painting where we decided to "posterize" it as opposed to doing blended realism. I was pretty happy with how it turned out. My client enjoyed it so much that he contacted me to discuss another commission.
He sent me photos of his mom and we chose the one that would be best suited for a charcoal drawing. Drawing a portrait is very personal. Every detail is scrutinized in a way that doesn't typically happen in day-to-day life. When I draw someone, I feel like I get to know them. I read their expression to discover what's going on behind it. The more I know about my subject, the better I'll be able to depict her accurately.
Without prompting from me, my client shared this information:
"This picture is of my Mom when she was 19. She had taken a number of snapshots someplace, and this was one of them. On the back of one she wrote "As I Am, 11/15/1939". She had a wonderful spirit - loving, caring, but also witty and clever. She raised my brother and me by herself from 1958, when I was 4 and my brother 9. She and my dad divorced that year and she never re-married. She passed away in 2016 at the age of 96. She is the greatest person I've every known! Just a little back story that I thought you might like to know as you draw her."
It's so great when the title is giftwrapped like this. I feel honored to have gotten to know her.
This is a 16"x20" charcoal drawing on toned paper. It was completed on July 19, 2018.
Most artists will tell you that true art comes from within. And this is accurate. Unfortunately, many artists close the door to their inner artist in an effort to please the masses. I am 100% guilty of this.
I want to gain recognition. I want to be admired. I want to pay my bills. For these reasons, I take on commissions or do portraits of celebrities that I think people will want. While this is all well and good and I'd still rather be doing this than waiting tables or working in an office, it's not my truth.
I've had lots of ideas for art series or studies. Many of these ideas involve controversial topic such as sexuality, religion, the homeless, etc. I really want to make a statement with my art...but I'm scared. What if people don't like it? What if they judge me? What if they don't get it?
I see so many artists who don't appear to have such concerns. Many of them make waves, but it works for them. I've never been one to make waves. I am a people-pleaser. I'm a caretaker. I just want everyone to be happy.
But I need to be happy, too.
In my future artistic pursuits, I intend to unlock the door to my indifference and do what I want to do. Even as I write this, I'm terrified of what you will think. However, I've always believed in facing my fears.
So here we go....
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