And another work in progress

Lyndsey has a big, white, empty space on her apartment wall, so I'm painting something for her to hang on it!

It's BIG and bright and a departure from my normal style, and I'm really having fun with it. But unfortunately I can't post any pictures of the entire thing for you yet, because then it wouldn't be a surprise for Lyndsey's 25th birthday! So here are some close-up teasers.

Acrylic on canvas

Work in progress

For Michele -- a portrait of Venice (which is taking me FOREVER). I'm thinking of naming this drawing "Never Let Perfect Get in the Way of Good," because my perfectionism is why it's taking so long.

Fortunately, it's almost done now (much further along than in these pictures, complete with polka dots and gondolas), which means Michele might get it a year after I promised it to her. Hey, I've been busy! :)

Charcoal on vellum

Angel, 2005

Chalk pastel on vellum

My mother-in-law loves angels, so I drew this angel for her as a Christmas gift (when she was still just "my boyfriend's mom.") The dreamy style and the medium were really a departure for me, but I really enjoyed drawing this. I used several pictures as inspiration, but the final product is mostly from my imagination. It's pretty large (I think 11" x 14") and hanging in her living room now.

Venezia, 2005

Charcoal on paper (probably resume paper!)

A tiny (4" x 6") sketch I did one night during my senior year of college, because I was bored and tired of working on my resume. I mailed it to Shane. This is a good example of how I use art as a stress reliever. A little sketching does wonders for the soul. :) (Although some would just call it procrastination!)

The Old Guitarist, 2004

Charcoal on paper

This has always been one of my favorite paintings, and not just because Picasso's Spanish. I feel like Picasso painted an emotion when he painted this -- loneliness. This simple drawing was done in college, when we had to do a study in black and white of a famous work.

Here's a bad photo of me with the original in The Art Institute of Chicago, about 5 years ago (time flies!):

Cowboy, 2004

Charcoal on paperboard

On Christmas Day 2004, my sister told me she wanted to decorate her living room in a southwestern theme, and she wanted a "big picture of a cowboy." I had nothing better to do than eat Christmas candy, so I drew one for her!

A rare glimpse of the artist at work. (On the living room floor, NOT being helped by Lucy the cat!) Also, some in-progress shots that show the random photo I found on the Internet and used as inspiration.

And here's my sister, delighted by the final product! :)

Jesus, 2004

Charcoal on textured paper

I drew this as a Christmas gift for my friend Tim, who has been an inspirational friend to me. It is based on the famous painting by Warner Sallman.