"Storm On the Lake" The story behind the painting

                                                         

                                                           "Storm on the Lake" SOLD
30X36 original oil painted by me in 2002. When any one walks into my home, they compliment this painting!

This was originally a photograph taken by a friend. The original photograph did not have the tornado in it; however, I felt it necessary to include it. At that time in my life, I was having many dreams with tornadoes; I guess I should have listened to my dreams. This painting has been all over the US. It has moved with me in my journey through life. It has been on display in galleries and in an art show in Charleston, SC during Spoleto. This painting has always brought peace to my heart. Every time I look at it, I am reminded of my mistakes and my accomplishments. It tells me to listen to my heart and trust my gut. I am sure it will speak to you as well. I would love to read your comments, let me know what it says to you.

Price change for oil portraits

painting - photo
http://www.etsy.com/listing/64916254/portrait-painting-in-oil-wedding

I have decided to reduce my prices for portraits painted in oil. The price starts with a base of $200 that includes one person and a background. If you have more than one person, add $100 for each additional person in the picture. I feel like that is a little more reasonable than my original price of $200 per person. I do not want to scare away customers.
The reason that I charge per person is, with each person there is a new challenge. More paint waste, and more hours involved. When you buy a portrait from me, you get a completely personal experience. I send you update photos after each stage for your approval. If you ever feel that something does not look quite right, feel free to let me know. I love compliments, but letting me know when you are not completely satisfied allows me to give you exactly what YOU want.

"Tangled In Purgatory" The story behind the painting

I painted this in 2005, but it started way before then. I did the doodle in 2001, while I was working in a tattoo shop as an apprentice. While working at a sports bar in 2004 I was still adding to this doodle. A coworker looked at it and said it looks like purgatory! That is when I gave it the name "Tangled in Purgatory"

This is the original doodle



 I always wanted to paint it, but I knew it had to be big. Later that year I was shopping at a well-known arts and crafts store when I saw the canvas! It was huge 36X48 and on the top shelf. It seemed to have the light from heaven shining down on it! I had to have it, so I took my 50% off coupon and bought it just for this painting.
 I have had the painting in my home ever since and every one who sees it is just loves it. It has moved with me three times from Atlanta, GA to Columbia, SC. Then again, from Columbia, SC to Charleston, SC and finally it made the journey across the country from Charleston to the mountains of San Bernardino in Southern California! In the move from Columbia to Charleston, it was ripped. You would think that the cross country trip would have caused it's injury!  No, it was the hour and a half trip that broke my heart! I placed it between two mattresses thinking that would protect it. It wiggled it's way out and fell on the bed frame. I consider it injured and not dead. It is part of it's story.
I was taking photographs of it outside of my home when my neighbor came out and asked me about it, he is a catholic priest. I told him the name and the story behind it. He told me that it was a very good depiction of purgatory, and that he was surprised, because I am not catholic, at how accurate he felt it was. I thought that was an incredible compliment and I hoped through the power of the Internet that more people could enjoy it as much as I have.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78937720/aceo-somerset-velvet-giclee-print

"TANGLED IN PURGATORY" is now available in ACEO Giclee prints for $8. These are limited edition prints only 16 will be available. Each 2.5 X 3.5 Somerset Velvet Giclee print is signed numbered and dated on the back. They arrive shipped in a rigid top loader cardholder.

"Delirius Night" The painting of the Delirium Nocturnum bottle

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64916046/surreal-oil-painting-night-sky-beer


This piece is the third and most recent of the beer bottle still life series. Everything about this bottle made me think surreal. Since oils are painted from the background forward, that is how I will describe this one.  I had to paint a night sky, a very surreal night sky. I used crazy colors in the clouds, and clear starry sky peaking through. The moon seemed like a necessary addition, but I did not want to go with the cliché full or crescent moon. I chose the half moon. Since this is a fancy Belgium beer, I chose the setting of a fine dining table with a black tablecloth. Why it is hovering in the sky, well you can come to your own conclusion there. While I was setting up the subject, I noticed that my palette would be a cool addition to the still life, so I laid the bottle down on the palette and set the glass next to it. I wanted to give the impression that the beer had been drunk. I decided that it would be neat if the beer and glass were somewhat part of the palette, smeared with the paint. The background is a smooth painting, blended with brushes with no texture. As you get to the foreground the more texture, you encounter. The more I painted, the more I used the palette on the painting as the mixing board. I truly enjoyed painting this and I hope you have enjoyed looking at it and learning about it's creation.

Delirium Nocturnum; Some info about the beer.

The bottle is very well liked among collectors. It is a normal brown glass bottle, but ceramic coated in a gray speckled color. The label includes a pink elephant set on yellow and blue psychedelic background with the big signature ‘Delirium’ pink elephant in the middle, and is lined at the top with golden doves. The bottle has a blue foil that seals the top of the bottle and provides confidence in the quality of the product. The cap is not twist off.

Delirium Nocturnum is sold in 750ml bottles that are sealed with a cork and cage setup, (like a champagne bottle), in four packs of 11.2 fl. oz bottles, or can be bought by the keg.

Delirium Nocturnum is an 8.5% ABV, dark Belgian Strong Ale. It is a triple-fermented dark ale using three different yeast strains and five different malts. Delirium Nocturnum pours a rich brown/ruby color, with a thick tan head that leaves a slight lace on the glass. It is mostly clear and has some carbonation.

The hops in Delirium Nocturnum become more present as the beer warms to room temperature while the alcohol smell becomes present as well. While drinking, the ‘mouth feel’ has a full, rich feel with little carbonation, but runs smoothly, with a soft, medium-bodied feel.

The taste is complex. It has a bouquet of aromatic sweetness with apple, berry, and honey maltiness and a hint of sourness (the smell can be a little similar to a brown ale). The flavor immediately bursts with raisins, bittersweet chocolate and aniseed. Halfway through tasting, one can detect plum and raspberry with an underlying yeastiness. The finish is long, with a fruity, plumy aftertaste with some spiciness.

Beer information from wikipedia.

"Amsterdam Blond Bottle" about the painting

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http://www.etsy.com/listing/64915962/medium-oil-painting-16x20-palette-knife
For years, I worked in a sports bar that offered a wide variety of beer. When I would get a beer that I thought had an appealing bottle, I would keep it. It is only recently that I started to paint them.
This piece is the second painting in my beer bottle series. It is painted on a 16X20canvas in oil.
Painted only with a palette knife, it has lots of texture and dimensions. I chose this bottle because of it's unusual shape. I also love the "XXX" down the front. The beer is very tasty as well! The bottle is very interesting so I did not feel it needed anything else with it.
I hope you have enjoyed looking at it.

Amsterdam Blond, a little about the beer.

This is a brewery out of Amsterdam, and Atlanta is one of the first markets it's hit. It comes in a cool 11.2 oz bottle that is shaped like an old-style fire hydrant; the bottle is brown, unlike many Dutch beers. It offers a nice 5.9% ABV. As for the taste, it is a lot more like a decent European lager. This would appeal to your average beer drinker.

About The Painting "Christoffel Robertus Bottle Killed The Roses"

This painting was donated to a charity raffle to help my Aunt Amie pay for her cancer treatment. Congratulations to the man who won it. http://rotwnews.com/section/community/4/7415  I am very proud that it was able to bring in some money for her.

I am going to start by telling you about the beer. You can read about the painting next time. Christoffel Robertus is a bottom-fermented, ruby-red beer, brewed, very roughly, in the Münchener dunkel-style. It is a malty, fresh beer with a light sweetness.
This specialty lager is brewed in the Netherlands by Christiffel brewery it's Alcohol by Volume is 6.0%.
Now that you know a little bit about the beer itself, I hope you will enjoy the story behind the painting.

This is the first of my beer bottle series. It was my sister's idea for me to paint beer bottles. She thought it would be a good idea, because of my love of beer and painting. She also suggested I write a blog about beer. So here I am blogging about beer, paintings and beer bottle paintings.
I chose this bottle to be first, because of the colors and details in the bottle. I love the swing top; it may be my favorite feature. The dark brown bottle against the black background was a challenge to me. I got the yellow roses when my son was born. I put them in a glass with water in the window and just let them go. So technically, I killed the roses, but I blamed it on the bottle. I loved the way they dried, so i decided to include them in the painting. I felt like that rather represented me, a woman, who loves beer.
                                                               

                                                                 

welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog
 Hello and thank you for visiting my blog. I am an artist and a mother of two beautiful children. In this blog, I will share with you some of the history, and stories behind my paintings. I have recently started a series of paintings using beer bottles as the subject. I am a beer connoisseur, and an artist so I felt, that would be fitting. When I give the history of those pieces, I will also give you a brief history of the beer, and why I chose to paint it the way I did. I hope you enjoy and look forward to learning a little of my art history.
 When I was a child, I had no idea that art was anything special. There are so many artists in my family; I thought it was just something that you learned how to do. In my mind, it was no different from walking, talking, reading, or writing. I have wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. When I was a child my uncle told me that I would not make any money until after I was dead, I am 34 years old and still trying to prove him wrong! I would like to show my children that if you work hard and follow your dreams, you could make it doing what you love.