As Time Goes By... Woof!

As mentioned in the last blog,  it's been 8 years since we started to promote the idea of artistic personalized items. Bronson Hill Arts was hand-painting wine glasses before it became a hot trend from Lolita (available everywhere!) and the others who followed.

But like all things in life, not all paths lead to where you need to go. Sometimes a sharp right turn is needed!

Along those lines, I was asked for personalized items that were more precious to so many people: Pet Portraits.

The Updated Look for Our Pet Portraits

Who doesn't love their pet? Requests came from friends and a piece or two was commissioned for depictions of their beloved companions. Of course, I had to use my own furbabies as models, too!

Baby & Buddy ©Bronson Hill Arts/BEDeuel

The paintings started a little on the cartoonish style, but has evolved to a more realistic look. We've all seen hyper-realistic pet portraits, which are beyond amazing! But, that isn't what we're aiming for here. We are aiming for whimsical with a touch of love attached!

Walking Beth's Dogs ©BHA/BEDeuel

Buddies On a Blanket  ©BHA/BEDeuel

Jamie & Eliot  ©Bronson Hill Arts/BEDeuel 

Next week, I'll share a few sweet stories that inspired some of Bronson Hill Arts' other pet portraits.

Any furbaby portraits we can make for you? Visit us here!

Another New Year Begun!

Puppy Love
5x7" Watercolor on series 400 Strathmore Watercolor Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2015

I can't believe that it's been 5 weeks since my last post. I dislike letting the blog go unattended that long. It's a great to make contact with others & exercise the writing "muscle". It's also a fun way to not only debut new works but to share failures, solutions and successes.

Which is why I want to share my last commission of 2014. That was finished in 2015. Halfway through January, 2015. 

Yep. A harried end, and a slow start. But, it was a good start!

The customer requesting the pet portrait was preparing to give it as a gift for one of her customers. The original photograph that she gave me to use was a posed portrait. I started to work with it, but, was unsure as to why we would want a painted portrait of a photographic portrait. 

Formal Pose Attempt  #1

The colors and textures were stronger in the photo portrait but she had also texted a really sweet picture of the dogs that was truly perfect for a painting. 

So, the sketch was redone. We liked the more casual pose. 

Casual Pose Attempt #2

From there, my usual process went forward: sketch, scan, print on watercolor paper, paint. Photograph the process along the way to get a truer perspective of the image. And, that was crucial in this case.

Stepping back a moment to the printing on watercolor paper:  I'd been using a more basic watercolor paper for images that were really designed just for note cards. But, I had to be very careful to not overwork the paper, or it pilled too easily. This time I wanted to try to see if a better grade of paper would work to prevent that, especially since the final product was the painting, not a print. Sometimes the marketing is just that: marketing. But it did. I used a 400 series Strathmore watercolor paper vs. a basic Canson paper for watercolor. 

The first few steps went along fairly smoothly. Laid the darker color down, some highlights, and shading. From there, it was time to add the lighter colors and texture.

Dark Underlayment

Shading

Highlights

And, that's when I created ghost dogs. Yikes... This is, also, why I was very happy that I'd used a better paper! I did not want to start over again, since I was satisfied with everything else to that point. Plus, to compound the goof, for some reason, the images became flat.

Ghost Dogs

The camera showed all of that. It helped me to step back and "see" the problems more thoroughly, which in turn made the solutions easier to find.

It really was  simple: mix a light yellow/red brown, lay it down and go back with a more diluted white. The water  that diluted the white paint picked up enough of the brown to eliminate the ghost faces. I also purchased some fine line brushes which made it easier to create the texture around the mouth. My love of chiseled brushes had to be set aside. Then a straightforward "outline" solved the dimension problem. You can see it in the final image at the top & the bottom.

Flat Non-Ghost Dogs

Today, I hope to hear how the recipient likes the final painting. And, I hope she likes it as much as I liked making it. 

P.S.:  Thank you to my customer for her incredible patience! Next week, I'll touch on some of the changes in our systems that had to occur in order to not run into that severe a time-crunch again.

Final Product!

Let the Fun Begin!

A Lucy & Sweetie Pie Christmas
5x7 Watercolor on Strathmore 140#©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

The leftovers are in the refrigerators & care packages are dispersed among the family members. The cats are exhausted from all the activity this past week, between preparing the house & meal and all the people here to enjoy said meal! Thanksgiving was a quiet & fun day full of love and grace, too. We had a tremendous amount for which to be happy this year.

A lot of people are working today. Too many people are shopping for the "deals". Some of us are just trying to get our gears moving to carry us through the next few weeks. 

Yes, the latter would be me!

I've been off the grid the last few weeks for a few reasons. With something of routine again rising on the horizon, hopefully I'll be back fairly regularly. And, very much looking forward to all the beautiful holiday goodies being created.

I was fortunate enough to actually receive a couple of commissions for personalized pet portraits and have completed the one posted at the top of the page, A Lucy & Sweetie Pie Christmas. 

It was commissioned as a tribute from Stephanie of Crystal Allure Beaded Jewelry Designs to a couple of her fur babies. Sadly, she & her family lost Sweetie Pie, the kitty, this past year after a few years of his battling cancer. She will be using them as her seasonal cards, obviously. But I am very grateful for the opportunity to design this special tribute for her and her family, human and furry.

The next one in the works is for a friend looking for a Christmas gift for a friend of hers. I'll keep you posted on that one, too.

What are you planning to create this season? Anything special for holiday gifts? Commissioned or for friends and/or family? I'd love to hear from you!

Stop on by our Etsy page to see the listings for the Pet Portraits. We'll be running a special for Cyber Monday, as well as continuing our donation program with the Note Cards & Digital Pet Portraits.

Meanwhile, Baby & Buddy are setting the example of how to spend the rest of the weekend!

Keeping Up with the Seasons

Beach Trees
Tree of Life Collection
4x6 Watercolor on 140# Strathmore Paper
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2011

Having just been out of commission for the last couple of months, post-foot surgery, I feel that I've missed most of this past summer. I have been fortunate to have a lovely view of the hills and trees from my living room. I've still been able to absorb the beauty of the sunlight, the racing shadows of the clouds, the mad dashes of the birds and graceful loping of the butterflies & bees.

SharingHoney Bunnies Collection4x6 Water Soluble Pencil©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2011

Changing Skies
©Mike Deuel Bronson Hill Arts 2012

Autumn Field
4x6 Water Soluble Pencil
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts

Fortunately, weather & nature have been favorable enough to have let me enjoy the fall. Having been able to hobble reasonably well over the last few weeks, hubby & I ventured about our immediate locales, and a little farther, to enjoy the foliage & warm sunlight of this wonderful autumn in upstate New York. As a bonus, I was able to also enjoy, with a dear friend, a day wandering through one of the largest art & craft fairs of our region which takes place in Letchworth State Park. Again, gorgeous scenery to inhale generously. 

Bench at Buttermilk Falls
©Mike Deuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Bench Viewpoint
Honeoye Lake
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Sunbathing Horses
©Mike Deuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

The leaves have been golden & fiery. The waters beyond blue & plentiful, despite a dry fall season. No need for heavy jackets or winter hats as of yet. Just sunglasses & a camera. 

And, eventually, a paint brush or two! 

Change
9x12 Water Soluble Oil on Stretched Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2012

So, without further ado, we want to share some recent photos & past paintings & drawings. We've also put a more complete slide show of our trip this past weekend around some of the Finger Lakes on our website, if you're in the mood for more autumn glories.

Silhouette in Field
Trees of Life Collection6x8 Acrylic on Canvas Board
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2010

Happy Autumn, everyone!

Yield
6x6 Watercolor
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2012

P.S.: In keeping with our theme of rescues & note cards, Sharing, is one of our cards in the Honey Bunny Collection for Humane Society of Livingston County & Beach Trees & Silhouette in Field are part of the Trees of Life Collection for Hearthside Cats. Stop by our Note Cards for Charity page for more images & options!

Fence Line
©Mike Deuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Willow Shadow
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

#1 Pumpkin
9x12 Softleaded Colored Pencil
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2011

Autumn Falls
©Mike Deuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Appreciating It All

Chickadee
3.5" square Water Soluble Oils on Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts

With the Fourth of July weekend of celebrations just a few days away, it is undeniably summer. 

No room for chickadees in this part of the world. For now.

After a particularly brutal winter, it's easy to appreciate the warmth, even at it's humid peak. 

Appreciation is hard to hold in place. It's so very easy to let the negative overwhelm the good in our lives. Whether it is our gratitude for our own lives and loves, or being valued by others in our world, appreciation can simply become nonexistent.

Over the last month or two, I've been feeling appreciated in pleasant, unexpected ways. It's my turn, now, to remind all of you how much I appreciate you. Even if it seems that our visits are often sparse, you are never far from my heart and mind.

All of you!

Appreciating it all: winter & summer, chickadees & bluebirds, special & mundane, friends & family, work & leisure.

Keep life wonderful! Have a great holiday!

Change of Direction: Balloon Amidst Clouds

Balloon Amidst Clouds
16x20 Water Soluble Oil on Stretched Canvas
©BEDeuel Bronson Hill Arts 2014

Having been lucky enough to get a solo show, the race is on! It's time to hit the studio and hit it hard!

It is amazing how motivated one becomes when a deadline looms close by. It also gives one the nerve to try different things, new ideas. It forces that change in direction that one often needs.

That being said, it is a small local venue, designed to showcase "emerging" artists. Since it's been a slow, but steady process of building the portfolio, a small venue is just right... for now!

So, here is the newest  addition, Balloon Amidst Clouds! Step 1 to the final:

Think it's time to change the calendar, though!

Poppies: Just In Time for Spring!

Poppies
8x8 Water Soluble Oils on Stretched Canvas
©2014 BEDeuel

Okay, so this presentation is a little bit reversed... but we are very ready for spring to come and stay!!

Normally, vanity would stop me from posting all the steps that it took to get to the final painting, but I wanted to share some of the problems that were encountered while creating the painting.

A nice start...

   

Composition is working, so far...

Something is starting to take over... 

Uh-oh! Need an outline to find the flowers...

Finally! The painting emerges!

White paint to the rescue!

Sometimes, I feel like I just want to chuck a canvas, but, with determination, the painting will evolve. That's the beauty of creating!

Bird Squares Continued

Progress, so far:

Sketch on Paper Copy of Painted Background

Tracing the Sketch

Applying Charcoal to the Back of the Tracing

Transferred Sketches to the Canvases

The Painting!

One down; 3 to go!