Bird Watching

Mr. Great Blue Heron is watching the people and viewer's of the painting are watching him...hence the title, "Bird Watching."

This commission was a fun collaboration with my client. Her input: "lots of beautiful blues, a portrait of the Great Blue Heron that often visits down by the water, and my family hunting for seashells in the background." 

The more I paint birds, the more fun I think they are. I have a photo of a particularly cocky seagull staring me down in San Francisco that might be fun to play with one of these days!


"Bird Watching"
36"x48" oil on canvas
Private Collection

Schilo's To Go

As the sign says, "Ringa da bell!"


Our family is so busy, sometimes I think we might as well have a bell to ring in our own kitchen for the food that goes out the door as takeout. If I make it, it tends to be healthier, but when I'm painting, everyone's on their own!


As you walk into the door of Schilo's Delicatessen in San Antonio, a long, sleek counter invites you to come in and take note of all the tasty offerings available for dining in or taking out. I loved the contrast between the old set of scales and the modern, shiny meat slicer. Personally, I've only ever eaten in because I go for the atmosphere as much as the food, but I imagine locals appreciate that they can get their food on the go and avoid the crowds.


Wish I had a piece of that pie right now...and some root beer.


"Schilo's To Go"
10"x14" oil on canvas
(available)

"Beloved"

"In Jesus Christ,

God has entered into our lives

in the most intimate way,

so that

we could enter into his life

through the Spirit."

~Henri Nouwen

"Beloved"

30"x40" acrylic on canvas

Pheasant Brothers

This was a new experience for me, painting birds - at least in such detail. When I accept a commission, it's fun to have the opportunity to paint something I probably wouldn't think of painting on my own.   I knew absolutely nothing about pheasants so I immersed myself in learning about them as I didn't want to make the mistake of painting them or their habitat in error. Introduced to North America from Asia, pheasants are a widely established game bird. I had no idea the variation in their feathers and colors. Thankfully, I was able to obtain two taxidermied specimens to view while I painted. That was a huge help. Symbolically, pheasants in art have represented eternity and redemption along with their peacock cousins.


"Pheasant Brothers" 16x20 oil on canvas
Private Collection

Pet Portrait Fun

I'm not trying to be "punny" when I say that creating a special pet portrait for a client leaves me feeling "warm and fuzzy" inside. It's a real joy to work with a client to develop a lasting memory of a beloved pet and these two portraits are the latest of what has become a fun side of my art business. I pride myself in working hard to capture the pet's personality as best I can. (If you are interested in having a pet portrait commissioned, feel free to check my pricing list by clicking on this link: http://artbymj.blogspot.com/p/commissionspricing.html )


Perusing my blog posts from 2011, I see that I did not do a very good job of posting a majority of my artwork. This may be due to the fact that 2011 was a year of experimentation for me as I returned to my old stand-by pencil, played with watercolors and pens, dabbled in digital media, and finished off experimenting with mixed media and acrylics.


Who knows what 2012 will bring to my art, but I will try to keep you better informed. Maybe I will feel brave enough to show you some of my more experimental work! I am hoping to find a way to offer prints in addition to the original art and commissions that I am creating. 


As always, I humbly thank you for your encouragement and allowing me the privilege of sharing my art with you.


Top: "Pom Buddies" 11x14 oil on canvas
Below: "Bucky" 11x14 oil on canvas