Shoe Art

I can BARELY stand it...shoes with my paintings on them!!! If you have any special requests I can make shoes with ANY of my paintings on them. How cool is that??? Just email me if you'd like a pair. They are $65 plus $10 shipping. http://www.zazzle.com/rachelsstudiodotcom

Two Originals done - phew!

I love how the eyes came out on this one - it's done! Click to see the print.

Can a cat look any more blissful? I just put this print on eBay. Click the picture to view it there.

Seems like it took forever to finish this, but it's finally done. It's going to my friend Karin in Switzerland, as payment for our hotel in Italy. The print is available, just click on the image!

Doesn't look like much aye? This is my first wash. I put frisket to protect the whiskers and a few highlights, and then painted around the light parts. Before the first wash was dry, I spritzed a few drops of water to add texture. View the photograph below to see where I'm going with this one.



Although this is just a study for a larger painting, I'm taking my time and trying to figure out the problems before I tackle the large painting. Hmmmm, how to make that dark wall have more texture.

I like how the eyes are coming out on this one : )



I'd say that bad spot is pretty well on its way out! (See post below)

Some paintings fight you, and some just flow. This one is just flowing. This is only the second day I've worked on this and it already looks great! I'll hopefully finish this one this week.

New Christmas ornament - click on the ornament to buy from Rachel's Studio!

A lot goes into a painting before any paint goes on the paper. The picture below needs some adjustments. For example, the kitty's leg is hanging straight down. Straight lines are boring and make a painting seem rigid. It would add a lot more movement to slant that leg a bit more. Also, I wanted to change the eyes. As is, I feel the cat's glazed stare is a bit disconcerting for what I'm trying to accomplish. I want this painting to convey humor but also the comfort of the kitty despite the awkward spot he's decided to nap on. So I stuck some different eyes on, one half closed, as if this kitty is having a hard time staying awake.

Thank you, goenetix on flickr for letting me use your pic!!!

Aaaaaaaaah, better. I think now I'm ready to paint : )

Sadie is famous!

Sadie got picked as picture of the week on about.com's cat blog.

Celebratory painting coming soon ; )

Two New Originals Available!

I created these paintings for the Siamese Rescue. They are going to use the pictures for this year's Christmas cards. Give to a good cause and buy Christmas cards from them! They aren't on the site yet but are coming soon.

Click on the images to view the originals. I also have prints available.

Looks a lot better with eyes!

This one looks less scary than the other night, see below. Still not finished!!

This one is 3/4 done I think


This is a commission

I started this sheepdog last night.

This one has been hiding in my closet, so I'm finally getting around to finishing it. Can I salvage that left side? Stay tuned ; )

Finished a painting tonight...

Click on it to go to Etsy where it is listed. If you would rather buy it through eBay or directly from me just let me know. Mention you saw it on my blog and I'll give you free shipping!

I just got featured on this COOL blog:
http://angeldamico.blogspot.com/

Thank you Angel!!

Thank you to Floralia on Etsy for featuring me in her Treasury - Check out her shop!

Here's the treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=10774


And thank you paintedmemorisbyrose for featuring me - Check out her shop!

Here's the treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=11322


Etsy is really cool - there are tons of hand crafted items. My favorites are the fashion designers who work out of their living rooms and all the jewelry designers. Here are a few good ones...

Sandmaiden

fussjewelry

JLeeOhioDesigns

I'm slowly adding things to Etsy. I'm posting my prints cheaper on there, because it costs less for me to post there, and then passing the savings on to you! Come check it out! Just click on the links below.

Artist's dinner: french fries

Did I mention they are healthy 'french fries?' Just coat some green beans in olive oil, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Mmmmmmmmm. They were a big hit as appetizers for a recent dinner party : )

Here is a painting I'm working on of Vernazza, a little village in Cinque Terre, Italy. My friend Karin took some gorgeous pics while she was there. Click here to see her pics. It must be hard living in Switzerland and it only being a few days of driving to get to such magical places! The poor thing, she just got back from Croatia too.

I'm working on two paintings that will become Christmas cards for the Siamese Rescue. They'll have exclusive rights to these, so if you want my Christmas cards this year, click here to go to them!

This is another painting that will be used as currency to pay my friend Karin back for our hotels in Italy. This is her kitty Latifah, minus the eyes (it's not done yet!)

If you're not an artist, this site will make you feel like one, just click on the blank page and paint away. You're a genius!!

http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

I took a break from painting to walk on the nearby walking trails. I love the solitude of a quiet forest, and was trying to capture that with these pictures... Mmmmmmm, barkiness


Here are a bunch of paintings I'm working on...

This is from a picture I took in Florence, Italy

My friend Karin's cat Kennedy always seems to have the perfect pose to convey bliss. Click here to see more of her gorgeous pictures!

This is my first wash, can you tell? At this stage I often wonder if I'll be able to pull this one off. Looks scary!

Almost done, letting this one rest a bit. Sometimes I know a painting needs something, but I'm not sure what, so I just put it away. Then I can look at it with fresh eyes in a few days.

One more commission done!!

Here's one my mom just finished; isn't she good? Click to bid!

I LOVE doing abstracts; what started as an attempt to get rid of excess paint on a blank canvas turned into this - once I started I couldn't stop! I get mesmerized by colors and how they play off each other

This is a work in progress and will be for Karin, my travel partner. She paid for hotel rooms in Italy in exchange for paintings of her cats.

Another work in progress, a commission