"ROSCOE" 11023, daily painter dog portrait © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"ROSCOE"

This is a commissioned pet portrait.  Roscoe looks like a happy guy.  I had a good reference photo to work from with strong light and shadow.

I remember my portrait project from a year ago where I painted 100 portraits from photos I received by email.  I had to stress over and over the importance of taking a photo with strong light coming from one side so there would be shadows across the face.  I actually told people to go outside at dawn or sunset and take a picture with the sun lighting only one side of the face.

That's one of the reasons many professional portraits are boring.  Flash, flash, flash.  No shadows on the face.  There is no reason to light up the entire face as if it were a mug shot or an object in an advertisement.

"DORI" daily painter original oil portrait © Carol Nelson Fine Art

"DORI"

This portrait is of artist Dori Dewberry.
Dori's photo was one of the ones I selected to be part of my 100 PORTRAITS project about a year ago.  Recently, I answered a call for entries by submitting this portrait to be in Randy Higbee Gallery's 6x6 INCH SQUARED competition.

I'm happy to say that this painting of Dori was chosen to be in the group of selected paintings from 1200 entries by artists around the country. 

The exhibition will be at Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA.
Dori lives in Orange County in Southern California, so she will be able to see her own portrait in the show.  That is cool.

Dori beat out other entries I made of my granddaughter and husband!!

"MORRIS"

"JAIDYN"

"CELIA" 10170, daily painter original oil portrait © Carol Nelson Fine art

"CELIA" 10170

This is a commissioned portrait for a friend who was over at my house and saw some of the portraits I did earlier this year of my family members.  I don't usually paint kids less than two years old, but when I saw Celia's photo, I KNEW it would make an excellent portrait.  She has such sparkle in those eyes.  And I loved doing that hair!

It was fun to do another portrait.  It's been good for me to NOT do any for a while... Please click here to see other portraits on my website.

20% off my book - 100 PORTRAITS

 

My publisher,Blurb, is having a 20% off sale on books ordered through 11-26-2010.  If you thought this book would make an interesting gift - maybe you're one of the 100, or maybe you would just like to see 100 faces painted in Fauvist style - now's the time to order.

Click here to go to the preview page - you can preview the entire book.  If you wish to order a book, enter the promo code "PROMO" at checkout in the US, or "PROMO3"  in Canada, for the 20% discount.

Of course, I have one of the books sitting on my coffee table.  People cannot resist picking it up and browsing through the 100 faces.  These are portraits of REAL PEOPLE from photos I received from folks all over the world.   If your portrait is in the book, don't forget to put a fancy bookmark on the page containing your portrait.   Humans are naturally drawn to images of other humans, whether they know them personally or not.   Order your 100 PORTRAITS  today.

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"GERRY," 10136, daily painter original portrait © Carol Nelson Fine Art

This pleasant looking fellow is the husband of a lady who participated in my 100 PORTRAITS project. She thought it would be nice to have one of her husband done in the same size and style.
What a great idea!
This painting is sold.

I've done two portraits in a row now, and I think I'm getting back in the swing of it. I so enjoyed doing that project. I can name every face in the book without looking at the name.

"BENJAMIN," 10135, daily painter portrait © Carol Nelson Fine Art

If this little cutie looks familiar, it's because I painted him as part of my 100 Portraits project earlier this year. When I posted his portrait on my blog back in April, a couple on the East coast purchased it.
Benjamin's family lives in New Mexico and they had not even turned on their computer yet. So I had to tell the first people that I would paint them another version of Benjamin because, to be fair, his family should have first dibs on the painting.
This painting is sold.

"AFRICAN CHILD," 10122, daily painter portait study © Carol Nelson Fine Art

In this portrait of an African child, there are several things going on. I like the over the shoulder pose with the whistfull, almost dreamy look of the child. Notice there are two obvious light sources - a golden light on the right side that is slightly behind the figure, and a cooler white light on the left, frontal side.
The warm reds of the robe are also reflected on the face. Careful observation of these subtle nuances of light are essential when looking at the reference material. I deliberately chose this tightly cropped composition because I wanted the face to be dominant in the smaller format.
This 7x5 painting is available for $85, including shipping in the US/Canada. Please click here to go to my website for a Paypal button.

Best Friends, 10123, commissioned portrait © Carol Nelson Fine Art

These ladies are best friends. One of them asked me to paint this portrait of the two of them as a surprise gift for the other one. I agreed to do it, but now I think I should have declined.

I was working from a small photo and, as you can see, it was a flash photo with both of them looking directly into the camera. That is precisely the type of reference photo I dislike intensely. It makes a good photo, but a lousy portrait.

Right now, I'm going to say NEVER AGAIN. If you study the work of famous portrait artists, their work never looks like an ad for good dental checkups. These ladies have great smiles, but when I look at this painting, all I see is teeth. You would think, after my 100 portraits project, I would have known the pitfalls of painting this photo.


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The BEST of 100 Portraits : Ferd 89/100

Many of you commented on how hard it was to pick your favorite from the ten group winners. The voting finally narrowed down to a contest between Ferdinand and Jonathan. Ferd took the honors and bragging rights by ONE vote. I think it's a combination of the vibrant colors I used and his congenial expression that most people responded to. Congratulations to Ferd (and Kim who took the photo, no doubt.)

You have all been great sports in following my blog and voting. The book is done, but I'm not going to offer it for sale until I get my proof copy to make sure everything is OK. I think you're going to like it.

I now know what my next project is going to be, but you'll have to wait several months to find out what it is. With the summer outdoor show season about to start, I have to paint like mad for that. After all, I wouldn't want to pay $500 for a booth fee and have nothing to sell!!!

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Carol, 100/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 100

This is it! 100 portraits finished! That picture of me was taken last November with me holding my camera at arm's length. In the portrait I somehow managed to take off about a decade. Who needs a face lift - I can just paint my way to youth and vitality. LOL

So now what? First, we need to finish the voting for 91-99. Don't vote for me - I don't want any sympathy votes. Please vote by Tues evening. On Wednesday, I will post the photos again of all the group winners and we can vote one last time to pick the Grand Poobah of the 100 portraits project. Imagine that bragging rights that person will have!!!!

I'm sure some of you who sent in photos are disappointed your photo didn't get in. I still have on file all the photos that were sent to me. If you still want me to paint a portrait at the regular rate of $100 plus $10 shipping, just drop me an email at carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net.

What did I learn from all this work? I feel my skill as a portrait painter improved. I think I have a "style." It's characterized by strong brushwork and imaginative color choices. Many of you who are artists are inspired to start a project of your own. I think that is great. I certainly didn't start out to be this great inspirational figure, but I'm humbled and appreciative that some of you think of me that way.

My other goal was to increase the traffic to my blog and website. Many of your signed up to be followers of my blog and to receive email updates via Feedblitz. Many also signed on my website to received my free newsletter. It's nice to think that my tiny voice in the wilderness of the internet is a little louder.

I ended up selling, or giving away to our kids, a total of 61 portraits. Many of the unsold portraits were sent in by other artists to help me get the project off the ground. Thank you for doing that. In this economy, in a slow time of the year for art sales (the first quarter is always a killer for me), I am happy with the sales I made, especially to folks in six foreign countries. The power of the internet is amazing.

And finally, and most importantly, I feel I have gotten to "know" many of you through your fantastic comments. I thank you for all the support and prayers sent our way when Morris had his kidney transplant. Your kind words of encouragement were so appreciated. I think Sherry (Autumn Leaves) looked at my blog early in the morning every single day and left 100 delightful comments. Sherry, you even found something positive to say about portraits that were a little "off."

So after this project is wrapped up, and the Grand Poobah chosen, I have several paintings that are waiting to make their debut. They are mostly abstracts done at my workshops and some that I'm trying to get ready for the outdoor show season which starts in less than 4 weeks.

Thanks to all of you for coming along on my fantastic journey.
Carol

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Morris, 99/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 99

This is a face I know well. It's my husband, Morris, aka Big Teddy, aka Coffee Fairy. He was sitting at the breakfast table reading the paper and I noticed the sun was really good on his face. I ran and got my camera and was snapping away which annoyed him to no end. He also didn't like the fact that I was photographing him in his bathrobe. I said nobody will know - but now, you ALL know. Tee-hee.

He is also known as Big Teddy (to me) because he's big and furry. I think he might also BE the COFFEE FAIRY. First thing every morning, I get up and take the dogs for a walk. I tell the dogs in a loud voice, "Maybe the coffee fairy will show up while we're on our walk." More often than not, there is fresh coffee brewing when we get back. Morris is still in bed, but I have strong suspicions that HE is the coffee fairy.



OK, TIME TO VOTE for your favorite of portraits 91 (Renee) - 99 (Morris). Tomorrow I will post the last portrait which will be a self portrait. I do NOT want to include myself in the voting because I would probably win on sympathy votes. Send your vote to me at carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net.

After the winner of this last group is determined, I will post all 10 winners for a final vote to pick the Grand Poobah of the 100 Portraits. There will be no prize involved, but just think of the bragging rights that go with that title!! Woo-hoo.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Dorothy, 98/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 98

This is my neighbor, Dorothy. She wanted to submit a photo, but didn't have a good one, so one afternoon she came over for a photo shoot. I had her sitting in my backyard in the sun, but the light on all the photos was too harsh. This pic was taken just outside my front door where it was completely in the shade. The light on her left side was reflected light from the sunshine on the side of my house.
For purchase information, please see my website.

I am very near the end of this project. On Monday, I will post #99. I will then ask that you vote for the best of 91-99. #100 will be posted on Tuesday. I'm doing a self portrait for #100, but I don't want to be included in the voting - you might feel OBLIGATED to vote for me out of sympathy. LOL

After the voting is complete for the last group, I will post all ten winners to see if we can pick the best of the best. This will be difficult, but fun.

Next week I will also post a recap of the whole project - what I've learned, statistics, everything you might want (or might not want) to know. I've received emails from several artists who have been inspired by this project and are planning some sort of painting marathon of their own. I say GO FOR IT. Your skills in painting will definitely improve.

In a couple weeks I should have more information on a book I plan to publish with all 100 portraits. I will also have more information on prints you can order through my site on Fine Art America.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Phil, 97/100, © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 97

This is Phil who looks like he is standing outside somewhere in the West. I don't normally put a landscape in the background of the portraits, but this one just sort of crept in there. I simplified it a lot because I wanted the portrait to be about the face more than the background.
For purchase information, please see my website.

Many people have expressed to me how sad they are to see this project end. I've decided to continue doing portraits, but now, if you submit a photo, I will paint it and you will be obligated to purchase it. The price for a 6x6 portrait will be $1oo plus $10 shipping/handling.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Campbell, 96/100, © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 96

Campbell is such a little beauty. I can see her in about 10 years becoming a stunning young lady. In the first version of this portrait the reference photo had her left ear cropped off, so I just painted it with her hair pretty much covering it. It wasn't until I uploaded the ref photo here that I saw that her left ear actually showed. I had to go back and wipe off the hair and paint that blue ear in.
For purchase information, please see my website.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I have an art show coming up next weekend. I am going to bring 20 older portraits to the show and they must be for sale. If you have not purchased your portrait yet and intend to purchase it, please complete the transaction before next Thursday, 4-29. All the portraits are on my website with Paypal buttons.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Lynn, 95/100, © Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 95

This is a beautiful photo of Lynn with the sunlight slanting across her face. I loved painting her auburn hair and amber glasses. There was one problem I could not solve. The amber lenses in her glasses have a blue, iridescent glow along the top. I tried every blue in my paint box and could not match that color.
For purchase information, please see my website.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I have an art show coming up next weekend. I am going to bring 20 portraits to the show and they must be for sale. If you have not purchased your portrait yet and intend to purchase it, please complete the transaction before next Thursday, 4-29. All the portraits are on my website with Paypal buttons.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Ishrath 3, 94/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 94

This is the third portrait from the photos sent to me a couple months ago and taken by Ishrath in her travels in her native India. I was so intrigued by this photo, I wanted to paint it right away, but I made myself wait. This gentleman has such an interesting face and turban. I wonder how his day to day life differs from my own. A great deal, I bet.
For purchase information, please see my website.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I have an art show coming up next weekend. I am going to bring 20 portraits to the show and they must be for sale. If you have not purchased your portrait yet and intend to purchase it, please complete the transaction before next Thursday, 4-29. All the portraits are on my website with Paypal buttons.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Kristeena, 93/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 93

Kristeena is caught up in the spirit of this portrait series and told me to go wild with her coloring. I think she is the first one I've given totally purple hair. I think it looks good on her actually.
For purchase information, please see my website.

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Drum roll:::::::::::::The portrait with the most votes in the group of 81-90 is FERD!!!!!
Most people who chose Ferd cited the extraordinary color I used on this portrait. It is pretty wild, but I think it looks good.

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I have an art show coming up next weekend. I am going to bring 20 portraits to the show and they must be for sale. If you have not purchased your portrait yet and intend to purchase it, please complete the transaction before next Thursday, 4-29. All the portraits are on my website with Paypal buttons.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Mandy, 92/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 92

OK, I've got to set the scene here. Catherine Yockers (74/100) has her knitting business making custom hand knit hats and other items. Click here to visit her Etsy shop. She sometimes calls on daughter Mandy and even the dog Molly to model her creations.

So here we have Mandy modeling a wool hat, in the summer, and not looking too happy about it. The look on Mandy's face looks so disgruntled that I smiled to myself the whole time I was painting her. It's more/less the same look I got from my daughters whenever they were told to do something they had no interest in doing such as cleaning their rooms, weeding the garden, picking strawberries, etc. Gotta love it.

For purchase information, please see my website.

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Voting for your favorite portrait in group 81-90 ends tonight. Send you choice to carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Renee, 91/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 91

This is Renee, wife of Jim, 80/100. Jim sent in this photo of Renee saying she was really a fun person and I could go wild with her portrait. Well, it's not often one gets a photo this expressive! I knew there would be a fine line between making her expression look like one who is unabashedly joyful, and one who is putting her hand in a bucket of tarantulas. I know, because I had that exact look at the Butterfly Pavilion when I let a tarantula crawl on my hand.
I'm going with the joyful expression. Maybe she just found out she won the Cutest Redhead contest. Whatever it was, she looks really happy. For purchase information, please see my website.

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Don't forget to VOTE. Voting for portraits 81-90 (Ethel - Linda) will end Friday evening. So far, only one vote separates the top three.

100 OIL PORTRAITS IN 100 DAYS - Linda, 90/100, Carol Nelson Fine Art

Day 90

I like this portrait of Linda because of the colors. I know you can't see it so well in the photo, but the original reference photo has yellow color notes on the left side, lavender color notes on the right, and a touch of pale blue from above. I used more subtle colors on her face, but I really emphasized them in the background.
I have a fall bouquet of silk flowers that has gold, deep magenta and purple flowers that would look beautiful with this painting's color scheme. For purchase information (the portrait, not the flowers) please see my website.

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Obviously, my computer is fixed and now working perfectly. I will be much more careful about turning it off/on to try to fix issues as they arise. My Computer Guy is the son of a gal I play tennis with. His name is Tim Louden of Business Technologies of Denver. I told him I wanted to adopt him, so I could get the family rate. LOL I recommend Tim, should you live in the Denver area and have need of a Computer Guy.

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Linda is 90/100, so that completes the next to last group of ten. Please review portraits 81 - 90 (Ethel - Linda) and let me know your favorite. This is going to be, perhaps, the toughest choice yet. Email your VOTE to carolnelsonfineart@comcast.net and THANKS for your vote.