It may be the beginning of Fall here, but it feels very much like summer…still! I am ready for cooler weather, less fires, less heat, less smoke! On the really smoky days, you will find me inside…painting.

I am so happy to share my newest paintings with you all! I have painted quite a bit in September, and it felt so good! I have quite a few new portraits that are now in my

ArtcyLucy Etsy shop.

Each different and beautiful in her own way.

I have been painting in shorter easel sessions, but with a little more frequency. I find that for me, it works well.

Each of these paintings have been such a fun exploration for me. Whether it is painting on a bright red background, or painting over an abstract painting with collage, each had its own challenge and rewards.

This is the year, I am really working towards more imaginative portraits, less about structure and realism, and more about expression, color, texture, and interest.

I was also happy to revisit some familiar favorites, like the Top Hat series that I love so much. It’s like visiting an old friend, when I paint these girls.

And the Dream series continues too…possibly because I love the calmness and beauty of these portraits.

And sometimes, it really is all about the quirkiness, and having FUN with paint! This cutie, is a modern (and very loose) variation of Botticelli’s Venus, with her flowing hair.

I bet you are surprised to see something here NOT a portrait. Well I certainly LOVE to paint waterlilies, and I find myself drawn more and more to floral paintings lately. I hope to share more of that next time. This one, was painted for my family, who moved into their newly built home. I think original art is such a wonderful gift for home, don’t you?

I have also enjoyed painting a profile view portrait this past summer. I don’t do them often, as they are really a challenge for me. But it is good to get out of our creative comfort zone and try something different, that’s how we learn and grow as artists.

Last but certainly not least, I wanted to share with you a special portrait I worked on recently. This was definitely a learning experience for me, as I totally failed in my first attempt at this portrait. I overworked it, and took it way beyond where I wanted it to go. So…I painted over the whole thing, and once that dried, started again. This time, I found a balance between the looseness of the brush strokes and a very emotional look in his eyes. I backed away before I could “fix” it. And I just LOVE it so much. So, I learned so may lessons here, not just about the act of painting, and technical things about brush strokes, and color placement…but giving yourself the time and patience to work things out until you love a painting.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my newest art pieces! I certainly enjoyed the process of painting them, and look forward to sharing more of that process with you in the future.

You will find a collection of my paintings in my Etsy shop, ArtcyLucy.

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“I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say ‘he feels deeply, he feels tenderly’.”
― Vincent Willem van Gogh