"Southern Gentleman" (oil on linen; 14" x 11") sold

sold

Today I have a great news to share.  My painting, "Southern Gentleman," got juried into the October figurative show at the Art League in Alexandria, VA.  It's a double honor.  I don't paint figures often, so getting into a figure show is a big deal.  Besides, the juried shows at the Art League are fiercely competitive.  This acceptance marks the third time since July: making three shows out of four definitely calls for a celebration!

I painted "Southern Gentleman" during the three-day workshop with Robert Liberace at the Art League School in Alexandria, VA in March 2012.  Rob is a big name in today's figurative painting in the country.  Just watching him paint was a thrilling experience. The workshop was called "The Painterly Sketch: Advanced Alla-Prima Portrait".

Alla Prima, or "premier coup," is a way of painting that involves the direct application of color without an elaborate underpainting.  Great painters such as Frans Hals and John Singer Sargent, or the contemporary master Richard Schmid, are often linked to this direct, daredevil approach to painting.

On the last day of the head-spinning workshop, I had about two hours left to paint the elderly model.  Speaking of pressure!  The model came for the sitting, dressed in a southern gentleman's outfit.  What fun!  He was a kind, Civil-War buff, who reminded me of Colonel Sanders.

I am happy to report that Rob was impressed with my final effort; so was I.  In particular, he liked the way I handled the forehead of the model and his costume. He said something about "sophisticated"!  I was in heaven.  Now that the painting also made the Art League show, I am doubly proud!

"Bennett James" (oil on linen; 8" x 6") sold

sold

"Bennett James" is for Lynn.  Mr. Bennett James, a 12-year-old sheep dog, is going to be a Christmas present for Lynn's daughter, Kim.  As a matter of fact, there are two more paintings coming up, because everybody in Lynn's family is going to get a pet portrait for this Christmas!

I would like to thank my awesome fan, Pat MacMaster, who introduced my work to her college friend, Lynn!

If you send your pet's pictures to kimstenbergart@gmail.com, I will make beautiful pet portraits out of them.  How fun is that!  Besides, my pet portraits make perfect birthday and Christmas presents.  Thanks!

My readers, in case you didn't notice, I have created a new page on my blog, called "Pet Portrait Orders".  You will find all the information you are dying to know about ordering a pet portrait.  Please check it out.

"Dark Kisses" (oil on linen; 4" x 5") sold

sold

Hershey's Kisses has got to be one of the greatest culinary inventions of all times.  These bite-sized pieces of chocolate, shaped like flat-bottomed teardrops and wrapped in shiny foils, have brought so much pleasure to kids of all ages.  You can pop several of these into mouth without going overboard with your dietary budget.  My favorite is, of course, Dark Chocolate Kisses, wrapped in royal violet.  How about you?

Another great virtue of Kisses is that they are fabulously paintable.  Put them on a colorful fabric, like passionate scarlet in my painting.  Crinkled foils start reflecting confetti bits of colors all over.  If you position the chocolates with flags strategically, they look like a couple of lovers!

"Beagle Love" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

A cute foxhound/beagle mix on a chic white leather sofa.  Oh, I want to hug him!

"Chihuahuas Rule" (oil on linene; 8" x 12") sold

sold

"Chihuahuas Rule" is for my Facebook fan, Lisa.  For my first chihuahua painting, I got to paint four of them.  Thanks, Lisa!  From left to right, they are Tido (9 years old), Logan (8), Mary (8), and Tyson (8).  They all turn 9 this year.  They are not related to each other.

Tido is the oldest and Alpha male.  He is a bully, very protective and territorial.  He doesn't like people at all.  Logan is a gentle giant, shy and quiet.  Mary, the only female, is "crazy".  She is in control; she runs the house!  Tyson is the sweetest, most loving chihuahua ever.  He thinks he is Mary's husband.

Lisa told me that I didn't have to paint the dog bed in pink.  The boys were trying to aggravate Mary by stealing her bed.  My answer was: "I like the fluffy, pink bed."  Obviously, Lisa doesn't know I love pink.  Besides, the pinks reflected onto the pale skins of the dogs' underbellies, warming them up nicely.  I balanced the pink with the yellow green shape on the far right.

If you send your pet's pictures to kimstenbergart@gmail.com, I will make beautiful pet portraits out of them.  How fun is that!  Besides, my pet portraits make perfect birthday and Christmas presents.  Thanks!

"Elvis" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

sold

"Elvis" is for my Facebook fan, Pat.  Elvis is a three-year-old chocolate Labrador.  He was rescued as a puppy by Pat's niece.  When she moved away from the East Coast to California, Elvis was adopted by her dad, Pat's brother, who had already considered him his own.  Now they travel everywhere together; on Sundays, they spend the day cooking crabs at the local hangout.  "Elvis" is going to be Pat's Christmas present for her brother.  It is a secret, so don't tell him!

If you send your pet's pictures to kimstenbergart@gmail.com, I will make beautiful pet portraits out of them.  How fun is that!  Besides, my pet portraits make perfect birthday and Christmas presents.  Thanks!

My September Paintings Collage

I painted 26 painted in September 2013!

Today is the last day of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge.  I didn't get to finish yesterday's painting, so there you go, no new painting to share today.  No matter.  I am still proud of myself because I created 26 beautiful paintings, one of which I had to drop for the above collage.  One painting a day really adds up!

Today is also the day of the September drawing.  I would like to thank 23 fans who have sent me photos of their pets and other things for the past seven weeks since I started painting from fans' photos.  It has been a great fun and learning experience.  In particular, my pet portrait painting ability grew tremendously, all thanks to your support and participation.

The lucky winner is Desiree Moeller.  Congratulations!