Leanne Shawler, Artist

Remember how Number 30 was going to be Number 29 but I finished that pencil portrait first? No? That's okay. Here is Number 30. It's a re-do of a stylized portrait that I did in 2015. (Gosh was it that long ago?) Here's that 2015 portrait. I also wanted to redo the portrait that I decided was too close to Tamara LaPorte's painting from LifeBook this year (and so I had refused to count it toward the 52 Portraits). Specifically, I wanted to take the over-sized glasses: And then Ivy Newport inspired me by playing with Gustav Klimt. (She has an online class if you want to explore Klimt's work.) This started out on a 16"x20" canvas board on June 4. I traced/transferred my face and the oversized glasses (I can tell you they really are that teal color) and then using the same reference photo of an old master (that actually hangs in a local art museum) that I used for the 2015 portrait, I sketched out the gown using a Lyra pencil. Yes, I had s...

Number 29 is actually still a work in progress, but in the meantime I finished another. So this Number 30 but as it's finished first, it's 29. Confused yet? Me too. Anyway, this is from the latest round of Weekend Challenges. I started the sketch on Tuesday on the train but it was a bit too bumpy, so I finished it on Wednesday. It is on a background I made a while ago after swatching the colors of some of Jane Davenport's sparkly Mermaid Markers. It's in colored pencil. OK, now back to work on the original Number 29, now 30, hopefully not 31.

I decided to continue my exploration of Golden's OPEN acrylics. Using the reference photo shared as part of one of the recent Weekend Challenges , I started with a Lyra pencil sketch, marking the shadows, and quickly blocked in a dark background of sepia ink. Using Raw Umber OPEN acrylic, I put in the shadow layer, which involved some dry brushing for the not so darks. It's a more subtle difference, but then she got the black and white photo treatment, except that I am still using Raw umber as the dark. I loved how creamy the paints are and how I could blend to get a gradation of shadow. Then I created two main flesh tones, adding white or raw umber, and then finally some Paynes Grey to get rid of the two tone "colorized photo" look. I used Golden's satin glazing liquid to gain even more translucency. Now that it is a finished page in my art journal, I have learned that it can take up to 30 days to fully cure. Hopefully it won't ta...

I have just finished another portrait (number 28 out of 52!) but before I share it, I thought I would join in this blog along about what I have learned over the past spring. Smelly Downton Abbey costumes? Before I start, I did say I would look for and find the article about wearing the same clothing for a month (one of the things Emily learned about Downton Abbey was that they never washed the costumes). I finally found it. It's more to do with bathing (or not) versus changing underwear (including camisoles etc) every day (or not). Here's the link , although admittedly for Tudor times. What Everyone Should Know about the Most Rev. Michael Curry We all watched the royal wedding, and for an Episcopalian what was striking was the sheer lack of research done in who Michael Curry is. He's the head of the Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop, sort of like an archbishop. Yes, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the entire Anglican Communion (to which the Episcopa...