More Murals

Here is the result of the first call from my van graphics... a neighbor saw the ads and called me. We'd never even met before! She wanted clouds and elements in her attic room to match the Mary Engelbreight decor.



A tree in the corner...



A big sunflower and more clouds in the stairwell...



close up of the birdies...



A fun room for the grandkids to visit...



I would enjoy waking up here!

Taste of the Coast

Last Sunday was the first annual Taste of the Coast, a charity event held on the Belmont Pier to raise money for Kid's Connection:

http://www.lbkidsconnection.org/

Children Today was the chosen recipient for the proceeds. I was asked to paint the festivities which comprised more than 30 restaurants offering up delicious food, live music, a bounce house and auction items.

My challenge was painting such a long stretch of an event. I surveyed the area and made several compositional sketches to determine the best "view" for the painting.

Not this one...

or this.

Since the pier is "T" shaped, I positioned myself at one end of the "T" where I could see the band, the length of the pier with all the food tents...

and the bounce house in the sand, and the Long Beach city skyline in the distance.

Throughout the day, the crowd grew and grew! A few boats sailed by and birds flew overhead.

It made sense to me that they might act as carrier pigeons to deliver the banner overhead!

To my delight the painting was purchased, raising money for Children Today:

http://www.childrentoday.org/about/

Thank you to all my friends who attended and helped make Taste of the Coast a success!!

New Live Event Paintings

This was painted for a corporate VIP audience at a wine tasting party at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. I had exactly two hours to accomplish an ocean scene (looking at the ocean scene from where I was positioned on the hotel balcony). The painting was gifted via raffle to one of the attendees.






This was painted at an ISES (International Special Events Society) Los Angeles chapter mixer at the Ambassador West in Pasadena. The caterer for the event purchased the canvas for his office.






My second trip to New Jersey produced this painting from a wedding reception held at the beautiful Rockleigh Country Club. All the people depicted are important family members and close friends. All twenty-nine!







This was a wedding celebration with traditional Korean costumes. I loved the brightly dressed women and the colbalt- blue gown the bride wore for the first dance.

Annie, the Jack Russell Terrier

Here is Annie, my mother's Jack Russell Terrier, painted in acrylic on 8"x10"canvas board. She was so delighted, she almost cried! I delivered the painting to her at the networking group we both belong to, in order to remind people that now is the time to be thinking about ordering holiday gifts.


A pet portrait makes a very special and treasured gift!


This is the reference photo I took with my camera. I prefer to take my own, but I can also work from photos provided.

Tyson, The Bull Dog

Occasionally I am asked to paint pet portraits. This painting of Tyson, the bull dog; was requested to be an anniversary gift for my friend's husband. The canvas is 9"x12" painted in acrylic. Tyson passed away recently, so I had to work from old snapshots. Here is the reference photo I used.





Mike was very happy with his gift from Cari. And that makes me happy!

Glendale Renaissance Wedding

Last Saturday I painted a wedding reception at the beautiful Renaissance Restaurant Ballroom in Glendale, CA. The bride and groom danced to a live band, as family members and friends looked on.



The lavish ballroom; with golden and red hues, high arches, rich drapery and sparkling chandeliers; is almost entirely painted before the arrival of the wedding couple and guests.



Here is the finished painting, which the couple were very pleased with.

Dallas Arboretum Wedding

Last week I painted a wedding reception at the beautiful Dallas Arboretum. The reception was held in the Rosine Hall, and began just before sunset. Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows you could see the trees and blue sky Texas is famous for.

I began by composing the room and important features; the wedding cake, and (a Texas tradition), the groom's cake; fittingly a pair of cowboy boots!

Then I began adding the gorgeous floral centerpieces. There were several different types of arrangements, and candles everywhere!

The blinds were kept shut until the guests and wedding party arrived, while the room was being decorated to perfection in turquoise blue, lime green (in the fabrics) and shades of pinks and corals in the flowers-- predominately tulips-- which are a symbol of love. Cobalt blue light was cast on the walls.

This is the pose I used for the focal point of the painting; the Wedding Dance.

As requested by the couple, I painted members of the bride's family and groom's family surrounding them around the dance floor.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Dallas, and delighted in painting such a lovely wedding celebration!