Aidan, a "special" little boy's portrait in oils on canvas

Sketching Aidan out on canvas. I try to sketch on tracing paper, then use transfer paper to add my sketch to the canvas once I'm pleased with the drawing.It doesn't mean it is set in stone. I can still make all of the changes I want. 

Now I begin to add a thin layer of the darkest-darks. This helps me to  start building my thin layers of paint

 You may click on any photo to view a larger photo.

As you can see, Aidan almost looks like a page from a coloring book. As children with our crayons, we did not realize we were building a foundation for a better work of art!

Here is a good shot of the reference photo.It wasn't the greatest- a copy form a Facebook page, and he is seat belted in the car!

A few more layers have been added here. He is on his way to looking like the sweet little guy he is. Aidan was born with a very serious heart defect.I painted his brother's portrait last year, and could hardly wait to paint Aidan. Heart disease runs rampant on my mother's side of the family.We lost her to heart disease, as well as most of her siblings who passed away from this terrible disease. So, Aidan holds a special place in my heart.He is wearing red for Heart Awareness Day!

Aidan is completed, I am happy, and  his family is thrilled. Aidan is painted on an 11" x 14" stretched portrait canvas.

 I love taking commissions for portraits of children and animals.Please contact me at sandrasart777@aol.com for questions you may have, or more information about a portrait of your loved one- whether a child or fur baby!

Gus, a tiny miracle calf!

"Gus", a commissioned oil painting,Laying in my darkest-darks and  a little sky color- to keep my horizontal line straight! I am painting him in oils on a 16" x 20" stretched canvas.

Applying the many strokes with  a toned down white over the dark hues I added in the beginning for Gus

I decided to add a stick and not the few rocks I had at first.  He is coming to life for me!

Gus is finished except for a light glaze of blue applied later. He will dry and be shipped to his owner who has recently created a book about his miracle birth, as well as a traumatic accident a few weeks later. I think he is adorable!

Owner of Gus, Angela LeBlanc explains the miracle birth of Gus, and then the traumatic accident that his Veterinarians said would cripple him for life... read what God did for one of his little creatures!

Hummingbird and Hibiscus oils on canvas, original bird art

Starting on the lay in of the back ground, I am already seeing I do not like the composition. I will deal with  that later- the ease of moving oils keeps me totally in love with this medium! 

Placing the darks on the hummingbird- super important step!

As you can see, I have made a few changes in the composition.My client wanted a peach colored hibiscus. This is a surprise for her hummingbird-loving husband!

After consulting with my client,who is pleased with the out come, I have signed it, and will paint the wrapped canvas sides with the same background color, as requested. It will dry for a few days, then be off to its new home. I hope her husband is not only surprised, but pleased as well!



I hope you've enjoyed viewing the process of this painting. If you'd like to have your own original  hummingbird painting in oils, please contact me through this blog, or sandrasart777@aol.com.I can quickly give you a  very reasonable price, and would love to work with you!

Blessings,
Sandra Cutrer
Fine Art

Cardinals! Photos of our backyard love birds, and a nest with eggs in oils I've created

Isn't this lovely? I adore our beautiful cardinal couple who come to visit our backyard bird feeders each day. In the spring they usually show up with their newest born, already a few weeks old, big enough to have flown out of his nest and be taught how to take a little free seeds when one can!

The above painting is a commissioned piece, on its way to Vermont. I'm sure they are hoping for an early spring.We seem to be having one here in southeast Texas. The last few days have been sunny, in the 70's, and perfect for my long walks outside.

Enjoy, and have a blessed weekend!

Blessings,
Sandra Cutrer
Fine Art
sandrasart777@aol.com

Brown Pelicans

Just completed! Both are painted in oils on 8" x 10" canvas boards, ready to frame and hang in your favorite room or enclosed patio- or great for a beach house, or beach theme in your bathroom! Where wouldn't pelicans make an impact? I love these amazing birds! Not only are they majestic, but they are like small deadly torpedoes when they nose dive into the water! My husband and I both took a lot of pelican photos recently, so I chose two of my favorite to use for references.

It is still January, as we all know... except for Mother Nature. Somehow she has been asleep (or enjoying a senior moment?), as today will hit the lower 70 degree mark- once again- while February starts to push her way in!

I better hush, before storms blow. How well I know they most certainly can show off! Right when you think you can go buy your yearly Boston fern for the front porch, and pull out all of your well- kept prized potted plants,snow will most surely drop from the sunny skies. I call it another way of presenting,"southern charm" here in Texas.

If you are interested in purchasing these two pelicans as a pair, please scroll down my blog page and click on the ETSY emblem. It should take you to my shop.

Have a wonderful day!

Blessings,
Sandra Cutrer
Fine Art

UPDATE: A few hours after I posted these new pelican paintings, they sold! If you'd like to commission your own pair of pelicans in oils, please contact me through this blog, or email me at: sandrasart777@aol.com. Thank you!

Working in between life....

I  truly wish my New Year's Resolutions were in my hands to control, but (sadly) they aren't.  I made myself a promise to try to paint on something daily. Well, today is only the half way mark into January, and I have sort of bombed on this... BUT I did decide to plan ahead more, so when the time is available to paint, I am ready to roll!

I have 5 canvases ready, two already more than half way completed, and one has the first lay-in, so maybe 2016 will be a lot more flexible than 2015 was. YEA!

Two of my in-the-works small paintings.


Well, off of the computer and into my studio to work on these. Oh, and no rain today, so I can enjoy the wonderful sunshine pouring into my large windows! There is nothing more invigorating than that to get me to paint, paint, paint!

Have a blessed middle-of-the-first-month day!

Sandra Cutrer
Fine Art

Time for Lullabies, rocking chair, angel, baby

This sweet painting is almost finished and ready to post for sell in my Etsy.com shop! Original oil painting on an 8" x 10" canvas board (flat board, must be framed), ready for your favorite frame to set it off even more. Hang in your favorite room. Or, this would make a great baby/shower gift, or a peaceful sweet painting in the nursery/bedroom of your own baby or grand baby.


There are strokes of thick paint here and there to give this piece a little added texture. The baby is wrapped in pink, but I can easily change it to blue if you'd prefer- just contact me once it is purchased  from my Etsy shop. Just copy and paste this site to go directly to my shop!
 
 https://www.etsy.com/shop/SandraCutrerFineArt?ref=hdr_shop_menu OR scroll down my blog and click on the white block that says : ETSY, which will take you directly to my shop as well!


Thanks,
Sandra Cutrer
Fine Art