Bano - K9 with Portland Police Dept.

BANO - Donated K9 Portrait

4"x6" Oil on Panel

Portland Police Bureau

From his partner:

Bano is a German Shepherd trained to trail and alert on fresh human scent. We have worked together about 7 years and he is currently 8 1/2 years old. He is a powerful and sweet dog who really enjoys work. Throughout our time together, he has apprehended approximately 180 "bad guys." Bano has also located multiple articles such as firearms, knives, drugs, ETC. during his course of duties.

Thank you Officer Elias and Bano for all you do to keep us safe :)

If you are a member of K9 or Mounted patrols, please send me a photo of your animal so that I can donate a portrait to your Department. I also donate paintings to Search & Rescue handlers & Military dogs. There is absolutely no charge, so get in touch with me, or forward this to someone you know who would like a painting.

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Today, I received an interesting email from Jasmine Murray asking questions about my work. I thought I'd post them here.

The problem is that I truly love all kinds of art and all kinds of painting mediums, so most of my answers are pretty generic. I did go through and pick out a few examples, though, do I get points for that?

Here are the questions from the email:

What media do you like to use the best and why?

I have painted in just about all media at some time or another. I love them all, they are like people, each with their strong points and drawbacks. I love anything creative! Besides fine art, I make artisan jewelry & stained glass (WackyPup on Etsy) recently got a kiln so I can try my hand at some small sculptures, quilting, woodworking and even a vinyl cutter. Obviously hard for me to narrow down my choices for being creative :)

I don't use watercolor very often, but I love the way that the colors intermingle with each other of their own accord. This is the only medium that does this, and it's beautiful. Unfortunately, because of this, things don't always go the way you planned. Watercolor is the least forgiving medium.

English Bulldog in Watercolor - NFS - Privately Commissioned Portrait

Pastels are strong and bright and offer immediate gratification, but they're more difficult to frame, and more fragile if you leave them laying around :)

Tiger in Pastel - Ruby @ Roanoke, VA Zoo

Portrait in Pastel - NFS - Private Commission

Quick Plein Air Pastel Study - 5x7 or so - if you'd like to add it to your collection it's yours for $50

Occasionally, I use gouache, mostly when I travel. It is more durable and less variable than watercolor, and easier to travel with than oils. Some of my absolute favorite paintings are gouache.

Little China Doll

4" x 5.5"
Gouache on Illus Board
Sold

Orange Spice Tea

6" x 4" Gouache on Paper

Sold - Private Collection

I like acrylic, and I like the bright paintings that I create with them, but I'm terribly allergic to them, so I don't use them very often. Which is too bad because Chroma acrylics was going to sponsor my site, but I can't use their wonderful paints without being very careful.

Texas Spring

4" x 6" Acrylic on Panel

$100

This painting is unframed. If you would like it framed in a nice gold easel back frame, let me know and I will add it to your order for $25.

I guess my favorite medium is oil, mostly because it's totally forgiving. If things aren't going your way, you can just keep going until it submits LOL. Or even wipe it down completely and start over. Most of my portraits and paintings these days are in oils. It's also easy to frame. The drawback is that they're more expensive, and harder to travel with.

Bird on the Table

4" x 6" ~ Original Oil on Panel ~$100

What aspects of nature are your favourite to draw?

Faces without a doubt. I love faces of people and animals. There is so much in a face, memories, dreams, past experience, or hope for the future.

In landscape, the most interesting thing to me is shadows, especially the way tree shadows fall onto buildings.

Do you incorporate different media together in your work?

I don't do many mixed media pieces. Sometimes I underpaint in acrylic because it dries quickly, but usually, I like everything to run together and soften up a bit.

Where's your favourite place to create your artwork?

Hmm, I love camping, but I don't do much painting when I'm there. If I could make myself get out of the kayak and actually open up my art supply bag, I think I'd love it. At this point, most of my paintings are done in my beautiful (messy) studio that has just had two large skylights installed. My studio also has a small kiln, a bunch of clay, tons of stained glass, and oh yes, canvases, oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, panels, easels and my desk & files. Yup, it's a mess, and FULL!

Oddly enough, green is not one of my favorite colors, but going over paintings to see what to include in this post made me realize, I paint a lot of green!

Now, I must get off this computer and get some real creative work done! I'm working on Christmas quilts (plus a few portrait commissions)

Don't forget to LIVE CREATIVELY!

Liz

Please become a fan of my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Liz-van-der-Werff/136309593758

Texas Spring Bluebonnet Painting

Texas Spring 

4" x 6"

Acrylic on Panel

This year has been a fantastic year for bluebonnets here in Texas. This is a scene of a live oak in a field full of flowers near my home.

This painting is unframed. If you would like it framed in a nice gold frame, let me know and I will add it to your order for $25. 

Your satisfaction is guaranteed! My paintings hang in homes all over the world. If you have any special requests or questions, please contact me. Thank you for your interest in my artwork. 

Remember to Live Creatively!

Liz

4" x 6" Cityscape - Hico - Koffee Kup No. 1

Koffee Kup No. 1

4" x 6"
Acrylic on Panel
$100

A Hico landmark for many, many years and a regular in "Texas Monthly" highlights, the Koffee Kup is famous for its wonderful homemade food, but mostly for the PIES. Located at the intersection of 281 and Hwy 6, no series of Hico establishments would be complete without the Koffee Kup restaurant.

This painting was created using Chroma's Interactive Acrylic Paints. Unlike traditional acrylics, all 75 of these “interactive” colors do not suddenly form a skin. Interactive changes the painting process, giving you plenty of time to blend and rework and giving you more creative freedom. The patent-pending formulation allows even touch-dry paint to be reworked or ragged-off to blend or reveal layers. Archival quality and lightfast, the intense colors dry to a satin-like finish without a plastic look or feel and minimal color shift. I'm loving them!

Live Creatively!

Liz

Get Along Girls

Get Along Girls

8" x 20"
Oil on Panel
SOLD
 

As I was driving through the hill country one evening, I happened upon a beautiful herd of Longhorns. I stopped to take some photos, but I made them uncomfortable, so mostly I got shots of them going away :)

This is a painting that looks MUCH better in person, I wasn't able to get a good photo. Partly because it's a lovely drizzly day here. Sometimes I think I should live in Oregon, I love rain!

Live Creatively!

Liz

Spring Day I

Spring Day I
Oil on Panel
4" x 5"
$100

It was a beautiful day today. My oldest son came out and painted plein air in the yard with me. He painted abstracts, and I painted the view :) In case you're wondering, that is a bronze fish in the bird bath. I've been busy with paintings for the show, I'll have some finished paintings to show you soon.

Live Creatively!
Liz

Long Shadows

Long Shadows I
Hay at Sunset
20" x 8"
$475 Framed

Or click here to email me about Long Shadows

I enjoyed painting this - I think I'm going to like landscapes after all. Only a quick note, I'm exhausted. More soon!

Live Creatively
Liz

Dancing Shadows I

Dancing Shadows I
4" x 6"
Oil on Panel
$100

During a visit to San Antonio, Texas a few years ago, this beautiful purple and teal cactus caught my eye. Yes, it really was purple and turquoise. It was in a small walled garden in an old mission. I am fascinated by shadows. I love the interplay between the light and the surface it falls on. This is fairly straightforward, the shadows are landing on flat sand. But the shapes formed by the cactus lobes almost look like a dancing couple. The wall created an impressionist-painting sky and where the blue paint was gone, the adobe walls were almost exactly the same color as the sand.

This painting is available for purchase, please send me an email if you're interested. It will also be available on my website Daily Painting By Liz (http://www.DailyPaintingByLiz.com)

I set up the camera early on UStream today - I actually painted "Dancing Shadows I" live and enjoyed some good conversation with those who found me there. When I went back to paint my scheduled show at 8 p.m. the camera wouldn't talk to the computer, or vice versa. I think I am jinxed!! I will try again tomorrow. I will start working on the connection in the morning, hopefully by afternoon it will be working. Firefox locks up completely when I choose my camera from the drop down options on Ustream.tv. This time it was because I said "broadcast" while the camera was turned off. It never recognized it again, although I rebooted my computer about 20 times. I'm not sure what I did to fix it last time, if you know anything about this kind of stuff, I'd sure appreciate your help!

I swear I will get this figured out eventually! Thanks for your patience.

Live Creatively!

Liz

Waiting for Deer

Waiting for the Deer
4" x 6"
Oil on Panel
$100

I started this on location while my husband and I were camping at a South Llano River State Park. It is a beautiful park with water as turquoise as St. Thomas. We had a great time and I started quite a few paintings. I will be sharing them with you as I finish them.

This 'postcard' painting brings back memories of the beautiful weekend. There was a wild meadow behind our camper where every evening, as the sun lowered in the sky, the light would hit a patch of grass and it would just glow. My husband and I would sit behind this bunch of cactus and wait for the deer to come out of the bushes and walk through our campsite.

We would keep Mack in the camper, because after the deer, the javalinas were close behind. They are semi-cute but very dangerous, especially to dogs. I have a painting of them to show you some other day.

Most of the painting I did today was on a commission that I can't wait to show you! It's a small uniformed dog portrait - and it's turning out GREAT! Unfortunately, it's to be given as a gift, so I can't show you yet, but you're going to love it.

Thanks for reading and visiting! and keep writing! I really enjoy hearing from you!

Live Creatively!

Liz

Home Portrait

Home Portrait
12" x 16"
Oil on Panel
Private Collection, NFS

Aha! Something other than a dog!

This is a privately commissioned home portrait. Interestingly, the client asked for me to paint it on a panel, as she wanted to mat and frame it like a watercolor. She got more bang for her buck this way, because a 12"x 16" painting will mat to 16" x 20 or even larger. She liked it so much that she has commissioned a second painting of a different house.

Just thought you'd like to see something besides dogs for a change. I've been busy making a 3' wide WackyPup face out of styrofoam for my art show at the end of the month. Soon, back to the easel!

Live Creatively!
Liz