Friday, October 11, 2013

Inspiration for Alethea

Alethea
I painted this for one of my dear friends.  It was for her birthday, and I wanted to capture her essence, more so than her actual appearance.  Everything about it is representative of her, from her flowing brown hair to her red lips. The flower I chose was a freesia, and it just reminded me of her delicate nature.  I also included a sort of aura around her, which is very appropriate because she's whimsical & mystical.  I love how it turned out and I just wanted to share it today.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

New Etsy Listings!

JoAnna Nichole Fine Art

I've only just opened my shop on Etsy, but I've looked around my studio and found some completed art pieces that I could list right away.  Unless I'm painting for a specific gift or been commissioned for a painting by someone else, I often just hang my work in my art studio.  Now that I'm selling my artwork online, I am hoping more people will at least enjoy looking at it, even if its not the "perfect" piece for them.


The first listing I put up was:
Bright Red Poppies
This painting was unfinished for years.  I painted the sky and the hills and couldn't decide what to put in the foreground.  I finally just slapped some poppies on there really quickly and it turned out to be pretty fun.

Today I added:
Maple Tree In Summer

Clematis
I love Maple trees because they remind me of the beautiful, enormous maple in the back yard of my childhood home.  It's a small painting, so it's fairly detailed.  The shadows of the branches on the trunk give it a realistic appearance.  The four branches hold up a sea of leaves in greens and yellows.  The bright blue sky with some fluffy clouds contrast against the predominantly green coloring.  The tiny height of the fence along the horizon helps illuminate the gigantic size of this old tree.





This painting was just fun and quick.  I love the leaves and vines as they're really the prominent aspect.  The flower matching the background increases the afterthought element of it, allowing the vines to shine as the main focal point.







True North
The center star of this flower is certainly its focal point, but the roundness of the leaves are also eye catching.  I like the way the leaves flow, but don't have defined breaks between each one.  The colors are different than I usually choose, which makes this piece feel especially unique.

I'm working on a blue bearded iris as well as an autumn tree currently.  Check back for a step by step on the iris this week!

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abstract by joanna santanen
love & long lashes

Much Love,
JoAnna  Nichole


Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Welcome to my art blog!


Thank you for visiting.  This blog is new, but once I've had a chance, I will be posting things related to my art and my creative process.  I will include in-progress photos & tutorials as well as examine materials and inspirations.
Please check back soon for more! Until then, visit my shop on Etsy!
Click Here