Boys Night Out

16 x 20 oil on canvas

I was able to use my desktop today - just a fluke I'm sure.  It's down more than it is up these days!!!???  This is a painting of mine that was chosen for the Cedars Juried Art Show this fall.   I just love doing my figurative and am thrilled when others appreciate them too.  Most people gravitate toward still life and landscape paintings which I just don't really like to do very much.  I'm beginning to get back into my papier mache figures that I did many years ago but that I also enjoy very much.

If I'm successful and my computer works, I'll post some.  I want our people in the Heartworks program at Stewpot to be able to make them but I need to work out a few kinks beforehand otherwise it gets REAL messy!  Stewpot is a faith based community service organization that benefits the homeless and disadvantaged people in the Jackson area.  We do art projects with them each Tuesday and it is so enriching to my life and so many others.   I've met some wonderful, loving people I might have never known and consider them my friends.

Unable to post new work.

I am unable to post to my blog because my desktop has decided to go on the blink and I cannot post from my iPhone because my photos aren't available for blogger????  I have about 14,000 photos on my phone but they are not pulling up into blogger.  To see my work go to my Instagram page under wandamlowery.

The Marques

12 x 16 oil on linen

The reference photo for this painting was provided by my Instagram friend, Jose.  He is a wonderful photographer and the minute I saw this image,  I knew I wanted to paint it.   I loved the pose as well as the pipe and red scarf.  I fluctuate between painting realistically and abstractly--it's sort of fun to do that for me!

All Alone

9 x 12 oil on canvas panel

The light on her hair attracted me to this one.   I played with it a good bit, editing and adding, trying to stay loose.   It was painted on top of another painting from long ago, my most satisfying type of  painting--seeing something new emerge within another scene!

Lil Mom

7 1/2 x 12

oil on linen

I painted this from a photo a friend took of a little girl at a garage sale.  I can't resist a good figurative snapshot and tried to keep this one real loose.  There wasn't a lot of contrast in the photo (cloudy day)  but enough to pull out a few features.

Cowgirl

10 x 10 oil on panel

Another figurative I tried to keep loose.  Her gesture/pose appealed to me and I wanted to try to paint it.  I love spontaneous gestures like this one - wish I could get more references like this. 

Always a Bridesmaid.....

20 x 20 oil on canvas

Painting, then scraping off - trying to be loose and got carried away with details?????  This was not what I originally envisioned but I'm fairly pleased with the final result, especially since this started out as a back view of girls (I added faces).

Alden

8 x 10 oil on panel

This is a recent portrait commission of a friend's granddaughter.  I don't do many portrait commissions anymore, by choice;  I just don't like the anxiety associated with it - trying to please me mainly - and the person commissioning!  

More Street Music

9 x 12 oil on panel

I finally got my computer half way working again but it is SO SLOW!!!!  Anyway, this is a street musician that I worked on earlier this week.  He still has a few more tweaks but I'm stopping for now because Thalo Turquoise paint is everywhere.  It really stains my brushes--my new Rosemary brushes!!!!  The reference photo came from a video of new Instagram friend.  This was a different palette than I normally use but I wanted to kind of mix it up a bit.  

No Posts

I haven't been able to post lately because my desktop is frozen and needs to be repaired.  I have been too lazy to pack it up and head to Apple.  I can't figure out how to post from IPhone or IPad.  When I attempt to upload a photo, the only option I get is my previously posted photos even though I have every one of my photos stored on iPhone and iPad????  In the meantime, I post fairly regularly on Instagram under wandamlowery and also on FB under Wanda Lowery's Art.

Untamed, Unnamed

11 x 14 oil on linen

This started out as a celebrity portrait that went nowhere so I made it into a redhead (love painting red hair).  The celebrity will remain unnamed - she had her mouth open in photograph showing a full set of teeth and her head cocked back.  I made a major mess of it, gave up and improvised.  I rather like the finished look - a little wild looking!

Night On The Town

18 x 24 oil on stretched canvas

This is an older painting that I re-imagined in a new ensemble!  The previous one was a plain white dress which never appealed to me because there just wasn't enough color to make it pop!  I like it much better now.  After posting however, I see a few adjustments I need to make - I always see flaws when I post pics of my paintings and most of them get revisions.  I also need to figure out how to photograph larger paintings.  They never look as clear to me as the smaller ones.

White Roses

14 x 18 oil on gessobord

This one was tough for me since I'm not experienced with florals.  I learned a few things while working on this one though;  I like to stretch myself trying things that aren't so comfortable.  I love flowers, I just get lost in all the intricacies of their petals!!!!

Window View of Italian Countryside

16 x 20 oil on canvas panel

A landscape that I've been working on.  The photo reference for this was from a friend who lived in Italy for a year or so.  This was the view from her apt. window in Aviano, Italy.  I would love to go to Italy in the near future to see all the beautiful scenery.