Watercolor Landscape Demonstration of a Farm Pond, FieldsThe and Apple Tree

Sometimes when a commission request comes in, one never knows where it will lead. I was excited to paint a watercolor landscape of a farm pond and field. The client ordered it as a Christmas gift for her husband since her family's farm is his favorite get-away.

When she showed the painting to her female family members, they wanted to give their men an original of the scene for Christmas too. So I got to paint it three times! And no two came out exactly alike.

I took pictures of the progress, but some pics are from one painting and some from another. So if you follow how I painted the scene, you may notice variations. But it's basically the same. You can click on any image to see it larger. Here's what I did:

Yellow Labrador Retriever Custom Dog Portrait in Oil on Canvas

Pet portraits are fun to paint especially the little 5x7 portraits for which I get many requests. But even better is painting a large portrait like this 24x18 inch oil of a yellow lab. I love that the setting is outdoors by the sea!
To the left is a detail from the finished painting. You can see the entire piece at the bottom of this post.

Meanwhile, I'll show you how I painted it. Keep reading...

Cottage by the Sea and Flower Garden Custom Watercolor Painting Demonstration

It's Valentine's Day! And SO cold here in New England - minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill. A good day to stay indoors and snuggle with your sweetheart (or a blanket and a good book). It's also a fine day to remember blooming flowers and tropical climes.

So here is a custom watercolor of a very lovely tropical-looking place. The client wanted two of her photos combined to show the scene. She named the painting "Taronga" which is an Aboriginal word meaning 'beautiful view'. I didn't ask, but perhaps the scene is in southern Australia or Tasmania.

One of her photos shows a flower-covered arbor. Through the arbor are steps leading up to a yellow house with a green door.

The other photo shows the arbor's gates closed so you can't see the house, but you can see a view of the ocean.  She wants both a view of the house through the arbor and the ocean in the painting.  To combine them, all I have to do is open the gate!

To see how I do that, read on.

Bermuda Longtails, Beach and Seascape Painting Commissioned Watercolor

A few months ago, a lovely lady contacted me about my Bermuda Collection. She and her husband wished to give his mother a special painting for Christmas to remember a vacation the three took in Bermuda.

Bermuda Longtails 5x7 watercolor

Her mother-in-law loved watching the Bermuda Longtails as they flew between the coral cliffs and turquoise water. The painting on the left was the perfect choice, but it was sold. So I agreed to paint a new one for her at a larger size. I was happy to visit Bermuda again at the easel!

I'll share the process of painting the 12x16 version with you, so if you'd like to see, keep on reading.

Peach-faced Lovebirds Watercolor Painting

After a busy holiday season, here it is February and I've only now emerged from being buried in custom painting orders! Which is a good thing for sure, but now I can finally share them with you.

One of the orders was so cute. A young shopper saw my lovebirds print and wanted to know if it comes in different colors. She sent me a picture of her lovebird that has a pale peach face. Well, I don't usually do a painting just to make a print, but I agreed because he's adorable:

Peach-faced Love Birds

Sweet, yes? They make me think of Valentine's Day - all lovey and cuddly.

Since the customer only wanted a print, I used the original watercolor to make a wedding card for a couple who are near and dear to my heart. Which means the original is not for sale.
However, the print is available and would make a perfect gift for a loving couple. You can get it in my Print Shop here: Peach-faced Lovebirds Fine Art Print.

Thank you for stopping by. I'll share more of my custom paintings in the weeks (or months!) to come.

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I'm happy to take custom orders. Contact me for a custom painting of your pet, home, garden, grandkids, favorite vacation spot or whatever your heart desires.
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