Interior Renderings

I do work for an interior designer on occasion, and this is the first time she's had me do renderings of interior spaces based on her designs.  The process has had a learning curve, but I'm (mostly) pleased with how they turned out and I'm glad to have learned a new skill!

Barksdale Home

I just finished this drawing for a military family being transferred, AGAIN!  I'm happy to provide a keepsake that will trigger memories of wonderful fun with neighbors and hot summers in the south!

Price List

Hi Friends!

Maybe you think that you can't afford custom artwork, but it might be more within your grasp than you think!  I've put together a price list for custom House Portraits.  Of course, I am happy to work with any and all subject matters, but this list should give you a general idea of price.

Please let me know what I can do for you!

God's Kingdom

I was beyond thrilled (and, honestly, a little nervous) to be asked along with two other artists to create some paintings for my church's foyer.  What an honor!

The idea is that they will hang for a year and be auctioned off for missions fundraising.

The theme we were asked to consider was "Community."  My large painting looks at the community of Jesus-followers as representatives of God's Kingdom in this life.  How does it feel to be waiting on the Lord together?  It's like the Israelites waiting to return to the Promised Land:

By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. 

Psalm 137:1

How about eternal life?  What is our community like then?

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb… The cow and the bear shall graze… They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9

So I stressed a little and hemmed-and-hawed over the details, but I am so pleased with how they turned out. Believe me when I say that God's grace is evident in these paintings.  Here's how they look hanging in the foyer:

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve my church and I am thankful to my God for giving me a life that allows me to really be an artist!

Christmas Present

I was happy to complete this house drawing for a Christmas present.  It is the second done for this family, this time of their current home.

I love a good series!

A Southern Home

My friends have the quintessential Southern home, both in style and hospitality! They won a house portrait from me at a silent auction to raise money for other dear friends living for Jesus in the mountains of Guatemala. I was so glad to draw this home with it's beautiful columns and amazing, big-hearted occupants!!!

Cotton

I was given my own choice of a Louisiana themed painting for an auction to support the families of men and women on deployment.

I love a Landscape!

Christmas is around the corner!

Please let me know soon if custom art is on a loved one's wishlist!

Louisiana Lovin'

One of the thing I love about doing commission work is that it pushes me to try things I've never done before.  I can also see the fruit of working at Painting With A Twist for 4 years in that I'm not afraid to try and I trust my skill.  Again, I can see my Lord's hand in this!!!

An old friend from middle school/high school asked that I do a grouping of 6 specific Louisiana themed paintings to make her Chicago home reflect her childhood one.  Can I paint a pelican?  Sure!  A magnolia?  Why not!  (With fingers crossed and a prayer!)

"Se ma mezon": Creole for "home"

Louisiana iris: state wildflower

Brown pelican: state bird

Bald cypress: state tree

"Union, Justice, Confidence": state motto

Magnolia: state flower

Thanks, Shea, old friend, for the opportunity!

Other friends, what can I do for you?

Gifts

I have had a nice break from sitting at my computer this summer.  Rather than designing and drafting homes, I've had multiple art commissions!

This first one really stretched me!  It has been a while since I've painted, generally, and probably since college that I've done a LARGE painting.  I was happy to create this barn painting for my sister to give to her husband for Father's Day.

This next painting was for my folks to give as a Thank You gift for their hosts in Colorado.  It was way smaller but, I found out, smaller isn't easier when it comes to getting in the detail!

Finally, this drawing was commissioned as a first anniversary gift as this couple sold their first home together.

I have really enjoyed sitting at my easel and trying my hand at various subject matter! 

 Stay tuned for my next post which will show you the 6-paneled piece that has occupied my last month.  

And, as always, let me know what I can do for you!!!

My Children

I'd like to share pictures I've hung in my dining room of my precious children.

This painting of one year old Liam was finally completed when he was five.  It's tough breaking out oil paints with little kids around!

So, I chose to do a drawing of two year old Larkin with her lovey (and the one time I got her into pigtails!).

I adore these kiddos and I thank God for blessing me so richly.

Let me know if your little ones need to be made into art and hung in your dining room.  I can help with that!

Pool House & Studio

Most of my architectural design clients tell me what they want, and I am more than happy to follow their lead.  This project is the first (and, to date, the only) time clients have said "show us your ideas of what to do with this."  The most amazing part is that I showed them one crazy idea, and they loved it!

They had these two out-buildings in their back yard.  One was an old pool house and the other--a mere five and a half feet away--was filled with the previous owner's trash with the roof caving in.  Here they were:

They wanted a pool house/guest quarters and an art studio.  The only things I liked were the decorative block and the vaulted ceiling!

In school, we would call that uncomfortable alley between the buildings "dead cat space."  If we wanted to use them both, I proposed connecting them and throwing a new roof over the entire thing.  We would tear out all the moldy stud construction, but save the masonry (especially the decorative block!).  Here's what I proposed:

And, the "after" pics (after building, before landscaping, I should clarify):

 pool house

 inside pool house from loft over mechanical space

 inside pool house looking up to loft

 studio

linking space with bathroom, storage, and loft

 patio outside of studio

glazing over decorative block

I am extremely excited about this project!  I'm about to dig into the site layout and a redesign on the back of the house to link everything together.

Let me know if you'd like for me to show you my ideas of what can be done with your property!

I Draw People Too!

I drew these two brothers in their Kindergarten graduation regalia.

Frozen in sweet time!

Churches

I suppose these two pencil drawings would fall under the Ecclesiastical category.

This first was commissioned as a wedding present.

This second was a small drawing I did to raise money for the Volunteers of America's LightHouse program.  It is the steeple of First Baptist Church Shreveport and I sold prints of it.  I plan to do more Shreveport steeples for charity in the future, so keep an eye out for them!

Live Oaks

Two live oak drawings by commission.  One pencil, one pen.

House Drawings

I was commissioned at Christmastime to do a couple of pen drawings of houses.

These are they:

A New Screened Porch

Here is another project finished last year.  I'm pretty jealous of this one.  A screened porch is a Louisiana necessity!

Before:

 After: