Hey! We made it! Thanks for coming along for the ride!

It took much longer than 100 days, but we are finally here at 100 and it is so nice to go out on a strong note.  Trista is a little bit of legend, a little bit Mucha inspired, and a little bit something else.

She has the heaviest, most dramatic lines, the most detail. And there is an emotion… a something else.

And this is what I want to carry forward into my work. Moving forward I want to move into emotion not just beauty. It’s tricky, because on some level, in order to paint more complex emotion I have to let myself feel it and put something real, of myself on the canvas.

The post Day 100: Trista first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 100: Trista appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

Elena, exotically simple. She’s the wild one. She is full of wild music.

I like her very much and I have a story in mind for her but she defies being tied down to just one story, so I’ll keep mum so that she can tell you herself.

The post Day 99: Elena first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 99: Elena appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

Violette, the most zipped up of the girls. She’s elegant and cool and Gatsby before Gatsby was Gatsby.

When I was in highschool I visited Casa Loma in Toronto, Ontario Canada. I was totally taken with it, but especially the solarium. At that moment in my life I put it into my imaginary dream home.  It was the best of a beautiful green house and sitting room. A place surrounded with greenery year round, lush and beautiful, but not overgrown and claustrophobic. The center of the room was open to the sun coming in and the sky and I imagined an easel in the center. Perfect.

Well, Violette inhabits that solarium in my mind.  I hope you enjoy her.

The post Day 98: Violette first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 98: Violette appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

Back to working small – travel again!  This time I’ve made the backgrounds on the illustration board with washi tape. So much fun! After I put the tape down, I gave it an aged look with a wash of Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold.

Travel forces me to work with whatever I can get my hands on. Good thing I leave a few artists markers in my purse, my travel bag, my parent’s place…. you get the picture. (Confession: I shed art supplies! ) I also have a few watercolour pencils I keep in a travel case, along with a brush that will fit in my purse.

Elizabeth and her sisters that follow are from the turn of the century. I think about them as different decades. Elizabeth is the most Victorian of the bunch. Maybe it was inspired by the yellowed “pages” and text behind her?  What do you think?

The post Day 97: Elizabeth first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 97: Elizabeth appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

Still playing with the Chroma Atelier paints. They can give some different affects, but I still don’t like the sticky feel of the paint.

I’ve gone back to some things that fascinate me – vintage sewing patterns, for example!  I love the lines and wrinkles and the direction that they can give a painting.

In this painting, the old, crinkled tissue gives this piece a modern, futuristic, almost space-y vibe. Funny how that works sometimes!

The post Day 96: Lyric Sky first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 96: Lyric Sky appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

The first thing I think of when I think of Astral is that it was hard to photograph! The pink… wow. It works in real life, but when it is photographed…. hmm. The colour can go wrong so many ways. I’m still not convinced it is the right pink.  I’m also experimenting with Chroma Atelier Interactive Acrylics – they are acrylic paints that you can reactivate after they dry, if you do it within a certain period of time.  I have a super pared down palette – red, blue, yellow and white. So I’m experimenting. So far, they are ok – but I don’t think I will switch from Golden. The Chroma paints are sticky and that’s an adjustment. And since I don’t usually have trouble with the drying time being quick (being the patient person that I am! ) I don’t see a huge advantage in changing.

But I do love the idea of the mythic woman, stepping out of the mist. Serene. A little bit Aeowyn… a little bit unreal. It is an idea that I have played with before and one that I will always play with, I think. But maybe not in so much pink. Maybe green or blue or violet or grey. All good options. I like grey right off the top of my head.

The post Day 95: Astral first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 95: Astral appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

So this is irony. I got hung up on this painting – A Walk in the Park.

Twice.

First, while I was painting it. The second time, here on my blog. I’m sorry I’ve been silent for a few days. Between some last minute travel and celebrating my daughter’s second birthday getting here fell through the cracks.  Personally, I blame the painting!

It probably shows, and I’m ok with that. If I have learned anything from this project, it is that there is a good portion of my work that I won’t love. Some that I will do battle with. Some battles that I will loose, and some will be a draw. A few I may even win. But I learn something from each of them.

This painting was inspired by a photo I snapped by my house. There was something about the light, about the way the girls were standing. I didn’t get it here.

The post Day 94: A Walk in the Park first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 94: A Walk in the Park appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

Do you ever take the long way home? I do.

When I have time, I follow interesting roads. If it looks pretty, I take a chance. Today’s painting is a result of a walk like that.  I happened to pass this path on my walk and although I didn’t take it, I was captivated by it.

So when I got home, I painted it loosely on purpose. The way details are suggested but not clearly outlined indicate a possibility to explore. Where does this pathway lead?

The post Day 93: Opportunity first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 93: Opportunity appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

The idea for this painting was sparked at my favourite beach.  Which is how this painting got it’s title. I was sitting on the beach, watching my kiddies splash around, minding my own business, when all of a sudden there was a girl, in this green, and gold and orange dress posing for pictures on the beach. I thought at first that she was the most daring bride I would ever see and then I realized that she was likely celebrating her Quinceañera.

I took the idea of the lake and the gown and the girl and ran with it. I have to say this is one of my favourites from this series. Maybe I’ll do it on a large canvas – what do you think?

The post Day 92: What the Mermaid Wore first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 92: What the Mermaid Wore appeared first on Vivid Atelier.

Imagine yourself as a young child – 5-8 years old. And you have an ALL RIDES PASS and parents who are committed to let you close the place down.

When I was painting this, I was thinking about my little girls excitement, my oldest got her first taste of freedom. She rode the ride with a friend while the mommies watched. And she was sooo excited.  What do you think – did I catch the feeling?

The post Day 91: Carnival first appeared on Vivid Atelier.

The post Day 91: Carnival appeared first on Vivid Atelier.