Cherry Hood Workshop (part one)

This last weekend I participated in an intensive portraiture workshop with Australian Archibald prize winner Cherry Hood. An amazing artist I have admired for a very long time, it was a true honour to watch her work and receive artistic guidance from her at her fantastic studio in NSW.

Over the two day period I created two portraits in her style, working with very watery drippy paints on a far larger scale than I have ever painted. For my subjects I chose my own photographs of two sisters - thus further challenging myself to not only paint a good picture, but achieve a likeness as well. 

It was a highly enjoyable experience, and I can't wait to paint in this scale using my own approach and subjects. Seeing her huge studio has made it imperative for me to find my own place in which I can throw some paint around.

For more photo's from the workshop, Cherry's studio and the paintings, visit FourFinger Photo

Available Original Paintings

I have updated my Etsy shop with  all the original paintings I currently have available - these are beautiful gallery-worthy pieces, some measuring A1 in size, some tiny little postcard-sized. Some are framed with elaborate Baroque frames, some are on loose professional watercolour paper with affordable shipping fee's.

Head to the shop for a browse.... grab a glass of wine and it's like a digital gallery opening ;-)

~browse~

Original Paintings

Pearl - Vote for People's Choice

Hello dear one's! It's time for my annual attempt at being one of the selected artists for the YEN Young Female Australian Art awards. I've not made it before, but they say third time's a charm... right?! 

What I need YOU to do is to please click this link and VOTE for People's Choice - it would be unbelievable if I got close! You don't need to sign up to anything, leave your email address, nothing, just hit the button!!

Vote here!

Stop-Motion Portrait

My adventure-man and I put together a short stop-motion clip of a small portrait I painted in watercolours for the "about" page on my new illustration portfolio. 

It's the first time we've made something like this, and we'd love to get some feedback. We've had a couple of tips already, (like placing the camera on my left side) which we'll have to do a bit of studio re-arranging to accommodate, but all good ideas! (we won't be able to do a birds-eye-view one because as you'll see in the clip, I practically lie all over my drawing as I work, so a continuous stream of the back of my head might not be so interesting! hehe)

Later we made a "zoomed-in" version too, with different music (perhaps in some countries the old video cannot be played because of the track chosen to accompany it)

which do you like better?

Amber & Rose Progress

Some work-in-progress snapshots of my latest A2 sized watercolour, Amber & Rose.

I hope to finish her today - it is tricky with only two sporadic days off to dedicate to my art. During the week I try to take lots of shots on instagram (follow @monikaviktoriaart) and update my facebook art-page to get feedback and keep me motivated by everyone's support and encouragement. If you don't follow my page yet, please do: www.facebook.com/monikaviktoriaart

Love is always welcome :-}

Custom Romantic Portraits

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do... and if it means painting pretty portraits of gorgeous girls, then so be it!

Slots now open for custom portraits painted in my "of lace and moss" style.

This Side of Mortality

A series of four "portraits" painted in my quiet time in Paris and London.

Ps. all four are the lips of boys - not girls.

Daniel Huot

I think it always wonderful to see how another artist depicts you in a portrait. I am thrilled to have been the subject for one of the luscious paintings by Daniel Huot - head to his flickr to see more of his work!

Baroque Portraits

A selection of the watercolour portraits I painted during the 2012 Baroque Ball hosted at the Zichy Palace in Győr.

Shrouded in Mist

You can tell I'm making a really valiant and determined effort at procrastinating on a proper painting, can't you? But I am having a lot of fun with these little pastel portraits.... oh the possibilities!

I feel she should be called Amoeba....

Rose Woods... inspired by the lovely Angela of Butterfly Bones

My current obsession... inspired by the dolls of Lidiya Snull of BJTales

Misty Visions

Watercolour on paper, little post-card sized pieces...
Inspired by the recent shroud of fog that blanketed my little medieval town in white for a day.

Pastel and Blush Portraits

Some more little portraits painted in pale watercolour.

To while away the hours as I procrastinate working on a larger painting...

 "enyo"

"margot"

"isadora"

Featured and Flattered

I was just notified that my art and artistic-self were featured on the design site "Lost At E Minor: for creative people" by Tiana Vasiljev, so I'm pretty thrilled. Take a little peek if you feel so inclined:

Monika Viktoria's Of Lace and Moss Art Series

Also, a very talented artist (and I am lucky enough to be able to call her my dear friend) has painted a portrait of yours truly that she has shared on her art-blog, skip over to Laura Jade Art to gaze upon her incredible work!

(How amazing is she? I love the texture on the face!)

If you are on facebook, I'd encourage you to follow her page too: Laura Jade Art on facebook

The Fox Lady's Mysterious Business

For this latest portrait, I was inspired by a lovely artist in Finland, Noora. Utterly in love with her charming artworks, I found myself drawn more and more to this open and friendly girl, till I begged her to let me draw her. It is the first time I tried to capture a person’s portrait without having ever met them directly. On opposite ends of the Earth, I had only her artworks, photographic self-portraits and her online “voice” (from her blog, etc) to rely upon.

 At any rate, this is my impression of her. I’m delighted with this piece, and I hope you are too!

Noora's art-blog: Her Mysterious Business

I think one of the nice things about drawing figures based upon real people is that I’m not relying solely upon my own imagination to create an artwork.

I am influenced and inspired by many creative souls, from different walks of life and even from very differing backgrounds. Each one of my subjects has an interesting story to tell, and I try to capture these fragile glimpses and hint at those underlying emotions.

People are so wonderfully different, that all these little quirks can come through in a portrait. The way one holds her head, the way another has strong body language, one might have an intense expression, whilst another will hold herself in a particular way. I think it is only by observing all these different character quirks that you can create a cast of believable characters - otherwise you are relying upon your own imagination for each figure you draw, and might end up simply drawing self portrait after self portrait, your figures blurring into one hazy “character type”.

I try to be very conscious of creating a range of characters when I draw. I get told a lot that all my drawings look like self-portraits – I’m battling against it I swear!

Blossom

Inspired by the ephemerally sweet porcelain dolls of Higher Delights

Delighted to own one of her first, little Blossom has indeed been an inspiration. I like to draw pictures of the art-dolls that find their way to me, and this little darling was no less enjoyable to portray.

Kelly is incredibly talented, and it has been such a pleasure watching her creative process right from the start. She herself has blossomed into a talented and inspirational artist, and is really only in the very beginnings of this fruitfal path she has chosen. I look forward to watching her dolls evovle and grow.

Sketches and Scribbles

For Christmas I bought myself a nice scanner, with the highest scan resolution I could find.

I used to just use some cheap and nasty printer/scanner combo... but so far, I'm convinced the quality was better before :-/ I must be doing something wrong, because the new scanner is reading the colours all wrong, and I'm not photoshop savvy enough to know how to post-edit.
Until I figure it out (wish me luck) here are some little watercolour sketches I've been doing recently to keep ''in practice''.