Acrylic on Board Painting: I’ve been pugged!
I did this acrylic painting of a little pug for my neighbor’s pug, Hannah, an adult female who REALLY wants to be a mommy. She cries every time she sees this puppy painted on a board! Despite the fact the puppy never moves, it must look real enough to Hannah! Guess the zebra has inspired me! This little pug is life-sized, too, but needless to say, didn’t take nearly the time the zebra did.
Acrylic Equine Portrait Painting: Windbreaker
Here’s a commissioned acrylic portrait painting of this incredible stallion, Windbreaker. The day I went with camera in hand to take a series of photos of him, he seemed to instinctively know he was a star, almost as if he was striking various “poses” for me.
Commissioned Acrylic Portrait Painting of the Stallion, Windbreaker
Acrylic Painting of a Little Mountain Waterfall
Here is an acrylic painting I did of a little mountain waterfall we came across while hiking. My goal was to capture the incredible “sparkly-ness” of the water, as in the fine mist along the large boulder.
Mountain Waterfall Acrylic Painting
Another ArtDeco Painting
Here’s another little 5 x 7 painting done with the paint I discovered and retrieved from the recycling place. I love this paint! Need to get (or make) some new stencils though.
ArtDeco painting
Gouache Watercolor Painting: Long-haired Kitty
This is a gouache (opaque watercolor) painting of my kitty, Angel. She isn’t with us any longer, but the photo I snapped for this painting was taken one day while I was busy folding laundry on the bed. She accompanied me to every room of the house, which was unusal. That’s a dog thing, isn’t it? Anyway, she had perched on the window sill and was intently studying something, or someone, outside. To me, she looked like a very intense yet contented daydreamer!
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Gouache (opaque watercolor) Painting: Roses
It’s still too early this year for the roses to be blooming, but I had hardly wait! I love painting and drawing them. This is a gouache painting I did of some fantastic pink/yellow roses growing in my neighbor’s yard. (Someone said they are called “peace roses”, but I don’t know if that’s accurate.) Although I do love them as subject matter for art, actually tending to them as living beings is far too time and energy consuming for me. I leave it to others to do that part, and am grateful they do!
Original Arabian Horse Graphite Pencil Drawing design as a T-shirt
Here’s one more item I added to my Zazzle store (http://www.zazzle.com/zannie947). It’s an Arabian horse graphite pencil drawing I modified to go on the front of a t-shirt. I’ve also done an acrylic painting of this drawing, which is colorful and bold. It’s available as a giclee print, on either canvas or paper, at http://www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/suzanne-schaefer.html. I will post both here for your review.
- Arabian Horse Drawing as a T-shirt Design
Original Gouache Painting: “The Teddy Bear Sentinels”
This gouache (opaque watercolor) painting is of my son. One night, when he was little, I went into his room to make certain he was covered up and sleeping peacefully. He was, and………I felt as if I was being watched! All those eyes staring at me! All his precious teddy bears (the sentinels!) gathered around this little boy, in his red and white seersucker jammies and baseball cap, as if they were guarding him through the night. Adam is an adult now, and I still hope he has guardians (of a higher level than teddy bears) watching out for him all the time, not just when he’s sleeping.
Original Acrylic Painting: “Down at the Pond”
"Down at the Pond"
This original acrylic painting is one I’m particularly fond of. It’s of my daughter and isn’t for sale, ever! All the neighborhood kids had gone down to the local pond one summer afternoon with our little dog. It was only a short distance from the house. After about an hour had gone by, I decided to walk down there and see what they were up to. Katrina was very busy, concentrating ever-so-intently, on retrieving something out of the water. The dog was eagerly awaiting the prize when I snapped this picture. Later I asked what she was trying to dig out of the water. Her response. “Mud!”. Oh, the joys of just being a kid.
You can purchase a giclee print of this painting at:is http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/suzanne-schaefer.html
Is Your Self-Image Really Yours?
Every child arrives on the planet with no “self-image“. He or she simply arrives an innocent blank slate, and from that moment on, EVERY experience leaves an impression on the slate. And every impression, whether positive or negative, contributes to that child’s “self-image”.
I grew up being told that to paint and draw was an OK hobby, something to hang on your wall or give away to friends and family, but really……..don’t ever expect that such a trivial pasttime could become a serious career. When it came time for college, I was not allowed to attend a design school, but instead attended a state university to pursue a degree in elementary education. By the time I was a junior and actually got into a classroom to do my student teaching, it was too much! I quit, found a job in a women’s apparel store doing their newspaper art and copywriting, and then went home and announced my decision to my devastated, disappointed parents.
To really claim my self-image as my own has required discipline and determination, introspection and a huge dose of trust. It isn’t easy to erase those old, limiting beliefs, but it is possible. My parents, products of the great depression, weren’t intentionally trying to limit my potential. In their minds, they were only steering me on a more secure path to success. Unfortunately, by doing so, I had to stifle what I was passionate about……….painting and drawing!
Finally I can say my self-image truly is MY self-image, but it has taken years to arrive here. Is your self-image really yours?
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