My Artwork: Past and Present

I started taking art lessons when I just 5 or 6. My grandmother was already taking my older sister to art classes so all 3 of us took lessons together for a little while. We had a local artist who turned her whole basement into an art studio and had lessons. Christina O'Brian was her name and she passed away in 2017. Through the years she had me painting with both oil and acrylics and while I enjoy both acrylics has a much easier clean up. 

My grandmother was quite an artist. Sadly, I only have a few pieces painted by her.  

I didn't think I had any of my earlier painting projects but my mom found these two in some of her boxes when they were unpacking in their new house. 

I don't remember either one of these but they sure do make me laugh/smile. There aren't any dates on them but I know I was in elementary school at the time.  

I kept those weekly lessons up until I was in high school. Then I gave up our weekly lessons for art classes at the school. In fact, my senior year I was taking 3 or 4 art classes a day! 

Sadly I haven't kept much of my art work but I did find one tote with some artwork in it.

 I painted this in middle school and both me and one of my friends worked together to make the frame for it in 7th (or 8th) grade shop class.

I think all of these drawings are from my high school years. I really enjoyed drawing Precious Moments Figures and Disney characters. I used to pause our VHS tapes and draw what was on the screen.

 Just a small sampling; I had a whole 3-ring binder full of drawings and water color paintings.

Plus I have a few larger paintings  have been framed and put up around our house-- like this oval landscape I painted in high school. My high school art teacher bought the frame for me as a graduation gift! 

a painting I made my senior year of high school

I can't remember if I painted this in high school or perhaps 8th grade, but my mom found a local artist that was offering a Bob Ross painting class in her home for a day and talked the lady into letting me join. I was the youngest by far in a room full of women but had the best time! 

 

I think these two were also painted in high school.

 

 I minored in fine arts in college too with the intent of becoming an art teacher. I learned so much. We had to stretch our own canvases, we learned to soak the watercolor paper and staple it down onto a board where it would dry and then we could really paint watercolors on it without it warping. I learned print making and used an opaque projector for the first time in my life. I loved the challenge of these classes.

 

 Once again I saved far more of my watercolors and pastel drawings than anything else. 

 It kills me how much these skills have deteriorated by not using them all these years but I have been steadily working on gaining them back. One thing I have noticed is that the quality of materials like paint and canvas and brushes have really gone downhill. We used to have wonderful mom & pop arts shops around that sold real quality items and now all we have are stores like Michael's and Hobby Lobby which don't seem to see the same level and variety of products. 

But I've had fun diving back into art these past couple of years. I've only attempted painting with acrylic on canvas so far but I have plans to get back to watercolors too.

 

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