Here is my newest addition to my soft pastel Amish Collection titled “Sarah in the Flower Field”.
In this painting, this young Amish girl is enjoying a peaceful moment gathering flowers while walking through a field of daisies.
After painting this piece, I had found that the daisy flower symbolizes innocence and purity, and also joy and cheerfulness. I believe this detail only adds to the beauty of the art itself. Also, Sarah’s serene look is captivating, and provides an overall sense of calm to the piece.
I believe this print would make a great gift for anyone that enjoys visiting Amish Country or for someone who collects amish themed items. Also, a great piece for someone that likes art that calms the soul. She is now on my Etsy site here : https://www.etsy.com/listing/1429005176/amish-print-of-pastel-painting-sarah
Hello! I am so excited to share these 3 paintings with you that I have started. I can’t wait to complete them!
The amish girl in the barn is almost completed as of now, and I will share in the next 2 days. The other 2 are an Amish girl with a bird on her shoulder, and the other one is walking through a flower field or something. I haven’t decided yet, and this is what makes this so much fun…and challenging too!
I have also started doing some watercolor animals, but one thing I do not like is how the painting with all the white background, has to always be lightened or removed in some way as it comes out muddy or dingy in photos when you try to reproduce. But, alas I will figure that out too!
But here they are and I will try to hurry and get the other two done in a decent amount of time. Thank you!
Hello and Merry Christmas..Happy Holidays…Happy New Year!!!
I had promised a post back that I would be working on my Mary and Laura Ingalls painting, when a creative block hit me along with “Christmas Overload” and I haven’t been at my desk for awhile. The painting is a little farther ahead than you see in the previous post, but it’s still sitting on my desk and I feel so bad it’s not finished. I will be back at it though in a day or so, as my Etsy Shop opens back up as well. Hopefully this means more fresh ideas and better paintings…it usually does! So…I’m hopeful.
Anyway, while I wait for that to happen, I will show you what I have worked on lately. I had taken a couple of my paintings and turned them into Christmas cards this year, and I did it all on Ribbet..which I love! It is a free online photo editing site which is simpler to use and learn than photoshop. I could never seem to find the time needed to learn all about photoshop, I just couldn’t get it down. Then I came across Ribbet and loved how easy it was to use and it had just enough editing techniques I would need for my work. I use the premium version now, which offers more, and I think its worth it for me.
Sooooo, while I was having my creative block, I figured I would just try playing around with paintings already created and change them up a bit with Ribbet and get back into creative mode while I was doing it…and it worked!
For example: I created this angel painting awhile back and wanted to add to this image to make it comforting to someone who lost someone dear to them. A special card they might be able to carry with them and feel better when they just read it or looked at it. Finding a nice, comforting text about angels, I personalized it by adding the loved one’s name and the date when they passed, then making the card small enough to keep it in a wallet or purse. A little prayer card of sorts. I had given a card like this to a friend who just recently lost someone close to her, and I believe it helped her. She messaged me and was very comforted by the image and the saying, so I was happy.
Then again, I also made a Christmas card out of the same Angel image, creating it for my religious friends and relatives, and this also worked out well.
There is a bird painting I have created which I also changed up by adding some extra snow effects to with text, which also became a Christmas card this year. Of course, it always helps adding a touch of glitter to the cards, too!
So, if you are an artist and are having a dry spell, just try playing around with images you have already created, change them up a bit and share to someone special. It gets the creative juices flowing again and makes people happy all at the same time. It’s a win win!
Hope you enjoyed this post and I will try and have that Laura and Mary Ingalls painting done soon! Stay Safe!
Hello! It’s been awhile but I’m back from vacation after a couple of weeks and have 3 new paintings to share (1 completed, 2 in the works) with you.
Again we visited Amish Country in Lancaster, Pa, and I couldn’t wait to get back home and try to finish all 3 of these paintings! I will soon!
I’ve finished a new Amish painting titled, “James, Amish Innocence” and I just loved the way this one came out. This one is already on my Etsy Shop!
“James” is an art piece which seems to be just a simple portrait of an Amish boy in his black hat and vest, but really, it is so much more than that. James innocence here shines through from his curious glance and quiet demeanor, to his long eyelashes and rosy cheeks. Such a simple but beautiful portrait. Great for anyone that loves to collect amish artworks or likes to visit Amish Country.
Then I have a little Amish girl holding a guinea pig, which I haven’t titled as of yet. I really like the glow from the sun around her. It was a challenge to try and pull that off as I have never done a painting with a “glow” effect before, but always wanted to. I also like the way she is looking down at the small animal here. I’m almost done with this one, when I am finished with the guinea pig the painting will be complete, then I will share this one as soon as I can.
The last painting is a nice one and I can’t wait to finish this one, also. This painting I actually took from a picture of my daughter sitting under a gazebo in the sunset in Pennsylvania, another “glow effect” painting. I just added a cap and amish dress and she looks like an amish girl taking a rest at the end of a hard working day. I need a title for this painting also. Well, it’s back to the drawing board for now! I will post these as soon as I can! Enjoy!
As usual, it’s been awhile since I posted last, but I finally completed this beautiful angel painting. I really like the way she came out, and I loved painting this, as painting angels always bring me peace. The way the sun is beaming and the dove descending, so peaceful. I sometimes wonder if the peacefulness I feel as I paint something like this, if it makes the viewer feel the same way. I hope so. That’s the gift. Enjoy!
Also included here is a quick painting I attempted of a sunset over the ocean, sparkling water, reflections and all. I really enjoyed this and hope you like the way it came out. I think I’m addicted! There will be more!
It has been way too long for me not to post, and again, I’m sorry. With the voting crisis, Christmas and it’s craziness, and all that’s going on with the news everyday, it has just made me somewhat numb. They say “the woman that works with her hands, her head and her heart is an artist.” I tend to agree. I get too caught up in with what’s going on around me, that I can’t settle down..I can’t get my creative “flow” going. All the bad news just “breaks my spirit”. And therefore, I can’t seem to paint.
I had tried to play quiet music, read inspirational books, and even to meditate, to no avail. I still could not find it in myself to just sit down and paint. I found every excuse not to do so. I even had asked my husband if it even mattered anymore…to paint. He told me, “Yes, it does matter… your paintings make people feel good”. That thought had stayed with me, and finally changed my mind. I somehow found the energy and focus to paint again. I told myself I was just going to finish this one. Just start again! This painting of the amish girl by the window had been upstairs unfinished for so long.
But here she is, and I think the title of this is perfect, especially with what’s happening today in the world. We just need to calm down, step back and take a breather. I think we need to do for ourselves, what we have to do..to renew and refresh. Start over, think differently.
Anyway, I wish you all good and better things this year, 2021. I pray it will be a much better and safer new year. Hope you enjoy “Contemplation”. Stay safe. Cheryl
So…..I am still at this painting and I don’t know why it’s taking me so long. I think it may be that I am wanting this painting to be more realistic, especially with the  background scenery. Also, getting caught up in all the negative news out there and can’t seem to settle down and just concentrate. I am almost completed with this though, and I’ve done more than you see here right now. I am shooting for a couple more days, and I should be done with this one.
I have changed many things with this painting, too….and erased a lot! But I can see now, it will all be for the best. Â I promise I will show you as soon as I am completed. Back to the drawing board…and maybe play some peaceful music, that may help! Back soon!
This stage is always the toughest…it always looks like it’s not ever going to look how you intended it to. Just have to keep going.
Hello! I hope you are all doing well considering this awful, current coronavirus news. It’s so hard to even concentrate on daily things we do,  never mind trying to be creative  in all this negativity.  One really has to separate from that for awhile, go to a quiet room and put on some good music, just to calm the nerves! This is why I paint.
Anyway…this is also why I have only gotten this far on this painting. Â But I am going to complete this by the end of this week, I swear! I really do like how it’s looking so far and I hope you like it, too.
Hello again! Â Just wanted to share a new portrait I had wanted to try for awhile now. Â My daughters had gotten me to listen to this music artist who seems to be very popular now, Billie Eilish. She is very talented and I love many of her songs. Â She seems very down to earth when she is interviewed… so very interesting to listen to. Billie also has many different looks and hairstyles, but I really took to this photo I found of her that made her look very striking, and so I decided I would try it. Hope you like it.
Also I have started another portrait of a little amish boy, since I haven’t done many boys lately. I still haven’t decided what animal he’s holding, maybe a puppy, Â baby goat…we will see. But this is the beginning stages….
And lastly, I just wanted to mention I will be advertising “Eva and the Piglet” in the April/May issue of Country Sampler Magazine which should be on stands April 1st. Well that’s it for now. Back to the drawing board!
Billie Eilish Pastel Portrait
little amish boy started
Eva and the Piglet Country Sampler Magazine April/May Issue
Vintage Sea Captain completed! I wanted to try painting something very different than what I am used to painting…and this was it! I just loved painting him!
Pictures of Sea Captains from the past always fascinated me. Their faces look so worn and rough, but also seem like they have a story to tell. I found an old black and white photo and colorized it the way I think the colors would be, and it was cool seeing it come to life before my eyes. I think I would like to try  more like this in the future. Hope you like him!
Cherylmcnulty's Blog 