Completed Laura and Mary Ingalls Pastel and a New Cow Print

Hello again. I am happy to say I finally finished the pastel painting of Laura and Mary Ingalls from “The Little House” tv series. It was NOT easy.

I really had a hard time with this one and it was not fun! I was using an old photo of the two girls which was small and blurry, so I had a hard time capturing a lot of details in their faces. Much erasing was done and so I had to darken lines by using the computer. But anyway it’s completed and I may just try another one of the two girls together in a different setting. It had taken me so long, I just had to complete this so I could get it on my blog here and start some other new art projects!

This is where the new cow print comes in. I have wanted to do a series of farm and other animals done in watercolors with white backgrounds for so long. I had purchased a new watercolor set and brushes and was so excited. As soon as I finished the portrait of Laura and Mary, I took out my paints and just tried this painting of a cow from one of my photos from one of our Lancaster PA trips. I was so happy the way that turned out, and Im so ready to try more. I may even put these designs on tea towels and other products if they are striking enough. Hope you like him.

I will be definitely be putting up some of the new watercolors and some other Amish pastel portraits I am starting as well, so please come back soon. Stay tuned!

New Amish Painting “Little One” Completed

Just wanted to share my newest Amish themed pastel painting, “Little One”. In this newest art piece, this young, Amish girl just finished her chores and is enjoying a peaceful moment with the new addition to the family, a little guinea pig. The serene look on the Amish girl’s face, added with the late afternoon glow of the background, I believe brings this art piece together. Just a beautiful, serene piece of artwork.

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. I am really happy with the way this turned out. I hope you like her!

For anyone that may be interested, I just added her to my Etsy shop. Thank you for enjoying my art! Be back with another piece soon!

Little One

New Amish Painting “David and the Baby Goat”

Hello everyone, hope you are all well. Ive been on the mend as I had Covid a week or two ago and it was a little tougher than I thought it would be.

Anyway, I’m back and finally finished this painting, just before I got sick actually. It took this long to put it up! I really like the way this painting came out too. The colors are easy on the eye, with a simple, uncluttered background. The focus is right on David…and those beautiful blue eyes. He has a very determined, but gentle look on his face as he tends to the one of many animals on his farm. This is on my Etsy shop now.

Also, I wanted to show you that I am almost finished with Mary-Ellen Walton. I just have to finish her hat! I would love to paint a picture of the Walton House with a light on in the window like on the show. I will let you know if I ever attempt that. But I will try to paint more I promise. Stay safe and check back soon. Enjoy!

David and the Baby Goat

Mary-Ellen Walton

“Contemplation”, A New Amish Painting and 2021

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

Contemplation by Cheryl McNulty

New Amish Sketches In The Works

Hello again. I promised I would bring you sketches and here they are.  There are 4 here that I am currently working on….and I want to paint them all NOW! I am excited about painting each of them, envisioning what I want the finished pieces to look like, and actually seeing what they will become.  So exciting!

The one I am working on presently, and actually have more done than what is shown here, is the little Amish boy with the calf. The background is going to be tricky, as I want color and interest, but don’t want to take away interest from the  connection between the boy and the calf. We will see.

I also have a little girl peeking from behind..hmmm…something. A fence post outside? Around a barn door? The door to her house? So many decisions…and I just want to paint!

Another one here is an older girl in thought…in a kitchen after baking? In a field of flowers? By a buggy, maybe?

And lastly, the little amish girl with the butterfly that rests near her feet. What is the background? On a haystack…on a rock in the garden? The colors…I have to make sure the colors all go together! This is what takes the time…but it is all worth it in the end. Let’s see what happens with each of these. If you have any ideas, please give some insight. Thank you!

Anyway, I will try and share what I have done in several days with the Amish boy and the calf. Please check back. Take care!

P.s. On a sad note…several days ago I heard that N.A. Noel, an artist and beautiful painter of many subjects,  especially Amish and angels, passed away. I was so saddened by this news as she had been an inspiration for my paintings since I saw an amish painting my mother placed above the mantle in our living room years ago. Just to think  how much that  made such an impression on me back then! She was a beautiful person and exceptional artist.  Please check out her paintings when you can. Thank you.

The amish boy and the calf…the beginning

little amish girl peeking

Amish girl in thought

Little amish girl with butterfly

Amish Painting Continued

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.  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.

Amish and Primitive Style Paintings Started, Beach Paintings Completed

Hello All! Yes, I haven’t been around awhile as I put my Etsy Shop on vacation and took a mini vacation from everything for a couple of weeks since this coronavirus started. I hope everyone is safe and still healthy. Looks like we will be coming out of this slowly, but soon, I hope!

Anyway, I have sketched out 2 paintings that are yet to be.  One is an Amish girl just staring out over the beautiful countryside leaning against a fence. I kind of want to have a sunset for a change and some rich colors, muted  landscape background… and maybe she is holding some wheat fronds?  A partial quilt showing on the fence, too? We will see…but she is started and I am very excited to finish her.

The other one is actually a picture I found of Scarlett Johansson for the movie “Girl With A Pearl Earring”, and this picture was found by mistake. I loved it as soon as I saw it, because of the setting and feel of it. I figured I would try it, but change it to look a little bit different, but keep the “feel” of it at the same time. Excited about this one, too!

The other paintings I am sharing are beachscapes I decided I would like to try. Hopefully, I will get better at this. I love the colors of the water and skies. I will be doing more of these, and I am looking to do more different paintings in the future.  I will let you know as soon as I have more. Hope you like these!

Amish Girl On Fence Sketch Faint Picture…sorry, best I could do.

Primitive Painting Sketch

Beach Print 1

Beach Print 2

Billie Eilish Portrait, Amish Boy Started and Country Sampler Magazine

Hello again!  Just wanted to share a new portrait I had wanted to try for awhile now.  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.  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,  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

A Different Kind Of Portrait…Abraham Lincoln

Hello!  I just wanted to share a new pastel portrait I am painting that’s somewhat out of my territory….Abraham Lincoln. I have always wanted to try my hand at painting this portrait since I saw the movie with Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field among others. If you haven’t seen it, it is amazing.  It feels like Lincoln is alive again, as Daniel Day-Lewis does a tremendous job, playing the part.  Anyway, I know many others have painted him, but I did this because I had to…for me.  I guess it’s like saying  thank you for everything…for what he stood for and had done for this country, and I wanted to feel a closeness…to the history…the legend. I don’t know. I just had to.

But here are the beginning stages, and I have done more than what you see here now and it is coming out amazing.  I feel like I could touch him. I am painting from a black and white I had found of him and painting it in color. I actually had to look up what his eye color was, which they say is grey…like mine! So I can’t wait to share and  to see what you think. Now go and watch that movie!  I’ll be back in a few to share.  Thanks for following.

The background. I wanted it to be this brown, sepia color with some highlights thrown in behind him. I will have to touch it up near the end stages.

Now this is looking pretty scary…and cool at the same time. I am getting pretty excited at this rate, and I can’t wait for the eyes.

Amish Painting “Taking A Break” Completed

Just finished this amish-themed painting titled “Taking A Break”. This amish girl selling fruits from her farm stand is taking a break and just can’t resist trying one of her own apples. This one took me awhile, but I really like the end result, almost looking like a photograph. I’m really happy when everything seems to work and come together…finally! I am also working on two more paintings which are in their last stages…Princess Diana and Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert). I will post them when they are completed. Hope you like this one…I loved painting it!

Amish Painting “Taking a Break”