Amish Boy Coming Along

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.  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.

I will be back soon. Take care and be safe!

little amish boy started

Almost there but still lots to do

 

 

Pink and The Amish Girl, Update

So I am trying to get as far as I can on my paintings, but I have had to do some of the painting at night in small increments(?) just to complete a step here and a step there. Slowly advancing….

My son, Patrick, is coming home in a week from Tennessee, and you see, my art room is his old bedroom.  So I have been busy trying to tidy and clean up what I can before he gets home so he won’t be sleeping in my pastels!!! I just want to sit and paint and all I can think of is “Clean!” Anyway, I just had to show you something, so this is how far I have gotten on Pink and the little amish girl in the buggy.

The little amish girl is taking a little longer only because I feel like I need to add something else in the picture for interest, like a flower in her hand or something…I really don’t know what it should be, if I even need anything.  So I put the painting in front of me, and hesitate…that’s why her hands are not completed yet. I want to complete her hair and cap and shading while I wait for something, if anything should come to me. But that’s where I am with this one.

As for Pink, she is coming along nicely, but I was hesitating on what the background color should be that would show of her eyes and that awesome white hair! So I finally came up with blue and darkened it around her face so I can make everything “pop” and look brighter. I can’t wait to do her hair. Anyway, I am hoping I can finish these by Friday as that’s when Patrick comes home.  We are all getting together because my youngest daughter is graduating from college, University of RI for Nutrition and Dietetics, although she has still 2 years for her masters. Yay! So, I will touch base as soon as I can. Until then…blessings!

Amish girl daydreaming. Her cap strings are painted and blowing to the side. The bottom of the buggy is painted as well.

Pink…she is getting there. The jacket is blacked in ready for highlights and shading. Can’t wait to do the hair!

Lancaster Collage Painting

I think I am finally finished with this collage (somewhat) pastel painting of Lancaster County, PA. I probably could add a couple of things here and there, but I just had to post this asap.  This partially completed painting has been sitting near my desk forever and it needed to be completed so I could go on to something new! So here it is!

I really love the colors and the cow looking you in the eye is perfect, as this is cow country! I wanted to put maybe a  hot-air balloon somewhere near the sunset, but I didn’t want to over-crowd the painting. I like the way it turned out and I may want to try another…but not too soon! Hah!  Enjoy!

Partially finished painting

Aaron’s Peeking, Another Amish Painting

Hello! First, let me say I am sorry this has taken so long. There have been several family issues  (health wise) which happened to come up all at once.  It’s crazy how things can be going along fine one minute, and at a moments notice, everything can change…just like that!  At least I have faith to get me through … and my painting to get my mind off things and give me some form of brief escape.

But  back to my painting. I’m calling this one “Aaron’s Peeking”, and even though I wish I could see more of Aaron’s face,  I feel thats what gives this painting the interest it needs. I still may want to add to his straw hat, to give it a little more texture and punch, so I will work on that a little more.

I do love the fact that Aaron is peeking over an Amish quilt (of course), and I love the colorful pattern on this one.  Then there is the little part of nature added in…which is Mr. Bluebird. He wants to play too! I decided to leave a blank, blue sky so I could have the option to add an inspirational quote, like I like to do.  In any event, I like the way it turned out and I hope you do too.

I still have my collage painting which was posted a couple of  blog

A New Amish Painting and Calendars For 2018

Hello friends. I am still working on that Lancaster Collage painting, and for some reason my heart isn’t in it, but i’m getting there. My paintings always get to a point where I tend to ask myself, “Should I have used watercolors or acrylics instead of pastels for this?”  But I think I am using the right media, so I will stick with pastel and see it to the end. I will post a picture soon.

Also, I am starting another Amish painting and it’s a little different as you can see. It’s a little boy peeking over a quilt hanging on the clothesline as tiny bird watches on.   You don’t see much of the boys face, but I wanted to get a grouping of images I love about Amish Country and put them together…nature,the beautiful quilts, the amish children, the labor…it’s kind of all in there…or it will be. Here’s a peek…

My new painting with no name yet

In the meantime, I  also have pics of what my calendar looks like. (These are being made through Zazzle and the link will be at the bottom of this post). I am really excited though because it looks awesome! Whenever I make a pillow, sticker, mug… whatever and see my artwork in print on a product, I feel like I’ve been published or something. It’s just a great feeling to see the colors so vivid, a product someone can use, and it’s MY design! So cool. But  it would  be interesting to kind of get and idea on who would be interested in one, so I can decide how I should sell these.  Anyway….here is what it looks like:

 

 

I really like the quality of the calendar as it’s very sturdy and the colors are so vivid. This is medium size and the size open it is about 10.5 x 16.5. I think the quotes add a nice touch to the pages that had the space to do so.

I’m sure these will really make a nice Christmas gift.  I have bought a limited amount for myself to sign and sell at Pebbles and Lace in Strasburg. I will be sending these there soon. I will let you know when they are there. If you are interested and want me to sign one and send one to you, I can place a custom order on my Etsy store. If you have any questions, please let me know. You can message me here or email me at mcprop@cox.net.

Well, I will get back to work now and  please let me know what you think!  Thanks everyone!

***P.S. UPDATE:  The calendar is now up on my Zazzle store here calendar 

Two Amish Projects -Next Phase

Well, here are the two art projects I am working on (from the previous post) which are now in the second phase.  I say second phase, because I know I am almost done, but there is just a few more steps I have to complete before they are both completed (the final phase).

You can see in the amish picture with Kelsey holding the pumpkin, it is  slowly getting closer to completion. I’ve got the mums down, placed in the background, the cornstalks are a little more defined, the sky is there now, all blue, with the feeling of autumn in the air.  The pumpkin patch was a little bit of a challenge, but I think it finally worked (I was ready to give up!). I just kept adding colors, lights and darks, trying to look at pumpkin patches all over the internet and just kept going. Now I just have to add the background behind the corn…I am thinking part of a house to the right with all fall foliage to the left to bring out all the colors.

Then I have to think what will be in the foreground next to Kelsey’s back. Will it be some tall, pale grasses? I’m not sure yet.  Then it’s down to all the final tiny details…the extra pieces of hair blowing around her face, shadows and the like.  I just can’t wait to finish this painting!

The other folk art project has a little more added here, too.  I am still trying to think of where I am going to place everything I want to place in this painting. I know the amish quilts will be in the foreground next to the cow and there will also be a white fence along the bottom.  The sign is painted in here, and I want it to read “No Sunday Sales”. The sunset is more intense now. The covered bridge is more detailed.  I want a white barn with a silo on the top of the hill, and yet still, I have to find where the buggy will be in all this! Oh yes, and some cows painted in the background somewhere. Oh my gosh…that sounds like a lot!

But anyway, I thought I would share this and hopefully next week, they will both be completed. Enjoy!

Kelsey’s Amish Painting, next phase

Folk Art Painting-Next Phase

Two More Amish Projects, Moving Right Along!

So I have two works of amish art that I am currently working on.  One is something I have never tried before, so I really can’t wait to see how this will turn out.  It is a sort of folk art piece done with pastels. It resembles a collage of sorts, and the items I am painting are things I see the most of when visiting Pennsylvania. It almost looks like, or I hope it will look like a poster you would see advertising Pennsylvania.  I am actually  a little farther ahead of the photo you see here, but I will post the finished piece when I am done.

The reason the other painting is being painted  is because when I recently visited Pebbles and Lace in Strasburg (the shop that is selling my amish pieces), the owner, Becky was told (by my daughter, Kelsey, who visited)  that I use family members as models a lot of the time. They both realized I never used Kelsey as a model. SOOOOOoooooo….I hadn’t started an autumn painting, and found a cute picture of Kelsey when she was in pre-k with the cutest grin. I figured I would try to use her.  The way she’s sitting I could envision the whole painting.  She will be holding a pumpkin out in a field of pumpkins…muted in the background.  There will be brightly colored, fall trees and maybe a muted white barn in the background…maybe some leaves in the foreground.  And there you have it.  I had wanted her hair to be more strawberry blonde, and I added her freckles in too. I actually have seen amish with freckles and reddish hair! We will see how it goes. She’s happy now. (wink,wink) I will put up some other pictures very soon!

The folk art collage painting

Kelsey’s picture and the first stages of the painting

She’s coming along….:)

Another Amish Painting Completed

Hello all!

I finally finished her! It took  a little longer than expected only because we went away for a week while she was only half finished.I really haven’t named her and I may just call this one “Winter’s Day”. I’m not sure yet.But she is done and I hope you like how she came out.  I always think I should do more as usual, and I want to keep touching and fixing, but I think this is better left alone now. I really like the snow flakes on this painting, as I think it gives the painting that extra “winter chill” effect and just finishes the whole look.  I also went with greens and reds intentionally to give it a subtle holiday feel.

All in all, I am pleased and can’t wait to add her to my calendar collection and Etsy store. I am also starting another painting and will be putting that one up soon as well, so please watch for it.  I will be back soon, I promise.  Thanks for your patience on this one!

Winter’s Day/Amish Girl With Firewood

 

Kelsey Goes To Pennsylvania

Hello everyone and sorry for not writing in awhile.  We are doing some fixing up and painting in the home and it takes up a lot of my personal time that I would have for painting.  But I have kept ideas that are rolling around in  my head all the time, of things I want to paint next, so I will be starting those soon.  I will post the beginnings of these when  I get going here. I am even thinking of putting a calendar together this year, hopefully by September, of most of my paintings.  I will most likely sell these on my Etsy store and at Pebbles and Lace in Strasburg, Pa.

This leads me to my title…Kelsey goes to Pennsylvania.  Kelsey and her friend have wanted to go to Pa. since we have been going as a family for so long, but wasn’t able to  these past two years because of her schedule. She decided she was going in July and didn’t want to wait until my husband and I go in August. She had the greatest time and purposely stopped in to Pebbles and Lace in Strasburg, to not only check out the shop she has heard so much of at home, but to meet the owner and say hello! And that’s just what she did! She went up and waited for the owner, Becky, to be finished with a customer, and then she introduced herself. Becky was so glad to see her (I had told her that Kelsey may stop in on her trip) and she hugged her and brought her over to my art prints, etc.  They had  great conversation and Kelsey bought a wallet,  but Becky said she just had to take a picture of her holding one of my pillows in front of my cards and prints before she left!  And so here it is! So stop into Pebbles and Lace if you get a chance to go to Lancaster.  It’s a beautiful shop!

She had a great time, and of course who wouldn’t!  But she is coming home today and bringing gifts (YAY!) to many.  I can’t wait to see her and go over everything she did on her trip.

Well, I will write again soon and hopefully I will have some sketches to show you all.  Take care until next time!  Cheryl

Kelsey at Pebbles and Lace, Strasburg,Pa

Another Trip To Lancaster Pa

Well, we just came back from a trip to Lancaster for about 6 days, and it was awesome and well needed. I intended to get some great photos so I could add to my pastel collection and do some great paintings. I tried dearly to get as many horses faces and cows, as I really want to try these the most. And do you know what we saw out in a pasture this year in the many back roads and farmlands???? Camels!!! Yes, camels…I had to look twice. I looked it up when I came home and I read that some Amish are now trying using camels milk in products. Wow!

Anyway, we had a great time and even got together with the Amish family we keep in touch with. We had dinner at Yoders in New Holland and the food was the best. It wasn’t overly crowded or over-whelming like Shady Maple down the street. We had great conversation and it is always interesting to see how alike we are in many ways as much as we are different.

Well, here are a few pictures from the trip…and I guarantee I will putting up more Amish-themed pastel paintings very soon, among others, and I may be offering prints for sale as well…so please standby, OK? Enjoy!