Her Falling Hibiscus

"Like a flower drinking from the falling rain. Or the same rain that could wash it away. Gives it strength. Gives it water. And before you know, another day." - Aaron Neville "With You in Mind"

Strong Hearted Palms

“It is the nature of the strong heart, that like the palm tree it strives ever upwards when it is most burdened.” - Sir Philip Sidney

Jack Johnson

"Set free the imprisoned splendor." - Robert Browning

This is my submission for a recent contest to design the Jack Johnson "To the Sea" world tour poster. I didn't win but sure enjoyed the process! This is an original 16"x20" acrylic painting on hardboard and I set the type overtop digitally in Photoshop.

P.S. This is not meant to be a likeness of Jack Johnson but more of his subconcious. In fact, thanks to my brother-in-law for the likeness!

All You Lovers

Stand up all you lovers in the world. Stand up and be counted every boy and girl. Stand up all you lovers in the world. Starting up a brand new day. - Sting

Original painting now for sale on Etsy.

The Inner Lily

The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are the inner tests, like remaining faithful when nobody's looking, like enduring pain when the room is empty, like standing alone when you're misunderstood. - Charles Swindoll

Cherry Blossom Rains

Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. - Charles Dickens, Sold.

Monday Study

Sometimes the twenty minute study turns out much better than the painting that took hours and hours. This is a 6"x6" study using acrylic on hardboard and experimenting with garnet gel as a medium.

Jay

This is Jay. He is an actor as well as a model, and recently lost a full head of hair due to his struggle with cancer.

Everyone has a story.

Resolution

Painting Liz at a workshop. Original is 9"x12" acrylic on hardboard.

Daffodil Winds

Daffodils that come before the swallow dares, and takes the winds of March with beauty. - Shakespeare

I've been struck recently how quickly the seasons change, even as I live in a climate that seems to have no seasons. Watching my fresh daffodils grow old, change color and wilt before my eyes over a few days really affected me as I sought to portray time passing in this piece.

Goodbye March, Hello April.

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Bill Rhea

What do you do when there's a workshop and no model shows up? You paint the faculty!

This is Bill Rhea. Check out some of his art here.

The Sudden

I recently got the opportunity to paint local San Francisco musicians "The Sudden". I enjoyed capturing the spirit of their ambient electronic music and their chemistry in this expressive portrait.

The original is 12"x24" acrylic on plywood.

Check out the music at http://www.myspace.com/thesuddensight

The Daisy Chain

I was intrigued when studying the origins and connotations of daisies as I prepared for this piece. A daisy can signify innocence and purity but also, hidden truth. This concept of transferring hidden secrets from one to another greatly inspired this painting. It is a diptych painted with acrylic on two 6"x6" pieces of hardboard.

A quote that complements this theme: "He uncovers mysteries hidden in darkness; he brings light to the deepest gloom." Job 12:22

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The Dance

I took in a workshop last night and this is the fruit. This lady was difficult to capture but full of life and vibrant. I enjoyed the challenge, playing mainly with lost and found edges and not adding vibrant color til the last minute...

The original is 16"x20" acrylic on hardboard. Sold.

Echoing Him

This is a close-up view of a very horizontal blog header I recently painted! It was an interesting design challenge to both leave room for text and match my painting with existing web site colors.

See the full version on www.echoinghim.com.

Spring

"The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them." Isaiah 11:6 MSG

I just found out that one of my former teachers has passed away. This one's for you Eugene!

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Alice Margaret Scott

I recently completed this personal project, a portrait of my Grandma who passed away last year on my 30th birthday. It's hard to describe in words how much a wonderful person can impact your life, perhaps the painting can do the explaining.

"But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'" - 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

The original is 24"x30" acrylic on canvas.

Snapdragon Duo

Painted in tandem these two snapdragons beg to be together, even though they come from different worlds.

Originals are 6"x6" acrylic on hardboard and are available for purchase together in my Etsy store: http://su.pr/28Hy03

This Lonely Life

"In my life there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I can face it again. Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life. I wanna know what love is. I want you to show me..." - Foreigner (Lyrics by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm)

I was listening to a lot of 80s power ballads when painting this piece. The emotive lyrics of Foreigner really affected me as I thought about the character of each guitar and their interactions.

The original painting (acrylic on hardboard, 11"x14") is for sale and available for licensing. Please contact me if you're interested!

Alice (Study)

It's been awhile since I've done a simple portrait. This is a small 8"x10" study for a personal project - a portrait of my Grandma Alice.

Red Sea

"It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned." - Hebrews 11:29 NLT

Sarah Laughs

"It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead - a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them." - Hebrews 11:11 NLT

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Turtle's Perseverance

"Let us run with endurance the race God has set for us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish." - Apostle Paul

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Pink Lily and the Space in Between

I love painting flora and these lilies are one of my favourite of all flowers. Something I've been exploring recently in my paintings is the 'space between' the eye and the object. When we look at something do we just see what is right in front of our eyes or is that sight interfered with by our past, our emotions, our beliefs, or what our senses pick up? What comes between you and what you see? And what do you think is between me and this flower?

Here is a quote that echoes this train of thought:

"Tactile space, or, for the sake of simplicity, let us call it air, which exists between objects or shapes in the picture, is painted so that it gives the sensation of a solid. That is, air in a tactile painting is represented as actual substance rather than as emptiness. We might more readily conceive it if we picture a plate of jelly or, perhaps, soft putty, into which a series of objects are impressed at various depths.

"The artist who creates illusory space, on the other hand, is interested in conveying the illusion of appearance. In his very attempt to be faithful to appearances, however, he cannot give air any appearance of actual existence, for a gas cannot be seen..." (Mark Rothko "The Artist's Reality: Philosophies of Art" p. 56)

Filipino Fields

This is a painting I completed in the past few weeks based on a view of the rice fields in the Philippines. It will be available at a silent auction in Calgary, Canada on March 7, 2010. Proceeds go to supporting First Assembly church's mission trips to the Philippines and Cuba in 2010. The painting is 16"x20" framed and completed solely in acrylic on canvas.

For more event details please contact Sara Curdie at (403) 695-1100 or scurdie@fachurch.com.

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Pitch Dark

"I hear the ticking of the clock, I'm lying here the room's pitch dark. I wonder where you are tonight..." - Céline Dion "Alone" Taking Chances (Lyrics by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly)

Céline Dion

"I am woman, a mountain I will climb. I've been beat down, I've been broken, but each day I give it another try." - Céline Dion "New Dawn" Taking Chances (Lyrics by Linda Perry)

The Great Leap

"Anything can be achieved in small, deliberate steps. But there are times you need the courage to take a great leap; you can't cross a chasm with two small jumps." - David Lloyd George

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Inside

"I know that once in love you don't think of the devil who's inside." - Céline Dion "Eyes on Me" Taking Chances (Lyrics by Kristian Lundin, Savan Kotecha and Delta Goodrem)

Noah's Reckoning

"It was by faith Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith." - Hebrews 11:17 NLT

Tiger Lily

"I know God will not give me anything I cannot handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much." - Mother Teresa

Taking Chances

"What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or a hand to hold, or hell to pay." - Céline Dion "Taking Chances" Taking Chances (Lyrics by Kara DioGuardi and Dave Stewart)

Moses towards Midian

"It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible." - Hebrews 11:27 NLT

Candle Dreams

"It is pleasant to see dreams come true but fools won't turn from evil to attain them." - Proverbs 13:19 NLT

Back Home

"And yet through this darkness, there's a light that shines through and brings me back home, brings me back home." - Céline Dion "A World to Believe In" Taking Chances (Lyrics by Tino Izzo and Rosanna Ciciola)

In Rahab's Window

"It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." - Hebrews 11:31 NLT

This image is one of five in my thesis illustrating the "Hall of Faith" text from the Bible. The second five illustrate inspirational quotes, and the third five illustrate lyrics from Celine Dion's Taking Chances album. Keep watching as I release all fifteen paintings over the coming weeks, in no particular order.

Happy New Year!

Holly

I couldn't resist squeaking out one more painting before the holidays. There's lots of fresh holly in San Francisco right now that provided some great inspiration for this piece:



"Of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown."

Happy Holidays!

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Arise

"Arise, shine, for your light has come..." - Isaiah 60:1

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Venita

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A Butterfly's Adventure

"Those who turn back know only the ordeal but they who persevere remember the adventure." - Milo L. Arnold

Welcome to this special premiere of one of my thesis paintings. I have been keeping them mostly under wraps during production over the past year and am excited to reveal them to you! I have called my thesis Faithful creating a total of 15 paintings with varied subject matter that I hope will inspire you to pursue your dreams.

Keep watching Bethany's Journal as I release the rest of the series early in the new year.

Thanks for following!

Arise (Study)

Here is a study for a large still life I'm working on... I'm loving the textural ground and lots of Burnt Umber. I like the idea of figuring out what you see on the edge of consciousness. What is clear and what is not? Maybe you see something you wouldn't normally see when fully awake. That's something I'll be exploring more in the large piece.

Green Purple Pink

Wham, bam! A huge one-day painting... 24"x36".

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Boudoir

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Boudoir (Study)

This is a small study for the larger painting I'll be completing in class this week. I've been working more and more on expressing mood and emotion in my paintings and this is increasingly irrespective of detail and perspective. I'm finding classical techniques are often unreliable in conveying what I want to say.

My teacher, Baoping Chen, spoke to me last week about the process of painting first what you see, then what you know, and finally, what you feel. Personally I believe there is one more step: painting what you sense spiritually. I think this is a separate process that involves perception apart from the five senses. This is something I continually grapple with in my art.

Window Tree

Tree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on;
But let there never be curtain drawn
Between you and me.
- Robert Frost

Purple Rain

This is from my expressive painting class this week. Fun with texture!

And yes, I totally have a Prince song in my head right now...

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Charles Bridge

A favourite vista: Charles Bridge viewed from across the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic.

Figure with Texture

This was a small exploration I did in class this week. All I want to do is add detail! But I restrained. You can fill in the blanks.

The Illustration Friday quote especially suits me this week: "The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play." - Arnold J. Toynbee

Self Portrait at 30 (process)

I'm close to the completion of my MFA in just a few weeks but have found that it's been good to keep my hands busy with side paintings. Watch this journal as I will reveal my thesis paintings here soon (and perhaps some of my process too)!

Below are a couple shots of a 'side painting': my self-portrait in progress. The first is my initial lay-in of colors and some structure. The second I worked more on the face and values. Next I'll solidify what I'm doing with the background before I go back into the face some more. Portraits are always difficult but a self-portrait especially so as I've found I don't keep as still as I like! This makes it hard to capture the bone structure.



Something I've been exploring more lately is working with desaturated colors and limiting saturation to the focal point. This is difficult with acrylics but also because I love color and now feel like I'm painting with 'mud' everywhere. I hope this will end up making my paintings more sophisticated.

Oh look! Here are my brushes. I can never get them quite as clean as new.