vanya'sArtblog

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T06:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year!
I wish you a lot of inspiration and creativity during the New year.I wish to all of you and your families to be healthy and happy and to enjoy life!

Finally done

2010-10-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am finally done with this painting.It took me a while to finish it.I hope you can understand my relieve.I got stuck on it and I thought I would never finish it and I do not like to leave my business unfinished.So I am more than happy that I am done and I like the results.I really like how it turned out.

Just to remind you I got inspired by a photo in Velonews magazine and I painted it as a present for my husband who is a biker and loves to watch Tour de France on TV.

My friend Tony

2010-10-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

I am going on with some old pieces of mine.I did this drawing of my friend Tony from life more than twenty years ago or maybe less.Is is pencil on paper.

Still life with fruit

2010-08-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

This one is an old attempt to explore the subject matter with oil paints.I painted it maybe six or seven years ago.It seems to me the background is kind of boring.

I think I should start painting with oil more.

Purple Crocuses

2010-05-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is a quick watercolor sketch straight with the brush.For a reference I used my own pictures of the flowers in our garden. The size of the painting is about 7x10 inches.

Tour de France-WIP in oil

2010-05-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

As my husband loves to bike and Tour de France is one of his favourite events to watch on TV
last year I decided to make him a present- to paint him a painting depicting this exciting event.
As a reference I used a photo from a last year's issue of Velonews Magazine.The pictures in this magazine are great.
So,slowly but surely I go on working on my painting and I hope I will be able to finish it for my husband's birthday which is in July.The only problem is that oil paints dry up so slowly.
The size of the painting is 16x20.

Watercolor in fall colors

2010-04-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am going on posting some old ones.This 5x7 watercolor is from 2003,I believe.

It was completed with watercolors and ink.I used a reference photo of my own.

An old one

2010-04-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.
I did too.
I think I had never posted this little drawing.It is an old one ,from 2003.It was meant to be mailed as a post card,then I changed my mind.
It is done with watercolor pencils and ink.
It represents a street in the Old Town of Plovdiv,one of my favourite places in Bulgaria.
The size is 5x7 inches.

Grooming Cat

2010-03-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

A drawing of our cat Ashley with charcoal and Conte Crayon on Canson paper,size9x12.

Playing Around With Pastels

2010-02-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

I am enjoying a seven day vacation at home and playing around with pastels on brown wrapping paper.I love the texture and the color of the paper showing trough the paints.I got the idea for the brown paper from www.tushtush.etsy.com. I think she is a great artist.You can visit her store and see for yourself.
I was so happy with the results that I already framed the white rose and hung it in my dining room.
All three paintings are 5x7.

Almost Finished-wip

2010-01-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

This is the way the whole painting will look like.I need to put some final touches here and there but as a whole this is it.

I haven't decided on the name yet.My Secret Garden? My Dream Garden?

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

I wish a very happy and successful New Year to you ,guys,who take your time to visit my blog.Thank you to the people who leave comments and give me feed back for my art and posts.

Have a very peaceful and creative New Year 2010.

Finally I found my acrylic inspiration again

2009-12-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

These two pictures are a sneak-a -peek of the new acrylic painting I am working on at the moment.It is an imaginary composition of flowers, a bird and a butterfly.I used some reference here and there but mainly I tried to interpret the shapes and forms of the flowers with more freedom.In order to achieve the freedom I was shooting for I used a larger canvas.The size is 16x20 and I can admit I am really having fun.I am wandering how it would feel if I was painting even a larger canvas. Someday I will try.
I am glad I am back to painting with acrylic paints again after trying different things and opening my etsy shop.If you are interested you can visit it.Just google vanyasArts.etsy.com or click on the picture on my side bar to enter.

Two sketches with watercolor crayons

2009-09-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

I treated myself with a new set of watercolor crayons and there are the results of trying them.For a reference I used pictures from Country Living magazine,the British edition.The pictures in there are so inspiring,so delicious!
I know it s OK if I use somebody else's pictures on learning purposes,as long I do not sell them .

Playing with gouache

2009-08-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

I did a couple of small gouache paintings and this one is the most successful one.On watercolor paper,size 6x4 1/2 with Faber Castell gouache paints.

Apples

2009-07-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is an old painting -a study of a couple of apples, done in acrylics,size 5x7.

A quick sketch with watercolor pencils

2009-07-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

I took this picture from the car window.I liked the way this guy looked- like an alien with his shiny motorbike and his bright clothing.The sketch was done with Faber Castell watercolor pencils in my Mead sketch book .I tried to be as loose as possible.

Afton

2009-06-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

I like to visit beautiful places and as I do not have any new art to post I am posting these pictures from our last trip to the Cities.This beautiful flower place is called Squire House Gardens and is situated in the city of Afton,MN.They have wonderful flowers and plants and a really gorgeous gift shop.

Old Lady

2009-06-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

I am still here trying different media!This one is another sketch of my summer challenge with water media.I completed it with ink pen Pilot.I like its bleeding quality when disturbed with water.It gives more character to the painting.I also applied light washes with watercolor.it is in my sketch book,size 6x9.

Spring Time

2009-05-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have hard time changing the media.After completing my watercolor challenge I hoped I could start another one with acrylics or maybe oils but it appeared to be not easy.There is some kind of barrier I can not get over.

So,here is my next painting with watercolors.It is 4 1/2 x 6 on Strathmore watercolor paper .The brand of the paints is Faber Castell.

Actually this painting is a part of the new challenge I started inspired by the Water Media Forum of Wet Canvas.It is called 100 Days of Summer and the participants put a goal for themselves to achieve during this summer.My goal is to complete between 30 and 50 paintings and sketches in water media-watercolors,watercolor pencils, acrylics and gouache.

An Award From suzy

2009-05-18T08:50:00.001-07:00

Several months ago suzy gave me this award but I had hard time uploading it on my side bar.Now as I figured out how to do that I am posting it in my blog.Thank you suzi for your kindness. I will give this award to all the readers of my blog.Thank you ,guys for visiting my blog.

I Am Done With My Watercolor Challenge

2009-05-11T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is the last watercolor of the challenge I started in my other blog -Vanyas Art Journal- in order to improve my skills in watercolor.I am glad I completed it successfully and can go on with another one.I am thinking about a similar challenge with acrylics on paper.

An Old Man With His Goat

2009-05-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

I am on my way to finish my watercolor challenge.I am working on my last painting.If you are interested to see all the paintings you can visit my other blog Vanyas Art Journal clicking on the painting on the side bar on the right.

Gradually I came to the idea to start a similar challenge with acrylics.It will be a great motivational task to improve my skills in acrylics completing a whole sketchbook of acrylic or watercolor paper.Yes,it will be great! I can't wait to start it.

This one is watercolor # 14.I drew the figure and the animal with blue watercolor pencil before I applied the watercolor.

The paper is Canson,9x12,Faber and Castell watercolors.

The Bike Trail In Fall-Watercolor #5

2009-04-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am posting the same painting in both my blogs as I haven't worked in acrylics and oil recently.In my other blog ,Vanyas Art Journal ,I started a challenge: to complete a whole watercolor sketch book -15 sheets before I switch to another media.I started it in order to improve my skills using watercolors.I like to work with this media but I don't like the way my paintings look at the end.So my challenge,I hope ,will help me to become more confident with this media.
This watercolor is #5.Yes,I already posted five of them and I have two more to go.If you are interested you can check my other blog clicking on the picture in the side bar of this blog or on the link in the list of my favourite sites and blogs.

Two Nudes In Watercolor

2009-03-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

I had I lot of doubts if I should post these two paintings.I am not that good at watercolors and these two are just studies but I decided to do it in order to keep track of my progress.I have been working on improving my skills in using watercolors for more than a month and I can admit I have fun.I don't know what happened to my acrylic muse,she haven't showed up in my studio recently.Maybe she went on a vacation to Florida.

I painted these two paintings on Canson watercolor paper with Prang pan watercolors.

The size is 9x12 and I used reference photos from a book by F.A.Cerver-Drawing For Beginners.

Some Sketches From My Neighbourhood

2009-03-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I did some sketches with charcoal pencils.While my daughter was mastering the art of riding a two wheel bike,something she had learned a week ago I did some sketches looking for interesting subject matter around my neighbourhood.I brought a chair with me to the culdesac where she could practise her turns and circles and took advantage of the situation improving my own skills with charcoal.

Murphy

2009-03-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't done anything in acrylics or oil recently.So,I am posting this little watercolor I painted a week or so ago.It is our cat Murphy who died of old age a year and a half ago.I took this picture of her and had always wanted to paint it but never got to do that.Last week I finally did it and I like the way Murphy turned out.It is 5x7 on Strathmore watercolor paper completed with ink pen and watercolors Prang.

An Old One-Ballerina

2009-03-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't done anything in acrylics recently.Not that I did not paint at all but I was more into other kinds of media.I panted several pieces with watercolor and experimented sketching with charcoal pencils.The results can be seen in my other blog.

This acrylic painting is an old one that I painted last year and was not very happy about it.I had to redo it a couple of times till it started looking decent.The reference photo is mine taken two years ago when we went to watch a performance of a Russian ballet of the Nut Cracker.It was before Christmas and the weather was horrible and we had to drive for more than an hour away but it was worth it.The performance was spectacular and I enjoyed it so much and also I took tons of reference pictures.

A Seagull On The Lake

2009-02-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

This is the other little painting I did two days ago.I used my own reference photo.The piece is 5x7 completed with acrylics.

A Little Fellow On The Snow

2009-02-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my day was pretty successful.I painted two little paintings,went skiing in the morning and took my daughter ice skating in the afternoon.I ace skated too and that was my second time in my life.I still had hard time standing on my feet but I did not fall.Yey!

Today I am posting only one of my paintings and tomorrow if I have access to the computer I am going to post the other.

This little fellow was painted using my own reference photo.We have two bird feeders in our yard and we enjoy watching the birds coming to peck seeds every day.I like to take pictures of them or sketch them,so I have tons of reference material.The hardest thing is to take a picture of a woodpecker.They are so sensitive and fast.

I painted the cardinal on a canvas board 5x7 big.It was a great fun to paint it.

Primula

2009-02-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

It looks it was easy but it was not at all. It took me longer than I expected to.I had a lot of doubts about this painting.That's way I put it for a discussion on the website of the Wet Canvas.My fellow artists helped me with valuable advice,pointed to the weak spots of my painting and helped me with the name of the flower as well. I did not have any clue what it was.I just took the picture at a flower business because it was so pretty and was begging to be painted.I know it is not the way I wanted it to be but still it was a good learning experience.

Are You Talking To Me?

2009-01-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

It has been my first painting in acrylics for several months.I experimented with oils and mixed media then got distracted by the Holidays and there was not time for acrylics.Last week I felt ready to go back to the acrylics and chose to paint something simple and funny.

I used my own reference photo I took at my parents hobby farm in Bulgaria when I visited them in September last year.That young lady was really very curious and interested in my presence staring at me from a safe distance.

The painting is 11x14 on canvas board.

Waiting For The Miracle To Happen

2009-01-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

I painted this little painting last week and tried to upload it in my blog but couldn't.I guess the website was experiencing some troubles at that time.

This painting is completed in oils and it is a study of a night scenery.I have never painted a night painting before and I have always been shy of using the color black.So,I decided to overcome those two" fears "of mine exploring them.I am pretty happy with the results.I think the painting turned well.The style is painterly and impressionistic.As a reference I used a photo of my daughter at the park Millennium in Chicago.She is by the water towers waiting for the water show to start.

Inspirational Card #5

2009-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the New Year I am still in this crafty mood being under the influence of the mixed media art.I guess it is my craving for more freedom of expressing myself,more of so called "to- do- whatever -I- want-to",breaking rules and trying new things.I started making these inspirational cards /4x6/for myself for the rainy days when the muse forgets to visit me and I have hard time working on my paintings.I guess I got carried away and I am still working on this kind of stuff.I meant to keep this blog mostly for my acrylic and now oil paintings but here I am I broke my promise to myself.And I also don't have anything to offer in these two media.

From now on I will try to post all my mixed media pieces in my other blog Vanyas Art Journal.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T14:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and warm wishes for a Happy New Year to everybody.Let it be a year of peace,creativity and new successful beginnings.

This is one of my new experiments-a mixed media card.Collage,stamps,painting,drawing and doodling and so on.

It is 4x6 on artist type paper.

After Sunset

2008-12-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

This is the other little painting I was talking about yesterday.It took me less than two hours to finish it.Actually I am not sure how much time it took.It could be even less than an hour.When I am inspired I don't pay attention to the time,it passes by so fast.I used my own reference photo I took by lake Winona a couple or three weeks ago.My daughter,a friend of my ,her little guest Angie and I went to the lake park for a walk and I took a bunch of exciting pictures which I am going to turn in paintings.The weather was wonderful and the trees were revealing their most beautiful colors.

The size of the painting is 5x7 on canvas board.And again I used oil paints.

Prairie Flowers

2008-12-01T12:36:00.000-08:00

I started this little painting with oil paints a month ago.I did the underpainting and kind of got discouraged and quit.Last Monday I started a big painting about Tour de France for my husband.I did the underpainting and put it aside to dry.As the creative juices went on flowing I decided to finish this one too.I not only finished this one but also painted another one/I will post it the next time/.It was a great day!

This painting is a small one 5x7 on canvas board with oil paints.I've been getting very excited with the oil paints recently.I used my own photo of bouquet of wild flowers I picked by the bike trail last summer.

The boats of Nessebar

2008-11-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

My first oil painting for the last seven- eight years is finally done.It took me quite a while.It takes forever for the oil paints to get dry.I wish I had a bigger studio to be able to work in oils more often because it is fun.I still can do one at a time but it will take my whole work area.

I hope my friend will like her painting.

Down The Root River

2008-11-14T09:57:00.000-08:00

This is my newest one in acrylics.I used my own reference photo from my bike rides in the summer.I hope I caught the mood of the bright hot summer day.The painting is completed with Daler and Rowney acrylics on stretched canvas size 8x10.

Work In Progress

2008-11-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today I put some more hours on this oil painting.I was so carried away that I even forgot to eat lunch.I can not deny there was a moment of struggle with the oil paints but I also enjoyed them very much.The painting is almost done.It needs a couple of fine details and i have to fix the sky bacause I smudged it when doing the houses.

The Christmas Project

2008-11-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

I painted this yesterday as a project for my Christmas cards.I will take the painting to a print shop as I don't own a printer yet.

I painted it on a 9x12 piece of Strathmore watercolor paper with Prang pan watercolors.

I used a reference photo of my daughter with Santa from last year.The resemblance is kind of off but I did not try very hard to achieve that.I think in this case the mood is more important.

I hope you like it.

Work In Progress

2008-10-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

This is work in progress,one of my few attempts in oils.A friend of mine challenged me to paint her a painting in oils.She liked my acrylic painting of the town of Nessebar but she wanted it bigger and in oils.So,here I am, painting in oils,which is great fun but the only thing that bothers me is that the oil paints dry up so slowly and it takes forever to finish a painting.Here you can see the two stages of the painting,so far.The first one shows the underpainting and the second one gives you an idea about the blocking of the main colors and also my work on the water reflections.The painting is on stretched canvass,size 16x20inches.

The Old Mill

2008-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am back from my trip to Bulgaria.I had a wonderful time visiting my family and friends.I had a little bit time to sketch and took a lot of pictures which ,I hope ,will give me ideas for future paintings.The thing that I did not have luck with was the weather.The first three days it was hot in the nineties/ in F/and then overnight the temperatures dropped to 66-68F.It was cold and windy most of the time and it rained.Actually it was colder than it was in Minnesota.Can you believe that?September in Bulgaria is usually still a beach month.I had to give up my plans to take my daughter to the seaside and show her the Black Sea.We had a horrible trip back home but I don't want to talk about that now.
This little painting however is not from my trip.I painted it before I left.It depicts the old mill on the creek that runs by my house/and flooded it a year ago/.It is again ATC size and the medium is gouache.

Ashley

2008-09-05T10:57:00.001-07:00

I don't have much time for painting getting ready for my trip so that's why I decided to experiment with a miniature painting.This one is the size of ATC/artists trading cards/

or 3.5x2.5 inches.I painted one of our cats- the seven-year old Ashley.I used gouache on watercolor paper and I plan to use this little study for a larger painting in acrylics.

An Old Bulgarian House

2008-08-14T10:13:00.001-07:00

This is my last piece.I have just finished it.I spent the whole morning putting finishing touches on it and also fixing some other paintings.It is not my favourite part of the process of creating but it had to be done.I also signed some of the paintings and varnished them.Yesterday we went to Hobby Lobby and I bought four frames for my paintings.I want to decorate my house with some of my paintings so I had to get them ready.
This painting depicts an old house in an old city in Bulgaria,I don't remember which one.It reminds me of the school field trips to historical places from my childhood.In September my daughter and I are going to Bulgaria for three weeks.Maybe that's why my thoughts took that direction and I felt like painting landscapes from my native country.It is 9x12 on acrylic paper.

The Red Barn

2008-07-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of days off in the middle of this week and managed to paint two pieces. But I am posting only today's painting because the other one needs to be fixed. I posted it at Wet Canvas and my fellow-artists helped me to discover some major mistakes.
I am happier with this one.This red barn is in a place named Choice which is situated in a beautiful valley. It is especially pretty in spring when the fields are covered with flowers and the grass is bright green.This piece is not big,a post card size,5x7,on canvas board with acrylic paints.

A Study With Acrylics

2008-07-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

It is again my daughter watching TV.Last summer we went on a short two - day vacation to Chicago and I took a picture of her in the hotel room.I thought I could use this picture for a quick study with acrylic paints on acrylic paper.I used acrylics on watercolor paper once, six or seven years ago, but I had no experience with that media and did not like it very much. I rediscovered it about three -four years ago and it is my favourite media at the moment.
This piece is 4 1/2x6 inches big.I gessoed the paper before I painted it.

The Music Is In Me

2008-07-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is my newest piece. I finished it three hours ago. I painted it on gessoed acrylic paper with Daler & Rowney acrylic paints. The size is 8x10.I used my own reference photo,a picture I took at the concert of my step daughter's high-school band. And this is one of the young performers.
I have always liked to paint musicians. They look so spiritual and inspiring to me.
This time I was not so concerned about the resemblance with the real subject but I was trying to achieve that dreamy mood of the person absorbed in the world of music.

Portrait Of Sonya

2008-07-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

Did you have a nice 4-th of July?Because I did.I had wonderful time with my family. We went on a picnic with friends and we had fireworks in the evening .On the next day we went on a trip to Wisconsin ,bought a new piece of furniture ,went to a strawberry patch to pick up some strawberries.I had time to go on a bike ride and even had time to paint!!!
I painted this portrait of my daughter Sonya at the early hours of 4th of July when everybody at home was sleeping.I am pleased with the way it turned out. The resemblance is pretty good and I am happy with the color scheme.
The piece is 8x10 on stretched canvas. I used Daler and Rowney acrylic paints.

Mountainous Landscape

2008-06-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am going on practicing different techniques with acrylics following the demos in the book I have been reading.For this painting I used my own picture of the Balkan Mountain Range in Bulgaria.

I painted it on Daler and Rowney acrylic paper which I had gessoed beforehand .The size of the paper is 9x12.I am not happy with the photo image I got with my Kodak camera .All the colors turned out right but the color of the furthest range.I painted it purple but the camera did not show up the right color .I tried several times with no success.

Nessebar

2008-06-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a book about the techniques in acrylics written by a team of Spanish artists and teachers.I like the simple language and the helpful demos in the book.I tried to master some of the techniques applying them in my own paintings.The Title of the book is All About Techniques In Acrylics-An indispensable manual for artists- published in English by Barron's Educational Series,Inc.
Inspired by the demos in the book I painted this seascape of the town of Nessebar,Bulgaria on Daler and Rowney gessoed acrylic paper with the same kind of acrylic paints.The size is 9x12 inches.

Watercolor Study

2008-06-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

I can't offer anything else but this little study of a flute player I painted with the idea to turn into an acrylic painting down the road.I haven't felt like painting recently because I had a lot of worries on my plate.We had a horrible weather in the Midwest the last two weeks.We had to deal with tornado wornings,severe thunderstorms and rivers overflowing their banks.We were on the edge of flooding again and I had hard time sleeping and eating.As we live by a river and a creek our basement started collecting water and we had to check the pump and the draining system every half an hour to make sure they worked properly.Thank God we have been spared this time and my thoughts and prayers are with the poor people from Iowa who got hit the hardest this season.I have been through this and I know how they feel.

I painted this little piece with watercolors /Prang /on watercolor paper/Strathmore/.

Lilies

2008-06-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

As a result of my experimenting with different media, in this case watercolor and pastel ,I came up with this painting.I was working on improving my skills in those media separately when I decided to combine them in one painting.I did not invent this technique, I have seen it in an art magazine years ago and I am glad I remembered it. I am pretty happy with what my painting turned out.I started it with light washes of watercolor trying to establish the value .When it dried up I painted it with different kinds of pastels -soft and hard.
The painting is about 6 x 8 inches big on Strathmore watercolor paper.

Red Orchid

2008-05-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

This is a small watercolor study. I have been concentrating on small pieces recently. It is not so scary if you wreck the painting and waste the materials. And also you can experiment different techniques and media. I've been experimenting with pastels too and I posted the paintings on my other blog-Vanya's Art Journal.

This painting is 4 1/2 x 6 on Strathmore watercolor paper with Prang watercolor paints.I like this brand although it is not very famous-the colors are bright and vibrant.

Sunflower Fields

2008-04-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

We moved in to our house on March 23,the Saturday before Easter.After seven months living with relatives and in a FEMA trailer we are happy to be home.The house looks brand new from the inside and it is going to look like this from the outside too.We are getting a new siding and new windows upstairs although the second floor was not affected by the flood.We decided to go for it because the new windows would be more energy efficient. And I have another benefit from the whole flood thing-I got a small studio,something I was dreaming about for years.It is just a windowless closet but good enough for me and my supplies.
I still don't have much time for painting-too much to do around the house,but I'm getting there.The painting I am posting now was painted in March /before the move/while waiting for another one to get dry.I would call its style fantasy ,primitive ,folk art. Whatever it is I had great fun painting it.It is on acrylic paper,6x9.

Cardinal

2008-03-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much time for painting recently. I had to work more hours at my main job and also we are very exited about moving back to our old house which we have been remodeling after the flood. We plan to move in on March 22 ,the Saturday before Easter.So, there are a lot of things going on.

Anyway I am posting this little painting I did two weeks ago. I was going to paint a girl's portrait but did not like the beginning and ended painting this little fellow. I had fun painting him.The background is pale blue although it looks almost white in the picture.

Orange Rose

2008-02-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

I've just finished this one.I started it last week on Wednesday and was going to finish it on the next day but school was cancelled due to the snow and my little daughter stayed home.

It is acrylics on canvas,12x12.It is my first attempt to paint a bigger floral.One of the reasons to paint it was to practise blending the colors the other to have fun.

I used a reference photo from Image Library of Wet Canvas.

Sunflowers in Vase

2008-02-18T13:17:00.000-08:00

I painted this little painting about two weeks ago.I wanted to experiment painting on paper with acrylic paints.I used special paper for acrylics but i was not happy with the quality.It buckled after I started painting.Maybe I should use gesso the next time.Anyway if it is framed under glass it will be OK.I used a reference photo from the Reference Library of Wet Canvas.The size of the painting is 4 and1/2 by 6.

Interior

2008-02-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I felt like painting something different.I thought it was kind of abstract but when I posted it in Wet Canvas almost everybody thought there wasn't anything abstract about it.It seems to me it is not finished yet,something is missing and I think I will put it aside and give it a try later.I thought to use some rubber stamps with some pattern but couldn't find anything suitable.Anyway I am posting that as a work in progess.I am going to post it again when it is completely done.
It is painted on canvas with acrylics,8x10.I used a reference photo from a magazine,actually just a little corner of it.I was looking for interesting paterns and lines with a view finder when I came across this one.I painted the colors different.I like bold colors

Dancing Bulgarian Girl

2008-02-01T19:16:00.000-08:00

This is one of the paintings I did last week during my short vacation.It is acrylics on canvas board.I used a reference photo mainly for the folk outfit.This painting is a tribut to my Bulgarian background.The girl's outfit is typical for the central part of the country where I am from. She is a part of a group dance called Horro.People hold their hands and dance in a circle.

Rush Creek

2008-01-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

I painted this piece last week when I had several days of vacation.I enjoyed every minute of it.I painted 2-3 paintings in acrylics , experimented with watercolors ,hung around the Wet Canvas forums and sketched some stuff from their Reference Image Library. For this painting I used my own reference photo of the creek I took last winter when we went sledding with my daughter.I love winter,I love snow and all the fun they bring.Maybe because I could never get enough of it as a child.Anyway I come from a warmer country in south Europe.

This is the same creek that ruined our lives but isn't it beautiful?

Precious

2008-01-25T04:20:00.000-08:00

We adopted Precious around Christmas last year.Our old cat Murphy was very ill and we had to put her to sleep.She was eighteen years old and her illness was due to her old age.Her life could not be saved.Murphy had lived with my husband since she was two months old.My husband missed Murphy a lot and started checking the animal shelter for another cat.He liked a seven -year- old cat named Ashley because she reminded him about our old cat.When he and my step daughter went to pick up Ashley they brought home this beauty as well.I fell in love with her right away.She is one year old very loving and cuddly,very charming an mischievous.I can't stop hugging her ,taking pictures of her and sketching her.This is my first painting of her and I believe not the last one.I tried to capture the expression of innocence on her cute face.She looks as cute and innocent even in the middle of the biggest trouble she is in.

Cat Madonna

2008-01-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I felt like painting something loose ,free and imaginative.Something out my head.Actually I had a sketch that i made in the car on our way to a party at the lake house of relatives of ours.It was in August last year .Later I decided it could turn into a good painting and put it in my to do list.Finally I came to it yesterday and this was the way it turned out.I am not completely happy with everything in it but I positively like the cat. And also the feeling in it.

Handsome

2008-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

This is my new acrylic painting.I was kind of afraid of the challenge-I have never painted a rooster before.I was inspired to paint that rooster for my house which is in a process of rebuilding after the flood.I used a reference photo of this gorgeous bird from the reference immage library of Wet Canvas.I tink I am pretty happy with the result.

Happiness

2008-01-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

I've been working with watercolors recently and this is one of the pieces I like the most.This is a portrait of my daughter Sonya.I used a reference photo I had taken at the city fair.There were a lot of activities for the kids and one of them was riding a pony or a horse.So,I took a picture of her riding a horse and I could capture her feelings of joy and happiness.

I am glad with the results also because I had always had troubles with rendering peoples teeth and I used to avoid painting portraits with open smiles.This time Sonya's smile turned pretty good and the whole face look so natural.

Baby Sonya

2008-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

My daughter Sonya is my inspiration and my model most of the time.When I don't have any idea or a project in progress I just grab one of her pictures or sit against her when she watches TV or does crafts and start sketching her.I have tons of drawings and sketches of her in my art journals.

This drawing is from the time she was about one year old.I remember I just bought a set of charcoal pencils and was impatient to try them.I used a reference photo which her grandma took when Sonya was in the bathtub.

Still Life With Flowers

2008-01-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

I started this painting in the summer using the flowers in my husband's garden.Gardening is one of his hobbies.I picked up and arranged the flowers in the vase,took several reference photos, did a sketch and got the panel ready.I started the painting several days later when I had more ME time.Could not finish it and kind of lost interest.I came back to it and finished it in December,2007.I think it turned out pretty good.

Happy New Year to everybody!

2008-01-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

I wish a happy and very successful New Year to everybody.

It is a fast drawing of my daughter Sonya with ink and colored pencils.I used a reference photo for that.She likes to make silly faces in front of the camera.

Still life with flowers

2007-12-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

This is one of my old paintings from the last year.I painted it when I tried to paint a painting a week.The colors in the picture are kind of darker than those in the painting but anyway you can get the idea.I sure had fun painting it.

Smoky

2007-12-14T06:02:00.000-08:00

Smoky is my step kids' cat at their mother's house.He is so beautiful that I fell in love with him the moment I first saw him.He reminds me about a cat I had many years ago.He was the same color but with shorter fur and was such a loving and cuddly boy.His name was Richy.

So,when I saw Smoky I felt I needed to paint him .

Still life with a flower

2007-12-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

I painted this little painting in August just before the flood.I remember at that time my daughter started playing pretty good with the little girl across the street leaving me with a big amount of "me"time,which I used to paint or prepare for new paintings.With this painting I decided to experiment with the post card size-5x7.It was a real fun doing such a small painting and also pretty fast which worked perfectly in my situation.That's why I like to paint with acrylics at the moment.They dry fast,no bad fumes like the oils,they have vibrant bright colors and most of all they are fun to work with.

Poppies

2007-12-06T07:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of the new paintings I told you about yesterday.I painted it last Thursday and I was happy with the result.I had great fun doing that.It is acrylics on stretched canvas.I under painted it with cadmium yellow and used cadmium red for the red poppies and phthalo green and emerald green for the background.

I painted this painting to decorate the FEMA trailer we live at the moment.It is nice and comfortable but the colors are on the boring side.Now with my painting on the wall it feels more like home.

Decorative Floral Composition

2007-12-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

This is another painting from that prolific winter.I painted it last January experimenting with composition and color.My main idea was to create some joy for the eye.

I have some new paintings too but I don't know why it takes me so long to put them in the computer.

Fall in Minnesota

2007-11-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ipainted this painting using a reference photo.This farm is close to my house by the bike trail I like to go for a walk.I've taken a lot of pictures of this barn but I like the fall ones the most.Fall is my favourite season and I usually can't wait to take tons of pictures for my reference files.Last year I was disappointed because the cold weather came too early and the leaves fell off the trees before they could turn the beautiful yellow and red colors.But this fall I am good,I managed to capture the beauty of the season just in time and the fall in Minnesota is really pretty.

One Summer Day

2007-11-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

I painted this painting last winter using a reference photo I took on a trip the summer before.I am kind of photo addict and I bring my camera with me wherever I go.I usually look for landscapes that can turn into interesting paintings.

In my reference photo there were not any road or barn but in the process of work I decided it would add more interest to the painting and I think it turned out pretty good.

Summer

2007-11-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about art again.I painted this last winter using a reference photo I took the previous summer on our way back from the Cities .I like the way the skies turned out.
It is acrilics on canvas panel.

Sketches From the Red Cross Shelter

2007-11-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

I thought it was going to be a blog just about my art but as that disaster became a part of my life I can't avoid mentioning it.I just can't pretend it never happened.
We hadn't been allowed to visit our houses on safety reasons for 3-4 days and we had to spend long hours in the Red Cross Shelter waiting for information and directions.So,I took advantage of this unexpected "free"time to sketch the Red Cross volunteers doing their great job and some of the flood victims.
The volunteers at lunch.
This boy is waiting for his mother to to finish her interview with the Red Cross volunteer
These teenage girls are watching a movie while their parents are standing at a line for food vouchers.

Flood

2007-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

This is the window we could get out of.That thing on the roof is my favourite blanket.We had to spread it over the broken glass to protect our bottoms and feet from getting cut.I took this picture3-4 days after the flood and you can see the tons of mud on our sidewalk and our yard.

2007-11-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

FLOOD t
In this picture you can see how my dining room looked like after the flood.
The second one shows my kitchen.
We had to throw out everything that was on the first floor because the water was contaminated with colli bacteria.The only thing we managed to save during the flood was the computer.It was submerged in the water about 4-5 inches but we decided it was worth the try and the miracle happened. It worked!!!
And a tip from me in case something similar happens to you.You can salvage your CDs and DVDs.They are covered with some kind of protective layer and water cant damage them.I wish I new that before I threw away my daughter'sDVDs and my CDs.My husband salvaged half of his CD collection .He decided to give it a try and it worked perfectly.You just need to clean them gently with rubbing alcohol.

2007-11-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

FLOOD
Finally I'm back.I haven't been able to post anything for more than three months because my family and I became victims of the flush floods that hit South East Minnesota in August.The small creek that passes through my town turned into a raging wild river in the middle of the night and flooded two thirds of it.We ended having five feet water on our main floor.We tried to evacuate but it was too late to use the car.We tried to walk to the local school but the water was getting deeper and one of the firefighters told us to find a house with a second floor.We went back to our house as we had a second floor.We had to wait for about four hours to be rescued watching the water level rising.The volunteers came with two canoes and a bigger boat.We were all five of us-my husband and I ,my stepdaughter/14/,my stepson/12/and my five-year-old daughter.We had to break a window on the second floor to be able to get out.In such a situation nothing works properly.We had to slide down the porch roof and got into the boats helped by the firefighters.
It was the weirdest ride in my life.It seamed so surrealistic to glide down the main street of our town in a boat avoiding the roofs of the submerged cars,drift wood,plastic yard toys and floating packages of potato chips.It felt so unreal as if watching the news on TV or an action movie.
The most interesting thing was that I did not feel afraid.I had that deep faith in me that every thing would be OK.And it was.Everybody was safe and sound.I mean not only in my family but also all the flood victims in my city.God bless all the volunteers and firefighters who risked their lives to rescue us.God bless all the people who helped my family and my city.
Now we live in a FE MA trailer rebuilding our house and our lives.
The picture I'm posting now is one I took during our long waiting to be rescued.The water level is still less than 3 feet.The picture is kind of dark but you can still see the floating furniture .

The Old Town Of Plovdiv

2007-08-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't mentioned before that I am of Bulgarian background.I came to the USA six years ago when I married
my wonderful husband Greg.
I did this painting using a reference photo I took in the charming Old Town of Plovdiv .Plovdiv is the second big city in Bulgaria,but the old historic part is well preserved and is a magnet for the artists.Before I had left for the USA I took tons of pictures of the places and people I loved to help me go through the homesickness.I have one more reason to love
this city an be emotionally attached to it-I went to the University there.
I painted this piece with acrylic paint on board.

A pencil drawind of Sonya

2007-08-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

I started this blog inspired by the movement of the Daily Painters.I borrowed this great idea to keep myself focused on the thing I love to do the most.
As I was unable to create a painting a day I transformed the idea into A Painting A Week.It worked for me quite well during the winter and the spring.It kept me motivated and organized.I slowed down with the paintings in the summer but went on drawing and sketching.
This is a drawing of my daughter Sonya.As it is so hard to make a small child to stand still and pose even for a couple of minutes I had to use reference photos.

Still life with flowers

2007-08-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Finally I found the courage to create a blog of my own.I love to draw and paint and I enjoy doing that whenever I have some spare time.

I have a busy life-a family,almost a full time job and a demanding five-year old daughter,but i can't imagine my life without my art.Painting and creating my art journals help me feel my life more complete.And as I am brand new in blogging I would like to be excused for the mistakes I will make down the road and I would appreciate your help and advise.I am also looking forward to hearing from you your opinion about my art.

In my first post you can see a painting I created for a friend last year.It is acrylics on canvas.