"Happy New Year!"

Here it is, New Year's Eve. I want to wish everyone a wonderful and productive New Year.

The night before last, I finished this new charcoal portrait called "First Kiss." My son, Ben, had a new baby girl a couple of months ago and when I saw the photo of him giving Taylin a kiss I knew I had to do this drawing. I, actually, gave the picture to his wife, Wendy, as a birthday present. She was very pleased with it.

Check back soon for more artwork. I have set some serious goals for the coming year. Please let me hear from you about what you like in these pictures.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

"Plan Now for Valentine's Day"

OK, Christmas is over. I have survived the rush of trying to complete all the commissions that came my way, squeeze in a few projects for those I love, and maintain house and home during the whole time. I am glad to have a few days to rest before getting back into the routine of things.

Our youngest son got married last Sunday and it was a great pleasure to be in Arizona for that.

I am now taking orders for charcoal portraits or oil paintings for Valentine's Day. Check out the portraits I am posting today and get your order in soon.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Portrait

I've gotten permission to post one of the Christmas portraits. It makes it a little difficult to post about my artwork when so much of it right now is for Christmas. Thank you for your patience as we get through this season. I miss getting to post my artwork more often.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Long Business Meeting

I didn't get to do any art today, except for a very small sketch in the business meeting I was at all day. I really miss it when I can't do some artwork each day. It really is a joy to me. Tomorrow I plan to get quite a bit done.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

"Watch Your Step"

Today I took a break from the charcoal portraits to paint a cat portrait. It was fun to get back into the oil paints and the likeness is coming along very nicely.

I am going to post another pen and ink drawing I did a while back. It's called "Watch Your Step." A white-throated pack rat is walking across a very prickly cholla cactus. These pack rats make their homes at the base of this kind of cactus. They are very safe there because other animals learn quite fast that there are thousands of very sharp needles on this cactus. It is amazing how these rats can learn to crawl all over these plants without getting stuck.

Let's remember to be extra thankful this week. Saturday evening, we were driving home from another town and there stood a deer in the middle of the road. I hit the brakes and swerved to the right to give her extra room. She turned and ran to the right, so I swerved left. Her hind leg hit our front right bumper. Fortunately, there was no damage to the car and we hope the deer suffered only a sore leg from it all. We are very thankful for Heavenly Father's blessing in this incident.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Know the Model

Finished another portrait yesterday. I still need to adjust a couple of shadows on it, but the likeness is definitely there. This one seemed easier to do and maybe that was because I know the model so well. I can't wait to post these portraits on my blog for you to see.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Discouragement/Encouragement

Have you noticed that I have not been posting very many blogs lately? Having the analytical mind that I do, I started trying to figure out why I seem to have a difficult time blogging. It was so much fun when I began and now it's almost drudgery. I think I have figured it out, though. I got some negative comments about my blog from some people that mean a lot to me. It was very discouraging. But you know what? I need to overcome discouragement like this. My art is important to me and it brings me joy. It is wonderful to be able to write about this gift, too.

I want to thank all of you who sent those wonderful comments in your emails about my recent awards. You really lift my spirits.

I have finished another portrait today. It may need a little adjustment here or there, but it is almost totally done. On to the next one!

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Best of Show

Wednesday was a very hectic day for me. I had to go to San Angelo to take three paintings to the San Angelo Art Club Best in Realism show. I entered "Peek-a-Boo", "Singin' & Dancin'", and my trompe l'oiel, "Jan Verschoor - War Hero." As soon as I got home I had to pick up the kids from school and take them to Sweetwater for a couple of appointments that they had. From there we went to our Wednesday night church meetings. Then my husband and I had a church leadership meeting. By the time we got home it was after 10:00 p.m.

Yesterday, I went to Lubbock with three of my friends. We got back just in time for the kids to get home from school. We made a trip to the library and then watched a couple of movies we checked out from there.

Today, I spent all afternoon in my craft room working on portraits. When the kids got home from school, I came back over to the house to spend some time with them. I checked the phone for messages and had one new one. It was from the San Angelo Art Club. I received the Best of Show award for "Jan Verschoor - War Hero" and "Honorable Mention" for "Peek-a-Boo." Each artist at this show can only receive one major award and an honorable mention award. The lady that informed me of my awards said that the judges really liked "Peek-a-Boo" a lot. But because I had won "Best of Show", I could only get "Honorable Mention" for "Peek-a-Boo." I am quite thrilled with the awards. I feel very blessed.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Portraits Today

Today I had planned to work on portraits all day. Then life got in the way. For a while it looked like I might not get to do any artwork. But Heavenly Father is so good and He helped me get organized and work on two portraits. One is almost finished and the other is off to a very good start. I love getting to create these portraits. They can be something to cherish for a lifetime.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Rain Bird Gallery

Tomorrow I take my paintings to Blanco, Texas to the Rain Bird Gallery. It is exciting to get the honor of gallery representation at this stage of my life.

I finished "Brindle Longhorn" yesterday, so I will post this painting today. The coloring on this bull was quite complicated, but it was great to conquer the challenge.

So many of you took advantage of my October pricing special. I will be busy for quite a while keeping up with all the orders for portraits. Next week will find me busy in my studio with charcoal all over my hands, but it will be fun to draw all the beautiful pictures I have received.

I will be out of town through the weekend, so I won't get to post again until Monday.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Art Shows and Galleries

Where has this week gone!? I have worked on my art almost every day and I don't know how I neglected posting to my blog.

I had a challenge last week. One of the charcoal portraits I was working on was really giving me a hard time. I had purchased some new charcoal sticks and I used a harder grade of charcoal for the under tones. When I tried to erase the highlights, there were spots all over that wouldn't erase. A woman doesn't want spots on her face and arms. I decided to make a sample of the different grades of the charcoal sticks and what they look like erased. I taped off squares on the paper I use for my portraits. After toning each square with the different grades of charcoal, I erased some spots on each one. This way I could see how each one acts and I won't make the same mistake again.

I have almost finished my longhorn painting. I am heading to Blanco at the end of this week and I need to have this painting finished by that time.

Saturday, I drove over to Hobbs, New Mexico to pick up my art from the Llano Estacado Art Association Fall Open Art Show there. As I was gathering my things, the lady who was overseeing things came over and shared with me. She had been present at the critique given by Grace Knox, who was the juror for the show. She told me that Grace had said something to the effect that my painting, "Peek-a-Boo" was perfect. She couldn't see anything to change about it. I was thrilled!

Next week I will enter another art show in San Angelo, Texas. The show is called "Best in Realism" and I think I have some paintings that certainly fall in that category.

Hopefully, I will post the final product of "Longhorn" tomorrow. The bull looks pretty good and the grass is coming along nicely, but I have to totally rework the sky. I was experimenting with color and it just didn't work. The sky needs some clouds and a little more excitement to complement the bull.

If you have put off ordering your artwork, please remember that there are just a couple of days left before we are into November. Place your orders now so you can take advantage of some very economical pricing.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Christmas Commissions

I worked on some commissions today. You know, it dawned on me this morning that once these commissions are finished I won't be able to post them on my blog. Since they are Christmas presents, I will have to wait until Christmas is over before you can see them. Well, please be patient and look for a lot of pictures to be posted during the holidays!

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Material for the Masterpiece

I received orders for three more portraits today. My husband and I had to travel a few hours today to deliver a horse trailer we had borrowed. I always take my camera with me in case I have a photo op. I had the good fortune to find some scenery that would make a great background for some of my animal photos. I also took a number of pictures of a fine looking horse. I am always gathering material for the next "masterpiece." Maybe some day I really will paint a masterpiece.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Commissions

Things are hopping around here! I have a number of commissions that have come down in the last few days. My charcoal portraits seem to be very popular right now. I also have some oil painting commissions. It is exciting to juggle my time between preparing for the gallery representation and preparing these commissions. I should have several new pieces finished this week to post for you.

Have a great week.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Herd Painting

"Singin' and Dancin' " is finally done. It will be posted as soon as I post this message.

Commissions are coming in and it is getting exciting to make art for others. I love working with horses and later today I get to do a photo shoot so I can paint a small herd.

I need to get some sleep now. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Thursday! Already?

This week has just flown by! I can't believe it's Thursday already.

Tomorrow I will post the large version of "Singin' and Dancin'." You have been waiting for a long time for this one, but I know it will be worth the wait. There are just a very few finishing touches to put on it tomorrow and then I will photograph it and post it for you. I would have finished today, but some of the paint needed to dry before I could put the final layers on.

I am still working on the charcoal of the three beautiful kids. I can't wait to get this one done - it is so much fun to do.

I am also working on a large longhorn bull. And believe it or not, I didn't get his horns long enough. I will fix that tomorrow, too. He is a massive and very impressive hunk of beef.

There are about three other paintings I want to start today!! But I have to finish some of the ones I already have begun. The painting ideas just keep popping in my head. I can't paint fast enough to keep up with all the great ideas I have. It is an interesting challenge to have.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

"C.A."

The portrait I did for C.A. was a surprise to her. It was a gift for her 17th birthday. She called me today to thank me and let me know how much she liked it. Her mom's comment was that I really captured her smile. It is a great joy to me to create a work of art that pleases others.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Categories and "Wild Rose Alberta"

I have rearranged the pictures of my paintings. They are arranged now a little more closely by categories. I have also added another flower painting: "Wild Rose Alberta." This one came together so easily and I think it turned out quite nicely. You will need to go down the page about halfway to the flower category to see it.

Have a great weekend!

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Portraits and Paintings

I finished my latest portrait today. These are so fun to do. I have another commission of a trio of grandchildren. This is a beautiful photo and I am excited to get to draw these three handsome kids.

I am still working on two large oil paintings. One should be done in just a couple of more days - unless I hit some snags in making things look right. I am very excited to get this one so close to being done. Sometimes I struggle with certain aspects of the painting, but I am always thrilled to see how things work out in the end. They seem to always just come together in a wonderful way.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

"Gail's Amish Quilts"

This is one of the very few watercolor paintings I have done. Gail makes quilts and she really loves Amish quilts. This painting shows three quilts drying on a snowy day. The light background makes the colors in the quilts really stand out. It was a fun change of pace for me to do this piece.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Sundown

How is everyone today? It is beautiful here in Texas. The sun is setting and the low light and golden color on everything makes this my favorite time of day.

I had the opportunity to begin a charcoal drawing yesterday. It is coming along nicely and I should have it finished tomorrow.

I am posting a painting I did of a wonderful mustang called Trinket. She is so full of life and has a memorable personality. I hope it shows in this portrait of her.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Arizona Company

Hi! It's been a few days since I last posted a blog. We have had our dearest friends here from Arizona since last Thursday. They will be here until this coming Thursday, so I won't have much time to post or get much painting done. Please be patient with me and check back on Friday.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

More Paintings

Today I had a chance to begin the landscape part of a new painting of a longhorn bull. I am trying a new technique and it will take some adjusting, but I think the colors will be really nice when I get done.

I am also very close to finishing the large version of "Singin' and Dancin'."

I am working on another charcoal portrait, too. So there are many things in the works now.

My brother-in-law sent an email out to some of the people he knows. He wanted to give them a chance to purchase a painting or order a commission before the prices go up.

Welcome to all who may be new to my blog. Please send me an email if you have any questions.

All of my work is 100% guaranteed. I don't want anyone to be unhappy with a piece of artwork from me. I look forward to working with you.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Photo ops

Today, my husband and I drove to Dallas and back home. It was a long trip for us, so I didn't get any painting done. But...as we drove down the highway, I spotted a magnificent longhorn bull. Dutch took the next exit and drove back to the pen where he was grazing. I hopped out of the pick-up and started snapping pictures. I got some really good ones of him. I have been wanting to do some longhorn paintings and now I think I have the material I need.

Tomorrow I submit six of my paintings to the art show in Hobbs, New Mexico. I am very excited about this show. I'll let you know how it goes.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Gallery Representation

I'm sorry I didn't get to post a blog over the weekend, but I do have some very exciting news: I have been accepted at an art gallery! It is called Rain Bird Gallery and is located a few miles south of Austin. The director told me that there are a huge amount of new homes being built in the area. People are always going there to buy art to hang in their new homes. My sister had stopped at her gallery and asked her to look at this blog site. After viewing it, she discussed my art with the owner and they agreed that my paintings would be a good fit. It is very exciting to be represented by this gallery.

This brings me to another topic. The prices I have had on my works here on the blog are actually rock bottom prices for the kind of work I do. We can call them "Introductory Prices." There are a lot of reasons that the prices can't stay where they are, but the bottom line is, they are going to have to go up.

If you are like me, you tend to procrastinate things. What I will do for you is this. If you place an order for anything on my blog during the month of October, you can purchase it for the current price. On November 1st, the new pricing will go into effect. If you order a commissioned piece from me during October, you can get that at the current commission fees. Those will be increasing in November, also.

On Wednesday, I will be sending six paintings to Hobbs, New Mexico, for the Llano Estacado Art Association (LEAA) Fall Open Art Show. They will be for sale there as well. I have had to raise the prices on those pieces since the LEAA keeps a percentage of each item sold. It is exciting the way so many things are happening now. The paintings that don't sell at this show will be sent to the Rain Bird Gallery.

The blades of grass are finally finished! I haven't had a photo shoot yet, but will do so this afternoon. You can see "Low Plains Drifter" later today. I loved learning how to made this big guy look shaggy and molting. I learn something new on every painting that I do.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

And More Blades of Grass

It can be an almost tedious process to paint in all the grass in a painting like this. Nevertheless, it really feels so good to step back from the painting and see it all coming to life.

I do a landscape like this in layers. The first layer is a fairly solid undercoat to quickly block in some color on the page. I prefer to have some color down before I tackle the main subject. The white of the canvas is usually too stark to judge the values of the colors I need to use on the main animal(s).

Once I have the horse or deer or whatever animal I am working on painted, I go back to the background and refine it. I add details such as tree branches, bark, clouds, grass (and more grass and more grass).

I lay in dark green blades of grass first. Then I lay in light shades of green grass. I often will go back to the darks and maybe even add more lights again before I am done. The end result is usually a field that looks quite believably grassy.

As I step back across the room and look at the painting, it is often easier to spot any problems in value, color, or shape that need fixing. At this point I almost always see something on my subject that isn't quite right. That must be corrected before I can call the painting done.

Tomorrow I will be out of town and Sunday I will be at church, so I may not get much of a chance to do any painting over the weekend. Today will have to be a full day of painting to get things done.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Blades of Grass

I have made a lot of progress on my buffalo painting, "Plains Drifter." It will be posted by the end of the day - tomorrow at the latest. It depends on how the background goes. It can be a slow process to paint all those little grass blades! Anyway, be looking for the picture.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

"Portraits in Charcoal"

I have added another charcoal drawing for you to see. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. This girl is a sweet, beautiful girl who smiles all the time.

The main photo I worked from was actually taken a few months ago. Since that time she has started wearing her hair pulled back in a ponytail. I made the changes in her portrait to reflect her new hairstyle and she loves it.

Three photos were used in producing this portrait. I find that the more reference material I have, the more accurate I can be in my drawing.

When I drew the portrait of C.L., I used a couple of photos for reference as well. It is very helpful to see more than one photo to get the likeness just right.

Send me an email so I can begin a portrait of your loved one: nancyverschoor@toast2.net

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

"Peek-a-Boo"

I finished "Peek-a-Boo" and will put it on today. I have started a painting of a buffalo which I will call "Plains Drifter." We live in Texas and it wasn't that long ago that the buffalo roamed across this vast land. We have had a lot of rain this year and the native grasses are quite high right now. I am going to paint the grasses a little shorter so the buffalo will show better. As we drive through the state we see fields with grasses so high you almost can't see the cattle that are grazing there. I suspect the plains buffalo would have loved all the good grasses we have this year.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Weekend Whirlwind

This weekend was a busy one, as they often can be. Saturday morning I made a trip up to Lubbock to serve my church at the temple there. Six of my friends from church went, too. It is such a peaceful and beautiful place to be. I always feel so close to my Heavenly Father when I get a chance to go. We had lunch afterwards and then returned home. Lubbock is a bit of a drive for us. I left home at 8:45 a.m. and didn't get home until almost 5:30 p.m.

My husband had left a note on the table reminding me about the Volunteer Fire Department fundraiser for the evening. I changed clothes and met him and the kids there. We kind of "volunteered" to help clean up after the event, so it was late by the time we got back home.

Sunday was busy going to our church meetings. After we get home on Sundays I like to research my family history. Being a detective must be a little bit in my blood, because I really enjoy the challenge of tracking down my ancestors and getting to know them. I was able to add more than a dozen names to my extended family yesterday. I am grateful for all my ancestors have done to create a wonderful heritage for me.

Now it's off to painting!

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

More Pictures

I decided to post some of my other work. "Lost My Hat!" is a pen and ink drawing I did a little while back. I had been asked to submit some drawings for a cookbook that was going to have a western theme. The cookbook never materialized, but I enjoyed creating the pen and ink drawings.

"Mollie" is a graphite sketch I did for a larger pen and ink drawing. This was a commissioned work that I did. Doesn't she have a sweet face? I know she was well-loved pet.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Calendars and Other Sources of Income

How is everyone today? It's a hot and slightly muggy 93 degrees outside right now. I am in the cool house waiting for things to get more comfortable out there in nature. My neighbor and I had a yard sale this morning and we did pretty good considering we live in small town Texas. I don't know about you, but I am one of those people who have a hard time parting with my stuff. When I make up my mind to get rid of things, it's even harder to have those things left over after a yard sale and have to decide what to do with them. I hope to be able to find a charity to donate them to.

One of our customers this morning was also an artist. She and I visited for a while and I showed her some of my paintings. She seemed to like my wildlife paintings quite a bit and suggested that I might want to produce a calendar with my artwork. That is something I have considered in the past. I need to follow through with that and see about putting one together. Look for this to come in the future.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

nancyverschoor@toast2.net
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee." (1 Timothy 4:14)

Court of Honor

Tonight our grandson, Toby, had a Court of Honor. He was given the rank of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class Scout, and First Class Scout. He also was given the six merit badges he has earned this past year. The scout troop he started with was a little unorganized and they never had a Court of Honor. We got him enrolled in another scout troop and he was honored for all the work he's done along with three other Boy Scouts in the new unit. It was a simple, but well-done meeting and we had a pot-luck dinner afterwards. About 24 people showed up to support our boys.

I started another fawn painting today which I will call "Peek-a-Boo." It's going to be another 8" X 10" in size and it will show a fawn peeking between the back legs of its mother. I went to Austin to visit my sister a few weeks ago. We were in a nice neighborhood visiting our mom and the deer were epidemic! They were literally everywhere. Gail drove slowly while I snapped away with my camera. I must have taken over 150 pictures, but it was worth it. With this material, I will be able to paint quite a few pictures. I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I believe in taking a lot of photos. Usually, a few of them will be usable to work from for a painting. When you are working with animals, children, or anything else that moves you just never know exactly how the shots are going to turn out. By taking a lot of pictures, I usually get some that speak to my heart and that will make a great painting.

I also worked some more on the backside of the horse in "Singin' and Dancin'." I've been trying to figure out why it seems so difficult for me spend more time on this painting. Challenges come up in all of our lives. One thing that I struggle with is my fear that I won't be able to do well on my paintings. Now some of you that don't paint probably won't be able to relate to what I am saying, but painting new material and trying different techniques can be scary when you don't know how they will turn out. You are just hoping you can make it all work. You have this vision of a beautiful painting that will stir your heart and look oh so perfect. Sometimes my paintings accomplish that vision and sometimes they don't. The good thing is that you really can learn a lot even from the failures. I tend to be a perfectionist and really hate to have a failure, but I suppose most of us would like for all our efforts to be successes. Situations like this can help us learn that important quality called patience. I am convinced that patience is a virtue that Heavenly Father really wants us to learn. We seem to have so many opportunities to practice it! And I often think about how grateful I am that He is so patient with me. Some of the lessons of this life have been very slow in coming and there are probably many that I haven't figured out yet. It's a good thing we get to live so long, don't you think?

It was interesting to see how the voting turned out for your favorite paintings. Thanks to all of you who took the time to let me know which one you liked the best. Next month there will be another chance for you to share your opinions on your favorite piece, so be looking for that. Thank you, also, to those who have left comments for me. It is so good to hear from you.

Kindest regards,
Nancy

"Summer Shade"

Here is the painting of the fawns. I got it completed today and it felt good. Sometimes paintings just come together and this one did that for me. I'm going back to work on my large painting of "Singin' and Dancin'." I hope everyone has a good day.

Kindest regards,
Nancy Verschoor

Roadrunner

I wanted to include one of my pen and ink drawings on my blog. This is one I did a little while back. This roadrunner lived in a sour orange tree in my neighbor's back yard. He would visit our yard from time to time and it was amazing to see him run along the wooden fence at the back of our yards. One day I got a chance to take some good shots of him with my camera and this one of him on the fence turned out great. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did drawing it.

Kindest regards,
Nancy

Perspective Tip

I did get to work on my painting of the fawns today. They are turning out quite cute! I hope to be able to post the painting tomorrow.

For all of you artists who may occasionally struggle with perspective, I learned a terrific tip today. This works for simple two point perspective. I am not sure how you might adapt it for more complicated scenes, but it is great for something like a barn in a field. You will need your sketch pad, a rubber band, and two bulldog clips (or wooden spring-type clothes pins). Cut the rubber band so that it is one long band. Decide where you want your horizon line. Place one end of the rubber band at the side of your pad at the horizon line and secure with one of the clips. Stretch the rubber band to the other side of your pad and secure it at the horizon line on that side with the other clip. Now you need to determine where you want the front corner edge of your box, house, barn, etc. Raise the rubber band to the height you want it. Holding it in place, draw your lines toward your vanishing points on the horizon. Draw a vertical line extending down from the top point of lines you just drew. You can extend it below the horizon line if you want. Then you will pull your rubber band down to the bottom of the vertical line. Once again draw your lines out to the vanishing points along the rubber band. You can now place the other two vertical lines to express the far corners of your box or whatever shape you are making. I hope this makes sense to you. "A picture is worth a thousand words" probably applies here. It is hard to write it all out instead of just showing you. Please email me if you have any questions about this perspective tool. Maybe some of you can figure out ways to use this in more complicated scenes. Good luck and I hope you can have fun with this!

By the way, I realize I haven't posted my email for you. Please drop me a line if I can help you with anything: jnv268@toast.net

Some of my paintings are still available for purchase. Please send me an email for the price on any piece you are interested in.

Also, don't forget to vote at the bottom of the page for the painting you like the best. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards,
Nancy

jnv268@toast.net

"Wood Lily-Alberta"

In my past blog I wrote about my struggles with the background on my painting "Wood Lily", but I never posted the picture so you could see what I was talking about. Let me post that now. Today was a bit hectic and very little artwork got done. I did some thumbnails in preparation for a small piece I will start on Monday. It is going to be a pair of fawns resting in the shade on a warm summer day.

I hope everyone has a pleasant Sabbath Day.

Kindest regards,
Nancy

TGIF

My grandchildren are always happy it is Friday and they have a couple of days off school. I enjoy spending the extra time with them, too. Toby will be starting football this weekend. Last year he went from sitting on the bench during the first few games to playing almost every play. Once he got his mental attitude right, he became an amazing player. I can't wait to see what he accomplishes this year.

Today I came across some of my pen and ink drawings that had been packed away. I was very glad to find them. We have a lot of things still in storage and it's almost like Christmas every time we go through boxes to try to find items that are still packed away. I am taking more digital photos of my artwork so I can post them on my website. My goal is to have it on the Internet by the end of the month, so you can be looking forward to that.

Kindest regards,
Nancy

Welcome

I have heard about blogging for quite a while and I have finally decided to take the plunge myself. The main topic for this site is going to be my artwork.
I have loved painting and drawing since I was a young girl. But I am sure some of you know how life can go - you get married and love and support your husband through his schooling, jobs, hobbies, etc. He supports you in many of the same things. But before you know it you have a little flock of kids (four for us) and you get to be mom and all the labels that go along with that job. So art gets to be squeezed in between all the dozens of other activities going on, which means you don't get to do nearly as much of it as you would like.
Now, all of my children are grown and we are just raising two of our grandchildren. They are wonderful and are helping us to stay young. They are 14 and 12 years old. One of the best things about them is their willingness to support me in my artwork.
I have been really impressed that this is the season to devote time every day to painting or drawing. Some days life still gets in the way, but I have done more in the past two months than I have done in the past three years and it feels very good to me.
This gift that I have is truly a gift from God. I want to give Him the credit for anything that I do that gives joy to someone else. Each painting and drawing that I do usually has some challenging part in it. I pray fervently for guidance to understand how to solve the problems that invariably crop up. My Heavenly Father has helped me through each one.
Let me give you an example. I had taken some photos of some beautiful wildflowers in Alberta, Canada, a couple of years ago. I decided to do a small painting of a woodlily. I began with the background and loosely painted in some grasses and other plants with some warm yellowgreens. I blended them in softly to imitate a blurred background with the flower in focus. I wasn't really happy with how the background looked, but I decided to go ahead and paint the flower. I would fix the background later. I painted the flower with glazes. It took many layers to try to get the color right. Still, I couldn't make the color of the woodlily rich enough. It was at that frustrating stage where I thought I might just give up on it. A couple of days later, I decided I would try to improve on the background. I figured I would either fix the flower later or start another painting on top of this mess. I changed the colors in the background to a more cool shade of green. The darks were deepened and the shapes became more abstract. I stepped back to see the effect of it. My Heavenly Father had inspired me to change the background in a way that set off the woodlily to perfection! I loved the color of the flower now. It was almost miraculous the difference in the way it looked.
My sister has suggested that I start doing charcoal portraits. She mentioned about the amazing amount of money people pay for things at prom time. It would be fun to do some charcoal portraits for people. The cost for them would be considerably less than for a painting and, with good photo references, I could do them from home. I have done some already that my clients have been very pleased with. These would also make wonderful Christmas presents. I will figure out how to add pictures to this page and you can see what my work looks like. Portraits are always done with a lot of prayer. I want all the help I can get to create beautiful and accurate paintings.
My favorite type of artwork is Western paintings. I am currently painting a scene from a photo I took at a local ranch rodeo. You see the horse and cowboy from the backside. The rope is "singing" as the calf snaps it tight. The reins are "dancing" as the cowboy has turned the horse away from the calf. Hence, the title "Singin' and Dancin'." My first painting from this series of ranch rodeo scenes sold almost before the paint was dry.
Another type of painting that I have recently started doing is called "trompe l'oiel." This is a French term for "fool the eye." It is very detailed work that looks so real you think you could pick up the items. I painted an 8" X 10" trompe l'oiel in honor of my husband's grandfather. It contained a photo of him, a medal he received in WWI, an envelope addressed to him, a VFW medal, a VFW membership card and a couple of other items that were his. My son had come in the house several times and wondered why I had arranged Grandpa's things on a board like that. He didn't realize until I told him that it was a painting.
Well, I need to stop for now and go get some painting done today.

Neglect not the gift that is in thee. (1 Timothy 4:14)