Saatchionline - Art

I have submitted a painting to Saatchionline. Big Ben in Colour -this is the painting:

The winner will be announced January 20, 2011. Prizes: the winner receives $1000 USD and the work will be exhbited at the Saatchi gallery in London. The runner up will receive $500 USD.

What a great competition and the opportunity to display work in a London gallery is truely exciting.

I am asking for people to take a look at the work and vote for me.

Thank you!

#TwitterArtExhbit

I am delighted to see that my work is posted on the exhibit wall in Norway. First time my art work has gone outside of the UK and Canada. Click here to view the photos from the library.

@DavidSandumArt did an amazing job of organising this event and has proved to be incredibly popular with artists worldwide. It is also for a good cause, books for children. There are over 200 painting for sale the original aim was for 140 but the popularity of the exhibit exceeded everyones expectations.

The exhibit has creating a lot of media coverage and three days into the exhibit and 63 peices of work have been sold amounting to $2097.

The show is still on and there are paintings available for purchase. Who would not want to buy an original piece of work for a small fee and for a good cause?

Welcome!

Welcome!: "This is your new Flavors.me page.

My name is Stephanie and I am an amateur artist - fine art. I love coffee my family and creating. You can visit my blog: http://stephmattart.blogspot.com

"

December Art

Start of the painting Next stages of the painting

So my next project I am working on is this tree. The tree trunk is predominantly irredescent gold, a cold blue sky with light peeping through then falling leaves. The background, I think, is finished I need to do a lot more work on the foreground until I am happy with it.

Problem with artists is that they can keep working on a painting and still see things to work on, so I will have to have a cut off point when the times comes.


I will post more once I am closer to finishing.

Start of my next painting

This is the start of my new painting. It is wet hence the glare. Anyway, more development needed.

Why I paint...

Why do I paint?

From a young age I have always enjoyed drawing, painting, using a variety of materials, techniques and creating art in one form or another. I go through phases where I can paint and paint and then nothing.

I have two daughters who are under 5 and they bring out my child like artistic creativity which helps me to be more hands on and experiment with materials I otherwise would not. Also, working in an corporate environment for over a decade can knock artistic creative thinking on the head somewhat but my kids have helped me regain my 'lost' imagination.

In England I was an art and design student at a college but decided to study business at university, also in England. I have continued to paint when I can and am inspired to do so. I moved away from Europe and I have developed routes in Canada where I have attending art classes to develop my knowledge and learn new techniques.

I lean towards fine art, I also enjoy photography and visiting galleries (when I get time). I have sold paintings and have exhibited work but now is the time to promote myself and create more work, I would love to be a full time artist but I can never see myself as a starving artist! My paintings are for sale - thought I should mention this.

I have used many styles, I seem to go through phases but don't most artists? Until I find a style that I love to do and can develop I will continue to experiment. Using colour is my main objective, I love colour. I enjoy working on still life projects and being inspired by what is around me.

As well as creating new work and being a full time office worker and mum I intend to develop my own website but I think this will be sometime later next year.

Now that I have provided a profile snapshot I hope that you enjoy my work and who knows you may even buy some.

Postcard Art - Norway (Charity) #2

Golden Poppy

Here is my initial painting but it did not go the way I wanted hence the tree painting in an earlier blog below 'Golden Tree'. The flash from my camera has produced unwanted light, so I will get a better photo posted later. However, you can see there is a lot of texture in the paint. It is a painting of poppy's in a field with a glimmer of gold, green and red. It actually came out well in the end but I think I prefer the tree painting.

Maybe you prefer one to the other. Let me know the one with the most votes will be sent unless I send them both!

Postcard Art - Norway (Charity)

Golden Tree

How can art, twitter art, help children.? Here is how: http://davidsandumart.posterous.com/call-for-artists-twitter-art-exhibit-in-moss

What better way to paint for a fabulous cause, these postcard sized painting, drawings etc will be posted and sold for approx. $32.00 and all the money will go towards children's books. The deadline date to submit work is Nov 27th -it needs to be posted soon.

I have two designs but I think this is the better one of the two. I will name it 'Golden Tree' I think I will produce a larger version of this some time soon. However, I have sent two mini paintings the other is Golden Poppy, and why not indeed?

#twitterartexhibit

Poppy - Red

Red Poppy's

Poppy painting. Painting with Acrylics on canvas board 11x14.

I have waited a while to paint poppy's I was not sure how I was going to design it and what style I would use but this seems to fit. It has a kind of darkness to it which in some respects reflects the wars many have fought and the redness of the poppy's are the colour of hope peeping through the murky background.

I had not intended to paint this for remembrance day but seeing the vibrant poppy's on lapels encouraged the time to paint this subject matter.

Lest we forget.

Vibrant Poppy

Vibrant Poppy's

One I did this week. A miniature, 10x12, acrylics.

Following on with the poppy series. I wanted to paint something more vibrant and colourful. I think this did the trick.

I have not decided on the painting I will donate to charity but this one is a potential.

Sunflower

Brightest Sunflower

I have found new inspiration to paint and I have a flower theme happening. My most recent, completed today, is the Sunflower. They make me smile, so bright and sunny with the yellow tones and the contrasting bright blue sky.

You can also visit my work on:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Matthews-Fine-Art/173878675958411

Please like, if you like it would be much appreciated.

;)

One of my Favourite Paintings

Planet Beach

I created this painting a few years ago. I have received so many positive comments on it. The photo of this picture is as true a representation of the original as it gets.

Anyway, it is named Planet Beach, something my husband said, it conjures up images of a red planet that looks like it has a beach. You can use your own imagination.

I used acrylics.

Inukshuk

Inukshuk - BC

Inukshuk: The logo for the 2010 Olympics. I painted this earlier this year. A fun project plus I was assisting on the Olympics within the company I was working for so thought it was an apt painting to do.

Nothing more than something I wanted to paint (a miniature painting) and try thicker texture with thick paint strokes.

I think when I painted this I had purchased a new rocking album from itunes and it was late at night and I was left to my own devices - my favourite time to paint. Oh I think I had a glass of wine or two too!

Artistic Inspiration

I have not painted for a while, lack of time more than anything. I am back in the mood for it but I am looking for inspiration. I do like some of the classics, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali, Kadinsky.

There are a few artist that I really enjoy looking at currently:

• Emily Carr, a BC artist, I enjoy her flow of the paint and the scenery she paints.
• Caroline Shotton, a UK artist, I enjoy her subject matter, how she takes the image and adds humour.
• Laura Zerebeski, a Vancouver artist, someone I worked with until she took the plunge and became a full time artist whom is doing very well in the art world.
• Edward Hopper, a US artist (sorry only could find him on wiki). Enjoy his images, his style of painting and the way he uses lighting. Brilliant!

You may have noted I lean towards fine art.

I have visited the Tate Modern in London they have some fabulous exhibitions. The Vancouver Art Museum, is close to where I work. I have visited the museum a few times to see Emily Carr work but it is nothing like the European museums and there is no comparison to the Louvre in Paris, of course. I miss Europe and its history.

Art is a very personal thing and there are some great pieces and some not so great. But what I would consider not so great perhaps someone else would see as beautiful or even an investment. Whatever the case beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Fairy House for the bottom of the garden

My little arts and crafts creation. Actually I had lots of help from my girls. They are both into Tinkerbell so what better than to make a fairy house for the bottom of the garden.

All I used was an used machine washing liquid carton (large one) and used a stanley knife to cut the hole for the opening. Purchased a few colourful feathers from the dollar store plus felt and colourful flowers and used glue to stick it on. Good fun for ages 2 and older.

Items:

• Large plastic carton
• Stanley knife
• Colourful feathers
• Colourful flowers
• Felt

Cheap and easy to do with help of an adult.