Buttons Jester

This adorable nutcracker has a European flair, with the almost mime like features.  The red ball nose and the rosy red cheeks certainly have a clown like feel to them!  I love the serious expression to the face, and the applied red buttons to the front of the coat!  The little legs are so shapely - which is not the norm of stick straight legs on most nutcrackers!  The colors work so well together here - it has been one of my favorites to paint!  This painting makes 1448 in 1448 days. 

Jester Nutcracker

What fun this nutcracker had been to paint!  This unusual nutcracker has been shared with me from another collection - and what a gorgeous or it is! The purples and blues are a wonderful complement to his features, and that collar is amazing!  The eyes are dramatically painted - unlike any other with those sweeping eyelashes.  SO cool! This beautiful nutcracker is painting number 1447 in 1447 days :) 

Nutcracker Family!

What a super fun painting to do!  Each nutcracker of this nutcracker ensemble represents a member of a family, and together, this is really a family portrait unlike all others!  I must say, the artist complete with his palette, paintbrush and easel is my favorite - but each is full of so much character!  It is a wonderful idea to find nutcrackers that take on the personalities of family members!  I think I will be on the lookout for my own "family" gathering!  This painting makes 1430 in 1430 days, and now back to work!

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Checking the Jester

Checking the Jester
Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 4x4
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I love the vintage feel of painting this Santa in sepia!  I mix red oxide and ivory black to get this rich color, and basically work the darks.  I try to not use white at all, except for a little light on the rim of his glasses.   I love this technique, and I've already primed 6 more gallery wraps for more vintage Santas!  By the way, this is the Santa I found on Main Street over the weekend.  Little did he know I would be memorializing him in paint, again and again!   This painting makes 1419 in 1419 days.

Santa & the Jester

Santa & the Jester
Acrylic on masonite, 6x6

I love the sound of rain hitting the roof!  It is especially good when I have finished most of my chores for the day, and I can pick up my brushes and paint!  This season finds me drawn to capturing Santa in nostalgic scenes, and doing so in black and white!  On this one, I have used mars black and titanium white, with the tiniest bit of red oxide to warm the tone.  This lovely nutcracker was another supplied to me by Candy - and this is only the second time I have painted one in black and white!  This jester had so many colors of equal value that it made the painting of him more difficult.  I needed to push lighter and darker to give him form.  He does have such wonderful colors....I think I will have to do him in color, too - before the season is gone and I move onto snowy landscapes!! Painting number 1089 in 1089 days - now back to family time!