Artopia was a Hit!

Last month, the much anticipated local fund-raiser for HIV/AIDS, Artopia, was held at the civic center in Tallahassee. I donated the piece pictured above called Fair Violets No. 3 that was able to get a $50 bid for a happy contributor to this great cause. I also donated some mini cat paintings which went for less profit because of their small 2-1/2″ size but certainly made the art and cat lovers glad. I’ve also included two pieces I admired (one of which I bought) a cat by David Maki and some flowers by Ann Kozeliski. It was a fun and successful event!

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Kaylene Kitty Comes Alive

This is my latest custom pet portrait I did for a friend’s Siamese cat named Kaylene for a gift for his wife. The pet portraits seem to be very popular gift items. I decided to show the progression of how I paint an animal painting. Keep in mind this is different than the way I approach my typical paintings since the cat or dog should resemble the person’s pet. I sketch on a pad first, copying a provided reference photo then I sketch on the canvas. Next, I do the background followed by “blocking in” the main colors. Finally, I go back over the cat with the highlights, mid-tones and shadows then doing the eyes, nose and whiskers last. Shown below are the photos. Stay tuned for more custom pet portraits!

Donation to Artopia 2018

Here is my donation for this year’s Artopia, a AIDS fundraiser put on by  Big Bend Cares of Tallahassee. This charity event features a silent auction (where my piece will be included) and a exciting live auction for the more expensive art. It is donated by many, many artists from all around the region and some from out of state. My piece is an acrylic painting on paper that’s matted and framed and it’s called “Fair Violets No. 3.” If you’re interested in attending this event, check out this link for Artopia 2018.

 

 

Evolution of a Diane Dyal Painting

It starts with inspiration. I enjoy taking pictures of things I like around town as well as around my house. This is mainly because I have fairly recently moved to Tallahassee, FL and it has been inspiring me. The photo above I took at Cascades Park of an image I thought would make an interesting painting. Next, I bought a vertically-oriented canvas I thought would be appropriate. Then, as pictured below, I sketch the image with pencil on my pad, followed by doing a painting study on the paper pad as well. This allows me to see how the colors interact with each other, the values at work, the choice of pick of each hue, composition, etc. Finally…the finished product! This piece is slated for exhibit in the future at a major gallery in town.

Cascades Park Railroad Crossing by Diane Dyal, 12″x24″, copyright 2018

 

 

Jeff Koons PlayDoh for New York Art Week

Here is a fine example of contemporary art for sale last week for New York City art week at Christie’s auction house in Rockefeller Center. It is done in aluminum (see card below) and it is by the famous Jeff Koons. He is very well known and his work can be seen all over the city and is for sale in the millions. He was on the cover of Time Magazine a few years ago which I discovered when I went to New York and saw two of his exhibits, one at the Gagosian Gallery and one at the Zwirner Gallery. He quite often works in large scale and in metal. Pictured above is the front of Play-Doh and below are more shots. I’ve also included a photo from my trip in 2013 of a statue with gazing ball, to give you another example of his work.

 

Diane Dyal at 1020 Art for First Friday

Majken was exuberantly looking over the artwork I submitted to her for the show this spring in April and May. She is the curator of 1020 Art, a gallery on Lafayette Street in Tallahassee, FL where I have representation. The pieces I gave her were done in my new expression style which she was eager to add to my former primitive style paintings. Here I am with some of the art which was on display in the gallery on First Friday in April. First Friday is something that’s done here in Tallahassee the first Friday of the month where all the art galleries and studios have openings. I can’t wait for May’s event!

Boston Terrier Custom Pet Portrait

Here is a sketch of two Boston Terriers on the canvas before the painting began. When doing a custom pet portrait, I always sketch the animal(s) on a pad first, then sketch onto the canvas next. Hopefully the sketch on the canvas comes out as good as the sketch on the pad. To refine the sketch you can always look at the drawing in the mirror to judge proportions, etc. Another method of double checking is taking a photograph which surprisingly shows a bit of a different perspective. Here’s the finished product below which I delivered to a happy customer last week.