Paint like You can afford it!

My painting mentor always says I'm too stingy with the paint... So, one day (actually it was night about 11pm) I decided to try it out! I grabbed a piece of cardboard that I keep around for kids when they want to paint. Chose a picture on the computer for a reference - that was a little girl from Knysna (South Africa) Rastafarian community we visited a few weeks ago. 

The aim was to paint with lots of paint and keep it bright:) I am happy with the result. 

Picture is for sale. Size 23x30cm. Please contact me, if You would like to buy it.

R

Old Photo = New Painting!

We sometimes miss our loved ones that we have lost and would love to have them with us... however, we don't always have a perfect picture to enlarge and put on canvas. But You can have a painting. Here are couple of paintings, that I have done from old, black& white photograph:

Merry Christmas!!!

Dear Nelson Mandela and all of us- may we have a blessed Christmas and fulfilling time with our families! 

Christmas Commissions

Christmas is time for giving and spending time with the family- at least it is for me! I have my mom and sister coming from Overseas (Latvia) to visit us. It will be be my moms first visit in South Africa and there is so much to see here!!!

Portrait paintings are very unique gifts for Xmas and they are great for business (if I can call painting portraits a business), but my family is more important for me. So please excuse me for reserving the Christmas time for family rather than painting ;)

I wish all of You the best Xmas ever and great New Year ahead!

Ritma and family.

Painting landscape

It's been a while since the last post and I have been busy, but not painting wise... However I have done a few portraits with landscape at the background. Although landscape does not require a precise representation (as oppose to portrait, where a minimal change can determine if the portrait will actually look like the person portrayed) it still takes a lot of effort and time to paint. The tricky part is to make landscape look 3-dimensional, where the lightest color and darkest color meet at the horizon.

All of these paintings are done with acrylic paint on canvas fabric.  In various sizes. 

www.portraitartist.co.za

Art classes

On Wednesday I traveled 70km that took me more then an hour (one way!) to an art class to draw a weird electricity plug, that I didn't finish... Are these art classes wort it?

Well, the class is given by a brilliant teacher Leonie Brown and I really hope that she can help me to improve my painting skills. I must say that I did pick up a few pieces of advice just by watching other students as well as listening what Leonie tells them:) So, yes, its worth it!

PS. If anyone else from Somerset West would like to join the art class on Wednesday mornings in Durbanville, please contact me (www.portraitartist.co.za), we can share the petrol cost (it's a pity one can not share travel time:) ).

Paintings in Country Markets/ Events

Yesterday, 13.October, 2012, we had a Training jumping show at Journey's End stables (www.horsebackriding.co.za) where I am a regular visitor...

As I have painted some of the horses there, I decided to advertise my work on the event. So, I teamed up with my friend Alaine (http://laineysbeadeddesigns.wozaonline.co.za) and we had a display table at the show.  The show itself was a great success as it had a great turnover and fantastic atmosphere. My paintings however didn't enjoy that much attention or interest. Ok, I didn't expect people to buy the paintings as they all were costume made for someone, but were some what disappointed about lack of interest.

Where did I go wrong? Ok, I guess, people didn't come to the show to see paintings, they came to see horses and jumps. Maybe I should keep to online advertising and keep www.portraitartist.co.za active? Maybe I should try a genuine craft market where people come to see and possibly buy art??? Ok, that sounds like a way forward:)