My Plot

Sorry about my short hiatus.  I was busy plotting taking over the world!  Well...not really the world.  That would be crazy.  No, right now I'm focusing on the U.S.  As you can see on my map, I'm working my way up and down the east coast.

Recently, I've been working with clients who live outside of my home state, and I noticed that although some paintings were living in the same state, other's weren't.  Wouldn't it be cool if I was able to say that one piece of my artwork, no matter how big or small, was in every state?  Feel free to spead the word about my plot.  Ahem... I mean my goal. 

My Summer Finds

Summer is right around the corner.  Although its a beautiful season, it gets pretty hot down south, so instead of thinking about the upcoming heat wave, let's focus on other great things about summer like the colors!  This original ACEO, available in my shop, definitely brings this season to mind. 

The blue is the focus because all season long, I'll no doubt wish for a cool front to blow in.  Its also a great representation of all the watersports that are popular in the heat.  The yellow represents the sunshine of course.  A beautiful combo, don't you think?  I found some other things that have these great colors in the fashion world:

These lapis blue chalcedony briolettes by Kristin at Your Unique Kreations are perfect for the summer season.  They can be made into earrings or necklaces, or whatever creation you come up with.  I love the color and shape of these!  The listing is for the two drops only, but one thing that makes Your Unique Kreations so unique is that Kristin also offers earring bases and chains too.  This particular set is wired with 14K gold, but I scoped a similar set that has sterling silver.  Check out these and other listings at her shop:  http://www.youruniquekreations.etsy.com/

Another summer find that follows the same theme is the custom canary dress by Holly Stalder.  I'm such of fan of ruffles and this beauty has plenty of them!  If you enjoy being a girl, then this dress is perfect for you.   Its elegant, classy and yes, a little flirty.  Holly's design is made in 100% silk chiffon, which is a lightweight sheer fabric but is also great for the season as it gives off an airy, floaty look.  This design is perfect for the fabric.  Visit Holly's shop to see more of her creations at : 
http://www.hollystalder.etsy.com/

My Etsy Challenge

Elle Decor featured an article on Monique Lhuillier's Bel Air home.  Isn't the decor fabulous?  I love it!  This room was also perfect for a painting I recently completed, and also adore.  After all, the rule is use pops of color (or in my case, pattern) in threes.  Don't you think the painting fits right in? 

Although I'm seriously tempted to keep this painting, "Striations" is reluctantly available for all Zebra lovers at Ashton Atelier.    This painting is so gorgeous and detailed!  You can almost pet its fuzzy stripes as it gazes soulfully at you with its chocolate eyes.   I also wanted to see what else the Etsy community could offer.  Could they come close to Ms. Lhuillier's home?  I put together a collection and had an exhibition.  That's right!  My first treasury was an Etsy Challenge:  Luxurious Living!    How do you think they compared?

Etsy came pretty close, along with some extra luxurious items that would look great.  But I also did some window browsing to see if any online stores had slightly more affordable furniture and accessories than the designer names Ms. Lhuillier uses:

  Williams-Sonoma's Presidio Sofa in Luxe Velvet, Pewter is a close match to the A. Rudin sofa. 

 And Crate & Barrel's Clara Chair in Luna are a nice substitute for Liz O'Briens' club chairs.  Feel free to tell me if you find a match and where.

My Trip Back in Time!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...Jane Austen is awesome!!!  Reading her work never gets old, and I'm so happy that they've been made into film features.  It makes it easier to visualize the characters.  Especially Mr. Darcy. *sigh*

In the 19th century, and in the years previous, all of the great houses in England were proud of their family history.  Most homes featured a portrait gallery of all the family members.  If you tour any historical home, you'll likely see some family portraits.  Sadly, with the invention of the camera, portrait painting has mostly become a lost art. 

Well I'm bringing it back in style!  I wanted to focus on the actual historical side for my portrait work.  The clothing and styling was so unique!  My first attempts were a success, so of course I want to do more!  I also enjoy showing off the process.  To the left is the beginning stages.  So, come on!  Visit Ashton Atelier, and we'll take a trip back in time!

My Time Machine

In case you didn't know, I work from photographs whenever I paint a portrait. The more photographs, the better. You have no idea how a person's facial expression at that moment can play a large part. I choose the best, and sometimes combine a few photos for a single subject. Occasionally, I have to make changes myself. My latest portrait fell under this category. I received 4 photos. The challenge? They were dated. As in, 1970s, dated. I had to bring the subject, who had deceased, to the 21st century.

Most of the original photos I received had the subject with a beard. My client requested no beard. The subject had an afro. My client requested a shorter haircut. And I had to update the clothing. For this painting, I was basically doing a makeover. I love makeovers!! After getting all the info needed, and picking the best photo, the painting began. My client loved the end results and put it in a place of honor! What do you think?

My 1st Etsy Sale!

There has been a lot of action this past month. The most exciting was my first Etsy sale! A shopper wanted a custom painting of a Weeping Willow for their fireplace at home. What made this request so unique was that six different versions from six different artists were wanted. Each artist would give a different perspective and I thought that was a cool idea. Well, I was one of the chosen artists! Yay, me!! I matched the colors with the photo references of the mantle piece, did a little research and it came out beautifully. My client was happy, and couldn't wait to hang it. I wish I could see the final vision. What do you think?

In other news, Ashton Atelier has been featured several times in other articles, and a few more are upcoming. One of my paintings even made it to a Top 10 list, and that made its popularity skyrocket! Not bad for its first month.

My 1st Feature!

I'm having a really good time at Etsy. Recently, I've been actively promoting Ashton Atelier within the Etsy community, and I've had a lot of visitors and positive comments. So far, my shop has generated 26 hearts! I must be doing something right.

The best part came this week. I was featured in a "Color of the Week" blog article by Charan Sachar, aka "Creativewithclay". Each week, she chooses a color and posts items from various Etsy shops that fit the criteria, and encourages readers to visit. Her blog has over 900 (and growing) readers each week, and with each visiting a featured shop...well, lets just say that being featured is a huge deal for shop owners, so I was so excited to be included. My painting, "Inferno", was in this week's group. This week's color feature? Magenta! Here's a few comments about it:

What a great selection, Magenta is such a vibrant color !! I love the Inferno painting, it's so intense !!
-- goodhartshoes

What a gorgeous array of items! Love the glasswork inspired painting - just magnificent!
-- Tapestry Design Studio

While all are lovely, AshtonAtelier's painting is, hands down, my favorite! -- knitsburgh

YEAH, BABY!

My Shop!

Ashton Atelier is now open for business!

If you're you a regular reader of my blog, you may have noticed that I haven't posted in a few days. Okay...months. I've been handling several projects at one time, so my monthly updates have suffered.

In the meantime, I have opened an online store. Yes, its true. Etsy.com is a place where you can buy and sell handmade things, such as paintings! I decided to check it out when my sister-in-law, Jenni, told me about it. Its a pretty cool site. I took some time to research what opening a shop involves, checked out a few shops, and even asked a few questions from shop owners. It seemed like a unique opportunity, so part of my hiatus was due to increasing my inventory.

The shop had a 'soft opening' on the third, but I've already been "hearted"! That means that someone out there tagged an item and/or shop as a favorite. In my case, both! I carefully staged each painting to appeal to those with a discerning eye. This is one of the items that will soon be featured. Look familiar? What do you think? Please check out Ashton Atelier, and spread the word!

Thanks, Jenni!!

My Second Auction!

My second auction was right here in my backyard. Well, not literally. Jefferson Dollars for Scholars expands educational opportunities to students in the Jefferson Parish of Louisiana. The Rising Stars Golden Tassel Gala is an event held every spring. New Orleans' top business, culinary, and community leaders were invited to attend this fundraising evening, which included a silent auction. I was excited that my painting was one of the items featured among such prestigious artists like George Rodgrigue, Bill Hemmerling and others.

Can you find my painting among these fine items? I'll give you a minute...

No?

Don't worry, a closeup if shown below. "The Blue Balcony" is an 18x24 painting that features, well, you know. Because the theme of New Orleans was so successful the last time, I decided to stick with that. Again, it was a success! Yay!! Here's what Lisa Conescu, Executive Director, said:

Nichole.... Thanks so much. Your painting is gorgeous and the people who bought it are really excited to have it. I loved it! I just am too busy to ever get to bid on anything.

I can't tell you how much we appreciate that you sought us out and wanted to be a part of us. We are always thrilled to have artwork for our auction.You are welcome to do it again next year, if you want. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hmm..maybe I will... What do you think of the featured item?

My First Auction!

You'd never believe what happened to me!

I've been a fine artist listed at GURU.com, a freelance jobsite, for quite a while now. Guru is a great way to market yourself to prospective employers. While I don't bid on each project --(why should I sign up for to do a sculpture when I know nothing of sculpting?!) I do submit a quote for projects that interest me -- one in particular.

The project posting was from an employer who needed a unique painting of something related to New Orleans for a charity auction in November 2008. It was the only painting that would be auctioned at the live event. They didn't want any subject matter dealing hurricanes or anything inappropriate. It was perfect for me!

In keeping with the southern theme, my initial bid was for a magnolia painting. To my surprise, I was chosen! Yay!! Although my employer, who I later found out was the ASCP Foundation, liked my magnolia theme, they wanted something based on the Garden District. They supplied me with a few photos of what they were going for and wanted my imagination to run with it. So I ran!

After the project was completed, I was anxious about how everything turned out. How did my painting do at the auction? Did they like it? What were the comments? Did anyone buy it? If so, who? I was later told that the painting, Springtime in New Orleans was "a BIG hit!!" I'm so happy! Stay tuned for what else I'm doing.

My Vineyard

Wow! Its been a while since my last post...mostly caused by grief from Gustav. Hurricane evacuation is a growing trend here in south Louisiana, you should try it! My family and I tracked the storm's path in sunny Florida. Naturally, all projects were put on hold. When we got back almost two weeks later, (Hurricane Ike seemed like it was headed for our home!) and saw everything was fine, (for the most part -- my mom's gazebo was a tragic loss) it was back to work...on home renovations. To be more specific: a kitchen remodel.

It had wallpaper that mimicked tilework. Every other "tile" had a raised rose etching on it. On closer inspection, the wall looked like a checkerboard pattern, and this was repeated on two walls. The counter was pink (which was chosen by yours truly in the early 90s), and the window coverings were seafoam green vertical blinds. It was beautiful! In the 90s.

We wanted the kitchen to have style while keeping the project low-budget. First a design was necessary. Or more importantly, what colors appealed. If we stayed true to the rest of the house, reds, golds and other fall colors would be used. That plan actually lasted three full days. Clearly, finding colors that would appeal to every member in our house would be a problem, and I'm not the picky one. I'm not!!

My sister found some real tiles that looked great to us all, and from there, the project took off. We considered different ways of dealing with the countertop, from a stainless steel film to spreading stone. It had to be durable and it had to look good. We chose paint. It couldn't just be flat color -- been there, done that. I personally wanted it to blend with the rest of the house and our new dishes. I chose a mahogany butcherblock look. My sister suggested a chandelier (as a joke?), but once the idea took root, we found one on sale. Cue Hurricane Gustav! Upon our return, it was time to replace the seafoam vertical blinds, and we put up white shutters.

My role in this was mostly painting. The walls, of course, but I also created a "wall grille" behind the stove, a mural complete with a grapevine and the mahogany countertops. The theme that developed: a vineyard. Its beautiful! We went from pink, seafoam and burgandy to lilac, gray-green and white. Here are our before and semi-afters. Tell us what you think. Are we worthy of Rate my Space?

My Italian Room With a View: Part Two

Well readers, I've finally took the next step that every creative person makes: directing. What you're about to see is the stages of development of a mural. You'll note that three walls are being worked on simultaneously so as to keep the painting in proper balance. The whole process took about 3 months. Does that may seem long to you? My schedule allowed me to work just two days a week, so if you want to be technical about it then it was about 10 days. Please sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy!

My Italian Room With a View: Part One

Or...

La mia Stanza Italiana con una Vista: Parte Una

Hey, when in Rome...Along with portraiture, my services include paintings of botanicals, landscapes and murals. I recently talked with someone who was interested in the latter. My potential client wanted a peaceful retreat in her master bath. An Italian retreat to be specific. She already owned a painting that I could use to get an idea of just what she was going for.

We talked about a mural that covered two walls, but when seeing the actual working area, it was decided that a 3-wall view would be best. Better and better! The bathroom had 9' walls, two white doors I couldn't paint over, and an overall bay window shape. This Italian view, when completed, would face the sunken tub. Talk about relaxing! The walls and fixtures were neutral, so it would be easy to start the process. I took measurements and several pictures of the space, and gave my client several scenic options. Below, you'll see what I had to work with.

My Stealth Skills

One of the reasons I love being a portrait artist is because I'm part of the surprise. Portrait paintings make the best surprise gifts! A recently completed portrait fell right into that category.

This particular portrait was to be presented as an anniversary gift in May. Part of the challenge was being sneaky around the gift-receiver: the husband. He always seemed to be around! You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get the job done -- ducking behind columns, hiding in the bushes, crawling though the a/c shafts...Okay, maybe I didn't go that far. That costs extra. But my stealth skills were called on to retrieve the photo to work from, and to hand-deliver the finished painting. The rest was up to the wife, who performed her part admirably.

If a portrait client frequently moves, like this couple, its important to consider the longevity and practicality of the painting. You want them to keep it forever. With that information in mind, I wanted the painting to fit in with whatever decor they chose. I knew they both loved the color red, so I made sure to use that in the clothing. The neutral colored background features my latest learned skill: knifing. It was the first time I'd tried out this technique on a portrait, and I think I did a decent job. I caught up with them a few weeks after the anniversary date. They were so pleased with their painting, especially the husband. I love surprises!

My Nephew, 1st Grader-to-Be!

I have personally participated in three graduation ceremonies. The first was my graduation from kindergarten. It was held in the auditorium of Leon Godchaux Grammer, and had a graduating class of....well, I can't remember that much detail. I was five! What I do remember was that I had to recite a speech, which I did perfectly, thank you, and that I was wearing a beautiful white dress that my mom had made. I still have some pictures. Kindergarten was awesome!

Now my nephew is graduating from kindergarten! I'm so excited for him and his parents! Will he have the little diamond hat with tassels? Does he have to dress up? Will he have a speech too?! I hope his parents take plenty of pictures. I can picture it now, all the little gradu-- Ok..this just in...

"No graduation ceremony is to be
held for the kindergarten class of 2008."

Oh. Nevermind.

Malakai is a total boy. His favorite color is red; he loves cars, sports, video games and more. This kid is active! I captured all of that information and attitude, and put it on a canvas. Yes, his love of cars too. As you can see below, I included one of Kai's favorite cartoon characters, (seriously, that movie is on all the time!) Lightening McQueen. The car he's "playing with" is a Ford GT40, and is what inspired Pixar's profile of the animated character. I also chose that model to portray a deeper meaning: the fact that he's growing up. Congratulations Malakai!! We're proud of you!

My New Strategy

Part of the struggle of a portrait artist is not only attempting to make a portrait look like the subject, but also to find the right coloring for his or her skintone. You must know what colors to mix, what colors compliment or highlight each other, and even what colors to stay away from. Trial and error is the tactic I've been using. I've gotten pretty good at knowing what works best for certain skintones, but for others...well, let's just say that my tactic can get pricey.

I decided to try something different for my most recent portraits. I bought a book. Not just any book, a color mixing recipe book for artists. Yes, there is such a thing! This excellent resource guide is especially for portrait artists. It lists 500 color combinations, has recipes for skin for several nationalities, suggestions for eyes and even hair. Of course, not everyone is the same and allowances must be made, but for the most part the book is great!

With this new strategy, I'm not using as much paint and I have a starting point for what to use. I've also found that my work is going much faster, so now I'm able to start new projects before I've met my previous deadline. Bring on the new clients!

My New Offer!

I once found myself in a situation where I had to complete two commissions in the same week, and had five inquiries to answer at the same time--seven if you count my clients. Not an easy thing to do single-handedly.

Although its good that my name is out there, and people are interested in my services, I don't particularly want to find myself in that situation again. I thought about what I could offer potential clients if I find myself double-booked. I don't want to turn any away, but they usually have a set date of when they need a completed portrait in their hands and I just don't have the time.

I looked at what some other portrait artists were doing: they offered Gift Certificates. I thought that was a nice idea because it allowed a gift-receiver to be more involved which may take time, therefore, more time for the artist to work on other projects. So I designed some certificates based on what other artist's do, and offered that as part of my creative services. I've a few inquiries from last minute gift-givers, but no rushing stampede for them. And to tell the truth, I wasn't satisfied with offering Gift Certificates. Anyone can do that.

I happened to be in the gift wrap section of a store looking for...I forget, when I saw Gift Card bags and holders. I thought to myself, "These are so cute! Too bad I don't need a Gift Card for....HEEEYYYY!!" Um...I kind of slow. To make a long story short, I made a few inquiries of my own to some companies who specialize in making all kind of cards: credit, hotel keys, gift cards and more. From that, as you can see below, I have something new to offer! Gift Cards!

My Sunrise and Sunset

My family had already decided that I was to start a new painting to replace another. The subject of the future piece didn't matter; it just had to incorporate the colors and blend with the theme of the room. I decided to do another landscape.

I bought a 30x40 canvas for this painting. I was so excited--this was the largest stretched canvas to date. Not counting the murals. The living room, where the landscape would be displayed, was getting a complete makeover. Once the painting was completed, the work on the room would commence. My painting was to be the inspiration to get the job done. I got home and saw that my precious canvas had a hole in it!! A one inch hole!! Well the entire project became pointless and stupid. My life was over, so who cared about the living room?!

After about an hour's worth of dark thoughts, I had an epiphany: museums hired artists to restore paintings all the time. Priceless pieces with real rips, tears and holes that needed major surgery. Maybe I could repair my canvas too. I looked up some information, and though I didn't find anything on ripped blank canvases, I did find information for tears in paintings. Its the same concept, so formula for that should work, right? After all, it couldn't get any worse. So I read the instructions, tinkered with some chemistry, and voila! It worked! For 20 seconds. Stupid "specialists".

A closer examination and a gingerly poke revealed that the tear didn't pucker as badly as before. I took some gesso, and sealed the seam. I let it sit for 24 hrs, and then attacked it with my blow-dryer which I set on cool. I then started, and completed my painting, of which I tried a new technique: knifing! More about that later. Until then, tell me...can you see the hole?

My Disappearing Client!

Whoa!! I missed last month's report! So I'll use January to tell you what been happening lately, and why I must say my goodbyes.

Not goodbye to this blog, faithful readers, but to a painting that's been displayed in my home for almost two years. A client commissioned a landscape in mid-2005, right before Hurricane Katrina hit. I took the in-progress canvas with me when we ran from the storm, just in case. Funny thing is that we ran directly into the storm! But that's another story. The following months post-Katrina were complete chaos! Back at home, along with my family, I was volunteering with a rebuilding program and helping out with the household to even think about painting. Like I said, complete chaos. I hope we don't have to go through that again anytime soon.

When things settled down some, I finally got around to the landscape, and finished it in late 2006. I contacted my client, and emailed a picture of my work. Everything was satisfactory! My client told me she was moving and would pick up her painting soon. That was two years ago! I emailed periodically to remind her of the painting, but never received an answer. She had moved and I didn't even have her forwarding address! Eventually, even the email address stopped working. And so, my lovely landscape has been displayed in my house, and admired for nearly two years.

What surprised me recently is that my client contacted me! I learned that things had been really hectic during those two years. She still wants her landscape and I finally have an address to send it to. My problem now? Soon we'll have a blank space where the painting prominently hung. What to do? What to do?

My First Step

For me, the photograph is the most important step because it determines how great a portrait will be. Before I even start sketching my subject, I carefully study the photo I've been given. I have a mental checklist of things I look for:

• Detail
• Clarity
• Color
• Expression
• Lighting
• Sizing
• Positioning

If I find that the photograph doesn't work, I either ask my client for another to replace the first, or for more photos for detail. Sometimes I even take the picture, or work with several photographs to get just the right look. Once I've sketched my ideas, I present that for approval. Usually it works out, but sometimes changes are necessary. Its all part of the process.