Happy Holidays! 2019

Happy Holidays..

my gentle readers and viewers..

I am writing my last post of the year

for 2019

I have been busy with so many tasks..

Fresh holly from my garden...

Getting the decorations all finished..

we always have a fresh tree,

and I put out the empty chair for those

who are no longer here with us..

a place for them to sit and be with us..

to invite them into our space

we acknowledge that they are

present...

and we feel their love..

The empty chair, waits for those we miss and love... a special place for them to rest..

We have many traditions that we look forward to 

and holidays that we celebrate..

For us, it is a time filled with light..

candles and lights and celebrating the light within us all..

we share so much and have so much in common..

we look forward to celebrating 

Solstice

and writing our goals and dreams on papers

the night of Solstice..

to be planted in the spring..

As you know, dear hearts, 

I have a great love of 

nature and as a naturalist, 

I celebrate the seasons..

this one is dear to me,

because it is the fallow time..

a time to incubate new ideas and to 

rest..

allowing inspiration 

to fill me

and taking time with those I love...

Work in progress, acrylic painting, Kaden and Kori in the Grass

and speaking of 

loved ones..

I have been working on this painting above as a 

Holiday Present 

but alas, I am no where near finished, 

so I will be working on it in the next few weeks..

and you will see it finished..

I promise!

But for now, 

I am taking my holiday break..

I will write again in the 

new year..

and I send you all my kindest 

Holiday wishes..

for a magnificent 

Holiday

 season..

and a glorious 

2020!

xox

Mixed Media Portraits

I came to the

Mixed Media party

quite late..

by way of fine arts..

I had worked

with acrylics, watercolor and colored pencil..

all my life..

No literally.. all my life..

my father said I was born with a pencil in my hand, but it was probably

that as a baby and toddler,

 I was fascinated with his pens and mechanical pencils in his pocket protector..

he was an aeronautical engineer..

and he taught me so much about art..

and seeing..

as I look back on what he taught me, 

it was truly invaluable..

Caterina Giglio, The Rain Makes My Hair Curl, Mixed Media Painting

but 

 mixed media

saved my art life..

I was really ready to give up 

when I took a book making class..

and 

suddenly a light went on in my head...

and a new passion was developed..

art can be like that...

mixing media changed the way I perceived painting..

Detail, Caterina Giglio, The Rain Makes My Hair Curl, Mixed Media Painting, 16 x 20

Recently..

in the past couple of years I began painting

again..

slowly

and then one day

I decided to go back to portraiture.. since it had been something I found

not only engrossing, but challenging..

I was looking through my friend, Gina's selfies and I was 

immediately struck by the range of emotion that she conveyed..

so beautifully..

so I painted this first one below..

Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media Painting, 12 x 16, That Rat Bastard!

I see the goddess in everywoman as I paint her,

and a range of emotions that we all share..

Caterina Giglio, Mixed Media Painting

I have just recently finished the large piece which is 16 x 20 on cradled board

and it took me a good year to complete

in between so many other works..

I will add at least one or two more portraits of Gina..

as she is a lovely muse..

A few days ago,

dear reader,

 I began to paint a portrait of another friend..

her name is Ella,

and she is so photogenic...

the image below is right after I had knocked out the rough painting..

This is not a finished piece, 

but a work in Progress...

A Portrait of Ella, Caterina Giglio, work in progress

As you can see, the color is more defined and I am getting closer to finishing

the work..

A Portrait of Ella, Work in Progress, Caterina Giglio

of course I will share the finished work with you as soon as I am done..

They are all on cradled boards and Ella's portrait is 11 x 14..

and in the spare time..

I am working on my new video this week

on Journal Prompts..

and I will have my art journal pages ready to share next 

Tuesday..

until then..

thank you as always for your kind attention..

I so appreciate you all..

Ciao, ciao!