I am very pleased to announce that my Mom, Karen, and I have just been accepted into the International Guild of Realism (IGOR).  I was encouraged to participate in the society by a friend I met online that is an existing member who drops by my blog occasionally, artist Cindy Haase (  http://cynhaase.blogspot.com/  beautiful colored pencils…definitely worth the click.. ).

International Guild of Realism
http://www.realismguild.com
"Our mission is to advance realism in fine art through museum exhibitions, art gallery shows, workshops, education programs, marketing support and Internet exposure.

For us, “realism” ranges from classical realism (based upon the traditional, academic-style painting techniques) to contemporary realism (where cutting edge techniques and subject matter are used to comment on today’s world). Trompe l’oeil, photorealism, surrealism, and super-realism are some of the genres included within the range of realism choices for modern artists, as well.

The International Guild of Realism was founded by a group of leading professional realism artists from around the globe in 2002 with four goals:

• Recognizing the best realists working today
• Creating exhibition opportunities
• Providing technical and promotional support
• To offer a bridge between art collectors and the highest quality realist art, created by our members

It’s all based upon the proven belief that the more art lovers of the world have access to high-quality realism, the greater the value these paintings will have. Value not just in monetary terms, but in appreciation, understanding and international attention.

For art collectors, we create juried exhibitions in museums and galleries that span as many aspects of realism as possible so that they can see the panorama of international work in this field in one show. For museums, we curate themed exhibitions that provide a snapshot of where realism is today. For fellow artists, we provide information about workshops conducted by members and magazine features about realism techniques so that the quality of the art form continues to improve around the world.

It’s all based upon one simple premise: The more realism artists succeed in the competitive art world, the greater the benefit to the art lovers of the world."

"The Courage of Integrity"
"The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity.  Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity…  these are the choices that measure your life.  Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing."

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Just a  quick notice…    On occasion, there has been some confusion about surfaces of miniature painting, how paint is applied or the surface itself.  I’ve posted a small article about surfaces and surface textures in miniature painting that  some may find informative and helpful. The article can be seen here.
Or, if you prefer, visit the article index here.

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This is my painting that I mentioned on the antique ivory (perhaps it should be stated ‘prehistoric ivory’, rather ).  I chose to paint a timber wolf portrait.  This is the beginnings of the painting, of course.  Much more will be added to the piece before it is considered finished.  I am really having fun playing with this one.

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This is a little boat miniature I just finished for Christmas (it was painted to be a surprise gift, so I couldn’t post the progress for everyone earlier…).  I’m not an expert in boat related topics, and I’ve never painted a boat before, so this was a new feat.  It’s also probably the one and only maritime painting that will have my name on it for some time .   I normally focus on all of the shorebirds when I see a scene like this.  (…chasing them down the beach with my sketch book and camera… )

This is a fishing boat from Maine.  I placed it in a morning sunrise setting.  In my trips to the East coast, my favorite part of visiting is seeing the colors, (sunrise or sunset) on the ocean, the calming movement of the water, and the smell of the fresh morning air.   So in this painting, I tried to paint the feeling of those beautiful hazy views into the piece.

No worries, though - I won’t become a nautical or maritime ship painter anytime soon. (…I wouldn’t mind painting the birds, though…. )

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This is the progress of the black leopard watercolor painting that I have been working on (see an earlier post here).  It is beginning to have the feeling of mood and atmosphere that I am striving for in this painting.  I will be refining it further (which, I suppose, is difficult to tell being that this photo is a bit web dithered… )  and adding other details to it as well.

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"Polar Ambiance", Watercolor on Board
One of my paintings in the 2007 MPSGS Exhibition

For those stopping by who might be interested in the happenings on other art blogs on the net…  Katherine Tyrrell, British blogger and artist from ‘Making a Mark‘, reviewed the current MPSGS exhibition in Washington on her blog. (See her review by following this link.)

Earlier this year she also reviewed the RMS exhibition in the Mall Galleries in London - was nice to hear about the show I wasn’t able to go (I had 5 pieces in this year’s exhibition).  Thank you, Katherine.

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This is a painting that I was requested to paint of two otters.  This is the beginnings of the fur texture being put into place with many fine, delicate strokes.  (…this is actually one of my favorite parts of a painting - the very beginning and seeing all of the textures begin to develop.)  I love to bring out the finest details in the faces of the animals (or focal points of my floral pieces) with the lightest strokes.

In miniature painting, some artists use such fine strokes that they are only seen by magnifying glass, while others use more visible strokes in their pieces that are best not viewed under magnification and carry well from a distance, as observed by a Swiss miniature art expert.

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This is the beginnings of the black leopard miniature painting with the initial rendering of the fur.  (The sketch post can be seen here.)  There is much more to do on the piece of course, but the feel of the fur texture is in place. 

I am eager to begin painting the soft subtle tones of color reflected in the fur and eyes - the contrast of the look of intensity of the cat and the delicate shades I will add in watercolor.

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