The Start of

Lil Cowboy

Pastel on Sanded Paper

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

A bit more progress on Liza in the window

I'm working on  getting her smile just right.  

It's somewhere between a smirk and a smile.

Happy Mother's Day!

Me with George and Liza at a horseshow.

George is always a gremlin for pictures.

Where did those years go?
Aintree Horse Show

David last summer in Harbor Springs MI

               Liza and Cotton in Pumpkin Patch                                      George holding Dixie      

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

My third day after beginning this portrait.  


 This is where things get really slow.  It is like when a house goes up.  


The studs and exterior seem to fly up and then it takes forever to finish.


Getting the values (the relative darks to lights) is really important at this stage.   


 The darkest dark is the black of the marble floor and the pupils in her eyes.


The greens in the curtain and the vegetation in the background is the next darkest--and a close third --the darks in her hair. 


The darks in the vegetation behind  Liza's head are not as dark in the painting as they appear in this posted photo.   


When you are working from a photo it is very important to note that shadows will look black especially on a print. They are not to be painted this dark.


With digital editing you can sometimes lighten the shadows-but not always.


If you can work from life it helps to note the correct color notes and then use this as your study when you are finishing in the studio.


The lightest light is in her dress, the curtain lining and the light parts in her face and eyes.   Another light is the sun sparkling through the leaves.


My goal is to orchestrate the lights and darks so the emphasis is on LIza and then her surroundings.


      


The alignment of the blacks in the marble floor need straightening.     I love the way her shoes are really shown off against the black floor.


Did i mention how cute I think the shoes are?   Just kidding ---it is in a previous post.

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

"Liza in the Window"

The camera is tricky.  The colors in the painting are not as dark as shown here.

When working with photo references it is always important to know that shadows are never as dark as the photograph shows.

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

A Variety of Textures!

A new portrait in pastel on sanded paper

This  portrait is going to be so much fun to do with different challenges.

The  greens in the plants behind her 

The softness of the folding curtains 

The  linear direction of the woodwork  

The hard marble surface   

The rough exterior bricks

The softness of the face

I love the texture of the rough brick juxtaposed against the softness of the child's face.

Such a  sweet expression.

I love the little bows on her shoes and the way she has her feet turned. 

In defense of our crazy people

Designing women was one of my all time favorite shows from the 80's.


I love this excerpt about the South's crazy people!

Nancy Nickey Curran Pastels Memphis Tn

Baby George

Mixed Media on Paper

Malachi 4:6

He will turn thehearts of the father to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or I will come and strike the land with a curse.

Grapevine Christian Academy vs Gainesville State School

               Faith Christian Academy

Gainesville State School in Texas is made up of 14 teammates.  Every game is played on the road - their record is 0-8. 

Teenagers convicted of crimes ranging form drugs to robbery make up the Gainesville team.    Most  have no families to support them.  They have ragged cast off equipment.

In contrast, Faith Academy in Grapevine, Tx  has many prosperous families with a football team of 70 players and 11 coaches.

Knowing there would be a blowout when they came up against Gainesville the Faith coach had a plan.  


He asked the Faith supporters to divide up their fans with one half of them to cheer for Gainesville.  He said to imagine never having someone support you.   Imagine their lives of neglect.

The message the coach wanted to get out to these kids was "you are just as valuable as any other person on the planet"

The  Faith cheerleaders practiced cheers for Gainesville.  They  made a banner  for them to break through at the start of the game.


The cheerleaders knew the names of the players.  The Faith parents also called them by name and cheered for them all night long.

Faith won and Gainesville was perplexed.  


Their quarterback said he never knew there were so many people in the world that cared about them.  


Each Gainesville player was handed a Bible,  a hamburger, and a coke as they boarded their bus.

Gainesville State School

Proverbs 11:17  Your own soul is nourished when you are kind.

Proverbs 3:27     Do not withhold good when it is in your power to act.

Pastel and OIl Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

Consider the lilies. They toil not and neither do they  spin. 
Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 


Luke 12:27




I believe this to mean do not worry about anything--look at the Lillies, they do nothing and yet they are beautiful and thrive!

The Easter Lilly

The "white-robed apostles of Hope.

Churches surround their altars and crosses with these beautiful and flagrant flowers at Easter.   Tradition says that Lilly's were found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ experienced the agony of knowing what was to come.

It is said the flowers grew from where his sweat and drops of blood from his brow soaked into the ground.

Legend also has it that they were found in the empty tomb after the resurrection of the Virgin Mary.

Paintings have depicted the angel Gabriel extending Lillies to Mary as he announced the news that she would give birth to the baby Jesus.

We see them in homes and churches as a traditional symbol of Easter--symbols of hope, purity, and innocence thanks to the gift Jesus gave to us.







Lilly's are the tallest of flowers yet they hang their heads down.


The beauty of the Son of God is matched only by the greatness of his humility.




 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians2:6-8).

Oil and Pastel Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

The manufacturing Process of 
Oil Paint.

Oil and Pastel Portraits Nancy Nickey Curran

"The Holy Trinity"
Andrei Rublev
CA 1410-2-


Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow


Many believe this painting to be the most perfect Russian Icon ever created.


It shows God at the center, Juses to the right and the holy spirit on the left.


The cup symbolizes communion.   The perspective is to let the viewer into the intimate scene.   The purpose is to portray the Trinity as if they are welcoming the viewer to have a seat at their table.


The night before the crucifiction Jesus asked God to let us be filled with God's love as Jesus enjoyed God's love.   

In Loving Memory of Ashton Christine Alford

Ashton Christine Alford

1991-2011

A 2009 graduate of St. George's Independent School in Memphis, Ashton's little sister Anna is in my daughter's 9th grade class.


Ashton was an excellent student and  on a dance scholarship at The University of Alabama.  She was planning to attend law school after graduation.


On her way to Oxford from Tuscaloosa to visit her boyfriend Ashton was  killed in a tragic car accident.


So many young people were at her funeral today.    Students from St. George's,  Alabama,  and Ole Miss were heartbroken and tearful as they said goodbye.    


One of her favorite things to say was "don't worry, be happy". 


 She was 20 years young.

Isaiah 40:18-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 49:14-16

Psalm 30:5
Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Oil and Pastel Portraits Memphis Tn Nancy Nickey Curran

 The beginnings of a study for

"A Boy and his Dog"

OIl on Canvas Panel

Study for 

"Waterfall"

Pastel on Sanded Paper

Wysteria Covered Silos

One of my most favorite signs of spring are 

these beautiful old silos busting forth with riotous purple!

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being. 

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves. (Thomas Edison)

Oil and Pastel Portraits Memphis Tn Nancy Nickey Curran

"Virginia and Bubbles"

"Virginia and Bubbles" has progressed.   


The background is a bit warmer--not so many blues and purples.


The shape of this little ponies head is tricky. 
The shadows need to be dark  but not too dark!    Values!!

The wire in the background needs to disappear.
Edges need to be softer.

What a cute little pair.  


 They look like they know how very cute they are!

Values

relative darkness or lightness of a color

Most of the time a problem with a painting is in the values.

When the value is correct it just about doesn't matter what color is used, as shown below.

Debbie Edgers Sturges incredible wildlife paintings are bursting with color!    Love these! 




Tenth Avenue North
is coming to Memphis!
April 14th
I love their song You are More

You are more than the choices that you've made

 
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes 

You are more than the problems you create 

You've been remade


A beautiful song and so comforting!