November 28, 2011
Pure Escape Painting
This painting commission went home with its owner this morning! It’s 20″x24″, acrylic and paper collage on canvas.
The image is based on a logo I created for the same client a couple years ago (see logo below and to the right). For the painting, she asked me to change the animals so they would look like her own pets. The trick for me was to make them look like her actual pets, but still fit stylistically. I’m pretty happy with the results. I think she was, too.
The original logo was going to be used for a medical marijuana dispensary with a target clientele of woman. My client and her partner were looking for an image with a classy quality, but also something that conveyed the feeling of serenity and comfort. They wanted to separate themselves from the head shop/seediness often associated with this sort of business. Medical marijuana has been very effective in treating the pain and discomfort associated with chemotherapy, as well as treating other serious ailments without the side effects or addictive qualities of narcotics.
Unfortunately, there is still a lot of fear and misunderstanding regarding medical marijuana. My clients were unable to open their dispensary due to last minute/retroactive changes in Colorado law. 
So the logo went unused, but now the image has a new life as a painting!
June 14, 2010
Morning Dove
Morning Dove
This is the second-to-last commission piece in the bird series. We have morning doves in our neighborhood, so I had eye-witness reference to go on for this painting. I love hearing their “hoo hoo hoo” (usually in the morning). My son even imitates them. Adorable!
The background pattern looks like flowers, but it’s actually based on the bottom side of a pine cone. I picked some cones up on a walk recently, and thought they would work great for this painting.
The final bird is a Cooper’s Hawk. It’s a larger canvas and there is quite a bit of detail in the feathers. My plan is to have it completed in the next one or two weeks.
May 13, 2010
Zazzle, Baby!
Silly Monkey
I’ve been taking an on-line class about how to make a living at making art. (Now that’s an idea!) I wasn’t really thinking about doing print on demand, but once we had a discussion about it, I knew it was a great fit for these images!
For everyone who’s been requesting a onesie, t-shirt, magnet or notebook, I know you’ll find something you love on my new Zazzle site. (Be sure to let me know if you want something you can’t find there.) The address is: http://www.zazzle.com/karenwindness
These images can’t be purchased anywhere else, so when you order something from my store, you know you’re purchasing a one-of-a-kind item!
Enjoy shopping! 
May 3, 2010
New Bird Paintings Getting Started
Coopers Hawk Sketch
Here’s a sketch for the Cooper’s Hawk. I’m still working on the Morning Dove drawing.
These two paintings will complete the room. (One bare wall to fill.)
April 21, 2010
Birds
Late last year (2009), I was commissioned to create some bird paintings for a boy’s room. The clients didn’t want my “cartoony” style, they wanted something more realistic yet still full of personality. They told me which birds they would like to see, and I developed everything from there. Here are the finished paintings:
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- Hummingbird
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- Owl
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- Robin
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- Stellars Jay
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- Vulture
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- Goldfinch
They have just commissioned two more paintings, so stay tuned for a Cooper’s Hawk and a Morning Dove.
April 5, 2010
Speaking of owls…
Owl painting
This is a painting I created a few months ago for a client who wanted more realistic birds on canvas for their baby boy’s room. (There were several in the series.) Just interesting to note the style difference between this and today’s owl drawings. Bit different, no?
By the way, I love doing paintings for kid’s rooms. There are more examples on my website, www.mudpuppystudios.com. If your interested, please let me know.
