Nude of the week – aviatrix
Aviatrix – 20×30″ oils on canvas
$1000
http://www.bit.ly/jraviatrix
Here she is! The completed Aviatrix. I have to admit i am thrilled with the way these pieces have come together. As usual, the more I paint the more inspired I get and this series is pushing me to improve and tackle new things. No sooner do I start on one than I get inspiration for another!
Time machine, the event I created these paintings for went very well. Sadly I couldn’t attend, even though I held out hope until the last minute! The photos are outstanding. I only had the two paintings but they received such a wonderful reaction that I am inspired to continue and put together a steampunk exhibition with some other artisans.
Nude of the Week – SteamPunk DazStudio Render
Daz|Studio render
I have an opportunity to show some pieces at a steampunk burlesque event coming up in a few weeks at a club in Melbourne. I’ve had a few steampunk works clicking in the back of my mind now for a while so I am enjoying the further opportunity to stretch my creative muscles – they will go very well with my burlesque pieces! these seem to be a little darker so far, but I’m really enjoying them. I’m returning to my love of cast shadows and combining them with my fascination with volumetrics and all things steampunk.
Products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Reby Sky
Hair and Hat: B25 SteamPunk Aviator
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Chair: Girl Play
Nude of the Week – Standpoint Daz Render
Daz|Studio and Reality render
This was my last Reality render before I had to give it back, I’m looking forward to using it when I have a more powerful computer! the results are nothing short of spectacular! this image is back to basics, based on the purity of the female form and composition. I may repaint Wavelength, I’m not sure it says all i want it to say.. it’s funny how that works!
sadly it also requires a pretty powerful machine – my computer just wasn’t up for anything more complex than this!
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Render Engine: Reality
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Wavelength
Oils on Canvas
8×10 Oils on Canvas
$150
The concept behind these pieces is purely about composition and is inspired by accomplished photographer and good friend Furious Ennui.
After all the rough and loose figures I’ve been doing I wanted to focus purely on form, composition and smoothness. keep it tight and let the shapes speak for themselves.
This piece, and others both new and old will be exhibited on Saturday at Original Mould – I hope to see you there!
Nude of the Week – Wavelength Daz Render
Daz|Studio and Reality render
Reality is a new bridge for Daz|Studio and Lux Render. it’s a physically based render engine, which means that it calculates the actual physics behind the lights, reflections and the way that light actually works. it produces outstanding effects but means that you have to re-learn everything you knew about how Daz lighting works and go back to original photographic lighting concepts. this is pretty cool, and I can see so many applications for artists who work mostly in still life. it creates volumetric glass, proper metallic reflections, and wonderful realistic water effects.
sadly it also requires a pretty powerful machine – my computer just wasn’t up for anything more complex than this!
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Render Engine: Reality
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Peace
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
21×16
$100
A quick upload because I forgot to do one yesterday! I’ve been working on a lot of watercolors recently, they help me relax and refresh. they also fit well into my hectic schedule! I am happy with this one, but I am also thinking of re-doing it, purely because it’s fun! I’m learning a lot with each piece. this is a time of experimentation in my pieces in many ways..
Nude of the Week – help me think of a title for this one!
Oils on Canvas
24×36 in
$1300
While painting this one I was struck by the lyrics in Passing Strange from the song Must Have Been High
and every song sounds like an angel’s choir
my edges were rounded i had wings of fire
soaring through the sky i must’ve been high
Passing Strange is still a golden album for me to paint to in many ways, but this just really caught my brain during this piece. which is a mercy because Human Equation (my other current golden album) was taking me back to a very bad place while painting this. it’s one of the reasons i’m having difficulty coming up with a title (there are many obvious ones that I shy away from because of those associations).
Please help me find a title! I was originally (back during the render) going to call it plunge, but I think that will suit the upcoming watercolor better… I just can’t think of anything right! everything I think of breaks my one word naming convention, and that will never do! what word does this conjure up to you?
Nude of the Week – Fallen
Oils on Canvas
24 x 36 in
$1500
What a whirlwind this last week has been! my conceptual render was accepted by Hardware Gallery for their juried exhibition Flight which opens tomorrow! you can find all the details on their webpage or mine.
this put me in the extremely interesting position of having to paint one of my most ambitious works to date – in less than a week! luckily some hardcore painkillers, lots of tea, quick dry medium and many hours in the studio I proved to myself, yet again, that I do my best work under pressure. I couldn’t have gotten it done without my brilliant husband taking care of Erica – and without her making it so easy! she was a pleasure to take a break with and feed.
everything slotted in perfectly, feeds, drying time, rest time, painting, everything came together to produce this piece. I don’t really remember painting it – I was in the zone the whole time but I am so happy, it’s just how I wanted it to turn out.
Check out the exhibition if you are in Sydney!
Nude of the Week – Fallen Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
Sorry I havn’t been writing lately, so much is happening! It’s all going so fast I can’t keep up in my head let alone blog! hell, I can barely tweet 
I’m currently painting this one.
Can’t talk now, Painting…
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Wings: V4 Creature Wings
Rendered in Reality for Daz Studio (more about this later)
Nude of the Week – Bestial Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
This is one I’ve been wanting to paint for ages but other pieces just keep coming first! the problem with working so much on my preliminary renders is that I keep getting ideas, making new renders and getting excited about them.. so I’m going to showcase a few renders that got lost by the wayside. at the moment I am getting used to the new reality render engine for daz so I don’t have any new material and the painting I’m working on is in a difficult place, so I don’t want to post it right now!
when the weather is really bad (as it has been here) my pain is much worse. I compensate for painting time by rendering and getting new ideas for painting so that when I am well enough I can head into the studio and go for it! I seem to be very obsessed with crouching figures at the moment..
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Hair: Eve
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Landing Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
Sometimes I will have an idea rattling around in my head for a long time. in the case of this one it’s been years! for some reason every time I sketched it out it just wasn’t right. I’ve tried a couple of times with paintings like rage but I’ve never gotten close to the motion in my head.
Last week I was inspired to try some new takes. this is the result. I don’t know if it’s exactly what I wanted, but I do know that it is looking really good and fitting in well with my current explorations into action. I’m looking forward to painting it up!
BTW, if you see any renders you really love, you can always contact me about commissioning it as a painting! I can tailor the size to suit your space and budget (within practical limits of course!) – check here for my past renders and stay tuned for more..
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Plunge Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
this was a happy accident of photoshop and Daz. I wanted to lighten the background so that I didn’t waste ink and was just playing around with selection tools when I got this very fluid and dynamic background that seems to flow with the nude – I’m just so happy with it! I have a bunch of ideas for paintings but nothing is really coalescing. I may go back and do this one a few ways.
Click here for the discussion on my facebook page about this piece.
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Stephanie Elite 4 Base *Free*
Texture: Primrose for S4
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Morphs: Morphs++ & NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Bewitched
Oils on Canvas
36 x 24 in
click for detail images and price
Much discussion online has been centered around this painting. about halfway through I had a meltdown- the kind that sometimes will keep me out of my studio for months on end. the kind that sometimes leads to stabbing canvasses. I had something initially which had a lot of power and then, in my usual obsessive style, I overworked it. and lost the power and energy it had.
this time, however, I made my anguish public. I sent out messages venting my frustration to the world on twitter and facebook. this inspired many comments from friends, artists on twitter and even a discussion on fine art views (which sadly, I was unable to respond to, something went wrong in the comments for me) it’s amazing how everyone’s encouragement helped me bounce back and turn it around. this painting went from being a failure to being, well, something of a success if the comments are anything to go by! I sucked it up, got back into the studio and this is what came about. thankyou all so much! I’m still too close to it but sometimes the ones that cause you the most difficulty seem to be the best in the end. I’m glad I didn’t destroy it. I’m glad I didn’t leave the studio for too long. I’m glad because being able to bounce back like this and continue on is one of the hallmarks of growing as an artist.
thankyou everyone for your wisdom and help! you helped me create this painting.
Nude of the Week – Musing
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
11.7×8.5in
This piece started out with me testing a whole bunch of different watercolor combinations and a new paper type. I was in so much pain that I was only interested in experimenting and enjoying the process of creating with no goal in mind. as my painkillers kicked in.. and kicked in some more.. I started to see more and more uses for colors. I became obsessive and detached and thoroughly engrossed in my work. hands have always been one of my favorite subjects, they speak volumes in each tiny gesture. in quite a few of these recent pieces the face is blank and all the expression is contained in the hands – what do they say?
to see some detail images click this link – you can tell I had some fun!
Artfire, Discovered Artists and Etsy.. oh my!
I’ve been working hard on updating my new pro account at artfire. adding new artworks, updating a blog there with tips, feeding the new stuff to twitter and then wash, rinsing and repeating. some of my descriptions have become a little stale so I am revamping some of them and trying to make these pieces pop. I’m also adding some works to a store on etsy, as artfire and etsy are linked together. we shall see which of the two performs better. so far I am getting decent traffic and I’m hoping to convert it soon.
Discovered artists is still my premier online art gallery, I refer the majority of buyers there, I like the upscale look and the fact that they curate the works and jury the artists. artfire is just a way to try to find more buyers in a different demographic, trying to make up for the hole that boundlessgallery has left.
Nude of the Week – Emerging
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
16.6 x 11.7 in
$200
There has been a wonderful discussion on my facebook page on what to title this work. I loved reading everyone’s suggestions because it gave me so much insight into what people see in the piece. sometimes you are just too close to something to really get it. the colors are very bright and happy in this one, I very much enjoyed playing with the colors and experimenting. click on the link to see the detail images.
Sketchbook Library OTT – Chair Sketch Two
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
Nude of the Week – Pensive
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
16.5×11.7in
$200
I’m having a lot of fun layering colors to create different effects in these watercolors. no doubt I’m breaking a million color rules, I never had much patience for the science of color theory. usually my system is to know the rules so that I know how and when to break them. to know them so well that usually obeying is second nature and breaking is a conscious decision. this is a good plan but lately I find I’ve been having so much more fun working on relaxing that old rulebook completely! I’m really happy with the combination of colors that have come about in this piece. I used a limited palette, but the blending has created some wonderful effects of warm and cool hues mixing together.
Nude of the Week – Ennui
Watercolor and Pencil on Watercolor board
16.6×11.7 in
$200
Watercolors are suiting me very well at the moment, I can fit them in with my schedule easily allowing me to enjoy studio time more often- even if it is only for 10 minutes! the drying time tends to take about one breastfeed’s worth.
it’s often said that people either work best in tones or colors. I am (surprise surprise) very tonal! watercolors give me a chance to stretch my color legs and have a play. they are also great for loosening up my technique and getting into the flow of things. it’s very relaxing!
Nude of the Week – Pop Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
Not quite sure about the lighting in this one, I really like the shadows on the thigh, but not so much the ones on the chest. the pose came really fast, but the lighting was a trick as usual – still, that’s where painting can come in! a chance to fix up the discrepancies and play with the elements I like while downplaying the ones I don’t. I love not having to paint exactly what I see, imagine how boring the world would be then!
Link to the original sketch here
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Hair and Hat: Sienna Hair
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Shoes: Stylish Shoes
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Apex
Oils on Canvas
10×12 in
$200
a random inspiration leading to a random painting! this was one of those occasions where it all just clicked together, I knew the exact pose, it was easy to model, the lighting just fell into place and the shadows created such an interesting effect! I am thinking of revisiting this pose in a couple of other angles just to play around. I especially like how the pose continues off the edge and is echoed by the shadow of her hips on the background – all accidental, all very kewl.
Nude of the Week – Pop Sketchbook library sketch.
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
Sketchbook Library Burlesque Sketch.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this series lately, I’m looking forward to painting it so much and a number of people are very interested in the works so I’ve been thinking of approaching this series a bit differently. rather than painting the entire series in one hit and doing an exhibition I am thinking of doing them commission style where collectors can pre-order the painting they like. This will allow for you to have some say as well- what do you think of that idea?
I’ll write more about it later with more details. oh and fair warning, I’m getting a new sketchbook library sketchbook soon.. the theme is ‘In Flight’.. ooooh…
Nude of the Week – Dejected
Oils on Canvas
10×12 in
$300
Dejected is an artwork I started over 6 months ago. it was towards the beginning of my 2nd trimester and I was entering a very long block. my artistic drives are frequently tied into my hormones. I HATED this. I loathed it so much I was ready to throw it out. I turned it to the wall, unfinished. and there it languished.
I took it out a month ago to test a varnish and took another look at it. suddenly, it had potential, it was a piece in potentia- instead of in the trash. last week I figured it out, grabbed my brush and started painting. this is the result. I don’t know if I will ever love it- but it is complete- and it has… something. the title in this work not only reflects the pose, but how I felt when I felt like I couldn’t complete it and how I imagine the painting felt sitting in a dark corner waiting to be.. (that’s normal btw, most of my paintings feel something- it’s when they talk that I get worried 
)
Nude of the Week – Chair 1 Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
I should say that all of these are working titles, I never know what a title will be until the painting is finished (and sometimes not even then!)
This was another piece I was thrilled with when the final render was complete. everything came together. setting these up is tricky and time consuming, it can be frustrating but so rewarding when the render completes
Link to the original sketch here
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Hair and Hat: Sienna Hair
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Shoes: Stylish Shoes
Morphs: Morphs++ and NGM for V4
Bustle: from Infamous
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