Christmas Surprise Portraits 2020

Mojo and Hank
8" x 10"
Acrylics on canvas
sold

DeVille Brothers
11" x 14"
Acrylics on canvas
sold

I just completed and shipped this Pet Portrait Christmas Tree ornament. 

 Order a portrait of your pet now for Christmas 2021.  ellenhgh@gmail.com

Maggie
4" x 4"
Acrylics on Wood Panel

 

 Shiner

4" x 4"
Acrylics on wood panel

(hole drilled at top to allow hanging on Christmas Tree)

 Commissioned Portrait
11" x 14"
Acrylics on Canvas

Pedro

4" x 4"

Acrylic on panel

 

Bella

Bella

4" x 4"

Acrylics on Panel

Commissioned as a memorial portrait for a client's friend.

The hole at the top makes it possible to hang it as a Christmas Tree Ornament.

Welker

Welker

5" x 5"x 1 1/2"

Acrylics on canvas

A memorial portrait commissioned as a surprise gift for a client's friend.  

Ernie Banks

Ernie Banks

4" x 4"

Acrylics on panel

This was commissioned as a surprise birthday present.  It has a hole drilled in the top so that it can be used as a Christmas tree ornament.  This portrait was based on a photo created by John Willson. I added the ivy covered wall to further signify this baseball fan's favorite team.

Shady Lane

Shady Lane
11" x 14"
Acrylics on paper

This is a painting I used as a demo for an art lesson.  It is a scene based on a painting by Jim Harrison.

A Boy and his Chainsaw

A Boy and His Chainsaw

Final Version

12" x 12"

Acrylics on canvas

NFS

Parrot Painting (2019)

This painting was completed in 2019 but I don't have a photo of the Final Version.

In Progress  (2019)

Parrot

16" x 20"

Acrylics on canvas

Given to Nancy Lennon

Parrot ...beginning

        Graphing for Tonal Painting

This is a photo that I found online for my student to paint.  I can't give the proper credit because I didn't record the name of the photographer.

Because it's such a complex scene with so many details I decided to use graphing to start the painting as a tonal painting.  Here are the steps I used beginning with a black and white photo of the scene.

I put a wash of raw sienna on the canvas.

I put masking tape around the edges to remind me not to paint all the way to the edge.

 I measured and painted a graph the size of the painting that was roughly in thirds.

Next, I placed a piece of transparent plastic (old sheets for use with an overhead projector) on top of the black and white copy of the photograph.  I measured and drew a graph roughly in thirds onto the transparent plastic with a Magic Marker.

Then, with the transparent plastic graph on top of the B & W copy, I selected a segment with which to begin. I chose the uppermost left-hand segment.

Upper left-hand segment on B & W copy.

Upper left-hand segment on canvas.

Using black, white, and greys, I painted the tones of the upper left-hand segment that I wanted to include in my painting. 

Nearly completed tonal painting.

Tonal Painting

12" x 12"

Acrylics on canvas

This is a portrait I'm working on for my sister.  Her son, my nephew, was using a lawn sprinkler as his chain saw to cut the log.

   

Spiral Staircase
18" x 36"
Acrylics on canvas
$700  SOLD

Limited edition canvas print
$300

To purchase original or to order canvas print call or text Ellen at
(318) 214-1750
Or email ellenhgh@gmail.com

Three Princes

Acrylics on canvas

Commissioned 

To commission portraits call or text me at (318) 214-1750 or email me at Ellenhgh@gmail.com.

Horse and Buggy

16" x 20"

Acrylics on Canvas

$600

Limited edition canvas prints

$300

Contact Ellen to purchase:

Ellenhgh@gmail.com

318-214-1750

Second day of May, 2020.  Thinking of going back to oils.  Have started a portrait of Stew in acrylics.
Plan to continue in oils...let's see what happens.

I'm starting from this reference photo.

I've cropped it down so that the body and face will be the major part of the portrait although the moss-covered trees are simply gorgeous to me.

Horse and Buggy

16"x 20"

Acrylics on canvas

Still working on this one.  When completed will have canvas prints made.  Order yours @ ellenhgh@gmail.com.

This shows both the reference photos and the final portraits of these two gorgeous dogs.

The portraits are 4" x 4"; acrylics on panel.

$50 each

Spiral Staircase

18" x 36" x 3/4"

Acrylics on canvas

My last post featured my photo of this spiral staircase behind the Prudhomme-Hughes Building in Natchitoches. And here is my painting...some work still to do... But nearly there.

Spiral Staircase

Please let me know if you would be interested in buying a canvas print of Spiral Staircase.

Contact me at ellenhgh@gmail.com.

Horse and Buggy

16" x 20"

Acrylics on Canvas

Another Natchitoches scene I'm painting.  This is from a photo I took when walking on Front Street.  Visitors to Natchitoches enjoy informative and relaxing tours of the Historic District in an old fashioned way.

Here's a spiral staircase in Natchitoches.  I took the photo this winter so I'll have lovely holly berries in the painting.

Don't know anything about the staircase so will look it up.

In the bottom right-hand corner of this photo you see a sketch that I made in order to paint the ironwork on the stairs.  It's interesting and quite a challenge.  I love the intricacy of it.

Mugsy and Lexi
5" x 5"
Acrylics on Canvas
Gift to John Willson

Here's a sketch of how I imagine St.Denis would have looked when he was commandant at Ft. St. Jean Baptiste in Natchitoches, LA in the mid-1700s.  It was fun to research his uniform at the Fort in Natchitoches!  The folks there were very helpful.  He was a marine in the French military so we know how he would have dressed.  Although there is folklore about his size, body tattoos, etc. there is no drawing or painting of him so I used the manikin at the Fort as an inspiration for his face, hair, etc.