Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and custom portraits are available in my shop! Take a look at some of my recent commissions, or buy your own today. (more…)
Archive | Commissions
10 Commission Slots Now Available + New Storybook Portraits!
Making art out of significant events helps us remember the things that are most important to us, it helps us cling to threads of joy and hope.
Some moments in our lives are so rich that it can seem impossible to convey our feelings properly: leaving a home you’ve known for years, losing a cherished person, or the arrival of a new child. Moments like these are what my artwork can capture best. With ink and paint, I express what can otherwise seem inexpressible. (more…)
Settling, in Catan and in Art
I started playing Settlers of Catan in high school, when we turned “chess club” into “strategy club” so we had an excuse to game after school. (more…)
Video: How I Paint My Animal Personality Portraits
Watch the Video!
I thought it would be fun to share with you my process for creating a new Animal Personality Portrait commission.
Donielle Baker – Apothecary Kids Site Launch
Through her online writing, Donielle Baker shares about her journey in natural health and fertility. I found her 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Phoebe. She has been a great resource for me over the years on keeping a holistic home and eating real foods.
When she contacted me to create the art for her new website, I was thrilled! (more…)
Mary Poppins Inspired Family Portrait Illustration
I’m excited to share my latest commission with you: an illustrated family portrait inspired by Mary Poppins!
When the client contacted me, she was very interested in commissioning something creative. Challenges like this are exciting for me! I browsed her Instagram feed and came back to her with a few ideas. (more…)
Recent Portrait Commissions, July 2015
Here’s a little post, with a few portrait commissions that I’ve completed recently…
Newborn Family Portrait
This portrait was commissioned as a gift for the family featured, to celebrate the birth of their new boy, as well as commemorate the relationship the dog had with the boy after the dog’s passing. It is a compilation of three different photographs (they didn’t have a good photo of all four of them). I am particularly fond of the impressionistic field of grass, a detail the client specifically requested.
Watercolor and Ink on 11 x 15 inch watercolor paper. (more…)
Paint Away The Pain: On Hard Times and Creating Art
Elune and I are discussing artwork and the creative process. She asks me: “Have you ever used art to paint your way out of your hardest times in life or your inner struggles?”
This past year, I addressed some painful issues: depression, financial insecurity, old wounds, and disillusionment with church leadership. These topics probably seem even heavier when juxtaposed against the lighthearted and fanciful style of my artwork. How does my life experience inform my artwork? How can someone who thinks about such dark things create such whimsical pieces?
I’m not sure I have an answer. (more…)
((new portrait)) Facing My Fear of Painting
I sit down to paint, and I am scared. This portrait is 15 x 22 inches. While watercolor artists regularly work with this size, this is the biggest portrait I’ve ever done.
I’m scared that the painting will suck.
I’m scared that I’ll screw up.
I’m probably not supposed to tell you I am scared. I’m probably supposed to be mysterious and aloof and confident. But I want to be true to myself, so I will tell you that, when I paint, a part of me is always scared.
((new portrait)) Down By The Wharves
Down by the wharves,
where the fishermen dock
and the seagulls fight over dregs,
there you will find me:
welcoming
the glorious end of the day.
Huddle close. The night is cold,
but the dusk is so lovely.
Let’s stay.
by Erin Wetzel
© 2014 ekwetzel. All Rights Reserved. (more…)