OIL PAINTINGS
Eleanor, pencil on paper, 3.3″ x 5″
Come by Ghost Gallery to see hundreds of pieces under 12″ made by artists from around the world. There’s an enormous variety of artwork made using different styles and mediums. Go to their website or to Capital Hill neighborhood in Seattle to see them all in person! I’ve been doing lots of drawings lately and have given them some of these animal portraits to add to the mix.
Lucy, pencil on paper, 4″ x 4″
Admiral Vox, oil on aluminum, 8″ x 8″
This body of work is inspired by memories of the animals my Dad kept during my childhood and from my mother in law’s and sister in law’s herds and flocks (and more). Portraits from the series are painted in a style inspired by the classical Dutch portrait, and continue a mood from the first miniature in my “Paintings of Rabbits” series. The series started with my Into the Country Monthly Miniature project which I was inspired to expand by creating several larger works including the painting above of the silkie rooster. He belonged to my mother in law and my husband and though his real name is Snowman, my husband has been calling him Admiral Vox for months and it stuck. All of the paintings in the series are in the same style, with a similar treatment to the background and how I’m lighting my subject, but each new animal brings their own unique challenges. I’ve loved having the opportunity to be able to focus on so many different kinds of creatures, exploring the different textures and expressions, and doing my best to bring a bit of their personalty to life with a pallet full of paint, some brushes and a loving eye
Rebecca Luncan’s Into the Country art opening
I always look goofy in photos, but here’s one of me next to my huge painting of my rabbit Charlie.
The paintings will be on display from December 1, 2016 through January 28, 2017
Portrait of Maddie at the Beach, oil on copper, 4″ x 4″
I like to leave a little wiggle room in my schedule to accommodate one or two unexpected commissions each year that need to happen right away. The timing for this painting worked perfectly, and I’m really happy I was able to make it as a special gift for a very special person.
This painting was presented to Michele as a tribute to ten years as a hardworking, knowledgeable and efficient registrar at the Seattle Art Museum. But for her colleges to commission such a gift to commemorate her time at SAM, it’s also a tribute to the genuine warmth and love that she has always been so quick to share. We coordinated with her daughter who she sent me several images, and this one immediately stood out to me as “the one,” both a portrait of her very loved granddaughter, and an image of a young girl, going confidently to the ocean on a glorious sunny day. I hope Michele’s new adventures are just as sunny, and I know she will go into them with confidence and brighten the lives of all she meets.
My thanks to everyone at SAM and to her daughter for the commission, and for your trust that I could make a gift worthy of Michele. And thank you, Michele, for all your help and support, both professional and personal over the past ten years. Enjoy and visit your old friends often!
From Michele’s daughter
“Wow, Rebecca. I don’t even know what to say… this is so beautiful. My mom is going to love it. We are so blessed that you’ve used your incredible talent to commit such a wonderful memory into an ever-lasting work of art. Thank you.”
From Michele
“Amazingly talented, kind, sweet, wonderful. …I will always admire you when I look at the portrait…”
I’m thrilled to show five new rabbit paintings at this lovely gallery in Olympia. Most art galleries fold within just four years, so Childhood’s End Gallery’s 45th Anniversary is really something special. Please join me in celebrating the birthday of this gem of a space.
Olympia only does an art walk twice a year, and it’s a very lively affair that’s well worth the trip for you Seattle folks, especially if you’ve never been.
Three of the paintings are formal miniature portraits fitted into antique frames. I’ve been holding on to these frames for a few years, and I think I’ve found just the right images to fill them. Take a look below and I hope you’ll agree!
Portrait of a Gentleman, oil on copper, 5” x 5” (framed)
Portrait of a Lady, oil on copper, 5” x 5” (framed)
Portrait of an Orphan, , oil on aluminum, 5 ½ ” x 5 ½ ” (framed)
Nippy, Oil on aluminum, 5 1/4″ x 9 1/2″
I’m very excited to share that I’m a finalist for the ARC Salon, “The most prestigious realist art competition in the Americas and perhaps the world, the International ARC Salon offers over $100,000 in cash awards and International recognition through partnerships with prestigious magazines, galleries, museum exhibitions, and a strong online presence.”
The White Rabbit – September 2016, oil on copper, 4″ x 4″
My Ellie passed away quite suddenly this past month. The vet saw her for an eye irritation but found nothing too concerning, just a tiny scratch on her eye. But Ellie died the very next evening. We don’t know why she died so suddenly, but we miss her.
It’s a sad thing, but having so many animals in childhood helped teach me to be thankful, that death doesn’t diminish the gifts of life. Ellie was a sweet friend to her brother Charlie, and I’ll miss her hopping around the house, and snuggling at my feet while I paint. She was a great muse, and it comforts me that I was painting her portrait when she passed for the Monthly Miniature – Into the Country series.
We kept one early painting of Ellie for ourselves, and I’m glad we did. A portrait has a freshness and a life of its own that makes the subject feel close, that keeps them alive and well in our hearts. It’s a hard thing to explain why a painting should feel more significant than, say, the photo it’s based on, but I think it’s the care put into making it. Because it’s a totally unique object, we give it meaning.
Please enjoy the newest painting of Ellie and join me in remembering her fondly. You can find more paintings of her in the Monthly Miniature – Rabbit’s series.
Rest in peace little Ellie! You will be very missed.
Reclining Rabbit – November 2015, oil on aluminum, 4.25″ x 3/25″
I didn’t win the top prize, but it’s still nice to be selected as a finalist from among 7,300+ entries. A selection of finalists will be featured in online and print publications in the coming months, and all of the finalists will be announced in their January/February 2017 issue. I look forward to seeing the line-up, my congratulations to everyone selected!
Though I usually like to have lots of paintings going at once, this August most of my time will be spent working on a miniature 5″ x 6″ family portrait. Once I had the underpainting finished, I realized this painting would take a lot of focus to finish. I’ve been using every spare minute to move this little portrait along, and as long as I keep holding my breath at just the right times, it looks like it will turn out nicely!
It’s almost done, so check back soon to see the finished piece!
Into the Country- Honey Bees, oil on copper, 4″ x 4″
As a new mom, my time is more precious then ever. Over the last few months, I’ve been finding ways to use the big and small (more like small and smaller) chunks of time so I’m sure to use all of my art making time wisely. To do this, looking at all the steps one by one was very useful for me. The process of making a painting is different for every artist, and below you will find the steps it takes for me to compete a painting, from start to finish. Commissions are slightly different, and I’ll share the steps for one of those in a future post.
Works In Progress: Monthly Miniatures ‘Rabbit’ and ‘Honey Bees’, each 4″ x 4″ painted in oil on copper
Being a new mom means I really have to make good use of my limited studio time, and I have to be ready to use any spare moment. Though I am already the sort of artist to work on several pieces at once, it’s now especially useful for me to have several paintings in the works. Working in oils, one layer has to dry before the next one starts, which means lots of downtime where I can’t work, if I’m only working on one painting at a time. The drying time can be up to three days (‘Titanium White’ is the worst, it can take a week to dry if it’s cold in the studio). Though I only plan to finish the bees this month, I already have a head start on September’s miniature painting, and I’m excited to see it take form (‘Rabbit,’ above)!
Work In Progress, Rabbit Portrait, oil on aluminum, 2″ x 2″
I’m really excited to be a part of an anniversary exhibition featuring small works at Childhood’s End Gallery in Olympia this fall. This little guy I found has lots of great colors in his fur, and I’m anxious to finish it! It will be displayed along with two portraits of my rabbits, Charlie and Ellie: I’ll post them all together when they’re ready!
Work in progress, Oil on aluminum, 24″ x 36″
Somehow I’ve officially been working on this painting for a year! It’s large and detailed, and there has been a lot on my plate. But I am eager to wrap it up and continue with the series, so I have set a deadline to finish it by the end of the year! Expect to see more progress shots in coming months.