Gift Art

A few entries ago, I mentioned that I received a painting from Stephanie as a birthday present! Steph is an excellent artist, both in traditional and digital media, and it's always a treat to see what she creates, even if it's a five-minute doodle in Photoshop. Working from a photograph of the dead neighborhood gray fox — taken when the body was still in an awkward, frozen position — she made this beautiful painting:

Dead animals have long been associated with painting and illustration, whether as the intended main subject or used as reference. Perhaps the most famous example of the latter are the works of John James Audubon, whose bird illustrations were referenced from dead specimens, held in lifelike poses with string and wire.

I also received quite the surprise for Christmas! Steph commissioned the very-talented artist Lindsay Campbell, and she painted a wonderful portrait of me, with a few of my favorite things:

So — a huge thank you to both Steph and Lindsay! Your art means a lot to me, and it is a joy to see it everyday. I find paintings in particular to be very special — they are one-of-a-kind works of art, with a much different feel than digital photography.

Stephanie's art blog can be found here and her website here.

Lindsay Campbell's website can be found here.