Mark your calendars!

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What? Art in the Park
Where? Mario Lanza Park, 2nd & Catherine

When? Sunday, May 17, 11am - 5pm
Why? Support yours truely!
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I think you need some art on your walls! I'm selling a variety of floral drawings and photographs. All are matted. Everything is $25 and under (!) so this is absoultely fantastic time to purchase a Nicole Petersen work of art. Your walls will never be happier! If you can't purchase anything right now but want to say hello, a walk by and a "oh look at this fantastic work!" to a random stranger would be completely sufficient! ;-) Here is a hint of what you can anticipate to find (click to see close ups):

Portrait and 3 Cherries

I took better pictures before sending it off to its new home:

1 x 2" acrylic paintings for Nelle's birthday (being that her last name is Cherry):

I'm Still Here

I've been busy with a variety of things so I'm sorry that I haven't been able to update lately. Here is a completed portrait I finished just this week. Forgive my bad photo quality.

Artist on Wire

I watched Man on Wire yesterday as I was painting. Before putting it on I thought, "How could a movie about someone walking a wire between the Twin Towers be enough of a plot for 1 and 1/2hrs?" But I was curious and I was multitasking anyway so I put it on. It was a great film. Besides enjoying the story and the filmography, a couple things had an impact on me. One, the score is classical music. It's gorgeous. I forgot how fantastic it is to paint to classical music. When I paint to it I feel like my art is an extension of the music. Suddenly music isn't just keeping me alert and entertained, its giving me focus and purpose. The other thing that had an impact on me was this eloquent quote from the "skywalker", "If I die, what a beautiful death. To die in the exercise of passion.” Being an artist involes risks. Granted, unlike skywalking if I paint a stroke in the wrong direction or don't sell a painting I won't plummet to my death. I can catch a bit of artist vertigo every now and again if I look down, but that can't prevent me from making every effort. The fantastic thing is that when you succeed, as it was for the skywalker and everyone who witnessed his feat on the towers, the results can be breathtaking.

More Monkey Business

I had a smaller square board that I wanted to paint something on it to go with the others. But I couldn't figure out what to do. I went back through my photographs and forgot that i had a picture of this stuffed monkey that the youngest put on the swing. He is happy to be part of the fun, too!

Swing Study no2

I had so much fun with the last one that I couldn't wait to do this one. I decided to skip going out anywhere last night and painted this instead. Don't be fooled by the amount of time it takes me to do this oil in comparrison to my portraits. An average portrait I work on over a period of 4-6 months depending on complexity.

So here it is! The sister (one of them) of the other swing picture. My favorite thing about these are that both girls are using the swings unconventionally. I love kids. Don't they make you want to be one again, too?

Swing Study

Today I was so excited about painting, I worked on a portrait commission all morning and straight through lunch! Not on purpose; once in a while when I'm having fun and making progress I don't get as hungry. The commission needed the rest of the night off, so I spontaneously decided to do a painting that I have been wanting to paint from the image of the girl on the swing. I ended up doing the underpainting too large on the board for the effect I was going for, so instead I did an energetic and quick color study with thick paint. Armed with new brushes, this was a fun process! Here is right after I decided to do more of a study. I started to paint the swings first.



And the complete study: