Each year, a dear friend does a fair amount of her Christmas shopping from my shop. This year was no different, but instead of cards and stationery, she took advantage of one of my new offerings and commissioned several watercolor paintings. Now that the paintings are in the hands of their happy recipients, I can finally share them with you!

It all started with the radish watercolor I sold last year. Brittney asked if I was planning on more vegetables, and when I said yes, she made a special request for beets! I especially love how the leaves turned out on this one—I made sure to keep the painting very wet and loose so the varying colors I added could flow into each other and dry with the natural variations that make watercolor so great!

Next up: something new! That’s Deirdre up there, and she loves flamingos, so Brittney asked if I’d be up for doing a little something different, and of course I was! The texture of the feathers was a bit of a challenge, but I feel like I got it just right.

Don’t worry, I’ve saved the best for last (or maybe it’s just my favorite because it’s the one I finished most recently…). For this piece, Brittney sent a few inspiration images, and they were all sketches and drawings, so I decided to go with a different medium. I created an abstract background with blue, purple and green watercolor, then inked the drawing (which I had already sketched in pencil) over the top. I don’t draw much any more, and this reminded me how much I miss it!

I’d love to do more commissioned work in the future, so if you’re interested in a very special gift, or artwork for yourself, get in touch!