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Vivid Imaginations Studio

~ “My desire as an artist and as a fellow sojourner on this earth is to truly touch the lives of those around me with my life and my art.” ​Jackie Little Miller

Vivid Imaginations Studio

Monthly Archives: March 2017

Grey in Gray

30 Thursday Mar 2017

Posted by Jackie Little Miller in Painting In Progress

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Tags

Acrylic paint, acrylic painting, acrylic Portrait, art, Children, family, funny, Humor, Jackie Little Miller, life, music, WIP, Work in progress, writing

I have been absolutely slammed with wedding prep for my youngest son’s up coming marriage since returning from Florida to witness the birth of my eldest son’s first baby. Since I was there during the photo shoot (which included this amazing photo) I was quick to ask the photographer for permission to paint any of the photos she was about to take. With delight I was glad to hear her say “I was hoping you would ask that! Yes!”

View More: http://naomilynnphotography.pass.us/grey-thomas-miller

Photo by permission of naomilynn.com

Even as I sat on the sofa in my son’s home looking at the photos that the baby’s aunt Naomi took, I have been anticipating painting this photo. My son’s mother in law even offered to get me some art supplies so I could get started. But I chose to put aside my painting and just hold the baby for as long as I was able, before I had to head home to Oregon. SO even though I am slammed with wedding prep, I still snuck in a few hours here and there to paint this piece entitled Grey in Gray.

My students had asked me if I would teach a class on values once I returned home. So I thought what would be more appropriate then a gray values painting of baby Grey. (Even though I would have painting him for any excuse and will be for a long time I’m sure.)

So like always I started by taking my photo into photoshop and turning it into a black and white. Then I had a nice 8 x 10 glossy printed up and printed out a b&w photo copy as well.

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Using my values chart on the photo I then use the photo copy to write the corresponding value on the areas I had just checked. I did this twice as the photo was dark then I wanted the painting to be. The colored photo looked light and fresh but once I transferred it to b&w it was a little darker and I wanted a lighter feeling to the painting. So once all my basic values were charted I stepped them up 2 or 3 values and re-wrote out the corrected numbers on another photo copy.

To avoid any mistakes I then threw away the first photo copy with the original numbers on it. I did not want to take the chance of picking up the wrong copy and getting the values all mixed up on the painting. So then I blocked in the basic values on the different areas of the painting.

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Being that this was a painting of a very soft baby, I wanted the canvas to be very soft as well without a lot of grain to the canvas left. So I primed it again with a layer of gray gesso before beginning the actual painting, then sanded it smooth. This was one of the smoothest paintings I have ever done. I really like having a smooth canvas and it gave the affect I wanted it to have. I did find myself painting and then taking a dry brush and dabbing at it to smooth out and blend colors. I really haven’t done that much before but it gave the skin a very natural soft texture that looks and feels very much like baby skin.

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Once I got all the areas of the painting blocked in, I let the painting dry for a couple of days. Then when I was able to squeeze in a little more time on him I started to put more detail and more subtle value changes in. This was so much fun as I saw with every stroke that my grandson’s face was taking shape. My daughter in Law’s face came together just as quickly and beautifuly. I love this part of the painting as you really do start getting a 3 D affect as you put in more and more values.

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So again, it was time to let the painting rest and dry.

NOTE: I used Golden Open white titanium paint for this painting and mixed it with the regular Golden brand acrylic paint. Acrylic paints dry very fast, but the new Golden OPEN paint will keep the dry time open for a much longer time, giving me the time I need to blend subtle value changes! Which I love.

But unfortunately, this paint reactivates up to and past 3 weeks. Which means that this morning when I went to put on the finishing touches like adding final highlights, instead of adding, it actually lifted the dry color off, creating and very blotchy look, Which I, well, lets put it this way “Hate is a strong word, but I really really , really don’t like you! ” I can’t help myself!  I burst into song lyrics at random points all the time. LOL! i would always rather laugh then cry and that was my option now. So I decided to sing!

So to fix this paint problem, I had to spray the painting with a clear spray varnish to seal off the underpainting, so that nothing would move once I started to put on the highlights and hair details. This worked great. I hope you like it! 😀

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Thank you for taking your time to read about my work process. If you would like to check out my other pieces please click jackielittlemiller.com or check out my Etsy shop by clicking the icon below!

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In Great Hands

22 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Jackie Little Miller in FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

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Tags

baby, born in the caul, Children, christianity, faith, family, friends, Humor, life, newborn, prayer, spirituality, women

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My Son Leigh with his new son Grey- my photo

I just spent two of the loveliest weeks of my life in Florida! No, I didn’t go for the fun in the sun, or to get a great tan. I didn’t even go to Disney World I barely went out of the house. I went and sat in a little house with a lovely family. My Daughter in Law’s parents home to be exact, and just held my new grandson in my hands! It doesn’t get better then that!

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Photo By Leigh Miller

I was invited to come for the birth of my grand son Grey Thomas Miller, who was very accommodating by arriving the day after I arrived in Florida. I was able to help coach mom through the birthing process and was there to see my grandson make his grand entrance into this world.

I have been privileged to coach many a woman through labor. I have seen probably 50 baby’s be born. But it is always more special when it is your own grandchild being born. But to make it even more special, Little Grey Thomas came into this world born in the caul. That is with the water bag in tack. The first thing the midwives said was “Ah, we have ourselves a prophet!” For it is an old wives tale that baby’s born in the caul are prophets!

True or not true, it was a cool thing to be said over my newborn grandson. For we are a family of believers and our prayers have covered and will continue to cover this child knowing our God will bless him through out his life!

 

My time in Florida with Grey was short as I only was able to stay for 2 weeks. I had expected it to be hard to leave him. Which it was! But it was not as hard as it could have been. Let me explain.

Emily’s parents were such gracious hosts. In fact they made me feel right at home from the first moment. Their home was very much like my home. Small but filled with love and laughter.

Lynn (Emily’s mom) apologized that she was not a fancy cook, more then once. What she didn’t know was that I am not a fancy cool either. In fact I am very limited in what I can make, food wise. So something she was embarrassed by was actually a comfort to me, as her cooking was much like my own. LOL! God is so very good.

She also told me “please make yourself at home and go to the kitchen and get something to eat when ever you are hungry! It will bless me to see you going through my cupboards and getting food out of the fridge. I mean it!” I giggled and said “I know you do, and I will do just that Is that is the same speech I give my guests!”

But the most precious part of this trip was that Thomas and Lynn were blessed to have another pair of hands to help with the arrival and care of their first grandchild. That may sound simplistic, but I have seen so many grandparents treat grandchildren as something to fight over and compete for. So not knowing the Suchy’s well before this trip I didn’t know what to expect in that area.But there was none of that in this home, and I was so blessed to share grand parenting duty with them both! I have never felt in competition with any of my children’s in laws. In Fact, I feel that their new family is our new family too.

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Photo by NAOMI LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

 

My husband and I are glad to share the honor of helping to raise our new grandson with the Suchy family. We are thankful that they are God fearing, God loving people. That is why it was not as hard for me to leave baby grey in Florida and return to my family In Oregon as it could have been. As I told them, I have no worries to take home with me! What a blessing it is to be able to say that.

Yes I cried! Poor little Grey was wet with tears, but then it was over. I know Grey is in great hands, surrounded by people/ family who love him dearly! Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a part of the birth of little Grey Thomas. And thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Suchy family as well! God Bless them richly!

 

 

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