Ellie Lake "Lulu"

16x20, Acrylic paint, 2021

My idea to begin was to paint a picture of my dog lulu. I got this idea from a picture I took of my dog lulu and I thought it would be a good painting.

The first thing I did was paint the entire background a bubblegum pink color. Next I sketched lulu onto the canvas and added a base color to it. Then I added in some details including her bow, nose, and eyes. Last I used a fan brush and different shades of tan to create the look of her curly fur.

This artwork means alot to me because it is a painting of my dog Lulu. When my audience looks at my painting I want them to enjoy looking at my dog. There is no symbolic imagery in this painting. It is just a photo of my dog turned into a painting.

The thing that was most difficult for me was to make the fur look curly and fluffy. I overcame this struggle by trying different techniques to see what would work best. In the send the best technique was to use a fan brush and twist it in circular motions to make it look like fur.

This paintings style of art is realistic. It is unique to my own personal style because I used it is a realistic dog background with a plain colored background. I love the pink background in contrast to the yellow fur on the dog.

Ellie Lake "Prickly Cactus"

12x12, Acrylic paint, 2021

My first idea was to paint a landscape of cactus and a background with shades of orange. My idea evolved as I started to paint because instead of doing one cactus I added another in the background. I got inspiration by the cactus you see in Arizona.

First I started with painting the background. I started with a orange paint and for each layer of the sky I added more white to create a gradient. Next I sketched out the shapes of the cactus with a pencil. Then I painted the cactus green and added some highlights. Last I painted on the needles with a really thin white brush.

This artwork is a cactus in Arizona. I want my artist to think about how the background does not look completely real. No there is no symbolic imagery in this painting.

The thing that was most difficult for me was to make the background like a wave. I overcame the struggles by sketching it out before I started to paint. If I started over I would make the cactus shapes better.

The style of thus painting is abstract. This painting is unique to me because it has realistic and abstract elements. For example the waves in the background. I love the shades of orange in this painting.

Ellie Lake "Orange Flowers"

16x20, Acrylic paint, 2021

My idea was to create orange flowers. I got my idea from a painting I saw on the internet. I liked the shape of the flowers and I wanted to try to recreate it.

First I started with the background. I painted it blue and then with white I added some streaks. Next I sketched out the shape of the flowers. Then I painted the flowers with multiple shades of orange. Last I painted the stems of the flowers and leaves.

This artwork is a painting of orange flowers that I like. I want my audience to think about where these flowers might be located.

The thing that was most difficult to me was to create the shape of the flowers. I overcame this struggle by sketching the shape before I started to paint. If i started over I think I would create a more interesting background.

This artwork is realistic. It is unique to my own personal style because of the different colored peddles. I love the color of the flowers and the different shades.