Above. The Great Hike. Compilation animation of all my different saves and stages of this 80+ hour painting.

Mr. Ed Mosee came in today to work his usual chipper self. All smiles and grins and a bouncy step. He wanted to know if I have written a book about digital painting. He saw my “Great Hike”. I told him no. I think this blog counts as closest to a book as I’ve ever gotten: all the random things I’ve written here through the months about my artwork and my projects. I usually write here only when I have the time, but I think I can make a little more time to write a small book for Mr. Mosee.

I won’t write a book about all I know about digital painting, Mr. Mosee, but I can show you the basics, and anyone else who might like to pick up Beginner’s Digital Painting. I hope this guide is a fun way to learn how to digitally paint, and a good resource for the new and old alike to painting and drawing.

I’m mostly going to cover Photoshop CS3, but I will touch on Painter X from time to time. I’ll assume you know how to use an OS and the basic functions of a computer. If you have questions please email myntilicious@gmail.com.

This first installment is titled:
Why should I digital paint?

I can answer that in one sentence…. but I have a book to fill, so I’m going to go about it the longways instead. Bear with me through the sharp turns and doglegs. Read the rest of this entry »

Trying a new medium is always fun. Encaustics are interesting from the get-go because of the nature of the paint… you heat it to make it brushable, and you let it cool and harden to preserve a layer. It’s interesting for its sculptural qualities… such as how easy it is to remove or scrape the wax away with simple tools and fingernails.

You can imbed pieces of paper, fabric, string, and so forth into the painting and make it mixed media. You can paint over photos or paintings in other mediums like watercolor on heavy paper.

Mostly though, it’s neat how multi-layered and instantly textural this medium is. For me, I prefer to work large. So, I fill a tiny canvas with a big eyeball:

Above. Enkaustikos “Hotcakes” wax paint on 5″x7″ illustration board.

Above. My workstation.

I’ll continue to paint and experiment and in a month or so will begin doing demos of the paint in Ardmore. If you would like more info, please email me.

Laura Grace Rafferty aka mynti

Above. The mural has been successfully installed in the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County’s children’s care unit.

This modern facility is home to up to 100 victims and their dependent children while they face a traumatic period of adjustment and relocation. The agency performs a multitude of services including (but not limited to): a 24-hour toll-free hotline, adult crisis counseling, emergency and transitional housing, relocation assistance, childcare educational and counseling services, legal counseling, advocacy and representation by staff lawyers, rapid on-site assistance, community education and training, and a volunteer and intern program.

From their Annual report:
The shelter in the past year housed 96 new and continuing adults and 81 of their children for 4,927 nights. 30 families were provided with transitional housing. 13 families received relocation assistance. 226 clients received protection from abuse orders, 59 clients were assisted with custody or other legal matters. 1,837 hotline calls were answered. 417 new and continuing children were provided with 1,209 counseling service hours and 16,295 childcare/social recreational hours. 33 children were enrolled in our daycare program. 81 community education programs were provided to groups reaching 6,757 persons. 44 new volunteers participated in state required 45 hour training program to provide domestic violence services. In total, volunteers provided 3,672 hours of children, legal, housing and counseling services.

My mother went to a garage sale recently and then presented me with a blank paper fan to do with what I liked. You know what happens next. I bring out the paint! I started painting my sister’s fan, too, since she asked me to… hers is still a work in progress, though.

Above. The backside of my fan.

Above. The front of my fan.

It was more difficult than I thought to paint on such a surface, but I enjoyed the unique challenge and the switchup from the studies I’ve been doing lately.

My show at the restaurant will be open until the end of may! Check the last post for more info!

Yesterday was the Trattoria San Nicola opening night of my May art show. I was glad to see so many long time supporters of my work there, so many family and friends. Thanks to Chef Vito and Cristina for hosting us a wonderful party, and for the servers and waiters who did a lovely job with the service. Thanks also to my talented cousin Katie Leva, who photographed the event for me in candid shots, and Mimi & Emily Rafferty and Mark DeLuca for helping me haul, setup, and prepare for the event.

I had a wonderful time! Here’s some of the best shots. Contact me for the full version of any photograph.

Above. Click for larger. For the newspaper; photo by Claire Costello. From left to right: Kim Cooley, Emily Rafferty, Laura Rafferty, Mark DeLuca, Cristina Conti

Above. The hor d’oeuvres were fantastic! Photo by Katie Leva.

Above. The space was light and beautiful, and it was a nice hot spring day. Photo by Katie Leva.

Above. Famous motorcyclist Larry Forstall peruses through my prints portfolio. Photo by Katie Leva.

Above. It was nice to see new and familiar faces. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. My coworker Jenna and her boyfriend Marc look through my originals folio. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Liz and Colin Rafferty chat with Claire and her friend. Joe and his sister look on in the background. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Radiantly pregnant Marisa pages through my prints folio. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. My cousin Jenna Leva looks at my prints folio in the foreground, while Larry, Elaine, Linda, and Lauren chat in the background. A stranger pops in the doorway for a look around. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Carol and my mother, seated, giggle along with Sean, myself and Jenna. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. I talk about medium techniques with my coworker Denniss and his roommate Regina. Frank looks at the restaurant menu in the background. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Elaine Forstall chats with Linda and Lauren DeLuca. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Giggling and having fun with Marc, Jenna, Rosemary, Ed, and Emily. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. An acquaintance samples the food while Carly talks with Kathryn (hidden). Frank, Denniss and Regina chat to the right. I walk out of the camera view (left), and Mike walks out of the camera view (right). Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Marisa daydreams. Mark chats with his back to us in the background, and my mother talks with Liz in the foreground. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Everyone had a fun time chatting and talking. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. Local artist Kiki Ross samples the fare. Kathryn chats with myself and her sister Carly (hidden). Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated with faux textures and permanent murals by co-owner Cristina Conti. It was a pleasure to see my work in such an artistic locale. Photograph by Katie Leva.

Above. The volunteer mural was on display in the front entrance of the restaurant for all the patrons to look at as they wait to be seated. Photograph by Katie Leva.

The Two Above. Click for larger views. After the show, the small paintings and drawings were moved from the table displays to the other rooms of the restaurant to hang there until May 31st. Photographs by myself.