Tuscany Delights Finished!

Hi Everyone, Woohoo, I am very happy and having a big kick-ass glass of vino right now and listening to my fav guy "Mr. Dean Martin". I am toasting my new painting. Just off the easel and I am very happy with my first still life.

So here is a picture of the latest painting:

"Tuscany Delights", 60 x 80 cm

And a few close up so you can see some details:

Geez man...the nice orange lights/and darks on the red tomatoes just dont want to show up well on my stupid pics.
And a pic-lol -of all the paints I used - you can also see my messy colourful smock above.

Appreciate any comments you may have and many thanks to you all for your lovely comments during my WIP. Have a great Evening

I will be taking a short painting break from painting before I will be leaving for vacation to Canada for my sister's big wedding, and I can barely wait. So I have quite a bit to do before I leave. So I will see you all back at the easel on October 10th. Have a great upcoming Labour Day!

Wrapping up my Tuscany painting

Hi Everyone, I have been so busy with my Tuscany still life painting. It is really starting to take shape and I am very pleased with it so far. I would love to finish today, but it is highly unlikely. Already 2:30 pm and I have been working on it since 8:00 am. So I am a little tired. Perhaps tomorrow I can finish the painting.

So I leave you with my last wip

Wishing you all a great day
cheers Lisa ----- This painting is always making me hungry..LOL

Illustration Friday - "Visitors Theme"

The theme this week for Illustration Friday is "Visitors". So I submitted my "Amore in Venice" painting. Two little "honeymooner cats" visiting the beautiful city of Venice.

My Colourful Art Cards - Some Proofs

Hi Everyone, I just received my cards from my shop at Greeting Card Universe. The shipping was very fast and the cards were very well packed with matching envelopes in a nice box.

I was really delighted with the quality of the cards and the print! The card paper is nice and thick and the colours are just gorgeous. So I thought I would share some picture with of you my cards:

Wrapped up nice in the Box

The Inside of the Card - Very nice font

A Few close ups

What do you think? I am so anxious to show Andreas – I think they are just gorgeous. As I was so impressed, I ordered some more to use for birthday cards, thank yous, etc.

My Gallery at GCU: http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/LisaLorenz
Love Lisa

The Lorenz Characters on the Simpson's

Hi everyone, have you ever wondered what you would look like as a character on The Simpsons? Well, I found this hilarious site: http://simpsonizeme.com/# and had a blast this morning making Andreas and I as Simpson characters. I think they turned out pretty good based on our photos.

So D’oh…here we are as cartoon characters:

and on the Crusty the Clown Show!

Unfortunately, you can only do 1 at a time and then export to your computer. Then in Photoshop I had to cut out Andreas’s character and impose him with my background. Had a bitch of time with the finicky magic selection brush tool. Gosh...does anyone know how to use this thing easily. Please do let me know. But after much swearing I got it right. Have fun doing your characters! And a great day!

Tuscany - Still Life WIP

Hi Everyone, Thought it was time to post a progress of my Tuscany Delights - Still Life WIP. It is going quite well, but lots more work than I anticipated. I am still in the blocking in colour phase and I still have a bit more to do. This stage of painting is so boring but it has to be done..LOL. And crucial for me to play with my colours. Once that is done, I will soon begin modeling the objects, which is the fun part of the painting-anyways for moi!

First - My Drawing on Canvas - as always messy! lol

Blocking in lots of lemon yellow for the yellowy-golden objects and some cyan/white for the sky

Now some blue green for the foliage and green parts. Added a nice warm wash of napthol red and yellow to hillside - bread and sunflower centres.

Still blocking in lots of color. Decided to add a bit of yellow to the sky - reflecting off the sun-kissed hillside. (we cant see this so well) but I will take a zoomed in pic of that. Then I warmed up the hillside a bit with some cad yellow medium/red wash. Also a coat on the sunflower petals. Then started blocking in colour for the other objects in my composition. The colors I have going on here are: cad yellow med, cobalt blue, lemon yellow, burgundy for wine and vinegar. Some napthol red for the tomatoes, etc., some naples yellow for the olive oil jar, and a mixture of my own terracotta (orchre, yellow, sienna, red) for my clay pesto pot, also added some cerulean blue hue/white to the table cloth. I had it tourquise before, but did not really fancy that color too much in the scheme of things.

So I am off to block in some more color for my grapes, pots, cheese and another coat here and there and then I will begin to bring this baby to life! My hubby has just left for a mini business trip so I will be living the artist life for the next two days: no cooking, no cleaning, no wifeing....lol. Just me, my easel, and paints. Hope I can wrap her up before the weekend! Big hugs to you all and have a great day!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:

I was tagged yesterday by my good mate Kim at Laketrees to find out what my Peculiar Aristrocratic Title is:

So I joined in on the fun and a I am:

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Viscountess Lisa the Erudite of Melbury Bumpton Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Wonderful Calendar Proofs from Zazzle

A few weeks ago my best mate Sue who just moved back to Vancouver from Copenhagen ordered 5 calenders (wow, thanks Sue!!!) and was very pleased with the results and sent me some pics displaying the images of my funky floral calender.

I am thrilled with the print quality and thought I would show them to you. My calender sales have been doing very well. I think everyone back home in Canada will soon have one of my calendars...LOL. Thanks to everyone who has ordered calendars.

Some Display Pics of the Calendar:

Lovely Sue

New Painting Idea - Tuscany

Hi Everyone, Well, I needed a new painting to start, and I felt in a slump yesterday..LOL. Andreas says to me, a slump? How can you be in a slump, you just finished the lavender like 2 days ago…LOL. He is so cute.

Anyways, I need to paint! I live for painting..LOL. And I often have many ideas rolling around my head and I felt like taking a break from the florals, but I had no idea what to paint. So I decided on something that I had in my thoughts for a long time now. I have always wanted to paint an Italian Kitchen scene for my future home with all my favourite Italian Ingredients. I love Italian food – particularly from Tuscany and also its beautiful areas and wonderful pottery and colors! I am a real Italy fan as you can tell from my past paintings and ideas. I must have been Italian in my past life.

Anyways. Here is my very rough sketch (from my crazy imagination) for my next painting. Entitled “Tuscany Delights”. It will be a big one – 60 x 80 cm painted landscape. Wondering what you all thought of the idea. I think I am up for lots of work on this baby!

Wishing you all a wonderful day. Well, I am dead beat tired and I have to go work out now. Have to get in shape for the big wedding!


Kisses to you all
Love Lisa



Oh and here is picture of my beautiful flower bouquet my hubby bought me on Monday for our wedding anniversary. And I have to advise you all that we are married 11 years not 12....LOL. I go that wrong the other day! Crazy me!

Colours of Provence

Hi Everyone, Hope you all had a beautiful weekend with some nice summer weather. We had a lovely weekend and had some friends over for a bbq on Saturday night. Also, 12 years ago today, Andreas and I were married at the Basel City Hall. We will have to celebrate on Wednesday, as Andreas is working a bit late tonight and tomorrow.

Anyways, that’s my news. Also, I thought I would share with you my latest painting I just finished today. This time it’s all about Lavender and the beautiful, bold colors of French Country Provence! The painting is 40 x 50 cm painted done in acrylics and is entitled:

“Colours of Provence”

Wishing you all a beautiful week!

Lavender Update

Hi Everyone, I have been working on my Lavender painting every other day and I took a few pics of my painting progress.

Drawing on Canvas

Then I blocked in some nice cad yellow medium with a tint of white for background. Put some masking tape around the edges where I will have my cobalt blue border - about 1 inch from the sides all round. I also then pretty much finished the pail and the wording was a difficult task...I tell you. I felt like an old fashion typesetter..LOL

Added some greens to the stems and finished my cord/knot. Then I had the very difficult task of adding the cobalt blue to the borders. Thought I was going to pull my hair out. But I am very happy with it.

Where I am now. Blocked some lavender color (perm violet, white, and some quin.red) for the flowers. I now will do some outlining and define the flowers. I was really hoping to finish today but I dont think I will be able to work on the painting till Monday.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

My Paintings in Tara's New Beautiful Home & Other Customers

Hi Everyone, I was very pleased to recieve some great photos of giclees of my paintings hanging in the lovely Mrs. Tara's (my best customer) new home. She purchased them from Imagekind and hung the 4 florals in a row in her kitchen/dining room area and I think they look wonderful with her beautiful table and hanging light.

It was a real treat to see my art work hanging in her home. Thanks so much Tara! And congrats to you and HJ on your new smashing home! I can't wait to come for a visit.

Pics of the giclee prints in ther Dining Room:

And the lovely Tara with the paintings

Here is a print of my Sunflower Painting that my aunt Pauline purchased for her kitchen. I think the quality is excellent. Thanks Aunt Pauline
In her Kitchen

And My mom ordered "Pretty in Pink" a while back and I also think the quality is just great. Thanks Mom.

More French Country "Lavender"

Hi Guys, Woohoo, I am excited today with my new idea for another French Country painting. I was thinking and dreaming of it all night. So I was up bright and early and did some sketches and my next painting will be the lavender flowers “Lavande” in French. I just love lavender and the smell! And its color and also the beautiful colors of Provence. So my next painting will be Lavender stems- tied in string in a nice French Style "country" galvanized pail with the words "Lavande" on the frong and the colors of Provence(yellow/strong-coblat blue) for the background.

Here is my sketch - painting from my imagination. No rference pictures except for some of my old galvanized pails and the little scrauny lavendar plant I purchased yesterday.

What do you all think of it? I am excited to start the painting.

Ps. I am gone French Country crazy..I tell you. Must be my strong French roots shinning thru my blood..LOL

La Vie en Rose

Hi Everyone, Pleased to announce that I just finished my rose painting. Wild roses in a french country pail painted with some beautiful "dusty roses".

La Vie en Rose, 40 x 50, acrylic