The Next Generation

For several years I have had the joy of painting with my nieces at Christmas. First we started with paint by numbers which they enjoyed. A number of years ago, my niece Audrey decided she wanted a more challenging project. From scratch, three of my nieces drew their subjects and then painted them with my oil paints.

This past Christmas we continued the tradition and added my youngest niece to our group. I continue to be amazed by their dedication and competence. Often they would be in the studio painting before I was. They know their colors, (including the obscure ones I have), but more importantly, they put their heart into their pieces ......and it shows.

I am proud to present the wonderful work from this past Christmas.

Amanda                                           Katie      Audrey

The fourth chair belongs to:

             Olivia ........starting to mix her paints for her horse

Olivia worked on two projects: a butterfly set which she painted with acrylics and a 3-D horse in which she created her own coat pattern. I believe both projects show wonderful creativity!

2 of the 4 butterflies painted by Olivia Besse, age 9

The mohair tail and mane were added later

horse painted by Olivia Besse, age 9

Well done Olivia!!!
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Amanda was set to complete her little bee-eater from last year. And my, what a beautiful painting it is. Her deft touch with the feathers and the depth of the eye really make this little guy come alive.

Original oil painting by Amanda Susman, age 14      7" X 8"        

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Audrey arrived a little sooner than her cousins and was game to try Daniel Smith's metallic gold gesso. For her subject she chose one of our calliope hummingbirds which I photographed last summer. Each day I marveled at her piece. Audrey's finished painting is simply gorgeous! (Note: the background is a metallic gold. Click on the photo and you can better see the gold.)

Original oil painting by Audrey Besse, age 14           7" X 9.5"

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Katie followed her cousin's lead and also decided to use gold gesso. Before anyone would get going in the morning, Katie would be in the studio painting. Browns are a tough color to work with but Katie did a superb job creating the nuances of this horse's hair. Well done Katie! You put a lot of your heart into this piece.

Original oil by Katie Susman, age 15      11" X 8"

Being in the studio with my nieces while we paint, talk, sing, and laugh makes my Christmas very special.