Since "retirement" and "painting on the beach" have come up on the list, here are a few of my paintings done on a recent trip to Block Island, RI. Up at 6 a.m. - take a walk - become inspired - paint! Retirement is not on my bucket list.
Proving to be both varied and fascinating, moons are far more common than planets in our Solar System. Our own Moon has had a profound influence on Earth, not only through tidal effects, but even on the behaviour of some marine animals. But how much do we really know about moons?
The post 10 facts you should know about moons appeared first on OUPblog.
I've painted many creatures that are black and white...cows, skunks, penguins and a giant Manta Ray!
Manta Ray Near Shore
from
"Wings In The Water"
illustrated by
Steven James Petruccio
For three years, Lyric Walker has behaved like a model citizen - in school, at home, everywhere. The wild thing she used to be cannot come out. Her home town of Coney Island has become a refugee camp for a strange race of sentient sea creatures. The hatred and mistrust between humans and these aliens - the Alpha - grows to a fever pitch when the president demands that Alpha children enter New York's public schools.
Lyric's school is first.
But Lyric and her parents have a secret that may kill them. When Lyric is forced to befriend the Alpha prince, Fathom, things become confusing all too quickly. He is untamed - as are all the Alpha - with a sense of honor that demands quick and violent retribution for the smallest of slights. Lyric only agrees to help Fathom adjust to humans when escape from the area is offered to her for parents as well as herself.
The government, itself, is split between the locals who hate and want to exterminate these interlopers and the federal government that views them as possible allies.
A subplot about Lyric's best friend's abusive step-father, and that best friend's boy friend add pathos to an otherwise action adventure sci-fi novel.
Things start out uncomfortably in this book and quickly become ugly and then uglier. Hate and what it motivates people to do is never a pretty sight.
Things I liked best about this book:
1. Cool battle scenes.
2. Lyric and Bex, her best friend.
3. Lyric's migraines turn into something significant.
4. The trial scene - wow, that was so awesome!
5. Governmental wrangling. Don't totally trust them!! Conspiracy theorists, unite!
Possible Spoiler Alert!!
I expected an underlying theme to be the warming of the oceans. I thought that was the reason these people were forced onto land. That may crop up in subsequent titles in this series - because Fathom, Lyric, Bex and all the others will return. But the reason the Alpha left the sea is pretty freaky and scary.
summer is flying by....and so is this swimmingly sweet sale!
EVERYTHING MERMAID (from
compact mirrors to
original paintings)...20% off throughout the remainder of summer! so, float on over to my
etsy shop and pick up something special for that little mermaid of yours! :)
Plein Air, Cambria was painted last fall in Cambria, CA, while meeting up with old friends. It was a wonderful feeling to sit on a big rock, listen to the ocean, and try painting what was in front of me. More of my artwork can be seen on my
website and my
Etsy shop
If you're a watercolorist or just someone who likes dappling in watercolor, and you would like to join this site and share your work, send me a link to your blog or website in a comment, and I'll add you to the site.
when carting around your sketchbook and pencils! ;)
{thanks, fine art america for a wonderful print job and super cute bag...minus the poor photography skills on my part, that is.}
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slow and steady
11x14 acrylic on canvas
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
an adorable little sea turtle...the perfect pet for a beautiful pink haired mermaid.
{this piece, a commission for last year and one of my favorites to date. it's the pink hair...;)}
PRINTS (AND OTHER GOODIES) FOUND THROUGH THE SHOP LINKS
HERE.
In honor of our beautiful planet...
Northern Lights
by
STEVEN JAMES PETRUCCIO
This remains one of my all time favorite illustrations. Not so much for the technical aspect but I feel I captured the love of mother and calf when they are reunited in the story. I love illustrations, by any artist, that go beyond the words and capture the feeling.
illustration from
MANATEE WINTER
by StevenJames Petruccio
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slow and steady
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
not only wins the race...but the heart of a beautiful, strawberry pink haired mermaid. :)
these two cuties were shipped off to new york this past monday and are ready to be welcomed into their new home in a baby girl's nursery.
{that pink hair...be still my heart. ;)}
PRINTS AVAILABLE THOUGH THE SHOP LINK FOUND HERE:
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
of mermaid hair!
custom painting in the works the next week or so. and guess what it is? *hint-i have painted lots of them in the last year...and they have great hair days every day, despite the fact they live in the water...or so the myth goes.* give up? i am painting yet another MERMAID. no complaints though...i LOVE painting hair. and this little beauty in the works? she will have PINK hair. not just any pink, but my signature strawberry pink. and hey, let's face it...don't we all dream of having super awesome, super strawberry pink hair? it's ok, you don't have to answer that...;)
bring on another mermaid! the easel is awaiting!
{a peek at the thumbnail process below. that's how it all begins folks...with a pink ink joy pen. :)}
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
there is nothing sweeter than seeing my work in a nursery. it literally moves me to tears.
and what makes it even more amazing is that moment you really connect with a client and they are kind enough to send you pictures such as these.
truly, nothing sweeter.
PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH PIECES HERE:
couldn't help but share...like a proud momma, as my painting are my *babies*. :)
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"seanmates"
11x14 acrylic on canvas |
meet the beautiful brunette mermaid, Gwen...and her adoring seahorse companion, Finn. it appears after all that *sea* searching, she's finally found her *sea*mate. ;)
this was a custom painting i finished up last week for a sweet baby girl named...Gwen. can't wait for her to receive it and hang it in her nursery! so, off to Illinois she went today.
however, PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE:
*who wouldn't want to be loved by such a super cute little seahorse...;)*
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
on the easel this week, a custom painting in the works...for a mermaid loving little girl. :)
i "heart" custom work!
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
Took a moment from my class to sketch. Hope you like the title…it’s one of my favorites from Genesis.
Tagged:
About Me,
Allen Capoferri,
America,
Art,
Beach,
California,
Genesis,
Illustration,
International,
Ocean,
sketchbook,
sketchbook drawing 
i always start by *inking* or outlining the image in a watered down version of a gray acrylic, after i've transferred the sketch to the canvas, that is. by laying down the gray outline on top of the pencil transfer, the image doesn't get lost once i begin to lay down the background layers of color.
i choose my color palette for the background (in this case pastels and different shades of white to mimic the gemstone Opal) and then i go crazy just laying down the color in various strokes. i don't blend the paint on the palette at this point, just on the canvas with the large brush so that it's a it more random...the placement of color. i usually will do 2 coats of the background before moving on to the next step....
once the background is complete, i start to lay down the underpainting of the flesh in the mermaids face and then i address all the other parts of the painting the same way....always underpainting and building from background to foreground.
for October's mermaid, Opal, i am slowly building watercolor-like washes with my acrylics. let me give some MAJOR LOVE right now to acrylics. they are my FAVORITE medium for numerous reasons. they are extremely versatile and the color pay off is fabulous! i love how they can be watered down to an almost watercolor-like consistency or they can be applied thick with a brush, palette knife or whatever you can get your hands to lay down the paint. they are build able and there is no crazy drying time like there is with oils (not that i don't love oils too....). can't say enough about them!
ok, back to Opal here....
i'm laying down washes of color first in stages so that i can go back over them with a light mix of dove gray, unbleached and bleached titanium paints to give it that opal like milky look. the trick here, as opposed to the other mermaids in the series, is that because the hair and the background are so similar, i have to make sure that Opal doesn't fade away, hence the deeper colors in the strands of hair.
afterward, it's time to move on to the jellyfish and the rest of the painting and then VOILA...the finished little masterpiece! :) hoping to have her listed FOR SALE by the end of this coming week.
speaking of, can't believe it's almost September already! THANK GOD!!! BRING ON FALL!!! and FOOTBALL!!! and for those of you who truly know me, you know what that means....PEYTON MANNING BACK ON MY TV SCREEN!!!
CAN. NOT. WAIT.
mysterious little Opal, October's mermaid.
and her jellyfish friends, of course :)
working on little Opal this week, October's mermaid....
sapphire blue, to be exact.
working on Iris, September's mermaid this week. still slowly recovering from c spine surgery so i can't paint as quickly or as much as i'd like.
the nervous system never ceases to amaze me. especially how neck surgeries affect your arm and your hand. i guess that's why those neurosurgeons get paid the big bucks! they certainly deserve it! amazing how all that stuff works...
hoping to have beautiful little Iris done soon! :)
By: Patrick Girouard,
on 6/10/2016
By: Amy Jelf,
on 3/25/2016
By: bookkm,
on 9/4/2015
By: nicole,
on 7/27/2015
By: Linda Kay,
on 7/19/2015
By: Allen Capoferri,
on 12/12/2013
Took a moment from my class to sketch. Hope you like the title…it’s one of my favorites from Genesis. 
Thanks, Elena.
Hi Karen and Antonio, thank you.
Awesome!
What class(es) are you taking (or teaching?), Allen?
Teaching. The class was Drawing Fundamentals, now it’ s Art Fundamentals as I’ve added painting to the curriculum.
Looks like a great place. If it was yours, would you continue the coat rental?
That’s funny. If it were mine it’d take a moment to consider. The view is spectacular. My daughter asked me about the coat too.
Hi Natalia and Noir33, thank you.
Hi Renata, thank you.
Thank you, Izms of Art.
this one’s awesome Allen! Evokes hedonistic impulses in me!