Sketch of the Day

Recently I bought a beautiful sketch book from Barnes & Noble – just the right size not to be too daunting to work in, with lovely ivory coloured paper. I’ve been sketching away, and putting some on my new Instagram account @lizapaizisart . I have been neglecting my sketching practices of late, so this is good motivation! It also reminds me of a wonderful book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron in which we are reminded how therapeutic daily creativity is….

Today, I just felt like the first sketch needed to be a heart design – perhaps a tattoo design. The world definitely needs more love, and beautiful hearts right now….

I used a nice new Galaxy Marker for white highlights, and one of my favourite Caran D’Ache colored pencils, for this Filigree Love Heart sketch .

Humminbird tattoo design sketch, inspired by the hummingbirds outsude my window :

Red Dragonfly tattoo design sketch :

– hope to see you on Instagram, and thanks for stopping by!

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A new portrait commission, and other portrait pieces…

I am always honoured to be able to paint someone’s portrait. To me, capturing the essence of a person within a painting is not only a wonderful creative expression, but also an intimate journey into their soul…

This is the beginnings of a portrait of Maggie, a wonderful customer who was inspired by my Flora Fairy painting and loves flowers and her two cats, so asked if I could blend all of these together and create a portrait of her. As with the Flora painting, I am using dried pressed flowers I have gathered on my journeys around the world, and overlaying them with watercolours. The overall feel is ethereal, whimsical and delicate. You can click on it for a closer view.

Here are a few examples of portrait styles I have done over the years :

I love doing almost any kind of commissioned artwork, especially portraits. I prefer not to be too attached to defining the realism of the person ~ rather, I draw from my style which uses a quality of magical realism to enhance the uniqueness I see in my subject matter.

If you are interested in having your portrait painted, please contact me for further information on the process, prices etc. I would be very happy to hear from you!

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“Luna Moth” : New Fairy Painitng, Art Nouveau style…

It is time for another fairy painting! To me, fairies represent the feminine spirit in Nature: ethereal, transcendent, beautiful and inspiring.

I love the work of Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha  ; his illustrative style is highly decorative yet maintains a wonderful evocative realism that captures the feminine essence within the natural world exquisitely. I also have a fascination for the exotic luna moth and want to combine those two inspirations with the magical ambiance of a crescent moonlit night… ~ You can see more of my original fairy and fantasy paintings here. ~

Here is the quick sketch, and the beginnings of the painting. I am using Fredrix watercolor canvas which is so interesting to paint on. It has a smooth and very watercolour- paper like canvas surface, but one can achieve beautiful blending and painterly techniques.