mnartists.org: Michelle Wegler-portraits

I've MOVED!!!!

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:13:52 GMT

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Portraits Fair to Fiery

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:43:26 GMT

A year long journey peaks with the exhibit of the paintings created featuring red-heads. I have met so many wonderful people, and the paintings have turned out beautifully. They will be fabulous all hanging together at the exhibit!

image: Rick

image: Jean

image: Alison cover

image: Lisa M

Pharaoh Hound

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:01:05 GMT

[color=#333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px]Not all red-heads are human - there are birds, fish, and dogs also. I met this dog while visiting a woman for the [/color]red-head project. Their hair was the same color! The breed is called a[url=http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/pharaohhound.htm]Pharaoh Hound[/url], thought to be like the dogs depicted in Egyptian paintings. They are not a common sight here in Minnesota, as their fur is very short. I liked the way the dog looked and it did pose nicely for me. The backlit profile was especially striking. The other elements were added for fun!

Kate

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:29:34 GMT

My lovely daughter, what more can I say?

Ellen

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:14:30 GMT

[color=#333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px]When faced with a major project the question is, "Where do I start?" No different with a painting project! The idea of painting red-heads had been brewing in me for a long time, so I had a collection of photos of possible subjects. First step was to look through those, compare them to my ideas, and plan that first painting.[/color]

Before I start any painting, I spend time designing it. The first painting was created from a photo taken outdoors, candidly, so I didn't need to pose the model. The photo already included what I was looking for from this person (freckles!!!). Design considerations for each portrait include: How large will the piece be? Will it include more that the person's head and shoulders? What kind of background, plain or detailed? What colors in the background? How am I going to portray the feeling I want? I do a series of sketches trying out the different ideas before committing any pastel to paper.

I hope you feel how she hasn't quite grown into her beauty yet.

"Ellen"

12 in x 16 in

My portrait box of pastels

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:21:50 GMT

When viewing my paintings people often ask what the medium is: clearly not watercolors, but not oils either. Viewers are frequently surprised to learn I create the paintings with pastels.

Pastels are sticks of compressed pigment, the same pigment that is used in watercolor or oil paints. Pastels are made by mixing the powdered pigment with a small amount of binder and water. They are then formed into sticks, and allowed to dry. Many companies roll and shape the sticks by hand, making the pastel a work of an artist from the beginning! The resulting pastel is the used to "paint," but without the liquid or brush, just by direct application with the artist's hand.

Pastels' colors are often thought to be, well, pastel. The 20 or so manufacturers of artist grade pastels offer many hundreds of colors, ranging from bold and brilliant tosoftand subtle.I have hundreds of colors myself, plenty of options for capturing beautiful red hair! The sticks are organized in special trays. Smaller boxes contain colors selected just for specific painting uses: a box each for summer, autumn, and winterlandscapes, and a box for portraits. This is my portrait box. It's from these sticks that the red-head portraits will be created.

To learn more about my red-head project, check my blog:

[url=http://www.michelleweglerart.blogspot.com/]www.michelleweglerart.blogspot.com[/url]

Tim's Daughter

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:30:00 GMT

Tim's daughter received this commissioned painting as a gift, and she has declared it her BEST prestent ever, even more favorite than the car she got!

AJ and Nick

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:01:10 GMT

What a joy to create this painting: A happy couple in a beautiful setting!

Father and Daughter

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:45:44 GMT

Commissioned as a surprise birthday present for the father. How can he not love it?

Karl at the Beach

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:40:46 GMT

The belly is what inspired me for this painting. It was a challenge to capture the feeling of the summer sun with the warm reflected light from the sand. An award winner.

Sienna's Piggies

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:52:47 GMT

While viewing photos of a new baby I was stopped by one of little feet. How cute were these!? Irresistible - they [i]had[/i] to be painted. I hadn't gotten a baby gift yet for the new parents, and I thought they'd enjoy a painting of their little daughter. I got to work, wrapped it, and gave it to the mother. And yes, mom says, the painting [i]is[/i] much enjoyed.

Dawn's Godparents 50th

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:50:42 GMT

Dawn commissioned this piece as a gift to her godparents. She was excited and proud to be able to give them a gift they will continue to treasure.

Cutest Kitten

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:51:19 GMT

When this pet's owner called and told me she had the cutest kitten, little did I know! What a little ball of fur, and such beautiful eyes.

Matt and Maren

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:17:34 GMT

This was painted as a wedding present. It was the first of the two that I painted, and is in full color. I liked the light on them, shining on them on their happy day.

Matt and Maren-sepia

Michelle Wegler-portraits — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:14:53 GMT

This was painted as a wedding present. I couldn't decide which pose to paint, so I painted two. This one turned out to be both my and the couple's favorite, although they are both really beautiful and it was a difficult choice! It's not done in full color, but in sepia tones.