Step-by-step

Mr. Bee Poses For His Portrait

»Posted by on May 20, 2012 in Acrylics, Ampersand Aquabord, Carnival, Daily Paintworks, Liquitex Acrylics, Portfolio, State Fair, Step-by-step | 0 comments

"Mr. Bee Poses For His Portrait" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 7" x 5". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

"Mr. Bee Poses For His Portrait" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 7" x 5". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

I don’t know why I love the Bumble Bee Bop so much. I guess part of the reason is because these guys are always cheerful, and just so darn cute.

Then there’s pure artistic admiration. The designers managed to create believable personalities from basic shapes that remind me of a giant billiard ball stacked on top of a giant yellow golf ball. The simplest designs can be the most effective! These bees have no moving parts – the head doesn’t turn, and the arms are stationary – yet from every angle they present a different expression. Sometimes it’s “Ta Da!” or “Peace, brother.” This one’s my favorite, the humble “Oh, gosh, you want to paint little ol’ me?” look.

There’s a new Angry Birds theme park in Finland. Their version of the Bumble Bee Bop features the Big Brother bird from the game. Too cute!

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"Mr. Bee Poses For His Portrait" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 7" x 5". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved. "Mr. Bee Poses For His Portrait" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 7" x 5". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.



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The Hunter

»Posted by on May 3, 2012 in Acrylics, Ampersand Aquabord, Animals, Available, Blog, Liquitex Acrylics, Portfolio, Step-by-step | 0 comments

"The Hunter" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

"The Hunter" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

His prey drive is off the charts. He’ll hunt relentlessly, even in knee-deep January snows, stalking small animals until he has icicles growing on his whiskers. He’s the King of the Back Yard, but indoors, he’s just our big, cuddly boy.

"The Hunter" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

"The Hunter" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved. "The Hunter" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved. "The Hunter" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

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The Ancient One

»Posted by on Apr 19, 2012 in Ampersand Aquabord, Animals, Daily Paintworks, Liquitex Acrylics, Step-by-step | 1 comment

"Miss Lish" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

"The Ancient One" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

Only Miss Lish knows the secrets behind the scars on her ancient face, and she’s not telling. At age sixteen, she has the mug of a battered boxer, nose dented and one eye in a permanent squint. Perhaps she broke her face diving for cover under a piece of furniture, or maybe her former owner accidentally shut her head in a door. I shudder to think about the pain her injuries must have caused her.

What she lacks in beauty, she makes up for with her wisdom and kindness. She came to live with us in her retirement years, after a lifetime of caring for her elderly owner. She shows her appreciation by gathering gifts at night, leaving them at the foot of my drawing table. It’s so cool to go into the studio in the morning and discover a neat pile of stuffed mice on the exact spot where I stand to paint. Fortunately, she doesn’t have access to live critters, so I don’t have to experience the horror of finding dead mice or snakes. ;)

"Miss Lish" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.



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18

»Posted by on Jan 22, 2012 in Acrylics, Ampersand Gessobord, Liquitex Acrylics, Portfolio, Sports, Step-by-step | 0 comments

Peyton Manning painted by Lesley Spanos. Not for sale.

"18" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Gessobord, 16" x 20". For personal use only, not for sale. Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

The Superbowl has come to Indianapolis, and to commemorate it, I present my first football painting, ever! I’ve always longed to paint the game, but the NFL is extremely protective of their rights (as they should be), so that’s a line I’ve never crossed.  I’m able to take my camera into games, so I have hundreds of tempting references I can’t use. If you’re an artist, you know how frustrating that can be. Finally, this week, I decided I’d go ahead and do a painting, just for me. I think it’s okay as long as I don’t sell it. I hope. NFL lawyers, if I’m wrong, kindly email and I’ll smash it to bits for you.

Number 18 is the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks, ever. He’s more than just a sports celebrity to the city of Indianapolis. He’s a civic-minded hero who has done great things for our city. He won’t be playing in the Superbowl on Sunday, but he’s on everyone’s minds as he tries to regain top form after surgery on his neck. We wish you the best, Peyton, and hope to see you around Indy for many years to come.

Painting of Peyton Manning by Lesley Spanos in progrees. Not for sale. Painting of Peyton Manning in progress. Painted by Lesley Spanos. Painting of Peyton Manning in progress. Painted by Lesley Spanos. Painting of Peyton Manning in progress. Painted by Lesley Spanos.



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It’s What I Eat For Breakfast

»Posted by on Jan 10, 2012 in Acrylics, Ampersand Aquabord, Daily Paintworks, Food and Wine, Liquitex Acrylics, Step-by-step, Still Life | 2 comments

Painting of breakfast by Lesley Spanos - Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries over cottage cheese.

"It's What I Eat For Breakfast" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 5" x 7". Copyright ©2012 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

The idea for painting breakfast comes from Carol Marine’s Paint Your Breakfast Challenge on Daily Paintworks. For me, breakfast is the same every morning: 4% fat cottage cheese mixed with freshly ground flax seed and a variety of oils  – flax, hemp, fish, and coconut. I like the stuff, but my husband can barely choke it down, so for his sake we top it with berries.

A few in-progress images archived along the way:

Painting of what I eat for breakfast, by Lesley Spanos A painting of breakfast by Lesley Spanos. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cottage cheese. Painting of breakfast by Lesley Spanos - Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries over cottage cheese.

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Cherries and Blue Cheese

»Posted by on Jul 27, 2011 in Acrylics, Ampersand Aquabord, Food and Wine, Liquitex Acrylics, Portfolio, Step-by-step, Still Life | 1 comment

Acrylic still life painting of cherries with blue cheese by Lesley Spanos

"Cherries and Blue Cheese" by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 6" x 6". Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all rights reserved.

This was my lunch a couple of days ago – a small wedge of Castello-Rosenborg Danish Blue Cheese and some ripe cherries. It was a miserably hot day when I took my plate outside to photograph it, which made the cheese get all melty. Mmmm!

These cherries are painted larger than life. Here are some images taken along the way:

Acrylic still life painting of cherries with blue cheese by Lesley Spanos



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