NieNie's Wee-Nies in New York!

 
"NieNie's Wee-Nies" was accepted into the Society of Illustrators 2012 Annual Student Scolarship Competition! This is a great show to have a piece accepted to and I am very honored. They say the best of the best works are accepted into this show (253 pieces out of 8,119 submissions).

The show will be exhibited May 9th - June 2, 2012 at the Museum of American Illustration.

If you are in the New York area, go check the show out. Info here.

Awards presentation and opening reception: May 18, 2012 at 6:00pm.

The Society of Illustrators is located at:
128 East 63rd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10065

Gallery Hours:
10 A.M.– 8 P.M. Tuesday
10 A.M.– 5 P.M. Wednesday - Friday
12 noon– 4 P.M. Saturday
Closed most holidays

Society of Illustrators - New York, New York

"NieNie's Wee-Nies" STEVEN WAGGONER

Finally Done (finally posting)

  Finished product, in the studio.

   

"NieNie's Wee-Nies", 34 x 34", oil on canvas -  STEVEN WAGGONER

   
I finally finished this painting for Stephanie. Well, I finished painting them at the end of 2011 but I am just now posting them. I am happy with how they turned out. The final painting was photographed by David Hawkinson Photography. David does an excellent job at photographing artwork. I have a lot of photography experience but I just can't quite get a good photo of a painting like he does. I hope that Stephanie and Christian love it. Sorry Stephanie, your new baby will have to be in a new painting.

Update and a New Studio

Well, these paintings got set aside for a little while, but I am almost done. Here's the most recent progress. I'm trying to get them as far along as I can so I can present them tonight if possible. I have a new studio space and tonight it will be a part of the Provo, Utah monthly Gallery Stroll. Check out the poster I made below.

 

Please come join us!

In Progress

These are coming along a little slow but I am liking them. The dark red I covered the background with is only temporary. It's an under-layer that will give some good contrast to the final color that will cover it. The  paintings are touching each other here but when displayed will sit an inch and a half apart which will make the circle full.

Drawing - Grisaille - Paint

 Drawing the circle.

 

 Claire

 Jane

 

 Nicholas

Oliver

Some basic steps: I first lay out the drawing then move into a grisaille as in the steps of Claire above. Then I can get into the best part, laying down lots of paint. I've always been nervous to paint freckles so painting the Nielson children presents a perfect challenge.

Color Studies

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the color in this piece so I decided to do some color studies. After I tried to do some hand-coloring on black and white prints I decided to go to the computer instead. I don't love working on the computer but it was very helpful.

*In the middle photo you can see a painting in the top right corner by my good friend, Annie Henrie. She does some great work, including portraits. Go check out her work here.

Photo Shoot

I

Before I can take the idea to canvas I have to get my photo reference. I went over to the Nielson's place with my camera and enlisted the help of both Stephanie and Christian to get some good shots of these wiggly kids. Oliver and Nicolas were definitely the wiggliest.