Art – Page 4 – StyleNectar

Oil Portrait of a Classic Bride

"A Beautiful Bride" Oil on Canvas by Juliane Porter

A couple of weeks back I shared Day 2 of this incredibly special oil portrait. Here it is fully complete…

My stunning mother on her wedding day!

I had only a 1960's black and white photo for reference, so I retained the period black and white feel. Regardless, I was struck by her dewy skin, slender figure and most of all the pure joy and love radiating from her being. Her dress was absolutely stunning, worn previously by a model on the runway, which she was able to purchase at a discount as a result. I remember sneaking into the special closet in the attic with my sister when we were little to marvel over this gorgeous wedding gown where it hung safely stowed away alongside many other beautiful pieces from my mother's young adult life… from the pale yellow polka-dotted gown with matching wide yellow sash to her suede wrap mini-skirt and fur ski-vest. She was certainly a fashion plate in her day.

To paint my mother as a twenty-three year old bride enabled me to see life through those eyes, through her eyes as a young woman. Beautiful. Talented. In love. Happy. I saw my sister in her face, in those eyes, in her smile – the way their upper lips shift across their beautiful teeth. I felt my Dad's love for her, his pride in marrying this exquisite creature, and their excitement for the adventure of the unknown. It was like traveling in time and space, inhabiting the hearts and minds of all my family! There truly isn't another experience quite like painting a portrait. And this was one incredibly special piece I'll treasure forever.

I love you, Mommy.

Love All,

Juliane

Have you ever thought about having a portrait painted of yourself and/or your loved ones? Feel free to contact me if you're interested!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Art, Portraits, Style

Beach Babes

Beach Babes, 30″ x 40″ Commissioned Portrait by Juliane Porter. Oil on Archival Gallery-Wrapped Canvas

(Click image for larger view)

My latest commissioned oil painting was a magical experience… a silhouette of two beautiful sisters walking across the wet sand into the early morning sun of Daufuskie Island, SC.

Art, Portraits, Style

The Art of a Fly Fisherman

Hurricane Sandy Disaster relief… Please donate any amount you can: Red Cross

"Albies at the Rip." Oil Painted Portrait of a Fly Fishing Catch on 24"x36" Canvas by Juliane Porter. Click for better, larger view.

Fly fishing is my husband’s practice; art is mine. For each of us, it’s a losing of the self within life’s rhythm. And though life is not a work of art and the moments cannot last forever, the fly fisherman’s line dances, catching fleeting glimpses into the elusive mystery of the sea just as the artist’s brush captures moments eternally in paint. And we realize the ebb and flow of all that is around us. One. Infinite. Beauty.

I took the opportunity to sit down with my husband, a dedicated fly fisherman, after capturing, eternally in oil paint, the moment in this painting. Please enjoy his insider's view into the Art of Fly Fishing as well as a few recommendations for three fantastic locations we’ve visited…

~What is the practice of fly fishing to you? Everything. It’s serene. And it can also be very exciting and cathartic.

~Interesting. May I ask in what way it is cathartic? It’s calming. You just relax. Your problems don’t seem very big, if you do have problems. It’s relaxing, reenergizing. Meditative.

~What brought you to fly fishing in the first place? I wanted to expand my love for the water and the outdoors and my passion for game-fishing which I’ve been doing since I was a young boy.

~What brought you to fishing as a young boy? Putting a line out there into this dark space where you couldn’t see, and the chance that something was going to tug on it from another world.

~Many people are familiar with fly fishing in fresh water streams. However, you love fly fishing not only in streams, but also surf fishing along ocean beaches, from your sea kayak and even in salt water estuaries. How do all these options impact your experience of the sport? These infinite options make it a bigger challenge; always having to stay in tune with infinite variables such as wind, tides, migratory patterns, weather conditions… It means you need to be in tune with what’s going on in nature.

~What are some impressive places you’ve fly fished recently along the East Coast? Fishing the Narragansett Bay while staying at The Inn of Castle Hill. Fly fishing around Nantucket while staying at The Wauwinet. Fly Fishing Montauk while staying at The 1770 House in East Hampton.

What do you do to decompress or get back to "center?"

You may also enjoy: Being a Nutritarian!

Art, Style

the apple picker

12" x 12" oil on canvas by Juliane Porter

one of my recent commissioned oil paintings. what can i say. this little guy, who's not so little any more and growing like a weed, is just as inspiring as his sweet sister (see her portrait here). each time i see these kiddos they fill me with happiness, love and light. the piece is in my living room at the moment… lighting up the space just as those dear faces do! i shall have a hard time parting with it 🙂

have you ever had a painting commissioned of you, your kids or a loved one? feel free to contact me if you're interested.

Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to stay current on all things SN!

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Art, Portraits, Style

Laughing in the Park

"Laughing in the Park" Commissioned Portrait by Juliane Porter (16" x 20" Oil on archival quality, gallery wrapped canvas. Click image for better, larger view!)

"Laughing in the Park" is my latest commissioned portrait of a beautiful young brother and sister. I had a blast painting this carefree and playful pair. Can't you feel the bond between them?!

While painting, I was reminded of a favorite Emily Dickinson poem, There is Another Sky, which she wrote for her beloved older brother.

There is Another Sky

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields –
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

~ Emily Dickinson (Written for her brother)

Art, Portraits

Lizzie Dances under the Pier in the Sands of Isle of Palms

"Lizzie Dances under the Pier in the Sands of Isle of Palms" Commissioned Portrait by Juliane Porter. (16"x12" Oil on Archival Gallery Wrapped Canvas) Click for a better, larger view.

Lizzie Dances under the Pier in the Sands of Isle of Palms is my most recent portrait of my dear, dear friend's beautiful daughter.

Art, Portraits, Style

Cool Treats on the Butterfly Bench

Please enjoy my most recent commissioned oil painting..

(Click image for better, larger view)

16 x 20 Oil on Canvas by Juliane Porter

Ah…

days of simplicity

on a beautiful butterfly bench

nothing else exists

only cool, icy treats in the company of siblings, doing our own thing.

no explanations of why.

nothing to do next.

no expectations.

just being.

wondering if we might all be whisked

up,

up

and away

on this gorgeous butterfly in the very next breeze.

~

Have you ever had a portrait painted of you or your loved ones?

What is one of your favorite childhood memories?

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting 🙂

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Art, Portraits

Siblings

"Siblings" Commissioned Portrait by Juliane Porter. 36" x 24" Oil on Archival, Gallery Wrapped Canvas. (Please click for better, larger view)

So incredibly inspiring is the love between these beautiful siblings! While painting these two little cherubs, I couldn't help but fall in love with them!

Art, Portraits, Style

Portrait of my Sister

Oil Painted Portrait on Archival Linen Covered Board by Juliane Porter. (Click on the image for a better, larger view)

My sister sat for me over the winter holidays resulting in this oil pained portrait. While she posed we joked about my doing a life-size portrait of her fighter-pilot husband in full uniform so they might hang it at the top of their staircase to admire multiple times a day 🙂 Actually, to an artist that sounds like a fun project too! Something classic like you'd certainly have seen just a century or so back.

But back to business at hand, delivering on my promise from my very first post, how and where to find pieces like the adorable White and Warren cardigan and J.Crew necklace she's wearing. Merchandise has obviously been updated for spring, but you'll see similar items.

We both love fashion, with an eye to acquire beautiful, high quality pieces at affordable prices – after all one should be able to afford to have a life in their beautiful wardrobe 🙂

One great way to find the best price on an item you're interested in, is to punch the brand and style into ShopStyle.com, which aggregates merchandise from retailers, allowing users to search the most stylish stores all at once — by designer, brand, store, sale items, price point, and color.

Another surefire way to a good deal is signing up (judiciously, to prevent email inundation) for your favorite brands' smart deal email notifications. White and Warren, the designer of cashmere classics mentioned above, has one-day-only offers several times a year during which one or two items are available at huge discounts (think 70+% off).

Do you have any favorite sites that give great deals? What are they?

Art, Portraits, Style

Mama and Her Cubs

“Mama and Her Cubs”, 24″ x 36″ Commissioned Oil Painted Portrait on Canvas (Click image for better, larger view)

It was an absolute honor to create this commissioned oil painting of my gorgeous friend, Bick Fielder, and her three beautiful children. Over the past few months painting them, I was overwhelmed by her amazing spirit and the perfect love she has for these darling babes.