01Sep 2022 by DebbieleeMiszaniec
I Painted A Serene Lake Scene On My Garage Door!

I Painted A Serene Lake Scene On My Garage Door!

Commissions, The Story Behind the Painting, What's the Big Idea?, Working Artist
Sawmill Lake, 8'x16', exterior mural on wood garage door, 2022. Early this summer I painted this exterior mural on the new garage door my husband built and installed last year. It was his idea to do a mural on what looked like a big blank canvas to both of us, and with that sort of faith in my abilities, how could I decline the opportunity right? The image we chose was from a recent visit to the lake country around my husbands childhood home. This was a small local swim and camping spot walking distance from his home. You can see our grown up kids in the picture, but I opted not to include any figures in the painting. Neighbourhood response was so positive to this mural that I have…
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30Mar 2020 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Studio Life During Covid-19

100 Rejections, Commissions, Events & Announcements, Sketchbooks, The Sunflower Project, Youtube Channel
This week has been intense and uncertain for a lot of people. We are all watching the news on a daily basis, and surfing social media for the interaction that we are prohibited from getting in person. In the studio, in addition to the new Covid-19 drawings I am sharing with you in this post, I had a contract cancellation as their offices are shut down for Covid-19. Kathleen & Quinnton, 16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas I finished Kathleen and Quinton's wedding painting, and edited and uploaded the final video in the series, which will go live on Youtube this Friday (watch for it). I am still planning on doing a sketchbook tour video this week which I should upload to Youtube for next Friday. This almost couldn't happen…
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08May 2019 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Did I Mention? New Painted City Utility Box.

Commissions, The Story Behind the Painting, The Sunflower Project, What's the Big Idea?
Hi, It appears I am so behind on keeping the blog up to date! SO last spring I was given the opportunity to participate in a program bringing a suite of new painted utility boxes to the Marlborough Community in Calgary. I jumped at the chance, having spent nearly a decade of my formative years in the neighbourhood. Each artist created a design concept responding to the overall theme of home,  and to information gathered during an extensive phase of community engagement. Here was my contribution to the Curb appeal in the Marlborough Community: [caption id="attachment_355" align="aligncenter" width="161"] HomePainted Utility BoxCity of CalgaryMarlborough CommunityDebbie.lee Miszaniec[/caption] [caption id="attachment_356" align="aligncenter" width="127"] HomePainted Utility BoxCity of CalgaryMarlborough CommunityDebbie.lee Miszaniec[/caption] [caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="169"] HomePainted Utility BoxCity of CalgaryMarlborough CommunityDebbie.lee Miszaniec[/caption] [caption id="attachment_358" align="aligncenter"…
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01May 2019 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Art In Transit: Installed! (plus bonus Inglewood art)

Commissions, The Story Behind the Painting, Uncategorized
You may recall I posted last spring that the City of Calgary was interested in reproducing my little painting,  Pancake Breakfast, in the large, on glass for the 17th Avenue BRT project. Well here is the finished project! [caption id="attachment_348" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Pancake Breakfast, Reproduction of glass, Installed[/caption] I really like where it was situated, close to the Blackfoot Diner in Inglewood. When the former owner, Edna, was alive, she was known to give free meals to the homeless on occasion, so the placement of this symbol of Calgary hospitality seems appropriate. What do you think? Speaking of Inglewood and the Blackfoot Diner, (two, or rather one in another, places which meant a lot to me growing up in Calgary,) here are a couple paintings I did a few years…
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04Aug 2017 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Process: Tom & Laura’s Wedding Portrait Painting

Commissions
I thought it might be fun for you to see the stages of creating this modern fairytale portrait painting. I scheduled about a month, at two days per week, to work on this 16" x 32" acrylic painting on canvas. To learn more about commissioning a painting, click here. So without further ado: Stage 1: Drawing using graphite and then Pitt artist pen. Stage 2: Grisaille in Chromium Oxide Green. Stage 3: Colour wash. Quinacridone Red, Pthalo Green and Green Gold. Stage 4: Establish background buildings and sky. Stage 5: Working on everything but negative space objects. Stage 6 & 7: Work on the car. Stage 8: Paint the figures and adjust the background to create proper recession and focus. DONE! To see more of my portraits click here. To learn more…
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18Jul 2017 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Process: Paintings are grown, not executed.

Art Lessons, Commissions
I was posting some progress images of a wedding portrait I am currently working on to my Facebook page, One Life Fine Art (if you are on Facebook, make sure to like and follow me there), and it occurred to me suddenly that the person for whom I am making the painting could actually be terrified by what they were seeing! The first phase was the line drawing, the second, a grisaille in chromium oxide green, and the third was the layer where I work out my major colour story (in this case a series of full strength washes of pthalo green, green gold and Quinacridone red/violet mix). On top of that I will start to refine the forms and paint in details, balancing lights, darks and colour as I go…
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06Feb 2017 by DebbieleeMiszaniec

Why commission a painting?

Commissions
I am not going to give you a lot of practical, solid investment oriented reasons as to why you should commission a work of art for yourself or your 'organization.' I could talk about the difference between having a professional trained in translating feelings and thoughts into an aesthetically pleasing visual expression, and an amateur snapping an off the cuff photo and having it 'blown up.' I could talk about honouring your subject with a one of a kind highly crafted and durable object. I could talk about investing in both the status and worth of yourself or your organization, and the subject, through having it recorded in the time honoured manner of the wealthy, the noble and the pious. But I am not. Instead, I am going to talk about magic: The real…
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