OklaHOMEa

OklaHOMEa

What can I even say about the last week and a half? Sunday a tornado just missed Norman and proceeded to tear apart Shawnee and parts of Prague (luckily our favorite shelter, OK Save a Dog, was spared). Monday the F5 tornado blew through Moore. I was at work with my kiddos; the tornado changed paths and just missed our school. Unfortunately, three other schools were not as lucky. Homes and businesses were flattened, including those of coworkers and students. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. 

School was cancelled for the remainder of the year and the day the students could come pick up their stuff and say goodbye to teachers was the same day as my surgery to remove a basil cell from my cheek. Due to the surgery and needing to keep the wound clean from sweat, dirt, and germs, I couldn't help out with clean up. What to do... Paint of course! Painting has always been therapeutic and I have had to turn to it a lot in this past year. 

I knew my subject was going to be Oklahoma. After seeing the people of this state come together with their overwhelming generosity, kindness, and love, I just swelled with pride! The Oklahoma spirit is alive and well. 

Dog Paintings Galore!

In December, a friend of mine adopted two puppies and had to put both to sleep the week of Christmas. Their vet bills were huge and they had an empty home. So, the fundraiser began! Several friends and friendly strangers commissioned me to paint their dogs with 100% of the profits going to the family's vet bills. Here are the results of all the hard work!

Here's one I just completed for a silent auction for a shelter in Nebraska. 

And here's one I completed as a gift with funds going to OKSAD.

Whew! What a whirlwind of paintings and I still have more coming in! The fundraiser for the family is over and over $500 was raised! All future paintings are going back to my original deal of OK Save a Dog receiving a portion of the profits.

People: Returning to an Old Favorite!

In college, my favorite subject matter to paint was "the joys of childhood." I was pretty good at it until one professor insisted I took the photos away because joy can't be captured in a photo, it can only be felt (ooooh, the days of art school: when everyone, especially the teachers, thought they were great philosophers of life). Shouldn't have listened, confidence faltered... But now I'm back in the groove! Here's a recent painting I did for my amazing sister who just graduated nursing school, hence the caption on the paper.

 

 

I had to have some dental work done this summer... by some, I mean a lot. That's what I get for not visiting the dentist since high school. ANYway, my endodontist was amazing and generous. So for him, I had his assistant nab a photo of his baby boy and voila!

A great friend asked me to paint an engagement photo of her brother and his fiance for a wedding present.

This one touched me to the core. This is Ann Michelle King who recently lost her eight year battle with cancer. She's one of those people you meet once and never forget, I can attest to that. She had amazing spirit and was an inspiration. Her best friend had me paint this photo of her, I just hope I did her justice. 

 

My Sophie Girl...

My Sophie, rescued by OK Save a Dog... this photo was taken before I had finished the background

PORTION OF PROFITS GO DIRECTLY TO OKSAD! 

Custom Pet Portraits

by Lauren LaBeau Steadley - artistlabeau@gmail.com

Send a photograph or a few, request a different background if desired, and VOILA!

...Ink and Watercolor...

I have always loved watercolors, especially with the added effect of a bold ink pen to enhance the sketch. They're also a lot quicker to produce than a large acrylic painting on canvas! It's fun to have a finished piece of art within a day's time. In college, I was introduced to one of my favorite artists who has inspired me with his bold lines and colors... Perhaps he will inspire you, too! http://www.art-prints-gallery.com/gallery/raoul_dufy/ (scroll down for his best works, especially the one with the Eiffel Tower- my favorite, of course)

Enjoy!

 

Miami... for Lydia. She fell in love with the city.

 Whimsical fall thank you card

 I had this piece put on note cards... For my mom-in-law, Lissa, and her poodle, Button.

 A Mary Engelbreit inspired painting for my amazing mom who is graduating school to become a pastry chef. SO PROUD.

 My little sis is getting marrrrried! Here are her RSVP and invite cards. I surprised her by placing her precious pups sitting under the tree in the RSVP and an iris (my dad's favorite flower) in the invitation.

 I helped a friend design a t-shirt for the MS Walk. I decided to make another sketch, paint and frame it as a memento for the gal who was walking... recently diagnosed with the disease. Prayers to her, please.

Apparently you can follow my blog by pressing a button around here somewhere! Please do and check out the other posts, especially the doggie one... I promise not to spam you with a bunch of random updates. Thanks for your support, friends!

Doggie Paintings! Portion of profits go to OK Save a Dog!

For pricing information or any other questions, please email me at artistlabeau@gmail.com

Here are some of the dog paintings I've created! They are acrylic on 8x10 or 11x14 canvas. All are painted from the photographs sent to me by the dog's owners. As long as I have a good photo of the dog, I can change the background to any desired design. Don't forget, half of the profits go to OK Save a Dog, the shelter at which I adopted my Sophie girl. You can visit oksaveadog.org for more info on this great organization. Two ladies are running the entire shelter out in Prague, OK and they save hundreds of dogs' lives every year- and countless human lives who adopt these great animals.

Button - the beloved black poodle belonging to my in-laws

 Boston Terrier for my wonderful friend's mother

 

 My kickboxing instructor's mastiff, Chloe

 This is why I don't like people watching me paint..... Sometimes the process can be pretty frightening!

 Reggie, the Chinese Crested pup my sis and bro-in-law rescued

Bella, a friend's treasured doggy

Photo of upcoming painting......... look at these sweet guys!