Summer Getaway

"Summer Getaway"

Oil Painting by McKenzie Clarke

I had fun doing this painting. The wonderful sunset colors are lively, and the flow of the dress gives a windswept feel to the painting. I wanted to portray the peaceful, serine feel of a perfect summer evening. I will need to continue studying human anatomy, so that it becomes second nature to draw the length of a leg, arm, etc. Still learning, but very determined to make the mistakes and move on to the next painting. 'You only get better by doing it more' I tell myself. 

Moment in Time

"Moment in Time"

Oil Painting by McKenzie Clarke

I've decided to experimenting with a new style. My sister became the model for my new risky painting when I saw her crazy  beautiful hair. Surprisingly I finished this painting in two weeks!!!! That is very quick for me. I think this new style works for me. I'm doing more paintings of this style. My mom requested if I do some more paintings of my other sister and myself.

My Two Loves

"My Two Loves"

Oil painting by McKenzie Clarke

This is the project I have been working on for a friend. I did it in the same style as the painting, "Lovely Lady." I was super nervous about giving this painting to my friend, because I can see the many mistakes and I believe I could have done a better job for her. BUT! When she saw she absolutely loved it. She told me this shows the two most important things in her life, her children and music. I was very touched to be given this opportunity to be paid for my work. There is a certain joy that comes when I can give away one of my art pieces, and a certain relief when the person likes it.

Hello to All: New posts will be coming shortly, Hooray!!! I am selling one today for a friend, and I didn't want to put up any new paintings up on my blog until I gave her the piece.

So there has been a slight change in the way I've styled my paintings. One day looking through pinterest I saw a painting that I wanted to try and render its style. One day I took a risk, I got a picture of my sister and let my brush go with it. Surprisingly that new style has turned out the best for me :) I can finish paintings a lot faster with the new style, so it seems to fit for me.

Can't wait to put more paintings and sketches up.

Ophelia's Death illustrations

"Ophelia's Death" Watercolor by McKenzie Clarke

I did this project for my English class when we were studying Hamlet. We were assigned to visualize or perform in a creative way one of the soliloquies. I picked the one that described the death of Ophelia.

FUTURE PLANS

I have more project which I'm working on right now. I hope that by December my portfolio may be filled with some great pieces. Currently I'm working on a painting of a girl playing the piano for a friend; I'm very happy with how it's turning out. the painting of, "The Lovely Lady," really showed me that I can figure out the right skin tones. I am getting more confident with color, and I'm LOVIN' IT :) I also can't wait to start working on portraits of a Samoan family. Their skin tones will be a new challenge to figure out. I am also learning to be more comfortable with illustrating. Watercolor is now becoming my second best friend.

Lovely Lady

"Lovely Lady"

Oil painting by McKenzie Clarke

So the painting was based off of a picture of my friend. She had no idea I was doing it, and she was so surprised when she saw the final product. I wanted to do this painting because first of all I love this lovely lady friend, second, I love her expression, and thirdly I needed to do a skin tone practice.

Meghan

"Meghan"

Drawing by McKenzie Clarke

So this was about a hour study of my friend, Meghan. I asked her to come over and let me draw her as she starred at a wall. Thank you Meghan. She looks younger in this picture, and after a couple weeks of looking at the drawing I figured out why. I made her chin too small. The more practice, the more I'll get better. Practice make perfect.

Modern Goddesses

MY FINAL EXAM:

"Modern Goddesses"

Pastel drawing by McKenzie Clarke

Now to understand this painting, I must go over my assignment in my art class. I was given one week to finish my final exam. We were assigned to do a rendition of a famous painting, but there's a catch. We had to change some of the elements of the painting to either modernize, or switch it up some how. So I picked "Art and Literature" by the world's one and only Adolphe William Bouguereau, who has captured the human complexion like no else. To modernize his painting I made his goddess models into the modern goddesses of today's world, Vogue model. So designed their dresses, changed the vase, and changed the background building into looking like the Smith Center. I really had fun with it. Out of the entire class, three people including myself finished their pieces....WOW.

Now of course I am just a humble artist, and can never render the style of the world's greatest artist Adolphe William Bourguereau.

Here is his original piece.

Vintage Still Life

"Vintage Still Life"

Pastel drawing by McKenzie Clarke

I was told by a girl in my class that this picture has a vintage feel to it. I really enjoyed this still life in class. Pastels can be a very fun medium to work with. The pot seems to be everyone's favorite part, and drawing the pot was a challenge that I happily accepted to conquer. My dad enjoyed the gradients on the bowl.

The Hand

"The Hand"

Charcoal Drawing by McKenzie Clarke

So the day my class started working on this, I walked into the classroom and found myself a space to sit. I noticed there weren't a lot of people around me, and later I discovered why. Nobody wanted to try and draw the pot. And YES, that pot was STINKIN' HARD TO DRAW, but I didn't let that stop me from conquering it. :) I love the creepy hand's lighting. The reflective light is so pretty. If I had more time I probably could have defined the glass more, although I liked how it turned out.

More Practice with Persective

"Perspective Practice"

Drawing by McKenzie Clarke

Some good ol' practice with perspective, gotta love them. I thought this one turned out pretty swell and accurate.

Platter of Food

So I was given very short amount of time to work on this still life of vegetables. So my teacher told us to work as much as we could on it and try to finish at least on fruit or vegetable. Luckily, I finished two items, the apple and the pepper. This was the class's first time using pastels, and he wanted us to work with colors that are similar to each other, but different to see what REALLY makes that green.

"Plater of Food"

Pastel drawing by McKenzie Clarke

Orange Lady

"Orange Lady"

Oil Painting by McKenzie Clarke

I finished this painting in a week. It was my spring break project. I was talking with a friend about this painting, and her thought were that I captured her natural beauty. I look at this painting, and I see a story being revealed. She seems like she is poor and working in a seamstress shop.

Rose

"Rose"

Charcoal by McKenzie Clarke

So I've already posted this drawing, but I got a better picture of her.

"Still Life: Music and Time"

Oil painting by McKenzie Clarke

I forgot about this painting from my painting class fall 2012. This was my final project, and let me tell you this canvas is HUGE. I only had about two weeks to complete it. I loved using the vibrant colors to make such a big contrast.

Skyline

"Skyline"

Oil Painting by McKenzie Clarke

I forgot about this painting. I did it in fall of 2012 for my painting class. This is based off of my own photograph of an actual sunset in Las Vegas. I love the colors that surround the clouds.

Illustrations :)

This is a good practice for me. Instead of reproducing something I see I have to come up with things out of my head. Now some of these are out of my head, some have been changed from an original picture, and some are just quick studies.

*UGH! The scanner is just washing the drawings. It really doesn't look this white, oh well.

"Mirrors of Reflection"

"Mirrors of Reflection"

Charcoal drawing by McKenzie Clarke

I did this study in about 4.5 hours in class with a live portrait model in class. She is an old lady named Rose. I love to work with charcoal because it has a sense of expression and flow that pencil cannot capture. It is a medium that is a mixture of pencil and painting because you work with line but you can also shape it out to work spatially like painting. This is a blurry picture I wish I had a better camera.

My Doodle 4 Google

So this is my "Doodle 4 Google" that I submitted in two/three weeks ago. This year's theme was, "My best day ever..." and I decided to to a carnival theme. I said in my submission....

"My best day ever was spending my whole day adventuring into a world of carnival festivities, and letting my mind fall into every moment of excitement and wonder. I was whooshing through the wind; I was flying through the sky in a colorful roller coaster, feeling free."

I hope I can be nominated for the competition. I had a lot of fun creating this.

New Testament: The Life of Jesus Christ

 These are illustration I made for a series of the timeline of Jesus Christ. Its meant to have a loose cartoon feel to these watercolor illustration. I made these because I am studying the New Testament for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Seminary for youth. I am planning to do more.

 

"Christ Birth"

 

 "Teaching in the Temple"

 

"Calling for Disciples"

 

"Healing the Leper"

 

 "Touching the Master's Garment"

 "The Crucifixion" 

"The Empty Tomb"

Simple Solitude

"Simple Solitude" by McKenzie Clarke

Oil Painting

I completed this in 2 1/2 days which has been my quickest painting. This is my sister Kathrine out in the Idaho wilderness. You could never get something as green as this in Vegas.

Alice in Wonderland Illustration

"Alice Traveling" by McKenzie Clarke

Watercolor Illustration

So, I completed this watercolor illustration in one day. It was a spur of the moment idea. I was in church and the speaker spoke about a quote from "Alice in Wonderland" ...

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to
Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way you go.
Alice: …so long as I get somewhere.
The Cat: Oh, you're sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.

So I decided to paint a picture of it for fun. 

Swaying in Grace

Swaying in Grace" by McKenzie Clarke

Oil Painting

This is another ballerina drawing. Can you tell I love love  love Ballet?

Home Stage

"Home Stage" by McKenzie Clarke 

Oil Painting

This was made BEFORE my painting class. You can see the huge improvement. This was meant for practice, and I didn't want to take too much time with it so it is a bit unfinished.

Behind the Lines

"Behind the Lines" by McKenzie Clarke

This oil painting was made for just practice reasons. I found a picture on the internet, and I thought his face was so fun that I just had to paint it. The title of my piece, "Behind the Lines," portrays the deeper personality and youth. Behind the lines of age lies his deep blue eyes filled with life and experience.

Reaching Out

"Reaching Out" by McKenzie Clarke

This oil painting was made for a scholarship I applied for. It was not judged by skill, but the scholarship was asking for artwork that showed a solution a problems in our society. So this represents the diverse cultures and religions reaching for understanding and respecting one another. The six hands on the bottom represent the six continents that are outstretching towards the American Sign Language sign for "I love you." Each hand has its distinct ethnicity and individual characteristics to represent the diverse group of people around the world.

Self Portrait

"Self Portrait" Oil Painting by McKenzie Clarke

This was a difficult project to do this semester, but also the most fun. I did this by using a mirror in class, and spending many hours with my paintbrushes. I think it's a idealized version of myself, but as I practice with more of people I'll get better at making it more realistic. Seems like the "romantic"/"Pre-Raphaelite" art style influence my style.

"Childhood Friends"

"Childhood Friends"

A Oil painting by McKenzie Clarke

Class assignment where we designed the placement for the toys and painted from our photograph. When I finished with the painting I thought it would be just perfect for a little boy's room. My teacher and my Dad commented that they liked the bright colors the the circular motion.

"Abandoned memory Lane"

"Abandoned memory Lane" by McKenzie Clarke

This is a oil painting that I did last semester's painting class. I had fun messing with glazing the deep reds and oranges to make up the cool doors. My teacher had her students choose a picture of an abandoned building. I thought it was so much fun that I'm planning to do two more.

To be blunt the picture is sadly fuzzy and blurred.