Blue Sari - painting process

Tessa Guzé, Blue Sari 2012, 16"x20"

This is a painting of a young girl from Mumbai wearing a blue sari. This painting is currently on display at the Durham Arts Council. 

I took a few photos as I worked on this painting to show my painting process. 

I started by toning the canvas with a thin layer of blue oil paint because I knew I wanted this painting to have blue undertones. 

toned canvas

After the canvas was toned and dried I drew a rough charcoal sketch on the canvas. I like to do a sketch in charcoal instead of an underpainting because it is quicker, but it still helps to map out the painting and determine values.

charcoal sketch

After the sketch was completed I sprayed it with workable fixative, this stops the charcoal from running and muddying the oil paint. Then I did the painting in oil paint, using turpentine and linseed oil.

Finished painting

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my painting portfolio or my fine art blog.

Korean Child Monk

Tessa Guze, Child Monk, oil on canvas,  30"x40"

In South Korea Buddha's birthday is a holiday celebrated on May 28th. There are many celebrations leading up to holiday one of which is a temple stay experience for children. They have their heads saved and get to experience living like a monk.

If you are interested in seeing more of my work please visit my painting portfolio website or my fine arts blog.

Street Cook

Tessa Guze, Street Cook, oil on canvas, 24" x 18"

This is a painting of a South Korean street vender cooking spicy rice cakes.

To see more of my paintings visit my website or my fine arts blog.

West Highland White Terrier

Tessa Guze, Freddy Portrait, oil on canvas, 2012

This is a portrait of Freddy, a West Highland White Terrier. West Highland White Terries small dogs but they are great with children and protective guard dogs.
This is an oil portrait. It is small, only 8" x 10". It is currently on display at the Art Shop at Moore.

To see more pet paintings please visit my pet portraits gallery or my pet painting blog.

Alone

Tessa Guze, Alone, Oil on Canvas

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my passion painting blogs.

Bottled Water

Tessa Guze, Bottled Water, oil and charcoal on canvas, 2011

To see more similar paintings please visit my painting portfolio website  or my fine arts blog.

Walking Home

Tessa Guze, Walking Home, oil paint, 2011

This is a painted of a little boy I used to teach.  When I was in Jaipur India, I volunteered to teach in an impoverished shanty town. To see more similar paintings visit my fine arts blog or my painting portfolio website.

Memory Portrait

Tessa Guze, Lady in Blue, oil on canvas,  6" x 8"

This is a portrait of the lady who lived next door to the school where I taught in Jaipur, India. Our school was really just the space between two peoples houses with a tarp as a roof to keep rain and sun out. Every morning, this lady and the rest of her family would step over my students when they needed to come and go from their house.

My tiny school, its the space between the buildings under the blue tarp.

My students trying to fix an extra tarp on our school to shield us from the summer sun.

To see more similar work visit my Passion Projects Blog or my painting portfolio website.

Relaxation

Tessa Guze, Relaxation, oil on canvas,

This is a painting I did after visiting a Sea Salt Water Sauna in Yeonggwang and Hampyeong, Korea. It was my first trip to a sauna since coming to Korea. It was a wonderful relaxing experience but I also found it really beautiful. When they first put the hot stones in the water the room was filled with so much steam that you could see nothing at all, not even your own hands. Than slowly the steam faded and the other people around you emerged.


This painting is currently on display at the Gwangju International Center in Gwangju, Korea.


To see more similar paintings please visit my passion project blog or my painting portfolio website.

Going Skiing

Tessa Guze, Going Skiing, oil on canvas, 36"x24"

This is a painting I did after going skiing for the first time in Muju, Korea.

This painting is currently on display at the GIC (Gwangju International Center) in Gwangju Korea.
To see more of my work visit my children's book illustrations blog or my painting portfolio website.

Harry the White Carousel Horse

Tessa Guze, Harry the White Carousel Horse Cover, oil and digital

Tessa Guze, Harry the White Carousel Horse Spread 2, oil and digital

Tessa Guze, Harry the White Carousel Horse Spread 6, oil and digital

Tessa Guze, Harry the White Carousel Horse Spread 10, oil and digital

This is a children's book I recently finished illustrating. The book is called Harry the White Carousel Horse. It is about the all white carousel horse in the carousel at the mall in Washington DC. The author of the book Karin Tetlow noticed that none of the children wanted to ride the all white horse, they were only interested in the other colorful horses. The book is about Harry accepting who he is and learning to be happy with the way he looks.
The book is in the Public Library Association's 14th National Conference at the convention center in Philadelphia, PA. The book is in the IBPA catalon (INdependent Book Publishers Association). Their website is: placonference.org/exhibits/exhibitors.
The book will be in the Library show and in the regional section for Independent Publisher Book Awards.


To see more of my work please visit my painting portfolio website or to see more horse paintings visit my equestrian paintings blog.

First Snow

Tessa Guze, Ear Muffs, oil on canvas, 11" x 14"

I have always hated winter. I hate the cold. I hate winter clothing. However living in Korea, I have started to enjoy winter (I didn't really have a choice). I went skiing for the first time, and loved it! I also discover that wearing half a dozen layers of clothing truly does help to ward off the cold. Here in Korea there are lots of cute and fashionable winter clothing and paraphernalia, including the huge earmuffs I have painted in this picture. I  have learned to see the beauty of falling snow and of people struggling to protect themselves from the cold (while remaining fashionably chic).

This painting is currently on display at the Gwangju International Center. It is part of a solo exhibition of my work titled, Portraits of Life. All the paintings in the show are paintings I have done in the past few months since moving to Korea.

To see more of my work please visit my painting portfolio website.

Women's Works, 25th Anniversary Show

Tessa Guze, Lips, oil on canvas,

This painting is in the Women's Works 2012 25th Anniversary Show, in the Old Court House Arts Center in Woodstock, Illinois. This show is run by the NAAC (Northwest Area Arts Council).
The show opens on March 8th. There will be a Gala Night Opening Reception is March 24th at 7PM CST with over 500 people attending. The show will continue through April 29th.
For more information about the show you can visit NAAC's website: www.naac4art.org or the Women's Works website: www.womensworks.net. Anyone in the area please stop by and check out the show!

If you are interested in seeing more similar work please visit my portrait portfolio on my website, my fine arts blog, or my portraits blog.

Intension

Tessa Guze, Intension, oil on canvas

Tessa Guze, Intension Sketch, oil on canvas

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my fine arts blog.

The Shipwrecker

Tessa Guze, The Shipwreacker, oil on canvas, 2011

This is a painting of a ship wrecker in Bangladesh, he is using rags in an attempt to protect himself from the many dangerous chemicals. The process of breaking down ships produces so many dangerous chemicals, that most countries have created laws to protect the workers. Breaking down ships in a safe way is more expensive than the profit made by the parts so it is no longer done in many places. However there are still people desperate enough that they are forced to risk the dangers and break ships without any safety precautions.

To see more similar paintings please visit my fine arts portfolio website or my passion painting blog.

My Philadelphia

Tessa Guze, My Philadelphia, 2011, oil on canvas,  8" x 10"

This painting is a part of the "My Philadelphia" exhibition at Prelude Gallery in Philadelphia. The exhibition runs from December 7 -17th.
Leaving Philadelphia and moving to another country, I have missed many things but the things I have missed most are my friends. This painting is of my friend Alex. Alex born and raised in Philly, epitomizes all of the things that I love about Philly, she is street smart, tough and full of energy, excitement and life. 

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my passion painting blog.

Thirst

Tessa Guze, Thirst, oil on canvas, 2011

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my passion painting blogs.

Help?

Tessa Guze, Help, Oil on Canvas

This is a painting of a beggar in India.

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my passion painting blogs.

Racing Horse Wine Label

Tessa Guze, Neck n Neck, Wine Label 2011 

This is a painting I did for a wine label exhibition run by the (no name) Art Group, at B Square Gallery. The (no name) art group asked 50 artists each to create wine labels. Wine bottles where sold at the opening with the buyers choice of wine label. The proceeds went to raise money for Philabundance, a charity that fights hunger in the Philadelphia area. The artists had the choice to sell there paintings for personal profit or to donate the proceeds to Philabundance, I choose to do the latter and I am very excited that my piece sold! 

To see more similar work please visit my painting portfolio website or my equestrianpainting blog!

Red Rainboots

Tessa Guze, Red Rainboots, oil on canvas, 2011

This is an oil painting of a cat and a little girl. This painting, along with other pet portraits and children's book illustrations, will be displayed in the Gwangju International Center, in Gwangju South Korea starting March, 10th. This is an oil painting of a cat and a little girl. To see more similar paintings please visit my pet painting blog, to see my people portraits please visit my painting portfolio website or my portrait painting blog.