Custom Portraits Online by Miranda Aschenbrenner

Grain Elevator, pencil on paper, 10×20″

When Kathy first approached me about the possibility of doing a prairie scene featuring grain elevators, I was really excited. Here was a chance to do something completely different!

Kathy’s father’s company built many of the grain elevators in the prairie provinces of Canada. In spite of this, they didn’t have a single good picture that featured his work. Kathy wanted an image that would portray the beauty of the scenery as well as the grain elevators.

This drawing draws from a number of different references and inspirations. It’s a combination of four different photos and is a great way to preserve the family’s heritage and contribution to history.

Southsea Pier, Oil on Canvas, 36x12", 2010

At long last, I can finally show you the painting commission I’ve been working on for the past couple of months.

Med commissioned this oil painting of an ocean scene as an anniversary gift for her husband. It shows the beach in Portsmouth, England where they used to live. This painting features the South Parade Pier and Spitbank Fort at Southsea, a place where the couple spent a lot of time together.

The most challenging part of this painting was the beach. It’s a pebble beach, not a sand beach, and the texture of the pebbles was evident in all the reference pictures I used. I had to figure out a way to show the pebble texture without painting each individual pebble separately.

First, I painted a textured ground, using a dry brush technique. Then I layered dark spots to represent the pebbles. Next, I added a white highlight to the left side of some of the spots. The last step was to dab the pebbles with a tissue to help them appear to fade into the background. The result is an illusion of a pebble beach!

Do you want to commission a unique painting to commemorate your special day? Email me!

African Sunset, Oil on Canvas, 36″ x 24″

This painting commission is finally done!

I’m thrilled with the way it’s turned out and my clients couldn’t be any happier.

This oil painting will hang behind the head table at their wedding in less than a month now.

I’m finished this guy just in time to start my next painting commission: a seacape. I’ll be sure to post it when it’s finished!

With the wedding just over a month away, this oil painting commission is almost finished!

All that needs to be done is a few finishing details: the giraffes’ tails, some foliage around the horizon, and touching up the mist between the hills.

Aside from this project, I’ve also started work on another painting commission, this one a sea scape. Unfortunately I won’t be able to show it to you until it’s finished and delivered, but you will get to see it!

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This commission is really coming alone. I’ve added some dimension to the clouds, brightened the sun, and (most obviously) painted in the tree.

This is an umbrella thorn acacia, and a very cool looking tree!

Next in this painting is the giraffes, the hills, and a few finishing touches.