Latest News for the UK Artist Karen M Berisford - Pets, Portraiture & Wildlife Art | Commissions & original art

Busy few months with Commissions

22/1/2018

Christmas orders began coming in by September last year (2017) and I had little time to spend on anything else. I worked around 10 - 12 hours a day from mid October onwards and had to create a finely tuned schedule list for each day to ensure every portrait was completed for a specific date because there were a few overseas orders, some framed too and I had to ensure frames were received in plenty of time knowing framers tend to be extremely busy in the run up to Christmas too. I was hoping to have finished all my orders a week before I was due to travel to my old home town of Chesterfield so I could relax a bit but I was literally working late into the night before my journey the next morning!

Luckily everything worked out well in the end and my final portrait Star the Chow Chow, was literally collected by the Commissionee at the train station when I arrived in Chesterfield, he had travelled the 6 hours with me on bus, coach and then train in my suitcase! I received a lovely bunch of flowers from the lady for his painting and was pleased to see some lovely comments from recipients throughout Christmas day upon seeing the portrait of their much loved Pets. Click on any of the images to visit the progress pages.

Now all the Christmas Commissions are all complete and I've had a couple of weeks off to recharge, I am back in the studio working on new articles and 2018 Art Workshops for my Step by Step Art website, there's always so much to do behind the scenes. If you are looking to book your own bespoke Commission with me or are an Artist interested in articles, mini tutorials and possibly taking in a 1 Day Art Workshop with me, click on either of the links below to visit the page/website.

Here's hoping 2018 is a wonderful year for you!

Karen

Find Out About our Commissions

Visit the Step by Step Art Website

Recently completed Commissions of a Pusscat, Jack Russell/Pug & a Fawn Boxer Dog

15/8/2016

Murphie - Large Traditional Heart Memorial portrait

Murphie sadly passed away in December 2015 aged 20 years of age and her Mum was looking for something special as a memorial to Murphie and came across my Traditional Hearts portraits and got in touch. It is always a real challenge when it comes to black & white animals as you tend to find that a lot of definition is lost in photos as it is very difficult to strike a balance of these colours whilst still retaining detail however, through various layering of

Black and white shorthaired cat acrylic painting on a heart shaped sheet of MDF

Close up details of the yellow eyes of a black cat acrylic painting

Black and white shorthair acrylic painting being held by the Artist Karen M Berisford

paint colours including grey and brown tones added to the black fur and with greys added to the white fur I was able to create an equal balance of colour and detail to ensure perspectives were kept in check and the final portrait was as close a likeness to Murphie's photo as possible. Feedback from Murphie's Mum upon receipt told me that I had done a good job!

Acrylic painting of Murphie the british shorthair traditional heart in situ

Finally at home

"Murphie arrived home safe and sound this afternoon and what can I say. The photos were fantastic but she is even better now I can see her in "close up". I always knew it would be hard to lose Murphie after having her in my life for 20 years but I didn't fully appreciate just how big of a hole she would leave behind. Your painting has given me little bit of my girl back and I can't seem to tear my eyes away from it at the moment. I attach a photo so that you can see that she arrived unscathed and thank you again for everything. You made the process so easy from start to finish and you took good care of my girl and have created a truly fitting memorial to her and for that I am so grateful"

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT 'TRADITIONAL HEARTS' ACRYLIC PAINTINGS

Bailey - 10" x 12" Coloured pencil pet portrait

Bailey is the second portrait completed in Coloured pencils for his Mum after heartbreakingly losing both Bailey and Casey (the first portrait) in close succession of each other and was gifted both portraits by a good friend. Bailey was originally sat on a green stripey rug but I thought it would suit the portraits if they were both sat on the same wooden

flooring so that they would compliment each other once framed and hung next to each other.

" Bailey just arrived! Well, about 15 minutes of tape removal ago. We are so chuffed! Bailey was loved by all of us, but loves my husband best, he was over the moon! We are blessed by your talent!
I just love him! Thank you so much! xxxx"

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT COLOURED PENCIL COMMISSIONS

Obe - 11" x 14" Boxer Dog Acrylic painting

I was asked to create an Acrylic painting of Obie the Boxer dog as a surprise gift to a lady in the USA. The reference photo was a beautiful pose and of great quality and I was able to gather lots of detail from the reference image to create this special memorial painting of Obe.

All my Acrylic paintings are created using a mixture of professional paint colours and mediums which offer texture to the painting. The background texture was created using a palette knife and texture was limited on Obie himself except for a light layering of fur texture. Nearly 40 Facebook friends clubbed together to book this surprise portrait of Obe and it was lovely to hear how happy the recipient was upon receiving such a thoughtful gift from great friends!

"Hi Karen, Your painting brought tears to my eyes and a huge smile to my lips. Thank you! I love it. He's home and on my wall."

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ACRYLIC PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS

Traditional Hearts - new paintings completed

4/6/2016

traditional hearts paintings by Karen M Berisford depicting a black and white shorthaired cat, a white faced cockatiel and 2 white boxer dogs on MDF hearts

Here are 3 of my Traditional Hearts portraits completed. These Acrylic paintings are created on heart shaped MDF and contain so much fine detail on a small scale, they can take longer to produce than a painting twice it's size!

These are available in 3 sizes and priced as follows:

Small (4" x 3½") £45.00
Medium (5¾" x 5¼") £75.00
Large (8" x 7") (single) £110.00
" " " " (Double) £130.00

Each painting is created using a layering process on a ¾" thick heart shaped MDF board which is sourced from a reputable, FSC certified company and finished off with 2 layers of UVLS satin varnish which offers additional protection from UV light to ensure your painting is sufficiently protected.

These Traditional Heart portraits are a great price for giving as a gift to a loved one or even as remembrance plaques for those loved ones who have passed away as they can be created to stand or hang beside memento's of those we have loved & lost.

Take a look at the TRADITIONAL HEARTS page if you wish to find out more.

A busy week in the Newbiggin Art Studio

10/5/2016

It has been rather quiet on both my Social media & News blog with Art progress posts however I have been quietly busy with both pencils and paints recently and thought I would finally share updates so far.

Acrylic Portraits

Acrylic paintings of a White Boxer pup, a daughter and Mother portrait and a Springer Spaniel in water painting on Gessobord

I have been working on a double portrait of my friend and her little girl (not so little now though) for both their up and coming birthdays in May & June. The skin tones have been layered with still a little more to do to add the realism and the hair has had a heavy layer of brown undertones on to allow me to apply the finer hairs and lighter shades over the top. The stripey top is still in the loose stages but I am hoping to get this painting finished by the weekend. Both the Springer Spaniel painting & the Boxer dog are nearing completion but as these are not commissions, these will be left alone for a few weeks.

Coloured Pencil portraits

Coloured pencil portrait of a Jack Russell/pug cross

Bailey - Jack Russell/Pug cross

Creating a Coloured pencil portrait of a airedale/paterdale dog

Dave - Airedale/Paterdale cross

I currently have a couple of Coloured pencil Commissions on the Easel. An Airedale/Paterdale cross called Dave and a Jack Russell/Pug cross called Bailey. They are both still in the rough underlayers stage and the fine detail will be applied once the working area has been covered with the pencil base layers. I am applying a light application of tonal background to Dave's portrait before I can begin to apply heavy applications and layers over the top which will define him in both colour and detail.
If you wish to view more of my pencil works, you can find more in the COLOURED PENCIL GALLERY

Beautifully detailed Acrylic paintings of a Springer Spaniel & A White Boxer puppy

12/4/2016

Springer Spaniel swimming in water being completed in Acrylic paints on board

Springer Spaniel - Size: 11" x 14"

In the process of an Acrylic portrait, a painting can change drastically during this process. As with any of my Artworks, base layers are first applied and then followed up with a 'blocking in' process that can appear very messy, but tonal values must be placed to ensure I do not lose focus on all these areas that make up the subject. The 3rd process is 'defining' which basically means I am tightening up these areas which is then followed by 'refining' which is applying the fine detail that makes the painting appear more lifelike.

The final stage is the 'tweaking' which is simply tidying up those untidy areas and working on small areas that may need more work after the painting has been put to one side for a few days (weeks or even months in some cases) This is the basis of all my paintings and both the SPRINGER SPANIEL painting and the WHITE BOXER PUP has followed this same process.

White Boxer pup created in Acrylics on an 8

White Boxer Pup - Size: 8" x 8"

I am currently building up a brand new portfolio for my ACRYLIC paintings as my previous paintings were all created on a weave canvas and my new support bords are smooth allowing for very fine detail, If you are looking to book your own bespoke Commission with me, you can get in touch at: karenmberisfordart@gmail.com or fill in my BOOKING/QUOTE FORM

New Acrylic portraits in Progress

15/2/2016

For the last few weeks, I have been working on a few of my new style Acrylic paintings and thought I would share with you progress so far on them. An Acrylic painting begins with rough base layers so that I am able to cover the canvas before then going on to applying the fine details. No painting will be the same as the next as I use a palette knife to apply textures and tones and each painting may change dramatically throughout the process. Here are some of the subjects I am currently working on and if you wish to view progress, please click on the images below.

Springer Spaniel

Black Labrador

Yellow Labrador

White Boxer pup

Jaguar

There are more portraits planned for 2016 and I will update this News page as regularly as possible. If you would like to book your own Acrylics Commission with me, you can find out more on my ACRYLICS ART GALLERY. I have also recently introduced a FRAMING service alongside my Acrylic portraits offering you the full package so you can be sure that your painting has been created using the best quality, lightfast products and framed safely & securely so your portrait lasts a lifetime (and beyond!)
If you need help choosing a size you can view visual images on my SIZING page.
If you wish to ask for a no-obligation quote or book your portrait, visit my BOOKING FORM page, fill in the form and get a reply within hours.
Any Questions, please ask!
Karen :)

Christmas Commissions

4/1/2016

2015 Commissions & Artworks all completed in Coloured pencils

Belated Wishes for 2016

It has been a very busy Christmas for Commissions and I am so behind, this poster I created to wish everyone a Happy Christmas is now rather out of date! I do hope everyone had a good break over the festive period and all good wishes to each and everyone of you for this New Year!

This poster shows all my Artworks I created in 2015 - some commissioned and others for an article in the Colored pencil Magazine in June.

Below are the Christmas commissions that were all completed and received as gifts for the special day - if you wish to see how they came together, please click on any of the images. If you are thinking of booking your own Commission with me and wish to know more, you can visit my COMMISSIONS page which explains the very simple process.

'The Girls'

20" x 16" in Coloured pencils

'Cyrus'

10" x 12" in Coloured pencils

'Tia'

10" x 12" in Coloured pencils

'Casey'

12" x 10" in Coloured pencils

NEW! 'Traditional Hearts' portraits - an affordable, bespoke gift for loved ones!

20/11/2015

The latest gift idea are my new 'Traditional Hearts' portraits.
I wanted to offer something different, something that was affordable to all whilst still offering a one of a kind piece of Art that would last for many years to come and came up with the 'Hearts' idea.These will be offered all year round and are perfect as Gifts for a loved one.

There are 3 available sizes and most subjects can be painted on to one of these hearts from Pets to portraits.

Each portrait is hand painted on a heart shaped 18mm deep sheet of MDF using professional quality Heavy Body GOLDEN Acrylics which have unique pure pigments to offer excellent permanency and lightfastness. Hearts can be free-standing, hung or framed depending on your preferences and can make a real statement. In addition to the painted portraits, you can also opt to have a name(s) added too. A dedicated Gallery page will be added to this website when more Artworks are available to view but for now you can find out more about them on the HEARTS page - if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

USA's Coloured Pencil Magazine - June's featured Artist

29/5/2015

I was approached by the editor of America's Colored pencil Magazine to be their featured Artist in the June issue (2015), this is a wonderful magazine for Coloured pencil enthusiasts and I was honoured!
Most of my Artwork included in the magazine was created especially for this purpose and as such, some pieces of Art have never been seen before. The cover image was actually the completed recce piece of a Coloured pencil Workshop that I ran last year in Chesterfield and completed only for use in the Magazine. If you would like to purchase a copy you can do so in 2 ways - via a Printed copy (1 - 2 weeks delivery) or download the digital copy right away - prices are as follows:

Printed copy $5.99 £3.87* Delivery (1 - 2 weeks) £2.96*
Digital copy $2.99 £1.93*

*prices may vary due to exchange rate

New Artworks coming soon....

25/5/2015

Inside the studio of Coloured pencil Artist Karen M Berisford

I was recently approached by a pencil Magazine to write an Article on myself and my Coloured pencil Art for a forthcoming issue (more details will follow on the magazine). It is always a compliment knowing that someone likes my Art and wishes to find out more, especially when it is being published in a Magazine that goes out to a world wide audience too. I have spent the last few years creating bespoke Commissions and so decided to challenge myself by creating all new pieces of Art for the magazine, some that were specifically created to represent the 'story' that will be included alongside these pieces of Art - a story that I very rarely share publicly.

As I only had 3 weeks to complete the drawings, I pulled a few unfinished works out the archives to complete and I also began a few brand new pieces too - these works all represent my true artistic interests from Birds which is where I first began, to Big Cats which allow me to really push my boundaries with details, a Human portrait which I just love creating and of course the Pet portraits which I have always loved to do as these animals have all brought so much joy

Karen M Berisford in her Newbiggin Art Studio working on a Springer Spaniel

and happiness to their owners and deserve their memorial portraits, reminding us every day of those happy times spent together and the special bond we have.

There were a few pieces I was unable to complete for the deadline (Springer Spaniel above) as I did not want to rush them being so detailed however, all these pieces will be added to my website with their dedicated page as to how they were completed and for those available for sale, a chance to purchase the original or buy a print or 2.

Details will be added on my News page once the Magazine is out (June Issue) with a link to the website where you can purchase a Print copy or a digital copy to download. This magazine is a must for any Coloured pencil lover or for anyone simply wishing to read 'my story' as it's the one and only time I'll share it publicly.

Costs are as follows:
Printed Copy $5.99 £3.87* €5.46* Delivery (1 - 2 weeks) USA $4.06 UK £2.96*
Digital Copy $2.99 £1.93* €2.72*

*Due to exchange rate, these prices may vary

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