Mixed media demo: acrylic, handmade paper & gold leaf paintings

My annual 100 painting project gives me a good excuse to try something new and break out of the box a little bit and having the kiddos home from school for two days for Sandy was a good excuse for having them join in on the fun.

painting in the backgrounds with acrylic paint with my little helper

Hedwig at Hogwarts

As I mentioned in my last post...I painted a fun new piece for a special man in my life.

My little guy (age 9) is a budding naturalist...rocks, insects, birds, mammals, fish, you name it and he's interested in it. I promised to paint him a special painting last year and he chose a snowy owl for the subject. A few months ago, we also started reading the Harry Potter series. My goodness, what a hit that was.

So, I decided to make his snowy owl into Hedwig herself and put Hogwarts in the background. What fun! I based the castle on Neuschwanstein in Germany. I went there when I was 12 years old and I can't even begin to tell you what an impression that magical place had on me. A wonder for any creative soul!

The painting was a big hit and now hangs proudly in his bedroom. Hedwig keeping her benevolent watch over my sleeping charge.

Kristina Wentzell, Hedwig at Hogwarts, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches. ©2011