Amazing, simply amazing.

As Mikaela progressed past cartoon characters, flowers, and landscapes she began to work on animals. The dimensions are different, the shadings more complex. She did this monkey first. This was also done in her first year of art lessons (2005)!

This Panda was next. It's hard to see if you aren't right in front of it but if you look closely you can see the texture of the hair. If you ever get a chance to see this one in person you will be amazed at the eyes. Mikaela did a great job of capturing this animal's gentleness.

Mikaela did this cardinal on simple black construction paper with colored pencils. We were astounded when we saw it for the first time! Again, her art teacher had to assure us that this was all done at Mikaela's hand. She had details in this bird that made it look like you could reach out and touch it and actually feel the feathers. In person you would see the texture of the feathers perfectly as well as the gleam in the eye of the bird. It is so life-like in person that we had to frame it.

She immediately followed it up with...

This fox. Again, it is so life-like that you can almost feel his coat beneath your hand. Both this fox and the cardinal were done in the spring/summer 2006. The fox we had framed as well, it was also done on black construction paper with colored pencils. In person the texture that she put on him is incredible as well as the coloring she put into his coat.

Amazing, simply amazing.

Wouldn't you agree?

Mikaela's First Sale!

Mikaela's Uncle Paul and Aunt Rebecca came to visit in April (2006) and while they were here they made an offer on her first ever landscape. She accepted the offer of $10.00 and we documented the sale of her first art piece with this picture. Now she has art hanging in a New York City apartment and even the possibility of a commissioned piece from them down the road! Of course she didn't know what "commissioned" meant and they had to explain it to her! She is having such fun! (The landscape was painted in the early part of 2005)

Huh? Is there an explanation?!?

Okay, we admit it. We are a little confused by this painting. It's oil and it's on canvas and we want to know why? Perhaps Miss Laurie wanted Mikaela to do something whimsical or child-like, we just aren't sure. But put this up against any of the other paintings and you have to wonder why.

Order doesn't matter when it's this good!

These aren't in chronological order because Mikaela was painting so quickly and so well that all we could do was get the year in which she completed something!

(Both the yellow calla lily and the red tulip were done in 2005)

One day as Lanny was picking up Mikaela from her art class he asked her teacher, Miss Laurie, how she was doing. Needless to say, Laurie was very pleased and said what amazed her was how quickly Mikaela picked up the techniques and how well she retained them!

Miss Laurie had Mikaela try out all of the mediums - pencils, oils, watercolors. Mikaela has art on paper, watercolor paper, canvas, and mason board. The art gallery we have is amazing for a little 8 1/2 year old girl who has only been in art classes for 2 years!

(Pears and apples both done Summer 2006)



Lanny and I had a hard time at first believing that Mikaela had done all of these techniques by herself. She was shading and bringing texture to animals and a depth to the eyes that we just couldn't believe she had done! But she and her teacher assured us that it was all her as Miss Laurie taught her the technique and then she applied it. Amazing. Although I must admit that we still ask at times because it seems so incredible. She doesn't draw like this at home, only at her art classes. At home she does stuff that you would expect an average 8 year old to do, not a gifted one.

And let the parade of art begin...

Mikaela started off with cartoon characters. First, in her art pad she did several little pencil drawings of various characters and then her teacher moved her onto canvas and she did these two back to back.

The beginning...but not of the end

Mikaela started drawing when she was barely old enough to hold a crayon. Her first drawing that was recognizable was an elephant, we have that picture saved in a protective sleeve. She was 6 1/2 years old and we handed her a large package at Christmas wrapped in shiny gold paper. It was a large pad of drawing paper, "professional" pencils, a T-ruler, and a note. Art lessons! Yes, the Christmas gift of 2004 that keeps on giving.

She started her art lessons in January 2005 and proceeded quickly through the beginner stages of shading techniques. The picture you see in this post is the first one in color that really shows off her knowledge of shading. Her Grandma Ashley, a quilter, loved it so much we allowed it to be framed and it hangs in her living room. Little did we know that this picture was just the first of many...

We hope you enjoy!