Some Artists are very prolific and can turn out a painting in a day or a week. These Artists are most apt to be able to sell their originals. There are some Artists such as myself that require time to choose a subject, research and draw preliminary sketches before even starting on a painting that will take 4 to 8 months to create.

My name is L.A. CLINE and for over 40 years I have been painting with pastels. I love the way I can layer the pastels and create the soft magnificent texture of what I paint. First, I choose the subject. This is so very important because I have to love what I am painting since I will be working with that subject for months. My paintings must have an everlasting relevance to capture the beauty of our world for generations to admire.

People ask me why it takes so long?  It take me four weeks to research and then sketch my subject and set up to paint the original.  When you look at my paintings you will understand the complexity of the many 20 or more layers of pastel I apply to build color, texture, likeness.  I paint in the morning, evening, sunny, cloudy, raining days to make sure that the painting will look great in all weather conditions. No over head lighting is needed because the lighting is built in within the layers of pastel over time.

“Tender Moment” is a very emotional and loving painting. Grevy Zebras are on the endangered list because of the their narrow and intricate stripes that reflect a fingerprint for each Zebra while most other species of Zebras have much wider stripes. The Grevy Zebras do not have stripes on their bellies but do have a long stripe from the top of their head to the end of their tail. They have big heads and large round ears and weigh 770lbs to 990lbs and the largest of the three species of Zebras and the most threatened. The Grevy Zebras were named after Jules Grevy the President of France from 1879-1887. They are also referred to as Imperial Zebras.

I was crouching very close to these two Grevy Zebras and was mesmerized for six hours and then the mother laid down as be baby foal moved closer to her. What a moment!!!

This painting took me 5 months to draw and paint. The stripes had to be exact. I used slightly lighter coloration’s of  brown pastels for the young Foal since they are born reddish brown and grow darker as they mature.

For the past 20 or so years I have been working with an expert in Digital Fine Art. I combine this advanced technical process with traditional painting. We work together to digitally scan my original painting making sure to capture the whole look of the colors, contrast,  brightness, texture and the look of pastel.  Since I work on archival heavy cotton Fine Art Water Color paper the Digital paper is the same. It takes 5 or 6 takes sometimes more to make sure the digital image using archival inks is just like the original in every way possible. Every work I create I use museum quality materials.

Once I have my Digital Image it is mounted and I start the process of hand painting the digital image with layers of pastel and sometimes multi-media since I want each Art Collectible to be slightly different. This process takes about three weeks and then I choose incredible frame like this one from Italy with a wooden Silver Leaf frame on the outside and a second Black inner frame.

These Art Collectibles I create are labor intensive however they present themselves as a another beautiful one of  a kind  fine art original.  This “Tender Moment”   has layers of pastel and is framed with an Italian made of  solid wooden brushed light pewter color with black and matching inside frames.  An absolutely gorgeous work of art.

L.A. CLINE

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New Sketch in the making

I am now creating a new sketch that will eventually be a large vertical Pastel Painting. So far I have been working on this sketch for two weeks now.  This new Floral painting will have a white rose, white daisies and small white trumpet flowers as the featured spotlight grouping.

The upper right section of the painting where the overlapping white daisy petals will be against the light background is where I begin drawing today. This white on white area is very difficult to draw and paint. There has to be subtle shading to distinguish between the forms and the background. However, once thought out and drawn in, the transparencies in this painting are going to be beautiful.

I figure another week to draw all the details in the sketch for this painting. Then I transfer this sketch to heavy acid-free water color paper that will be mounted on acid free foam core as my working surface for my Pastel Painting.

Finally, I can begin painting. To spend this much time on a painting my inspiration has to be a very strong one.   The inspiration for this painting was the natural arrangement I created that I could not look away from.  The way the flowers twist and turned left me breathless with the loveliness of these living beauties.  Now they will live on with all their majesty in my painting. But, do expect to see this large piece finished before four months for the layering of the pastel takes time to achieve the forever beauty that I feel.

I will periodically update with this blog with pictures of this new painting as it progresses.  I have been working on paintings in my Floral Collection for over ten years and my newest Pastel Painting is “Romancing the Rose” seen here is all it’s glory. To view the other very special Floral paintings and Unique Enhanced Giclee Paintings visit my website.

I wish I could paint faster but I guess it’s just not in the cards for me.

L.A. CLINE

www.LACfineart.com

LAC@LACfineart.com

“Romancing the Rose” Pastel Painting by Artist, L.A. CLINE

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“Lucky Leprechaun”
Pastel Painting Detail from the 31″X39″
Original Painting

It is still a wonder that I can take all my beautiful thoughts and put them into action to create a sketch and then a painting about feelings I have imagined. Even after painting 40 years it still humbles me that I can take these thoughts and make them appear. It takes a tremendous amount of passion creating something you envision along with a great deal of thought before that breakthrough process that allows you to actually put a color on the canvas.

When deciding to create an imaginary Leprechaun, I wanted the image in my painting to look so real that you would question if Leprechauns truly exist! Perhaps one would be dancing at your door and then disappear.

I have always loved the stories about Leprechauns. Some of the more recent movies portray scary leprechauns, I prefer to take the more traditional versions that portrayed leprechauns as tiny, crafty, devilish, mischievous and intelligent older men that would disappear in a flash to avoid being seen. They do not like humans or open spaces and that is why I filled the background of this pastel painting with a forest of clovers so that this “Lucky Leprechaun” could disappear back into the forest if need be. Leprechauns are very difficult to catch since the fairies give them magical powers to use if ever captured. If you catch one, he still may be able to disappear or he may offer you three wishes. But be careful of what you wish for.

Their traditional clothing is a Green Waistcoat, Green Hat and Buckle Shoes. They are shoemakers by trade. Leprechauns are also great Musicians who love to play whistles, the fiddle and the Irish Harp to sing and dance the night away. They live to have fun.

May the Leprechauns be near to you this coming Saint Patrick’s day to send their Luck and Fortune your way. Throw a kiss to the Leprechaun as your wish for Luck and Fortune!

See the entire painting Fine Art Embellished Giclee Painting now available online.

L.A. CLINE, LACfineart.com

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Flowers in Paradise Pastel Painting, by
Master Pastel Artist,
L.A. CLINE

As an Artist, I am always looking for that beautiful inspiration to create another painting. Finding what you think is beautiful for a painting comes as a thought or vision that is undeniable and must be expressed. It is something you cannot get out of your mind. These types of aesthetic inspirations are very hard to find.

There are so many different styles of art and what is beautiful to one is not to another. Not everyone sees beauty the same way that is what makes art so very interesting and personal. Beauty and art is a reflection of your personal taste.

If you are drawn to a painting and would miss seeing the painting, you have made a personal emotional connection with the painting. Your space is your most personal part of your life. You live, work and relax in your home or office and it should reflect and be filled with images that bring you happiness.

If you see a painting in a gallery or if you are working with the artist, request information or a letter from the artist that explains the point of view of why this was such an important image to paint. Once I bought I piece in California, and I asked the artist to write me some of his thoughts about the painting. When I received the letter, it brought me so much joy to read about the back story.

Every painting has a back story. For example the painting you see here, “Flowers in Paradise” was created because of something I saw in Ocala Florida. I was meeting with a client who owned a race horse ranch and on my way home I saw an Equestrian Competition and went in as one of the spectators. I saw these incredible groomed horses and riders along with the most beautiful groomed course with pristine white jumping fences. The last fence was the highest with three tiers and each of the side posts where adorned with the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen in nature. So I started sketching. When I returned to my studio and started to paint, I thought of the Venetian painters in history the way they highlighted their florals with a black background. In honor of their work, I used a deep royal blue that brought this gorgeous combination of flowers to sparkle with beauty and a more contemporary flair.

I love creating Art and I want to bring out the beauty in this world. I am very thankful to the undeniable spirit world that allows me and other artists to translate beautiful thoughts into works of Art.

L.A. CLINE, LACfineart.com

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Daoud’s Fine Jewelry Charity Event

One of the beautiful patients drawing for the prizes

It all happened at Daoud’s Fine Jewelry in Fort Lauderdale, the evening of December 9th when Patrick Daoud opened his store and his heart in celebration of giving back to the community through a very lovely charity that gives teens who are in and out of the hospitals battling life threatening illnesses such as cancer “A Prom to Remember”. Founder, Brandon Opre came up with the idea to give these young people the ULTIMATE Prom. Donate, Volunteer, Support, Get involved and help these young people to have fun and take a brake from cancer.www.aPromToRemember.org

Raffle tickets were sold and put in various bags to be drawn and prizes awarded. Artist, L.A. CLINE, a dear friend of Patrick Daoud was a proud participant donating an 8″X10″ framed canvas Giclee Reproduction of an original painting created by the Artist entitled, “Keeping Close”.

This beautiful replica of an original pastel painting of two horses a Dam with her Foal of just three and a half weeks wobbling to stand close to his Mother. The most compelling detail that draws you into this painting besides the protective love between Mother and baby is the fact that the Artist was in the pen with the horses. The viewer is looking directly at the horses in the pen with no fence in front of them. It took 30 to 40 minutes for the horses to calm down and feel comfortable. The owner of the farm and L.A. Cline loved the feeling being around these huge animals. The farm owner and the Artist practiced going into the pens in golf carts until the owner felt that L.A. Cline could walk in the pens and feel totally comfortable with the horses. The Artist took this opportunity to capture the essence of these two wonderful animals close up for this painting.To see more works of Artist, L.A. Cline, visit the on-line Fine Art Store.
Until December 9th, 2015, with each Giclee gift purchase from the Fine Art Store the Artist will donate 10% of each sale to this charity when you mention this article. Support your local communities by shopping at businesses in your area.

Patrick Daoud owner of Daoud’s Fine Jewelry introducing the winner of Artist, L.A. CLINE’s donation.

Full House at Daoud’s Fine Jewelry Charity event with Artist L.A. CLINE and Jay CLINE posing for a photographer.

L.A. CLINE has been a Master Pastel Artist for close to 40 years commissioned to create Custom Fine Art Pastel Paintings that include; Corporate, Government, Family, Pet and Memorial Portrait Paintings. The Artist has also created a collection of Nature Paintings that include; Florals, Landscapes and Wildlife paintings that are available as Fine Art Enhanced Giclee Reproductions of the originals in the on-line Fine Art Store.The L.A. CLINE Sports Collection has been featured on ABC’s Channel 10, South Florida Sun Life Football Stadium, and the BB&T Hockey Arena in Florida.The Artist is also a long standing member of the Pastel Society of America, New York.

L.A. CLINE’S Corporate Portraits are in Courthouses on permanent display. Two Giclee Reproductions of Corporate Memorial Courthouse Paintings of Federal Judge Aronovitz and Judge Lawson E. Thomas are at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC, at the American Art and Portrait Gallery Library, “Living Artists File”. This file can be viewed by the public to see and learn about our American Heroes through the works that “Living Artists” have created in their images. This file also serves as an important recommendation for future commissions for the Artists in this file.In April of 2013, the curator of the White House accepted the portfolio of L.A. CLINE and keeps the portfolios of potential portrait Artists on file.

In January of 2014 the Lauderdale Yacht Club had their 7th Annual Fine Art Show where the art of L.A. CLINE won the People’s Choice Award.L.A. CLINE had a one man showing of eight Framed Floral Giclee Works of Art, at the Neiman Marcus, Fort Lauderdale Gift Galleries Department.This biography are some of the career highlights of Artist L.A. CLINE.

Happy Holidays!
L.A. CLINE, Master Pastel Artist, Fort Lauderdale
www.LACfineart.com
LAC@LACfineart.com
954-850-1056

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