Art by Niki Hilsabeck

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"The Bookeeper" Click here to view auction After many years of painting cats, I've learned a few things.  Every time I start a new cat painting, it follows its own unique path, bringing challenges that I don't seem to face when I paint my more traditional material (landscapes, birds, floral and botanical pieces, etc.) For example, cats don't stay put for too long (unless they're asleep, and even then they'll often stretch and change positions when you're least expecting it).  To combat this challenge, I end up working mostly from photographs.  That means adjusting the proportions, since the camera angle causes some distortion depending on the position and location of the cat. "Eye Contact" Oil Pastel Not for Sale "Side Glance" Oil Pastel Available on Etsy  One of the reasons cats are enjoyable to paint is that they have strong facial expressions.  When I'm painting a cat, I get so focused on rendering the cat...

"Crazy Dog" 4.5 x 6in. Pastel on Paper Click here to buy print (postcard just under $2, greeting card just under $2.50): http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/7054584-crazy-dog-pastel Haven't painted anything new in a couple weeks, so I thought I would start small to warm back up-- this is a quick portrait of my sister's very energetic little dog. It kind of sums up how I've been feeling these last couple weeks, with so many shows happening at once. The final car on the crazy train was last Sunday's Avocado festival. This was my first time participating, and it was in a brand new section called "Avenue of the Arts." My sister (the lone organizer in the family) helped me through the whole process, and if she hadn't been there I would have left in tears at 7:30 in the morning. Actually, I don't think I would have even been able to pack up the car on my own. Here are a few things I learned from Sunday's experience: 1) Be early. ...

"Lil' Orange Tree" 9 x 12 chalk pastel on paper Click here to buy print: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6684155-1-lil-orange-tree-pastel When I opened the windows yesterday, I caught the scent of spring. I know it's not technically anywhere close to spring, but every year there comes a time where the scent of it makes an appearance on the breeze, reminding me that summer will eventually be coming back. Even though I've grown to dislike the heat of summer, that scent still puts a little happy feeling in my heart, because summer has always equalled one big bonus: no school! I consider this the perfect time of year to be in Fallbrook. There's plenty of winter greenery, but the flowers are starting to make an appearance. The days are warm, but not oppressive. There's not much to worry about in the way of fire season, and the air is clear and clean. The little orange tree in this painting is one of my mom's. The oranges are sweet, and th...

"Limones" 9 x 12 chalk pastel on Canson Mi-Teintes paper This little bunch of lemons was growing on a small, young tree. It's the time of year when the trees in Fallbrook are loaded with citrus fruit, and this tree was no exception. Since the fire in 2007 wiped out so many avocado trees, many people are replanting different types of fruit, such as lemons. I used a lot of darks in the background, so I could emphasize the bunch of lemons. I also did very little smearing, except to blend the core shadows of the fruit. I've been focusing more on local scenery in my paintings, since it's been so nice outside. Fallbrook is full of beautiful views, both up close and in the distance. The nice thing about finding inspiration so close to home is that I know how things look in all the different types of lighting throughout the day, and can choose when to take reference photos that I think will make good paintings (I would love to sit and paint plein aire, but that won...

"Entangled" 9 x 12 Oil and Chalk Pastel on Drawing Paper Click here to view listing for original For prints and cards, click here: http://www.redbubble.com/people/nikihilsabeck/art/6112438-1-entangled-pastel I've never been too excited to paint flowers just for the sake of making pretty flowers-- I usually need something a little more interesting about the flowers to inspire me. In this case, I was intrigued by these pink flowers who seemed to bloom despite the mass of vines around them-- they appeared somewhat trapped. It reminded me of how I feel sometimes, tied to so many things in life that I have little free time anymore. Yet, I know that if these flowers were cut and freed from the vines, they would wither and die. I think people are the same way-- for all the pressure we feel from our surrounding ties, we would not survive if we were cut completely free from those ties. To paint this piece, I bloc...

I thought I might try some mixed media, and wanted to make a good underpainting first so I wouldn't lose my way. It helps to have a road map when I'm tired or distracted. So, I taped down some of my "good" paper-- Arches Cold Press, which I had bought a long time ago for a watercolor class. I've finally come to the conclusion that I'm not much of a watercolor painter, unless it's combined with other media. After I blocked in my pastel "underpainting," I had the urge to tinker with it, adding a little water with a soft brush. The effect was very soft and ethereal, and as soon as it dried, I added another layer of pastel. The paper absorbed the pastel layers and water so well, I topped it off with a little fixative and stopped before I could overdo it. This is a painting inspired by a fountain in downtown Fallbrook, CA. "Ladies of the Water" 9 x 12 Chalk pastel on Arches Cold Press paper ORIGINAL SOLD Click here to buy print: http:/...