Cocker Spaniel, by Martina Lo

"Big Tongue", Acrylic, 12'' x 12''. Painting of a very curly-haired cocker spaniel who loves licking people, hence the nickname.

Commissioned Mural - Process

A 4-step photo documentary of a mural I did in 2007

1. Determine Location and Design

2. Fill with color

3. Apply Details

4. Complete!

Golden Retriever, by Martina Lo

"Nonchalant", Acrylic, 11'' x 14''. I passed by this Golden Retriever in front of a store entrance and I just stopped on my tracks and pulled back to take a few good photos of this dog. I just loved the nonchalant way the dog appeared in front of the store; it only looked at me when I first walked up to take a picture but for the rest of the time it just gazed into the distance. Since this dog was lying outside the store, I wasn't able to meet its owner and find out the name of the dog. There are some parts that can still be adjusted but I decided to leave it the way it is. 

©Martina Lo

Pet Portraits

Here's my most recent pencil sketch of a black lab:

Emma Zen, 8.5'' x 11'', graphite

Pastel drawing of  brown horse

Lucy and Baby, 24'' x 36'', pastel

Corky and Lynxie, 17'' x 14'', prismacolor

Want your own? Email: martinaloartwork@gmail.com

©Martina Lo

New Location for Husky Mural

When Summit Prep High School moved to its new location in Redwood City, so did my mural! Here is a snapshot of the permanent location where the mural now lies.

Murals

"Husky Spirit", 8' x 20', Exterior Acrylic Paint. The mascot for this high school is a husky, so I wanted to create a mural that portrays a realm for huskies with different personalities to co-exist. Before I painted this mural, this school was defined by the monotonous color of portable classrooms. Therefore, I chose to use vibrant colors to make the mural a focal point for the campus. I knew the portables were temporary, so I placed five 8' x 5' panels next to each other and painted over it; thus the creation of a transportable mural!

Dining by the Shores, 7.2' x 9.5', interior acrylic paint. This is a mural I painted in my friend's dining room prior to the addition of any furniture. The fences are meant to be as tall as the dining table so that when it is put in, it completes the effect of dining by the shores.

La Vie en Rose, 8' x 8', interior acrylic paint, This mural belongs to a bedroom of a woman who loves roses. The bed is located directly underneath this mural. Some of the roses extend to the other wall which explains the angle of the picture.

Still Life - Basic Shapes

Understanding still life drawing begins somewhere, and these three shapes are perhaps three of the most essential shapes to producing anything complex. Yesterday my students completed their first composition drawing based on this arrangement and, although they admit it was a challenge for them, I am quite pleased with their product at the end of the day. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera with me so I couldn't get a picture of their work, but I feel this picture gives a good sense of the composition so it will suffice.

Cool Colors Study

Cool Colors Study, Pastel, 18''x 24''

This drawing explores the effects of cool colored objects on warm-colored paper. For my subjects, I picked three of my animated containers to complete a theme. Posted here are before and after the background was added.