EBSQ Blogger of the Week: Fawn McNeill

Who and where are you?

I was born Fawn Marie McNeill, a very special name as my father gave it to me without even considering if my mother would like it.  He just wrote it on the birth certificate!  She loved it.  Anyway, it is very special to me because it is the only thing I have from him, besides my artistic nature.  My Dad, Tom McNeill, died in a car accident before I was three years old. We moved a lot when I was a child, but I claim Libby, Montana as my home, because my grandmother lived there and I got to live with her off and on throughout my life. I’ve lived in Minnesota, Hawaii, Guam, California, Maryland, to name a few places.  As an adult I settled here in Florida where I have raised two boys and am currently enjoying 3 grandchildren!

Most people know me as Fawn Barr (my married name). It is the name I go by, accept on my art.  I use my maiden name as my pen name. It gets quite confusing, but I know who I am!

How did you get started art blogging?

I was working full time, teaching art at the local high school when I began to paint and post almost daily. I got involved with DailyPainters.com and took their challenge to do quality work daily, posting a small new painting almost everyday for over a year.  It went so well that I began working at home full time. I sold quite a few paintings each month!  It was very encouraging.  Of course with the economic turn down, it has been much harder to stay with it, but I still try to get in three posts or so a week.  I work part time now, teaching at an art gallery to help with the expenses to fund my painting habits.

Any tips for other EBSQ art bloggers?

The most important tip I can pass along is that you do lots of research.  Find as many sites as you can to link up with.  There are lots of free sites to get involved with, and lots of places you can trade links. Check out other artists’ links and sites.  Forums are great too, you can learn so much about photographing your art, adding gadgets to your blog, and the pros and cons of so many topics!  The more links and the more visible you are, the more you will show up on the search engines.

What’s your musical inspiration of choice when you’re working in your studio?

I love to turn on the contemporary Christian music. It is up-beat and the message is positive. It gives me an attitude of worship while I paint God’s awesome creation.

What’s coming next from your easel?

I have been stuck for a while now.  I explored so many styles and techniques while doing the daily paintings, and never settled into any one thing.  I love impressionism the most. I did a series of drippy back grounds with realism on top, a series of abstracts, a series of angels, and a series of palette knife paintings. Recently I have been doing a lot of demonstrations, so I don’t really feel like I am doing much, although my students love it.

My neighbor’s horses are foaling right now, and I have had a great time watching and photographing all that new life and energy! They have 5 new foals and one more on the way.  I see some fillies and colts coming up very soon in my paintings…most likely in a realistic style.

http://fawnspaintings.blogspot.com/

Thank you Fawn for being an EBSQ Blogger of the Week!

If you are an EBSQ Artist and would like to be considered for Blogger of the Week just add us to your blogroll. I’m searching EBSQ profiles weekly for links to artist’s blogs. If you aren’t an EBSQ Artist, what are you waiting for?