The Thin Blue Line

18"x24" acrylic on stretched canvas

The Thin Blue Line

I made this to donate for a fundraiser for our local police department. 

Sun set

20x20 acrylic on stretched canvas

I made this from an upcycled canvas I picked up at Goodwill for $3.00.

Here is what it looked like before I started. 

I used my new acrylic paint marker to do the lettering. 

Maui Mommy

Maui Mommy

11x14 acrylic on stretched canvas

The process

The Missing Piece of Peace

My 7 year old daughter is the worst at taking care of her puzzles. I thought it would be fun to use some puzzle pieces instead of just throwing away the incomplete puzzles. 

I glued the pieces with modge podge onto this 8x10 stretched canvas.  Then I painted over everything with white acrylic paint a couple times. 

I didn't use any resource images. I wanted to draw a peaceful spot to go song with my piece and peace theme. 

I think I will do another painting like this because it was so much fun. 

When You Feel The World Is Falling Down

When You Feel The World Is Falling Down

11x14 acrylic on stretched canvas

The process

Audrey Hepburn

12 x 12 acrylic on stretched canvas 

I got this canvas at Goodwill.

Here is what it looked like before I started on it.

I thought it would be fun to keep the original intent and do an Audrey Hepburn painting. 

References

The process

Final

Scottish Dancer

My daughter does Scottish dance, so I used her and some friends as a reference.

I found this canvas at Goodwill for $5.00. 

Here's what it looked like before

The process

Final

Celtic Dance Of Peace

Celtic Dance For Peace

Acrylic on stretched canvas

24x24

This canvas is one I found at my neighbor's garage sale for $2.

I added a couple layers of gesso to start.

Background 

Final 

Reference for Celtic symbols

http://ancient-symbols.com/celtic_symbols.html

Included the elements of earth, wind, water, fire and sun. 

An Elegant Isle

My husband is playing bagpipes this evening for a birthday party. He has played for the family a number of times in the past, so I did a painting to give them as a birthday gift. 

5x7 acrylic on stretched canvas

Husband is my reference 😀

I actually finger painted a lot of the background this time which was a lot of fun. 

An Elegant Isle

by Julie McElhinney

The dew on the highland glistens fair

Across the Scottish sky,

An echo is heard from far and near

As the sun's setting rays go by.

Like a magical music in my ears 

I look up to the mount and smile,

Listening to the grace I shed a tear

And stay to listen for awhile.

He stands with powerful pipes in hand

Kilted in his family tartan,

He plays a mournful song where he stands

To those dearly departed. 

A healing highland note fills the air

As the mourning party departs,

But we thank the piper in this elegant isle

For healing our broken hearts. 

Star Wars Fan Art

My daughter loves Rey from Star Wars. She asked me to paint this picture for her room.

11x14 acrylic on stretched canvas 

Reference 

The process

Final

Outlander Painting

11x14 acrylic on stretched canvas

Reference image

The process

Final

Dream Picnic Spot

Dream Picnic Spot

11x14 acrylic on stretched canvas

No reference for this one. I just painted what I wanted my Dream picnic spot to look like. 

I've Got This Son

8x10 acrylic on stretched canvas

"I've Got This Son"

Police Tribute

No reference

Process

Final

Scottish Thistle

8x10 acrylic on stretched canvas

Scottish Thistle

Reference 

Scottish Poetry Selection 
- Scotia's Thistle

Henry Scott Riddell (1798-1870) was a native of Sorbie, north of Langholm, Dumfries & Galloway. His parents both came from Teviotside. His poetry was deeply influenced by Teviotdale, the valley of the river Teviot, in what is now the Scottish Borders. He became a minister there and was buried at Teviothead.

A number of his poems are very patriotic and nationalistic - he wrote Scotland Yet while out for a walk in a lonely glen at Teviothead. This is another in a similar vein.

Scotia's Thistle

Scotia's thistle guards the grave, 
Where repose her dauntless brave; 
Never yet the foot of slave 
   Has trod the wilds of Scotia.

Free from tyrant's dark control � 
Free as waves of ocean roll � 
Free as thoughts of minstrel's soul, 
   Still roam the sons of Scotia.

Scotia's hills of hoary hue, 
Heaven wraps in wreathes of blue, 
Watering with its dearest dew 
   The healthy locks of Scotia.

Down each green-wood skirted vale, 
Guardian spirits, lingering, hail 
Many a minstrel's melting tale, 
   As told of ancient Scotia.

When the shades of eve invest 
Nature's dew-bespangled breast, 
How supremely man is blest 
   In the glens of Scotia!

There no dark alarms convey 
Aught to chase life's charms away; 
There they live, and live for aye, 
   Round the homes of Scotia.

Wake, my hill harp! wildly wake! 
Sound by lee and lonely lake, 
Never shall this heart forsake 
   The bonnie wilds of Scotia.

Others o'er the oceans foam 
Far to other lands may roam, 
But for ever be my home 
   Beneath the sky of Scotia!

Meaning of unusual words: 
aye = always

Robert Burns Portrait

Robert Burns Portrait

Scottish Poet

8x10 acrylic on stretched canvas

Reference photo

Final

A Red, Red Rose

O my Luve's like a red, red rose 
That's newly sprung in June; 
O my Luve's like the melodie 
That's sweetly play'd in tune. 

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, 
So deep in luve am I: 
And I will luve thee still, my dear, 
Till a' the seas gang dry: 

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear, 
And the rocks melt wi' the sun: 
I will luve thee still, my dear, 
While the sands o' life shall run. 

And fare thee well, my only Luve 
And fare thee well, a while! 
And I will come again, my Luve, 
Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

by Robert Burns

To A Mouse

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, 
O, what a panic's in thy breastie! 
Thou need na start awa sae hasty, 
Wi' bickering brattle! 
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee 
Wi' murd'ring pattle! 

I'm truly sorry man's dominion, 
Has broken nature's social union, 
An' justifies that ill opinion, 
What makes thee startle 
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion, 
An' fellow-mortal! 

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve; 
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! 
A daimen icker in a thrave 
'S a sma' request; 
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, 
An' never miss't! 

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin! 
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! 
An' naething, now, to big a new ane, 
O' foggage green! 
An' bleak December's winds ensuin, 
Baith snell an' keen! 

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, 
An' weary winter comin fast, 
An' cozie here, beneath the blast, 
Thou thought to dwell - 
Till crash! the cruel coulter past 
Out thro' thy cell. 

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, 
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble! 
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble, 
But house or hald, 
To thole the winter's sleety dribble, 
An' cranreuch cauld! 

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, 
In proving foresight may be vain; 
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men 
Gang aft agley, 
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, 
For promis'd joy! 

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me; 
The present only toucheth thee: 
But och! I backward cast my e'e, 
On prospects dreaer! 
An' forward, tho' I canna see, 
I guess an' fear!

by Robert Burns

Bagpipes on Grandfather Mountain

Bagpipes on Grandfather Mountain

8x10 acrylic on stretched canvas

A painting I did of my husband at Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.

I removed most of the background junk from the festival. 

A Bagpiper's Wife

By Julie McElhinney

When first I wed him so long ago

I did not know the price,

That would come along the path I chose

To become a bagpiper's wife. 

Long nights of practice would ensue

A squawking chanter in my life,

Ear plugs soon became my friend

When I became a bagpiper's wife. 

Soon I was a cunning Celtic connoisseur 

No longer filled with sorrow and strife,

And I held my head up so high

A quite proud bagpiper's wife.

For when he dons his kilt and sporran

And strikes his drones with pride,

I know I made the best decision

To become a bagpiper's bride.