Gloria Ester's masterpieces

Artstraussa

Stuffed cloth bunny I made for my mom.

Nubian Goat named Ann.

Birds

Veggie Omelet

Nubian Goat named May.

Because nothing says classier than playing basketball all dressed up with hat and gloves.

These are hand dyed scarves and hankies I dyed myself, I really enjoy dyeing them. They are available for purchase here.

Douglas and Pepper(RIP).

Commission Paintings

Cream Pie

My first handmade stuffed animal.

Feeding a friendly mockingbird.

Flowers and Trees

Cute ornaments with woodland animals painted on them.

Art News

I was really not all that great at art growing up, although I did love to paint simple childish scenes with crayons and watercolors. I started painting more professionally by chance when one day my dad purchased himself a few craft paints and brushes to paint as a hobby. I got a piece of cardboard from a cereal box, set out some paint and picked up a brush and started painting a replica of a painting we had in our living room at the time. I was 19 when I painted my first painting, and it turned out pretty good, that gave me the motivation to continue and eventually purchased better acrylic paints, brushes, and started painting on canvas. And thus started my art journey. I am pretty much self taught and have watched a few artists on television, and studied a few art books. At first the paintings came slow and far between, I was just learning and it took a while to figure things out, and I wanted the painting to turn out perfect, and to look exactly like the reference photo. Taking so long on them would sometimes be frustrating and inhibiting so I decided that I needed to try something different to try speeding up my process and help me be more loose in my style, and that's how the 10 minute paintings were born, which are exactly that, a painting done within a 10 minute time frame. I painted my first 10 minute painting in December 2012, then decided that I would paint one each day for all of 2013, I greatly improved by the end of the year and all of those really helped me improve my art overall. They gave me confidence to paint more freely and create my own style, and I started to really enjoy painting after that.

For the most part I paint using acrylics, I love the versitality of them and I find them rather enjoyable and pleasant to work with. I paint mostly on canvas, but I'm starting to paint on paper more since it's easy to store and it is rather a nice surface to paint on. I also paint on wood now with some of my paintings which I enjoy as well. All the surfaces are different to paint on and the outcomes are different too so that's really nice to have a variety to work with. I have really never chosen a set style of art, I love painting all styles and using different techniques and just love to paint what I feel like, even if it's not to everyone's taste. I paint with both brushes and palette knives, they are both different to use, and the results are very different as well. With brushes I tend to make my paintings more smooth and detailed, and with a palette knife the painting comes out really thick with a more impressionistic look. While I do take my time on some paintings, my favorites are the ones that don't take me long at all, those are the ones I'm the most free with and I love seeing results so quickly, the 10 minute paintings and palette knife paintings give that satisfaction to me. Although because of the 10 minute paintings I have gotten a lot faster with my regular brush paintings even the larger ones which is great. I really don't have favorite subjects to paint per se, but the easiest I find are scenic landscapes, mountains and pines especially with both the 10 minute paintings and the palette knife ones. Sunsets are also a favorite no matter which style I use, so are palm trees. I also enjoy painting animals and birds, and really love painting roosters. My favorite part of an animal to paint are the white reflection dots on the eyes, that is what brings the whole animal to life and what I really look forward to in each animal painting. I also enjoy painting still life paintings and it's rare that I don't love the way they turn out, there is something about them that really draws me in and captivates me. My newest style of painting are the stained glass paintings which are painting made to look like they are stained glass, those are really enjoyable to create and compose. My art has appeared in the San Francisco Zoo Botanical Gardens and has also won a Special Merit Award in an international art competition, along with several 1st - 4th places in smaller art competitions.

Apart from painting I also enjoy photography, exploring nature and capturing wildlife and interesting things with my camera, it is a thrill to get unique and fun shots of different things. My backyard is where I take most of my nature photos, it is filled with so many different species of wildlife, birds, insects, flowers, native plants and trees, it really is a lovely place to take photos in, Although one day I hope to travel and explore lots of nice places around the world. I also like trying out other crafts, I work with building birdhouses on occasion, I sometimes also crochet, sew, and will gladly try any kind of craft that captures my attention. My latest obsession is hand dyeing scarves, they turn out so beautifully and unique, and I my favorite moment is unwrapping them and seeing the final outcome.

I hope you enjoy browsing through my paintings and maybe finding something you like. If you have any questions feel free to contact me via email, or find me on Facebook atARTstraussa.

Etsy Shop : WhisperingMeadow

Etsy Shop:Hopeful Melodies

Art shop : Gloria Ester Art

All About Me

Mammals

These are a few of the kitties that live here with me.

My bird paintings featured on a sign located in the San Francisco Zoo.

I was a child once upon a time.....

Laughter is the best medicine.

Hand Dyed Scarves

Insects

A Little Bit About The Artist........

Waffles

My name is Gloria Ester and I live on a 5 acre plot of land in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, in the United States, where I was born and raised. I have 1 chihuahua, and I also have a couple of Nubian goats that can sometimes be a handful. I have always been fascinated with art, I remember when I was young I used to look at the art in the "Paintings" section of an old encyclopedia, and would wonder how someone could actually paint something so amazing, Little did I know that a few years later I would begin a journey to become one of those people.

Birdhouses

A pretty lap blanket I crocheted for my grandma.

Hand painted, beach scene magnet.

I now accept commission paintings both for landscapes and pet portraits only. Prices vary according to subject and canvas size. Feel free to contact me for more details.

Me and my looooong hair, did I mention I have long hair?

Photography

Painting myself painting.

Food Galore.......Makes and Bakes I've made.

Tree Hugger

Banana Strawberry Cake

Hummingbird magnet.

Hanging out with the goats and sheep. My grandpa asked me which animal I wanted and I chose his only sheep, so he gave it to me, It was mine in name only, but still mine, and I was content with that.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Chocolate cake...... my favorite