This particular painting is near and dear to my heart. The story behind Grandma Rocks has many layers and really could fill a small book. I will present the Cliff Note version here.

Grandma Rocks!

All babies are miracles, some more than others. The bundle of joy in this painting is my youngest daughter, Elise.  Allison and I wanted children but like many couples had difficulty. We had Josh and Amber from my previous marriage and Noah who we were blessed with through the gift of adoption. (Cool story there also). Anyway the good Doctors told us we would not be able to have children, as you know in many cases a simple adoption will fix things in that area with a large success ratio. Anyway we adopted Noah and had been trying to move back home. Moving to a smalll community was a big bonus for us but most importantly we wanted to be around my parents and have the kids around Mom and Dad as well.

We moved from Colorado back home and immersed my older children in a whole new way of life. It took some getting used to.  Josh went from having a class of 1,200 kids in his 8th grade class to…35 the next year in 9th. Just a small adjustment. Kids are resilient though and he soon came to really enjoy his new school and friends. Josh is a really outgoing kid, big smile, positive and upbeat and a gifted athlete.  We really enjoyed going to his games and watching him play sports and just “be” in his element.

The community he went to school in is 12 miles from home. In Nebraska kids start driving early on school permits, in our case since he was 14 he drove himself to and from school. Josh had an out of town basketball game one evening. The evening of his game Josh got off the bus and hopped in his car to come home, it was his 16th birthday. It was after midnight as he began his 12 mile trek home. He made a brief stop at his best friends house to grab some of his clothes and then hit the highway. Between his school and our house he hit a Black Angus cow that was in the middle of the road. It was dark, no moon and the cow was turned sideways. He suffered only one injury. He broke his neck. No cuts, scratches or bruises to speak of just  a C-5 fracture that nipped the spinal cord.

The agonizing months that followed were almost unbearable as we watched our son teeter on the very brink of survival. We were certainly blessed in many ways during that ordeal,  Josh survived.  I saw a majestic resolve within him while in the hospital.  While there are many things I remember about our stay at Craig Hospital, one  marks a turning point for me as a parent. That was when I witnessed my 16 year old consoling a young (30 something) Doctor who broke his neck a few months after Josh.  I knew then Josh would be ok.

After months of being in the hospital Josh was released and we came home. Elise was born directly after that chaos, she bounced into the world and brought with her a beacon of hope and became the embodiment of all that is good and right within our little world.  She represented an emergence,  a special healing that said okay lets switch to the positive again, to life and  to living.

The impact and the timing of Elise’s birth is hardly imaginable. This painting captures that whole story for me. Allison’s mom is the Grandmother in the painting and I wonder as I study her face what communication is going on between them?

As for Josh, he got back in school right away and worked his fanny off to be able to graduate on time with his class. He went on to finish his first two years of college and is currently deciding if he is going back now to finish up or wait for a bit.  He has a special bond with his sister.

Mixed Media Painting by Nebraska Artist Tim ONeill

I have been a racing fan since I was kid. Many who know me are acquainted with our family racing heritage. My father Bob ONeill raced dirt short tracks in Kansas and Nebraska for over fifty years. Dad was still piloting a sprint car a few years ago…he is in his seventies. Anyway I had the privilege of many hours of windshield time cruising the highways with my parents always on the way to another race. For a kid like me it was a dream childhood.  Our family raced frequently, sometimes three times a week. My mother did a stint running 250 micro sprints until a stuck throttle caused an accident that nearly took her life. I raced Sprint Cars, 1200cc Mini-Sprints, carts and even some stock cars. My son Josh showed promise as he came up racing carts. Anyway you get the idea. I am a big fan of racing and Nascar is really the only sport on TV that I watch.

It is surprising that I have rarely created any art to reflect my passion for racing.  When I was a young military photographer we used to get press passes from Navy Times or Army Times and cover many of the Nascar races. I have had the opportunity to watch the sport since the late seventies. With the Sprint Cup Chase this year I was truly enamored with the stories behind the story. A driver with dirt-track sprint car roots, Tony Stewart forms a brand new team and both cars make the chase. A guy my age (considered to be the old timer) Mark Martin makes the Chase and almost pulls off a Championship. My youngest son’s favorite, Jeff Gordon, has a chance of another points Championship and finally Jimmie Johnson three time champion has a chance to make history. No one has ever one four in a row. Incredible. Even if they are not your favorite team you have to marvel that one team can do that in a sport that is hyper-competitive.

So anyway, my tribute to Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motor Sports, Four Cup Championships….in a row. AWESOME.

This painting will be reproduced in several ways.  Oil reproductions are available at 875.00, giclee prints on canvas are 325.00, giclee prints on  photo paper are 59.00.  The size is 20×24.

If the cart is not up and running you can email Tim at tim@timoneillstudio.com.

This mixed media (pigment & oil) painting portrait has been in the works for awhile and is a part of my Limbo Gallery.

A Native American Portrait from Nebraska Artist Tim ONeill

The original is available, a 30×40 oil and pigment on stretched canvas the price is 3,500.00 Giclee prints on canvas are 375.00 and reproduction oil paintings are 875.00.

I Miss you Daddy

This mixed media oil & pigment painting portrait is done  from an image that is near and dear to me. The original photograph was shot at the Veteran’s memorial in North Platte, NE several years ago.  The photograph I chose to work with ended up being a spot color. That is, everything was black and white except the main point of interest, the small boy. The silver gelatin print has sold well but I really wanted an oil painting so I decided to create one.  I had seen several stunning images from the famous memorial in DC and was hoping to shoot some stills that I could use for painting.  As the memorial in North Platte sits facing north, that gave me two prime opportunities each day to grab the lighting I was hoping for, in this case cross-lighting so the texture of the sculptures would show nicely. So, sunrise and sunset were my choices which is often the case. I chose to go down at dusk. Noah, my youngest son was 7 at the time and wanted to hang with Dad so we happily schlepped out to the site which is on the south side of I80 in North Platte.

As I was shooting around the site Noah was checking out the relief sculpture carved in brick. It is a beautiful piece and Noah was really taken with it. Like seven year old’s will do he was asking a bunch of questions. Most of them garnered the normal uh-huh, yea and so forth answer that a distracted father would give. Then he asked, “Where are there kids?” …that got my attention. Other questions came up as we talked about soldiers, war and the sacrifice the men, women and families in the military make for us. The question that came up that stuck with me was, “Daddy, are they gone? “  as his hands delicately touched the hard cold brink. I stood back watching and shooting a few frames as I answered his question by telling him that yes these soldiers, these hero’s were gone from this earth and were being watched after by Angels just as the soldiers had watched over us. With a huge sigh he put his head on his arms and crying softly said, “I would miss you Daddy”.  I admit it, I am a softy, I cried.

That became the title and is perfectly fitting. I had not given much thought to what my family might be thinking about me being a combat photographer and going back in during a time of conflict. Noahs words stayed with me.

While the original will stay in our private collection oil reproductions and giclee prints on canvas are available. The oils are 875.00 and the prints on canvas are 375.00 for a gallery wrap. The finished size is 24×30 but larger sizes are also available.

Oil & Pigment painting portrait by Nebraska Artist Tim ONeill

Many of you know that I am a huge fan of Norman Rockwell. I love not only his technique specific to illustrative painting but more than that, his unique story telling ability. I wanted to portray a soldier hanging out after a parade and show him in the eyes of a small boy. While there are certainly some more graphic and emotional ways to handle this I wanted to keep it light and positive. Noah, the small boy that modeled, is my youngest boy and is about seven in this painting. I had been working on this for awhile and recently completed it for my “Limbo Gallery”. The limbo gallery is a place that I have put the paintings together that I have had in various stages of completion. The goal is to complete all of the paintings before the end of the year 2009. I looks like I will make it.

The original is available for 3,100.00, it is 16×20 on canvas and is already varnished. Gigclee prints and oil reproductions are available for 275.00 and 850.00 respectively.

Lakota Girl, mixed media portrait by Nebraska portrait artist Tim ONeill

Mixed Media Portrait on canvas

I finally decided to go through and finish some portrait paintings that I have sitting around in various stages of completion. I have started a gallery called the mixed media portrait Limbo Gallery,  on my facebook page to put these paintings in.

I actually started painting the portrait of this young Lakota girl a few years ago and became stuck. I couldnt get things worked out like I wanted so I set it aside….way aside. I revisted the image several times over the last few years and decided it was not yet time to dive in and finish her.

I began putting together the pieces of various paintings that were in Limbo and I gain came across this young lady. I decided to go ahead and work through the mental challenges I had in finishing this painting. I dont even remember why I was stuck. I started fresh with no preconcieved ideas specific to background and she finally fell together in a manor that I quite like. I hope you enjoy.

She will remain un-named until I can come up with a suitable title for her.

I love living in the Great Plains region of the United States. One of the hidden benefits of this area is an ample opportunity to paint mixed media portraits. The folks who live here are hardworking, generous and extremely independent. That means a huge variety of individuals who all look and act differently…prime real estate for unique personalities to paint. I am sure all areas may have some of that but people are very approachable here.

Lakota Pride came about from a Pow Wow that was hosted by a local business. Native American Dancers from all over came to compete for prize money and titles. I love to watch dance competition in general and Native American dance is truly fascinating. The regalia that dancers wear is impressive and most times the pieces were made by the members of the dancers family. It also is a huge family gathering and great food, awesome music, children’s giggles and even belly laughs permeate the atmosphere at these events. What more could a visual artist want?

There are many opportunities to capture the essence of beautiful people. As I was watching the young women dance I noticed this particular dancer. What caught my eye was the intensity with which she took to her task. She was very focused and seemed to have a poise that the other dancers lacked. After the dance that I was watching ended, I went to talk with her parents to see if I could paint her. They gave me the okay and we grabbed a few images to use as photo reference.

It was months later that I came back to her reference images. I was working on another mixed media portrait in the Western Genre and came across her again. I took a closer look at her and again I was struck by the poise of this young women. Not only was she an accomplished dancer and seamstress (she made her own regalia) but she was a competitor and an athlete. At the time of her painting she was 15.

I thought that there was much wisdom and pride in the way she looked at people so I named the image Lakota Pride. It is a 24×30 mixed media on canvas.

Original is SOLD, 4,200.00 Private collection in GA.

One of the most fun things in creating children’s portraiture is developing a sense of a childs or families day to day lifestyle and painting a scene that tells a story from those activities. As I put together an idea for a child’s portrait with a family we have several different ways of getting to know the subject as well as the family surrounding them.

Many times in the development stage of a painting we change our original idea from doing a colored pencil portrait, a pastel portrait, or a pencil sketch to doing something more abstract using acrylic or oil. Sometimes we will change our whole perspective and include the family pet or do a separate pet portrait. The point is that the discovery process is what allows an certain intimacy in a portrait to come through.

Sunday Night read by Nebraska Artist Tim ONeill

I painted “Sunday Night Read” for my best friend and sweetheart, Allison. We have been married for 16 years and I wanted a fun and memorable piece for Allison’s anniversary and Christmas gift. The wife of an artist puts up with a tremendous amount stuff from fluctuating income, messy and smelly areas in the studio, and most importantly being last on the list for artwork. Much like the plumbers wife with the leaky sinks and non-working shower, my wife has not really been able to get the art she would like from me.

The idea for this piece came as I admired the nightly reading ritual to our youngest two. With one boy in college and another girl out in the workforce at the time I was acutely aware of how fleeting the cuddly moments with your kids can disappear. I wanted to capture that feeling or warmth and happiness that exists on a cold winter afternoon when we just hang out and spend time with one another.  Sunday Night Read does the job. The rocking chair that Allison and Elise are in is special to the family and was also the rocking chair in the children’s portrait, “Grandma Rocks!“, and Noah drawing on the floor or table with a few his Nascar race cars is a daily occurrence.

The original is in our private collection, giclee prints are available from the store.

Children's Portrait by Nebraska Artist Tim ONeill

This painted portrait of Noah is another mixed media painting created using photo reference.  This particular piece is of my son when we were on a vacation a few years back. Noah is a very active boy and he loves to run, jump, squeal, antagonize his younger sister, or anything else that will bring some small amount of amusement to him. Getting him to sit for a children’s portrait is almost out of the question.

Children and car rides lasting more than a few minutes is generally a “asking for” combination anyway. We had been in the car for several hours when we finally arrived at our destination. Upon stopping Noah burst from the car like carbonated soda after a thorough shaking. Ten minutes of running did not exhaust the pent up energy of Noah but it had already tried the patience of mom and dad. Several verbal warnings had been sanctimoniously ignored so a more severe discipline was needed to capture Noah’s attention. Enter the time out.

Time outs are particularly effective for Noah given his personality and overt energy. As we were trying to get to a restraunt for dinner I choose to carry out our discipline in this alley away from as much distraction as possible.  When he finally began to relax and accept his position he laid his head down in on his knees.  I initially believed this was the signal of truce and submission. After a few moments of watching him I walked to the opposite side I was on and noticed that he had not surrendered at all.  Hidden from my view  was  a small stick that Noah had found. He had already carved some nice dirt drawings and made a game of smacking a piece of crumpled paper that was nearby.

His stubbornness even while sitting with his head in his knees made me laugh. I wanted to remember it so I snapped a quick image before I stold the stick and stood over him for a few minutes of actual time out. Later I decided I wanted to paint it and “Noah’s Time Out” was born. It is not the type of childrens portrait that one would normally set out to commission however it is a rare gem. The story with the strong compositional elements and simplicity of the painting  makes it  a family heirloom. As an artist I am always looking for glimpse of  “personality” with each commission, it is a delight when one comes shinning through with your own kids.

While the original is in our private collection, limited edition giclee prints are available.

These clients came from Cheyenne. Turns out they are kindred spirits. I was looking for some more young ladies for my angel calendar and came across this young angel with her Dad and sister at a hotel pool. Perfect for an Angel childrens portrait painting. I told them what we were doing with the calendar and encouraged them to come out for a photo-session to be used for photo reference.

Here are is  the painting.  There are a few images from the  photo session  we had at the river (whats left of it) in the slide shows.  We would have let mom and dad leave the kiddies in a heart-beat.  We had a blast!!! Did some ice-cream at the park, rides and oh yea and shot some pics.    Great job you guys!!!

An Angelic Childrens Portrait