Thursday portrait group oil 20 x 16

Here's a portrait I did last night. She is a very nice Hondurean lady. I know a lot of visitors to my blog will be thinking... Oh dear!! How awful.(the painting, not the model!)
Painting from life is such a great exercise. It allows me to free up. To try a different pallet, and learn. I want this blog to be personal, and show what makes me tick as an artist. Also the portrait group[is a great opportunity to meet local artists and catch up with all the local gossip!!

Great Egret oil 36 x 48

I have just finished this Great Egret, which I saw in Costa Rica last year.This is one of a series of birds in flight. Next up "White Ibises". It was Interesting to think about the negative space. I love to paint birds in flight. I was asked to add a preparatory sketch, hence the scribble!

Bison .24'' x 12'' oil

Here's a new painting . It shows a misty May morning in Yellowstone with Bison and their calves. I have also Included some Progress snaps. They show the development of the painting from sketch to completion.

Frame for "Little Dancer"

I keep getting asked about our frames. Julia and make all our own frames. Not only do I find this creatively satisfying , but you can customize each frame to suit the paintings . Plus you can leave everything to the last minute and paint in odd sizes. Both of these factors suite me!! The downside, is that they take forever to make!!

Winter Fox oil 15'' x 24''

Here's the final painting. I just finished it and spent the morning enjoying some juicy thick brushwork on the snow. Lots of cutting in around the fox and foliage. and making sure all the whiskers and fluffy edges are in place. I hope you like it!!

I am now at a stage where I can begin to make more sense of the sage brush and snow.I try to keep the pallet simple and will use the fox colour in the background and vica versa.
Snow allows me to have fun with lilacs and blues. I love manganese blue, and cad yellow light in snow. Now the painting is drier I can go back in and redefine edges. I can also dry brush in the grass and bushes.

At this stage I am still working and reworking the fox shape. I am also playing around with the background , but keeping the paint very thin.

Winter Fox oil 15'' x 24''

I apologise for taking so lopng between postings.
I have been asked to show how a painting progresses. I have just finished this fox, and took some snaps of the painting from start to finish.
This shows how I begin. . I begin with a tonal wash. I try to get the basic shape and feel of the subject, but very loose.You can see that I have reused a board. Those deer were never going to work!!! (Leslie Anne, this is for you, I hope you find it useful!!)