Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Ravens At The Pond


Ravens At The Pond.
6x8in oil on canvas panel  $140.
purchase HERE

Artist Note.
I have been sitting 
sketching the ravens
from inside the car
at this spot.
They vanish if I get out.

This is a local ponding 
area for the Pecan Factory. 
The Common Ravens 
stay year round in our area
and LOVE this particular
spot... even
 when there is no water!
I have seen up to 20
at one time, but
there are only 
about 8 ravens 
in this painting.

39 comments:

  1. The textures are the BEST!
    Happy Spring = )

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    1. I love texture - thick and thin.
      Neat to see your beautiful encaustic painting. Wish I could touch the surface.

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  2. A beautiful setting for a kind of mysterious-to-me bird! I don't know a lot about ravens. We have them here and they are big-hefty even-and they seem like watchers to me.

    I like how the ravens sort of anchor that corner in a solid but really unobtrusive way, if that makes any sense:)

    Libby

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    1. Watching the raven's behavior in a group is fascinating. I love them.
      That is a great post you wrote and as a teacher I recognized your resistance to instruction. Neat you can analyze it because so many don't..or can't.
      I really like the Hearts Desire, piece. The title, coupled with the post worked very well on a whole different level.

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    2. Thanks on both counts, Julie. I guess I am sort of a "thinkey" kind of person so I end up trying to suss out most situations for information that will help me:)

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  3. That lovely spring green really makes this painting pop!

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    1. Thank you Carol. Your dogwoods are a really beautiful affirmation of spring

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  4. So neat that you have a neighboring spot that is so interesting! Ravens are interesting too. I heard they have a social order, speak to each other and work together. This has a wonderful sense of nature. Thanks for taking me there!

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    1. Hi Kaethe - I have read those things about them and have enjoyed observing them together. It is their shape I am fascinated by and the beak is especially awesome.
      Love your flower and bee.

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  5. I could look at your work forever. I see new things everywhere the longer I look.

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    1. Lovely comment - thanks so much, Sharon.
      That is a great idea fyou have on your blog or helping monitor the time we spend on the computer with various art things. You never bore.

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  6. What a strong beautiful painting Julie, this is a keeper for sure! Love it.

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    1. Thanks very much, Blanche. Glad you like it. You did a great job with the water in your painting. Inspirational. Love your range of blues.

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  7. Looks like you found a lovely, private place to paint. You have made it seem so intimate, Julie, like it's just you and the ravens all day! Love the way the light creeps in from the left and places the "shoreline" in shadow and the bigger part of the pond in light!

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    1. it is intimate to me. There is a road on two sides and a parking lot where I sit in the car to sketch. But when I go down to the dip where the water is and zoom in - it is like I am in another world,
      Hope you are enjoying your self. maybe painting?

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  8. Everyone is so right -- loads of delicious elements to enjoy in this richly-textured tableau. I was watching some crows in my backyard just today and thinking I ought to follow your lead and paint birds more often. Crows especially I find fascinating -- as Kaethe says, they are so intelligent and complex socially.

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    1. I would love to see you paint some crows, Helene. If you find them fascinating then you will enjoy doing them. Thank you for the wonderful comment.

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  9. *goes to count Ravens*....

    the water glows here :D

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    1. Thanks Jennifer - glad you are feeling better. You still kept to your "sketch a day." My hats off to you!

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  10. It's lovely Julie! Since you mentioned there are 8 ravens, I just had to find them all.

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    1. Hi Carol - I added another since then.
      Love the piano story. Made me happy.

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  11. Such a beautiful, peaceful painting Julie! The added Ravens finishes a lovely piece!

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    1. Good to hear from you Hilda. Hows the healing? I bet you are working on a masterpiece soon to be unveiled!

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  12. The light is really striking in this painting, and it looks like a very peaceful spot , love how you make everything come to life.

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    1. Jane I just saw your fabulous abstract - WOW!
      So much moc=vement and the colors are lovely.

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  13. Dear Julie I counted at least eight ravens in this painting too. I can feel the sunshine as well. So lovely. Your colors are so peaceful in this work. Hope you are having a great day. Hugs!

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    1. Thanks so much Debbie. Another great post from you today. Your landscape is so beautiful. Thanks for recommending that magazine. Looks like one I would enjoy.

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  14. Love how the lights and darks play. They create a certain amount of excitement which I enjoy.

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    1. Hi Helen - thanks for letting me know you are recovering nicely but that is why not painting so much. Sending a hug.

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  15. Wonderful painting and I enjoyed looking at your almost cubed marks..more horizontal and vertical vs diagonal. Am I right to say you did not fracture this in your usual way? I love black birds. They are visiting our feeders quite a bit right now.

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    1. Nope - still fractured but maybe the diagonals are all underneath. I got caught up in trying to get those handsome ravens look at least whole.
      Fracture through those tiny marks and they look deformed!
      Love all the paintings on your latest post and cannot wait for your new video and resulting painting.

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  16. The light in the pond is beautiful, and the ravens add a wonderful element to the painting. Your work is always gorgeous!!

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    1. Hi Celia - I do appreciate your comment. So encouraging. Like all artists I don't always feel or see it.
      The calla lilies you painted are beautiful They will be extra special printed on silk for your mother's scarf.

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  17. I love the light in this as well as the textures. Glad you didn't scare them away!

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    1. me too. then there would be nothing to paint as this spot is all about the birds for me.
      I enjoyed the visit to your "fake journal" but is it replacing or running at same time as your blog?

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  18. The yellow and green combination along with the texture has created magic, of course my eyes went straight to the ravens!

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  19. Julie, I also love the textures. What I love the most is the lighting. This is a wonderful painting. Thank you for sharing.

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  20. Just beautiful...it always amazes me how your paintings look so big --but then I discover the panel size and wow--you get so much information on such a small space. 6x8! I can't believe it. Lovely!

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I love that you are taking the time to comment and thank you for it. I am sure other readers will enjoy them too. If you cannot comment through this format then email me at juliefordoliver@gmail.com
Cheers,
Julie