Like Cats?

DAISY

8x8 oil on gallery wrap canvas  SOLD

If you like Miss Daisy then there is a vote 

going on which her owner is requesting 

votes because Daisy's sister 

won a couple of years ago

and she would like to keep the family 

tradition intact.

Daisy is a gentle and fun loving cat.

Obviously I really liked her.

You have to have a Facebook account 

to vote but here is the link

here

Some really cute pics of cats and dogs

but scroll down to Daisy and a "like"

counts as a vote.

Artist Note.

Thanks for all the comments 

on the previous post on design. 

I will be getting round to everyone

soon .

VINCENT VAN GOGH'S PETS!

Vincent's Pets

8x8 gallery wrap SOLD

What could be more fun than to know that 

Vincent took his pets along to watch him 

paint Starry Night!

Artist Note

This is for a fundraiser to support the 

Humane Society here in Las Cruces, NM.

Lots of wonderful paintings will be sold

at Unsettled Gallery

Click on link to see the full exhibit.

Maybe you will see something you would 

enjoy owning at a very reasonable price.

Nap Time - day 15 in the challenge

Nap Time

8x6in oil on canvas panel  $125. SOLD

Day 15

This is my Grandcat. He is not longer

with us but left us with many happy memories.

This chair has a woven seat,

and sometimes, when he jumped up on the 

chair, his legs would go right through.

It was hysterical because he would

still nap with a couple of his legs hanging

through. After a while he learned to 

jump on the chest next to it, and 

carefully step down.

ARTIST NOTE

Half way through ...

Don't forget to take a look at all the 

other artists participating in the 

Leslie Saeta 30 in 30 Challenge

HERE

Watercolor Studies of Mr. Chomp

Looking for Lizards

unfinished watercolor study

It has been a long time, but I have painted Mr. Chomp before.
He belongs to dear friends and is a rescued cat
...saved from a nasty traffic accident 

after being discarded in the road when he was
about 2-3 weeks old. My friend stopped her car
and dodged the moving traffic to grab him safely up.

(There has to be a severe consequence somewhere 

along the line for people who casually discard animals)

Much loved and taken outside on a leash for an hour

each day, Mr. Chomp rewards everyone by being affectionate

 and entertaining.

Artist Note

Using a Moleskin book, I didn't draw first, 

but went right into using washes of color.
Mr. Chomp was not staying in one position for long

The paper is smooth and buckles slightly with watercolor.
it adds nicely to a bit of puddling.

 Mr. Chomp kept moving around in different positions, but finally...slept!!!

Sleeping Cat

Sleeping Cat.

6x6in oil on canvas  panel  $100. SOLD

A verrry contented grandcat.

I want to thank Mary Hibbs, OH,  for buying the painting
of Mr. Chomp yesterday so that $125. donation
will go to an animal shelter of need back east.
My hubby is doing the research for the best one .


Artist Note.

I had a full day of teaching and now I want to go off and
vote so this will be short.
Question.
How do you show closed eyes on a cat who has black fur
where the eyes are? Especially in the fracturing technique.
What a dilemma
Answer. Its NOT EASY!
If at first you do not succeed then try try and try again!
At first they were too obvious and lost the effect of fur.
Paint, scrape off, paint scrape off, four times!
I looked very carefully at the subtle changes of value
and I remembered the principle
BLACK in the light moves close to a middle value
It helped a lot.
The other part of that principle is
WHITE in the shadow moves to a middle value.
I used the same pile of gray to lighten the black and
darken the white.

Mr Chomp Resting

Mr Chomp Resting

8x6in oil on canvas panel  $125. SOLD



I have been concerned about the animals lost
and hurt during Megastorm Sandy
and will donate the proceeds
of this painting to an animal shelter in
New York or New Jersey.


I have painted Mr Chomp before.
He is a very special rescued cat with
a wonderful disposition and adores his owners
...most likely because he is so grateful to them.
I have no doubt he knows exactly
how he almost was killed, and then saved.
Animals are very special and bring a wonderful
element into our lives.

Cat in Sun

Cat in Sun (sketch)

6x8in oil on canvas board   $100.

This was painted as a very quick demo in the afternoon session today.
It was painted from a photo and I placed him in a grassy setting.
It is definitely a sketch, but I feel I was successful in having him look
as if he was moving. What a lovely, chubby Tabby!

Artist Note.

I know I said I was going to show a step-by-step demo of my
fracturing technique with the painting, Pouncer.
Here is what has happened.
A while back Daily Paintworks had contacted me to see if I would be interested
in making a couple of ArtBytes on my Fracturing Technique as they felt there
would be some interest in them.
I went through th typical feelings of, no one will want to see them...
I am not good enough, but Jennifer Newcomb was very nice
and suggested I take my time and think about it.
In between then and now, I did the move into the new gallery and
teaching space. My life was hectic.
Then along came the Birdbrain Challenge and I submitted, Meet Mr Gull.
From the response I received  from DPW and my blog, I gathered that there
are quite a few who would enjoy seeing how I do my technique.

I sent Jennifer the notes and demo I had prepared to go on my blog regarding "Pouncer"
and I received a very encouraging reply so I am going to work on it
in earnest and see what I come up with.
The DPW crew offer proffessional help and guidance so it could be fun.
Wish me luck please.

Pouncer- Bird Watching.

Pouncer - Bird Watching. ( sketch)

6x8in oil on linen (mounted on panel)  $100. SOLD

No matter what country you live in in this world, this is a universal
happening.

Artist Note.

Another sketchy type painting where I leave the linen canvas showing.
After painting the gull I thought I would try the Fracturing technique on a
cat. This is from a painting I did of of one of my grandcats in 2004.
It was painted in a more decorative and linear style.
This is a detail - a small part of a large painting.

I tried to copy more or less the same position of the cat,
but put him up on a ledge instead.

The new one was painted on the Senso linen I mentioned yesterday.
I used neutral colors to see if I could paint an animal
without deforming it too much with the fracturing technique.
I found I was a little bit tentative and it looked like a hedgehog quite
a few times as the legs would come and go!!!!

If I didn't say they were birds in the title, I bet you could not tell.
They certainly are tiny as the canvas is so small.

It is funny how you can mush a tree or flower and it is okay, it works,
but you mush a specific animal beyond a recognizable shape and the party is over..
There is a quality about this painting I like but have to figure it out.
Like most of what I paint, I need to really have a familiar feeling  or good
image to get it right. I know you understand and are thinking, been there, done that.

I think I will try it again tomorrow in the colors above
and in a square format.. I will try and show a step-by-step demo.
I love bright colors so it should be fun.