Life Cycle

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Life Cycle
13x10in mixed media on paper SOLD

Artist Note

Yes - a little different for me but
I did enjoy using acrylics
in this piece.
I love the colors of turquoise
and earth tones together.

My process...
after layering acrylic
colors and disturbing the surface
all over with the fracturing
technique,
I restored certain outlines
with
water-soluble artist's crayon.


I have been really busy.
I enjoyed a trip to
Art Basil
in Miami where I saw lots
of work, I wouldn't call art.

I also saw many brilliant 
paintings
which fed my soul.

I came back refreshed
and went right into
my fracturing workshop.
Lots of talented painters
with great attitudes.
They were all established
artists so a lot of good paintings
 came out of it.

It is always great for my moral
when I can help an artist
find a new direction to their
painting style. A great thing
about the fracturing technique
is you can use it a little or a lot.
It is really neat to see how
they adapt to their own
personal preferences.

Thank you for trusting
me to inspire you,
 Brenda, Kay, Carol,
Ana, Marilyn, Lindy and Candi.

Life is good.

All MINE!

All MINE!

6x6in oil on canvas panel SOLD

Artist Note.

I may prefer to paint nests but

I have loads of bird pics

and sketches.

I find them totally fascinating

and can watch them for hours,

Anyone out there relate?

I find crows are great to paint 

and somewhat easier too

because of their strong

shape and color. 

This guy is scurrying 

away with his treasure

but, look who is watching him...

Yep, he didn't have it for long!

I have been trying to work 

on a painting of the

American Goldfinch 

I see at my feeders,

but the painting got 

looking too much 

like a greeting card.

Not what I wanted so I

kept scraping it off.

Got a great abstract 

out of it though!

I am going to keep trying.

All my 

American Goldfinch

disappeared overnight.

last weekend - it seems too soon.

(they only winter here)

Wouldn't you know it ...

they left the very day

after I paid big bucks for

a nice quality bag of

 Nyger seed.

sigh.

.

My First Crow's Nest

Crows Nest #1

9x7in watercolor on Yupo

Not quite finished!

Artist Note.

I went to the dentist last Monday

and it is a one hour drive each way so I 

painted this in the car.
A friend had brought in a photo
of a crows nest on their property.
I was surprised how tidy it was.

Still doing some basic studies of the shape
of crows. These are my first in watercolor.
Looks like someone is getting told off!

Studying The Crows

Studying The Crows

11x14in oil on canvas NFS


Artist Note.
After I realized that my new series,
based on the pond at the pecan factory,
required me to paint crows, I decided to

delve into studying them so I would be able
to paint them with some authority.

As well as sitting in my car sketching
these very active birds at the pond,
I actually have a couple of
crow models in the house.
One is a feathered foam-base of a crow
and the other is a wonderful little bronze.
I can move them around in the light
and see their main form.

P.S.  Yes...that is genuine New Mexico dust
on my windowsill. Only noticed in the beam
of sunlight.
Instead of blushing...or dusting...
I couldn't resist moving one of the larger
specks to just under the beak.

Snow, Water and Crows #3

Snow, Water and Crows #3

6x8 oil on canvas panel  SOLD

The colors are not accurate and I do

not have any editing tool to correct it

at the present time.

The three panels so far have an uncanny 

way of looking as if they could be

part of a whole. It is because I am using the same 

limited color palette.

I am finding that I have an interest in learning

to paint the crows...

so I have started to do some little studies.

I am enjoying painting all of this snow and 

water...we have no snow left so am 

depending on memory and photos.

Feeling free as a bird (no pun intended)

after the pressure of the Challenge.

I also worked quite a few more hours today

on the 

large Farmers Market painting.

I am learning a lot from working on such

a huge size. Like my shoulders ache!

Snow, Water and Crows #2 - day 29

Snow, Water and Crows 2

6x8in oil on canvas  $130.SOLD


Here is number two in my new series
It became more realistic than I wanted, but
that is part of exploration on a theme

Artist Note
In this one the crows became more
important.  Those little suckers are
not easy to do.
Took about ten wipe-offs on
such a small space.
I realize that they are going to
be one of the areas I will be exploring.
How not to get dorky crows!

For serious art lovers. I have linked to a
wonderful video of a presentation
the AMAZING  landscape painter
Clyde Aspevig
gave in Montana.
It is 25 mins long.
When you want to give yourself a treat,
settle down and get inspired.

Clyde Aspevig

here

Snow, Water and Crows #1 - Day 28

Snow, Water & Crows #1

6x8in oil on canvas $130. SOLD

This is an abstract I have been looking 

forward to painting and the start of

a new series.

For a year I have photographed, 

painted and sketched this spot

5 days a week. 

through all of the seasons.

Situated in the heart of the city, it is

a drainage pond for a local factory.

It is surrounded by unattractive

buildings on one side - two roads 

and a parking lot.

I LOVE THE PLACE!

I have never seen another person

even give it a second look.

I proudly showed it to my good friend

Lisa Graham 

when she came to visit. She understood

my fascination.

(hey, Lisa, can you believe I have actually

started on it?!!!  )

Just in case you cannot find the crows...

look carefully and you will see three small

dark spots (middle-ish left) and they 

are the crows. As I said...an abstract.

The factory is a pecan processing

plant and the crows flock there for 

their pecan fix!