Catnap

I'm working on a few gallery pieces this week, and this is one for an upcoming animal show.  I am working from an old photo of a favorite cat who is no longer with us, so the work is bittersweet.  First I paint in the masses using a brush, coming in with thicker paint on a palette knife.  I really do love painting animals, and the knife is perfect for adding texture to the fur.  I like the mood of this, I think I'll let it rest for the night, and look with fresh eyes in the morning.  Painting number 2970 in 2970 days. 

Early to Bed

I've been wanting to paint this little beauty for some time, and I finally got to it today.  After a busy day of the gym, shipping paintings, visiting my daughter - the biting cold winds were less than appealing to this painter!  Taking care of those necessary computer chores, I turned my attention to the easel.  Oh, it felt good to pull my brush through my paint, even if some of that paint needs to be scraped.  I'll clean that palette another day, when I'm not chomping at the bit to paint.  I primed this panel in a different color - a grayed down plum shade.  I've been wanting to try it under my winter landscapes, but I just happened to grab it for tonight as well.  I like it.  I think the orange I use in the summer months is just too strong for the subtle colors of winter.  I also brought my favorite palette knife out to play!  I love the fresh marks this knife leaves in it's wake!  With this old cat's beautiful coloring, I will definitely be painting her again!  Painting number 1838 in 1838 days.

Sleeping Nolan

This little darling reminds me so much of his daddy!  Tonight, pen and ink are my medium on this handmade cotton paper.  I'm using one of my favorite pens, loaded with cosmic black, which is wonderful to manipulate with pen or brush.  A little water moves the ink, I just need to be careful.  Ink is permanent, so there can be no false marks.  If I'm in doubt, I lay down very light marks until I'm sure of my footing.  This is only my second ink portrait, so in exploring with the marks, perhaps a little looser on this one.  I'm thinking of dropping some lines completely.  There's something to be said for drawing only what is important.  I'll keep playing until I find my way!  Painting number 1836 in 1836 days.

Kitten Nap

Kitten Nap
Pen and ink on paper, 6x6

This little darling is now a very large cat that lives at my oldest daughter's house - and is spoiled rotten by her husband!  He is lucky to have survived our giant puppy, Beau, and now he rules the roost over there!  This dark yellow and white darling has the most beautiful coloring, I really do need to paint him one day.  For today, pen and ink is my medium and paper is my substrate.  I didn't realize how much a would enjoy pen and ink, or I would have taken it up long ago.  I think I will start carrying a small journal in my purse with a pen or two, just in case I am caught our waiting somewhere.  No sense wasting time when I never have enough of it!  This drawing is the 1139th in 1139 days :)

Little Dreamer

Little Dreamer
Acrylic on masonite, 6x6
sold

Oh - today has been SO full!  So many chores to be done, so little time - and all the while, I am "painting in my mind"!  After getting preparations under way for the Thanksgiving feast to come, I arrive late to my easel - once again!  Working from a friend's photo, I start brushing in the colors with short, quick, overlapping strokes.  Beginning with the darks, I mark them all before putting in the flesh.  I like the negatively paint around the head first, I don't really know why but it allows me so much freedom.  Freedom to move the edges, adjust parts up down or sideways, and always working towards a likeness.  It is amazing to watch the painting develop from it's humble beginnings, seemingly with a life of it's own.  This painting makes 1057 in 1057 days :)

Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
purchase here

Another late hour at the easel - and it even looked like I might not get it in at all! Painting the grand-daughter of a friend, she is all peace and tranquility as she rests.  These sweet, dreaming faces are a joy to paint!  I have enjoyed concentrating on portraiture this month.  There is nothing like focusing on one subject to get me to hone in on all the specifics.  So fleeting can be the subtle color changes of the planes, sometimes seeing is the most difficult part.  But once that special sight has been achieved, it makes me wonder how I ever missed it.  It is so like the difference between warm and cool colors, and temperature changes make all the difference in a portrait.  Those subtle qualities give life to an otherwise two dimensional painting.   This painting makes 1054 in 1054 days.

Counting Sheep

Counting Sheep
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5 - sold

I simply love the sweet innocence of a sleeping child!  This is fast becoming one of my favorite painting subjects!  Using only titanium white and Mars black, I have painted this subject in true value study style.  Working from the photo below, I cropped in tight on the face working the large planes.  I normally use one large, scrubby filbert right up to the end, where I switch to a smaller cat's tongue for final definition.  I am beginning to like the whole dry brush technique - what was completely foreign two weeks ago is now very natural.  As for not using any medium - I don't miss it.  I don't use any with my oils, so the transition in the acrylics went smoothly - and the intensity of the hues is so much better!  Two more weeks of "portrait month" - where will tomorrow take me?  Painting number 1049 in 1049 days :)

Dreamland

10 minute color block in

Dreamland
Acrylic on masonite, 5x5
sold

A childhood friend of mine had posted this darling photo of his daughter - and I knew I had to paint her!  Capturing such a sweet moment in a child’s life has been a joy!  I started with a 10 minute color block in, allowing this to dry while I ran errands.  As soon as I was back from the gym, I started right in with my brush work.  Using again the limited palette, I find these colors work so well together. There is such a wonderful color harmony  attained by using the limited palette!  I am finding that the gessoed surface is wearing at my new brushes, though.  I normally add a bit of acrylic gel medium to my gesso to allow the brushes to move more easily over the surface.  I just primed 10 other panels - and will be topping them off with some of the medium in a cross hatch fashion.  We’ll see if that helps.  I am loving the effect I am getting with the acrylics using short, impressionistic strokes!  Painting number 1044 in 1044 days.

Sleeping Kitten

Sleeping Kitten
Graphite on bristol, 6.5x10
purchase here

Yesterday,  I mentioned how I thought smooth bristol paper was not worthy of graphite - or medium I have yet found.  Today, I found myself out of bristol vellum - and I had to use the smooth finish bristol.  Well, it worked out all right.  I like the texture of the vellum, as it lends a bit of tooth and interest to the paper itself.  There is no texture to the smooth, so the strokes carry the weight of all interest.  While the vellum is my favorite still, this smooth bristol will do in a pinch.  I have used three pencils on this rendering - 8B watersoluable, mechanical, and Derwent black inktense pencil (also watersoluable).  Most of the work is done with my trusty 8B - which is super soft for those of you who don't know this.  I pull out the mechanical when I want superfine lines - like the whiskers or fine hair detail.  The mechanical pencil is harder, and therefore grayer in shade.  The black inktense pencil is a special jewel which I bring out only where I want the blackest black.  I can deepen that black with a damp brush, but this is an ink pencil, so once it is dampened, it becomes ink that can not be removed.  As with all drawing, I reserve the whites, only using a pink eraser sparingly - if at all.  Once finished, I squint to make sure the masses all make sense, and the flow of the work is harmonious.  It is so easy to get caught up in the lines and lose track of the big picture.  This kitten piece is my 696th in 696 days.

Kitten Nap

Kitten Nap
Watercolor on paper, 9x6
Purchase Information

This little kitten is absolutely spoiled!  The new favorite of my youngest daughter, little Captain is my subject du jour!  I have not yet attempted an animal in watercolor, so when I first blocked in the colors, I did so in a realistic manner, as I would in oils.  It lacked vibrancy and pop.  So, one by one, I began introducing and layering different colors intuitively.  I don't know what the rules are with watercolor - so I am just dropping in the fresh colors I want to see, whatever brings more life to the subject.  A little wild and crazy, this painting makes 579 in 579 days.

A Father's Love

A Father's Love
Graphite on bristol, 16x20
sold

Once in a while, I will be given a photo to work from that completely takes my breath away.  This is such a piece.  From the moment I first saw it, I knew this one could really be amazing.  The light was perfect, a single moment in time captured flawlessly, and such a peaceful, tender moment between father and baby!  With graphite portraits, I often work in stages.  Especially with this one, it took time and patience to get all of the angles just right.  At each step, I would set it up on a separate easel (as I am constantly painting on my normal one), and live with it - to see what needed my attention.  Tonight, I will let it rest.  I will look it over in the morning with "fresh eyes" - just to make sure it is finished.  I love this intimate scene.  I have truly loved working on it.  Nothing is as grounding to me as putting pencil to paper.  It is such a true representation of fatherhood.  This is my 153rd artwork in 153 days (although this has been in progress for many days!).  I think this is one of my all time favorites :)

Away in Dreamland

Away in Dreamland
Oil on panel, 12x9

My darling little grandson had fallen asleep while watching me paint - so I quickly snapped a few shots to use as reference.  I love his sweet little expression and the way he propped himself up on the pillows!  Whenever the little ones are over when I'm painting, I let them each load up a brush and lay down a few strokes on my panel.  Each is SO careful to put the paint where it should be!  I leave those strokes in place - as a lasting memory to their little hands at work.  This one makes 37 paintings in a row :)