Well ... THIS Is Going to Take a While!!! Latest Work in Progress

My Tracing. I really do prefer drawing free hand, but when the subject is this complex, and the details are necessary, I trace from my photo.

The subject

The colors. The pink hollyhocks, from my sister's garden, have beautiful shapes and shadows, but I thought I'd try doing them in yellow. The above photo is from my landlady's garden.

MANY glazes, starting with aureolin, then  gold with phthalo green, and several of  phthalo green and burnt orange for the darks.

Finally finished all the glazing yesterday, and am starting the subject.  I found I didn't get as much streaking from applying water to pre-wet before glazing by instead wetting gently with a spray bottle. So far, I am  using aureolin, and quin. pink with the blue shade of phthalo green for the shadows [weird combination though it seems] And I am staying with gold, burnt orange and phthalo green [yellow shade] for the greenery.
Once again, I leapt in without fully appreciating how difficult this would be. But we'll see what happens. I think I'll need to have a couple of "easier" paintings on the side to work on when I start going cross-eyed with all the detail on the hollyhocks.

Thank you so much for dropping by!

Distracted Parent!!!

My model - the distracted parent
"Me ... me ... come after me - my wing is broken"

My drawing, initially focussing on the head

First w/w applications of a warm grey-brown and some black
The eye done with a brighter orange - quin. sienna

Adding more burnt orange, and intensifying the detail of the head

Lovely burnt orange, applied w/w, using both a thin and also much thicker mixture, and intensifying the details of the head and neck

Tail feathers painted w/w with the warm brown then thick black dropped onto the tips and allowed to flow

A bit more detail added to the tail feathers, and she is done
"Distracted Parent"  33 x 28 cm
I debated whether to add some background - probably some light sponging  at the bottom with  the grey-brown to suggest ground. But I decided the tail feathers had become the focus; anything around them would be a distraction.
Colours used - quin. burnt orange, quin. sienna, quin. pink, quin. violet, indanthrone, cobalt blue
We have killdeer here all year round, and quite often they nest in the field, riding ring or even the manure pile. After the chicks have hatched, they are immediately able to run - and they do - like the wind, all over the place. Their parents must have quite the job keeping track of them. When anything "predatory" [including me apparently] comes near to the nest or the chicks, mom and dad immediately go into what is called distraction display. They make noise, and spread their wings and tail feathers, and sometimes even seem to limp along to give the impression that they are helpless, so the "predator" goes after them rather than the kids. All righty - that's the Nature lesson for today!

Thank you so much for dropping by.

Two Simple Paintings ... Step by Step

I started this with aureolin over all, then  did the leaves in quin. gold with phthalo green, and  green with quin. burnt orange for the darker leaves. The branches were painted with orange, quin. violet and indanthrone.

I used the same colors for the broken reflections . Then mixed aureolin, a quin. pink and cobalt blue  to indicate water.

I used a darker grey [with indanthrone instead of cobalt] to add rain drops, and  accent the focal area.

I used almost all the same colors, tending more to the warms -  aureolin, quin. gold and burnt orange, phthalo green, quin. violet and indanthrone.

I warmed the focal area with a thin w/w application of gold, then some burnt orange was  drawn in and softened.
Both paintings are about 12 x 6 inches.

HAH!!! And I thought we would have a mild winter!!! All of December was fairly cold, then it started to snow at the end of the month. And got even colder!! Nights are down to -10 to -15 C., and not anywhere near freezing during the day.
This is one of the willows in the pond near Bruno's paddock. I have always wanted to do some paintings inspired by it, hence the willow branches.

His Imperial Highness is NOT amused. Actually he's quite warm, wearing a quilted under-blanket and a heavy winter blanket on top. And he gets small mountains of hay, especially at night. [Horses generate body heat when digesting, so always a good idea to increase their hay when cold out.] I had to turn off the water to the barn as the pipes freeze, so I am doing bucket brigade duty with hot water. We are both missing our time together!

As for Maggie, she is quite happy to be outside whatever the weather.

Thank you for dropping by, and I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!