Trying Something Different ...

I painted this last wet-in-wet wash on His Lordship's head this morning, and put it aside to dry. It kept catching my eye ... in a very good way. I think it looks very striking. Let's hope I maintain this feel and look!

This was the first wash - very loose and wet, using quin. burnt orange and a dark violet mixture. 

When dry, I painted a more controlled glaze over the shadows of his face and topline, just indicating the mane.

I also went to a different reference photo.

While working on Voodoo, I also started a study of my niece. Again, I tried to paint in a more impressionistic manner.

Reference photo
It's a beautiful photo, but the quality is not great - wishing I could enlarge it to focus on her face.

I love the old pond in back, and right now am quite taken with the look of the willows. Painting subject soon???

And of course, I always travel with my invaluable photographer's assistant! She is looking quite like a wild dog in this photo.

I think all that brooding this past winter is bearing some fruit. This past week I have been trying to think ... see ... paint with more feeling and intuition, rather than rendering a close copy of a photo. I love the look of the latest version of Voodoo, and hope I can keep that look through to completion. The study of my niece is more difficult for me, but we'll see what happens. Painting this way needs more energy and concentration on my part, so I am going to start something lighter in subject matter - fun, goofy and loose.I would like to thank all of you for following this blog, and encouraging me with your notes! And a big "thank you" to Linda Roth - your letters of late have encouraged me to move outside the box.

Thank you so much for dropping by!

I wish you all a wonderful Easter weekend

FINALLY Feel More Like Painting ... or Do..., Do that Voodoo that You Do So Well

This is from one of my favorite comedies, Blazing Saddles.  I thought the comment about Voodoo was appropriate. So here's a bit of humor ...

And this is the Voodoo I know.

I became so absorbed in painting,  I forgot to take any earlier photos. I had started doing the form shadows of his head with a dry brush technique, but it wasn't giving me the results I wanted, so I returned to good, old wet in wet. The only pigments I am using are quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. There is a touch of alizarin crimson in the inner canthus of his eye. 

Most of the mask is off, and I have glazed some dark brown in his forelock and the shaggy hair in his ears. The next steps will be more and more and more wet in wet washes to get the depth of the shadows. I have absolutely no idea what I will do for the background.

Thank you so much for visiting!